Although I see what it was going for, Legend of Legacy HD Remastered doesn’t quite stick the landing. The visuals and music are excellent, and the concept of filling maps out through exploration scratches a very specific yet satisfying itch. But, the repetitive nature of the overall gameplay, along with punishing you for any sort of experimentation with characters or weapon loadouts, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, overall.

Fabledom offers one of the most well-rounded takes on the city-builder genre, mixing addictive kingdom-building with a fun and unique dose of fairytale shenanigans.

Astor: Blade of the Monolith offers an enjoyable action RPG experience with charming visuals and character design. However, with weak combat and a lack of things to see and do in the overworld, it’s an experience that will soon be forgotten.

Capes is a valiant effort at a relatively unique idea, one that I personally have wanted since I heard Midnight Sons would have a card-based attack system. It isn't perfect, it could do with a little more polish, and it's occasionally a bit frustrating, but it's deep, challenging and the story is enjoyable enough if you like comic books' campy style. Considering this is Spitfire Interactive's debut game, it has absolutely convinced me to keep an eye on their future projects.

Crown Wars: The Black Prince is not just a medieval XCOM, it is very much its own thing. A turn-based game offering fast and frenetic strategising, it's hamstrung by weak AI, an inconsistent camera, and too many bugs.

If you like the visual style and haven't played a roguelike deckbuilder in a while then you'll likely adore Zet Zillions, but for those who live and breathe the genre, it might feel a bit uninspired at times.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a wonderful remake of a GameCube classic. Now in a modern game engine, but with all the quirkiness and charm of the original story and characters, and with a return to the original Paper Mario combat style, it's great for Mario RPG fans and newcomers alike.

Just like its forbear, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is an oppressive, powerful and haunting example of the power of video games, and one that sets its own parameters for what a digital experience can be. It is a game that must be experienced, not least because, there’s nothing else quite like it. [Review in Progress]

Galacticare blasts Theme Hospital off into outer space, putting its own distinctive spin on a management sim classic. It keeps things light with harmonious alien cultures and streamlined doctor levelling, making for a nice and accessible time.

Read Only Memories: Neurodiver is a game that wears it's influences on it's sleeve, from corny 90s anime dubs to slick sci-fi and even Mexican culture. It's all worn and shown off so proudly that the resulting mix is loud, proud, and unforgettable. I just wish that it was so much longer, because I already miss my time in Neo-San Francisco.

Neptunia Game Maker (R)evolution is another stinker in a long line of disappointing Neptunia series entries. I love these characters and their world, but this is a flat action-RPG with a barebones management game bolted onto it that do not do them right by any means.

After decades of waiting, Homeworld 3 pushes the beloved space RTS series in new directions with megalithic terrain putting a fresh spin on combat, and a bitesized roguelite War Games mode, but still retains so much of the original tone and style. It doesn't quite stick the landing in some areas, and there's rough edges to improve, but I simply love being back in this setting and series.

A fun, feline-driven adventure that's only partially held back by it's issues with corny writing, clunky controls, and a few too many hoodie-shaped cat hats.

Sand Land is all set to be your new favourite anime, with compelling characters, enjoyable combat and great anime visuals in video game form. You might just find that Akira Toriyama has saved the best for last.

Dungeon Drafters is the Mystery Dungeon-Phantom Dust hybrid I never knew I needed in my life. It has all the excitement and challenge of a dungeon-diving adventure, bundled together with the one-more-pack thrill of a card-collecting game.

Madison VR is derivative, some of the puzzles have annoyingly obscure solutions and there really should be more VR comfort options, but the foreboding atmosphere and genuine frights more than make up for this. Put on your PSVR 2, plug in the earphones and get ready to have the bejesus scared out of you.

Everything about Endless Ocean: Luminous makes it a particularly Nintendo game: the chunky menu layout, the soothing AI voice, the tranquil music and the laidback vibes. That’s emphasised by the notion that this is a deeply unusual piece of software, and one that you wouldn’t find coming from the other major console manufacturers. It’s a shame then that, unless you’re an avid fan of marine facts, it’s interminably dull.

Another Crab's Treasure riffs off the Soulslike genre, but strikes a great balance between humour and homage. This is a great game with a good message, and above all else, it's just a lot of fun.

Stellar Blade is a pretty enjoyable game to swing your hairband sword at, so long as you don't mind the obvious sexualisation. There's a few rough areas, but nothing to spoil things overall and there’s plenty of interesting story to uncover as you fight your way through giant monsters with circular saws for heads and weird tentacles for legs.

What could have been the best strength of Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes is its greatest weakness. With the amount of things to do, types of gameplay available, and sheer number of heroes to recruit, the game feels unfocused and inconsistent. Some of what it does, it does very well, but it doesn't quite overcome the negatives. Those who truly love classic JRPGs like myself will find plenty to feast on, but those who don’t should go Nowa near it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is almost an insult to side-scrolling beat ‘em ups. Worst of all, despite this being a budget release, it costs more than the fantastic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge from last year. One to avoid like some green ooze on the sidewalk.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is an ambitious game, and this kind of endeavour should be applauded and encouraged. Seeking to harness the difficult topic of grief in the form of a Metroidvania was always a big ask. Unfortunately, on this occasion, it proved a challenge that simply hasn’t been met.

TopSpin 2K25 is a great return to form and rewards those who stick with it while learning the ropes, becoming a true tennis god in the process. It's not perfect, but if you have any passing interest in tennis, this is well worth your time.

Harold Halibut looks great, like one of Aardman’s finest, only as a video game. Unfortunately, it’s the game part that underwhelms, offering a distinctly tedious narrative adventure that is a chore to play.

Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom is platforming bliss. It takes the best parts of old-school collectathon games, and infuses them with a huge amount of off-the-walls charm and bright, bubbly art that's all topped off by incredible music and fluid, fun taxi-flinging action.

Unicorn Overlord’s bounty of tactical systems, beautiful visuals and compelling medieval fantasy make it an early choice for strategy RPG of the year.

Planet Zoo: Console Edition offers the same enjoyable park building as its PC forerunner, and though it’s a slightly slower experience, Frontier have done an excellent job translating the detailed park building to controller.

Torn Away is a peculiar game. Numerous technical issues do their determined best to spoil an otherwise powerful narrative; one that is elegant in its simplicity. Those haphazard controls, visual limitations, and laughable stealth sections will succeed in turning many players away, but, if you manage to put up with them, you’ll find that Asya’s tale is one to relish.