Some people might enjoy the challenge Masters of Anima brings but it requires a lot of patience and luck for little reward. Controls are clumsy on a pad and your adversaries don't offer much in the way of autonomy. It's well-made but unbalanced encounter design results in some long struggles against enemies that will regularly make short work of you.

Omensight has a great premise and incredibly well designed visuals. The combat isn't as responsive as I'd like and the repetition with regards to environments can start to drag but the story, characters and presentation will keep you playing through to the end.

Darq is an incredibly atmospheric, if brief title about being a self-aware dreamer that is stuck in a nightmare. This game oozes spookiness with satisfying puzzles and Tim Burton-esque surrealism, but skimps on the actual horror elements which could have been its Darq’s marquee feature.

If you want to get your supercross/motocross hit, then this game is the way to do it with its officially-licensed riders and tracks but it barely improves on last year's effort which itself was more of an evolution than a revolution.

If you've ever fancied playing the spiritual successor to Strider, this port is the best way to do it and it cleverly adds some quality of life improvements that offset the original's rough difficulty spikes. The price is definitely far too steep for what you get.

As a first person puzzle game with a talkative AI character, The Turing Test proves that you can take the formula laid down by Portal and make it your own. This game offers a distinct and atmospheric story, and provides some well designed and challenging puzzles along the way.

Moving Out is a gem of an action puzzler but is a little bit too light on content to be a true co-op classic.

This is the Jackbox team doing exactly what they always do but if you can get a few players involved, a good time is pretty much guaranteed.

Rune Factory 4 Special is an updated version of a 2012 3DS game and while it's a faithful recreation, it's let down by some clunky mechanics and the fact it's better suited to mobile play rather than sat on a couch.

Once Upon a Jester is certainly worth playing. Whilst the interactivity is light, the humour and writing do a wonderful job of creating a heart-warming story. It's twee, cheeky but tactfully performed. The on-stage stuff can hinder the pacing but, even within those segments, there's a playful tone that can produce some smiles.

Aliens: Dark Descent does a great job of combining the feel, suspense and horror of the films with some solid RTS mechanics and we've enjoyed playing it more than any other game inspired by the film franchise. It's just a shame that a few legacy bugs from the PC version have made their way over to the PS5 version. That spoils things for early adopters but in a few patches time, this could end up being the best Alien game yet.

As an annual sports title, it can be hard to judge whether this is the year for newcomers to jump in. MotoGP 23 has a truly engrossing handling model that does emphasise every twitch from the beast you're riding. The racing is competitive and the career mode can still remain compelling, even if I feel the some of the new additions are a bit superfluous. Veterans should feel right at home and the Neural AI does present a comfortable way for newcomers to enter, even if I do consider it too intrusive, at times.

Lapis X Labyrinth is an excellent hack and slasher with glorious visuals and some decent looting and RPG mechanics.

Journey to the Savage Planet is an excellent and often funny firstperson exploration game. You could call it a Metroidvania game but that’s just lazy. Go out and buy this.

Equal parts shoot 'em up and rogue-lite, Sky Force Reloaded feels like a deluxe version of the previous game and that's no bad thing at all but don't expect anything revolutionary this time around.

Whilst the presentation is stale, the driving of WRC Generations remains as engaging as ever. The new hybrid engines gave me something else to consider whilst adhering to the pace notes but the handling remained steady and reliable. The diverse locations provide a showcase or rallies present and past and, whilst the historical content has been featured before, it's now under one roof. I do wish they pushed the boat out for their final outing with the license but what's here is a solid product.

Soul Hackers 2 is an enjoyable JRPG which will feel familiar to fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series. It does do its own thing in many areas which is fine, but the dungeons are very simple and repetitive and the side content feels like padding although the rewards are worth it. It's not the next Atlus classic but it's a fun game nonetheless that may be a more forgiving entry point to the series.

I want to like Wuchang: Fallen Feathers but the myriad of frustrations pile up. The world design is clever, if occasionally hard to read. Whilst the emphasis on dodging makes for an aggressive play style, I always felt mobility was hampered by the lack of invincibility frames and enemies that really indulge in long attack strings. The skill tree allows for some free-wheeling experimentation and the way magic is handled interests me. There's some intriguing ideas on display but the execution doesn't gel for me.

Ruffy and the Riverside is a thoughtful homage to 3D platformers. The bright visuals and chirpy soundtrack give the game plenty of life. The swap mechanic is interesting but it doesn't quite fulfil its potential. There are moments where it's used to great effect but the puzzles are predominantly simple. That does lead to a campaign that's breezy and takes you through some varied locales. I enjoyed it but it definitely seems to be aimed at youngsters.

TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 represents a positive step forward. Handling is improved and feels a lot less skittish and unsure. There's still danger and a good sense of speed with sound design working to great effect. Career mode is a lot meatier with some really smart changes to structure and environments remain carefully considered and well designed. Above all, there's a more comprehensive experience here that should keep road racers satisfied.

As a complete package, Ride 4 finally manages to deliver with a rounded selection of bikes and tracks. The career mode feels substantial and, whilst the AI can feel a little tricky, the game gives you plenty of room to upgrade your wheels and power past. It's a little rough in spots with some tests adhering to a zero tolerance but the actual riding, on and offline feels fun and challenging.

Cursed to Golf is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Very much a rogue-like with a golfing twist. You might bounce off like many do the Soulsborne games, but you might get hooked like we are too. Unflinchingly tough at times but also gives you hope you might prevail. It's the hope that makes you have another go. Recommended despite being harder than Henry Rollins and Jimmy Nail combined.

The Cub is a fair platformer with a great sense of place. The plot loosely follows the Jungle Book but comes to a conclusion somewhat bafflingly. The platforming is generally alright though jumping is maddeningly inconsistent at times. Over its brief lifespan you’re likely to be entertained by it for the most part.

Still Wakes The Deep is more than just a walking simulator in the tradition of Rapture or Esther. It nails the feel of bleak 1970’s Scotland to a tee and while everything goes to hell in a handbasket, your man Caz somehow managed to maintain his composure. Very much recommended.

Contra Anniversary Collection offers a selection of games from the Contra series all in one package. There could have been more in here and some titles, although interesting, feel like padding but what is here delivers some of the best run and gun gameplay out there.

Lost Words: Beyond The Page is an excellent exploration of the relationship between a young girl and her grandmother with superb voice acting for the lead character. Very much recommended.

This collection of classic arcade shoot 'em ups really just boils down to three unique games and while each one is well-presented here and offers some great old-school action, the asking price for this compilation seems a bit much, especially when it isn't the complete collection that it pretends to be.

Despite the occasional clashes in tone, Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers does a good job of showing how to manage a group of strong personalities. The humour's not my cup of tea with a heavy reliance on references but there's enough minutia from the dating to keep someone interested. The presentation is colourful and, whilst some characters can be somewhat cartoonish, the voice acting gives them plenty of life.