It’s not perfect, but it’s still pretty fun. With single- and multiplayer offerings and a wealth of nostalgia, it’s hard to do wrong with Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.

This game is well and truly for the purists, because being anything less will be a struggle.

Unknown 9 Awakening is a competent title with some outdated and flawed designs, but with a larger universe and lore that is undeniably compelling. It’s well worth dealing with the rough edges if that idea excites you (especially at its reduced price tag!).

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is weird, expansive and tricky. I just know die-hard fans are going to love that combination, but I’m not sure about anyone else. While its party games are pretty good, there are other compilations out there with a better assortment… and online play, and the capacity more than 4 players. Countering all my complaints, Banana Mania is competitively priced, so might warrant a look if you’re familiar with how the franchise plays. How’s that for a backhanded endorsement?

Zombie Army 4 is indeed better with friends. While the early levels really lack enough zombies to get into the groove of things, once you’ve reached the climax of the third episode most of those problems fade away. Zombies do remain a bit underwhelming however, with only the elites presenting a real threat most of the time. Overall, Zombie Army 4 does more right than it does wrong, and while your mileage will definitely vary, I certainly had fun while romping through a zombified Europe.

As a multiplayer mode, Ghost War is fun enough — I got destroyed in my first 4v4 games before realising I had to play like the realistic military shooter I was expecting in campaign. Once you get your head around things, you’ll enjoy working as a team to best your opponents. But whether or not I’d choose Ghost War over, say, the Crucible? Hands-down, I’m out. Sorry, Breakpoint.

Twin Mirror is DONTNOD's most experimental work in a long time, though it also pales in comparison to previous outings.

I couldn’t help but feel children would be in the opposite camp, challenged by the colouring-in work they’d be presented but bewildered by phrases thrown around in a real world art school.

With a new open world focused on exploration, a revised combat structure and a greater emphasis on plot, The Origami King firmly establishes Paper Mario foremost as an action-adventure game, drastically slowed down by the pacing of turn-based combat.

In (very) short: like the initial entry in Assassin's Creed, the franchise it unashamedly copies, Ghost of Tsushima is good but not great. I finished it to complete it, not because I was invested in the mixed bag that was presented.

Despite a lacklustre remaster (I’m looking at you, textures), returning fans will feel right at home in Paradise City with Burnout Paradise Remastered. Though newcomers to the franchise may be a little disappointed at first because of its last-gen mentality, there’s still a lot to enjoy with this neat little package.

Mega Man 11 certainly isn’t for everyone. It constantly teeters on the edge of being too hard to be fun which poses the risk of new players giving up on it too quickly.

Super Lucky’s Tale is by no means bad — it’s simply good; fun, but easily forgettable. If it was released at a different time than Odyssey, it may have made more of an impression, but alas, here we are.

Priced at $80 AUD, you know what you're getting into with Super Mario Party Jamboree. If you need to freshen up your party game experience, this one should be a good fit.

Infinite Warfare is a strong return for Infinity Ward on the campaign front, and a lacklustre event in multiplayer. Zombies in Spaceland is the themepark experience you never knew you always wanted, with the right crowd. Together, it’s a fun but safe three pillar entry in the Call of Duty series; then there’s the fourth pillar, for a price. Modern Warfare holds up extremely well for a nearly decade old game. Its campaign is still fantastic, and its masterful, yet dated, multiplayer is a blast; it’s clunky and at times deeply frustrating, but it’s pure Call of Duty.

So that’s why we went back to 1-2-Switch. Super Mario Party has far more mini-games – and ones of higher quality, too – but it’s too time-consuming and tedious to get into them.

The variety of each of Wonderlands‘ six classes, combined with a deficit in mission variety, means you’ll have a much better experience with friends. While its style of humour and emphasis on mountains and mountains of loot doesn't connect with me, I can see why it would appeal to those who enjoy Borderlands' comedic stylings, charm and systems.

Character development is pushed to new nights with the use of the Tales series optional skits.

Death Stranding 2 On the Beach is a brilliant game which I largely do not care for. I think it’s inoculated me from the impulse to ever play a new open-world action game again, and I weirdly appreciate it for that. But also Chvrches ordered me to bring them a kangaroo at one point, and that was entirely delightful.

For newcomers to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, this is the place to start — and with the Master Assassin, no less. For others, it’s probably one to miss, unless you really, really want to get back into the thick of things.

Casey Powell Lacrosse 18 is a solid sports title that newcomers will find engaging and enjoyable. Die-hard lacrosse fans will frankly gobble this up.

Due to its niche nature, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown won’t be for everyone. You’d really need to love this style of game to get the full benefit of it.

Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom knows exactly what it is. It has perfected the most important elements, seemingly at the cost of other systems. The story closely follows the anime series and adds a little extra, so if you’re a fan you’ll be happy with the accurate retelling. If you’ve never watched the series, this could be a good way to dive into the franchise.

Darksiders 2 Deathinitive Edition isn’t for those who’ve played the original release, but its a great way for those who missed out to get on board before Nordic Games makes some original content.

Yet despite its issues, I’m still playing ReCore. Its narrative, while no great work of prose, is intriguing enough to draw me through. Combat is varied enough to keep me coming back — even when I’m forced to replay the same encounter on occasion due to gang-up attacks. The ability to craft upgrades and collect loot throughout the world scratches that Metroid-style itch that Nintendo itself refuses to do anything about

Shadow of War is Shadow of Mordor 2.0. If you liked the first, you’ll like the second – though hopefully you’ll be provided with a day one patch to smooth off rough edges. Though that’s highly unlikely.

Set your expectations accordingly and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will likely provide some fun and frivolity as you eagerly await the real thing next year.

Hitman 3 is a fun game — and I enjoyed plotting my way through it — but my hopes of refinement and iteration weren’t met. At its core, the gameplay is still the same as it’s always been. The series hasn’t managed to keep up with the times with the only attempt to shift the gameplay formula up somewhat, Hitman: Absolution, being very poorly received.

The removal of the timer from as compared to past games might not bode well with fans of the series, but it allows others a sense of freedom to move within the game at their own accord. That all said, there just isn’t enough to keep you engaged apart from the main storyline; killing zombies with crazy theatrical weapons is fun, but after a while it just becomes too much of a grind.

For all the hype that’s been extended to Horizon: Zero Dawn, it hasn’t managed to fully deliver. That’s a bit fitting — while we didn’t have access to its day one patch, confirmed by Eschler to enhance the PS4 Pro experience, I really didn’t notice an increased framerate or up-then-downrezzed textures on my 1080p television. Truly, there’s a lot of promise and potential in Guerrilla’s latest work, but ideas and intentions haven’t come together in a way that’s jaw-dropping.

A bargain price benefits Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD; while it's better without motion controls and a majority of uninspired mini-games, there's not a terrible amount to do in the end.

Need for Speed Heat is ultimately enjoyable, an experience that can provide some high highs alongside some fairly low lows. Those looking for a new racing experience will certainly enjoy it, once mastering its quirks.

Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World is cute, but not worth revisiting if you’ve played it on Wii U. With a cutesy aesthetic and new, even easier ways to SuperGuide proceedings, this one’s best for children.

Despite all my problems with Infinite, it's a game made by a single developer (for the most part) that was amazing looking enough that Xbox wanted to tie it to its then next-gen, now current-gen console.

Fe is simple yet complex, stylised and engaging. A six-hour affair, it’s perfect for those who found delight in Journey and, to a lesser degree, Ori and the Blind Forest. For others, it might be too much style over substance.

It’s the best of Mario Tennis and Wii Sports motion tennis rolled into one game, but in distinct and very seperate modes, it just lacks one thing: being able to play a proper set of tennis.

The game itself remains unchanged and while an excellent game in it’s day, COD: MWR often shows its true age with animations looking just a little clunky by today’s standards and a few small missteps that were present in the original which could have, and should have been amended in this new and improved version.

It’s sometimes a little rough around the edges, but there are some amazing selling points when it comes to Evil Dead. It has the look, feel and sound of proceedings down pat, even down to the movement of the evil presence as it stalks Ash and his friends in the cold, dark woods...Priced at $60 AUD, it’s a little too underdeveloped to recommend as a single-player game, but Evil Dead fans who don’t mind online play will find themselves dropping hours and hours into this. Those who enjoy 4v1 games will certainly enjoy this as well.

The basketball gameplay in NBA 2K19 is brilliant, and it has been for the last decade that I’ve been reviewing this series. But the way VC is used in the game needs to be re-evaluated, as it has become ridiculous and is blatantly pay-to-win. This greedy freemium model within an already fully priced game needs to disappear.

Is Matchmaker life-changing? No. Is it action-packed and as gripping as Breath of the Wild? Certainly not. It is, however, a fun little time-waster, full of memory puzzles, personality assessment and inclusiveness.

It’s hard to deny that Knack 2 looks beautiful and demonstrates that lessons have been learned since the debut of the PS4, but you’ll walk away from a game session feeling that nothing was memorable. Despite its shine, Knack 2 is bland — a well-polished bit of blandness, mind you — but one you could easily skip over.

Unfortunately, the closer these games get to quality, the more those little issues stand out, and off the pitch this is still an unsatisfactory package lacking modes, licences and polish. If graphics, the English or South African rugby union team, or long term commitment are important to you, Rugby 22 isn’t going to deliver. If you’ve been hanging out since the PS2 era to just have some fun with a rugby union game, you might just find it in Rugby 22.

I’ll be honest: the single corridor thing keeps up for most of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. A ridiculous roster makes this one for Marvel fans; each hero and villain gets their moment in the spotlight as the overarching story plays out.

A Way Out mightn’t be all I wanted it to be, but it is competent and different. That’s enough to recommend you try it — Hazelight’s latest might not be perfect, but it represents a genre and new mechanics I’d be keen to try again.

Tekken 8 will surely impress fans but I struggled to connect with it like I have Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6. There's no denying it's a feast for the senses and is full of stuff to do... but if you're like me and haven't found Tekken memorable despite playing it across many years and many platforms, that's unlikely to change here.

Both Breach and Arcade improve the overall package, the new fighters will be appreciated by the dedicated community and it’s great to see a visual improvement 18 months post-launch. However, this is a strange situation where the Marching Fire content is great, but I can’t recommend buying the $45 expansion.

The game is very playable from a first person perspective but VR is by no means essential.

Ridiculously long, unskippable introductions will hamper your enjoyment.

Once jumping into arcade mode, I realised I should really have focused on its ladders because they have more of an actual story — or at least, an ending — and showcase the brutality that Invincible is known for. There, and in its other modes, you’ll see heads explode thanks to some truly graphic overkills, or entire bodies atomised in others...It’s here, though, that you’ll begin to notice the repetition — it’s either one or the other, heads or entire bodies. That same feeling of sameishness reverberates through VS‘ roster, which features 18 characters but only three or four real archetypes. It’s admittedly difficult to build a bunch of diverse styles around so many Viltrumites.

The biggest single-player draw card is Adventure, the game’s story mode, and one we’ve specifically been told not to spoil.

As Dusk Falls is the non-game narrative adventure for your non-gaming family and housemates. It’s the most engaged I’ve ever seen my lapsed casual gamer partner in a videogame and that’s because it has the familiar story pacing of a six-part TV series and almost no gameplay, which means minimal barrier to entry.

It’s a good game with equal parts brilliance and head-scratching stupidity, though definitely fun to muck around in.

Eventually, and with a lot of googling, I found my groove and started to enjoy what Resurrected has to offer. Just make sure you go in prepared for the clunkiness.

Calling All Units is a neat expansion to add to The Crew, but unless you’ve got a sufficient in-game credits you’ll either need to buy crew points with actual money or grind through events to afford the vehicles you’ll need to complete the additional missions.

That’s not to say normal levels aren’t good, they’re just rather bland. They’re safe, much like the game itself. Yoshi’s Crafted World is not going to win any awards, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. Things are easy for far too long before ramping up near the end; I wish that challenge was present throughout more of the levels. If you’re after a cute time rather than a genre-defining one, this’ll work just fine.

While Rogue is polished and tells a different story than one you'd normally encounter in the Assassin's Creed franchise, time hasn't done the title any favours.

The bundled games are undeniably great, their enhancements solid -- but nonetheless, these are old titles pulled off the shelf and given a fresh coat of varnish, and at an additional cost to those who've already purchased them at that.

Controlling your player is frankly difficult, and I can see people dropping off because they don’t enjoy the experience. Thankfully, that’s where some of Drag x Drive‘s mini-games come into play as they not only break up games, but try to encourage refining your ability to control your player.

Hitman seems to be having more and more issues with each passing episode — at least on PC — which is a shame considering how much potential it had. Here’s hoping that with three episodes still remaining, Hitman finds its feet again and slays its way into our hearts.

Iron Man VR… offers up some neat refinements on PlayStation VR at the same time it makes some grave mistakes.

Atlas Fallen‘s core is solid — though combat still needs some work — but it seems a bit sparse. Much like the original Assassin’s Creed far before it, I hope Deck13 builds upon what they’ve started to create a far more enjoyable experience in a sequel. While we wait, though, there’s more than enough here to warrant a try.

Little Nightmares 2 is certainly polished and beautifully stylised, but it didn’t offer me a new experience. While many on-screen antagonists snared me in their traps, it itself didn’t grab me.

Ultimately, Ninja Gaiden 4 is fun, but not memorable -- something that extends into its general narrative. You're not there for witty banter though, nor for its plot twists and turns -- but instead to decapitate enemies as a bad-ass ninja. In that sense, Ninja Gaiden 4 does exactly what it says on the tin.

I’m a die-hard fan of the game and have loved jumping back in to Resident Evil 4. I have a feeling others who feel the same about the franchise will as well, as will Achievement and Trophy addicts, enticed over reasonable simple lists. For everyone else, it’s a harder sell at $24.95 AUD — while greatly improved over last-gen’s release, it’s still the same game on yet another platform.

The concept of your character levelling down rather than up is a clever and original idea and it changes how a player needs to think about their progression (or should I say degression). Ideas like this that sit just a little outside of the box solidify the importance of independent developers in the industry — so do yourself a favour and pick it up if you’re open to a challenge.

Despite its strong narrative focus, Bloodline is a sequel to Pearce’s Watch Dogs but a prequel to the events of Watch Dogs Legion; as such, we (at least partially) know what will happen next. I’m glad we had a chance to dip into Pearce’s journey again, but I’m hoping that any subsequent dealings with the character will be fully forward in time. If you’re a fan of Watch Dogs Legion — and Watch Dogs in general — the price of admission is certainly worth it.

It’s immersive, compelling, yet is extremely respectful of your time. It can be a big exercise in survival, in shooting, or exploration — or any combination therein. I hope to see more of this from Rebellion.

People come to the franchise for combat and, despite its flaws, that's precisely what Devil May Cry 5 excels at. I personally still prefer Ninja Theory's take on proceedings and hope we'll see a continuation of that world next; I definitely appreciate new ideas and takes on this well established franchise.

Mortal Kombat 11 is a great fighter tarnished by Warner Bros.’ willingness to test the limits of customer satisfaction using nickle-and-dime tactics. It’s truly an embarrassment for the franchise and one I hope is truly corrected soon. Come for the fighting, be dismayed about all the cosmetic stuff.

Mario Golf Super Rush remains easy to pick up and play, but it’s lacking the final coat of polish we expect from Nintendo games, and is light on content for a full priced Switch game. It’s a Mario sport game that can be picked up and played by a wide audience, but has positioned itself to only really appeal to dedicated fans of Mario Golf.

The season ends with a cliffhanger of sorts – of course – which sets it up for Season Two; still, I’m still left wondering what exactly is happening. Perhaps played all at once, Hitman‘s story would make sense, but this episodic system has done nothing for it.

There’s a big sense here that Skylanders played it a bit safe.

Despite its flaws, there are some interesting concepts, some clever boss and district design and an ultimate message of equality that’s been presented within; should we get a sequel, I hope more time is spent on a narrative and connective tissue that does the entire package justice.

I was posed the question before I began – “could WRC dethrone DiRT this year?” WRC 8 certainly boasts engaging, fun and challenging gameplay. The vehicles handle with a sense of realism, they sound fantastic and the variety in locations and stages is second-to-none. Sure there’s still some work to go from a graphical perspective, but it’s not something that would impact replayability if you’re a rally/racing fan. So is the answer to the question a ‘yes’? Not entirely.

Jurassic World: Evolution is a decent movie tie-in with amazing potential; if Frontier can equip players with the knowledge they need to tackle its increasingly difficult island chain, this one will have some legs.

As much fun as I had with this expansion, I do have to admit that I feel a little let down. If this were explicitly leading into another DLC story I’d be excited, but as things are I feel more like I’ve taken a running start into a brick wall with a very cool door painted on it. I can see this as a fun experience to play as part of an overall Assassin’s Creed Valhalla experience, if you were stepping into the game and all its DLC for the first time – but as something that brought me back to the game seven months after finishing The Siege of Paris, it feels like more of a promising snack than a satisfying main meal.

Despite some teething problems, The Chant is certainly worth a playthrough for those who appreciate the survival horror genre. More importantly, this debut title has me excited for what’s next from Brass Token.

The early pace of Hue was leading me to disappointment, but the stellar second act was more than enough reward for that labour. Hue delivers a polished package and a strong platform puzzle game, it isn’t a Braid or Limbo but merely evoking those names can be taken as a sign of quality that Hue most certainly possesses.

Despite dated mechanics, Sniper Elite V2 looks gorgeous – I preferred 60 frames per second over 4K resolution – and is a must for the collection of fans of the franchise. If you don’t count yourself in that camp but are looking for a unique and challenging shooter, I’d suggest heading over to Sniper Elite 4 first.

Despite some of the technical issues and difficulty scaling, The Surge 2 is a fun game that should satisfy those looking for a souls-like experience. The combat is rewarding, and the directional blocking system is definitely something I would love to see implemented into other action games. The Surge 2 shouldn’t be seen as a Dark Souls clone; instead, it’s a great game standing on its own feet that has done some exciting things to expand the genre.

I had a lot of fun playing through this game again, even after giving it a shot back in its Wii days. The ability to pick it up and put it down for short bursts was a perfect fit for the game, and helped keep my blood pressure under control for some of the endgame levels that really got me boiling over. Frustrated as I get at my own stupid thumbs for not keeping up, I could never snap my 3DS shut for more than a few minutes before giving it ‘just one more shot’. Give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised (and angry).

While fun from moment to moment, Code Vein 2 has a cookie-cutter plot, matching dialogue, and combat that isn't polished to the level it needs to be.

It’s not without its issues, but Bound presents traditional platforming mechanics with an artistic flair that really sets it apart.

While still creating horror games with fairly visible flaws, Little Hope is a vast improvement of Man of Medan. With another — and perhaps the last — in The Dark Pictures anthology seemingly teased by the mysterious Curator in this one, I’m rather excited to see what Supermassive learns for next time around.

Despite these minor glitching and bug issues, WWE 2K22 offers up an enjoyable experience for players to delight in. With improved gameplay and game modes, the recent 2K wrestling title marks a return to form for the franchise.

The Last of Us Part 1 is a PS3 game that looks like a PS5 one that’s also been jacked up to Sony’s premium, $125 AUD current-gen console title price point. That’s unacceptable.

Destroy All Humans isn’t bad, per se, it’s just bland; a fresh coat of paint on a dated game, clunky in some areas and polished in others. If you received a free code (like I did for review) or are gifted this, jump on in. Would I recommend you purchase it? Not unless you’re a huge fan of the franchise or you like some relatively easy Achievements.

While Air Riders might not be my personal cup of tea, it feels like a faithful and loving reward for all the folks who loved the original Kirby Air Ride. Without the benefit of nostalgia, though, you may find it harder to get up to speed.

For most players, nostalgia won’t be enough to save it; the games are good enough, but not great. These three titles would have been better suited as straight up re-releases on the upcoming PlayStation Classic rather than as a set of remastered games.

Resident Evil Village is an enjoyable horror experience that embraces the franchise’s first-person approach and refines a few of its mechanics along the way. It’s ultimately held back by a sloppy storyline, two-dimensional characters and bizarre design choices.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 isn’t a bad game by any means, but it’s one that only die-hard JRPG fans will love.

All up, NHL 24 introduces some new elements that may seem to steer the game into an arcade-like direction, those in single-player can choose to adopt or ignore them as they’d like. Fast-paced action is hampered by strange new presentation elements. Predatory pricing schemes undermine any legitimate improvements that have been made. While this is certainly one to recommend to those looking for a new experience, be warned in that you may not like what you find.

Just Sing isn’t bad; it’s a good karaoke game marred by presentation problems, or, a half-decent party title.

Scorn isn't necessarily scary, but it is gross and uncomfortable. You may not like what's on the screen, but there's no denying that Ebb has thought long and hard about the world it's presenting and has succeeded in creating a cohesive and fully-formed offering.

While the game world is richly styled and interesting, the frame rate will chug as you enter the larger areas.

I don’t enjoy this style of Doom compared to that of the previous two games -- it's just not the Doom I've grown to love. That said, The Dark Ages is in no way a bad game. Fans of classic Doom will really enjoy similarities in the larger areas, the high volume of slower projectiles to dodge, and the constant need to push forward.

If you’re a massive Kirby fan, this is for you. If you’ve got a passing interest, wait for a sale. It’s not that this is bad, or unpolished… it’s just another repacked game with a value proposition that lacks.

There’s a lot that I hope gets fixed and altered, and it’s crying out for a greater variety of maps and story beats to pull its campaign runs together from. The fundamentals of its design are genuinely great though, and it’ll be a tremendous shame if it just withers away and dies. There’s a shining diamond here, it’s just a bummer that it’s buried under so much muck.