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 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.

Return to Monkey Island is a good old adventure game, made modern. It is vintage gameplay in a modern package, with a focus on accessibility, without sacrificing the outlandish puzzles and quirky oddities. The visuals don’t quite feel right, and yet with excellent voice acting, and scenarios and dialogue that feel straight out of the early 90s, the world is almost perfectly recreated 30 years later. Return to Monkey Island is a delightful adventure, and while it might not quite reach the unobtainable prestige of its predecessors, with a much more accessible design it’s destined to become Guybrush Threepwood’s most popular tale yet.

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.

Splatoon 3 adds nothing of significance to the series, which is quite disappointing considering that it, as a whole, was bursting with originality when it first launched.

While it may not knock Elden Ring off its pedestal, Steelrising offers a lot for someone in need of a fix of aristocracy… and robo-murder.

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.

Saints Row finds a better tone than its predecessor, but otherwise doesn’t deliver as a reboot, with gameplay and mission structures inferior to past instalments. With the right expectations, there’s still fun to be had, but the endless bugs, glitches and just awful AI make it hard to recommend at launch.

The combination of a simple gameplay loop with great music has been proven to work in the past; two Australian titles immediately spring to mind in The Artful Escape and Video World. Both titles feature engaging storylines, compelling characters and enough actual gameplay to bolster their music; We Are OFK sadly falls short — or at least doesn’t consistently deliver — on some of those points. That’s a real shame too, because the music found within is superb.

Rollerdrome isn’t going to be for everyone. If you’ve got better reflexes than I and find things to be less of a challenge than I did, you can test your meddle against other real-world players thanks to online leaderboards in addition to an unlockable “Out for Blood” mode that amps up the difficulty (no thanks). If that excites you, then you certainly shouldn’t hesitate.

With a stellar soundtrack a tight story and a fresh take on the farm management sim, this is an enjoyable — if short and sometimes shallow — ride. I rolled credits in just shy of twelve hours on normal difficulty, and that was with a fair chunk of time in the middle devoted to my devotees. While your mileage will undoubtedly vary, Cult of the Lamb is an easy recommendation – now excuse me while I get back to vibing to River Boy’s banging soundtrack.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Overall F1 22 continues Codemasters roll of making excellent Formula 1 games. The series has gone from strength to strength with its past few iterations, and with some more simulation focussed work could really become the best way to experience Formula 1 in a video game. While the inclusion of F1 Life is a weird step, it can mostly be ignored and ditching Braking Point sheds some weight from the game. 22 brings a whole suite of improvements to what was already a very good series, and I look forward to it consuming my life for the next few months at least.

Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes feels like a great return to spending time with a gang of characters who drew me in over dozens of hours, but with an all-new tale keeping me on my toes at the same time.

Mario Strikers Battle League is a lot of fun, but unless you commit to online play, it’s here for a good — but brief — time.

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.

Roller Champions is a mixed bag that is in definite need of some balancing. Under the right circumstances it’s an absolute blast… but take one little bit of that equation away and you’ll be left frustrated.

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.

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.

While Trek to Yomi excels at drawing the player in, it struggles to retain that level of engagement and engrossment throughout.

Those looking to rekindle a family gaming session akin to ones enjoyed in the past with Wii Sports will find this a sure winner.

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.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a delightfully delectable game – Kirby eats what he wants and takes you along for a short and sweet ride. The rare blend of linear levels following 2D guidelines, played in 3D, suits Kirby as well, if not better than, the Mario games that will draw comparisons.

With plenty of fun and engaging diversions across its expansive map and a polished narrative that draws you into the plights of its compelling protagonists, Ghostwire Tokyo makes an impressive impression for a new IP from Tango Gameworks.

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.