While it brings some of the regressive issues of the era it was born in, Pac-Man World: Re-Pac is a solid remake of a fondly-remembered platformer.

Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed might be a brutally honest remake of the original game, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant to sit through all its rough parts. Few elements of the core gameplay remain as fun as they were on the PS2, but it's far too shallow to be worth it, especially when it is still riddled with performance issues that can seriously effect your experience.

There's no denying that The Last of Us Part I might be a tough sell to folks who expected a reworked content offering in line with the overhauled audiovisual presentation and other technical advances. For those with accessibility needs, the lucky few who have yet to experience The Last of Us at all or even just the number of players who want to immerse themselves in the ultimate form of Naughty Dog's opus, The Last of Us Part I makes a more than compelling case for its existence and stands shoulder to shoulder with the best games on PS5.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection compiles the best TMNT games from the 80s and 90s into one convenient package. The included enhancement options help to alleviate some of the inherent issues from past hardware, but it could have given the Green Team a little more love to really push this over the edge. Either way, this collection carries nostalgia in spades and gives newcomers and fans alike another chance to don their bandanas and take it to the Foot Clan.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is smarter than the average quiz show game, even if it doesn’t exactly stretch itself too far. The concept that made the television show a success translates fairly well to the console party game space. Just make sure you check your ego at the door.

For a mish-mash of genres, Cult of the Lamb does an excellent job of making both parts feel significant and dependent on each other. It's gorgeous, rewarding and made me laugh throughout. As your cult progresses and you move on from cleaning up everyone's poop, you will see your followers flourish. Designing and maintaining your base is excellent and I enjoyed the rogue-lite runs that can be completed in easily in under 15 minutes. Highly recommended, cult-based, rogue-lite shenanigans.

Dusk Diver 2 delivers a much-improved sequel. Though its story takes some time to get going, its execution bears weight, especially in the second half of the game. With great exploration and combat, which allows you to take control of all your party members this time around, Dusk Diver 2 provides a steep challenge with plenty of content to sink your teeth into.

Saints Row is a necessary reboot for a series that was getting out of hand (pleasingly so, but still), and Volition has made smart decisions in retooling the origins of the purple-clad gang without losing that silly, violent, and crude spirit. It leaves room for future improvement and escalation, and that’s an exciting place to put the Saints in.

The foundation for an excellent entry to the Madden series is here. EA & Tiburon just need to patch up some glaring game breaking bugs. As it stands, Franchise Mode is practically unplayable and for me that is the essential component of Madden. Fans of Face of the Franchise, The Yard and Madden Ultimate Team may find some enjoyment, but it doesn't last long. Under the assumption that the issues get fixed in upcoming patches, Madden NFL 23 has potential to be the best entry in recent memory.

Soul Hackers 2 feels like a budget title whose developers did the best with what they had. It's still a solid game with plenty to love that fans of the genre will certainly enjoy. A strong addition to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise with great combat and art direction only held back by uninspired dungeons and exploration.

We Are OFK is not only a dazzling game about music, but a captivating story about the struggle found in juggling creative ambitions with the complexities of everyday life.

In the end, though Turrican Anthology Vol. 2 doesn't feel quite as essential as its predecessor, the inclusion of both Turrican 3 and Mega Turrican, not to mention Super Turrican 2, still makes this ensemble of side-scrolling, platforming shooter retro goodness a worthwhile venture for fans of the genre.

Rollerdrome is an incredible arcade shooter that combines fluid movement with addicting mechanical loops which encourage you to pull off visually appealing stunts with ease. Though your mileage may vary be you a high-score chaser or not, it never fails to be fun, and Rollerdrome is more than worth a look for any arcade shooter lover.

Technical issues and an overbearingly bland story sour Way of the Hunter’s finer points. Its maps are filled with enchanting scenery, and pumped full of serene atmosphere. The hunting options are surprisingly flexible for newcomers and pros alike. Overall, it’s a decent hunting sim if you can push past its messy start.

GigaBash is not be a spectacular brawler, it still does a fantastic job of capturing the feel of a bygone era of monster movie whilst also playing out as a fun multiplayer title. It faces a tough battle in an oversaturated modern market where online is concerned, but as a local multiplayer title, it could easily maintain a healthy shelf life.

All in all, Turrican Anthology Vol. 1 does a commendable enough job of packing together a handful of retro shooters from yesteryear that are still a lot of fun to play and boast refreshingly non-linear level design for the most part. Throw in a smattering of visual tweaks and a superb map system and it soon becomes apparent that Turrican Anthology Vol. 1 is a no-brainer purchase for anyone who has even a passing fondness for side-scrolling platforming shooters.

Voyage marks a mostly successful debut for Venturous Games. A lack of variety in puzzles is only briefly felt, thanks to concise runtime. The sluggish movement may look better than it feels, but a strikingly beautiful and vibrant world makes Voyage worth experiencing.

Digimon Survive is an emotional, gripping, action-filled adventure that kept me invested from the moment I entered the Digital World. While the gameplay isn't vast, the combat is deep, and both compliment the Visual Novel style of the game. Digimon Survive may not be for everyone looking for a more direct influence on the story outside of dialogue options, but it delivers on what it promised. An amazing Digimon adventure for a whole new generation.

Despite its potential, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever gets bogged down by a slow start, odd writing, repetitious fetch quests, and unpolished boss mechanics. Occasional variety in gameplay and well put together segments can carry the day for some, but too many lulls and too much tedium get in the way of what could have been a solid experience.

Frogun is a fun, nostalgia-filled trip through 90s platforming with some interesting twists to keep things fresh. There's a couple of niggles along the way, but overall, if you're into classic 90s gaming, make sure you give this a shot.

A beautifully paced and emotive narrative adventure with some standout vocal performances, what South of the Circle lacks in terms of substantive gaming meat it more than makes up with an intelligently curated, heart-tugging tale that remains long in the memory after you've put the controller down. Holding up a mirror to our own era of social, political and economic turmoil, South of the Circle provides the sort of expertly crafted and keenly felt warm emotional storytelling that we could all perhaps do with right now.

Quite simply Severed Steel is one of the most downright entertaining shooters to come out this year. Sure it doesn't boast the most comprehensive offering from a content perspective and genre fiends looking for a token narrative to go with their serving of face-gunning may well be disappointed, but Severed Steel bends and in some cases breaks the traditionally rigid rules of the FPS genre to often giddy effect. The end result is the sort of gloriously freewheeling, acrobatic first-person shooting extravaganza which aims to demonstrate that innovation in the genre doesn't have to just begin and end at the the gun clasped tightly in your hands.

In the end, Bright Memory: Infinite feels like an advert for a much larger, much more ambitious game and the price tag (around $15 or so), reflects that. Bright Memory: Infinite both absolutely looks and plays the part of a furiously assured shooter with resoundingly empowering combat, it's just a shame that the relatively emaciated amount of content that surrounds its otherwise excellent core makes Bright Memory: Infinite feel much more like a taster for something more ambitious to come rather than anything else.

With more time in development and tweaks here and there to its overall design, Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue DX could really have been something. As things currently stand however, the superb premise, gorgeous visuals and compelling platforming roguelike gameplay all feel stifled under the weight of some really nasty game breaking bugs that make the game almost impossible to play for any decent period of time. A real shame.

A straightforward recreation of 1980s computer adventure games through the lens of pulp fiction. Mothmen 1966 is a brief, but enchanting, paranormal experience that has real love for all aspects of its fusion.

Herobeat Studios set out to create a game that raises environmental awareness, and in doing so they have created a heartfelt message in the form of a very charming video game. Endling: Extinction is Forever lacks some variety, but tugs on the heartstrings, with an emotional story and genuinely asks the player to reflect on current environmental issues.

Stray has managed to meet the lofty expectations put upon it once it became known that you would take control of a lone cat within a dystopia punctuated by scores of neon lighting. While some may say that it’s hard to miss with a setup like that, what developer BlueTwelve Studio has managed to fashion from the composite parts is something truly special and has us yearning for more.

Though structurally identical to the previous Capcom Arcade Stadium collection of retro goodies, Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium nonetheless remains an easy recommendation thanks to its assemblage of still enjoyable and well emulated classics that are given the sort of love and sheen that each has long deserved.

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a faithful and entertaining remaster of two classic PlayStation platformers. Bandai Namco did an excellent job keeping the franchise's identity alive and preserving the faithful combat and platforming. Though it may feel dated by today's standards, those who remember the Klonoa series will love these remasters, and those jumping in for the first time will experience simple platformers from a simpler time in game design.

Madison does so much well that it makes genre tropes succeed. From atmosphere to execution, this short horror romp takes you and doesn't let go. It's not without issues, with one progression point halfway through the game lacking the kind of intention and care that the rest of the game receives. Then there's the save corrupting error. However, once that error gets patched out, Madison will have the complete package worthy of anyone up for a good scare.

I had an incredible time with the game, and though I have put in a decent amount of hours. Even after getting my boss cleared, I am still going back and playing it again and again to try to get more of the collectables for killing them. I really hope that the launch goes well and that the servers hold up with the release of the game because frankly it's one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in a long time. I hope we get more bosses released and new areas released over time, if this game gets some decent support I could see it growing. Right now some folk may be frustrated with only 4 bosses, and though the biomes are nice they do seem a little limited but for launch it is looking really impressive and I can't wait to see where it goes.

Codemasters have dutifully updated their F1 template with the new car designs and the up to date roster of circuits whilst ditching the Story Mode for an entirely unrelated and pointless avatar clothes shop featuring microtransactions. While the racing itself remains superb, there's an increasingly hollow corporate veneer which undermines the core of the well-crafted game engine. I'd be inclined to stick with F1 2021 until the nouveau riche supercars and furnishings are jettisoned for 2023.

OlliOlli World's Void Rider's DLC is definitely a must-buy for fans. It houses the best levels across the rest of the game, and includes some of the most visually pleasing levels in the entire game. Though the boss levels are somewhat disappointing, that does little to reduce how fun every other level included in the DLC is.

Even though Disgaea 6 Complete brings in accessibility options, the game itself reacts negatively to some of them. A simplistic AI can't contend with automation, while the hefty price tag alone for a year old game makes this a hard pass. There are hints of fun here for a new player, but in making this game easier to play, Disgaea 6 Complete makes the franchise formula look antiquated.

While DNF Duel isn't quite able to unseat Guilty Gear Strive, what Nexon and Arc System Works have conjured here is nonetheless deeply worthy of commendation. A welcoming, two-dimensional fighter boasting a honeyed aesthetic that caresses both the ocular and aural senses, DNF Duel makes a great representation as a fantastic entry point for genre newcomers, as well as being a reliable source of instant gratification for brawling stalwarts.

Between the poor, blocky visuals, the array of glitches and bugs, the sub-standard UI and lack of any attention given to making the game more accessible to a contemporary audience, it saddens me to admit that Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition should be avoided at all costs. Tragically, this is because under all of this scarred and badly implemented design, there's a roundly excellent and atmospheric detective yarn just bursting to come out, but is now seemingly condemned to be lost to time, like tears in the rain.

A wasted opportunity to make a brilliantly crafted anti-grav racer remotely playable, with a difficulty level that has no learning curve and is thoroughly unrewarding. The visuals and innovative track design cannot be faulted and there's an enormous amount of content awaiting anyone with the patience of a saint and a metabolism of a teenager full of sugar. Otherwise, the aging but perfectly judged WipEout Omega Collection should still be your go-to anti-grav racer.

Fobia St. Dinfna Hotel does a lot of things right but it falls just a tad short of matching the greatness of many other games in the genre. I loved exploring the Hotel and solving puzzles that are reminiscent of classic titles like Silent Hill and Resident Evil. It's just a shame that combat is not only boring but lacks any real challenge, and the story doesn't provide much resolution or explanation to what's really going on.

It's perhaps ironic that in a game where so much of the exploration and world building physically exists in a space without any atmosphere, that Deliver Us The Moon is absolutely overflowing with the stuff. From the claustrophobic sensation that almost every minute of its playtime exudes, through to the detailed modelling of its real-world adjacent world and the carefully constructed yet involving plot, Deliver Us The Moon is a slow-paced, if thoroughly captivating adventure thriller that is living its best life on PlayStation 5.

Though the technical presentation of the three games encompassed in the Shadowrun Trilogy is modest, each of them nonetheless provides an entertainingly told narrative wrapped up in an old-fashioned CRPG shell with involving, but not especially sophisticated turn-based combat. If you're after a whole lot of cyberpunk RPG goodness with a very unique cyberpunk setting, great world building and entertaining writing, then the Shadowrun Trilogy is just the fix that you need.

Sonic Origins is a fantastic celebration of 30 years of SEGA's spiky blue mascot, offering four of the best platformers money can buy and chucking in a bunch of great extras that long-time fans can appreciate. Regardless of where the Blue Blur head next, Sonic Origins is a reminder of just how damn good these timeless classics are.

The Quarry is a pulse-pounding teen slasher packed with strong characterisation, amazing atmosphere, and scrumptious visuals. Yes, it's not exactly the most challenging game thanks to dumbed down QTE events and interactions, but with a great story and heaps of replay value, you won't really care. If you're a fan of Until Dawn, then this is a must-have.

Despite its small steps toward evolution and innovation, Final Vendetta feels like a wistfully romantic and well executed, if ultimately conservative take on those side-scrolling brawlers that held our attentions (and quarters) so rigidly in years gone by. Nonetheless, despite the fact that Final Vendetta doesn't push the genre forward with any sort of strident vigour, it's certainly true that it's still a lot of fun all the same and that enjoyment is only amplified when played with another friend locally.

Tribute Games and Dotemu have officially brought back the beat-'em-up genre into the spotlight. Shredder's Revenge channels the greatness of arcade beat-'em-ups from the 80s and 90s to create an exceptional experience. Teaming up with friends and taking on the Shredder and his ninja Foot army will definitely put a smile on your face. With plenty of quality-of-life additions like unlockable skills and mission-to-mission quick saves, the only thing holding the title back is the lack of any unlockables and only two game modes to play through.

Spiral Circus creates a spellbinding world of undersea dread and wonder with Silt. From the distinct hand-drawn visual style to the ambiguous mystery of its protagonist and setting, this is an engrossing experience only marred by sparse checkpointing.

Kao the Kangaroo is a fairly decent, if unspectacular, platformer that harks back to a golden age of the genre’s 3D era in many ways. Sadly, it falls short of being a notable addition to a heavily stacked part of gaming’s history. That could well be its strength when it inevitably becomes an unexpected platforming touchstone for a new generation of young gamers in the way Croc, Gex, Crash, et all did for previous ones.

Sniper Elite 5 is the series at its strongest to date. It's not a radical paradigm shift by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't need to be. Instead, it builds on what Sniper Elite 4 did so well by expanding on the scale of maps, stuffs them full of things to do, and polishes its already-compelling combat. If you're looking for a tactical, rewarding World War II-era shooter, Sniper Elite 5 comes highly recommended.

Salt And Sacrifice is every bit the sequel I could have wanted for Salt And Sanctuary. Everything about the gameplay has been elevated a polished better than any previous title from Ska Studios. With excellent combat, and a flexible progression system that lets you alter your build and playstyle how you like, mixed with amazing art, creature design, and atmosphere, this is the latest must-buy indie title.

In the end, despite its penchant for occasionally boring puzzles, rough character animations and wildly varying voice performances, Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is nonetheless a roundly fulfilling detective adventure with a vampiric twist that will appeal greatly to anyone that follows the World of Darkness setting. For others, Swansong makes for a fine, if occasionally clunky introduction to that sprawling world of supernatural politics and generation spanning stories.

It’s not the biggest multiplayer experience you could find right now, but Evil Dead: The Game makes use of its streamlined nature to deliver a darkly joyous romp that taps into everything Evil Dead with great success. Saber Interactive follows up its solid World War Z game with another well put together multiplayer horror title.

Dolmen attempts to add some potentially good ideas into the Soulsborne formula. Unfortunately, it misses the mark far too many times in important areas to make it worth the effort you need to play it. Great level aesthetic and enemy design are wasted on far-too-flawed combat. With so many other Soulsborne clones available, Dolmen can easily be passed up.

Unpacking is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket as you gently watch the years roll away in front of you. Though much too short, the relatively brief experience that you'll have with deconstructing the emotional narrative of characters that you'll never see via its block fitting puzzles, cements the fact that Unpacking won't quickly be forgotten and will be an experience that you'll likely go back to time and again whenever you need a precious smidgen of soul affirmation.

I cannot overstate how much fun I had with Soundfall. It has a few shortcomings along the way, but absolutely nothing stopped me from jamming out while I shot up baddies. Drastic Games combined two different genres into one engaging and entertaining package. Soundfall is a 2022 sleeper hit.

As battle royale efforts go, Bloodhunt is surprising; which is more than other like-minded efforts can lay claim to. Though cross play remains unbalanced against more capable PC players and concerns over balancing and map variety remain, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodhunt nonetheless brings a scintillating blend of furious traversal, inspired PvE design and neat lore from the World of Darkness setting to fashion one of the most refreshing battle royale efforts in quite some time.

An enduringly clever inversion of traditional survival genre tropes coupled with a palpably tragic and gut-wrenching experience, This War of Mine: Final Cut offers up 11 bit studios magnum opus in its perfect form. By packing in all of the DLC released to date in addition to the stellar Stories expansions and providing a pin-sharp 4K presentation, This War of Mine: Final Cut is an ageless, horrifying and inventive survival effort that everybody should play without delay. This is as essential as survival games get and its mediation on the desperate plight of civilians during a time of war has never been more resonant.

A great start to what I'm hoping will be a great franchise. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising doesn't do anything to move the side scroller action RPG genre forward, but it does everything to make it fun. Rising reminded me a lot of old school 2D action platformers but with an entire town-building mechanic. It's also one of the most visually impressive indy titles I've seen in a while. Overall, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a great starting point for what's set to be an epic JRPG, with Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes releasing in 2023.

RiffTrax: The Game has all the tools to be a highly entertaining party game experience. Its simple and streamlined approach will make it an accessible option, even if that does make the whole package feel a little light.

Short but ever-so-sweet, Trek to Yomi is a pretty linear affair that respects your time. The combat is nuanced, evolves over time and is entertaining to learn. Small bursts of exploration are rewarded with collectables and upgrades but your main path is never obscured. It's cinematically beautiful and what's done with perspective and setting up each scene is really unique. Trek to Yomi is unlike anything else I have played recently, it's not bloated, pure and I appreciate that a lot.

The simplicity of Lego Builder’s Journey is exactly why it’s the most faithful Lego game of all outside actually putting physical bricks together. A smartly put together little story puzzler that showcases the power of creative thinking and play that is synonymous with the iconic Danish toy. The only thing that betrays its joy is the occasionally clunky controls in tight spots.

I had a lot of fun playing through the game, and exploring all the different locations around the world. The story was interesting, especially the main character being such a blank slate. It took me a few hours to get used to the combat style, and I will admit I got lost a few times during the story. But that was fine because I got to do some dungeons, explored the world and got buffs before falling back into doing the main questline.

The House of the Dead Remake is everything you'd expect from a revamp of an old-school 90s zombie rail shooter. It's fun, all too brief, but still provides enough entertainment solo or with a mate in tow. However, it still feels like a missed opportunity to stuff it full of some worthwhile new content.

A beautifully crafted love letter to Sega's Out Run, until the latter publisher decides to get their act together, Slipstream is not only the closest you'll get to recreating Sega's classic arcade racer on contemporary hardware, but it also adds enough new parts and components to this vintage ride to make it well worth taking in 2022.

Chernobylite gets new life with its release on the PS5, harboring enough improvements to make its fundamental shortcomings easy to overlook. Frame rate, graphics, and performance all get enhanced to the next level, making this the best way to play Chernobylite.

MLB The Show 22 stumbles for the first time in recent memory. This is understandable with San Diego Studios' ambitious goal of releasing the game on five platforms if we count the last generation consoles. Nevertheless, The Show 22 is still the best baseball sim you can buy and one I can't put down. From the attention to detail to the number of different game modes you can play through, The Show 22 continues to improve on last year's game, even though it's not to the degree we are used to. If you're a baseball fan, I cannot recommend MLB The Show 22 more.

I loved my time in Lake and wished it lasted a bit longer. Though mail delivery doesn't sound so appealing, it was nice and relaxing to drive around a small town and take in the sights. Providence Oaks' town is full of people with big personalities that you can interact with however you want. It has some issues with pop-in issues and repetitive musical score, but it's easy to overlook these issues when the people of Providence Oaks are so delightful to talk to.

Deeply emotive, intimately crafted and bursting with freedom, Road 96 takes interactive storytelling to a whole new frontier and provides players with a timely reminder that developer Digixart is one of the most underappreciated studios in the industry today.

Moss: Book II is everything I look for in a game presented in an astounding VR package. While some aspects of the game feel held back by the current hardware of PSVR the journey and world make up for any shortcomings. I truly loved my time with Moss: Book II and cannot wait to see what is next for Quill.

There is almost nothing good about Outbreak: Contagious Memories. From the terrible controls to the lack of simple quality of life issues that were found in previous games in the franchise, Dead Drop Studios want you to believe that all the horrible design decisions were done on purpose. Sadly, it's impossible to actually believe that someone can make something this horrible in hopes of entertaining anyone.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga does a lot of things right that make it the best LEGO Star Wars game, and LEGO game to date. But it's level structure and pacing leave something to be desired more often than not, and co-op play has seemingly gotten far less care and attention than it deserved, putting a damper on what is otherwise a hilarious and fun experience.

Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition brings a beloved classic to the PlayStation 4, complete with its old pros and cons. Some of the limitations of the first game get washed away with the enhancements and features that come with this release, but they also create a couple of their own. Like a true classic, this edition is not without its issues, but classics have a way of outlasting their criticisms through the eyes of those who experience them.

With Weird West, WolfEye has created an ambitious immersive sim hybrid that sucks you ever-deeper into its gritty, bizarre world of the cults n’ cowboys like a particularly impatient quicksand. It occasionally struggles to translate its combat to a controller as smoothly as it could, but the rest of this package is so damn intoxicating that it matters little in the long run. A masterful game with a fascinating set of stories to tell.

There is absolutely nothing like Crusader Kings III on console. By including such deeply embedded and emergent role-playing elements in Crusader Kings III and thus making it much more approachable than any of its more decidedly hardcore strategy predecessors as a result, Paradox have also created something of a gateway to bring traditionally non-strategy fans into the genre at large. Oh and it's basically a Game of Thrones simulator to boot. Which is nice.

Like most art, A Memoir Blue has its fair share of flaws. However, like art, it has you thinking about its strengths and intentions instead of its mechanics. A Memoir Blue succeeds more than it falters, and everyone needs to give this game their time.

An old-school turn-based rpg with a charming visual style, plenty of deadpan ironic humour and many hours of content awaiting discovery. Unfortunately, despite the humour, there's a strange xenophobia to the representations of 'natives' and colonial plundering which makes the whole experience feel a bit grubby. If you can get over this, there's a satisfying and deep experience to be had.

A robustly entertaining cyberpunk dungeon crawler wrapped up in some of the most sublime audiovisual presentation and thoroughly satisfying combat to come along in a good while, though it isn't quite as ambitious as I would like it to be, the Ascent is nonetheless a fantastically entertaining offering that will appeal to genre fans of cyberpunk settings and dungeon crawlers alike.

A beautiful abomination that almost breaks under the weight of its thick but ultimately compelling worldbuilding, Paradise Killer is a stupendous detective yarn that reimagines the genre in bright sun-kissed colours with a cast of truly bizarre characters all living in a world that feels like a microcosm of sci-fi storytelling for the last thirty years. Exceptionally constructed, boundlessly enjoyable and fiendishly stylish, Paradise Killer is your new favourite detective game.

Shinju Mikami does it again, this time in a new genre. Ghostwire: Tokyo brings inspirations from the horror genre into the open world, finding great success with this combination. Despite its hiccups, Ghostwire: Tokyo is another compelling experience from the mastermind behind Resident Evil.

A highly original puzzle-platformer from Lithuanian developers Flazm which combines an emotional time-travelling storyline with some intricate and very relaxing exploration filled with highly ingenious level design. Another indie gem which offers a very memorable and loveable gaming experience.

A breezy brawler with a dash of RPG sensibilities and oodles of charm, Young Souls reveals itself to be a resolutely engaging offering that stands out on account of its opulent presentation, loot scooper gameplay and cast of witty and entertaining characters which allows this genre hybrid to punch above its weight.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Dawn of Ragnarok is a sizeable expansion offering a gorgeous new realm to explore, memorable characters, while new abilities such as the Hugr-Rip adds a new dimension to combat and traversal. Beyond that it's more of the same however, so that'll determine whether or not you'll want to dive back into Valhalla once again.

Babylon's Fall flat out needed more time. The graphics make the experience just horrible at times, with the filter even giving me headaches. The combat can be enjoyable, though there is a grind to it, it's something I still enjoy along with the music. Beyond that however, there are still just too many aspects of this game that can make your time with it headache-inducing more often than not.

Stranger of Paradise is the perfect example of gameplay towering above the sum of its parts. I loved the combat and job system, which allows for dynamic battles and strategy. It's just a shame that the rest of the game feels low budget and unfinished. If you're looking for an origin story to the original Final Fantasy, you'll get it here, but chances are you may want to forget it as soon as you're done.

With its massively upgraded visual presentation and much more responsive racing together with a surprisingly immersive DualSense implementation, one of the best hardcore racing simulators out just got even better on PS5. This is the definitive version of Assetto Corsa Competizione on console and that fact alone should be a cause for celebration for anyone with even a passing interest in highly detailed racing simulations.

Though it's hardly a tall hurdle to clear, WWE 2K22 is the best WWE 2K game since they started appending '2K' to the title. Much more than that though, it's the best wrestling game to come along in a long, long time and one which almost completely banishes everything that has been historically wrong with the franchise, while also managing to strike out in a bold direction for the series' future. Here's hoping that the likely return to the annual release schedule doesn't result in a lapse to bad habits and lazy innovation because, well, we've been there for the last ten years or so - and it isn't fun.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is one of those re-releases that's accessible to everyone. It has challenge, accessibility, a fun story, and Persona flair. Not everything ages well in terms of visuals, but nothing gets in the way of this game succeeding a decade after its initial launch.

35MM tries a lot of things but succeeds at only a few of those things. There’s a unique tale here, but you have to get past many limitations along the way.

While Roguebook may not be my favourite game in this genre, it does offer a lot of variation and a few interesting tweaks to the genre. It's jaw-droppingly beautiful, incredibly creative and the crucial card play is very entertaining. The exploration is a nice addition and creates a risk and reward system to proceedings, as is the card crafting. While you may not be able to create a lean, all-killing deck, what you can create is a heaving bag of frivolity and opportunities.

Shadow Warrior 3 isn’t lacking in bombastic, blood-splattered shooting or giddily puerile humour. It comes up a bit short in gameplay variety and its scattershot approach to jokes produces more than a few misses, but as a fairly relentless and compact first person shooter with its heart beating to the drum of nostalgia, it’s a pretty tasty morsel.

A unique and finely crafted take on the musical rhythm genre, with lovely animated pixel-art stills and a truly excellent soundtrack telling the achingly heartfelt tale of a group of poor but talented musicians striving for success on their first tour. It's a brief experience and the lo-fi indie sensibilities may not be for everyone, but if you err towards left-field art and music, it's highly recommended.

Gunborg: Dark Matters excels with engaging gameplay, approachable difficulty buildup, and a wonderful visual style. The game is unfortunately all too brief and doesn't get the kind of time it deserves to truly bloom. Equally so, Gunborg places itself well high in the chaff of the side-scrolling genre, even though it doesn't quite reach the same full excellence as the greats.

Faultless presentation, an absolute raft of superb vehicles across 9 categories, 130 brilliantly rendered circuits in 22 international locations and a 6 hour story mode alongside a huge career and promising online play. But there's nothing here that hasn't been done before and there's a soulless tedium involved as a result which begs the question - why?

Elden Ring took the best parts of previous FromSoftware games and expanded them across a living open-world with endless discovery, excitement, and danger. It's not lost the edge of previous titles, but it is the most approachable FromSoftware game yet, and is an excellent point for players to jump in on if they've not tried previous titles. While its technical issues can be annoying, even they can't dampen the experience of playing Elden Ring. FromSoftware's latest is an artistic, innovative and cultural achievement like nothing before it.

Though Gran Turismo 7 certainly carries the baggage of some of the weaker elements from previous games, a steadfast return to the generous single-player campaign offerings of old, together with a significantly upgraded visual presentation and most importantly a deeply felt love for cars that bleeds through every aspect of the game all ensures that one single statement is true. Gran Turismo is back.

The highest compliment I can give any game is when I have to force myself to put the controller down to put my thoughts in a review. Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is that game. Somehow Bungie took a game that I play daily, for hours a week, and made me want to play it more. It's always good getting new content with seasons and past expansions, and I have loved all Destiny 2 additions. However, The Witch Queen feels like we have entered a new age. The Witch Queen has proven that no one is better than Bungie at what they do. The Witch Queen takes every aspect of Destiny and improves on it, and then some. While Destiny is always getting better, The Witch Queen is the best piece of Destiny content ever created.

Elex 2 asks a lot of you and only gives so much in return. The game provides several special concepts and attempts, but the team’s resources limit their potential the entire way. As long as you know what Elex 2 has in store, you might find something there for you.

Something of a welcome throwback to when games revelled in creativity and developers weren't afraid to combine deeper, more profound themes with some smart genre blending, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath ascends beyond its mish-mash of platforming shootery to create a memorable effort that a whole new generation of gamers can finally enjoy in its best form. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath might not be perfect, but it is delightfully odd, full of charm and laden with surprise and that, in 2022, still remains more than enough to make it irresistible.

A gentle and meditative story which combines simple platforming puzzles and some basic steam engineering to great effect. Beautifully illustrated and scored, FAR Changing Tides is a joyful experience for patient players who are happy to jump aboard this serene cruise through a flooded but gorgeously bleak post-climate changed world.

Atelier Sophie 2 does a lot of things well, keeping pace moving forward at a relatively good pace. At the same time, it leaves plenty of opportunities to grow as there are some franchise issues that remain in place.