Despite three years in Early Access, it's hard to recommend Graven at launch. From odd design choices to bugs and progression issues, the unfortunate conclusion is that Graven is a real missed opportunity.

UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is without a doubt the funnest fighting game of the year. An already smooth and satisfying fighter has been improved and expanded on so many levels with the new systems, mechanics, and moves this sequel adds. If you're gonna play any 2D fighting game right now, make it this one.

Vertigo 2 is a decent and lengthy VR shooter, but it comes up short when compared to other PSVR 2 games. It's a big game by a solo developer, filled with varied environments, weapons and enemies, but it's just not as refined as the best VR games. Still, it's well worth a look if you fancy a bit of a VR shooter romp.

Hidden Through Time 2 is the perfect family game: relaxed, interactive and creative, and it’s one of those rare titles that will keep you coming back for months to find just one more thing.

Lil Guardsman's mix of border control and adventure is a whole heap of fun, with genuine comedic moments combined with great acting. There are a few issues with the story, with the occasional inconsistency or predictable moment, but all in all this is a great addition to the genre.

Tekken 8 has started 2024 off with a bang, proving once again why this fighting series is great! It's maybe not quite as newcomer friendly as Street Fighter 6, but has a bevy of modes and new tweaks that means it's going in the right direction to be a game for all players, old and new, and will only get better over time.

The work that has gone into bringing Another Code: Two Memories and its sequel to Switch is impressive, giving us a pair of enthralling adventures to follow. The DAS is an excellent little gadget, and the characters and overall story are excellently written and charming, but the short length of this collection and lack of activities outside the investigating result in a somewhat one-note affair. Another Code: Recollection is a decent little package, but you might be left wanting if you have played the original releases.

The Cub is a really good platformer with an excellent use of the soundtrack to really immerse you into the world. While some platforming bits are a little frustrating, overall the experience is tight with a smooth flow. The story is engaging, the world interesting to explore, and the themes touching on climate change and how society deals with it relevant.

nGolf is one of those games that will fly by without much, if any fanfare. It offers a competent mini-golf game, but there have been others that have been more challenging and entertaining. It is not worth the full price, but at a steep discount it's a charming choice if you really need to play through some simple golf puzzles.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered refines and improves a much misunderstood masterpiece. It's hard not to be amazed at how good this game still looks, and it comes with a new mode and some behind the scenes stuff to enjoy. It's not as big a step from the original release as TLOU Part 1 was, and so feels like a less noteworthy release, but the price for upgrading from PS4 is reasonable for what you get. For those who haven't played it, this will be the best version to play, even if it's just for No Return to add some more longevity without all the incredibly intense emotional stress of the main story.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is one of the finest metroidvanias I’ve ever played and a fantastic way to start 2024. Thrilling and kinetic platforming, thumping combat, and a vast game world that demands exploration, and makes it a joy to do. It’s time to kick nostalgia firmly in the unmentionables; this is the best Prince of Persia ever.

TEVI blends the soul of Metroidvanias with the heart of a bullet hell, and the result is unforgettable. Despite a lacklustre soundtrack and some repetitive enemy encounters, this is a rich, feature-filled adventure packed with fun characters and sweat-inducing boss fights that you owe it to yourself to play.

Laika: Aged Through Blood is a haunting metroidvania unlike any other. The blend of breakneck motorcycle combat and a harrowing story of revenge smash together to create an artistic experience few games this year can rival.

Blood West is a great addition to the horror western genre with level design and a range of approaches that would be fitting for an immersive sim. The chapter bosses can be a little underwhelming, but after nearly 30 hours spent in this world, I highly recommend you do the same. Just don’t expect to come back alive…

Whilst multiplayer games are plentiful, it’s still surprisingly difficult to find decent two-player local co-op games. Thankfully, with Ship of Fools, you and a friend don’t need to worry, as you’ll be happily blasting sea-beasts for hours, days, weeks, and months to come. Ridiculously fun and stupidly addictive, Ship of Fools is a delight!

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a decent anime fighter and a clear step up from its predecessor, but it isn’t without its problems, some of which persist from the last game. I’m also not entirely sure of the longevity of the game, especially with how extortionate the Season 1 Pass is and the low install base this soon after launch, but fans of anime fighting games and the Granblue universe should be pleased with the overall package here.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an astonishing achievement, with exquisite visuals and a remarkable balance between pacifism and action. This is an enthralling alien world that plays host to a unique FPS.

My Time at Sandrock is the perfect follow-up to My Time at Portia - building upon every solid idea from that first title, while also doing so much to give this new one a unique world and unique mechanics that set it apart from any other farm sim.

They say never to judge a video game by its graphics but, when it comes to Cookie Cutter that is easy to do. The 2D visuals and animation in this game are simply outstanding. Perhaps, with some hefty patching, the rest of the game might one day match those gorgeous looks.

Multiverses may be overdone in moviedom, but they've provided some fresh and very welcome ideas in Trinity Fusion. As such, this is one of the most enjoyable rogue-lites I’ve played all year. Add to that the responsive controls and engaging combat and this is easily Angry Mob Games' best release yet.

Little tweaks are all that Pioneers of Pagonia needs to really shine, and the Early Access release is already a fantastic starting point for the game. Some quality-of-life improvements, like being able to click on an objective to take you directly to the building it wants you to put down would save a lot of searching through menus, though the more you play the clearer it becomes. It feels as though these things will be well in hand, There’s a long list of things on the early access roadmap, and I can’t wait to see this idyllic settlement continue to grow. [Early Access Review]

The narrative in Undying is touching and I really wanted to see it through to the end but the main issue here is a tonal mismatch between the emotional narrative and the traditional grind of a survival/crafting game. If you prepare yourself for slow incremental progress then there is a solid survival sim here, just not quite what I was hoping for given the fascinating setup.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince isn't reinventing the wheel or changing the way we should view the monster-catching genre, but it is a huge amount of fun, and offers a lot of playtime for those who want to spend their time just seeing what kinds of weird and wonderful creatures they can end up playing with. The systems are clear and easy to grasp, the voice acting is great, the music is incredible, and it's just a very fun game.

Yuki's Wish and Zagan's Ritual are two good pieces of DLC that adds to the overall lore and gameplay of Shadow Gambit. Both provide quite a few additional hours of content, with six missions each, plus their badges to earn too. If I were to pick one of the two to go with first it would be Yuki's Wish.

Yuki's Wish and Zagan's Ritual are two good pieces of DLC that adds to the overall lore and gameplay of Shadow Gambit. Both provide quite a few additional hours of content, with six missions each, plus their badges to earn too. If I were to pick one of the two to go with first it would be Yuki's Wish.

Born of Bread may look unique but in reality, this is your run-of-the-mill action RPG. Some decent ideas can’t disguise the formulaic ingredients on offer. In terms of bread, it's more supermarkets’ own than an artisanal sourdough. When it comes to bread-based games, you deserve butter.

Despite the many technical issues Arizona Sunshine 2 is still a good game for VR gamers. There's really nothing like wandering around a zombie wasteland with your pet dog, but you may want to wait until a patch or two has been released to fix the bigger problems.

Avicii Invector: Encore Edition in VR the perfect final form of this modern rhythm-action classic.