Gothic 1 Remake is a faithful retelling of the original Gothic, warts and all. Perhaps too ambitious for its budget, it offers even hardened gamers a truly unique, hardcore roleplaying experience. While weighed down by a litany of bugs and issues, there is a lovingly made product underneath – but it’s hard to recommend in its current state.

007 First Light is more or less exactly what I was hoping for. The characterisation of this young Bond and his associates is really strong, and the globetrotting story lets you explore some great locations. It really shines in its sandbox missions, but it weaves these together with its more linear moments in a seamless, cinematic way. Beyond some technical quibbles and uncertainty on the driving, IOI's new vision for James Bond makes a very accomplished start.

Mina the Hollower is a good game for people who love the idea of mixing Zelda with Dark Souls. Unfortunately, if you don't fully love what that entails, I don't think it will win you over as much as others. For some, they will find the combat challenging in a good way, with a world you can get lost in. Others will see a series of roadblocks thrown in the player's face as they try to navigate those problems. Regardless of if you think the sum of its parts makes a masterpiece or not, Mina the Hollower was clearly crafted with a lot of passion and care.

Luna Abyss is a AA shooter that holds its own against some of the elite of the genre. Its enticing and ominous sci-fi world is a delight to look at artistically, even if its muddy graphics let it down on closer inspection. Its story is fine, but a slick sense of progression keeps its action and platforming interesting from start to finish.

In some ways, Bubsy 4D is the best the series has ever been; the bobcat's wide range of abilities affords him a huge amount of freedom to move through levels with style. However, a fairly narrow focus on movement means other aspects suffer; enemies may as well not be there, and stages are static and sparsely furnished. The result is a good 3D platforming character stuck in a pretty bland 3D platformer.

A referential and joyful deep dive into the world of Batman, the latest LEGO effort from TT Games is elite brick gaming. Legacy of the Dark Knight just wants to be an enjoyable time, and it refuses to falter from that commitment. This new LEGO Batman will be some of the best fun you have all year.

Directive 8020 had some serious potential, but it fails to conjure up anything of any real substance. There are little sparks of enjoyment in there, and I liked the Cassiopeia’s gradual descent into a gloopy, fleshy hell. But a dull setting, uninteresting characters, and overly simplistic gameplay segments left me fairly uninterested in seeing how else I could play out this branching narrative experience.

Through utterly superb set-pieces, gorgeous visual design, and an impactful soundtrack, Mixtape crafts one of the most meaningful story games in a long time. It’s beautiful to look at, a joy to listen to, and so enjoyable to play — altogether, Mixtape is a sensational achievement.

If you like urban open worlds with life sim elements, then it’s impossible not to recommend NTE right now. This game has one of the most beautiful, vibrant sandbox settings I’ve seen in some time – and despite some irksome characters, I’m generally enjoying its plot so far, which blends slice of life mangas with sci-fi horror. The gacha business model is understandably not going to resonate with everyone, but at launch this is one of the more generous games in the genre thus far. And the sheer number of things to do day one, from managing coffee shops to beating down possessed DJ decks in DDR-style rhythm battles, is simply unprecedented.

Monster Crown: Sin Eater's lack of direction and often demanding difficulty won't be for everyone. But if you can embrace the grind, there are some deeply addictive RPG systems at work here, backed by a shockingly mature and engaging story.

By and large, Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes succeeds in adapting the series for headsets, though it’s disheartening that it repeats mistakes from past titles. But, if you already like Little Nightmares, you’ll absolutely enjoy the two hours you spend with this.

An undeniably gnarly brawler that really moves despite its 3v3 format, Invincible VS should appeal to both fighting game fans and comic book OGs. The story mode is slickly animated but almost insultingly short, and there’s not a lot to appeal to single players beyond that. But the rollback netcode seems sturdy and the combat system mixes accessibility with depth, resulting in a system that should have legs long beyond its initial novelty.

Saros is a brilliant third-person shooter that takes what worked in Returnal and streamlines it for an even smoother game without diluting the fun. The core gameplay is the star attraction; complex yet intuitive, and a perfectly judged challenge that's so satisfying to overcome. With compelling permanent progression, flexible ways to modify your experience, and an intriguing story to follow, this is another step towards Housemarque's planetary takeover.

There's so much to like in Vampire Crawlers; it's fast-paced, tactical, and super satisfying. We heartily recommend it, but beware its terribly addictive nature.

But all in all, this game made us smile. If you have any fondness at all for early era Castlevania, then you should definitely give it a try.

MOUSE: P.I. for Hire offers incredible art and animation, as well as enjoyable first-person shootouts. For that, it certainly succeeds — just don't expect it to do much of anything else.

We expect great things from Supergiant Games, and with Hades 2, the developer has proved its mastery of the roguelike genre. Addictive, rewarding, stylish, and extremely compelling, you cannot call yourself a true roguelike fan without experiencing Melinoë's immortal journey.

Pragmata knows its strengths and leans into those hard, and the result is a cracking action game that just feels brilliant to play. One could argue it could do with a little more variety throughout its campaign, but the game's unique hack-and-shoot combat is so fun and so satisfying to pull off that you won't mind doing it over and over again. A refreshingly straightforward structure and charming dual leads round things out, but it's the inventive and tactile action where it truly sings.

Starfield is bigger and better than ever on PS5, but it still crashes against the roadblocks of old. A complete lack of exploration leaves the RPG in an awkward place where it can feel like an objective ticking exercise with little to distract you. Its faction questlines are the highlight, and the improved combat systems and new gameplay capabilities make the experience worthwhile. However, two and a half years later, there is considerably more Starfield. Only some of it makes it better.

I know there have been other musical RPGs before, but People of Note still feels largely unique. I love how heavily it leans into its theme, and while I don’t expect the YA vibes to resonate with everyone, I personally found myself invested in the release’s cast and its brisk storyline. I think the battle system could have been further refined to feel more impactful and I would have liked to see it evolve faster. Furthermore, I’m not sure all of the environmental puzzles are as fun as the developer intended – although they can be disabled if you’re not feeling them at all.

Life is Strange: Reunion could have been a full Double Exposure sequel, and it could have been a full Max and Chloe entry. Instead, both narratives are squeezed into a bloated finale with dull pacing and a lacklustre resolution. There are sparks of brilliance in there and fantastic chemistry between its two leads, but it's never given the love and care to blossom into something beautiful.

Marvel MaXimum Collection is worth the price of entry for X-Men: The Arcade Game alone, but there’s a lot to love about this bundle. While not every game included is an all-timer, there’s a good enough mix here to make this a compelling collection of superhero brawlers, and the quality-of-life inclusions are excellent overall.

We can't fully recommend Crimson Desert in its current state on PS5. Far too many technical issues — of varying shapes and sizes — hold the experience back. But given time, and despite its obvious narrative shortcomings, Pearl Abyss' fantasy outing has the potential to be something truly special. As an open world adventure, it can be utterly engrossing; a smorgasbord of systems and mechanics that somehow — against all odds — form an intoxicating whole. For better or worse, there's simply nothing like Crimson Desert.

Marathon doesn’t have that instant fun factor and casual appeal that an extraction shooter like ARC Raiders does. And for a lot of people, that likely means it isn’t the game for them. But Marathon is a game that gives more to you the more you give to it. With impeccable Bungie gunplay, a gorgeous world and artstyle, and a gameplay loop much denser than its competition, we think Marathon is something special. The more we play, the more we love it.

Although some parts haven’t aged as well, most noticeably regarding its gameplay, the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is worth checking out if you enjoyed Battle Network or are looking for a new RPG series to dive into.

While the presentation is mixed and the game does ultimately run out of ideas, we actually do recommend this to beat-’em-up fans. There’s more depth to the combat than we anticipated, and there’s an air of weirdness to the whole endeavour that helps it to stand out.

The overall technical execution leaves a lot to be desired. This is an indie title, so certain dispensations can be made. However, a wildly inconsistent frame rate, constant texture pop-in, and a truly bizarre facial animation system test the patience more than most low budget releases.

Screamer is a bold and exciting arcade racing game that stands out from the pack. It takes some big swings, and most of them have worked out, save for a story that maybe outstays its welcome. The racing itself is unique and challenging, and once you have a handle on all its systems, it's very rewarding to master. With its stylish presentation on top, this is one racer very much in its own lane.