True Colors is a fantastic narrative experience, filled with rich characters and taking place in a beautiful, enchanting world. It is heartfelt and at times powerful, touching on the nature of grief, loneliness and belonging. True Colors will delight fans of narrative games, but is unlikely to win over the doubters. You probably know if you’ll like this one, and I’m here to tell those people that they won’t be disappointed.

Despite being over a quarter of a century old, the gameplay holds up remarkably well, especially the short and sweet dungeons and delectable puzzles.

NHL 20 is a decided improvement over NHL 18 and a step up from NHL 19, though you’d also be forgiven if you skipped out for a year.

This is perhaps the Star Trek game most faithful to its source material, as just like Star Trek: Voyager, it’s a flawed gem that I can heartily recommend experiencing, just not without caveats. Both its greatest strength and biggest weakness is that it really feels like the kind of PC game that could’ve come out during the later years of the show’s run.

Back 4 Blood doesn’t just imitate the Left 4 Dead formula like these titles, it elevates it past its predecessor. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia for the 12 year old title, or maybe just poor memory, that fuels our rose-tinted retrospection and distaste for something new. Regardless, Back 4 Blood takes the concept to the next level and builds in layers of cool ideas and just plain fun gameplay.

The Silent Hill 2 remake is close enough to the source material for fans, yet modern enough for those who’ve not played it before. It’s a great way to honour the 2001 original.

For $21.95 AUD — what I’m assuming is the price of this title, as that’s the usual RRP of Wales Interactive’s FMV outings — it’s hard to go wrong with a bit of gory fun. Gore, though, is the keyword here; if you’re not into that kind of thing, Dead Reset isn’t for you. Try an FMV crime thriller instead. Whatever you do, grab some friends (and turn on Streamer mode so you can debate choices), pop some popcorn and have a night of it; you won’t be disappointed.

Journey is something unique unto itself; a better version of No Man’s Sky, complete with purpose and a wicked sense of humour.

An incredible mix of exploration, story, and setting, South of Midnight certainly resonated with me. While its individual parts mightn’t be groundbreaking, the way in which Compulsion Games has combined them certainly is. This is definitely one worth checking out.

If you’re a strategy fan, you’ll enjoy this, and if you’re a Star Trek fan you’ll absolutely gobble this up. As well you should.

There’s a lot of fun to be had within Identity, from a delightful narrative, engaging characters and brain-teasing puzzles. It’s a small, yet refined package that’s sure to delight those into mysteries. Quite obviously, a bit of knowledge about the Tron universe will help players — and certainly add to understanding of lore — but isn’t necessarily required.

I had a great time with Kay Vess and crew. The story has all the heel-turns, reveals and double-crosses you could hope for from a heist story, and even a few surprise twists you won’t see coming. Seeing the Star Wars world from a more boots-on-the-ground perspective also casts it in a very different light – an AT-ST is a much more intimidating thing to see when you don’t have access to midichlorians....It’s exciting to see how much is possible in this universe without leaning on the Jedi or Skywalkers. That said, fans are sure to enjoy some of the nods and name-drops scattered throughout that link this game to the greater canon.

Darksiders Genesis truly surprised me, a game I was hardly interested in after the mess that was Darksiders 3. While I highly recommend it to franchise fans and those who enjoy a good ol’ dungeon crawler, I’m confused by two huge release decisions: to first put this on PC and Stadia far ahead of a Switch, Xbox One and PS4 release, and to optimise the game for a controller even then. With a console release just days away – and expect an update on this review with our thoughts, by the way – I’m still left thinking this new format would have been perfect for the PC’s keyboard and mouse.

Darkwood is a very unique experience that relies on darkness and silence frequently, causing your own imagination to run wild and fill in the horrific gaps. There’s a bit of a learning curve to get comfortable with how the in-game world operates, but once things click, you’ll be enamoured. Survival horror fans definitely need to give this one a go.

The gameplay is great and all, but the writers and voice actors should all get flowers for how excellently they did their jobs. Both my wife and I laughed all the way through the game. There were the obligatory ‘number 2’ and Big Butte (pronounced Big Beaut) jokes, but also some pretty funny henchmen banter, the commentators having slow breakdowns, and the frat bro vampire. The best LEGO games are always the ones where LEGO has full creative control over the characters and are able to make them say or do anything, like that LEGO City Undercover game from a few years back. You could tell how much fun the writers had thinking of the most ridiculous things they could get these characters to say.

It’s clear that Activision is trying to borrow from Destiny to expand Call of Duty, without changing the core gameplay. That’s not the right way to go, but fortunately Sledgehammer nails the return to World War II where it counts. It has a measured but well crafted campaign, compelling zombies and rebooted, yet familiar multiplayer. There’s no denying it’s safe across the board, but that safe mix of new meets old is what makes WWII a great Call of Duty game.

Mario Party Superstars returns to basics to deliver the best iteration in years. By returning to the golden era of boards and leaning upon an accomplished roster of proven minigames, it can focus on what has already made Mario Party great.

Hogwarts Legacy delivers a world of choice on-top of the best spin-off story in the Harry Potter universe. The core narrative is the reason to play, and that will be the same for everyone. But it’s how you approach it that lets you truly become your own witch or wizard of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin. The optional content is skippable filler, but the main questline will hit all the right notes for Harry Potter fans. While combat may become repetitive, it’s more than serviceable, and fits in against the backdrop of an action-RPG that’s about so much more than killing goons — even if there is a lot of that. It’s a game that finally lets you live your dreams of 20 years ago, with a chance to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and have your own magical adventure.

Stray somehow manages to endear at the same time it feels like it's overstaying its welcome. At the end of the day, though, this cat-lover was won over by its sheer charm.

If you never got the chance to play this underappreciated gem, it’s well worth checking it out on new-gen consoles. Prior knowledge of the Yakuza series is not needed, as the game stands on its own narratively. The game’s core mystery is enthralling to unravel, and there’s almost too much else going on around the city to enjoy while you derail the plot. Crack out your case book, crack your knuckles and get going.

Despite missing the mark on a difficulty that feels consistently challenging yet fun at the same time, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is an utter delight.

I really struggled early on with Monster Hunter Generations, but I’m glad I kept with it. I got an immense amount if satisfaction from its gameplay loop, but it’s worth noting that the pay off is proportional to what you put in.

Despite its slow rollout, Battlefield 5 is a fantastic multiplayer experience, especially across the fan favourite Conquest and large-scale Grand Operations.

Requiem has refined and improved the formula that made the first game so intriguing. Amicia and Hugo are not the timid children they were at the start of their journey, and while the goal used to be just survival, things have changed: it’s now about making sure that the people they want to be will survive this new hardship.

Pokémon Let’s Go mightn’t be for hardcore, competitive fans, but it will certainly win over everyone else. A vast majority of the changes are certainly for the better.

The only real negative I can find for Rehydrated is in its multiplayer offering, a tacked on mode that feels soulless and unnecessary. A horde-style affair, players will mindlessly jump from one island to another, dispatching waves of robots. Combat’s the least appealing bit of single-player, so a whole multiplayer segment dedicated to it falls flat. Thankfully, the campaign will quickly wash the bad taste of MP out of your mouth.

If you’re an NHL fan who’s skipped an entry or two in the last couple years, this is a definite yes. For the rest, it really depends on how you’re planning to play it — grab it if you’re planning on a lot of online play (read: and you’re based in North America). If you’re sticking to offline, bide your time and wait for a sale. Kudos to EA Vancouver for doing what they could all the same.

Despite changes to the formula, New Dawn is still very much Far Cry at its core.

If you haven’t experienced the open world, stealth extravaganza that is Sniper Elite, this is the time to jump in. For those returning to the franchise, buckle up — and play about two difficulties higher than you were planning. You’ll thank me later.

I think I'm in the camp of gamers sick of remasters and instead wanting proper remakes. It's worked for Crash Bandicoot, for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, and it looks to have worked for the upcoming Mafia Definitive Edition. I'd imagine that 64 and Sunshine with some modern sensibility would be spectacular as well.

It’s good if you’re Skyrim obsessed or if you’re a Switch owner who’s (somehow) never played the game before.

While The Journey fizzles out, the addition of UEFA competitions including the Champions League makes FIFA 19 an obvious upgrade for a passionate group of football fans.

It’s Quiz Time is a great trivia title, losing out to games like Buzz! or You Don’t Know Jack! when it comes to its host, but easily making up for that with a variety of questions and game modes.

A clever puzzle game that’s finally found a more suitable home on Switch, as it always felt like a handheld game that played best on the Wii U Gamepad. It’s a collection of bite-sized levels that compel you to tick all of the boxes, and an ideal game to play in short bursts. While the Switch port doesn’t improve much aside from the change in platform, and is too expensive to warrant a repeat purchase, it’s certainly worthy of a re-release for those who missed it last-generation.

Cuphead proves to be everything I wanted it to be — challenging, stylised and fun. It’s a tough, tough game — but unlike Dark Souls, my failures in Cuphead made me want to keep playing. Bring it on.

Beyond being a fun game to play, Sand Land is a great and timely example of the work of Akira Toriyama, and a reminder just how much more he was than just the Dragonball Z guy. Sand Land is its own thing – it was actually exciting to have a demon called a slime appear, and have it NOT be the dollop-shaped slime of the Dragon Quest series. While the vehicle combat system isn’t breaking any new ground, it still goes about things in its own, slightly odd way. It’s a breath of fresh, desert air – and I think there’s a few miles left in the tank yet.

Pokémon Let’s Go mightn’t be for hardcore, competitive fans, but it will certainly win over everyone else. A vast majority of the changes are certainly for the better.

Despite its annoyances, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a hauntingly good time, packed with charm everywhere you look.

These little niggles aside, a stellar soundtrack from Jeff van Dyck helps to create a sense of calm and zen (that I can only maintain myself for one or two levels at time) as you continue to play voyeur and peek into the lives of the silent protagonist and their loved ones. The anxiety of moving prevents Unpacking from being something I would get stress relief from, but I nonetheless find myself returning again and again to continue its story.

As it turns out, the Mad Dog of Shimano is a natural leader, by land or by sea. It’s interesting to see those same drives for justice and honour to come out, like the series’ other protagonists, but with all the safeguards off in Majima’s case. Anything goes on the high seas, and it makes for a fun victory lap through Hawaii for the Like A Dragon series.

Like Ashes Cricket before it, Cricket 19 takes a good thing and touches it up. Its strength is definitely when bat meets ball, which is largely the same as Ashes Cricket, but its focus has been on enhancing everything around that. While there’s still room for improvement, once again it has topped itself to become the best cricket game on the market. The fully licensed Ashes mode is fantastic, the quasi World Cup delivers a faithful alternative to the real deal, and the Career mode will keep you invested long term.

Controls move from the Vita to the PS4 easily, though gameplay itself seems better suited for a portable console. Gameplay is incredibly taxing at times — especially courtroom scenes — so it’s one you’ll likely play for short bursts rather than a marathon. Still, this is a great package for those without a PS Vita — Danganronpa is a must-play.

Like last year’s offering, Just Dance 2019 is an inoffensive, exercise conducive title fun alone or in pairs. If you want to boogie, consider it.

Samus Returns has been designed for hardcore Metroid fans and rightly so, as I don’t see many newcomers playing a monochrome Game Boy remake on 3DS as their first Metroid game.

Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV is a clever way to add fresh content to a recent multiplayer favourite, without coercing anyone to buy the more expensive edition just because they’re playing on Switch 2. For most players, I’d recommend buying the cheaper base game first. It includes some of the best Mario Party boards and mini-games in years and it runs well on Switch 2 without the upgrade. When you’re ready for more – and have enough Joy-Con 2s for four players – kick-on with Jamboree TV as DLC for a more precise afterparty.

While it definitely departs from the usual formula for the series, Like A Dragon Ishin is undoubtedly worth your time. While this isn’t a story of true history, the game is happy to educate you on Japanese culture of the time – a helpful Glossary option will pop up for many terms unfamiliar to an English-speaking audience, so you’ll be able to tell your joshi from your goshi and shishi – and suddenly, Final Fantasy XIII’s naming conventions make a lot more sense. Becoming a badass, unstoppable samurai seems only right for someone who looks like Kiryu, and the story will keep you guessing to the end. Also those cucumbers are almost ready to harvest, so don’t forget to stop by the villa soon.

If the clunkiness of Monster Hunter has held you back in the past, Rise could be a good jumping-on point to give the franchise another try.

The strategic polish of two decades is on display in Age of Empires 4, both in the history of this series and the pedigree of the developer. Relic has wrapped an interesting if slightly flawed single player experience around what is a superb strategy game. You’ll probably know if you want to play this one, but if you just think medieval warfare is pretty cool and you really like the centuries where England and France just kept invading each other, I recommend you put aside any fears of fast clicking and micromanagement and just jumping in, just avoid that multiplayer menu until you are absolutely ready.

Thumbleweek Park is a stellar mix of mystery and humour, letting players delve into a case that requires plenty of thought… and, sadly, a lot of backtracking. A fast-travel map mitigates the latter issue quite a bit, but one elevator will make you rip your hair out, forcing you to take characters up and down one person at a time.

If you’re the kind of gamer who typically needs explicit direction or a heavily mechanics-focused game experience, you may think that ABZÛ isn’t for you. Move beyond that and give it a try. Between the rich visuals, orchestral soundtrack and chill playing experience, you’ll find something to like.

It’s a no-brainer for those with a PlayStation Plus account and one to consider for those with a bunch of friends and worn out copies of Jackbox’s finest. You’ll definitely have to invest in a portable charger for your phone or tablet, though.

There is so much more I could say about Civilization 7, but this review would run 7,000 words, and I think you already get the idea. Civ 7 isn’t just good, it’s the real deal. It’s a sequel that thinks like one of the matches it contains – a lot of small but significant strategic decisions that, when added up, create a winner. It feels different enough from previous iterations to justify the 7 in the title, and it thoughtfully builds on what came before. Civilization 7 is one of 2025’s first must-play titles.

If the Forza Horizon games are the festival of speed, then surely DiRT 5 is the festival of fun.

This is an unofficial celebration of (nearly) 20 years of Phoenix Wright, and it’s a damn good one at that, even with its failings.

Despite its flaws, Carrion is immensely enjoyable, though I would imagine its grotesque nature will turn some away. If you can stomach the gore, it’s well, well worth the play.

Ashes Cricket is the best cricket game ever made, enhancing the foundations of the Don Bradman Cricket series, rather than starting afresh. Player licensing takes it up a notch, as does an improved batting system and motion capture. While there are still too many glitches and commentary remains a mess, it delivers on the pitch with more accessible options for new players and improvements for veterans.

Despite those occasionals falter — and a somewhat polarising, disappointing ending — I was desperate to complete Observation to get to the bottom of its mystery. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately went out to acquire No Code’s last game, Stories Untold.

Alone or with a co-op partner, it’s hard to go wrong with Resident Evil 5. It is perfect for franchise fans or those looking to get into the series ahead of Resident Evil 7 and the Resident Evil 2 remake. At the time of writing, it’s a perfect time to delve in as well — this, and other Resident Evil games, are heavily discounted. Just avoid RE6 unless you know what you’re in for.

While telling its tale, 11-11 does a tremendous job of showing players what the world was like in 1916; news travels extremely slowly without the likes of smartphones, and even Harry’s photography is impacted – it’s too expensive to be able to take and process more than 16 photos per day.

The Forgotten City expands upon the original concept of a small mod and has been developed into a rich and well-balanced experience. While its gameplay is simple, its narrative and atmosphere shine through. A great game from start to end, The Forgotten City is a perfect gem for gamers who love a mystery. More than that though, it’s a fantastic game that explores the complexity of morality and challenges players to do the same long after its completion.

Sony Santa Monica has turned its established formula on its head and created a core loop and setting with tremendous potential.

Fans of the Monster Hunter series – even the main games – will have a real hit on their hands here, with a pleasant change of pace from the usual Monster Hunter antics. That doesn’t mean that there’s not plenty here for the layman too, and if you’re looking for a fun, if a bit easy, title to run you through to that huge release window in October than this is definitely worthy of your consideration.

PUBG keeps it simple but is riddled with performance issues and is too slow; Fortnite works well, but is too busy for me and takes too long to get to the real action; Blackout is just right, and the best battle royale game on the market.

These slight changes improve upon an already unbelievable base, stylised and polished.

For those that played Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is available separately and delivers a greater challenge. The original Galaxy was so good in part because it was something we’d never played before; all these years later, its sequel feels just as fresh and extends the experience to craft the best platformer ever made. Let’s just hope that when Super Mario 3D All-Stars Deluxe arrives for the 50th anniversary on Switch 3, it combines all of these games and more with the proper remastering they may not actually need, but definitely deserve.

I’m not an avid snowboarder by any means, but I’ve found Shredders to be a delight, a quick and rewarding, pick-up-and-play title that I can jump into for some quick runs after bashing my head against Elden Ring for far too long. It’s full of fun, humour and generally a delight to play.

Ultimately, Super Mario Maker is paired down on 3DS, but not to ridiculous levels.

Resident Evil: Revelations is perfect for fans of the franchise who don’t own a 3DS or didn’t take advantage of the last-gen release. Equally suited are die-hard fans who want the chance to experience the game again (or even again), this time with Trophy and Achievement support. It was a great return to the elements that made Resident Evil great, and helped Capcom to realise how we wanted Resident Evil 7. Get back on that ship.

While Naughty Dog has valiantly tried to accomplish the seemingly impossible, it has fallen short and in doing so revealed the bag of tricks used to exploit our emotions so effectively back in the day. The result is a polished, enjoyable romp that plays superbly but gnaws at the back of your brain in all the wrong ways.

Clustertruck has a lot to offer both her quick bursts of play or longer investments.

Overall, these three new Operations feel very consistent with the standard set by the core Watch Dogs 2 experience. The chance to return to San Francisco and geek it up with the DedSec team is welcome, and their characterisation remains as energetic and positive as ever. While the missions aren’t perfect – the return of an extended ‘getaway chase’ sequence brought on rage-flashbacks to the ‘Cyberdriver’ mission of the critical mission path – it does give another taste of everything that made this game great last year. Wth more DLC yet to come, I’m hopeful this same standard will be maintained and help bring on an even MORE hipster Watch Dogs 3 announcement.

With a simple rogue-like mechanic offering a near-endless gameplay loop for those who choose it, it’s hard to go wrong with this DLC.

Given the chance, Pyre opens up a world rich with lore to enjoy, and a variety of characters to throw headlong into magical bonfires. With both the story campaign and a multiplayer match mode available, it’s easy to get deep into the Rites yourself.

Final Fantasy XII was a great RPG, swapping out gunblades and epic, world-destroying storylines in favour of ones revolving around political intrigue; it remains as such. It’s as fun to play now as it was back in the dying stages of the PS2, and is perfect for returning fans or those who missed out previously.

There’s no denying Nioh is easier than Dark Souls – as evidenced by the fact that I could not only get to bosses, but beat them – and that’s okay. As someone who is constantly frustrated by Bloodborne and Souls, Nioh is, at the very least, accessible.

Old Time Hockey is as bush league as it gets – from a desire to represent that mirrored by the size of V7 compared to the gargantuan EA Canada. It’s occasionally rough around the edges, but in ways that usually elevate rather than hinder it. Questionable design decisions aside, Old Time Hockey is great fun — a reason to invite a friend over, crack a beer and dive back into the good ol’ days.

Simple, yet complex puzzles, combined with a GLaDOS-like taskmaster, have you laughing and constantly wanting more.

For oldies like me, this is a brilliant hit of nostalgia that doesn’t ruin my original, warm feelings about the games it brings to today. For younger fans of the RTS genre who haven’t delved this far back in time, now’s your chance — just be prepared for some (good) bad CGI and FMV.

All things considered, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is still a polished and worthwhile affair, doing many things for many different people.

Shadows is best played with hidden blades as a stealth-action game reminiscent of what Assassin's Creed used to be, but its greatest strength is choice.

Dragon Quest Builders does and exceptional job of implementing a proven formula from a game that sold so well Microsoft decided to buy it, but it doesn’t stop there. DQB improves on that formula and give players a more well rounded, fuller experience. Its a guided experience but its this structure that makes the game both addictive and rewarding.

While the main story does feel a bit shorter compared to the other Kiwami games, the sheer volume of “stuff to do” in the world more than balances that out. By the time you’ve cleared the main story, bested the Coliseum, completed every bizarre sub-story, completed the photo rally, fought every beatdown target, unlocked every costume item AND forged a deep, emotional connection with every child in your care? You’ll wonder why Kiryu ever left the life behind.

The Pillars of the Earth weaves a fascinating tale and does so with superb style.

In all, there’s a surprising amount of content, but it’s only the story mode that’s worth playing.

As ridiculous as it sounds, Titanfall 2 is more down-to-Earth than most AAA shooters. There are still big explosions and unrelenting death, but rather than focusing on those, some sincere moments between Cooper and BT rise to the surface.

My time with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was overwhelmingly positive. I’ve clocked a hundred hours at this stage, with the main story completed and PLENTY of side content still to go. If you want a big, meaty RPG to dedicate plenty of time, this game’s the one. But remember, soldiers only have ten years on the battlefield – and you might need that whole decade to see everything Aionios has to offer.

I only wish that endgame content came in the form of unique missions, not reskinned ones.

Action, adventure, variety — those looking for a decent Ultimate Alliance fix need look no further than Marvel Heroes Omega. It’s great.

For the sheer size of it, the beauty of the hundreds of different landscapes you can explore and the always engaging missions, Starfield is a massive technical achievement.

Total War with better battles is better Total War, and Warhammer brings exactly that to the table.

It’s a throwback to the way things were, perfectly recreated for today’s audience.

Alienation is a must-buy for any fans of twin stick shooters. Featuring fun gameplay, a deep weapons system (for the genre), smooth visuals and plenty of reason to repeat missions it’s certainly worth your $30.00 AUD.

While I have my qualms, building a university is a worthwhile, entertaining experience. Two Point Campus could do with a bump in challenge and some better pacing, but its core of building and management are great fun. Two Point Campus is funny, engaging and rewarding, a fine example of the management sim. Not quite a high distinction, but certainly a result that makes the fridge door.

In the end, Resident Evil 3 is own nemesis, a remake that's enjoyable but seems a little shallow when compared to the innovations the RE3 that came before it brought to the table.

All up, Dead Season is a fun mix of genres provided they’re in your wheelhouse. I very much enjoyed plunking away at a mission or two between titles like Until Dawn and Silent Hill 2 — again, all perfectly timed for the spooky season.

Don Bradman Cricket 17 expands on its pioneering predecessor with the fundamentals of cricket translating to fun, challenging gameplay. Batting and bowling are similar, but better rounded, and the introduction of female cricketers has been given the utmost care.

It’s fun, challenging and wrapped up in a world that’s worth delving into. While its marketing did little to interest me, picking it up had me hooked right from the start. I’d highly recommend you give this one a try for yourself… or at the very least, check out its first twenty-five minutes above.

Frontier has done a wonderful job of maintaining the excitement, visual appeal and overall happiness of both a theme park and a theme park builder.