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

Constance by itself is a perfectly solid Metroidvania with a brilliant message at its core. Unfortunately, that message is too often lost in its dedication to the status quo when it comes to mechanics. I too often felt like I had played this game before, and I shouldn’t have. Constance is a game full of brilliant ideas, wonderful design, and a great overarching fabric that deserves to love itself more.

Though Adorable Adventures is extraordinarily simple for older gamers and seems to lack ambition, its impact arguably extends beyond its offering as a video game, at least to younger folk anyhow as it seeks to expand their knowledge of their relationship with the natural world that surrounds them and, of course, the sprightly boars that serve as Adorable Adventures protagonists. A great introduction to open world design for new games and the young folk alike, Adorable Adventures also makes a good case for itself as a relaxing refuge from the worries of the world, one where you can get lost in the beauty of nature, smell flowers and frolic about with your boar siblings. I'm not sure about you, but I absolutely need that sort of wholesome in my life right now.

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.

Ground Zero plays its cards very early on, showing you exactly what it wants to do from the get-go. It channels its inspiration from old-school survival horror games that made the PS1 so special, even leaning into pre-rendered backgrounds and offering tank controls. Visuals get blurry in certain areas, and frame rate takes a hit in weird places. Then there's the old-school need to actually conserve your ammunition for boss fights, which can put you in a position where you can't defeat the boss without enough weaponry. Overall, Ground Zero makes for a good time and has a good gameplay loop as long as you know what to expect from it.

The moment-to-moment FPS gameplay is flawed courtesy of its boxy repetition and lack of kablam in places, but even though it isn't fully accomplished, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is nonetheless an outstanding curiosity that doffs its sleek fedora to Disney and the noir genre.

A blistering, rapid-fire epic without peer, Saros confidently delivers a dual masterclass in third-person shooter design and roguelike sensibilities all wrapped in a delectable veneer that elevates it to one of the best looking games on PlayStation 5. To quote the kids - Housemarque cooked here. This is their masterpiece and it is next the must have, utterly essential PlayStation exclusive. Carcosa beckons.

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.

There is a timeline where the developers behind Dead Cells didn’t have the opportunity to use their ample talents to create a thoroughly excellent Prince of Persia. Thankfully, this is not that timeline, because in this timeline The Rogue Prince of Persia exists and isn’t just a great spiritual follow-up to Dead Cells, but also one of the best Prince of Persia games to ever be released. Period.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss does ample justice to its grim source material, fashioning a compelling investigative adventure which generously drips with atmosphere but one which is sadly somewhat undercut by a wealth of technical issues that take the sheen otherwise what is a highly enjoyable Lovecraftian romp.

Proving that effective, heart-stopping horror can emerge from even the chonkiest pixels and cobwebbed 8-bit audiovisual presentation, Faith: The Unholy Trinity is a disturbing, skin-bumping terror that embraces its technical limitations and plodding pace to deliver the kind of genre offering that many larger studios wish they had the gumption, imagination and freedom to pull off.

Honestly, Hades 2 is a great game. It feels wholly like a game while still maintaining a narrative for those of us who need that narrative element. It balances all of the roguelike factors in such a way that you always feel like you are progressing, even during setbacks. The premise is a blast, and so is the gameplay loop. Auto aim works well for what it is, but the lack of aiming could put you in precarious situations. All in all, Hades 2 could easily be in the running for Game of the Year, just like its predecessor was in 2020.

Pragmata marks something truly special for Capcom; an experience that manages to marry action, conflict, and story into a cohesive whole that more than justifies the long wait for expectant fans. It juggles a variety of mechanics and miraculously blends them together. Every facet of this game is explored to its fullest, with still more room to grow. For all I can say in this review, Pragmata is very special.

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.

By leaning on its MGS stealth adventure lineage, Konami and developers ZDT Studios has produced a pleasing homage through it courtesy of Darwin's Paradox. The threats and the platforming challenges are numerous, the references are cool and you'll be content to keep on lapping this one up just to see the iron will of Darwin continue onward towards salvation. At times it can be a bit tricky to know exactly what to do, the story is threadbare and it might not be lengthy, but you will surely remember this one when you're done-even if it's just for the Metal Gear Solid references.

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.

Though the game has clearly been made on a relatively shoestring budget, it still manages to ooze a happy go lucky charm all the same that feels increasingly rare in these fraught times. New Super Lucky’s Tale might lack truly innovative gameplay elements or any new features beyond its PS4 counterpart, but the fact that there are still so few bonafide 3D platformers doing the rounds means that New Super Lucky’s Tale still earns itself an easy recommendation for fans of the genre and proves itself as an ample and captivating post Astro Bot fix.

The Tournament Mode is overly long with cutscenes that drag, and you may not find it to be as pleasingly accessible as the games it cribs inspiration from, but Screamer does its darnedest to impress, and it does so given the myriad of modes and how on point the presentation is. You'll certainly be screaming with approval when you get your hand on Screamer, just don't wake the neighbours.

Marathon is further proof of Bungie's pedigree and ability to create enthralling, engaging, and addictive shooters. While Marathon is brutally challenging and unforgiving, especially for the solo or casual player, it begs to be experienced.

Crimson Desert is an incredibly ambitious project. If you are willing to commit, you will find appreciation in this deeply immersive medieval RPG that is almost stuffed with too many features, but somehow makes it all hang together in a beautiful and ambitious package.

Project Songbird is truly special. While it doesn't push the envelope forward gameplay-wise, it pushes your emotions into overdrive. Anyone who has ever experienced depression, anxiety, imposter syndrome, or questioned their life decisions will find something here. And if you're like me, who experiences these emotions daily, along with some tragedy, you will be completely seen and heard with this game. Project Songbird is truly healing, and I appreciate every moment I have had with it.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection more than proves its worth in quality and depth. It masterfully translates the core of Monster Hunter into a single-player RPG that encourages deep engagement with systems and the world itself. This is far more than just another monster-catching RPG; it's an intelligent, layered and moreish adventure that delivers an impactful, mature story that has sat with me for a long time. Consider me well surprised with this one.

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.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando delivers pure co-op chaos with confidence and flair. Massive hordes, satisfying weapon variety, inventive vehicles, and clever salvage/defense mechanics create consistently thrilling missions. Class progression, skill trees, and temporary heavy weapons encourage experimentation and strategic play. Performance dips are minor in comparison to the spectacle, and while the game doesn’t reinvent the genre, it refines a familiar formula in ways that feel fresh, especially with friends. Overall, it’s a high-energy, replayable co-op experience that shines brightest in teamwork-driven chaos.

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.

When people talk about wanting remakes, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is exactly the quality of remake they have in mind. Overall, this is a fantastic way to experience a beloved classic on modern hardware.

Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a supremely assured offering that is better than its predecessor in virtually every way, layering just enough mechanical depth on top while never losing sight of the beating heart underneath.

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.

Resident Evil Requiem is a confident, gorgeous-looking and genuinely scary romp that expertly balances its horror and action elements into one compelling, hair-raising package. Grace is one of the best new characters the series has introduced to date, and a perfect complement to veteran zombie slayer Leon. As the series celebrates its 30th anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem sees the franchise at its strongest in years.

Avowed on PS5 is a focused, polished RPG that thrives on combat variety, skill depth, and companion-driven encounters. Expanded progression systems and gear upgrades make your chosen playstyle feel consistently rewarding, while companions add tactical and narrative depth to every fight. Though Obsidian has kept some story beats and familiar design elements safe, the meaningful tweaks and updates bring more out of your experience, making exploration, combat, and progression more engaging than ever. Limited enemy variety remains a minor restraint, but overall, the PS5 version feels complete, confident, and satisfying from start to finish.

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.

Though the tonal shift might be too much for some longer term God of War vets and it really doesn't achieve anything fresh or new in the Metroidvania space, Sons of Sparta nevertheless stands as proof that AAA developers like Sony Santa Monica should continue to let talented indie devs play in their sandbox because despite such flawed, the results are still more than worthwhile.

Reanimal is a short thrill ride, packed with stylish albeit somewhat repetitive set pieces, and truly nightmarish imagery. Despite its obvious connective tissue to Tarsier's previous franchise, it does enough to never feel derivative, and instead comes off as more of an evolution.

Romeo Is a Dead Man is yet another belter from a director who marches to the beat of his own drum. It's unapologetically weird, well-conceived and just downright fun to play, and that's all I could really ask for. Every small detail forms a tapestry that can't really be described, only experienced with your own eyes. Where every design idiosyncracy might not land, it doesn't apologise for that. Why should it?

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a top-notch package brimming some great new content, with the Dark Tide side-story worth the price of entry alone. There's some questionable changes and additions to Yakuza 3 that will irk some longtime fans, but overall, this is a brilliant remake and easily the most ambitious in the series to date.

Nioh 3 represents the series at its most refined and confident. Combat is precise, expressive, and endlessly rewarding, while open-field design gives the world room to breathe without sacrificing focus. Crucibles deliver punishing, carefully balanced challenges that reward preparation and mastery in equal measure.

Another swing and a hit from Square Enix and the Dragon Quest franchise. Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined streamlines the entire experience and provides plenty of quality-of-life updates that I wish every studio would implement into their games. The visuals and sound design are once again in the higher echelon, and game's combat is still just as enjoyable as Dragon Quest combat always is.

If a harsh climbing simulator is your thing, Cairn does a great job of providing you with the treacherous conditions of an ambitious mountain climb. It's an outstanding little game in respects to how strategy and perseverance can assist you in reaching your goals and ultimately the Mount Kami summit.

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.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon is a bittersweet ending to a story that started over 20 years ago. Beyond the Horizon has mastered its combat system, offering a near-perfect balance between action and turn-based combat. Meanwhile, the story at times had me glued to the screen. It's just a shame some of the franchise's most glaring issues still haven't been addressed, and the game's pacing could have used a lot more work.

MIO: Memories In Orbit is a deceptive experience that lulled me into thinking that it might be retreading some of the roads that had already been masterfully done by its genre-siblings, but only a few hours had me appreciating every crevice and finely realised detail throughout its lush world. It manages to stand all and establish itself as a fantastic metroidvania that draws upon the strengths of the genre, while creating a world all its own.

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.

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow on PSVR2 is modest in ambition but confident in its chosen identity. It doesn’t offer the sprawling systemic depth of its ancestors, nor does it push stealth AI into new territory, yet the tactile VR experience elevates what could have been forgettable into something surprisingly satisfying. The repetition, the shallow enemy behaviour, and the occasional technical hiccup undeniably pull the game down, but the undeniable charm of physically inhabiting the shadows pushes it back up. What’s left is a VR stealth experience that works because it leans into the strengths of the medium, even if it can’t fully escape its weaknesses.

Though Skate Story may be a barebones skateboarding game, the rest of the game is a stunning visual and audibly experience. The game's soundtrack is incredible and perfectly fits the abstract, psychedelic visual style.

Nightdive Studios has done once it again with Blood: Refreshed Supply. Not only has the developer lavished its typically heady amount of polish and care on Blood: Refreshed Supply, but so too does it deserve a whole heap of credit for refreshing (pun intended), one of the best shooters of the 1990s for contemporary consoles. Boasting some incredible level design, massively satisfying weapons and a wealth of additional content, Blood: Refreshed Supply deftly mimics its resurrected protagonist by still holding up so darn well all these years later.

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.

Old School Rally may not have as much meat on the bones as modern rally games, and on a technical level it's not going to wow you at all. Having said that, Old School Rally pays gracious homage to the past and is definitely a rally-racing game for those who love late 90s and early 00s titles such as Colin McRae Rally and the early WRC titles.

Octopath Traveler 0 is a great game in its broadest strokes, but manages to miss the high benchmark that the rest of the series has set for me. The bones of a mobile game are still very much here, candied with the presentation of a console experience. Despite this, I still largely enjoyed my time with Octopath Traveler 0, and very much want to see more from this now staple franchise.

With plenty of characters and great combat, there is a lot to love about Marvel Cosmic Invasion. The fantastic visuals and sound design shine through from Tribute Games and Dotemu. It's just a shame that the game's difficulty spikes and lack of extra lives in the campaign hold it back. Thankfully, the Arcade Mode more than makes up for the game's shortcomings, with great modifiers that let you enjoy the game however you want.

Rennsport doesn't leave a positive impression at all by overcharging players for a flimsy racing game package that's clearly unfinished. Yes, the car handling is nuanced, the featured track selection is nice, and while the car selections come up short, they are hulking and sound as impressive as they look; however, Rennsport falls very short in just about every way and will not hold racing game aficionados' attention for very long until they drop off and find a better and fairer alternative to spend their time with.

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.

For anyone drawn to open-world shooters, survival games, or atmospheric horror, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is an absolute must-play. It’s tense, beautiful, and deeply immersive, with a world that feels alive and unpredictable. Challenge, exploration, and narrative are balanced with skill, delivering moments of genuine fear, discovery, and triumph. On PS5, the game runs smoothly and presents the Zone in all its haunting glory. After experiencing it firsthand, it’s clear this is a major milestone for the series — a game that fully deserves attention and respect.

Much like its grizzled and long dormant protagonist, Outlaws + A Handful of Missions has been pulled out of the doldrums of retirement to lace up its boots, load up its guns and ride into the sunset. It's old, gruff, unapologetic and certainly not for everyone. For me however, the opportunity to replay one of my favourite cult PC shooters of the 1990s in arguably its definitive form, easily makes Outlaws + A Handful of Missions worth the price on its head. For everyone else, a snappy and surprisingly clever Wild West retro shooter beckons.

The Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy is arguably the series of games that put Atelier on the map for a lot of players, and this remastered collection manages to do what it needs to do to sand down the edges to make for an approachable and digestible best-hits of what many consider the peak of the franchise. While I would have liked to see this collection go a bit further in their effort to bring all the games to the same standard, I can't really argue with what's been included here.

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.

If you want a new superhero episodic series with great dramatic moments and laughs, Dispatch is fantastic. However, if you want a game that plays as whimsically and enjoyably as it presents itself, then you may be disappointed. Give Dispatch a shot though because it's definitely an enjoyable ride you'll want to play repeatedly.

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.

Reach VR is a confident leap forward for nDreams and for virtual reality on PS5. Its tactile movement, convincing world, and expressive design make it one of the most engaging uses of the medium this year. There are moments when repetition and polish issues hold it back, but its highs easily outweigh the rough edges. This is the kind of game that reminds you why VR matters — not because it’s a novelty, but because it makes the impossible feel real.

Possessor(s) brings a lot of success to the table: lots of boss fights, chunky and engaging combat, and a robust world to explore. Combine that with a strong narrative, and you have a recipe for success. The whip needs some optimization, and progressing the story can easily stagnate once the map opens up. Possessor(s) may not be able to contend with the titans of the genre, but it doesn't need to. It still provides a good experience for anyone interested in Metroidvanias.

Suffices to say, If you haven't played Lumines before you're in for an exquisite audio/visual treat loaded with memorable and impacting vibes. Arise's soundtrack doesn't quite reach the majesty of Electronic Symphony on the Vita as the tunes can be too soft and not as emphatic, but in every other way Arise is the best Lumines game yet, and aptly bursts with life just as fervently as its new gameplay mechanic.

Anno 117: Pax Roma delivers the same satisfying city-building loop as Anno 1800 but offers little innovation beyond a Roman skin. While still fun and deep for newcomers, veterans may find it more like a reskin. The PS5 version suffers from mediocre graphics, hard to navigate UI, and awkward controller support - but keyboard and mouse are supported. Good game, flawed console port.

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.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 has the workings of a solid game, complete with options for newcomers and genre fans alike. The hardcore fans may not find enough here to satiate their sim appetites, but the appeal of dinosaurs is hard to resist. Even if this is a game, there aren't many consequences to your in-game actions; the big hurdle is learning to navigate the game's many menus while using a controller. Thankfully, you can pause the game and make choices, but even though it's a welcome option, this still feels more like a hotfix rather than a design choice. $60 is an attractive asking price, but it might be too much to ask for those on the fence, even if there are dinosaurs on the other side of said fence.

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.

Another home run for those wizards at Digital Eclipse whom I hope will never stop weaving their game preservation magic, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection isn't just a pitch-perfect trip down memory lane, it's a love letter, a tantalising peeling back of the curtain, a look behind the scenes of one of the most legendary and landmark videogame franchises ever made. If you have even the smallest modicum of fondness for gaming's original bad boy, then the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is as essential as essential can be.

It's another swing and a hit for Square Enix. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake upgrades the first two games in the legendary franchise with improved combat, refined writing, and a much-improved story across both games. Meanwhile, the incredible visuals and a fantastic soundtrack round out a package that should make any JRPG fan giddy with excitement.

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.

A good sequel makes sure to keep all of its main components the same while enhancing what makes those components enjoyable. PowerWash Simulator 2 manages that in spades. Providing new equipment, changing how you use soap, and adding meaningful elements to the gameplay loop keep the formula fresh without dirtying up what makes the game a fan favorite. At $25, PowerWash Simulator 2 is a steal.

I can well imagine that when you're situated in a hydraulic miniature car attached to an arcade machine that is blaring out the audiovisual presentation of Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition at full tilt, that it's something of a compelling if not a mildly intoxicating quick fix of arcade racing goodness. At home however, and stripped of such performative trickery, Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition fails to impress and really needs much more meat wrapped around its bones to justify its existence away from the din of the arcade scene which birthed it.

The Outer Worlds 2 excels on almost all fronts, presenting you with an open RPG that lets you choose how you progress while still keeping you on a clear path. The in-game systems allow you to customize how you play and give you versatility in the choices you make along the way. Combine that with great writing, and you have a recipe for success. Equipment menus are a bit clunky, enemy encounters can be manipulated, and the act of looting takes some getting used to. Still, none of these issues will keep you from enjoying the game. The Outers Worlds 2 is worth every penny of the $70 it asks for.

Once Upon A Katamari feels like a confident step back into the series after having a crack at some remasters, and feels like a game that perfectly follows up on what those remasters set out to do. Everything that we all love about Katamari is still here and absolutely kicking. Small reservations with the progression system do precious little to take away from what is - ultimately - one of the most pure and appealing game concepts ever put to players. An absolutely fantastic return to form for a legacy franchise.

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.

Borderlands 4 doesn’t reinvent the Vault—it just rebuilds it stronger. The writing occasionally misfires, and the performance hitches are unacceptable in a AAA series like this. Still, the moment-to-moment thrill of firing absurdly designed weapons at even more absurd enemies carries the experience. It’s messy, noisy, and entirely too much at times—but that’s Borderlands at its most honest. Gearbox hasn’t made a flawless sequel, but it’s made a hell of a fun one.

Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 might not be the sequel that folk from 2004 wanted for their game, but it is the game we've got. Though largely sparse open world and technical issues are hardly encouraging, the beautifully evocative interior environments, surprisingly engaging traversal and combat mechanics, together with its neatly unconventional ‘buddy movie' conceit which sees two vampires attempting to inhabit the same body and each with their own motivations, makes Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 a good deal more intriguing than I originally expected it to be.

A breath of fresh malodorous air, Blood West's take on ponderous demonic murder in a Wild West that is as weird as it is wild feels overdue for a setting that has otherwise stagnated with traditional open world efforts and fairly dunderheaded shooters. Sure, it's a little rough around the edges and the low-poly, retro 90s visuals invariably won't be for everyone, but there's an old-fashioned earnestness to its design and approach to progression that is almost overwhelmingly endearing all the same.

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.

Little Nightmares III is generally a successful sequel thanks to its refined mechanics and the integration of co-op to its particular brand of horror experience. If you've played previous Little Nightmares games, you can rest assured that Little Nightmares III will bring you another deformed slice of horror you'll be eager to lap up. However, the formula of Little Nightmares hasn't changed and although it all works wonderfully well and you shouldn't try to fix what the wrench cannot, Little Nightmares deserves something more ambitious in the future. For right now though, fill those baleful boots and enjoy this unhinged third course.

Battlefield 6 is a spectacle with jaw dropping visuals and sublime audio, while delivering their best multiplayer offering in many years. However, despite it being predominantly a multiplayer experience, its campaign plays it far too safe, and feels all too familiar.

Absolum is not only one of the best beat-’em-up titles I’ve played, but it’s also easily DotEmu’s best outing yet, and easily establishes them as the best developer in this genre for the current generation.

Baby Steps won’t click with everyone, but if you have the patience, it delivers one of the most memorable and oddly inspiring platformers in years. Every laugh comes with frustration, every fall makes the next step sweeter, and the whole thing somehow feels worth it. It’s clumsy and challenging, but also one of the most charmingly human games you’ll play this generation.

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.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist and The White Guardian leans into the old staples that the franchise sustained itself on, focusing on turn-based combat and crafting to win the day. Several elements take a step back from what recent titles in the franchise have done, instead focusing more on farming instead of exploring. It's still about alchemy, but getting to the alchemy is more repetition and less discovery. For longtime fans of the series, the Atelier formula is still there for a good time. With that said, newer fans may recoil a bit if they first jumped into the franchise alongside Ryza, Sophie, and Yumia.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is a must-play game for anyone who has ever wanted to be a DigiDestin. From deep and engaging combat to a Digivolving system that I became addicted to again, like I did with Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory. Time Stanger took every system, element, and pixel from the first games and built something truly amazing. Running around Japan, the Digital World, or just a sewer, you feel a rush of excitement. Every new encounter, skill upgrade, Digivolution, and new area feels right and bursting with fun. I cannot recommend this game highly enough to anyone, and if you have never experienced Digimon before, this is the perfect time to jump in. The Digiwater is fine.

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.

EA Sports FC 26 is truly a game of two halves. The defending doesn't feel nearly as good as attacking, but that's a worthwhile trade off if it remains as fun as it is right now, once updates and balancing changes have been made.

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.

Ghost of Yōtei is that rare sequel that not only maintains the essence of its highly successful predecessor, but also qualitatively leapfrogs it in just about every meaningful way and metric. Underscored by a grippingly furious tale of revenge inspired by a layer cake of classic Japanese samurai cinema, the best combat ever seen in a samurai title and the most compelling open world since Red Dead Redemption 2, Ghost Of Yōtei is a jaw-dropping demonstration of Sucker Punch Productions operating at the peak of its considerable powers. Ghost of Yōtei redefines the term ‘must-have’ and wholly validates PlayStation Studios broader approach to embracing single-player epics such as this.

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.