It's dingy and it's not without some mutations, but Directive 8020 is definitely worth exploring - just expect the mundane along the way.

If you're after an accessible and welcoming bus simulation title, Bus Bound fits the bill in a serviceable fashion. Riding buses, collecting passengers and managing routes are all well implemented, and the handling of each vehicle makes each journey slightly different. Hardcore sim fans may be displeased with the lack of esoteric manual features and the inability to walk outside of the buses, but ultimately Bus Bound is a welcome aboard for anybody who wants a sim offering without the torturous nitty gritty technical graft.

Aphelion is very much a compelling, though mechanically nuts and bolts narrative adventure that embraces linearity and spectacle above all else. Though its embedded dynamic of interpersonal relationships is engaging, the technical flaws, occasional clunkiness and aged-like-milk stealth sections sadly do much to undercut its otherwise impressive qualities.

Tides of Tomorrow boasts an interesting world, and has great foundational ideas, particularly with its approach to asynchronous multiplayer. However, it feels more inconsequential and disjointed than it should, and as a result doesn't fulfill its potential.

The Day I Became A Bird is a fun little game that gives you a chance to experience the whimsy of childhood, even for a little while. The game only runs 45 minutes or so, but it still tells a fun little tale. Pacing can be weird at times, particularly in the second half of the game, and the simplified controls make cutting paper in-game much more cumbersome. With that said, nothing gets in the way too much of The Day I Became A Bird putting a little smile on your face.

While the comfort and charm of the series can still be felt within Life Is Strange: Reunion, Deck Nine attempts to course correct the series, but in doing so, not only hurts the core experience, but previous titles in the franchise as well. As a long time fan of Life is Strange, I can't help but feel disappointed.

Starfield plays as you would expect an RPG to play in the sense that the inputs do what you want them to do. Performance also works well enough, particularly for a Bethesda game. Odds are, however, that you won't want to play for very long anyway. In this game, you get nothing but residual information about the world around you and humdrum experiences for you to play. Even in Dark Souls, you receive a challenge that faces you head on and you get rewards for surmounting that challenge. Whether it's the plot or the gameplay, Starfield puts any interest you may have on the back burner for something much more mundane to take its place.

There is something that really irks me when a horror game doesn't provide any scares or tension. The Occultist looked like it was going to be an entertaining experience, but it doesn't provide much entertainment. The puzzle-solving and exploration are passable, but everything else is a huge letdown.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a decent new addition to the franchise after 23 years. It tries to breathe life into the franchise, but it makes only a bare minimum attempt. Though the voice work and soundtrack are the standouts here, the action and platforming suffer from bad level design and bad enemy AI. Even the game's story suffers from simple and mediocre writing, something that was once a standout for the franchise.

Despite the lack of any substantial extra materials and the as-is presentation of the various mixed quality games in the package, I can still confidently say that it's good to have playable versions of X-Men: The Arcade Game and Captain America and the Avengers in the here and now of the year 2026. Though this is an uneven package overall, older gamers who grew up with these superhero titles of yesteryear will still nonetheless find a rather potent and concentrated hit of nostalgia here. For everyone else, the Marvel MaXimum Collection provides a reasonable if uneven peek into the past of Marvel licensed video games.

Sadly a compelling setting, great performances and some occasionally stunning visuals aren't enough to overcome the horrendously uneven and frequently broken combat system which sits at the heart of 1348 Ex Voto and threatens to cast this otherwise intriguing and ambitious indie effort into the ninth circle of mediocrity.

A humdrum start to Greedfall 2: The Dying World brings down the experience quite drastically. However, once you scale the prologue, the rest of the game feels like you would expect a Spider Interactive RPG to play: likeable characters, political storylines, and straightforward exploration. Combat is its own thing, with the game giving you options to go elbows deep into a clunky but serviceable tactical system or toggle settings so that combat is mindless. The team took too big of a bite this time, and the overall quality paid for it. Still, there is a good Spider Interactive game here, but it might take you a while to find it.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance is an overall decent remaster that does a great job of upgrading the game for a modern audience, especially with its brand-new camera. Everything else, unfortunately, is hit-and-miss. The visual upgrades are great in some areas and worse in others, and the additions of the Lost Levels leave a lot to be desired. While a solid game upon its original release, this remaster was the perfect opportunity to update and fix some of the game's more glaring issues with its sound design and some frustrating combat sequences.

I'm a long time fan of the Tales of games, and I personally love that this release, along with the other recent remasters, received a physical version with some extra bells and whistles. That said, the urge to buy Tales of Berseria Remastered isn't really all that strong, as this experience essentially exists on modern hardware already.

When High On Life 2 is in its element it is good trashy fun, especially if you enjoy potty mouth humour. However, there are often too many issues plaguing the experience to fully enjoy, such as the bugs and the momentum-stopping puzzle platforming bits. In any case you'll likely enjoy what High On Life 2 offers, just ensure you aren't going to overdose on it.

Code Vein II is fine, functional and can be fun-especially if you're able to get the A.I to do the dirty work for you. The Formae system is potent and definitely gives combat encounters a zesty sense of empowerment, and if you're invested you'll want to lap up Code Vein 2 with vigor-just go in expecting a largely safe soulslike and you'll be content with this one.

BrokenLore: Unfollow is a bit up-and-down with its delivery. It explores worthwhile themes of self-betterment but utilizes some conflicting messages to do so. Then, enemy scares are more jump scares than anything else, which get old quickly. The second half of the game proves more cohesive, and the experience only lasts a couple of hours. $30 isn't an unfair asking price for BrokenLore: Unfollow, but it will likely keep people on the fence if they already are.

When you put all of Total Chaos' myriad of gameplay elements together, a lot of the fear factor quickly disappears, giving way to something more akin to Doom than to survival horror. There's definitely an audience for this game, but it's more of a survival horror-adjacent experience. It has elements of the survival horror genre, but it leans too hard into the Doom formula. This combination creates a fun concept that needs editing to be a cohesive product. $25 is a fair price tag for what Total Chaos offers, but it may make some hesitate if they don't know what they're getting into.

Plenty of players feared Black Ops 7 might fall into the same expansion-like pattern that Modern Warfare 3 did after Modern Warfare 2, and for some that concern may feel justified once the campaign’s uneven execution becomes clear. The story has flashes of ambition, but its pacing and structure stop it from reaching the impact it aims for, leaving it feeling more serviceable than essential. Multiplayer steadies the ship with the sharpest and most rewarding action in the package, delivering the consistency and momentum the rest of the game struggles to match. Zombies offers a decent run with enjoyable pockets of tension, yet it also settles into familiar rhythms, creating an overall experience that lands solidly but never pushes the series forward in the way fans hoped.

Neon Inferno looks and sounds great, and while it plays well enough, its biggest flaw is leaving you for dead just for trying to take down a foe in the background. It would have been great to see some additional game modes, but as it stands the two-hour campaign and the hardcore difficulty, even played on the game's easiest setting, make it just too hard to recommend.

Where Winds Meet does a lot of great stuff that should be commended for its freedom of choice, characters interaction and fantastic combat. However, it also struggles with its Free-To-Play mechanics, resulting in a grindy and stalled progression system.

Much like its primary protagonist then, Rue Valley certainly has no shortage of faults or shortcomings and it's also practically impossible for Rue Valley to escape the vast, looming shadow of ZA/UM's epic adventure, Disco Elysium. Taking all of that into account however, Rue Valley's Disco Elysium meets Groundhog Day concept is a compelling one that finds itself ably anchored by a great art style, good writing and interesting characters and it's one that will surely tide over Disco Elysium fans looking for their next existential adventure fix.

Despite the pleasantries Titans of the Tide offers that makes it easy breezy and a fair old hoot for SpongeBob fans, you would expect this latest entry to improve on The Cosmic Shake, rather than behaving like a slippery sidestep. Unfortunately, Titans of the Tide is out of its depths because it comes across as an unfinished game that has some sparkling ideas, but the execution is hamstrung by its terrible camera and banal combat, platforming and puzzles. If you want to delve into another SpongeBob game this one might do just fine, but for everybody else Titans of the Tide is a titanic case of meh.

If you're craving the wholesale slaughtering of otherworldly beings, Painkiller has you covered despite a myriad of superior alternatives. You'll enjoy buddying up with co-operative pals and relish in the carnage of the game's meaty weaponry. However, if you're a veteran of the arena shooter or a learned observer, you'll find Painkiller is far too similar to the genre's juggernauts than can be comfortably accepted.

Wreckreation takes a very specific direction. For what it’s worth, it’s still a fun time. Regardless, it still feels more like a reimagining of Need for Speed Most Wanted with elements of Burnout and Hot Wheels rather than a full-on open-world Burnout game. The game includes its fair share of issues, such as pacing, rules around crashing, and general oddities when interacting with objects in the world. Having said that, there's definitely fun to be had here; it perhaps just needs some extra attention that a ten-person development team may not have the resources to apply. $40 is a bit of a hard sell for what's on display here unless you are craving another Burnout Paradise or Need for Speed: Most Wanted clone.

Though Streets of Rage 4 remains the bar to pass, Double Dragon Revive even feels markedly less satisfying than the excellent Double Dragon: Rise of the Dragons which was released a little over two years ago. That said, while Double Dragon Revive does implement some neat mechanics which would serve future games well, the lackluster 3D character models and dull worlds act to its ultimate detriment, resulting in plodding combat that rarely satisfies or compels. If this was intended to be a true revival of Double Dragon, then someone forgot to bring along the soul because what we’ve ended up with is a hollow facsimile of what Double Dragon should be, rather than an evolved celebration of everything we loved about it in the first place.

Maybe Ninja Gaiden 4 could be the weird transition game that helps the franchise find a new path in future entries. Like I said before, there is a good combat loop here. It just lacks the refinement and potency that fans have come to expect from this franchise. The Ninja Gaiden stories have never been complicated or over-the-top, but this one offers very little substantive content or drama to get its hooks in you. It's not perfect by any stretch of the word, but the right person can find a good time here.

Bye Sweet Carole delivers on the promise of a narrative-driven horror experience with the visual inspiration for classic Disney cartoons. Though it succeeds in this endeavor, it falls short of keeping you engaged with frustratingly unresponsive controls and easy stalker encounters.

Blow for blow, Yooka-Replaylee is a quality 3D platformer. It does what it needs to do and does so in a way that’s inoffensive and pretty bogstandard. My issues with the game come from its existence as a replacement for a game with genuinely interesting ideas. Replaylee does away with every interesting wrinkle in favour of an experience that, unfortunately, falls far too close to certain other games for me to want to prioritise this one. It’s a bizarre exercise in overcorrection that misses what the original game was literally made for. Is it a better game than the original? Probably. But it's a lesser imitation of its far more modern inspirations.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition then is deeply flawed and arguably struggles to trace a satisfying gameplay loop over the lines of its source material. However, it gets enough right with the atmosphere and general presentation that it ends up being one of the best 6/10 games I’ve played in a good while. Though that might be damning with faint praise and certainly far from a perfect organism, I still feel Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition is worth checking out for Aliens fans all the same.

There is plenty to enjoy about Arctic Awakening. Its writing and voice work bring the characters to life, and the mysteries of the abandoned facilities and plane crash are worth exploring. It's a shame that so much time is spent walking long distances to reach the next major story point.

It's clear that the emphasis of Dying Light and thus The Beast is to give you a world where you can run about within it and make infected corpses your playthings, but there's a lot of room for evolution. The Beast is successful at giving us another scrumptious slice of Dying Light, but the irony of The Beast is while it strives to be untamed, its leash can only extend so far before it's pulled forcefully back because of the limitations and lack of upgrades that meaningfully unleash the monster within. So yes, The Beast is good, but it's neutered.

Hotel Barcelona adds in just enough quirky things to stay on brand with the reputation that its legendary creators have forged for themselves. Just like most of their other works, Hotel Barcelona is far from perfect, showcasing its own intentional nuances that can either make or break a game for some people.

Bad Cheese isn’t perfect, but it’s clever and creative. Its campaign may be brief, its puzzles uneven, and its controls a bit rough, but its art and sound make it linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

Look, the story sucks, the use of Unreal Engine 5 isn't really that well optimised and the progression system feels like an arguable step back from what we saw in the first game. However, taking all of that in consideration all the same, Forgive Me Father 2 still provides a frequently impressive looking and appropriately blood pumping shooter that allows players to live out their Lovecraftian carnage fantasies.

There is a lot of charm in Hyke: Northern Lights and what it does works well for it. Its just a shame everything it does is simple and bare bones. Though I love the characters and world, the simple combat and bare bones exploration hold it back.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion has the makings of a classic, but the determination to hit the reset button on the franchise means that this game often feels like taking the first steps once again. A degree of intrigue with the plot was enough to string me along, but does little to elevate this one above purely serviceable.

You may have waited 8 years since the last proper Everybody's Golf game, but Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots has landed to remind you to take up your clubs and get swinging again. If you've loved previous Everybody's Golf titles, Hot Shots is a pleasant entry that gives you plenty to unlock and plenty of golf to get stuck into. However, while it's great to be incentivized to unlock rewards in Hot Shots, the grind can be too much to contend with. On top of this, the visuals and general look of the game isn't appealing, and the characters and their dialogue are super-generic. None of these dings should be enough to stop you from wanting to play Hot Shots, but there is definite room for improvement. Hot Shots is ultimately worthy of your investment, but this isn't a Hole In One, an Eagle, an Albatross, a Birdie, and it's not even a Par-it's a Bogey......just not the disgusting type.

Altogether, Metal Eden should be given a try, there's a demo on the PlayStation Store that can help you decide whether you dig its energy. However, despite its frenetic pace and solid gunplay, there's a sense the true potential of Metal Eden is unfinished. If you want a good and brief FPS, you can do far worse than Metal Eden, but you'll be left with the lingering impression you've seen all it has to offer too quick, and that the game's potential has only come out of the FPS oven half-baked.

There's no getting around the fact that Lost Soul Aside feels like it belongs in the mid 2010s and honestly that would be fine were it not the fact that the game feels so compromised in so many other aspects of its design that it's difficult to shake the feeling that it just feels outdated, rather than a heartfelt love letter to the past. Though the soundtrack is frequently excellent and the combat reliably exciting, neither are enough to save Lost Soul Aside from tumbling into a deep abyss of rank mediocrity, which is a shame; especially considering the sheer amount of graft that has gone into the game since its inception all those years ago.

For what it is, Tales of The Shire puts together a cozy game that almost requires you to play a certain way to enjoy it. At the same time, the game makes it known what it wants from you from the very beginning. There's charm here to be had with the right mindset. However, putting all of this together makes for a rather fixed and repetitive experience. For what it's worth, Tales of The Shire stands as a solid formula for people who don't often play these types of games. It replaces coordination and planning with hard work. By the time you're done with this game, you'll be ready to try some of the more renowned titles the genre has to offer.

Strangely, while Shadow Labyrinth is a solid Metroidvania that carries inspiration from various sources, it doesn't feel inspired because it leans too heavily on the nostalgia of Puck's Pac-Man sensibilities. Serviceable is the best way to describe Shadow Labyrinth because it's a competent experience and it might be satisfying if all you're looking for is a general Metroidvania experience.

Ultimately, if you can forgive the crusty aesthetics (and I would encourage you to do so - even if there is a lot of forgiveness to be dished out), Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition will still absolutely decimate your social calendar as it thoroughly draws you into its Dungeons & Dragons setting. It's just a shame that some more care and attention wasn't lavished to give this re-release the proper love it deserves.

RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business sets out its stall just by virtue of its title and has enough in the tank to provide for a worthwhile outing, particularly at its lower price point. For those who found a lot to love in the preceding Rogue City, you'll find something very similar here, which is not nearly as much to its detriment as it is to its good.

If you're in the mood for some solid multiplayer football, REMATCH is certainly a good effort that you'll be happy to attempt to master thanks to intricate controls, and the bite-sized sessions that throw the rule book away for the sake of fluidity and fun.

FBC: Firebreak has plenty of potential, but feels like early access in its current state. Remedy's patented surrealism, the core gameplay, and class synergy are high notes in particular; however the game is let down by a lack of content and technical issues. Hopefully, over time, FBC Firebreak can live up to its potential.

Tron: Catalyst did a great job of making me feel I was part of the Tron Universe, but it did a poor job of keeping me engaged. The characters, music, and voice work were great, but the combat became repetitive in the first hour, and the exploration didn't offer anything engaging to look forward to. For Tron fans, Catalyst is a no-brainer. For everyone else, it won't make you love or hate Tron more or less than you do now.

For a three-hour adventure title, Copycat has something meaningful to say about mental health and relationships, yet it can be too often undercut by its rigid design, story happenings that don't make sense, and the overarching feeling that with more time, polish and backing there's an even greater game trying to burst out here. It's a pleasant and fine game for how short it is in spite of its gratuitous repetition, and deserves kudos for being adequately designed by two people, it's also in need of some significant refinement.

Considering how revered the Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion games were from the 16-bit era for their mastery and level design, there is still absolutely oodles of potential for a contemporary genre effort to hit those highs, while still retaining the roundly attractive visual presentation that we see here. That game however, isn't Disney Illusion Island. Then again, if your age has yet to hit double digits and the idea of watching live-action Disney remakes and suchlike make you giddy rather than making your eyeballs roll into the back of your skull, or you're just in the mood for a super relaxing, breezy and zero stress platformer, then by all means feel free to add another point or so to the score seen below.

Subtle improvements and the amalgamation of ways F1 25 engages players aren't enough to stave off the fact there's no bold step forward with this latest series offering. It's another year and another entry, and while you'll still want to return if you've been dedicated to F1 games for years, there's not enough here to justify F1 25 as a must-buy.

Feel free to give this one a go and milk it for all its perks to reach the top of the ACPD, but you may want to send this one down with a DUI once it's all set and done.

Some believe that in order to truly "remaster" a game, there has to be a mastered game to begin with, and in the case of Onimusha 2, it certainly (with all due respect) isn't a game that was made with mastery to begin with. A derided sequel given an appreciable but unsurprising remaster, Onimusha 2 is worthwhile to play if you didn't play it in 2002, and is a capable study for new players.

Blades of Fire is a great return to the genre for MercurySteam. With great exploration and a unique combat system, Blades of Fire should have been a sure hit. Unfortunately, the situations you encounter feel completely unfair, and the mechanics sometimes work completely against you. Even still, Blades of Fire is a fun game that harkens back to the old school action-adventure titles, where exploring its world reaps the best rewards and game experience.

If you're familiar with Spirit of the North, this sequel may impress you with its evolutionary strides over its predecessor, such as granting you an open expanse to explore at your leisure, not to mention the fact it's double the length of the previous title. For newcomers, Spirit of the North 2 has an enchanting and calming essence you'll gravitate towards despite its technical shortcomings and unnecessary upgrade system.

By retaining the qualities of the old and bringing in new flourishes, Monaco 2 will please the virtual money-stealer within you. Co-operative play has been enriched with more strategic nuances than ever before, the levels brim with a classy glamour that's hard to resist, and the fun-yet-short play sessions make each mission digestible without getting overbearing or tedious. There is a pervading sense not much has changed here besides the alluring graphical overhaul, and single-player doesn't do Monaco 2 justice, but as a co-op game it glimmers like a crystal inside a display case ready for snatching up. If you have some pals go and raid Monaco of all its glitter; just don't expect to break the bank.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is what SNK is best at. A pure fighter with great mechanics that are easy to understand and only the best will master. It's just a shame that so many of its modes and unlocks are shallow and don't add much to the overall experience.

SaGa Frontier 2 was ahead of its time. Though not everyone will feel the love with this remaster considering its notorious difficulty, SaGa Frontier 2 maintains a special place in the genre for its unique combat, storytelling, and incredible art style. It's just a shame it can be such a brutally difficult game.

On a functional level, AI Limit fulfills what it sets out to do and does so with very few hiccups in most regards. Outside of that, it exists as a time capsule of the mechanics that the industry is explicitly moving away from. While imitation can be argued to be the strongest form of flattery, here it feels tacky and it dilutes what ambition the team had in their own right. What is here, is good enough. But there isn't much outside of that.

The Backrooms 1998 has its issues, but for just $9.99 remains an attractive slice of entertainment for an evening.

Ultimately, I enjoyed my time with Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip. The combination of writing and premise make this a funny game to waste away an afternoon with. The way the game puts things together and then subverts expectations is nothing short of special. Unfortunately, gameplay itself feels more like a means to an end instead of an engaging experience in its own right.

Altogether, Sniper Elite: Resistance is a fine entry in the Sniper Elite franchise which gives us more insight into Harry Hawker, as well as a shiny protagonist spotlight for him to be recognized in. The meat and potatoes (or should that be bullets and bones?) of the Sniper Elite experience is all here and accounted for, and although there are various new locations to be in awe of, and navigational options to test out, Resistance fails to truly push the envelope in exciting directions despite shifting the focus onto a new hero and a new story.

While Freedom Wars Remastered doesn’t offer many updates to the original game, the updates it does make enhance the experience for the better. A full English voice cast combined with updated controls and an improved upgrading system make this game a gear hunter’s delight. While the resolution increase to 4K helps a bit, the 60 frames-per-second refresh rate completely changes the game. For what it’s worth, you still play the same mission types over and over in the same handful of maps, leaving the original repetitive formula untouched. As long as you know what to expect from Freedom Wars Remastered, you will find a compelling IP “monster hunting” RPG that begs for a sequel.

Alien: Rogue Incursion has a lot for Alien fans to love and appreciate, with surprises that'll truly delight fans the way they delighted me. But repetitive gameplay that doesn't really evolve dulls down the tension and scare-factor significantly by the time you're wrapping up this initial part of the story, and far too much jank pulls you out of the atmosphere that is working overtime to immerse you in the Alien universe. And yet, for Alien fans, it's one of the better games to come since Isolation, but it's not the new number one.

If you were hoping that The Thing Remastered would fix many of the issues of the original 2002 game, you will be semi-satisfied. The Thing Remastered preserves the twenty-year old PS2 game without tarnishing it, and improving some presentation aspects, as well as tidying up the formerly broken Infection System. However, if you expected refinements to game's shooting mechanics or many of its old foibles then you'll be disappointed.

Skydance's Behemoth offers a huge amount of spectacle with the four giant creatures you'll take down over the course of your time with it, but spectacle is the majority of what's on offer. It's a shallow game with a combat system that never challenges you to evolve your tactics (even when/if it's working properly), a repetitive gameplay-loop, runtime bloating encounters and box-pushing puzzles, and a story that does nothing new with uninteresting characters. Traversing around with a grapple hook and climbing the giant beasts at least proved both consistently fun and an interesting gameplay experience in VR, and it has its fair share of visually striking moments, but that isn't enough to recommend it.

With only two major games in the franchise starting at the end of the Fairy Tail story, Fairy Tail 2 seems like an odd choice. While it's perfect for franchise fans, people looking to jump in for the first time will lose out on many stories and content. The game features an intense combat system, even though it's a tad on the easy side and has plenty of worlds to explore. Overall, it's just a shame that almost all of Fairy Tail 2 feels rushed and budgeted compared to developer Gusts' more recent titles.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered holds the franchise and its potential future on its back. Its exceptional writing, story, and sound design continue to remain some of the best on there. It's just a shame that more love wasn't put into the quality of life changes it so dearly needs as Aspyr's other remasters.

SPRAWL has a few solid core features that work well, letting you string along enough good moments that you're actually having fun. But its shortcomings ultimately reveal how shallow it is, and the truth is that SPRAWL doesn't present a compelling case for why you should play it over other recently released boomer-shooters that are doing more interesting things in the genre. Also my version is currently broken, so that doesn't help - but at least that's something fixable without re-making the whole game.

A charming presentation and solid foundation do precious little in light of a control scheme that's beyond frustrating for console players. The real challenge of a management simulator should always stem from having a clear hold of your surroundings and the ways that you can influence them, not the mere act of checking numbers and your progress. If you're a connoisseur of this particular brand of clunkiness, you might find something to enjoy in this new release, otherwise I would sincerely recommend checking out the game with a keyboard and mouse, if you're able.

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred brings some new content to the table, including the new playable class, a new zone, a new coop mode, and some new story. However, the story lacks the kind of oomph and satisfaction that usually comes with Diablo. To boot, Party Finder limits itself with the seasonal and non-seasonal characters, and the Spiritborn class is still receiving early adjustments to how it plays. Still, there's a great free patch that comes alongside the expansion. This creates the perfect opportunity for returning players to check out where Diablo IV is now. The free quality-of-life changes might just help persuade you to jump back in the deep end.

A technically accomplished and satisfyingly challenging, if content light take on competitive kayaking, Whitewater VR: Extreme Kayaking Adventure is an entertainingly frenetic counterpart to the more chilled kayaking since elsewhere in the PSVR 2's portfolio.

At its best, RetroRealms: Double Feature makes me reminiscent of 2D platforming greats like Shovel Knight - and at its worst, it's a frustrating and less-interesting platformer than what is available to 2D fans today. The difference lies in whether or not you pick the right games to buy, with only two out of four really standing out. And even then, it all works a lot better if you're a horror fan. If you're just looking for a good platforming time, your time might be better spent at a different haunt.

At its best, RetroRealms: Double Feature makes me reminiscent of 2D platforming greats like Shovel Knight - and at its worst, it's a frustrating and less-interesting platformer than what is available to 2D fans today. The difference lies in whether or not you pick the right games to buy, with only two out of four really standing out. And even then, it all works a lot better if you're a horror fan. If you're just looking for a good platforming time, your time might be better spent at a different haunt.

Arizona Sunshine Remake is a perfectly fine and fun game. On the killing zombies front, it's a great experience with head-popping gore, and a few weapons that feel really fun to run around with. That's about all there is though, and there's a real question as to whether or not its really the best use of your cash to pick it up, especially when there's an already strong sequel out, or if you've already played Arizona Sunshine on PSVR.

Though Killing Time: Resurrected can't really hang with other boomer shooters in 2024, let alone more contemporary fare from a fundamentals perspective, I'm still happy that Nightdive Studios has cemented its heroic status by remastering it to an extremely high standard anyway and its love for the source material is abundantly clear. In spite of its clunky and flawed fundamentals, Killing Time is indicative of a shooter that wasn't afraid to try new things in 1995 and if there's one thing that remains true even now, it's that more FPS efforts could certainly learn to take a risk or two.

EA Sports NHL 25 fails to deliver on the promises it sets in the new features that EA swears are improvements. It's another example of an entry into an annualized sports game series that doesn't feel like it's doing anything differently from the last year, but at least in this case last year's (and by default this years) game is fun to play.

Much like the determined underdog facing the resplendent and almighty champion, Undisputed gets its licks in trying to carve its own legacy over the old Fight Night franchise, but ultimately suffers defeat due to a disappointingly crummy career mode, a decent if patchy roster, and some in-ring kinks. Still, Undisputed impresses with its blunt-force combos and its attempts to rock its competition with heavy unrelenting blows. The in-ring action of Undisputed is what shines through, and this is what you should savour the most, along with all those attractive venues and presentation qualities. Thankfully, the in-ring action here is satisfying enough to keep you engaged for a while. Undisputed is deserving of your attention and you'll be glad to give it a go if you miss the Fight Night games, just so long as you don't enter the fray believing it's championship material.

The campaign certainly lacks in certain aspects, but there is high quality, action packed, creative cutscenes to enjoy regardless. The new character redesigns are take it or leave it, but they're intriguing enough to see out their stories, although much of what's around them pulls it down. Mortal Kombat 1 Khaos Reigns is run of the mill, but serviceable.

There's no denying that Throne and Liberty is a visual treat and certainly one of the best looking MMORPGs to come along in some time. Furthermore, though its massive world event battles impress, as does its innovative take on shapeshifting traversal, Throne and Liberty's flair-free combat, banal quest design and cluttered UI all weigh down a genre effort that deserves better.

If you're looking for fun, responsive gameplay with a sprinkling of 4th wall breaking, then Parcel Corps is an over the top, fast paced, satirical experience that will have you pedalling up the right street.

Showing a tonne of promise, Selfloss just fails to hit the landing in many places. With a lack of polish in some key areas, this one will leave you questioning what might have been.

In more ways that one, Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit is a first for the series. A new direction and a return to the classic horror roots that began the series serves as a reminder that these games can actually be a tense experience if they want to be. Doing away with the fluff that has shifted the focus, I enjoyed my time exploring these dense environments, when I could do so without interruption. Despite the clear passion and direction here, the experience of playing the game was far clunkier than it should have been, with some downright tragic bugs plaguing the experience during the review process. While I can see a great survival horror experience under the hood, I have to take into the account the issues that I had with the game. I really hope the team can address these in the coming days.

Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis retains the same commitment to bringing the original game to a new generation, but unfortunately ends up remaking the same mistakes that make this epilogue such a divisive experience for players across the board. There are some memorable character moments here for players looking to spend that little bit of extra time with the team, but I finished this DLC questioning if it was truly worth the tedium of the dungeon-crawling, even if the combat is fun and the production values are still off the charts. While Atlus' dedication to bringing the old game to a new audience is commendable, I think this epilogue deserved a little bit more of a rework than it got.

On the outside, Tiebreaker looks impressive with its plentiful roster blossoming with talent, a dedication towards providing the most authentic tennis game experience, and a presentation that wraps you up into the star-studded allure of a tennis icon. However, it all starts to unravel when you actually play it with its frustrating physics, its lack of non-generic modes, and the overall feeling it's just another me-too tennis game. Forget a tie-break, this one couldn't tie Novac Djokovic's ASIC's, which isn't the kind of impression that a new tennis game contender would want to make, yet Tiebreaker sadly fails to be anything more than just another pretender to Top Spin's crown.

Though The Casting of Frank Stone doesn’t make any sweeping changes to the formula etched out by the likes of Until Dawn, The Quarry and The Dark Pictures Anthology, it does manage to effectively marry up that formula with the universe of Dead by Daylight with impressive results. Notably, the usual flaws also apply here, with The Casting of Frank Stone beset by the same plodding horror adventuring, wooden dialogue and mostly annoying cast of characters that are usually the hallmarks of similar efforts. If however, you’re fine with all of that and just want another handsomely made Supermassive Games romp then The Casting of Frank Stone will surely appeal. Should you be a devoted Dead by Daylight aficionado though, feel free to add a point or more to the score and dive in.

It's a shame that a game with so much potential couldn't find some great mechanics and focus on them. Instead, it focused more on a political statement that it shoves down your throat every chance it gets. Dustborn offers excellent visuals and voice work with some solid writing when it focuses on the story, but falls flat from janky and simple combat and noticeable bugs.

Closer The Distance almost catches you by surprise with how relatable it is, with a warmth at its core that smooths over its jagged edges enough to make it more than a worthwhile experience.

Concord largely nails the fundamentals - it feels highly responsive, is handsomely made, has good feeling, if slower gunplay than other games, super stable servers and minor concerns aside, has a roster of mostly well balanced characters. With Concord's obviously passionate team of developers confirming that they are absolutely in it for “years to come”, I would love for Concord to still be around in one, two or three years time and even beyond that. I just don't know if gamers who have been experiencing varying amounts of genre fatigue will be generous enough to put a significant amount of time into a title that, on the starting blocks at least, seems roundly decent enough but doesn't offer anything thunderously new to upset the status quo. I know that I'll be playing Concord in the weeks and months to come, I'm just not sure a sufficient number of other folks will be joining me.

Tomba! Special Edition is a thorough remaster of a classic underappreciated title from PlayStation history that manages to stand out among a sea of other mascot platformers. A pioneering force in the popularisation of the 2.5D platformer, I enjoyed being given the chance to see where this subgenre began. While there are definitely relics of archaic PlayStation-era design, these are almost an expectation rather than a point of heavy critique. For those familiar with the antics of this cave boy, you'll feel right at home. And the bonus materials sweeten the deal too.

White Day 2: A Flower That Tells Lies tries hard to live up to its predecessor but doesn't reach the same heights. Repeating scares and infuriating pursuers keep it from standing out from a crowded genre. It's not all bad, though, as the game's puzzles and fantastic location and world-building will keep the most hardcore fans from sticking with it through its dozen endings, but for most, it will be a one-it-and-done-it affair.

The Mortuary Assistant finally reaches home consoles, offering up a unique and tense work-horror scenario. Unfortunately, the controls implemented in this port hold back the console version a great deal. Inputs don't respond the way they should, and navigating menus proves cumbersome on practically all fronts. It's a game horror fans should check out, but maybe not on console.

There's a solid foundation to be found in this crossover fighter, and more than enough content to satisfy the appetite of a fighting game aficionado. Unfortunately, the exciting prospect of this crossover is somewhat watered down by a ho-hum presentation that lacks the punch and impact that it needs to really seal the deal. Despite that, fighting game fans will appreciate this re-release of a classic game that offers a solid amount of content and a variety of options to explore. Just don't expect a friendly experience for newcomers.

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is an uneven experience that features great shoot-em-up elements wrapped in a bizarre cinematic focus that only seems to take away more than it gives. Particle effects can be disorienting and the story feels only partially realised. In the pursuit of cinematic excitement, it feels like the base experience has been compromised and damaged with a lack of focus across the board. If this was just a top-down shoot-em-up, I'd be far more positive here. If you can stick with it, you might find an enjoyable arcade-adjacent experience with cutting-edge presentation. Otherwise, maybe not.

Aspyr Media's port of Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is missing a lot of the atmosphere I loved about the original game. The sharpness in the visuals now remove too much, and shine a spotlight on the game's worst angles. At the same time, the modern control scheme improves on the experience so much that the parts of Star Wars: Bounty Hunter that made it a classic are able to shine brighter far more than they ever did - even if the camera is still wreaking havoc most of the time.

Ease of access is the focal point of Frontier Hunter: Ezra's Wheel of Fortune, making the experience as easy as possible to consume at the start. Once the game starts asking more of you, the issues with hit boxes and juggle damage blindside you after hours of not influencing the experience too much. That on top of a bland narrative and character design that looks like unedited AI-generated content makes the overall product easily avoidable.

EA Sports College Football 2025 is the return of college football that sports gaming fans have been waiting for. There's enough here to keep the avid and dedicated fans around for a good while, with Dynasty Mode and Road to Glory taking center stage. Control over dynasty players, playing defense, and not fully showing what controls are bring down the experience quite a bit, especially in the beginning hours. EA Sports College Football 25 is not for everyone, but fans will get enough out of it to keep the franchise coming back around each year, hopefully with improvements.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn mixes up the action-RPG formula a little bit, allowing you to control and risk your currency to earn more. Combine that with a flashy, engaging combat system with a thoughtful difficulty adjustment system, and you have a recipe for a good time. Exploration tends to drag down the experience, with many side paths running far too long for what you find in them. Parrying also lacks the kind of refinement necessary to truly make combat shine. Aside from these balancing issues, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is still a solid Soulsborne affair worth checking out.

Scholar's Mate puts you in a cramped scenario filled with pursuit and hard escape room puzzles to solve. While this sounds good, this game may not be for everyone, Pacing can feel uneven, and the constant pursuit can be aggravating when trying to solve multiple puzzles. Still, there's something fun here for horror fans and puzzle lovers, especially since the game only asks for $12.99.