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.

After two solid days of play, across various modes and basically on the hour, we’re confident that Ubisoft has bolstered its backend to ensure For Honor will be a delight to play, not only in mechanics, but over the internet too. For Honor is a refreshing new take on combat, and one that everyone should experience.

While I wasn’t jazzed with Scars Above and the way it tried to incorporate Soulslike elements, Team Ninja has certainly found its groove in Wo Long Fallen Dynasty. It’s very familiar, yet not, and with combat mechanics and a storyline that’ll keep you going.

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.

With strong writing, extreme self-awareness, exceptional performances all around… and a confidence that’s exuded no matter the branching path you find yourself in, Supermassive has outdone itself with The Quarry.

The Outer Worlds 2 is more of everything I liked before in The Outer Worlds, but dialled up to 110% - just like a new and improved offering from Auntie’s Choice!

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.

While this offers fans a literally alternate perspective into a universe that many really love (myself included) and is a fantastic as a tool to show off the PSVR2, it lacks depth as an actual game. Challenge and balance are overloaded with tedious climbing sequences and not enough of the fun stuff.

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

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.

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.

This is a solid, Creative Assembly-driven RTS, well-suited for those who love the genre and also for those who are into science fiction; if you’re a fan of both, even better. Simple to understand, fun to play and challenging on higher difficulties, it’s hard to go wrong with Halo Wars 2.

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.

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.

Still, that Wild Hearts gets so much right on its first tentative step into the arena is bloody impressive. Omega Force has created the first title I’ve played that is a genuine contender in the space and they’ve done more than enough to justify Wild Hearts’ place in it. The result is something meaningfully different in a genre no one else has been able to touch. It’s kind of like if someone made a Souls-like on par with an actual Souls.

Overall, I can’t say I’ve enjoyed my time with Battle for Azeroth. There’s a lot of long term progression here for the hardcore players, but to me everything feels simplified and a little bit strung out. The story is quite weak, and the new zones don’t have anything to really grab me as a player like Legion did. It all just feels a little too familiar, like Blizzard have tried to bring back the nostalgia of the “good old days” but have instead delivered the same old story once more. I’m hopeful, though, that Blizzard have a long term plan in place for this latest instalment in the epic saga that World of Warcraft has become, but I’ll be giving this one a miss.

These new streams bring the world together in a way that Civ VI didn’t. While there’s still a bunch that could be improved — including occasional, woeful AI — a game of Rise and Fall makes you feel like everything you have done has really mattered. That every action taken mingles with those of others and changes the world. It’s great.

The series’ monster and equipment design has always been high-quality, but the cartoonish presentation of Stories simplifies the art style without losing any of its flair.

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.

Mafia Definitive Edition is an excellent return to a genre largely forgotten this generation. It has some technical foibles, but still delivers a compelling narrative with strong characters, diverse missions and a sturdy linear structure bolstered by a backseat open world.

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.

Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity is an okay game that tells a story that we all want to hear. The already excellent narrative of Breath of the Wild is better for it.

That’s the real beauty here: stories don’t have to be full of doom, gloom, betrayal and murder to be effective or impactful. Queers don’t have to be dragged through the mud because of who they are. While Tell Me Why may draw people in because of a transgender character, it offers far more than just that. It presents a complex, psychological narrative that doesn’t use minorities as mere tools to shortcut emotional responses from its players. Take note.

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

Whether you're a hardcore fan, or loved Fallen Order before it, Star Wars Jedi Survivor is The Empire Strikes Back to Fallen Order’s A New Hope.

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is a familiar return for the series and a soft reboot that introduces a new story and revisits the best parts of the original game that dazzled us two decades ago.

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

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

While I did warm to new Like A Dragon protagonist Ichiban quickly, you can’t forget the OG. It’s great to see Kiryu take a victory lap in this tightly designed, smaller-scale story before the next big chapter kicks off in January 2024 with Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth!

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

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.

No matter which of People of Note‘s three pillars interests you the most, they’re all extremely well-crafted. You can see Final Fantasy‘s heavy influence in the way People of Note‘s RPG core looks and operates. Cadence, Fret, and the rest of her band are not only interesting in their backgrounds, but unique in the ways that they sound and play. And if the idea of puzzles on top of all this dissuade you, they shouldn’t — each of these pillars can be dialled up or down to present a challenge that you can set for yourself. Priced at $24.99 USD, this is an easy commendation for those who love old school RPGs, music, or puzzles. Give it a go for yourself.

My best piece of advice here is to take advantage of Living the Dream‘s publicly available demo; create a couple Miis, set them loose upon one another, and get the flavour of what’s going on. From there, it’ll be up to you if you want to go whole hog.

While it’s very true I have a soft spot in my heart for PGA Tour accordingly, there’s no denying 2K23 is solid. Small improvements to an existing formula mightn’t be looked highly upon in a yearly cycle, but PGA Tour 2K23 gets away with it because of its cadence. Welcome back, old friend. 3 click for life.

Ridiculously long, unskippable introductions will hamper your enjoyment.

Moving Out is a treat, full of charm and busting at the seams with a variety of different shifting-based 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.

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.

If you’re a huge Zelda fan you might get a kick out of Hyrule Warriors and if you’re a Dynasty Warriors fan you’re sure to find something to love.

The title features exceptional pixel art with dozens of clever easter eggs, special modes like a survival horror experience and dodgeball, and even rounds things out with a frankly spectacular chiptunes soundtrack composed by Anamanaguchi. It hasn’t aged a single day since its first release back in 2010, though it does suffer because of a gap in new Scott Pilgrim content since 2014 and 2021.

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.

Great fun, a solid golf game that should provide hours of enjoyment to those wanting to climb the Tour ladder or merely get out for a hit.

Shadowkeep is a big stride forward for Destiny 2, and it shows that Bungie cares about its game. Sure, there are some stumbling blocks like a bare bones story and some wonky design choices, but those don’t get in the way of enjoying the core Destiny experience. I love Destiny, and the breath of fresh air that Shadowkeep has brought to the series has me hooked once more.

Elden Ring Nightreign won't be every FromSoft fan's cup of tea, and this is especially true if you're a lone wolf.

If you’re old enough to know who Desmond Miles is, and have a desire to return to the series’ origins, Assassin’s Creed Mirage hits the spot. It reins in the endless expansion and has very clear direction.

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.

With so many bespoke moments for each little mini-story, complete with unique minigames and interesting character arcs, Brothership is bursting at the seams with fun things to do.

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).

It isn’t as innovative as past Modern Warfare games, nor does it have as many iconic moments. But for the most part, it’s a unified campaign that nails what Modern Warfare should be. Fans of Call of Duty campaigns won’t be able to put their controller down. [Campaign Review = 80]

It’s a good thing that Virginia is such a neatly-packed experience, because I definitely needed to run through it twice to get a firmer grip on the story being told.

It seems like good party game, but even then it lacks the longevity that would make you want to come back for more after 30 minutes or so. It’s a fun premise, but one that’s a few years too late.

Final Fantasy fans will appreciate the level of detail and nostalgic cameos both in the narrative and monster designs, but newcomers of the series may be left overwhelmed. That said, the Pokémon-lite aspect of capturing mirages, and training and transforming them to more powerful beings, is addictive fun. While the dialogue is poorly written with often dry humour awkwardly delivered, you can’t help love the adorable chibi character animations.

Based on the first two instalments however, I can happily recommend this for anyone that loves to dig into a layered story – or just wants to snoop around in somebody else’s emails.

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.

ARMS is a clever idea with polished core mechanics that ends up feeling underdeveloped and lacking in identity.

Battlestar Galactica Scattered Hopes is a wonderfully engaging work in its own right on top of being one of the most holistically smart video game adaptations in history. I am tremendously impressed by it and cannot recommend it to fans of the series enough.

Sniper Elite 5 is stupid fun and a joy to play. Rebellion hasn’t made any giant leaps in terms of new functionality, but it doesn’t need to. Instead, the studio continues to refine and polish an experience that sets itself apart from other shooters.

NHL 16 saved the franchise from utter ruin, but NHL 17 shows you just what developers who love hockey can do when given ample time to work on a product. This year’s result is polished and bursting at the seams with care and love. With more modes than you can shake a stick at and niggling bugs of the past destroyed — I couldn’t find a single glitch over a marathon play session while preparing for this review — this is the best version of NHL to date.

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.

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.

Infinite Minigolf is a simple, engaging little title that will keep you entertained for hours on end. While it mightn’t provide the endless experience its title claims to provide, its price point should be enough to forgive it.

Described by its developers as a title in the “brainpunk” genre, I've come to think of Scarlet Nexus as a mixture of the likes of Bayonetta, Code Vein and Persona, at some times deliciously chaotic and at others frustratingly so.

It took an entire generation, but I am delighted to see Career mode finally have its moment in the spotlight in FIFA 21. The changes to Career are all for the better, even if some still feel rudimentary, and it breathes new life into a staple that has felt somewhat ignored. The rest of the package comes across as both the culmination of a generation and a cross-gen game.

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.

While XCOM Chimera Squad may look a bit funny at times -- and the game itself tends to crash every 45 minutes or so -- it's hard to fault it as an RTS available for less than $15 AUD.

There’s just something about Avowed that makes it feel very much like a product built for a subscription service. Not in a live-service game kind of way, but in a Netflix Original Movie kind of way.

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.

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?

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.

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

Simply put, this is $10 USD well spent.

Once again, Relic has done a great job at bringing Warhammer 40,000 to the digital world.

And love Baby Steps I did. There are few ways this game could better achieve its aims; in what it is trying to be Baby Steps approaches perfection. Whether what it is trying to be is for you, well that depends on if you feel that a rapturous level of self satisfaction is worth braving a storm of intense frustration and inconsolable rage. For those with the resolve (or stubbornness, or self loathing, or masochism), you won’t find a better test of all of them than Baby Steps. If you have the resilience of a damp tissue and capacity for frustration of a tired toddler, keep on walking by.

This is a title available as part of Xbox and PC Game Pass subscriptions, so stop reading what I’m saying about it and jump on in if you’re a horror movie or asymettrical horror game fan. The best part is, Achievements stack on both platforms — obtain a heap playing on the Xbox version, and they’ll basically auto-pop when you jump into a match on PC. Cross-play is certainly available, though I’m not sure if cross-progression is limited to Game Pass or not. That said, there’s a strong core here and I hope the issues currently experienced are sorted soon.

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.

If you enjoyed what Control had to offer then you should be fairly satisfied with this first expansion. The Foundation doesn’t really do a whole lot new, and it doesn’t seem to learn from its mistakes, especially considering it has one of the worst checkpoints for a boss encounter yet. But if you want to get even more lost in this enthralling world that Remedy has created, then it will be hard not to pass this one up. Just stay clear of all the cats.

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.

Mario Tennis Fever is also a letdown as one of the first Switch 2 exclusives. There’s little that feels truly current-gen, and some of the visuals are surprisingly basic and rough.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War is a strong start for the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 generation. It doesn’t have the same invigorating revival as last year’s Modern Warfare, but that would be an impossible expectation. Cold War delivers a very different campaign that’s more spy thriller than epic warfare, and it’s the first Call of Duty game to thrive in its quieter moments for more than a single mission. Multiplayer is still the highlight of the package, with a satisfying old meets new combat loop and a strong selection of modes. Now we’re just waiting for a few more maps. Come on, it’s been half a week already!

While I did enjoy my time with Tales of Kenzera Zau, it does truly feel like the game was a victim of timing. Had Prince of Persia The Lost Crown not released a few months ago (or the games had released in the opposite order) things would definitely be different. There are a few missteps here that by comparison put this title at a disadvantage, and you hate to see it.

Viking Age is certainly worth a try if you can access it for free through Valhalla. At at a $15 USD price point, though, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend the standalone version to anyone but those interested in Viking history. If you are in that camp and play games, I’d wager you likely own Valhalla already… so win win, eh?

If you are vehemently opposed to narrative experiences with very light gameplay elements, Wayward Strand may not be something you will gravitate towards. For fans of the genre, it would be hard not to recommend. I – who usually prefer the third-person, open world flavours of the month – found myself thoroughly entertained by its charming cast of characters and its uniquely compelling storytelling style.

Mario vs Donkey Kong... is an absolutely fantastic little puzzler.

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.

What’s on offer in Dead Island 2 isn’t broken or flagrantly bad... but it is tired, antiquated and bland.

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

Battlefield 1 is a brilliant fast-paced military shooter that I spent a lot of time playing, especially over the recent Christmas holidays. The additional content in “They Shall Not Pass” is fun to play, but it does leave you a bit sour when you look deeper into it and see so many assets which have been reused. On top of that this content also splits the community, and pressuring players to purchase the DLC or be left behind. There are much better ways to handle delivering extra content to players, unfortunately this isn’t one of them.

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.

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.

Dying Light 2 faces two big issues at present: technical glitches that can be fixed with a patch, and design choices that will be harder to deal with. When the former are corrected, Techland's latest will be far more enjoyable; that said, the number of times it goes out of its way to break up the fun it's capable of producing could remain its legacy.

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.

Playing — and being successful — on hard difficulty doesn’t seem to provide increased rewards to correct that gripe. In fact, that imbalanced risk-reward system is further spotlighted when considering a starting player’s weaker attributes. They seem to really impact play at a disproportional level, especially when compared to previous iterations of TopSpin. That, in turn, plays into new shot systems which provide more winners from perfect shots and more mistakes if you’re powering your shot too much or too little.

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

You shouldn’t buy Wildlands right now. The types of glitches and problems we experienced in previews still rear their head; while they’re forgivable in a pre-release environment, the same isn’t true when buying what should be a finished product. The entire experience is best summed up by our multiplayer adventure: you’ll run around a lot, but you’re not going to be able to get much done.

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.

Super Mario Run is the perfect implementation of Nintendo’s biggest star in mobile form. While it’s hard to deny the success of Pokémon Go, Niantic’s mobile offering doesn’t truly capture the heart and soul of the franchise it belongs to. Super Mario Run excels in that department, offering a title that’ll have you constantly coming back for more.

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

In the same way that Mario + Rabbids was great for battles on the go using your Switch, so too would be Tactica. While you can certainly pay for the privilege to do just that on your Switch, Persona 5 Tactica is yet another Xbox Game Pass title. That means you can play on the go using Xbox Cloud Gaming and your smartphone of choice without the need to lay down any additional cash. If you’ve somehow got some space that’s not being taken up by a pile of shame, give it a go.