If you’re after an anime-infused action romp in a similar vein to Akira or Sword Art Online, Scarlet Nexus is almost certainly worth a punt. However, there are a few caveats. Combat is excellent yet not without its flaws, while the story being told and characters you encounter don’t have nearly enough depth to feel emotionally resonant. The potential for something brilliant is here, but much like Code Vein before it, this is a game that seems determined to stop itself from achieving something truly special.

The difficulty without much progression and lack of any kind of guidance can make BPM feel a bit unwelcoming, which is a shame when its mechanics feel so great to learn. It's worth diving into for the core premise alone, but don't expect to have anyone hold your hand through hell.

Planet of Lana is a delightful puzzle platformer that hits that sweet spot in more ways than one. It’s not too challenging nor too simple, and though it could have delivered endless levels of similar ideas, it only takes enough time as it needs to tell the perfect story of friendship and survival.

This all leaves me feeling mixed. On a basic level, Revenge of the Savage Planet is pretty fun. Despite shotgunning most of it in two days, I was happy to play more. Moving from a double jump to a grapple to a rail grind to a stomp is simple fun...But it feels like some identity has been lost in the game's expansion. In broadening out to encompass four planets and change, Revenge loses touch with the series' foundations. It's a more curated open-world experience than, say, Assassin's Creed Shadows, but it isn't nearly as different from that kind of mainstream triple-A open-world game as its roots would lead you to expect. Revenge of the Savage Planet seems to have confidently marched in this direction, but I'm not sure it was the right one.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is a game that is full of charm and wit, with a world that is so fun that it makes you want to explore every corner of its colorful landscape. The combat system lets it down (outside of the boss battles), but it's more of a grind than a nuisance. Paper Mario: The Origami is a great game despite its flaws, and it's a return to form for the series.

Lost Judgment delivers another fantastic thriller that ups the ante when it comes to its intricately woven plot and interesting cast of characters, all while making you question where the line is drawn between the law and true justice. And when all is said and done, you can sit and celebrate with some sushi.

In terms of the rhythm genre, AVICII Invector doesn’t necessarily blow me away overall, other than the cathartic connection I had during some of the levels. But if you’re a fan of the genre or AVICII and his music, AVICII Invector is definitely a well-executed game that should be added to your collection.

The wait to get the game fully stable is worth it, since this expansion is looking likely to shoot straight to the top of all the best expansions ranked lists. Snowy Escape offers more depth than pretty much any Sims 4 expansion I've ever played, and that's not just the snow.

The Star Force Legacy Collection brings back the underrated spin-off in the best way possible. It looks and plays better than ever while also featuring a number of worthwhile bonuses both hardcore fans and newcomers alike will appreciate. There are a few remaining flaws to take into account, but seldom did these truly infringe upon the experience.

Sometimes, you don't need to be the hero of the epic adventure. Sometimes, it can be more fulfilling to enable others to maximise their potential in your stead. Sometimes, the safety and security of your own four walls are the escape from your traumatic past that you needed. Buy another round, and I'll tell you that tale, too.

Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf builds on the delightful world that the first game whisked us away to and delivers yet another beautiful and touching tale. It raises the bar when it comes to puzzles and challenges, while giving us some much-anticipated answers as to where Mui came from and the more technologically advanced society that existed in the ancient past. Lana is more grown-up here, and so the darker story feels right at home as we continue this journey with her, and I’m now left in anticipation of her next chapter.

If you're looking for a relaxing, calm, amusing short story, Wide Ocean Big Jacket should be a perfect choice to help pass the hour.

I love Doom lore, and this expansion goes exactly where I was hoping it would go. The three levels are wonderfully designed and have some of the most memorable set pieces in the entire game. There's a fight in a foggy swamp against invisible enemies that I adored and there's one particular arena with transforming pillars that I found to be really inspired. I think the combat has become too complicated and I hope Part Two can reign it in a bit, though at this point, I'm expecting to fight three Marauders all possessed by spirits and buffed by totems while turrets shoot me to death. Don't feel bad about lowering the difficulty on this one even if you got through Eternal on Nightmare. It's not you, the game is just frustratingly hard now.

Despite its flaws, Fallen Order is a thrilling adventure with an appropriately ragtag group of misfits and familiar themes of honor, temptation, betrayal, and redemption. I just wish it came in a cleaner package with more thoughtful progression, and maybe a few less ponchos.

The charm of Art of Rally is in its free roam mode, especially after unlocking all of the vehicles and tracks. Zooming around the game’s colorful, beautifully designed environments with the easy tunes of the soundtrack is a surprisingly great way for me to zone out after a stressful day. If the controls, especially for a hand-held controller, can be tightened up even just a little bit, Art of Rally could become a title that I play every day - whether it be during a warm-up session before a night of gaming, or as a way to close out a long day.

Brothers isn't perfect. Its blend of serious tone and incomprehensible delivery doesn't fully work, and its characters (especially a female character introduced late in the game) are more archetypes than believable people. However, the remake's improved presentation of the original's unique gameplay make it well worth experiencing. Even if, like me, you're a decade late to the party.

Competitive players already use Pinball FX to practice, and now they have an even better tool to do so. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t enjoy playing this, including the pinball-averse. At the end of the day that may be my favorite thing about Pinball FX VR and why I’ll end up getting more mileage out of it than any other pinball game. Now when I introduce someone to VR I’ll be able to put them in a familiar setting with very little movement and let them play a game they already know how to play. This offers the best intro to VR ever, and the fact that it’s such a high-quality and meticulously designed game just makes it that much better.

The difficulty may push some people away, but those that commit to learning the ropes are in for a thrilling and unforgettable experience.

Even if Ryu doesn’t quite get the attention he deserves after so long, that was nowhere near enough to stop me from falling head over heels with Ninja Gaiden 4 and jumping straight into another playthrough. Platinum clearly understands what makes the series so special and has done an incredible job building on the razor-sharp formula that we’ve all been missing for nearly a decade. It’s good to have you back, Ninja Gaiden, and I pray that this is just the start.

Five Dates not only portrays dating in a digital world in a succinct and believable manner, but it’s also a title that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as some of the greatest rom-com films of all-time.

From stoner oracles to gods who have been turned into trees, to the sheer batshittiness of its entire cast of gods and monsters, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a genuine joy to play, and a real treat for Greek mythology lovers. It’s got personality to burn, and both puzzle and combat design capable of mechanically backing it up. It’s a shame that the platforming can be so unforgiving, and that crashes happen far more than you’d like them to, but these are both problems that can be rectified in future updates. Once that happens, Immortals could easily - and surprisingly - go down as one of the best games of the year.

It’s rare for games this introspective to be made with such delicacy, and Hibiscus & Butterfly is a gem that’s shaped with care for detail and a great amount of love. Love is everywhere in this game, from the carefully written dialogue to the drinks referring to the developer’s own Southeast Asian region. The game’s message, really, is about love for yourself and for others, and in a world where everything feels like an opportunity for more division, it feels incredibly healing to play a game so focused on empathy and connection with the people around us.

Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a reminder that no matter what dimension he’s put in, Kirby is one of Nintendo’s most consistently brilliant series.

Siege X is a bold, uneven evolution that both honors and undercuts what made Rainbow Six special in the first place. It’s more polished and more ambitious, but also less focused, less grounded, and occasionally less fun. Whether you love it or hate it will depend entirely on what you want from Siege in its tenth year.

Pathologic 3 is about disease and friction and difficult choices. It is not a game for everyone, and it doesn’t try to be. It’s demanding and deliberately obscure, and asks you to embrace failure as part of its teaching method; that will put people off. But for those willing to meet it on its terms, it offers one of the most thematically rich and emotionally resonant experiences in recent memory. I wouldn’t go back in time to avoid this roller coaster, but I also wouldn’t want to live through it all over again.

I'd definitely recommend Hatsune Miku: Project Diva MegaMix to newcomers and would recommend it to fans looking for a new portable experience. But if you've got access to a PlayStation 4 and don't care about portability, you're still better off picking up Future Tone.

This game shines and stands out from other games with significantly larger budgets and developer teams. Project Warlock is definitely worth a couple of thousand shots at demons and is as enjoyable on console as it was on PC.

Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail starts with a slow burn that builds into an emotional, captivating inferno that tackles some deep themes and effectively balances new elements with old beats in more ways than one. Overall, it’s a brilliant first chapter to the new story arc that has left me eager to learn more about what the future holds in new patches and later expansions. I’ve fallen in love with Tural and its characters, and more importantly, Dawntrail has me obsessed on a new level with FF14 in a way the game has never achieved before.