Replaced is spectacular in so many respects. It’s an audiovisual triumph, with best-in-class pixel art, animation, and cinematography, while its America, hardly a land of the free, feels real, dangerous, and all too familiar against today’s landscape, is a hotbed of fascinating history and complex characters. Disappointingly, combat and exploration don’t quite live up to what the game achieves in story and presentation.

Although it maintains the spirit of the original Super Meat Boy, Super Meat Boy 3D, as a reimagining, doesn’t quite evolve on its ideas enough to strike a chord. Rather, it reframes them, and it’s these new perspectives and angles on Meat Boy’s frenetic platforming that prove to be the biggest bother of all. It’s still fun enough for the most part; however, I struggle to look beyond the compounded frustration and needless death—in a game about dying, no less.

Although it doesn’t quite have the heft to go bumper-to-bumper with games like Forza Horizon or Burnout, Screamer is an incredibly sound arcade racer that, unfortunately, cocoons so much of its exhilarating, challenging gameplay in a bloated campaign that claws for any semblance of focus.

Defiance Remastered makes earnest effort to present Defiance in the best light it could possibly be in, while also catering to both side of the often-divided remaster camp. The original experience as it was originally shown is still here, but those who want something a bit more tweaked will appreciate the little mod cons that the remaster provides. For that, it’s praises are worth singing. this is easily the best version of Legacy of Kain: Defiance that you can play. Warts and all.

While I wish I could recommend Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, there's too many odd choices and caveats here to list. While it's always been a black sheep, the identity that feeds its reputation feels lost in this remaking, and it's new content additions feel out of place and in some cases, undermine what came before it.

Code Vein II is exactly what you'd expect – yet another Soulslike derivative with a fresh(ish) coat of anime-style paint. While the combat system's flexibility and improved exploration are a huge step forward, the lack of multiplayer and derivative story beats feels like a step back. The result is just okay, though fans of the original will still appreciate it nonetheless.

Black Ops 7 is, without question, the most disappointed I’ve been in a Call of Duty campaign. It’s not because it’s the least fun, necessarily, it’s because it’s a regression in every field that Black Ops excels—it’s a thoughtless, homogeneous mess that feels more like a Zombies off-shoot that, in an attempt to call back to better games, only serves to cheapen their memory.

Like so many other modern Pokémon games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A paints a promising picture of what the future of Pokémon could look like. It's an enjoyable return an underappreciated region in Pokémon that fans are sure to appreciate.

Ultimately, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is a polished version of a fairly mediocre game. If you’ve got some fondness for the original I’m sure you’ll have a great time playing through this new version - but without the benefit of nostalgia it didn’t really do much for me. It’d make a perfectly fine rental, if that were still a thing!

While there is a distinct lack of things to do in Drag x Drive, it’s still worth noting that once you get the hang of it, it is an enjoyable little experience that you literally cannot find anywhere else. But once your friends are done playing with you, and you admittedly have great fun doing so, there’s not a whole lot left to do. And that’s a huge shame, because there is potential here for Drag x Drive, but the game in its current state doesn’t quite reach it.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is another good and worthwhile Souls-like with a rich setting and moreish combat. It might not capitalise on all of its potential, but it's an experience any hardcore fan of Souls will enjoy.

An uninspired effort to infuse nostalgic IP with edgy nonsense, Shadow Labrynth offers up some fine enough Metroidvania action but fails to give players much of a reason to care about it beyond sheer novelty. Tucked away in its sprawling maps are beacons of joy in the form of classic Pac-Man mazes, but there’s only a ghost of a game built around them.

Were it a bit more feature complete and fine-tuned, Rematch would be undeniable in its claim for Rocket League’s long-held crown. There’s a high, albeit achievable, skill ceiling here, but intuitive controls means anybody can header, rainbow flick, or bicycle kick goals from the box’s edge in short, exhilarating, and most importantly, moreish games of soccer.

Although Tron: Catalyst doesn't capitalise on all of the potential of its many ideas, it does still present another worthwhile experience from Bithell Games. It's a joy to engage with their interpretation of this world and the ideas it represents, even if some of the execution falls flat.

On its own merits, Sonic Generations does its best to bring the best of both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic together in a fun and creative adventure that’s sure to please Sonic fans all around. However, it tries too hard to fit itself into the same mould while attempting to keep true to the 3D Shadow experience, ultimately falling short of the lofty heights it aims for. Die hard fans might enjoy, but more casual players may find themselves overwhelmed by the sense of speed.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is set to go down as one of those "weird Nintendo things" people always refer to. As an interactive instruction manual, it ably showcases all of the new console's bells and whistles, however, it falls well short of delivering anything that comes close to that trademark Nintendo joy.

While I sound down on The Precinct, it’s an enjoyable experience. There is something oddly satisfying and novel about playing on the other side of the oft-imitated Grand Theft Auto formula. But while all the building blocks are here for what I hope will become a franchise for developer Fallen Tree Games, it just feels like those blocks haven’t been put together in the best way.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 kept me interested throughout, though its heavy focus on character moments got in the way of forming a more cohesive main plot. I’m hopeful that all of the setup that’s been done will allow Tape 2 to fully explore the mystery behind Bloom & Rage’s ‘wild’ summer of 1995.

Players keen to continue Peter and Miles’ story on PC should hold out a little longer and wait for some patches, as it’s hard to recommend Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PC in its current state. It's marred by a multitude of bugs that completely take away from the game’s brilliant story and excellent gameplay.

Out of all of the Power Rangers games I’ve played in the last decade, Rita’s Rewind is the one that most honestly captures the cheesy fun, flashy martial arts, and attitude of the series’ first few iconic seasons. It is to the Rangers what Shredder’s Revenge is to the Turtles, a celebration of a dorky thing so many people loved as kids—and perhaps still do as big kids.

Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer continues to push the series’ presentation and accessibility options but can’t quite overcome the inherently limited range of exercises the Joy-Con can offer it. Light and fun enough for a beginner, it's more fitness toy than fitness trainer.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an achievement for so many reasons. As well as being the little game that could, given the team’s real-world challenges, the game doubles down on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. way, delivering a sublimely realised sense of place with the Zone. Unfortunately, so much of the console experience is rendered so disappointingly undercooked.

Farming Simulator 25 is a pleasantly surprising experience that builds upon its predecessors to feel as expansive as ever while remaining authentic. While it’s no revolutionary change for the series, Farming Simulator 25 is both rewarding and immersive if you stick with it, even if it won’t hold your hand for most of the journey.

In many regards, LEGO Horizon Adventures accomplishes what it set out to do: it effectively summarises the story of Horizon Zero Dawn into an approachable all-ages adventure. However, in simplifying the mechanics of Horizon Zero Dawn, they have omitted what makes Horizon and LEGO games special. The Horizon world has been lovingly reimagined in LEGO but overly basic combat and a lack of interactivity hold it back. LEGO Horizon Adventures is salvaged somewhat by a gorgeous art style, a fun retelling of the story and well-executed cooperative features, but the pieces don't quite all click into place.

Metro Awakening is a capable, haunting jaunt through the familiar, post-nuclear world beneath Moscow I’ve grown to love. It cleverly harnesses VR to emulate the scrappy, resourcefulness of the underground, however its combat is a bit of a slog and struggles to find the fun, leading to a somewhat disjointed campaign.

Despite working with the same killer premise as the movies before it, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead struggles to sustain tension over the course of its fairly predictable journey. With a tighter focus its glacial pacing and deliberate systems might have made for something special but as it stands, this one is for fans of the genre only.

On its own merits, Sonic Generations does its best to bring the best of both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic together in a fun and creative adventure that’s sure to please Sonic fans all around. However, it tries too hard to fit itself into the same mould while attempting to keep true to the 3D Shadow experience, ultimately falling short of the lofty heights it aims for. Die hard fans might enjoy, but more casual players may find themselves overwhelmed by the sense of speed.

Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP attempts to bring the fantastically charming and tongue-in-cheek zombie slasher to modern platforms. Unfortunately, the result is only just passable. The RePOP mode feels undercooked, the visuals are inconsistent and there are some notable effects missing from the original. While the improved framerate and gameplay changes are welcome, they're unfortunately not worth everything else that has been lost in translation.