Dead Island 2 stands firmly besides its predecessor as only a marginal improvement. While there something to be recognised in the flexible skill system and satisfying dismemberment effects, Dead Island 2's lack of objective variety and uninteresting playable characters fall short of its potential. There's still some fun to be had for zombie fans, just don't expect a reinvention by any means.

The Medium is, without a doubt, Bloober Team's most ambitious game in terms of scope and scale. It successfully leverages fixed camera angles and strong sound design to inspire a horror experience that's unashamedly nostalgic. Despite its successes, it never really capitalises on its unique dual reality mechanic and ultimately feels the same as the team's previous games.

Through its picturesque presentation, Ravenlok definitely captures the reverie and spirit we’d expect from a coming-of-age fantasy. Sadly, the game’s one-note combat doesn’t offer a challenge worthy of its world, while the cliched story devalues its charming cast of misfit critters.

A Fisherman's Tale is still great four years later, but if you've played it before there's not much reason to pick up this barebones port to the PS VR2. It would've been cool to see InnerspaceVR take the opportunity to flesh out its recursive puzzle concept even more, but hopefully there's more still to come from this franchise.

While Overwatch 2 is still a good time, and an improvement over the original, it feels like less of a sequel and more of an update. There's some solid changes to the foundations of Overwatch, but a noticeable lack of new content, archaic game modes, and balancing issues leave something to be desired.

Battle for Bikini Bottom, despite offering a fair bit of fun, is a testament of antiquated design and, for better or worse, feels entirely like the game you remember from your childhood. There’s certainly a fun afternoon to be had ruining Plankton’s plot to rule Bikini Bottom while spotting the show’s many references with a keen eye, though ultimately Rehydrated is D.O.A.—dry on arrival.

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.

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.

When it’s great, Daemon X Machina is a fast and frenetic mech action game with deep customisation options and a killer artistic direction that sets it apart from the rest. But when it’s not, it’s repetitive mission structure, nonsensical story and facile combat stop it from being the best it could be.

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.

Super Crazy Rhythm Castle makes a bold attempt at fusing basic rhythm gameplay with the kinds of asymmetrical co-operative chaos of something like Overcooked, wrapping it up in a deeply funny and genuinely inventive campaign. Sadly it undermines the fun at every turn with wild difficulty spikes, anaemic gameplay customisation and a frustrating lack of explanation of its own mechanics. There's something good here, it's just thoroughly underdeveloped.

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.

Stray Gods might be a well-written, narrative-driven murder mystery that drags us to Olympus and back again, but it fails to deliver anything remotely close to an earworm after hours of forgettable melodies. Though Bailey and Baker do enough to earn their flowers, the production itself does little to land Stray Gods a place among the musical pantheon.

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.

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, like Old Man’s Journey before it, is a tightly-packed, hour-long adventure that lays bare the eco-terrorism that continually threatens these titular primates. While it doesn’t do anything particularly groundbreaking as a game, it’s a brisk, beautiful and, at times, terribly sad game that moves along at a rate of knots, even if that places a strain on the now-aged Switch hardware.

Like Evolution before it, AFL Evolution 2 is the best of the footy games. Of course, the bar isn't a high one, though it's fortunate in a way that it's the core gameplay experience that does the heavy lifting. Modes can be fixed, patched and reworked with less work, so knowing that the foundation is rock-solid is a bonus for Wicked Witch as they'll no doubt return time and again in pursuit of the holy grail.

Destiny 2: Lightfall is far from Destiny's worst expansion, but just as far from its best. For every step forward, there's another step back, and what you get out of it ultimately comes down to what you prioritize. It simply isn't as well rounded as The Witch Queen, but still offers many excellent gameplay additions and quality-of-life improvements that elevate the whole experience.

Funko Fusion is a brilliant take on the tried-and-true LEGO formula, but for a slightly older audience. The combat is fun, the humour is on point and the selection of characters is impressive. But limited multiplayer options and rough technical shortcomings keep it from reaching it's true potential. With time, it can absolutely get better, but for now, I'm willing to give 10:10 more time to cook, they're definitely onto something.

Make no mistakes, Darksiders Genesis plays and feels like a Darksiders game. It’s just not a particularly strong one. Repetitive enemy encounters, simplistic puzzle design and average platforming all stop Genesis from being as good as it could be. Co-op is a blast, as is the great dynamic between War and Strife, but it doesn’t save the experience in the end.

This year's Call of Duty is a mixed bag. Series veterans looking for a great multiplayer experience will find a lot to love thanks to the game's faithful recreation of some of the franchise’s best maps and excellent gunplay. However, Modern Warfare III's campaign is one of the worst in the series’ history.

The Souls games are some of my fondest gaming experiences ever, and while I never expected Code Vein to surpass them, it’s hard not to be disappointed by its middling results. It’s far from a bad game, it has systems and ideas that push the genre forward in exciting and innovative ways, but fumbles on the execution on some of the others that are core to the experience. If you have an interest in Code Vein’s world or characters, or can’t get enough Souls, you might find that the positives outweigh the negatives, but I can’t recommend it to someone looking for the next transformative Souls-like experience.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise is an earnest attempt to conclude the story told in the original game ten years ago. It’s engaging, the characters are a joy to observe, and the trademark zaniness is as intact as ever. Unfortunately, it’s hard to deny that the game’s egregious performance issue hinders it from standing on the shoulders of it’s predecessor.

While PAYDAY 3 will no doubt please series veterans and newcomers, it's still a few updates a way from being definitively better than PAYDAY 2. When everything is working seamlessly, it offers some of the highest highs in the series thus far, but frustrating omissions and questionable progression design restrain PAYDAY 3's ability to be consistent.

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.

The story plays out like a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced popcorn atrocity, the upgrade shop might as well be Travelex given how many currencies it juggles, and the performance is less than optimal. Atomic Heart is an exercise in excess. It has some clear strengths, like its first in class art direction and gunplay, however these are far outweighed by the game’s faults.

Oddworld: Soulstorm is a big, beautiful puzzle platformer with the spirit of Abe's adventures intact and some interesting new ideas, but it's all very quickly undone by imprecise controls, tedious level design and a shocking lack of polish. Oddworld fans will definitely want to check it out, but they may be better off waiting for a few more updates before investing their time, and even then might come away just a tad disappointed.

While its ship customisation revels in aesthetic delights, little else here allows for the kind of pirate fantasy we’ve been waiting for since 2013. Despite some early promise and admirable endgame ideas, Skull and Bones charts a fairly unremarkable course through its gorgeously empty ocean.

Amid its chaotic titular mode, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is as nail-biting as it was a decade ago. With a new lick of paint and the full suite of DLC included, it is a definitive version of a game that — at its best — sits between a combat and arcade racer, pitting Racer against Cop. Aside from these highlight moments, its a touch barebones and doesn't stack up against what else is available today.

I’m a diehard fan of the GTA series, but I’m of two minds about this up and down port to the Unreal 4 Engine. The initial wow-factor of the visual upgrade is undeniable, but the more you play it, the more cracks appear in that pretty veneer. Some of those are legacy fissures that have not been repaired. Others are eyesore imperfections wrought by a new team of less-than-master craftspeople.

Even with its budget price, it’s somewhat difficult to recommend Mastermind given its brevity and few technical issues. I expect Peaky Blinders fans will most enjoy Mastermind as a gritty snapshot at pre-series Birmingham that expands on their favourite television family. I’d even go so far as to give it a cautious thumbs up for those who enjoy working up a mental sweat.

New Tales from the Borderlands, as a spiritual successor to Telltale’s series, is a cavalcade of peaks and valleys. It expands on the franchise’s complex lore with a terrifically produced five-episode stint that will, for most, be a one-and-done experience that sadly fails to iterate on or improve the tired formula these types of games all rode into the ground.

Marvel Midnight Suns is, by and large, an unfulfilling superhero title that is only as endurable as it is courtesy of how great Firaxis are at what they do. There’s a lot of heroes and just as many hollow hellos between them that makes me wish all of the story’s character drama was checked at the door for more of what Midnight Suns does well.

Another Code: Recollection breathes new life into a dormant series by creating a cohesive narrative in a remake with updated visuals. While some great effort has gone into modernising the games from a presentation standpoint, some of the creative liberties taken and frustrating motion-controlled puzzles will no doubt leave fans longing for a more faithful recreation.

It’s hard to fault the moment-to-moment gameplay of Back 4 Blood when all of its pistons are working in tandem and you’re running with a good crew. Though the effort to contemporise and grow beyond its roots is commendable, just about every other aspect of the game feels like a misfire. The campaign isn’t fun and, more offensively, it pays no regard to solo players.

While it has promise, Riders Republic feels like it needs a bit more time in the oven. For fans of extreme sports, there’s certainly something to enjoy here – just don’t be surprised when a variety of issues run the experience into the ground.

Streets of Rage 4 is a solid tribute to the genre it arguably helped shape, but this feels like more of the same with a fresh coat of paint rather than an all-out reinvention. What’s on offer here is reminiscent and nostalgic, and still a great time, but it ultimately lacks the oomph to elevate it beyond the games that came before it.

Mike Bithell’s writing, as it often is, remains on point as his team establishes new colours within an already riveting sci-fi world, not by replicating what came before—as appropriate as that may have been thematically—but by taking the franchise in a bold direction. It’s a shame this thrilling plot against the archives is derezzed, and perhaps doomed to obsoletion, by a string of confoundingly dull puzzles.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore features some much-needed quality of life improvements, as well as a strong opening and novel combat. But, ultimately, tedious dungeon design and unrefined boss battles that plagued the original remain and prevent Encore from being the improvement it could be.

Everything that it tries to do has been done better by either its own predecessor or its competition.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland achieves so much in emulating the feel of a retro Gameboy-released platformer. Although licensed games like this were dime-a-dozen growing up, and were often pretty average, Adventures in Gameland’s spectacular presentation shows genuine respect and care for those toddling bubs. Due to this, I found it easier to forgive the game’s many unforced errors which were all driven by its “classic” design.

An alright little adventure for South Park fans or for those wanting a casual game to play with friends, South Park: Snow Day has all the charm of an episode of the show, but its roguelite nature becomes a tad frustrating with wild difficulty spikes and a lack of checkpoints. Chock full of references and jokes without filter, the game is definitely entertaining; but with a lack of a roadmap or post-release content, some players may be left in the cold thanks to a short story and repetitive loop.

Despite its satisfying core loops and drip-feeding of loot slathered in mechanical jargon, it's hard to recommend The Crew 2 based on what many would consider to be its selling points. The world is barren despite being billed as a greatest hits of American landmarks and 'car feel' itself is frustratingly basic and holds your hand far too much. The interconnectivity did its best to compel me to stick with it but The Crew 2 is a sad case of wasted potential.

Endless Ocean Luminous is a mildly confounding product. On the one hand, it's still got that very compelling offering of hours spent drifting through gorgeous oceans and coming face-to-face with hundreds of stunning creatures, without complex mechanics or urgency to get in the way. On the other hand, the overall gameplay experience has been dulled down so much to feel like a backwards step, and the system of randomly-seeded dive spots dilutes a lot of its personality.

I wish I could say that Sea of Solitude excels in every way a game can. Though it offers an honest, raw depiction of how unfortunately disparate life can be and the toil that goes with that, it fires few shots as an interactive experience. A rather barren world and repetitive core loops only serve to mar what is an otherwise overwhelming sensory treat.

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!

When you embrace the chaos there can be a lot of fun to be had, but it's when you look deeper at the nuts and bolts it isn't a bustling sandbox you find. It's more of a litter tray, full of waste.

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.

Bright Memory Infinite is a disappointing follow-up to a prelude that made its share of promises. It’s a shame because a polished expansion on the original concept would have had a certain cult appeal, whereas Infinite feels watered down. It’s a pretty game, and best of all it’s free for those who lashed out for the prelude, but in the end, it plays like a game that got spooked by its own shadow and is a result of improbable ambition.

Chorus does an admirable job of trying to carve out its own identity in a genre that deserves the attention, but it just doesn't stick the landing. If you're a fan of arcade spaceship shooters and narrative adventures there's probably enough here to chew over, but there's just not much that Chorus has to offer that hasn't already been done better elsewhere. Despite being set in a gorgeous pocket of space and offering up some interesting ideas it sadly misses the mark in just about every way.

Despite a dazzling art direction and one killer new hook for the Souls-adjacent combat loop, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn struggles under the weight of unnecessary RPG systems and an overarching lack of refinement to its many ideas.

Underneath it all, RAGE 2 is one of the most energetic and frenetic shooters I’ve played since DOOM. But you must, unfortunately, wade through a poorly paced story, a drab open world, and a few locks and progression gates to even experience the best it has to offer. Those who persist will adore RAGE 2, but it’s such a bizarrely inconsistent journey to get there that it’s hard to recommend to everyone.

Underneath the extremely rough and laggy exterior, Fallout 76 has the makings of a great and entertaining game. To some, the damage may have already been done and the appeal may have already worn off, but with Bethesda’s level of support, the game has potential to grow into something much more than it currently is.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions gets the core fundamentals of Quidditch right - it's fast-paced, frenetic and a joy to zip around the field. But despite some robust multiplayer options, there's just not a whole lot here to keep you interested beyond a few hours.

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.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance has clearly had a lot of love and effort put into it, but it’s unapologetically appealing to a very specific niche. The authenticity and realism is like no other, and that niche is bound to be pulled into its world for hours on end. Unfortunately, this dedication to realism is ironically what really stopped me from immersing myself into the well realised world of Bohemia, which is a huge shame.

YIIK is an ambitious little RPG with an intriguing premise and engaging battle mechanics that is ultimately let down by some poor pacing and a very unruly inventory management system. In a game where stats matter so much, this is a pretty big issue to have. Regardless, if you can see past its flaws, there’s a kooky game here with a weird but wonderful plot and a lovable cast to enjoy.

Generation Zero isn't a misfire, it's far from it. The core gameplay experience is enjoyable enough, though trudging through the thin, but admittedly mysterious, plot only spices things up for so long. There's a world of untapped potential at Avalanche's fingertips here, all that's left to do is tighten up on some of the game's shortcomings and Generation Zero could comfortably stand alongside even the best sandbox survival titles.

SCHiM has moments where it lives up to the promise of its concept, and levels where fresh ideas and fun mechanics elevate the experience. Unfortunately, it also feels padded and simplistic for long stretches, and the narrative doesn't quite hang together. It looks great, but it's often frustrating, too.

Three Fields continues to slowly inch their way towards the Burnout successor everyone is clamouring for. At the end of the day, Danger Zone 2 is much too light on content to recommend despite scratching the itch to a certain degree.

Star Wars Outlaws marks an impressive step forward for depictions of the galaxy in video games but fails to provide players with a compelling reason to explore it.

Atlas Fallen layers interesting and engaging combat systems onto a lacklustre world and frustrating camera controls making for an uneven and forgettable fantasy action outing. Deck13 continues its work of innovating the genre in interesting ways but there’s just a little too much going on for Atlas Fallen to ever find solid ground.

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.

I suspect that people with fondness for the original Pac-Man World, or even just this specific era of platforming games will be the ones who get the most from RePac. It's a style of game that has been out of fashion for a while, but it's simplicity could still hold some appeal. When you can get lovingly re-created versions of the standard-setting Crash Bandicoot series for the price of this though, the value proposition for a remaster of one fairly short and unremarkable game is hard to swallow. One for the fans.

As far as gameplay goes, Cricket 24 is great fun. With different bowling and batting styles to entertain, it has a level of depth that will appeal to both newcomers and existing fans of the series. But beyond this, it's a mixed bag. While heavy on international licensing, it lacks in visual fidelity and polish. Big Ant Studios are a team known for their dedication to constant improvement, and we may see these things fixed in patches and updates, but for now it’s a game that doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is a middling entry into a once legendary spin-off series. For every element or system the game nails, there's a confusing design decision that holds them back. While The Dark Prince is far from terrible, it doesn't reach the heights of recent entries into this storied franchise.

SEGA Mega Drive Classics does a great job at modernising the classics, bringing in some games that we haven’t seen in a release like this before, but at the same time drops some true classics like Sonic 3. While a plethora of features and some slick presentation make this feel like less of a cynical cash grab than it could be, the omission of these titles and cumbersome navigation makes this collection serviceable but less than definitive.

Anthem shows a tremendous amount of promise, but what is currently available is disappointingly below standard. Expectation unquestionably plays a factor, but with the talent behind this game and a high standard already set by other very similar titles, I think it's fair to expect better. Anthem's thrilling gameplay, quality presentation and sound design redeem what is otherwise a puzzling mess of questionable design decisions, and telltale signs of a game under pressure to hit the release date. I have no doubt that the game, given time, will only improve and likely be deserving of much better praise than I can give it now.

While its unclear whether Soul Hackers 2 was an attempt to make a more inviting Shin Megami Tensei game for newcomers, the end result is a disappointingly streamlined RPG that both newcomers and long-time fans will inevitably bounce off of. It's a perfectly fine RPG, but so much of what makes SMT special is sorely lacking here in a palpable way.

Crash Team Rumble is a surprisingly competent online multiplayer arena game that's easy to get into and well-balanced, leading to some tense and exciting games. It's let down hugely by a lack of modes and content though, and I seriously doubt its longevity in the long term.

There is a neat story to be told in this world, despite the world being mostly recycled from the last game, however if you don’t find joy in the grinding and collecting elements you’ll probably find yourself too frustrated with the pace and general gameplay to bother.

It’s disappointing that, through shortcomings in design and the platform’s limitations, Iron Man VR isn’t a superhero outing worthy of the story told here, nor the Tony Stark that has carried Marvel’s films into this new age of popcorn cinema.

Harold Halibut’s narrative, setting and visuals are so wonderful and creative from a sci-fi perspective, it’s an enormous shame it’s housed within such a one-note and heartbreakingly boring video game.

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.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a budget brawler with a high price tag. Despite the core gameplay being quite solid, a lot of the content is locked behind microtransactions and grinding away at matches. These things stop it from rising to Superstar status.

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.

It’s a great, tried-and-true concept that brings nothing new to the table, despite having so much potential. Made even more potent by the fact that we know what DONTNOD as a team is capable of.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is a serviceable action game bogged down by an insistence on being a live service title. While the characters are well written and the comedy is on point, a handful of repetitive objective types betray the intentions of an otherwise strong combat system. There is potential here – perhaps over time, Suicide Squad can evolve into something better – but for now, it's something that only absolute diehards will enjoy, and even then, that's not a guarantee.

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.

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.

Serious Sam is a series that has long alluded me and I’m starting to think it might have been for the better. Although this fourth iteration might feature some staggering, titanic battles and silk-smooth gunplay, its existence feels like a clear reminder that it’s often best to let the past stay dead. Serious Sam 4 is an excavation from a long-outdated era that is more Duke Nukem Forever than it is Doom.

Chocobo GP offers up some fantastic core racing mechanics that are otherwise held back by a lacklustre offering of content. Hampered by tedious progression systems and typical microtransaction practices, Chocobo GP barely makes it past the finish line to be the best kart racer it could be.

Kao the Kangaroo is an inoffensive and very occasionally charming platformer, but it's uninspired and incredibly rough around the edges. It might hold the attention of some younger gamers and old-school platforming fans but by that same token there are far better games out there for both crowds.

Windbound is a beautiful artistic accomplishment in terms of presentation, but fails to make good on its promise of bringing together an open-world single-player game and typical crafting-survival elements. Despite attempts to make it approachable for all, it is an ultimately frustrating affair that squanders its potential with the same rigid survival mechanics that we've seen in a lot of other games and that's a real shame.

Biomutant is a vibrant and beautiful looking game that unsuccessfully attempts to leverage so many different aspects of open-world games from the last decade. It buckles under the weight of its own ambition and is sorely lacking the focus needed to offer a stand-out open-world experience and carve out its own identity.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics falls into the trap of mimicking the greats of its genre without understanding what made them so great. While a passable strategy game at best, the only saving grace of Age of Resistance Tactics is the world it’s based on. And even that’s not as great as it could be.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a disappointment. Even as an avid fan of the franchise, the fun to be had here is limited. Misguided design, hamstrung presentation and painfully repetitive gameplay suck the fun out of what is, on paper, a promising game. I'd love to have had a meaty, cooperative survival game to play with friends, an escalating challenge that gradually expected more of me as a player, with a story more than just serviceable in moving from one mission to the next. This time, I'm only screaming in frustration.

AFL 23 is inconsistent in its attempts to emulate the most complicated sport on the planet. It jags six points by delivering arguably the best gameplay we’ve had, but doesn’t make the distance in serving up a complete, robust package.

Big Bash Boom offers an arcade take on T20 Cricket, but ultimately lacks the variety and content to keep users coming back. While its visuals and animations are the high point, an unsatisfying grind to progress through matches and unlock items makes it hard to recommend to anyone that isn’t a die hard cricket fan.

An uninspired mish-mash of poorly balanced systems that translates to an experience that feels like a chore.

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.

The Last of Us Part 1 on PC is, in its current state, an awful port of one of the best games of all time. It’s plagued with problems across all facets of gameplay and needs a lot of love to iron out the very clear issues. It’s hard to recommend to anyone right now.

With so much promise in the lead-up, Ghost Recon Breakpoint falls flat of reaching its goal in satisfying expectations. With a lot of things to do but no real reason to do it, the game puts up barriers such as strange loot systems, a subpar plot, an extreme solo difficulty and a requirement for online play. If you can convince your friends to get a copy and play with you, your experience may be better – but chances are you’ll find your time better spent elsewhere.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is an ambitious game whose conceptual vision is the very thing that bogs it down. There's a lot of unexplained expectations of the player, and, by the time those are worked out, it's easy to become bored or frustrated with it. Very likely, both. Combined with abundant technical problems, there isn't a lot to praise about Ancestors and even less to recommend.

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot is a brief taste of what a different take on Wolfenstein in VR could be. Unfortunately, it never really gets out of first gear and lasts what feels like a blip of time.

Fort Solis takes about an hour's worth of ideas and attempts to stretch them out to a four-hour walk through a lifeless Mars facility with little to offer outside of a top-notch presentation. With a distinct lack of thrills, this sci-fi thriller falls disappointingly flat.

The simple gameplay of Wrath of the Mutants can be enjoyable in the right mood, but don’t expect anything more than a bland and repetitive button masher.

I really wanted to love Sea of Thieves, I think it’s a fantastic concept that could truly grow into something special. But as I kept playing it, I was waiting for more to present itself to me. More to do. More to find. Unfortunately, after many long hours with the game, and some server issues (that have since been fixed) I’ve decided that I’ve had enough time with Sea of Thieves. In short, it’s not a game for everybody.

One of the year's biggest disappointments. Though there's a lot of the BioShock fingerprint evident here, this lineage isn't ever lived up to. The story, characters and the character of the world itself are positively to die for and exist as the game's few triumphs. It's a beautiful disaster of a game and was perhaps too ambitious for a developer so green as bugs, frustrating A.I. and a slipshod procedural generation robs We Happy Few of any chance it had to be great.