I really like where my successive adventures into Curious Expedition 2 took me. There’s a few minor bugs to iron out, but I found that the game was mostly a smooth ride from beginning to end (by which I mean when an expedition failed and I quit the game). There’s enough depth here that you feel invested in the fate of your character, and even once I finished playing, I kept thinking back to my latest run and what I could do differently.

Mutropolis is a decent point and click adventure title with genuine humour and some very good puzzles. However, it's let down by a slow-paced middle act that drags on far too long and some puzzles that could have been better implemented.

Maquette is a great puzzle game that uses perspective and out of the box thinking very well. The story of Michael and Kenzie is neatly entwined within these puzzle, adding heart and soul to the game as you make your way through the world, big and small.

Valheim’s realism is so apparent that it’s easy to recognize, but not too much so that it would turn those looking for a similar experience to, say, Minecraft, away. Survival games are what you make of them, and that’s the beauty in it. [Early Access review]

What Bravely Default II has retained from previous games has been polished to a high standard and delivers the perfect slice of turn-based JRPG nonsense you’re craving. However, be warned as the areas that have changed aren't as solidly executed and can have frustrating results. Bravely Default II is definitely worth the look for JRPG fans or fans of the series, but be prepared for an experience that's a tad rough at times.

Tohu is a mixed bag. It delivers such beauty and curious treasures, but it loses some of its shine thanks to tediously hard puzzles and a hint system that proves to be a greater hindrance than the actual puzzles. For those who love a challenge, Tohu will tick all the right boxes for you. However, I found it to be lacking in depth for a game that showed such promise; the trailer, imagery, and story all hold the potential to deliver more and it just falls short, or at least it did for me.

Neptunia Virtual Stars is a great new direction for the series. It's weird and unexpected, but it's a breath of fresh-air compared to the familiar territory the last few games have been treading. There's a massive amount of love for vtuber culture in this game and it helps lift up the fun and refreshing story. It's a shame that the combat couldn't reach the same highs as the rest of the game, but while it's a major wrinkle, it doesn't ruin the entire experience. Any hardcore vtuber fan needs to play this game, and some clunky combat won't change that.

We Were Here Together is ultimately a bit of a let down on console. Some of the biggest puzzles are quite frustrating, some of the others rely on a poorly designed user interface, and the ones we most enjoyed were the shorter ones anyway. There are better coop puzzlers to spend your cash, time, and friendships on.

No more advanced than Crazy Taxi was back when it debuted all those years ago, and without the same trademark attitude, Taxi Chaos is a real missed opportunity to modernise an arcade favourite.

Fatal Fury First Contact is a solid little fighting game, but it has little to offer beyond that. Unless you are specifically a huge fan of the Neo Geo Pocket or all things Fatal Fury, there are definitely better fighting games you can spend your money on.

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is a fantastic Zelda-inspired, procedurally-generated, action-adventure with one of the most rewarding gameplay loops I’ve seen in some time. It perfectly captures the styles of its inspirations, while carving its own legacy as a standout Roguelike. I honestly enjoyed every second of my time with Rogue Heroes and can’t wait to continue playing in the coming weeks.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is the most ambitious Ys game to date, delivering a larger focus on narrative and a much more involved and organic world to explore. The game stumbles under its ambitions a bit, with a slow opening chapter and a consistently struggling framerate. Despite those issues, though, this is easily one of the best entries in the long-running franchise, and while veteran fans will get a lot out of the callbacks sprinkled throughout the game, newcomers are still in for one of the best action RPGs of the year.

Eternal Hope is a great little puzzle platformer. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in heart, offering a relatable story of love, loss and redemption. Perfect if you're looking for a short, heartfelt adventure to keep you distracted for a few hours.

Glyph is a soothing puzzle platformer, which, despite its sparse appearance has plenty of bounce, challenging you with its literal sandbox gameplay.

It's difficult to sum up Conspiracy! On the one hand it's a great concept and the meta approach is fascinating. It's a game with many interesting things to say about online culture, the news cycle and how we perceive the world we have constructed. This is a game with lofty ambitions, but it also happens to be a dreary experience that, despite a short run time, was an absolute slog to play.

Orwell’s Animal Farm relays the content of the book well, but stops short of drawing from any new depths, as choices are limited and the plot takes second place to a dry management sim.

I can't really recommend Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury enough. Whether you've played the original game before or not, the addition of online multiplayer is a big win, while Bowser's Fury is a testament to just how pure a Mario game can be while still feeling fresh and exciting. Put simply; this is an essential game for Mario fans.

Rigid Force Redux delivers an R-Type emulating experience to be proud of. Fast, fluid and with smooth action, this is the type of shmup that makes you want to smother it in exciting and complimentary adjectives. If only there was more content, then perhaps it would be Rigid Force Redux that future side-scrollers try to beat.

Persona 5 Strikers is an excellent welcome back party for the franchise. It takes a formula that is proven to work and takes it to a new place by adding a whole new combat system that allows you to play as the whole team, rather than the main character we’re all used to. This said, and although Persona 5 Strikers is excellent in its own right, there’s enough that's been stripped back to make this game work that it can't reach the lofty heights of the original.

It's rather obvious, but if enjoyed the first Little Nightmares then you will enjoy the Little Nightmares II. While some new elements have been added it is more of a next chapter to the story than a full blown sequel. The attention detail is incredible, bringing the story to life without a single spoken word. It's unsettling, creepy, darkly amusing, and at times a little frustrating, but immensely enjoyable. Another little, slime covered gem from Tarsier Studios.

It isn’t without its rough edges, but Skul is a really compelling experience, and definitely scratches the itch left by the button-mashing brawling of Hades and Dead Cells. If you’ve played those games to completion, or if you want a game with decadent pixel art and a wealth of characterful play options, then it’s an easy recommendation - just don’t lose your head during those challenging final stages.

Windfolk is a game so turgid that it almost managed to put me off video games. Painfully flaccid combat and boorish level design both serve to undermine any fun that flying might offer. The subtitle promises that 'Sky is just the Beginning', but after this showing I'm rather hoping it's the end instead.

Sword of the Necromancer is a fun roguelike, with a unique enemy revival system that sets it apart from other titles in the genre. Unfortunately, a lacklustre combat system and unoriginal story mean that it doesn't quite match up to the absolute best roguelikes out there.

Landflix Odyssey isn’t a revolutionary title by any stretch but it is a fun and mostly well-realised diversion that takes a light-hearted look at our TV obsessions. The different worlds offer some nice variation, but some are definitely more successful than others. I could have happily lived without the frustrating slowdown mechanics of the Going Mad levels for sure. It might not get you obsessed like your newest favourite TV series, but it shouldn’t make you reach for the remote either.

The car combat genre has long been out of fashion and still has a way to go if it wants to take us back to its glory days of the 1990s. Destruction AllStars is a mostly satisfying modernisation that has some neat ideas and looks fantastic, though ultimately spins its tyres on repetitive rival-wrecking gameplay and a lack of truly worthwhile content at launch.

Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition manages to give budding yokai hunters even more to do, and whether you missed the PS4 version of the game or not, it's definitely one to sink your teeth into if you fancy a challenging experience.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood feels like it had the potential to be really good, but even though the combat is very satisfying, the drab interludes and disappointing stealth meant I spent a lot of the time asking when the game was going to be over. To me, that speaks volumes.

As a port, the Turrican Flashback collection cannot be faulted – these are perfect conversions of some all-time greats. Although the collection is missing some of the others in the series, £7.50 per game isn't bad value and given the difficulty, getting a perfect run is going to take many hours of playtime.