Metamorphosis offers a short, but memorable experience for gamers. Exploring the surreal insect world hidden around us is a genuine treat, and uncovering the story of Gregor's disappearance will keep the player hooked until the end credits. Metamorphosis definitely isn't for those who are scared by bugs, but it offers an unforgettable experience for those with the stomach for scuttling around on the floor.

Despite its flaws, though, Millennia’s gameplay is compelling enough to keep me coming back. It’s better than Humankind (which I say as an unapologetic Amplitude fanboy), and on par with Old World, but it doesn’t quite dethrone Civilization. However, its introduction and implementation of new takes on genre staples puts the ball in Firaxis’ court.

One thing’s for certain: you’ve never played a game like Harold Halibut before. You may have played cinematic narrative adventure titles before, but none offer up such a striking stop-motion style and thought-provoking narrative, especially when paired with a winning combination of mystery, heartfelt character relationships, and quirky artistic flair. You will question your own path in life and whether you’re truly happy, then leave you wondering how to find your own bluglglgl.

Sea of Solitude: Director's Cut will be an indie game I'll remember for years to come, just like Celeste and What Remains of Edith Finch. Its powerful storytelling, excellent performances, and stunning world will eventually invite me back to play it once again.

Kao the Kangaroo’s core mechanics are solid and some of the things it adds to the series, like the elemental gloves, help keep things interesting, but it’s nothing that the genre hasn’t seen before, and some of those changes end up actively taking away from the experience. There’s good to be found here, but it’s weighed down by so much jank and a lack of innovation that it doesn’t feel like the welcome back that Kao deserves.

High on Life just isn’t very good, and there’s not much more to say. I think a lot of people are taking the route of ‘well, if you love this humour you might enjoy it’, but I already do love this humour and I did not enjoy it. It’s the ghost of video games past, with boring shooting and a bafflingly slim progression loop propped up by bad jokes that feel like some bros on a podcast writing their own Interdimensional Cable skits. It’s free on Game Pass, but your time on this planet is precious. Give this one a miss.

Little Nightmares 3 is fine, but I’d be lying if I said it lived up to the series's namesake or managed to take it anywhere worthwhile. Supermassive never quite hits the mark of what made Little Nightmares so distinct and terrifying. Over a disappointingly short runtime, I feel no desire to return for any collectibles, and not one moment has stuck with me. Instead, I’m only left wondering what could have been done better.

Simulacra 2 is at its best when it is rewarding strong attention to detail, and at its worst when it's punishing you for guessing incorrectly in dialogue sequences. The acting is strong by FMV standards too. I like this series and I appreciate how much it grew between the two games. I'm excited to see where they go next with it.

It's clear that the devs at Mega Cat love RPGs, and they might love wrestling even more. This could easily have been a cheap cash-in, a generic RPG with a lazy wrestling facade. The truth is the opposite, and I implore fans of old-school RPGs to check it out whether you like wrestling or not. If you're a wrestling fan, then everything gets even better. You'll get all the references, enjoy the niche moves, and enjoy one of the best wrestling games in years.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a great sports game but only a decent Olympics game. Nearly all of the 20 (or is it 16?) events offer an enjoyable enough time and only a few are bogged down by mechanics, but once you’ve played them all a couple of times, you’re done. If you dabble in the two player mode regularly or find a game online, it could be a deeper experience, but it just feels like the trimmings aren’t quite there. I won the boxing gold medal as a bunny rabbit maid with blue hair though, so there’s that.

I didn’t expect more than a short, fun diversion, but Aliens: Fireteam Elite has the ambitions of a genuine hobby game, and honestly, I think it’s good enough to pull it off.

If you love Croc, and love the idea of playing a polished version of the original game in 2025, that last part doesn’t really matter. All that matters is the remaster is faithful to the original and improves upon it. If you want to play the best version of Croc you’re ever going to play, this remaster is exactly what you’re looking for. If you never played the original and you’re on the hunt for a new platformer, you should absolutely take Croc for a spin.

Everything is earned here, from your gear to the answers to your questions, and the experience is all the better for it. For every battle you fail, a new one appears, yet there is minimal frustration due to the way you can learn from your mistakes. You’ll explore a haunting yet beautiful world, subtly changing as your actions affect the environment, and uncover a well-written story that kept my attention throughout. Miasma Chronicles is a dark journey that is well worth embarking on.

If you're on the fence about Mystery Dungeon, don't be - let this bundle of cuteness be your gateway into the world of grids, numbers, and menus. I've been in love with them for well over a decade at this point, and if there's any game that I could use to sell someone on them, this would be it.

I ultimately have to give it up for Tape 2 and Lost Records as a whole, for delivering an evocative experience that manages to capture what it feels like to be a teenager, even if you weren’t born in the ‘90s. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage’s second and final episode is a mostly satisfying conclusion. I just wish it could have had space to do more than just wrap things up.

New Tales from the Borderlands is the first time that I’ve felt invested in the series since Borderlands 2. It’s a much smaller-scale adventure that sometimes feels more like a movie than it does a game, but its heartfelt cast of characters, (somewhat) smarter humour, and tighter focus make this a tale well worth listening to.

Bye Sweet Carole still needs work, and it shows. Truth be told, though, a few quality-of-life upgrades – controls and hints – would be more than enough to potentially turn this game into one of those titles I come back to over and over again as years go by. Because don’t get me wrong, I am impressed with Bye Sweet Carole as is. But I can’t help imagining what it could be with a few tweaks.

Rehydrated doesn’t do anything that hasn’t been done before, but it looks and plays great with players getting to interact with their favorite goofy characters from the animated series. The game has rekindled my love of this series, and now, I can’t get “Jelly Fish Jam” out of my head.

If the upcoming patch completely irons out the save data, framerate issues, and other technical problems then this could make for a decent bout of fun. Mindlessly chomping on fish while leveling up your shark to be even more murderous can make for an enjoyable albeit frivolous time. As of right now though, until Maneater's problems are definitively dealt with, it might be safer for players to stay out of the water.

When comparing it to its predecessors, the game feels like a sorely needed update. Yes, it treads old ground, with the same crops, monsters, items, and mechanics to deal with, but you can’t really mess with a winning formula, and the game has plenty of worthwhile additions of its own. To sum it up, playing Rune Factory 5 is a compelling, joyous experience that its fans will devour heartily as if it were a plate full of Supreme Curry.

None of Ninjala's issues are beyond fixing. A more informative tutorial can be added in a future update, as can better maps and skins. What counts is that Ninjala's core gameplay is extremely unique and fun. Players that join now just have to be willing to put in the hours to learn what the game doesn't tell them. I sincerely hope this game pops off, because I'll be sticking around for a while.

Espire 1's jank gets in the way of the gameplay far too often to be really enjoyable. There's better action shooters in VR certainly, but I guess we'll just have to keep waiting for a good stealth one.

Although its stealth systems can feel a little too forgiving and easy to work around, Serial Cleaners’ grungey story is still one well-worth going through thanks to its likeable cast, sense of style, varied levels, and satisfying core mechanics that manage to stay fresh throughout the adventure.

Elsinore is a game with a specific audience in mind. Lovers of Shakespeare and point-and-clicks will enjoy unraveling mysteries and creating alternate endings to Hamlet. While the game probably won’t entice anyone outside of that core audience, it still solidifies Golden Glitch as a studio to watch. This game proves that they’re a creative team with a talent for weaving story and gameplay together into a compelling whole.

The Inner Friend is a great game for jump scare enthusiasts and platforming/puzzle fans. Although the short overall narrative isn’t super deep, its message surrounding mental health is one that is more than capable of resonating with players.

The Gunk is not a disastrous game. I enjoyed turning my brain off for five hours and exploring this strange and mysterious planet. It’s okay for games to just be empty calories sometimes, and I wouldn’t knock The Gunk for just being a generic popcorn flick. The Gunk aspires to be more than that though, and it falls considerably short. The quality of the SteamWorld games gavethe expectation that this would be a fresh take on the third-person adventure genre, but The Gunk is too shallow for me to recommend - even in the slow December months. If you’re looking for character-driven action-adventure games on Game Pass, Lake and Firewatch were both added earlier this week. Give those a look and leave The Gunk in the gutter.

So while I'd recommend Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, I'd recommend waiting for a price drop, even if you're a longtime fan. United Games Entertainment GmbH really dropped the ball on this game's price, and it's pretty sad that I can't give it my wholehearted recommendation because of that.

Mecha Break is kind of like a beautiful 8oz filet mignon from the fanciest restaurant in town, with a thick layer of Heinz ketchup splattered on top. Sure, you can scrape off the ketchup and still enjoy the steak, but it would be a lot better if the ketchup just wasn’t there at all.

Even with the History mode being a bit of a letdown, Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections still manages to be one of the best in the series thanks to its excellent Special Story mode and numerous improvements to the fighting mechanics. There’s no better way to celebrate Naruto’s 20th anniversary, and I can only hope that Ultimate Ninja Storm has more to show us in the future as Boruto begins telling its biggest story yet.

In attempting to emulate the cinematic aesthetic of many narrative-driven triple-A games, Deliver Us Mars lost a lot of what made Deliver Us The Moon work. Instead of a charming indie, we’re left with a disappointing wannabe. There’s an interesting story in here that’s able to shine through the dust occasionally, alongside some gorgeous vistas and wonderful sci-fi imagery, but if we get a third entry in the series, I hope it returns to its roots instead of trying to be something it’s not. Bigger isn’t always better.

This is the kind of indie game that I would love to see succeed, and the next steps post-launch, both in terms of ongoing development and community support, will be crucial in determining whether it’s remembered as a Justinian or an Honorius.

I’m old enough to have grown up with unforgiving games, and so I can appreciate a project that goes against the grain at the risk of alienating modern audiences. Even coming in as a genre appreciator, I felt alienated by Shadow Labyrinth. It’s an example of bold game design in a market that becomes more and more risk-averse by the second, and though I hated it at times, I love what Shadow Labyrinth is, and all the respect and admiration for Namco’s video game history that went into it.

The Casting of Frank Stone is among Supermassive’s best work yet, with one of its strongest casts, a story that emboldens Dead by Daylight’s world while standing on its own two feet, and so much thought and care behind every single interaction. Not only is Frank Stone its best since Until Dawn, it even surpasses that seminal modern classic.

Every looter struggles in the early days, and it would be naive think a studio that's never made a game of this type before would nail it right out of the gate. That being said, it's already in way better shape than I ever expected it to be at launch, and, most critically, the combat — particularly in multiplayer — is an absolute blast. I'm hopeful, and I'll be sticking around to see where things go from here.

Rushed is basically the best way to sum up Serious Sam 4. In development for around eight years, I imagine the current global pandemic played a big role in how scattershot everything is. At its core, the weapon feel and early level designs aren't bad. There's a solid game buried under these weird choices, but Croteam seems to have shoved it out the door with little finesse.

As I sit here now, wrapping up this review in an attempt to shut myself up before I accidentally spoil something I would rather people experience for themselves, I am wearing a stupid smile. I am, at this moment, thinking about how great it would be for Recompile to garner the attention, respect, and acclaim it deserves. This is no ordinary game - it is brilliant and ambitious and frustrating in the one and only way that frustration can be a positive term. Recompile is a rare gem in a cave of unremarkable cobblestone, a pearl among cracked shells and coarse sand. If you do one thing after reading this review, do both yourself and I a favour: download Recompile, and once you're done with it, tell your friends to download it, too.

It’s hard not to be disappointed with this 2042 offering. You know when the devs said this is a game to “celebrate Battlefield”? They’ve stripped away some of the most fundamental elements of the series and added tornados and Wingsuits to make up for it. It’s Marketing 101. Explosions, tornados, and swooping helicopters look great. One day, they probably will be great. DICE is one of the best when it comes to post-launch patches - for better and for worse. But if you’re on the fence about buying Battlefield 2042, I would just wait. It’s hard for me to condone purchasing what is essentially an unfinished product - an unfinished product with Battle Passes, too. Just wait. It will be a better game in a year’s time. Maybe even six months. If you’ve never played Battlefield and want to experience some of the sheer beauty of 64v64, I say go for it. Just don’t expect an experience that will keep you interested for more than a couple of weeks.

Even if I’m not quite ready to take Employee of the Month away from Battle for Bikini Bottom, we have the makings of something amazing here. Nickelodeon needs to recognise this potential, and sets its sights higher with the next SpongeBob game.

Despite my frustrations with math and science, the game is carefully designed to encourage experimentation and exploration. A wealth of resources and notes in the encyclopedia help guide you to finding the cure for your illness all while working alongside the most adorable mushrooms you’ve ever seen.

Full Void is on the short side, but that’s no bad thing. There’s only so much you can do to keep someone invested in a dystopian narrative that does little to explain the world it resides in, and this adventure thankfully provides mystery, suspense, and climax in quick succession. I clocked in at just under two hours and came away satisfied. While the metaphors at work err on the self-indulgent side and the gameplay is relatively shallow, Full Void delivers a memorable experience about how it feels to have your childhood ripped away by forces you can’t control.

Its visuals can be striking, but that's about all I can remember about my time with it. At this point, I've played plenty of Soulslikes. The ones that I did enjoy tried to play around with the formula in some way. But Shattered doesn't reinvent the wheel or even try to gussy it up. It's just a so-so Soulslike that tries to stand out by having the same aesthetic as The Corpse Bride. And that's simply not enough.

It's fun, but it never feels like something special. At $5, it's priced right for what it is, but it's hard not to think that the developers could have found a way to make a game that feels more cohesive and consequential - or at very least, found a way to do more than mash different types of classic gameplay together and call it a day.

It's very rewarding.

Even for the niche audience that this game is aimed at, I imagine this will be too unintuitive and exhausting. With a better user interface and some quality of life improvements, I could see how this game could be enjoyable for everyone and not just history buffs. As it is right now, Port Royale 4 is great for those who love crunching numbers, but probably won't be much for those who want to play a video game.

The idea of trying to execute a medieval GTA-style heist while fending off other players is so good that I want it to work. This is just missing some kind of secret ingredient to make everything come together. Maybe after some time and the addition of DLC, this could be a worthwhile game to play with friends. Hopefully, that happens sooner rather than later, as right now Hood: Outlaws and Legends feels more like a missed opportunity than a bullseye.

It is a little rough in places and there's room for improvement, but I'll gladly play something that's as weird and creative as this over another generic triple-A open-world game. If the idea of a mech game crossed with Fern Gully sounds like a good time to you, then I'd say Stonefly is definitely worth a try.

With those yearly grievances aired, Madden NFL 22 is still a worthwhile pickup if you were on the fence. There's nothing that's painstakingly new in this year's release. However, next-gen technology elevates gameplay with more realistic player movements, while home field advantage is, finally, exactly that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go draft Tim Tebow as my starting tight end.

Blanc is nice. It’s not revolutionary, both as a single-player experience and a co-op puzzle game. However, it’s pretty and simple, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s the sort of game that serves a purpose. It’s a pleasant way to spend a night in with someone else.

Life Eater humanises your victims with deft skill and crafts simple, emotional stories without once giving your sacrificial lambs a voice. I often found myself imagining my own life cut up into violent video editing software, and reassessed my own priorities as I stalked through an innocent person’s mundane existence, preparing to rip it away.

Exoprimal is a prehistoric relic of its own making, and a harsh but necessary lesson for a developer who has been sitting atop the pile for far too long. Future seasons could salvage the flashes of excellence on display here, but I doubt players will stick around long enough for that to become a reality. And to think we could have had a new Dino Crisis instead.

Encodya doesn’t bring anything new to the point-and-click genre, but that’s not really what it’s going for. It’s a coming-of-age tale set in a dystopian world that, honestly, doesn’t seem too far off from where we as a society might be headed. Chaosmonger Studio does well to ground Tina in reality, despite living in a world full of superficial facades and virtual dangers - all with the help of her lumbering, lovable companion SAM-53. (Great name, by the way.)

Session is the skating game I've always dreamed someone would make, where performing even a 'simple' trick is significant and challenging. There are no mile-long grinds or 900-degree kickflips here: just real skating in its rawest form. It doesn't just simulate the sport, but the art of skating too. You need to get creative, looking at the everyday clutter of a city and dreaming up ways to make something rad out of it. That's what street skating is all about, and why Session is the best virtual expression of the artform yet.

Miniatures is a game I’m going to ruminate over for a long time. It’s beautiful, melancholy, and purposefully weird, and I really appreciate that. In an industry that so often plays it safe, it’s invigorating to play something so creative and so intent on doing its own thing. Miniatures is beyond comparison, a game to be experienced for yourself above all else.

Somerville is one of the year’s biggest surprises, and I’m still shocked to see it fly under the radar. Its portrayal of an alien invasion raging across the British countryside hit close to home, while the story of a father searching for his family and being tied up in a dilemma so much bigger than he ever imagined is both nothing like I expected and everything I wanted. I can’t wait to see players far smarter than I piece its most devious puzzles together, since there are still so many questions waiting to be answered.

Even if the new artwork lacks even a single iota of the originals’ charm, Langrisser I & II is still a very solid package for SRPG fans.

Even if you don’t become an expert player, Destropolis has plenty to offer in the way of a casual quickplay experience. It feels like it could easily be a mobile title, but it fits well on Nintendo Switch. Destropolis is, at the very least, a nice way to take a break from the holiday craziness for a quick gameplay session or two.

Grit & Valor is, in many ways, exactly what I look for in a roguelike - individual runs aren’t too long, so it’s easy to squeeze in a game or two when time is tight, but there’s plenty of incentive for multi-run marathons as well. Between the compelling combat and the excellent visuals, I can see this being a mainstay of my late-night gaming sessions for the foreseeable future.

The Patrick Star Game is fun, and to see the original cast return for it is a wonderful thing, but this deep-sea sandbox remains in relatively shallow waters despite a rich history of references and callbacks. It’s probably a safe bet to keep your kids entertained for a good while, but for us adults who still have a soft spot for SpongeBob SquarePants, this is still a solid recommendation - just when the game is on sale and you’re looking for something simple to mindlessly work away at.

Every looter struggles in the early days, and it would be naive think a studio that's never made a game of this type before would nail it right out of the gate. That being said, it's already in way better shape than I ever expected it to be at launch, and, most critically, the combat — particularly in multiplayer — is an absolute blast. I'm hopeful, and I'll be sticking around to see where things go from here.

It's interesting to get a look into the past that's as well cared for and presented as Shadow Man Remastered. Maybe I didn't find a new favorite, but there's no reason why you might not end up loving this. If you're okay with having a walkthrough ready and are willing to traipse through the same few corridors numerous times, Shadow Man is certainly a good way to kill some time between big releases.

If you just want a wacky, dependable game with few issues, Yaga will quench your thirst for RPG action.

The Grand Getaway isn’t a good VR game, there’s no getting around that. But it is an excellent Wallace & Gromit short, matching the humour of the likes of A Grand Day Out or A Matter Of Loaf And Death perfectly. Full of heart, all its VR misfires are forgiven when you’re sat in Wallace’s kitchen with a giddy grin on your face.

I wouldn’t recommend playing if your idea of cinematic games is a highly polished triple-A experience. But if you don’t mind a bit of jank, if you don’t care about bowls clipping through each other in the sink as you wash the dishes, then Apartment Story will spin you a fraught tale in which there’s as much tension in getting a shower as there is with your home invader.

If you love Crash Bandicoot and you've been waiting years for what once was Wumpa League, there's probably just enough there to convince you that this is a good game. But it's not. It's a bad game. They shouldn't have made Crash Bandicoot into this thing, and deep down all of us know it.

Exit The Gungeon may not hit the same high notes as its predecessor, but it's still a worthwhile trip to take from the bottom all the way to the top.

If you loved the original Shenmue and Shenmue II, then you'll likely love Shenmue III for how closely it adheres to the original games. If you enjoyed the HD remasters of Shenmue & Shenmue II, then you will likely enjoy Shenmue III as a faithful sequel. There isn't much to recommend for everyone else, as Shenmue III is a ponderous experience that exists more to waste player's time than tell a compelling story.

As much as the game gets wrong, there is still a lot to like. The graphics and animations are stunning, the humor is top-notch, all of the puzzles are incredibly inventive, and the minimalistic HUD does a great job of keeping you focused on the action.

Throughout Schim, you can only watch this man’s life from a few steps behind, and when the time is right, you find him as hope returns and the man finds himself at the same time. There are some beautiful, abstract sequences as the man goes through these stages of depression, development, and betterment, and the lead-up to the final moments are appropriately dramatic and satisfying, completing what is a pure and wholesome experience that casts a bigger shadow than you may expect.

This isn’t a single-player experience with multiplayer tagged on to sell battle passes – if anything, it’s the other way around. I found playing other people more fun than fighting the AI, despite all the triple-A quality cutscenes aimed to curate a perfect experience. But Realms of Ruin goes to show, no matter how stylish your Lord of Change character model is, no matter how well rendered its feathers are, games are nothing without deep gameplay systems and precise controls to back it up.

Oddworld: Soulstorm is clearly a labour of love, and I can see that in everything it does. The ambition that bleeds into its story, characters, and gameplay are all evident, but the execution is just sorely lacking everywhere it matters. Perhaps my perspective on past games is warped by nostalgia, but this isn’t the road I imagined Abe and company going down. It’s in the right direction, but they’ve veered off course and landed themselves in a ditch.

There’s no point to anything in Tron: Identity. It took a magnificent sci-fi world and gave us an hour of closed-off, inconsequential guff to fill the space. Its additions to the Tron mythos are interesting but underused, the characters are flat functions for a deceptively shallow adventure, and you’ll be walking away from the Repository with the vague feeling that you’d just wasted your time.

Gylt is a great gateway game for new players to experience the stealth, horror, and puzzle genres. Otherwise, it doesn’t really add much for veteran players to experience. It certainly doesn’t add anything special to the Stadia’s launch titles, especially since the game is probably coming to other platforms at some point. Gylt may not be a go-to title or a must-buy for Stadia players, but it’s good enough if you have five to six hours to kill.

EqqO is a short game with a lot of creativity in its design. It's worth checking out for those who want a unique puzzle experience on the Switch, so long as they are aware that there are some issues on the technical side of things that can make things more frustrating than they need to be.

But if you don't own a PS5 and wouldn't mind staring at those bright red World Stones from Remnant again, then Chronos: Before The Ashes might make for a decent distraction. Especially since completing this lifelong journey may not take you all that long.

At its core, it's little more than a standard hack 'n slash title. While the environments look good, the game's lack of obstacle-filled platforming is a missed opportunity. While there are far better action games to play, none have the iconic laughter of Aku.

Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived uses dialogue-heavy gameplay to remind us that many extremists start as frustrated people. It mostly succeeds by pulling from all walks of life for its characters. I would've liked to see the gameplay dig just as deep.

It’s impossible not to be charmed by Chinatown Detective Agency. Mei Ting, in particular, is exuberant and spirited (she particularly enjoys the promise of cash), and the motley crew of characters who accompany you in your detective work is far from atypical, as you work together to unravel conspiracies and convoluted schemes. The treacherous plot at the heart of the game, too, will probably take repeated playthroughs to uncover, given the several routes and choices you can pick throughout the game. For all of Chinatown Detective Agency’s imperfections, this is still a case I’d gladly take on, over and over again. Of course, with a web browser and notebook in hand.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is, crashes and caveats aside, an excellent game. Key is a triumph, the puzzles are imaginative, and the final chapter earns everything it demands of you. I’ve spent about 12 hours with it and I find myself wanting to talk about it with everyone who has ever shared even a flicker of an interest in Lovecraft with me. It’s a cosmic horror that brings classic tropes into futuristic dressing and manages to do that well. What’s not to like?

But, I will say that Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars is very true to its subject matter, as it did feel like the life was being sucked out of me as I played it.

I ended up feeling the same way about Shredders in comparison to SSX as I do with Tony Hawk and Skate. I prefer the fast-paced arcade action of the former, but the latter is a great time as well. I’d love to see the core gameplay and vibe of Shredders with a little more budget put into it, as there’s something special hidden underneath all the snow.

This is not the penultimate chapter in Destiny's decade-long story anyone wanted, but even without everything weighing on its shoulders, Lightfall still disappoints.

Park Beyond is a unique experience that has a huge amount of potential that’s not entirely been released yet. I experienced a number of visual glitches in particular and there are still some core features that feel absent. While I don’t need to do a deep dive into micro-management I do wish I could set patrol areas for staff, instead of just restricting their duties. I didn’t even find a way to move them or call them to a specific ride. You just have to Impossify them and trust in their jetpacks and the AI. Things like this feel like an oversight that I hope is changed as the game progresses.

Slitterhead is an incredibly inventive game with a brilliant, novel idea at its core. It’s the exact kind of release we should be uplifting, a new IP that pushes graphics and trends aside to try something fresh.

If you're not into super bosses, save the $30 and just watch all the cutscenes. If you miss the challenge that Sephiroth, Lingering Will, and the Enigmatic Man brought to the games, you're in for a treat.

Right now, Payday 3 is a foundation. The heisting itself is better than it’s ever been, with quality of life changes, more confident level designs, and improved stealth mechanics that make it stand above Payday 2. But in making the jump to it, you’re also giving up the years of updates and general stuff Payday 2 offered. If you’re a newcomer to the series, or a lapsed crook coming back to it, this is a great jumping on point. If you’re already invested in the series, you might find it difficult going back to basics.

Mostly, Detective Pikachu Returns does what its title promises. It’s a little longer than the first game, coming in at just over 20 hours, but other than that it’s still Pikachu stealing the show, some cosy and straightforward crimes that take a little too long, and some more interesting puzzles on the way. It won’t make you think too hard, but it’s relaxing and opens up the world of Pokemon a little wider. Fans of the first game will welcome the sequel with open arms, but those looking for a Pokemon-themed LA Noire may need to keep searching.

Despite its combat and platforming only being serviceable and the overall package needing a bit more polish, Mutants Unleashed still managed to be a turtle surprise because of how much love and understanding it has for the source material. It may not reach the same gameplay heights of Shredder’s Revenge or Splintered Fate, but it has one of the best tales to tell of any TMNT game.

To be invited into such an exclusive circle in Swansong is a frankly riveting proposition—I can’t deny that there’s a thrill, verging on tabloid-level curiosity, in mingling with the distastefully powerful, uncovering their dirtiest secrets, and conniving with the Prince of Boston. But still the most intriguing bit about Swansong is to have all these politicking depicted as layers of conversations and sleuthing, which are exploits that are far more human than the game’s supernatural brethren would believe.

Ultimately there just isn't enough here, and even for an indie game in a world of huge budgets, I don't think it's unfair to point that out. Pupperazzi is sweet and delivers what it promises, but you need to make your own fun because the game doesn't test you in any meaningful way, and nor does it let you apply your own creativity to it enough. But it lets you take pictures of doggos, and that's all some people will need.

Someday You’ll Return feels like an amalgamation of every loosely-defined action/adventure horror title on Steam. The developers may well have tried to put their own spin on things—the game’s authentically marked, genuinely gorgeous hiking trails and thrilling, psychological, at times gory, grotesque later sections do stand out—but it’s hard to recommend this over any of the dozens of similar titles available on any other platform. Plus, with an asking price of thirty dollars, it’s best to steer clear of this one for now.

I had a great time playing Pax Augusta, and while it’s a niche game for a niche audience, anyone who has fond memories of playing historical city-builders will enjoy this breath of fresh air. A game built with real care and attention in a developer’s spare time, self-taught with YouTube tutorials. The fact the game is half as good as it is an incredible feat of development.

The Outer Worlds is an engaging outer space RPG. As the Stranger, you have the ability to bring change to the Halcyon system. There are many dialogue decisions to make, from persuading a peaceful resolution, to simply going on the attack. Combat may not be the best, but there is a nice array of weapons to choose from. If one only has the Switch, it's still worth playing. But, with the technical issues, it's better to play it on other consoles.

Mineko’s Night Market is a delightful journey that explores childlike storytelling and themes of tradition and friendship in a way that captivates players. Its beautiful style and emphasis on Japanese culture draw you in, but the compelling and varied gameplay makes you stay. Its slow and simple start may be off-putting for some, but if you’re starting a cute little life sim game like this and expecting fast-paced drama, you’re at the wrong market stall.

The Dying World comes to us after a messy early access period, and it shows. The pacing is all over the place, and parts of the narrative feel unfinished. The finished stuff is fantastic, but the rest leaves so much potential left unexplored.

If you liked Immortals, this is basically the same game again, but shorter and with Chinese myths. It’s a shame that a different studio couldn’t, for whatever reason, make its DLC distinct from the base game, but if you want to experience a little bit more of Immortals Fenyx Rising, Myths of the Eastern Realm has you covered. It’s a disappointment, but it’s not a disaster.

The difficulty is the only other thing that may be offputting to some. I'm a play-on-easy mode person for various reasons, but even then, I had to restart several scenarios because it took a few tries to get the resources and military balance correct. There are different difficulty levels but if you are new to the franchise or take a while to get your head around how new units and mechanics work the learning curve may feel steep. However, if you stick it out then you'll find it's all worth it. Also, if it all gets too much just hit up free build mode and explore the new troops, defenses, and mechanics in a far more relaxing environment.

For all my issues with Saints Row, I keep telling myself 'at least it's fun, and the reason people play these games is not for the characters, or the story, or the weak social viewpoint the game puts forward, but the fun'. It's become a mantra. Like a little train going up a mountain: At least it's fun. at least it's fun, at least it's fun. The further I got through the game, the less I felt that was true.

Paleo Pines is a largely successful execution of standard farming sim formulas and brings an interesting new (read: peaceful) interpretation to the monster-tamer genre. Collecting and caring for dinosaurs is the most compelling part of the game, almost to the detriment of other mechanics. As it stands, the game is a little unbalanced and could do with more effort put into the dinosaur-centric mechanics and less reverence placed on tying progression to arbitrary limits on player freedom.