While it feels like Game Freak have been trying to find their footing with Pokémon over the last few years, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a confident showing by ILCA that proves the series is far from dead. The classic formula is unchanged here, and still holds up, which will no doubt please long-time fans and newcomers alike. Smart new additions that feel like natural additions to the base game, coupled with a visual overhaul that captures the feel of the originals make for an experience that’s as nostalgic and comforting, as it is fresh and reinvigorating for the franchise.

As an approachable, bite-sized introduction to the world of speedrunning through the lens of some bonafide classics, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is a decent enough package. It lacks a little added flavour, but the way it gently teaches you to find those perfect lines, hidden quirks and cheesy hacks makes for some very rewarding moments, and it doubles as a surprisingly good party game.

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.

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.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is a solid beat-em-up that tops its predecessors, bringing all the colourful known and unknown facets of the Marvel universe together with gusto. But despite it’s strong art direction, potent replayability and often enjoyable combat, it still comes off as feeling rather basic.

Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn is a great way to come back to the excellent 2021 RPG, giving fans the chance to revisit familiar places and faces while also taking a good look at a side of the classic world-saving hero story we don't alway see. It treads a lot of familiar ground, and it's somewhat awkwardly implemented, but it's well worth seeking out for franchise fans and anyone that enjoyed the main game.

The Crush House is a clever and entertaining spin on reality television - one that has its tongue firmly in cheek, but which also speaks to deeper themes in the metanarrative I'm working hard not to spoil here. It's repetitive and a little unfair at times, but also compelling and enjoyable - and there's a real thrill to getting good footage.

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.

While its value proposition is questionable, and its slew of modes are of varying quality, Sonic Superstars delivers a true sequel to the original games where Sonic the Hedgehog 4 failed to. The all-important physics are spot on, each Zone is a thrill to blast through, and inventive new ideas iterate on a tried and true formula.

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.

While it feels like Game Freak have been trying to find their footing with Pokémon over the last few years, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a confident showing by ILCA that proves the series is far from dead. The classic formula is unchanged here, and still holds up, which will no doubt please long-time fans and newcomers alike. Smart new additions that feel like natural additions to the base game, coupled with a visual overhaul that captures the feel of the originals make for an experience that’s as nostalgic and comforting, as it is fresh and reinvigorating for the franchise.

I’ll admit that it’s been quite some time between drinks for me with platform fighting games like this, but Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a fairly good mix of nostalgia, new ideas and inoffensive fun. While it may not reach the sky-high standard of something like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate it gives 90s kids like me another way to beat up our friends while reminiscing about the good old days of racing home to watch your favourite cartoons and arguing about which of them could take the others.

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.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a fun time that is easy enough for anybody to pickup and play but still without depth to mean it should keep an audience engaged for a long period of time. It's a little lacking in the single player department, but it's doing some interesting things in the online space to make up for it.

No Straight Roads has a laundry list of inspirations and it proudly pays homage to them all in one way or another throughout the journey. Though a few of the game’s ideas end up feeling underdeveloped, the game has a lot of heart, a slapping soundtrack and the best boss encounters you’ll see in a videogame this year. Just like Bunk Bed Junction in Vinyl City, I expect Metronomik to chart well within the indie scene.

Evil West is a relic of a bygone era, one that any fan of high-octane action games should experience. An all-round excellently paced main campaign, ridiculously fun combat, and flexible character progression make for one of 2022's best games, and one of the best third-person shooters in recent years.

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.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is far and away the best Dark Pictures game so far. It blends intriguing characters, compelling drama, and a killer twist to offer up what can only be described as the most honed experience Supermassive has put out in this series so far. It's got a few minor issues here and there – namely relating to the diversity of its cast and how much each of them plays into the overall story – but it's a horror experience that no fan should miss even if they weren't fans of Man of Medan or Little Hope.

Persona 3 Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight are fantastic ways to explore their respective soundtracks from a new perspective. However, they lack the glue that a story mode brought to the previous game in the series that could have made it feel like a cohesive whole rather than a broad but disparate list of songs and customisations.

Dragon Quest Treasures is a simple yet wholesome and endearing Dragon Quest experience that stands out among the crowd. It might not retain some of the luster and sheen from mainline entries, but an addictive gameplay loop and enticing exploration makes for an adventure worth undertaking.

Monster Energy Supercross 2 is a fun supercross experience which touches on some great career options. The game will always leave you wanting just one more race, which is a great sign of an arcade motorcross game.

With a team based approach to racing Team Sonic Racing is a very unique addition to the Sonic franchise, solidly executed across the board. It especially excels in larger multiplayer groups.

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.

Were it structured like a Dark Pictures game of old, Directive 8020, through its derivative but fun riff on 'The Thing', would be seen as something of a return to form. Sadly, their attempt to evolve the product has resulted in a poorly paced gameplay experience that, by the end of its run, is little more than a sadly stagnant monster closet.

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.

While maybe not essential if you've already seen everything there is to see in the game, The Spacer's Choice Edition of The Outer Worlds is a worthy upgrade for players jumping in for the first time or wanting to explore new choices and outcomes in a second or third playthrough. It's a bit of a shaky upgrade in parts, but the overall package is decent value and the core game is still bloody excellent.

Nintendo Switch Sports feels familiar, yet still remains fun after all these years, especially when played with groups of friends. Whilst the offline offering is a little bit basic, we're hopeful that what's on offer online will take advantage of the easy to play, hard to masters gameplay mechanics. [Review in Progress]

Exoprimal earnestly attempts to bring together engaging single-player style encounters that Capcom is known for with an unexpectedly solid multiplayer offering reminiscent of games like Lost Planet. It’s a joy to play and a great melding of PvP and PvE elements. While it’s a shame that what it has to offer is dealt to players so opaquely, Exoprimal is a pleasant surprise that’s well worth a look and not to be underestimated.