I do like Starseeker, its happy-go-lucky vibes and approach to an extraction game, and it is a nice time dipping in for one or two expeditions and then logging back out. Clearly this is just the first step with its Early Access release – and there was a scramble over the past week to get the Switch 2 version in sync with the others for multiplayer – but I hope it grows and evolves sooner than later. [Early Access Review]

It’s slick, incredibly slick, and the simplicity of the combat fits perfectly when it comes to what the game is doing. Clockfall is very cool already, and it’s only just getting started. [Early Access Review]

The off-the-wall humour, simplicity of the mechanics, and genuinely catchy music made for a very fun experience. I only played around 10 of the confirmed over 100 games, but there was more than enough there to get me looking forward to tapping my feet along to whatever nonsense the rest of the game holds. [Hands-On Impressions]

You’ve got to make some of your own fun with Dead As Disco, otherwise your time with this current Early Access version will be over pretty quick compared to the cost of entry. If you’re in it for the long-haul, though, the development roadmap for the game promises a massive amount of new content, including an entire co-op mode. We’ll have to see if the game sticks the landing once it hits 1.0, but for now it’s already off to an incredibly strong start. [Early Access Review]

I had a great time with this return to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. This, to me, could go down as one of the very best game remakes, from the graphical upgrades to the gameplay and progression tweaks and the smattering of new missions. [Hands-On Impressions]

All of the inherent strengths of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle remain in place on the Switch 2, and it performs surprisingly well overall. If the team can improve some of the lighting and shadowing issues, it would be a nigh-on perfect port, of one of the best games of recent years. [Switch 2 impressions]

Super Alloy Crush is one of the most promising side-scrolling action games I've played in a long time. It's clearly a labor of love, and obviously in a very Early Access state of development, but I can't wait to see what it becomes as it heads toward a full release. [Early Access Score = 70]

Morbid Metal is an action-packed arena brawler, and even though the roguelike subsystems under the hood are currently a bit lacking, it’s still an absolute joy to shred through metallic foes while equally metal music blares in the background. [Early Access Review]

There are also more than a handful of bugs at this point, but that’s to be expected. I think if you’ve been waiting for this game for ages, then you’ll likely enjoy what’s on offer at this point. There’s a lot of fun to be had right now, even if it’s not complete. However, if you’ve been on the fence about the whole thing, I don’t know that this iteration of the game is going to do later versions justice. If you’re one of those people. it might be best to wait for a bit for more updates first. [Early Access Review]

Ultimately, so long as you don’t go in expecting a hyper-realistic tactical simulator, Rogue Point is a good bit of fun. It’s a bit rough and ready, it’s fairly unserious if you have a gung-ho approach, and you can end up with some wild difficulty swings, but there’s an enjoyable shooter to play with the right group of friends, and only some of it is in drawing willies. [Early Access Review]

There's so much going on in Heretical, and I love basically all of it. [Early Access Score = 80]

We’ve still got the bulk of the game to go, but it already feels pretty clear where this game will land for people. If you enjoyed the first game and still adore Rick and Morty’s ad-libbed humour, then this is absolutely for you. This brings plenty more of that same tone, but there’s a sprinkling of new ideas and fun diversions that could make it appeal more broadly. [Review in Progress]

There’s something very compelling at work in Bladesong. The sense of desperation, danger and destitution run through the opening hours of the Campaign with alarming force, and in some ways the smithing and swordmaking is simply the means to explore and experience more of this world. I love the writing, and the classic adventure threads that run through each moment really help to pull you onwards. [Early Access Review]

It's not often I see a game that has one interesting idea that it leans on it so heavily that it snaps. "No creation without destruction" or not, there isn't enough game here to wrap around the cool visuals and the issue is so egregious that you grow tired of those visuals very quickly. Boring and frustrating, the only dream you'll have here is of playing another game.

So far, Aethermancer is proving to be a fun roguelike that seems to have a lot of potential depth to it, essentially forcing you to experiment with different party members to find different ways in which they can support each other in battle. I am looking forward to what will come next for the game, and anyone who enjoys roguelikes, creature collecting and battling should be keeping an eye on Aethermancer too. [Early Access Review]

Cloudheim’s first steps into Early Access are very enjoyable, and there’s a lot more here than you might find in other games taking that step. As it stands, this is a great-looking action-adventure, with seriously enjoyable combat, and one which is already well worth getting on board with. [Early Access Review]

On the whole, I’m enjoying Moonlighter 2’s Early Access release. It’s a decent mechanical upgrade over the original game in the majority of areas, but it’s also fair to say that it’s losing a little something in the transition, and I find it a bit less whimsical. If you want more stuff to do and love a meta-grind though, then this game should satisfy that nicely. [Early Access Review]

Do you enjoy playing co-op games with your partner, child, friend or assorted loved one? Then please, in the name of Zeus himself, don’t play Biped 2. The intense challenge of this sequel can ruin your relationships with those closest to you as you shout and yell at each other in a desperate, but futile, attempt to make it through the most masochistic level design I’ve ever encountered.

We’re only two episodes in on the eight-episode arc, but Dispatch is already making a bid for one of my favourite games of the year. If you’re into Invincible or a fan of Telltale’s best works – that’s The Wolf Among Us, just so we’re clear – then you owe it to yourself to get onboard with Dispatch. You’ll still be in time for the water-cooler chat. [Episodes 1-2 review]

Ratatan is exactly what I wanted it to be. In Early Access this is a fresh, modern take on Patapon’s iconic action with an invigorating visual design and awesome soundtrack. All I want now from the journey to 1.0 is even more of this. [Early Access Review]

Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is a dodgy fighting game with oversimplified mechanics, a thin roster, and barely any game modes. As far as full-priced modern fighting games go, you can do far better with almost any other game.

I’ve been waiting for Skate. Tony Hawk’s frantic take on the sport is cool, but it doesn’t feel as good as this. The freedom, the variety, and the community, are already in place, the only thing missing, is you. [Early Access Review]

Grounded 2 already has a clear advantage over its predecessor, taking everything that worked well in the original while making smart changes to various mechanics, making things more natural and easier to live with. I can’t wait to see where it heads over the coming months, as it feels like Grounded 2 could be another essential title for Obsidian and Xbox. [Early Access Review]

It's hard to recommend Space Drop. It's very basic in just about every way and quickly becomes too repetitive as you continue playing. Perhaps sidestepping to the rhythm action could have spiced it up, or most kinds of environments and obstacles, it would have kept my interest. As it is, it's just too dull.

Neverwinter Nights 2 Enhanced Edition does the bare minimum as it brings the game to consoles. It looks a bit better, but that's about it. It's still buggy and rough around the edges, but it is at least Neverwinter Nights 2. If you really want to sit back and play it with a controller, this will do it for you. If you want anything more, the original is more than playable on pretty much any PC, and has deep mod support.

Titan Quest II makes a great first impression in Early Access. Its enveloping world, tough but fair combat and deep loot and experience trees, are perfectly weighted to pull you ever deeper into myth and legend. [Early Access Review]

Despite a fascinating premise, one inspired by both Chinese folklore and real-life history, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers resolutely fails to deliver on any of its initial early promise. This is a Soulslike by the numbers, one hampered by a cornucopia of PS5 performance issues that plague the game like a disease.

More akin to playing through a proof of concept than a finished game, Scar-Lead Salvation fails to live up to the pitch of being an anime Returnal.