This playful space is engaging and sequesters some neat solutions but we wish Maquette thought more outside the box and followed its own fun. [Issue#187, p.86]

Sadly, things get rather grindy towards the end, and Anodyne 2’s refusal to be clear about anything can make finding the last few items you need harder than it should be. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable trip unlike any other. If you’re looking for something that differentiates itself from the ocean of grim shooters and angsty apocalypses, you won’t be disappointed with this. [Issue#187, p.81]

With new online modes, capable and fun split-screen, and one truly great fictional racetrack (Rusty Ravine), it’s only really let down by its slight low-budget feel and sense of déjà vu. But being enjoyable to play is surely the whole point of a videogame, and this is very enjoyable indeed. [Issue#187, p.81]

With such assured motion, incident-packed races and gorgeous stadium track visuals this should be an easy recommendation, especially since it’s a deluxe version of an already-polished series. But the harsh handling model and extreme sense of déjà vu suck out a lot of the fun. [Issue#187, p.85]

Besides spider death, each area has multiple objectives. Some of these force you doing a little bit of thinking, others simply ask you to destroy a set number of a certain object. Levels start out small, their routes unfurling as you reach spider-killing milestones. Progression is satisfying, though once you become used to the game’s tricks it wears a little thin. Still, if you want to “kill it with fire” and a whole lot more, it certainly lives up to its promise. [Issue#187, p.85]

Despite the pratfalls, it’s fun to swing into action here. [Issue#187, p.85]

Shallow, but also attractive and a lot of fun. Take Destruction AllStars for a spin, and you’re guaranteed a good time whenever you slip into the driving seat. [Issue#186, p.91]

After a handful of runs you may feel as if you’ve seen everything. The combat system still makes this worth a try if you’re itching for more roguelikes. [Issue#186, p.82]

Levels are served at random, so you’re not forcing yourself to do the exact same thing over and over again, but we ran into a lot of repeats. There’s something to love here, but it’s all incredibly basic, and perhaps a bit too fiddly to quite deliver with how the controls are translated to an analogue stick. [Issue#186, p.85]

Freddy’s first outing is a jump scare legend and a fantastic case study of pure, simple design. It’s too bad later outings simply don’t play well on a controller. [Issue#185, p.89]

Most of the issues have been addressed, making for a much more palatable bike sim. It’s still lacking spectacle and charm, but the quality’s much higher. [Issue#185, p.88]

The step-up in fluidity afforded by PS5 makes this feel like a premium offering, but finicky handling, dull Playground mode, and sparse new content hamper the fun. [Issue#185, p.86]

Mixing up your items is still the name of the game, though. While you level up in fights, a lot of your sense of progression comes from creating more powerful items (and finding higher-quality ingredients to do so). Holing up in your atelier, mixing the perfect items for quests, is still one of the most satisfying crafting systems around. You frequently return to your home to store materials, encountering warm little character events. A degree of automation makes mixing easy to get into, but customisation has evolved to the point where you can’t help but think up alterations to make, for instance, your bombs more powerful. There’s a strong connection to your items and equipment. [Issue#185, p.82]

The idea of solving puzzles with detachable limbs is interesting, but the execution is a bit simple. Since you can’t take a single step without having to solve another puzzle, the satisfaction of overcoming them is pretty short-lived, too. However, Helheim Hassle offers some excellent, goofy dialogue and characters, so solving puzzles can feel like something you have to get over with in order to get to those bits. The game lives off its cartoony, over-the top art style and absurd situations. Its humour is its biggest strength – dry and self-deprecating, sometimes reminiscent of adventure classics like Monkey Island. While the puzzles are a bit of a letdown, on the whole you get an entertaining game with a few great laughs. [Issue@#185, p.82]

Technically there’s little wrong with the game. It’s visually solid, smooth to play, and the 3D models do a decent job of replicating the style of an 8-bit side-scrolling shooter. Yet it feels anodyne. The magic sauce that made us shove ten-pence pieces into arcade machines is missing. [Issue@#185, p.82]

Ultimate Fishing Simulator rewards patience and skill like any good sim, and there’s something satisfying about picking your own fishing spot, casting a line you’ve prepared yourself, and pulling in a big one after a fight. Progression may prove to be too slow for some, but for fishing fans, this might just be a kipper app. [Issue@#185, p.87]

Roguelike games can sometimes feel very generic, and we’ve seen a lot of them in recent years, but the stylish pixel look combined with a subtle but effective soundtrack helps Colt Canyon stand out from the crowd, and with levels randomly generating each time you play, no landscape will ever be the same as the previous one. This offers a fantastic challenge (albeit sometimes it can be a little too tough) but you’ll keep coming back for more. [Issue@#185, p.87]

While the occasional, inexplicable slowdown is forgivable, what really holds the game back is the checkpointing. It sometimes feels downright unfair as, due to the slowly-slowly nature of play, you can lose ten minutes of progress that’s a real pain to retread. It’s enjoyable enough to keep you coming back, but prepare for some pain in among the pleasure. [Issue@#185, p.87]

It’s fun in bursts of 20-30 minutes or so, but this is the sort of thing you play in between sessions of games you enjoy more. Worms deserves more love. [Issue#184, p.97]

Modern Warfare’s a tough act to follow, and Cold War struggles to keep up. It’s still enjoyable though, and with many updates to come, it’s just getting started. [Issue#184, p.95]

A collection of Space Invaders varients with diminishing returns. Come for Extreme, hang around for Gigamex SE, leave when Arkanoid Vs. rears its ugly head. [Issue#184, p.87]

While FIFA 21 is as good a showcase for the potential of the DualSense as we’ve seen so far, the underlying issues with this entry remain. [Issue#184, p.88]

The five-to-six-hours-long single-player mode is certainly challenging, with some very well-designed boss fights, but the main maze-like levels feel basic and dreary. It’s a slog. Ponpu’s clearly best suited to local party play, but… well, it would be a pretty strange party if you got this one out. [Issue#184, p.89]

When The Past Was Around is an endearing game that is a celebration of two people’s shared love of music. It teeters on being sappy, but its dreamy, abstract nature brings it back from the brink. It’s an endearing pocket-sized tale and a wonderful gem from the Indonesian indie game scene. [Issue#184, p.86]

Sam is implied to be neurodivergent, and is forced to pick between masking his differences for a happy ‘normal’ life or living authentically but miserably in a forced existence. Twin Mirror is bleak, often flawed and far from Dontnod’s best work – case closed. [Issue#184, p.91]

If you liked the look of Dark Souls but bounced off the difficulty, Chronos offers a solid (if cheaper), more user-friendly, yet still demanding alternative. [Issue#184, p.90]

A hugely ambitious, immersive RPG that too often works against itself. Perhaps worth playing – just not at full price and not on PS4 without further patches. [Issue#184, p.82]

Magical in conception but uneven in execution, it overcomes the slowest of starts to become one of the most imaginative platformers in ages. [Issue#183, p.88]