With a tactile crafty art style, it’s fun to bumble around for an hour or two, but there’s not much variety or even additional missions. [Issue#44, p.89]

While not reaching its full potential, Balan Wonderworld is a grand and well designed adventure, which runs superbly on PS5. It’s perfect for family co-op play. [Issue#1, p.88]

All the ingredients of a great open-world RPG are here, but the lacklustre combat, bugs, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it story leave an unpleasant taste. [Issue#32, p.86]

This is a beautiful game with a clever concept and a wonderful soundtrack, but it’s unambitious in its execution. The story is an obvious metaphor for Izzy’s grief when her gran has a stroke, valuable for young players but too on-the-nose otherwise. There are very few magic words to use, and no real puzzles to speak of. It offers a sweet story clearly geared towards children like its protagonist, but the gameplay doesn’t live up to its potential. [Issue#1, p.88]

Visually stunning, this is a fun but undeniably flawed visit to the superbly recreated world of Pandora. It should have been better; we’re left feeling blue about that. [Issue#36, p.70]

When it comes to horror games, you could do a lot worse than this, but you could also do a lot better. Its great puzzles belong in a much better game. [Issue#39, p.86]

A disappointing followup filled with gimmicks to validate its existence that end up getting in the way of the core appeal. Perhaps Moving Out 2 was a pivot too far. [Issue#32, p.89]

Recompile ultimately isn’t as tightly designed as a metroidvania needs to be in order to be enjoyable, something best summed up in the fact that at least one fundamental upgrade is actually missable – something we discovered the (very) hard way. There’s a good time to be had in this visually striking virtual world, but you’ll have to work hard to defrag it. [Issue#6, p.90]

Energetic and charming, the structure is spread too thinly and too repetitive as it stands, leaving us wishing for more of the more authored stages. [Issue#44, p.96]

An enjoyable Age Of Sigmar campaign, nicely presented and newcomer-friendly, but convoluted controls hamper yet another RTS game on console. [Issue#36, p.80]

An ambitious though rough first effort from a fledgling Polish studio, and a poignant exploration of how history can still hit close to home. [Issue#1, p.93]

Seabound play is great fun, initially at least, but the longer your voyage lasts, the more Skull & Bones struggles to provide new, interesting things for you to do. [Issue#39, p.98]

Despite a nice map, the content and additional mechanics never really come together, and Havi’s adventure feels notably weaker than Eivor’s.[Issue#13, p.86]

A series high for PvP, a series low for Zombies and the campaign. Worth it for multiplayer, but paying for the whole package leaves a sour taste. [Issue#35, p.70]

The central hook almost carries this dungeon crawler, but it struggles to stand out in a crowded field. There’s loot to be found here, but more like a puddle’s worth. [Issue#37, p.78]

Flashes of brilliance dulled by technical issues, and an obsession with making things difficult for you. There’s fun here, if you’re willing to fight for it. [Issue#27, p.80]

The VR game’s as short-lived as the PS4 version, while the optional objectives that pad out a level rarely have anything to do with killing spiders, though completing them does earn you upgrades to make mass arachnicide easier. If you’ve killed them with fire once already, however, the promise of doing it again in virtual reality isn’t quite so tantalising. [Issue#35, p.82]

While the old-school charm remains, from the pleasing voiceover announcing your achievements to the random live-action skits starring a couple of bemused kids, it’s a rather short-lived and shallow affair – especially when you could just replay the fireworks level in the superior Tetris Effect instead. [Issue#27, p.82]

The problem is that these mechanics don’t evolve. [Issue#35, p.82]

We don’t want to call this the Dark Souls of potion crafting, but in this game the journey is the destination, and your path will be littered with failed potions. [Issue#37, p.93]

Tactica lovingly translates Persona 5 to another format, but once you grasp the basic activity, the lack of variety both in action and story make it drag. [Issue#35, p.87]

It’s smooth, fast, and sounds cool, but unquestionably lacks the romance and magic of its muse, which remains gorgeous after 35 years. [Issue#15, p.87]

A short, schlocky blast from the past with some welcome modern additions, but hardcore fans may prefer to track down an original arcade cabinet instead. [Issue#15, p.86]

A return to form, for better and worse. Though we enjoy our time with this sleuthing pair, the mystery they’re chasing runs out of road all too quickly. [Issue#40, p.95]

A game that copies the ARPG masters – but isn’t as interesting. Souls-infused combat and a massive unlockable wardrobe are what keep us coming back. [Issue#41, p.76]

The campaign requires patience and a high tolerance for internet searches, but the creative elements are full of possibility if you’re able to put in the time. [Issue#41, p.80]

The strong shell-switching hook and charming writing float to the top, while a myriad issues at launch drag down this treasure chest of promise. [Issue#41, p.84]

Success is leaning into the saccharine story of a witch on a quest for candy, which also helps save the world (and a fairy world) from darkness. Apparently. With this in mind, the sparkling visuals and sumptuous colours make sense. Neon bullets shine as they whizz across the playing field and each explosion feels like an evening of serotonin-boosting fireworks. It’s a joy to experience. However, with only a few modes of play and score-based leaderboards, this Reboot! may leave competitive players and retro fans wanting more. [Issue#5, p.77]