What you see is what you get with Sam’s fourth adventure. There are no surprises here but there is comfort to be found in decimating wave after wave of alien nasties while cracking bad one-liners.

I like Fairy Tail 2. It’s competent but not great, and there are a few things that irk me; like locking exploration behind specific characters that join much later. If you’re not a fan of the series, the game lacks quite a bit of backstory, and even the stuff that is in the game can be locked behind late game campfire scenes. If you are a fan of Fairy Tail in manga or anime form, this is a fun jaunt through the final arc of the series.

Shadow Labyrinth isn’t a bad game by any means, it is just one that carries with it a sense of missed opportunity and sometimes that stings a little more.

JETT reaches for the stars, and it is tantalising to watch it do so. It’s a shame that the camera cuts away just as it looks like it’s going to get there.

An excellent game, but a rough port, Wild Hearts S is held back by poor performance and sloppy visuals. Play it for the gameplay experience but not the aesthetics.

Some interesting ideas combined with a relatively short run time makes Chronos good for one or two playthroughs that will genuinely make you appreciate its successor even more.

I wish I could sing the praises of this game, but the flaws were a little too frequent to ignore. The narrative is strong but the delivery of it often flounders, despite the convincing voice acting of some of the cast. Some puzzles fit right into the world and add to the immersion, while some feel like banging your head against a wall as you endure them. The environments are often stunning, but the shine is taken away when travelling through them reveals pop-in and an overuse of invisible walls. It feels like a game that’s almost there, and I wish it had stuck the landing.

For all its quirks, I do hope that Screamer finds a regular and loyal fanbase. The story may be naff, and some tracks are better than others, but there remains an enjoyable core at the centre of it all. The potential for online play, particularly in all-out team races, is highly promising, but it’s a promise that can only be fulfilled if Screamer can entice enough an audience to purchase and persevere. It’s an excellent, flawed, unique, undercooked racer that just may yet manage to become a simply great one.

While No Straight Roads‘ floaty combat occasionally frustrates, its strong sense of self is commendable. Terrific art direction and musical composition add flourish to a game that otherwise may have been too easy to miss out on.

This is a game that has a pile of problems, thankfully, the core combat loop is so satisfying that those problems take a backseat to all the brutal fun you are having.

Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall is an ambitious sequel with new gameplay and a familiar cosy-danger vibe. Presently, management systems are somewhat unbalanced and difficult to fully enjoy.

Glitchy mechanics and a lack of polish get in the way of this otherwise innovative, whimsical puzzle-platformer. I want to wholeheartedly recommend it as a game for the whole family, but sadly several broken elements stop it from being a must-play.

If I were to describe how the game feels to me, it would be “death by a thousand paper cuts”. Each of the things wrong with the game is a very minor annoyance in what is a good game, but it’s enough to make the player come away feeling disappointed and like it wasn’t worth their time. It’s hard to think about the future when you are regretting your past.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun aims to be the kind of FPS throwback to get your adrenaline pumping, and almost hits the mark, if not for the overly expansive levels which don’t quite land the old-school feel that the rest of the game nails.

Stuck in the past, Saints Row 3 still offers a lot of fun, you just have to look past some pretty dated humour to find it.

Disney Illusion Island is a fantastic opportunity to introduce younger players to the Metroidvania genre, but it’s too light-on for content for players already versed in the genre.

Sure, gaming has evolved since its initial release, but those nostalgic for games and Star Wars films of another time might find this humble adventure worth their time, even if it won’t blow their mind.

A Hellish turn-based management simulator with moments of fun that ultimately hasn’t evolved the 4X formula.

Forspoken may be a game of squandered potential, but there remains an argument that it’s still worth playing, not just for the simple joy of zipping through its world, but for the occasional glimpse at the potentially genre-defying tentpole it could have been with clearer vision and better collaboration. Because, in this world of stagnation over innovation, even just the groundwork can be worth savouring.

If you missed Spider-Man 2 on PS5, the PC version will be a great way to experience it, just not yet. I just wish Sony would learn from their mistakes and stop these sorts of releases from happening, but sadly their PC port rollercoaster just keeps on rolling.

Valkyrie Elysium brings the series into the modern era, even though the story is rough, and the levels are a bit bland. I want to see more of this, but hopefully with some of the more major faults fixed.

While a little rough around the edge, this anachronistic RPG charms in unexpected ways and offers a better jumping on point for the franchise.

A niche product for a niche audience, Clea 2 feels honest in its design, especially in a genre which can occasionally feel engineered to entice and then exploit influential streamers in service of a sales explosion. Lasting around five to six hours, Clea 2 teeters on the edge of outstaying its welcome, a minor issue in the face of a marketplace awash with bloated titles.

This is a game that tries a lot but can never commit. Still, it's a fun enough jaunt through a world otherwise lost to a mobile game, with some nostalgic call-backs to other games in the series

While there are missteps in the narrative, Miasma Chronicles is a solid enough game that can scratch both the RPG and tactical turn-based combat itch, with some solid ideas that aim to tweak the genre in ways that keep the combat fresh.

A great community-focused PvE shooter that is held back by aggressive and manipulative monetisation. If those dodgy tactics can be ignored, players will find a lot to like, but that is a big if.

A great core gameplay loop, great enemy design and art, and a more run-based approach sets this game apart as one of the greats in the roguelike genre. The Stress and relationship system might not be for everyone, but it reinforces the strong focus on the choices you make in a run.

Emio - The Smiling man is a dark and gruesomely gripping mystery that’s held back from reaching greatness by its lack of improvement on the series’ existing flaws.