Toxic Commando never really manages to be more than the sum of its parts. It's enjoyable, and the big horde set pieces remain a gaming highlight, especially at its peaks in the finale, but like a 90s family holiday, there's also just a lot of time spent looking at a map to plan your route, and then driving to the next sightseeing stop while the kids in the back pretend to shoot stuff out the window.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is probably the best of the series so far, with an atmosphere and narrative that will hook you in and leave you feeling incredibly immersed. There is a great deal of depth to the camera-based combat and exploring the village is a wonderfully atmospheric experience. I could have done without the stalker enemies and the game throws a vast amount of lore and optional side stories at you at times, but the core game deserves to push the series into wider appreciation.

Love Eternal is an experience that lingers, with a story that can be interpreted in many ways depending on your own views. It's both unnerving and tough, which will appeal to those who enjoy the challenge of precision platformers, but it may prove frustrating to those with slower reactions than the game demands.

I'm pretty disappointed with Greedfall: The Dying World. Despite going through Steam Early Access, the end product is buggy and messy, and the combat uninspiring. This combined with slow pacing that gives three false endings to the opening before you get into the open world makes it get old quickly. Perhaps wait for a sale, or a lot of patches to fix things up a bit.

Under the Island is the perfect fit for gamers who long for the older days of dungeon exploration focused Zelda titles and is one of the most polished and enjoyable retro throwbacks you’ll find. The charming story and characters, and the high quality of the level design help this to really shine.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is the best entry in the spin-off series yet, with gorgeous artwork, impeccable world-building, and an excellent Monster Hunter tale to tell. I can’t imagine a better gateway to the world of Monster Hunter than this.

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]

Ratcheteer DX is not a bad game, but it does have issues that stop it from being great. The story and the world that we see is well put together, but navigating that world can be a chore at times. It is a game that has moments of brilliance through its puzzling, yet I can’t look past some of the game’s more frustrating elements.

With superb retro visuals, OTT combat, and four player co-op, Scott Pilgrim EX is a suitable love letter to the brilliance of the original graphic novels. Sure, there’s some issues that will spoil you and your pals’ fun on occasion, but overall Scott and his friends – and enemies – are well worth your time.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is a bog standard retro-inspired Metroidvania. There’s energetic combat and strong boss fights, though neither can quite make up for the dreary exploration and boring story, resulting in an OK experience. For me, when it comes to a franchise as legendary as God of War, OK isn’t nearly enough.

I still love the series and am keen to see it continue, but Legacy of Kain: Defiance just hasn’t aged well and represents the very nadir of PS2-era action adventure games. The repetitive combat and uninspired level design grow tedious and the new additions are not particularly exciting. The use of AI upscaled textures helps explain the underwhelming nature of the graphical updates and is emblematic of a remaster that feels cheap. Considering the original game is still available on Steam and PlayStation, I’d suggest picking that up instead. Like so many modern vampires, this game’s resurrection is more of a curse than a blessing.

A gorgeous cinematic puzzling adventure, Planet of Lana 2 features perfectly pitched puzzles, a moving narrative, charming characters and stunning visuals that will live long in your memory after finishing it.

Esoteric Ebb is an achievement in video game storytelling, and one of the most endearing, hilarious and immersive roleplaying experiences I've ever had in the medium. It's absolutely a must-play, and carves out an astonishing identity for itself beyond the D&D and Disco Elysium inspirations that drive it.

Whilst Mimimi Games might be sadly gone, real-time tactics lovers shouldn’t fear as Artificer Games are here to continue their legacy. Not only a brilliant console conversion, Sumerian Six is a thrillingly inventive real-time strategy game in its own right, one that encapsulates much of what made Shadow Tactics, Desperados 3, and Shadow Gambit so great, though this time with the added fun of mauling Nazis.

Pokémon Pokopia is almost exactly as cosy as we hoped. It's more active and goal-oriented than Animal Crossing, but there's still a laid-back, charming atmosphere to rebuilding the world and making it a new home for yourself and all the other Pokémon left behind.

I Hate This Place is close to being a really good fusion of base building and isometric shooter, but never quite nails the game feel. Stealth is mostly a case of sneaking through vents, combat is repetitive and becomes too easy with more powerful weapons, and the base building parts function more like an idle game. To top it off, the story kind of fizzles out and the game ends just as the mechanics start to get established. There is a fun pulp horror experience here, but it doesn’t meet its clear potential.

Resident Evil Requiem is a superb entry in the series and feels like a ‘best of’ at times with the persistent Easter eggs, references, and gameplay callbacks to the full range of earlier games. There is a vast amount of wider lore for fans of that part of Capcom’s legendary titles, but even newcomers will be caught up in the narrative and balls to the wall gameplay. RE Requiem is up there with the very best of the series.

The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest isn’t a bad game, and the handful of hours you’ll spend with it will certainly pass the time with a decent level of enjoyment, but there isn’t really anything particularly memorable here. The procedural generation means that subsequent playthroughs will feature slightly different layouts, though this undercuts the intricate level design that good search adventure games need. Coupled with the sometimes questionable humour and you have a title that can offer a passing distraction but won’t stay with you.

While the review here tends toward the critical, I didn’t hate my time with The 9th Charnel. It is definitely over-priced as a first-time developer’s project and I don’t think anyone will feel that its 4 hour runtime justifies a price close to that of Silksong. If this was around £5 then it’d be a different matter but I can’t really recommend the game as things stand. If Saikat Deb builds on this, however, and focuses on the gameplay over the confusing narrative then their next project might be more successful.

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

Crisol: Theater of Idols is a unique take on survival horror that has swiftly became one of my favourite games in a long while. It takes classics like Resident Evil 4 and Bioshock and fuses them into a brand new nightmare. The twisting narrative, the mix of gameplay mechanics, and the sheer visceral thrill of the game once it gets its claws into you all combine to make this perhaps my happiest gaming surprise in years. If this glowing review wasn’t enough to convince you, it’s even priced incredibly competitively and puts many far more expensive titles to shame. Crisol truly deserves to become more than just a cult classic and will be in the conversation for horror game of the year, even with some obvious competition on the horizon.

Just like with its bizarre setting and over-the-top visuals, the overall experience of Aerial Knight’s Dropshot is uneven. There’s complete brilliance in places, such as the thrilling races, but they come alongside some rather uninspired and borderline frustrating combat. If I could just have a game full of the rival chases, and get rid of the fighting, this would be terrific. As it is, it’s alright.

There are moments where Gear.Club Unlimited 3 nearly comes together, but when other games like JDM and Tokyo Xtreme Racer exist, it becomes clear just how much of a poor facsimile it is.

Don't Stop, Girlypop! is a yassified delight and the kind of unabashedly girl-power game I love to see. I just wish that as much energy went into the polish and game design as it went into the art, vibes, and killer soundtrack.

You really should play Dispatch. This funny and surprisingly touching superhero adventure is something to be savoured. Just don’t play it on Nintendo Switch, the clumsy censorship renders a terrific game a rather mediocre one instead.

Clue: Murder By Death fully immerses the player in a thoroughly realised 1930’s era country estate murder mystery with the welcome addition of cute, cartoony visuals. Sadly, the game is somewhat let down by a frustrating two-hour real-time playthrough limit that collides with tedious character walking speeds and frequent clunky load screens.

I like Hordes of Hunger, but I don't love it, and in a field of games that are a lot like this, it's hard to recommend. That being said, if you're someone who wants to indulge in a grimdark fantasy world and hit things a lot, this could be a good chance to do so.

Reanimal is bold and uncompromising evolution of Tarsier’s signature style, darker, stranger, and far less forgiving than anything that came before. I was repulsed, I was unsettled, and I loved it.

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]

Citadelum is a great city builder, and it absolutely sings on Switch 2 thanks to the console’s mouse controls. After this, console city builders will never be the same again.

The overall experience of Dark Auction is quite the contradiction, just like its genre-breaking story. There are moments of superb 2D-driven visual novel-style dialogue, conflicting with dull, clunky and unnecessary 3D exploration. Overall, I’d say the former still trumps the latter, and when you experience the next shocking over-the-top theatrical plot revelation during an auction, Dark Auction proves well worth the effort.

Mario Tennis Fever is another highly polished and enjoyable entry in the series that is well worth picking up for fans and newcomers. I’m not sure it renders its Switch predecessor Aces completely redundant, given the Switch 2's backward compatibility, but anyone who is after a new approach will find much to enjoy here. Assuming that the netcode is solid post-launch, then you should have a lot of fun with Mario and his friends.

Romeo is a Dead Man is exactly what you're expecting it to be if you're familiar with Suda51, which means you are expecting the unexpected. It's as weird as possible from the very beginning and features a collection of influences that combine into a unique and surreal journey. Actually fighting stuff is the least interesting part of the game, which is good because I find the combat a bit weak, but if you can see through that – and maybe start of the lower difficulty so it's less of a burden – this is a rollercoaster of the peculiar that you'll want to stick with to the end.

Aces of Thunder feels like it's missing some basics, like tutorials, feedback on hits, and an informative HUD. I know it's a sim, but what's the point of simulating me being in a plane and not knowing where to go? What kind of commander says there's enemies incoming, but with no further details, like direction? That, along with some frustrating issues with the controls and fiddly use of a DualSense while in VR just leaves me coming away from the game more frustrated than elated. If you've got the patience to get through the trial and error, you might enjoy this very realistic flight combat sim, but the multiplayer still won't be well populated without crossplay.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a combo of action adventures that longtime fans of the series will have hours of fun with. The added gameplay features and altered visuals, unfortunately, contrast with the story experience in a way that doesn't feel as authentic to the original experience as I would have liked.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins - Visions of Four Heroes galvanises the rebirth of a fan favourite franchise that had started to show signs of fatigue. The expansion helps to further expand the story through additional character perspectives while supercharging the hack n’ slash gameplay with new features. However, with the DLC costing almost as much as the core game on some platforms, it's a tough sell, only suitable for those die-hard DW heads who simply can’t wait for a sequel.

Speedball is a tremendous reboot of the iconic back-and-forth violence of the original games. Eye wateringly fast and explosively violent, playing against a pal in local mode is as good as it ever was. It’s just a shame that the single-player league and online modes haven’t been lavished with as much care and attention as the core gameplay. I hope that Rebellion stick with Speedball and keep developing it with new content, as this has the raw potential to be an exceptional sports game.

I absolutely adore Nioh 3. It's one of the best Soulslikes I've played in ages, quite possibly since Elden Ring itself, and while it's not as large (thankfully), the way it breaks everything down and gives you endless flexibility means that it's just fun to play. There are layers upon layers of systems to master and learn about, but the fact that this game is a blast to play never goes away. Do not miss out on this.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a very, very impressive remake. 26 years after its original release, this modernised edition of the game is everything I want from an RPG, and I can imagine it landing very well with people who grew up partying with Kiefer and Maribel. It’s held back from a perfect score by only the smallest of gripes around pacing.

Cairn is a unique, slow, and surprisingly relaxing game where you occasionally lose your grip and fall to your death. There's a heartfelt story running through the ascent to the top of the mountain, survival elements as you manage limited resources, and accurate feeling climbing, but soaking in the gorgeous environments, making discoveries and mastering the climbing are a joy. Cairn is a unique game that stands out from all the rest.

On a platform that's fundamentally starved of more serious racers, GRID Legends is a great addition to the Switch 2's library. It absolutely deserves reassessment in 2026, and within this new context, with a drama-filled storyline and blockbuster presentation, it feels more of-the-moment than ever before.

Code Vein II is a haunting, thrilling, and unforgettable action adventure. It's so much more than the sum of its parts or the games that have clearly inspired it. It has a personality of its own that shoots beyond the soulslike genre tag, and never compromises on that unique vision.

It’s amazing to drop back into Cult of the Lamb with the Woolhaven DLC, and the harsh new reality it imposes on your cult. I just wish it came a few years sooner, so I hadn’t forgotten everything from my last run in 2022! If you’re new to the game, this won’t be a problem, but if you’re old hat, it may be better to start New Game+ and get back to speed, rather than jumping in late, low on resources and struggling more than you need to through your first few winters.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon isn't the most gripping narrative, in part due to how much it relies on knowledge of so many other games to fully understand. What it does do right, though, is that it's an incredibly fun and addictive JRPG experience that I couldn't get enough of.

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]

A welcome and massively enjoyable return to Pandora, From The Ashes is an ideal accompaniment to Avatar: Fire and Ash, and one which should further cement the series in sci-fi fans’ hearts.

The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade arrives in stunning form, with very few compromises made bringing it across to Nintendo’s newest hardware. It’s an essential purchase for RPG fans who haven’t had the chance to play this reimagined saga.

MIO: Memories In Orbit is an early contender for one of the most memorable games of 2026. It is an incredibly challenging game to play, with combat being a highlight, even if some platforming section can be frustrating. It looks fantastic, though, and the story is well told. MIO: Memories In Orbit draws you in, and does not let go easily. It is hard game but the journey is worth experiencing.

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.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a serious return to form for the series after the wayward Dynasty Warriors 9, and it's thoroughly enjoyable on Nintendo Switch 2. This version of the game retains all of the key gameplay elements that made it such a triumph, and while the 30fps locked frame rate may disappoint some diehard fanatics, this is an excellent port of one of 2025’s best games.

Ultimately, Let It Die: Inferno has too many flaws to look past, especially when so many of those flaws are related to the base gameplay loop and experience. It can be fun and sometimes rewarding to dig through a janky game for a satisfying gameplay or story experience, but that isn't the case here. While the game looks and feels just like the original at a glance, it isn't a game I see myself putting nearly as much time into, or remembering nearly as fondly.

Unlike anything you’ve ever played before, Popucom is the inventive family fun the Switch was made for. With a unique charm and smart accessibility choices that mean everyone can join in, this third-person puzzle ‘em up is going to keep our family occupied for some time to come.

DuneCrawl is an interesting game that blends together giant crab combat, dungeoneering and multiplayer shenanigans. It's fun enough, but I really wish it did a little bit more with the more unusual aspects of its game design.

Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- is an incredible non-linear roleplaying experience, and the ultimate game to lose yourself in. The lack of direction and open-ended storytelling can be overwhelming at first, but if you dive into it and take your time with it you'll end up crafting an incredible adventure that's all yours.

There are some interesting ideas in War Sails but there’s a good reason why naval warfare was never a core part of the Bannerlord package. Sea battles just aren’t that appealing, lacking any kind of rewarding strategic depth or enjoyability. However, for those wanting a fresh way of tackling the campaign map, War Sails introduces new tactical opportunities and a layer of ship management some Bannerlord players will find themselves engrossed in. In short, this isn’t a must-buy expansion and for new players we’d recommend sticking with the base game.

Big Hops is a good new 3D platformer that will draw plenty of fans with its fun abilities and locations to explore. My playthrough was affected by bugs, with patches coming to address some of these issues in the run up to launch, but there seem to be some teething issues that remain.

Rogue Trader on the Switch 2 is a bad port of a fantastic game. If you have the patience, it’s just about playable, and there’s still some enjoyment to be found in its epic narrative and compelling characters. However, it needs a cavalcade of patches to reach the level of performance on Switch 2 that the game deserves.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is a sports drama, a JRPG, a town builder, an Ultimate Team-like, and even (occasionally) a football game. It’s also brilliant, charming, and thoroughly good-natured, and a fantastic game to head into 2026 with.

If you enjoyed the base game like I did, the best bits of Pokémon Legends: Z-A are still present in Mega Dimension. The combat is still engaging, the characters you live and work with are still endearing, and the new Pokédex is fun to complete. This DLC, much like Z–A itself, feels like it will be a Marmite one.

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is a thoroughly enjoyable crossover sequel that takes the dungeon crawling of Demeo and wraps it in the warm blanket of Dungeons & Dragons themes, tropes and light RPG storytelling. There's a few nagging annoyances with the controls and only minimal hero customisation, but there's a cosiness to playing with friends and "accidentally" catching them in the blast radius of an explosive barrel.

If you’re a fan of old-school 2D gaming, but you hanker to see what a truly modern take on it would be, look no further than Neon Inferno.

Aaero2 is a sci-fi slice of synaesthesia, mixing music, pattern recognition and blasting into an enveloping high-score-chasing experience.

The Last Case of John Morley is a detective game without any detecting. This walk-through of what could be a fantastic mystery story is let down by wooden voiceover performances, dated character visuals and mind-numbing mechanics.

There's a lot of promise to Sleep Awake, which makes its short runtime all the more frustrating. The fusion of visuals, music, and narrative are reminiscent of peak Remedy titles and the inevitable cliffhanger ending definitely leaves me wanting to find out more about Katja’s story. I’ll be listening to that Robin Finck soundtrack in the meantime and crossing my fingers.

Getting through the world of Thief VR is natural and intuitive, and there's times where it all comes together as you knock out guards and pilfer, but there's so many small details and poor AI that drag you back out of the moment. A decent thievery game, but not as good a Thief game.

Routine is one of the best linear narrative experiences I’ve played this year and is well worth the lengthy wait for release. The atmosphere and aesthetics combine to create a game that oscillates between unnerving and genuinely terrifying whilst the surreal and philosophical storyline will hook you all the way to the game’s conclusion. I’m looking forward to a host of video essays dissecting the narrative in the near future.

A classic 90's film turned in a classic 90's side scrolling shooter, with a few lashings of modern techniques, what's not to love?

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]

UNBEATABLE is a good rhythm action adventure game, with it highlights being its visual style and the arcade mode. The story is fine, but can feel all over the place at times with a script that isn’t the best, but the music through the game is good and there are a couple of standout tracks. It has been a while since a decent rhythm game came out, so it is worth giving UNBEATABLE a shot.

Titans of Tide is another strong SpongeBob platformer from Purple Lamp and has plenty of fan service for those even slightly familiar with the cartoon. The Plankton Challenges are really fun, so it’s a shame that they are locked behind either busywork or microtransactions. As a total package it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Cosmic Shake or Battle for Bikini Bottom but it’s still a solid game.

Death Howl has a strong central theme to it, the cards are well made, and there's a decent variety to build out decks. But it is also a game that can require a lot of repetitive grinding to make small amounts of progress, and the quests could have been better designed.

Skate Story is a perfect indie game, beautiful, off-kilter and unreal, with an absolutely killer soundtrack. Sam Eng can forget about eating the moon; he’s achieved something incredible down here on Earth.

Renegades does a good job of bringing some fun back to Destiny 2 with some great campaign missions and new hub area. The Star Wars elements are close enough for you to spot the homage, but not so conspicuous as to pull you out the world of Destiny. Enjoyable while it lasts, but Bungie still need to do a lot more work to rescue the game as whole.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Nintendo Switch 2 retains all of the core experience of Ubisoft’s premier open-world game, but it is a cut-back version compared to its more powerful rivals. While it doesn’t reach the same heights as the Star Wars Outlaws port, it's still a decent way to experience Naoe and Yasuke’s epic story.

Octopath 0 maintains the series’ gorgeous pixel-art aesthetic, while its adapted and evolved take on Champions of the Continent’s gameplay ensures that it feels like a worthy console release.

Metroid Prime 4 is a great return and new beginning for a series which has spent far too many years away. It's not the strongest in terms of narrative, but the new psychic powers add a refreshing layer alongside familiar abilities and the general feel and tone that makes this series so beloved.

Duskpunk is an easy to grasp dice-based RPG with a good story to carry you along. It does make your character, who starts off with nothing, into someone that's far too important for too many factions very quickly, which undercuts the simple struggle to survive, but this does provide for some good story beats. If you enjoyed Citizen Sleeper, then you will probably enjoy Duskpunk.

Having found Tribute Games' previous release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, to be one of the best scrolling beat ‘em ups I’d ever played, I had high expectations for Marvel Cosmic Invasion. How could Shredder’s Revenge with Marvel characters go wrong? Sadly, Marvel Cosmic Version is entirely OK but fails to be anything more than that.

Cross Blitz is a beautifully made deck builder that feels not only incredibly inventive, but also mechanically dense, and just very satisfying to sink into. On top of that, the looks are exceptionally charming, the music is good, and the vibes are just on point. If you love a good deckbuilder, then you’ll love this, but the campaign modes also mean that this could be the one that grabs you if you’ve only ever bounced off of others due to the roguelike focus.

Ultimately, Sweet Surrender is too repetitive. It's fun shooting and slicing up robots with a wide variety of weapons, but the environments and upgrades quickly become repetitive and it lacks the variety and meta progression that roguelites use to entice you back into another run.

Arc Raiders reminds me of Destiny at launch; the core gameplay is excellent, and there's a heartwarming sense of community, but there are many aspects that need refining and expanding. Managing your stash on consoles is a chore and there are not enough in-game events to spice up each run.

Black Ops 7 really demonstrates the difficulties of Call of Duty's yearly release schedule and going back-to-back with its sub-series. It's not as rushed-feeling as Modern Warfare III was, that's for sure, but it's also not a consistent experience. The multiplayer and Zombies are solid continuations from last year, but there's not too much excitement in that, especially after the energy-sapping co-op campaign and Endgame.

GigaSword is a monumental achievement, proving that a one-person studio, with the support of a passionate fanbase, can deliver one of the best metroidvanias of 2025.

Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a hot chocolate of a game. Sweet, sumptuous and oh, so cosy. It offers an intriguing and fresh experience thanks to combining roguelite dungeon crawling with town-building, and it keeps you engaged from beginning to end. It's just a shame that, on PS5 at least, it’s a resolutely single-player experience rather than the multiplayer one that it’s intended to be.

Xenopurge is an auto-battler that is well worth picking up and playing. It captures the tense feeling of trying to keep a squad alive as they carry out their mission, while the odds get increasingly worse the longer they are exposed. If you love the vibe of the Alien franchise, and want to try and command squads on runs to fight back against an alien threat, then Xenopurge should be on your list.

Tomb Raider Definitive Edition may offer returning fans a nostalgic run through one of Lara Croft’s best adventures, but in 2025 it’s still a remarkably solid experience, especially on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Monsters Are Coming! Rock and Road is a fun riff on various run-based subgenres, building itself upon the foundations of roguelite, bullet heaven and tower defence, slapping some wheels on the corners and seeing how far it can go.

Kirby Air Riders is a charming addition to the racing genre. Its unique outlook might not appeal to everyone, but it's still liable to find it a raft of fans, just like its GameCube predecessor.

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]

Umami is a very well crafted puzzle game that lets you take things at your own pace. Each of the puzzles is very well put together and look great, while the levels themselves provide a relaxing atmosphere. A couple of minor issues with the puzzle pieces do not totally detract from a game that lets you just sit and enjoy yourself.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is an incredibly rich historical strategy game that adapts to whatever the player needs it to be. Whether that’s a cosy city-builder offering boundless customisation, a deep economy management sim, or a competitive RTS, Ubisoft Mainz ticks all the boxes with flair.

You can't go wrong with the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack. It's the best way to experience an already incredible trilogy of heartwarming JRPGs.

Forestrike is an entertaining blend of puzzle game and martial arts brawler, allowing you to experiment with different tactics. The different masters also provide variety with ability combinations that make each run unique. Running into some impossible fights that you simply can't beat and the crashing issue on Switch 2 do take some of the shine off the experience, though.

Reach won't win any awards for plot or graphics, but that's not the point. You've played this style of game before, but you've never played it like this in VR, bounding from ledge to zipwire, leaping over chasms and playing insinctively rather than cautiously. Reach raises the bar for VR gaming, and it's a great reason to dust off your headset.

Lumines Arise is the culmination of Mizuguchi’s works, returning to his original creation and perfecting it. For fans of puzzle games, fans of Tetris Effect, or, indeed, fans of pure and evocative gaming experiences, this is essential.

Tales of Xillia Remastered is a wonderful showcase for why the Tales franchise has thrived for the past three decades. It's packed full of charm, strung together with incredible battles, and has me so excited for whichever entry in the series gets remastered next.

Painkiller is a shame not because it's especially bad, but because some of the fun weapons and combat are buried beneath the dull, uninspired and repetitive mechanics, and a surprisingly short 6-hour runtime. It can be fun to shoot demons with cool weapons and a friend or two, but this just feels a bit too disposable, and ultimately uninspired.