Slave Zero X has a lot to offer fans of 2.5D platformers, and with levels full of gore and violent enemies, there’s rarely a dull moment. However, this intensity can often become overwhelmingly difficult, especially when later fights drag on.

Herdling is undoubtedly an indie gem, but not without its flaws. While it's visually stunning and creative, the gameplay needs work in certain areas. However, Herdling finds its stride when racing through the more open passages of the game, and there's decent replayability to this quick adventure.

Miasma Chronicles brings all of the right ingredients to the table; it’s raw and gritty yet earnest and charming, built around an engaging narrative and an endearing host of characters. The issue is, it’s undercooked. Stuttering animations, a gappy tutorial, and untapped RPG potential make for an occasionally grueling, albeit still very enjoyable game.

The pre-launch hype, understandably, got wildly out of control for Football Manager 26, and even though Sports Interactive was somewhat transparent about features being removed, nobody expected just how buggy and half-baked the final product would be. It's still Football Manager, and there's still a lot to love, but it's abundantly clear this game was only released because it had to be contractually. Keep playing Football Manager 2024, and wait until Football Manager 27 if you don't think you'll be able to stomach missing features and buggy UI.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss doesn’t truly excel at anything, chucks in a few unnecessary mechanics, and can be technically wobbly, but fans of cosmic horror and in-depth puzzle-solving will surely enjoy it as a perfectly competent investigation game that offers a sinister and spooky edge.

Eternights boasts fast, frantic, and rewarding combat with numerous satisfying abilities and attacks to unlock, alongside deeply enjoyable social simulation elements. However, shortcomings like a lack of map, samey environments, and some questionable dialogue dampen the overall experience.

Despite its bizarre premise, Exoprimal’s core loop works tremendously well, providing a team-based multiplayer experience that’s simultaneously unlike anything else and has a strong ‘one more match’ feeling. However, it remains extremely difficult to recommend due to being a full-priced multiplayer-only title.

This demanding strategy game forces you to embrace the fact that you can’t save everyone, and you may lose more lives if you try, but bugs and a lack of polish mar what is an otherwise great experience.

Crash Team Rumble has all the ingredients of an engaging online multiplayer game. Its team-based fundamentals are strong with a small but well-thought-out roster of playable characters and varied map design that greatly complements the game’s quickfire matches. It’s unfortunate, then, that Crash Team Rumble is lacking the content – and progression – needed for a live service title to stand the test of time.

Frontier Developments’ foray into the Age of Sigmar universe is competent and slick, boasting a fun single-player campaign and plenty of robust multiplayer features. However, the game’s cookie-cutter approach to unit design and combat interactions makes for a simplistic experience that will disappoint seasoned RTS players.

Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush gives you a neat, though largely empty, rendition of DK Island to explore and a cool side mode to master. It’s a fun little extra that would’ve made for a fantastic free update, but it's certainly not worth the relatively steep asking price.

Alone in the Dark squanders the promise of its compelling source material with ropey design, awful combat, and choppy presentation.

Still, Aphelion is simultaneously riveting and isolating outside of these weak spots. The pacing is sublime; the game only takes about eight to 10 hours to complete, and each chapter doesn’t overstay its welcome. Ariane and Thomas demonstrate that even when people are physically apart, absence only makes the heart grow fonder.

Payday 3 is a competently made and fairly polished heist-’em-up but while stealth gets an upgrade, the shooting is the same as its decade-old predecessor. Hitman-esque levels provide a nice distraction, but this feels like a foundation for Payday 3 as a live service game rather than a total product.

Detective Pikachu Returns is a charming, if bare-bones, mystery game that deals with surprisingly heavy themes at times. However, simplistic game mechanics and formulaic mysteries mean that more grown-up Pokémon fans may find the experience frustrating at times.

The visually stunning world of Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is compelling and full of heart, staking its claim in the bustling roguelite genre with its unique dual-character mechanic. Its cast of vibrant characters, both in your party and in the hub area, fills the journey with depth, though sometimes a little at the expense of the pacing, but still makes for a thoroughly enjoyable adventure.

GreedFall: The Dying World could have been a triumphant fresh start for a setting with a rocky foundation - providing Spiders with a true breakthrough mainstream hit. While offering a trek through some beautifully realized forests and cities, it unfortunately fails to deliver either an engaging strategic challenge or a narrative that competently handles the difficult themes it wants to explore.

Paleo Pines offers a fresh spin on what is starting to feel like an oversaturated genre, yet still maintains the same satisfying day-to-day loop of traditional farming simulators. It’s a lot of fun for dinosaur fanatics, but there’s a lack of content to drive you to keep coming back once you’re set up.

A near miss, Immortals of Aveum is a fun arcade shooter that is less than the sum of its parts. The stunning world and unique concept aren’t quite charming enough to make up for the game’s sluggish pace and disjointed combat.

With stellar gunplay and great maps, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has some of the best multiplayer and zombies action in the series so far. The intriguing new Endgame mode is also a highlight, so it’s a huge shame that the rest of the co-op campaign is a rushed and sloppy mess that drags the overall package down.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion clearly takes inspiration from the Xenoblade Chronicles series with huge open maps and deeply customizable mech suits. The game nails the customization and has some cool ideas all its own, like the superb fusion system. Unfortunately, it does very little with its open spaces, and they aren’t particularly visually interesting. With bland interior levels, shallow side missions, and rather listless combat, it’s ultimately a game that feels half-baked.

A deep and interesting Star Trek game that doesn’t quite scratch the strategy itch, but Trekkies will appreciate the chance to explore a new twist on a familiar universe. Still, I found myself itching for the depth of the very similar strategy powerhouse Stellaris.

Mowing down poorly paced waves of the same handful of enemies in repetitive, cramped environments is a chore in this ill-conceived Control spin-off, even when you add two friends to the equation. With no story to speak of and sluggish progression, FBC: Firebreak is a disappointing mess.

Atlas Fallen is a solid but uninspiring open-world fantasy RPG with brilliant movement and traversal but not much else. In a crowded field of fantasy RPGs, it doesn’t have the level of finish, characters, and story to make it a truly memorable experience.

God of War Sons of Sparta offers a fresh take on the iconic action franchise that won't be everyone's cup of tea. On top of representing a significant – and undoubtedly scaled-down – departure for the beloved series, it also suffers from a slow start. That said, Sons of Sparta comes into its own a few hours in, delivering a compelling prequel story supported by a solid metroidvania structure. It also "clicks" on the PlayStation Portal, looking and playing like a game that was made for the portable device.

AEW Fight Forever certainly has moments where it delivers on its promise of back-to-basics, arcade-like pro wrestling fun. However, such moments are few and far between. More often than not, you’ll be wrestling with buggy combat, lackluster visuals, and an underbaked career mode that feels woefully tacked on. It’s not a bad effort from Yuke’s, but one that’s far from the developer’s best work.

A cobbled-together walking simulator with a dead world and poorly paced linear narrative that’s unconvincingly pretending to be an action RPG. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is a disaster and not the sequel its legendary predecessor needed or deserved.

Fashion Dreamer is a solid fashion simulator that nails outfit creation and its colorful aesthetic but the lack of any real structure holds its single-player component back from greatness.

Survival Kids is a beginner-friendly co-op survival game that lacks the personality needed to leave a lasting impression. Still, with ample platforming puzzles and seamless GameChat integration, it does provide a playful backdrop for catching up with friends.

Slitterhead won’t be for everyone due to its quirks, it’s a bit clunky and reuses content frequently. But behind its issues lies one of the most unique titles of the past few years. With a great mystery story, impressive world-building for a debut, and a possession mechanic that adds an extra strategic layer to combat. Slitterhead lives up to its pedigree.

You Will Die Here Tonight is not particularly scary or thrilling, and it can get very frustrating. From the get-go, you’re pushed into a storyline that isn’t fully explained with mechanics that you don’t fully understand; solving things through trial and error can then get cumbersome.

This Hellboy roguelike nails the ‘Hellboy’ but fluffs the ‘roguelike’. A brilliant recreation of Mignola’s art and surprisingly sharp writing are let down by thin, repetitive gameplay.

Drag x Drive is undoubtedly original and shows off the effectiveness of the Switch 2’s mouse mode pretty well. 3v3 matches are decent fun to hop into if you’ve got a spare few minutes, and the controls are generally intuitive. But as intuitive as they may be, those controls do get tiring on the arms after a little while. Additionally, the game is visually uninspired, lacking the vibrancy and character we all expect from Nintendo titles.

Endless Ocean Luminous provides an immersive and moreish deep sea diving experience with an impressive variety of biomes, over 500 species of sea creatures to catalog, treasures to collect, and mysteries to solve. And it’s all backed up by a staunch pro-environmental message.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is a superhero third-person shooter that has some interesting ideas and excellent writing, but is intent instead on subjecting players to death via live service nonsense.

I’d love nothing more than to play as Dwarves retaking their homeland alongside friends, but sadly, this is not the game to do that in. Besides the setting, there’s not much else to celebrate in Return to Moria.

More like Bizarro to Superhot's Kal-El, Cold VR's flip to slowing down time while in motion offers some incredibly fun gameplay moments that are also enhanced by great presentation. It's too bad that the game often lacks the polish of its biggest inspiration through bugs and occasionally wonky design.

Skull and Bones has well-built fundamentals, but lacks the follow-through to deliver on the potential of its fun naval combat and earnest commitment to the pirate fantasy.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 misses more than it hits. A fun zombies mode and the return of fan-favorite maps from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 can’t save Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from its awful campaign and a multiplayer that feels like a step back from the rest of the reimagined Modern Warfare trilogy.

Star Wars: Beyond Victory has all the parts required to be an amazing VR game. It just assembles these components in an unsatisfying way that leads to an experience I can’t recommend, even to a mega fan.

Cute characters and a handful of promising ideas in its multiplayer matches do little to redeem Foamstars, which is spoiled by terrible solo missions, a lack of maps, and excessive monetization.

Gangs of Sherwood is a bog standard co-op game with generic abilities and some dull fights. However, the only thing that lifts this action game up from the trenches is its fantastic art style and scenery.

Lost Soul Aside is a competently made action game filled with phenomenal combat and cinematic battles. It has some compelling visuals and environments, but PC performance is lackluster, resulting in frequent hitches and distractions. The story isn’t the most engaging and has awkward platforming mechanics too.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is ultimately a curio that won’t live long in the memory. As a literal tech demo for the various components that keep the Switch 2 ticking, learning things about the system can be fun, and the demos and minigame challenges presented each offer something unique. The experience only lasts a handful of hours, though, and you will need a 4K TV and accessories like the Switch 2 Camera in order to see the game through to completion, which is more than a little cheeky in a paid release.

Despite awful PC performance dragging down the gorgeous visuals, 1348 Ex Voto excels at offering satisfying sword combat in an enjoyable, bite-sized adventure. However, as a whole package, it wasn't able to keep me invested in a story that I would otherwise love had there been more time spent developing its central relationship.

Tamagotchi Plaza is a painful slog, with embarrassingly basic minigames that fail to provide even a slither of entertainment. Grinding for hours in order to unlock upgrades for its miniscule hub world is incredibly unsatisfying and ultimately a huge waste of time.

Quantum Error is an intriguing and solid horror game - though never gripping or truly outstanding. At its best when you’re a firefighter using your specialist skills and tools, the title has an original premise and story but is let down by weird over-the-top cinematic stylings as well as odd pacing, as well as characters and dialogue carved out of oak.

In Stars and Time is an unmissable turn-based RPG with a unique time-looping mechanic and loveable characters. Underlined by an emotional, gripping story that’ll keep you coming back for more, you shouldn’t let this indie gem pass you by.

Lego Fortnite is a solid swing at a survival crafting game, but will likely only fully come into its own after a few updates. Building is an issue at present, a real issue in a Lego title, but as a survival game, it’s excellent.

Rocket Racing is a rock-solid arcade racer that’s lacking in the personality department. Its main hook isn’t exciting enough to base a whole game around, and the selection of tracks offered up at launch is pretty forgettable. Still, the core racing is great, and hopefully, with future updates, Rocket Racing may come into its own.

A stunning and challenging folktale that perfectly captures the creativity of the indie spirit, Howl is a delightful game to lose yourself in.

Just Dance VR would have been perfect a few years ago, but the dated track list and the fact that it doesn't take full advantage of the VR medium leaves me wanting more.

All of the groundwork is there for this Hobbit life simulator to be a delightful jaunt through the rolling hills of Tolkien’s imagination, but the execution is lacking on almost every front. From bugs and poor optimization to uninspired dialogue and ill-paced progression, Tales of the Shire takes what should be a reflection on the lessons we might learn from Middle-earth’s most humble of races and mangles it into a bleak reminder that the “simple life” is no fun at all.

Battlefield REDSEC is a pretty uninteresting and derivative take on the battle royale genre, one that makes me wonder whether there's much life left in this particular style of game. There's no doubting how well Battlefield fits into a Battle Royale, however, with awesome class-integration, impressive destructibility, and a streamlined launch offering that harkens back to better times.