EA Sports FC 24 is the same game you know and love, for better and worse. Gameplay feels good, PlayStyles are a fantastic addition that allow you to succeed while truly playing your way, but the game is held back by its focus on Ultimate Team, which excels at the expense of the rest of the game. Single-player modes feel completely neglected and in many ways have gone backwards since the last game, to the point where buying this feels pointless if you’re not going to play online.

Tiny Racers succeeds in being a solid racing title, especially considering that the game is only $10 on the Nintendo eShop. The game doesn’t set the racing genre on fire, but is a great game to snag for younger gamers or for those just in need of some quick and unassuming MicroMachines-style races.

The price point is just a bit too high at the moment, and it’s definitely not going to wow those hoping for a definitive VR sports title. Yet, most will find that it does what it says on the box and can be a fun time once the initial learning curve is conquered.

Playing Cris Tales is like reading an especially lyrical Paulo Coelho novel, except every ten pages or so, someone slaps it out of your hands. Then you realise some pages are out of order, and you need to flick through the seemingly random pattern before you continue. Also, some pages are so smudged and coffee stained you can’t read them, and a few pages haven’t been translated at all. When Cris Tales works, it’s a wonderful experience, and there’s a great game in here somewhere, but it sabotages itself at every turn. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Dreams Uncorporated - but Cris Tales is a near miss that looks to the future, while clinging too hard to the past.

I’m not going to say “buyer beware” in regards to the Switch version of Skatebird. By all means, if you have younger gamers or Switch is your primary gaming device, then playing Skatebird on Switch will probably be just fine for you. However, if you have the option, go with the PC version of the game, especially considering that the game is coming to Xbox Game Pass next month. Even though many of its tropes are a bit played out within the genre, Skatebird is a game that knows it’s silly, and embraces it in a way that makes it fun to play (on PC).

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.

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.

On the whole, Spirittea is an enjoyable management sim with a strong concept and charming pixel art that’s ultimately let down by a lack of polish.

If you're looking for a psychological thriller to sink your teeth into, you could definitely do worse than Twin Mirror, but it's honestly only worth checking out if you're strapped for choices.

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.

The sheer amount of references in Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl made me want to rewatch all of Kevin Smith’s catalog of films, probably while replaying Mall Brawl to find any I missed (I know what you’re thinking, and yes - Dogma is in Mall Brawl). A serviceable beat ‘em up makes it a fine enough game for fans of the genre. Mostly, it’s a game for fans of Jay and Silent Bob as a way to pass the time until Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch makes its way into our loving hands.

If the Switch is the only choice you have, it's not the worst option. This is perfectly playable and works fine. But if you can somehow play this in person with your small group of socially distanced friends or on your PC while talking through Discord, then that would be the optimal way to experience this lovely little game.

Kaiserpunk is awesomely ambitious, and I respect the game a lot for what it’s attempting to do. Fans of both the series it draws from will find aspects of Kaiserpunk they’ll enjoy. However, I just feel like I’d rather play either Anno or Hearts Of Iron - both games that are available on Steam often for the price of less than a pint. I hope that work on Kaiserpunk continues and the developers flesh out some of the systems, rework the UI, and work on both key aspects of the game (city building and regional management) to add more detail. There’s a lot of potential here, but Kaiserpunk’s just not quite ready for war.

None of these features are particularly groundbreaking or game-defining. As always with a new FC game I think that there has to be a better and fairer way for this to work for the consumer. My ideal is always a seasonal model, one that follows the real-world football season. Update the existing game, set everyone back to zero - with legacy cards for those who still want to play with their old teams and look back on cards they’ve collected - and provide live-service content updates as EA does for so many of their other titles. That way you get the same buzz of a new game without having to pay £100 for basically the same game engine, graphics, and features every year.

Coffee Talk Tokyo is a handsomely endearing experience about listening to people and being there for them. The vibes are calming and lovely and it mostly earns its neat resolutions, but there are points where it mistakes sincerity for depth and those points do stick out all the more in a game entirely reliant on them. The good outweighs the bad, however, and I’m certain that there is something for anyone whose interest gets piqued by this game that makes it worth the price of a few evenings.

Had the characters been a little more charming, had each day’s play lasted slightly longer, and had there been something - anything - else to do outside of each day’s central tasks, Cozy Grove would be a much stronger game. But in such a crowded genre where everyone is struggling to emerge from the shadows of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, it’s hard to recommend a game like Cozy Grove.

If you’re yearning for a test of skill – or at least something that can’t be beaten by taping down the attack button and pushing forward – Riverbond is unlikely to fulfill your need for hacking and slashing.

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.

VR is still waiting for its Breath of the Wild moment. Climbing is still only allowed on certain surfaces, certain cliffs, certain patches of a giant bat’s disgusting dry skin. It’s very much a ‘yellow paint’ scenario. Battles occur only in prescribed arenas. Straying from the intended path is discouraged. Enemy AI is basic. The plot may as well be non-existent. Behemoth makes the most of its medium, but I can’t wait for the first VRPG to abandon these archaic design philosophies in favour of complete virtual freedom.

It is a gorgeous game, with an excellent sense of atmosphere, and decidedly troubled gameplay. At its best, it plays like a classic rotoscoped platformer, which can feel charming in its own right, but at its worst, it is cumbersome and awkward. This Samurai most certainly has spirit, but his sword could use a little sharpening.

The Big Journey definitely feels like a game made for mobile devices. However, it works just fine on the Nintendo Switch. It may not be a must-own title, but for Switch owners who are looking to turn off their brain after a hectic day, they could do a lot worse than the reasonably-priced The Big Journey.

I’ve grown to enjoy it more and more as I’ve played. But despite how much I can enjoy it, I can’t get away from those minor frustrations, as much as I’d like to. Bravely Default 2 makes a compelling case for itself as a modern JRPG that evokes the classic era, but it doesn’t do as much with the concept as modern contemporaries, and it never quite reaches the soaring highs of those classics, either. This is a game in between a rock and a hard place, and while it will definitely find its audience, it won’t make it onto any list of essential RPGs as its predecessor did.

Disney Tsum Tsum Festival may not be the go-to party game option on a Friday night, but it’s a solid enough game for families with younger gamers. Disney fans will also enjoy the game simply because of the cute Tsum versions of their favorite Disney characters.

Ultimately, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax doesn’t seem to quite know who it’s for. It should be aimed at Persona fans, but the steep learning curve and lack of fan service elements lean away from that idea. As a fighting game, it doesn’t seem that compelling either, and asks for heavy investment in a story that’s relatively light on gameplay. It will find some fans, but it doesn’t look likely to pick up many outsiders. But hey, at least it has rollback netcode now.

If you can get past Edward’s cumbersome quips, the story of Murder on Space Station 52 is worth checking out. Puzzle fans who enjoy a chance to scratch their chin before the solution dawns on them will find plenty of things to love, but be prepared to rake that same hand through your hair when you get frustrated at some of the more convoluted answers. The game’s air of mystery and sense of style are fully on point throughout, but man was I happy to step out of Edward’s shoes for some peace and quiet when I rolled credits.

Some innovation or an interesting take on combat, or something more meaningful in the progression of a character with Sparklite as a resource would have helped, but as it stands both are rather bland. It is a shame because, in terms of design, the art and level themes are lovely, but the gameplay looks and feels predictable. Sparklite is certainly a good game, but not great.

If Death Stranding were a movie, it undoubtedly would have been a hit, which is a good sign for Kojima Productions’ move into the cinematic space. Though the video game has enough spectacular moments to earn a passing grade, the amount of downtime keeps it from receiving a glowing recommendation.

Aside from the monetisation, Apex Legends Mobile is a great distillation of the full game, with clever adaptations and quality of life updates to Legend abilities and game modes that make the battle royale shine on the smallest screen. For players transitioning from console or PC, controller support will be practically necessary, but players coming from other mobile games will have an easier time adapting.