The Chant gets a bit predictable, in other words, both in terms of the story and the weirdness. For me the intelligent things it does didn't quite balance that out, which makes it, once again, a game that would work really well for Game Pass.

As I understood the story, it left me satisfied, but it also left me 100% ready to watch an hour-long video essay on what I missed. But poems can move you as textures of language, ideas, and images, even if you don’t fully grasp their meaning, and Signalis definitely got me right in the feels. If you’ve got any affection for PS1 survival horror, queer android love stories, cold war paranoia aesthetics, retrofuturism, or cosmic horror when people who aren’t Lovecraft do far more interesting stuff with it, Signalis is a must play. [RPS Bestest Bests]

There’s not much else to say about Frog Detective 3 without ruining the plot or stepping on punch lines to jokes. Here's what you need to know in short: it has the same earnest, good-natured fun with the same effortless comedy as the previous two games; it'll take you around an hour to complete (an hour and a half if you’re busy trying to do kick flips on your scooter); and finally, if you’ve played the first two then you’ll have a riot with this final episode. For those who haven't played 1 and 2, the complete trilogy is available to play over on Game Pass named Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery, and I highly reccomend you check them out before this one.

Saturnalia though? That's an experience you want to have. More and more I find myself skulking around the edges of the bell curve, looking for unusual things that provoke unusual feelings. Saturnalia is one. It's a pulse-raising, shiver-making, dark little whisper; a beautiful game. Sometimes tiny things go a little wrong in Saturnalia - dialogue triggering at slightly the wrong moment - but you'll hardly notice. It's a rare game that unsettles you enough to stop playing, but attracts you enough that you turn it back on almost immediately. A rare game that's so unapologetically specific, that doesn't seem to have diluted any part of itself. Rarest of all is a game that's truly unique, and makes you think "I haven't played anything like this before." [RPS Bestest Bests]

It might sound like I'm pretty down on MW2's multiplayer after all that, but trust me, I think it's a strong time! Aside from a couple of overcomplications, the game still excels at delivering an arcadey shootybang that's paced well, with a wealth of modes and weapons to satisfy all types of player. [Multiplayer Review]

Making entertainment media rooted in the recent past is never easy. The interactive nature of games makes that even trickier, and Paradox is no stranger to certain groups deciding that presenting historical reality is equal to endorsement. Victoria 3 succeeds at rendering a tumultuous chapter in world history with a straightforward grace that educates as much as it entertains, encouraging reflection and empathy in the process.

Listen, Gotham Knights has the tiniest shreds of goodness, perhaps tapping into the primal urge within all of us to make the numbers go up. I just don't want to play it again, which says it all for a game that's designed to worm into your brain and keep you coming back for more of its bazillion currencies.

Look, I know making almost any game is a labour of love, but I spent like a week being sad and not knowing why, until I finished this game and realised I was happy because I didn't have to play it every day after work anymore. All this does is prove that Gearbox cannot be trusted with their own IP anymore. The very existence of New Tales From The Borderlands is a more effective critique of corporate structure and the pitfalls of capitalism than any of the content of any Borderlands game. Apart from the best one. Just play Tales From The Borderlands.

Requiem is certainly a dazzling display of detail, colour, and considerate art direction but it never quite reaches the momentum of its predecessor even though the stakes are unequivocally higher. Huge set pieces and a wider selection of abilities make sneaking through soldier and rat-infested areas feel like a thrilling, if slightly repetitive challenge, but Requiem’s story fails to hold the same level of drama and spectacle.

Persona 5 – Royal or otherwise – is a beautiful thing. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if running your hands along the seam of a physical copy unveiled its inner workings like a watch's back being cracked open, with all its springs and ribbons ticking in unison. All the game's components mesh with one another to create a universe that just feels like it's meant to run alongside yours.

The world of Scorn is singular, and carefully constructed, and intelligent. The way you're left to explore - and the way you can get through it without any help whatsoever - is a 10/10 bit of game design. But the most upsetting parts are upsetting by accident rather than intention. I think as many people should play it as possible, but I can't say you'll enjoy it. I'm really glad it's coming to Game Pass.

The Case Of The Golden Idol has more of a John Watson vibe – a few steps behind their resident super sleuth, but always in the same ball park, and that's what counts here, I think. This is certainly the closest I've seen another game try and emulate Obra Dinn's grisly murder sketches, and the fact it does them so well, and with such a keen eye for detail and visual flourish, is a credit to Color Gray Games' two-strong dev team. Its gurning cast of ne'er-do-wells may not be quite as nuanced as their nautical rivals, but they'll definitely stick just as long in your little grey cells. And if you've been very close attention, you'll now be able to fill out these blanks right here: The _____ Of The _____ _____ is _____ and I _____ it to bits.

If you're burned out on Stardew Valley, or never even really got that fire going, Coral Island could be exactly the trash covered paradise you need. [Early Access Review]

Moonbreaker really does seem to capture the tabletop experience in digital form, making for bite-sized turn-based battles that are a lot of fun. It's just hard to recommend in its early access state, not because it's a buggy mess (far from it), but more in the sense of units and leaders and maps; it needs some booster packs of its own, I reckon. But once – and if – it gets a steady stream of stuff, I don't see why it can't evolve into a simple, yet surprisingly complex strategy battler. Fingers crossed eh. [Early Access Review]

So much damage has already been done to the game simply by calling it Overwatch 2. From the second of its announcement, Blizzard were at the mercy of players' expectations for a full-fledged sequel. And when they compare those two side-by-side screenshots and see virtually no difference, that's a major disappointment and perhaps a turn-off for many players. For a content update, Overwatch 2 does an absolutely phenomenal job. For a sequel, it feels pretty underwhelming. I wonder, would it have been better to use chapters like Fortnite did? Something between a content update and a sequel? [Review in Progress]

This looming dread, growing increasingly loom as the game goes on, is one of the most effective weapons in Hob's Barrows' arsenal of horror.

Over the past two years, Grounded has cemented itself as one of the best survival games around, with a gorgeous world that's teeming with life. That puts you in great danger, as the massive insects stomping around pose a rather substantial threat, but surviving their attacks and scavenging for materials is a fruitful endeavour. As you make your way through Grounded's biomes, swimming to the depths of the Koi Pond or escaping infected bugs in The Haze, you'll uncover new items that push you even further into this mystery and give survival a purpose. Even if you'd rather sit around and focus on making a cosy home, Grounded's reactive world means that it won't be long until the creepiest crawlies come knocking. It really does feel like you're just surviving in their world, and doing so is a constantly rewarding experience that I adore.

Serial Cleaners has a relatively quick runtime, made up of a few chapters that conclude things before it outstays its welcome. While an array of cleaners and strong level design can't quite turn the game into a devour-in-one-sitting affair, it's still a burst of stressful fun and an anecdote generator if you're either a chaotic cleaner or more methodical with the hoover.

Some will no doubt chafe against the fact there's not more to do here, but for me Dome Keeper is fast becoming my new Dorfromantik - which is ironic considering its original Ludum Dare prototype was formerly known as Dome Romantik. Ultimately, it's a chill, calming survival game with just the right frisson of tension to keep things interesting between waves, and navigating its myriad upgrade options against the increasing escalation of its beautifully paced danger levels is always a thrilling treat. It's the type of game I can see myself booting up to unwind with at the end of the day, especially when it plays so well on the Steam Deck, too. It's really sunk its claws into me over the last few weeks, and just like its morass of creepy shadow monsters, has smashed its way right into my heart and completely disarmed me. It's a real keeper, all right.

Wayward Strand knows not to outstay its welcome, and I came away feeling completely refreshed. Spending a couple of hours navigating the hallways, patient rooms, and airship innards in real-time is a fun mechanism and one that goes hand in hand with the game's wider themes about the passage of time, being young, and growing old. Assembling a story through details found in conversations and overheard snippets of dialogue are great storytelling devices, and although you could play it once and be satisfied, I recommend several playthroughs to really discover everything it has to offer. After my handful of playthroughs, it honestly felt like I had pieced together a larger whole, and I truly felt like I finally understood the beating heart at the centre of this clockwork machine.

Look past the slightly dubious plot and there's much to enjoy about The DioField Chronicle's combat, but when it's a full-priced game I cannot in good conscience say it's 'worth a punt' when half of it leaves such a sour aftertaste. You'll stop caring about this band of mercs long before they do anything to try and redeem themselves, and there simply are better RPGs and better strategy games out there to sink your teeth into instead. It's a shame, especially when its free first chapter demo looked so promising just a couple of months ago, but alas, the central cast just absolutely lost me halfway through. It may not be the greatest plot twist you've ever seen, but at least you'll be on the right side of history this time.

Beacon Pines may well be a trope-filled choose-your-own-adventure that keeps its fingers stuck between the pages for you, but its a testament to how well it delivers on its story, art and music that I enjoyed every minute of it anyway - and that I miss its characters now that it's over.

Like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Devil Daggers and Hyper Demon might look the same at a glance but the differences are enough to make it an exciting new experience.

It's not that Return To Monkey Island gets too serious, as much as it is gently self-aware in ways that it wasn't before. It's clear from the start that the ending, which I won't spoil, is going to be a bit metatextual in a way that tiny babies will get cross about - but I thought it was perfect. It's about growing and changing, and what the important bits of the stories we love actually are. I do think it's one of the best point and click games to give someone in the year of 2022 to prove that point and click games are good. But I'm also self-aware enough myself to know I wouldn't have loved Return To Monkey Island quite as much if I didn't have a history with the series. But I do. So I did. Yo ho ho, and a bottle of fun. [RPS Bestest Bests]

For terrible husk-people with no love in their heart, it’s a little harder to be forgiving of Disney Dreamlight Valley in its current state. Glitches are to be expected in early access, but quest-ending bugs and repetitive grinding put this life simulator on unsteady footing out of the gate. You’d have hoped Disney has deep enough pockets to spring for more voice-acting and properly animated cutscenes too, and the extortionate price of some of Scrooge McDuck’s items should give parents an early sense of unease. The game will be free-to-play when it launches in 2023, and the game’s monetisation mechanics aren’t yet implemented. [Early Access Review]

It's just a brilliant meld of strategic card battling, smart puzzles and warm, characterful storytelling. Not only is Foretales constantly adding new riffs and wrinkles to its own cause and effect formula through its growing cast of fuzzballs, but its well-conceived story missions keep you on your toes throughout - as all good card games should. Yes, there are moments when its choose-your-own-adventure foundations can sometimes get the better of you, but for the most part Alkemi have conjured something truly wonderful here. If you're looking for a narrative deckbuilder to scratch that Hand Of Fate itch, this is one card game that's definitely earned its seat at the table.

If you love Doom and you're the kind of Guitar Hero player who wants to 100% Through The Fire And Flames, then I think Metal: Hellsinger might have you obsessed. For me - who only played Guitar Hero on Normal mode at parties, and whose only understanding of heavy metal comes from Wayne's World - it remained an excellent five hours. Party on.

It's just a shame these puzzles face such frequent interruptions from its wearying, drawn out combat system, as I reckon Sunday Gold would be so much more likable if it was just a straight-up point and click adventure. By forcing it through the tactical turn-based grinder, though, its glistening highs just get repeatedly mulched and ground down over time, turning this 12 hour game (or 15, if you count the three hour boss battle tacked on the end of it) into a dull slog.