The gameplay is strong enough to make Space Hulk: Ascension worthy of consideration, but technical issues stand in the way of being able to give it a general recommendation.

The gameplay is what you’re familiar with, which is fun but not without its problems. You’ll still have floaty controls, you’ll still fumble with depth perception and you’ll still use the minimal number of gameplay mechanics to move about. But the levels are smartly designed and they’re fun despite the game’s shortcomings. That’s gotta count for something.

This game couldn’t be recommended to anyone and it only earns a score even this high because it is not functionally broken, but that’s nothing to be proud of.

Some levels get frustrating thanks to some poorly placed enemies and obstacles that make clearing them more difficult than they should be, and this issue is only exacerbated by the game's caffeine-infused hyperactive mode, which leaves your character almost entirely out of control. It's meant to be an added challenge, but it goes just a bit too far and becomes quite unwieldy. Other than those moments, however, it's a fun if not exceptional platformer that genre fans should appreciate.

The roots of the Shift franchise may well lie in flash games but Shift Quantum brings the franchise to consoles in style. The game's Shift mechanic is easy to understand, but when different gameplay mechanics are introduced as the game goes on, it becomes a challenge to master. Players can do so at their own pace without the pressure of a timer, and the reset button makes it easy to start over if mistakes are made.

Gone are the moral choices, instead replaced with Battle Runes and Portal Travel to mix things up a bit, something this would have achieved had they not been relegated to the final part of the game. Despite this, the game's familiar basic hidden object and puzzle solving gameplay will still appeal to the casual crowd and will provide a pleasant 3-4 hour jaunt through a magical fantasy world in a bid to prevent another catastrophe.

If you're looking for a short burst of fun and Space Invaders holds a special place in your heart, then Super Destronaut DX is perfectly playable. There's a handful of modes on offer to keep things entertaining for a while, but it relies too much on the nostalgia factor and ultimately offers little else. With nothing to keep you coming back after you've earned all the achievements, the game will sadly only be played for an hour or so before it is put back on the shelf and forgotten about.

Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier creates an engaging narrative that makes both the humans’ and apes’ predicaments and actions understandable, even when violence is involved. I truly cared about characters on both sides of the conflict, which made for some tough decisions when the two sides would clash. The occasional choppiness and short ending scenes are more minor issues, and they don't hamper the overall experience in any significant way. The game may lack what many would consider to be real gameplay, but the immersive storytelling and a few first-rate performances more than make up for such criticisms in a game such as this.

Armored Warfare is a welcome addition to the tank battle genre. It brings the familiar elements from World of Tanks but adds its own subtle changes to both the gameplay and the freemium model, along with modern tanks and weaponry. As with other similar titles, it may not be for everyone, especially those looking for fast twitch-based games, as the gameplay can be a little ponderous until battles begin. However, once the first shots are exchanged, the battles can be as intense as any other. It is a solid title and will easily let you while away many hours, but therein also lies the biggest drawback, it will cost time to reach those higher level tanks, and for achievement hunters, it will have to be a labour of love to unlock all of the gamer score.

Persian Nights: Sands of Wonders may well tell a storyline independent of the publisher's other titles, but the game mechanics will be more than familiar to those keeping up with them. The mini-games, puzzles, and hidden object scenes all perform as they should, and the rune battle encounters have been switched up a little to try to keep them fresh in one of few changes to the game format. The protagonist's companion can make conversation painful at times, which is a shame as the developer chose to try something new here too. Regardless, the title will still sate fans of the publisher, and those looking for a quick GamerScore fix, as well as providing a great entry point for those new to the genre.

At its core, 3on3 FreeStyle offers a basic basketball experience that can be entertaining for some gamers. It carves out its own personality with simple gameplay, cartoonish presentation and cliche-ridden characters. Whether you’re stuck with AI or others, players will constantly find themselves working towards various goals. Unfortunately, gamers are rewarded scraps for their time and effort which results in either a heavy grind, or the use of microtransactions to speed up the process. 3on3 FreeStyle won’t replace other titles and shouldn’t occupy any space on any gamers hard drive.

TerraTech has some good elements, with huge scope for building a whole score of different vehicles. Sadly, aside from this and a hefty environment to explore, it doesn't do much else right.

The first of three post-launch chapters, Isle of the Dead takes no risks whatsoever, giving players a little bit more of exactly what the game was already. If you want a new level to explore with friends, this will give you that, but if you were hoping to see Strange Brigade in a new light, episode one of The Thrice Damned campaign is not for you. Like the base game, it's a no-frills experience, but this time a few frills would've been welcome.

Construction Simulator 2 gives a fascinating insight into building processes, and a deeper appreciation of specialist construction machinery. Once past the initial learning curve, the gameplay is methodical with a meditative quality that will make it relaxing for some and boring for others. It strikes a good balance between realism and accessibility, and it’s genuinely satisfying to complete projects. However the realistic aspects of the game leave no room for creativity and will limit its appeal to those who can find satisfaction in completing set tasks. It's a niche game, but if you're interested in construction you might dig it.

Currently, it's a great idea dragged down by poor implementation. Patient players may be able to look past the game's less than optimal menus and mechanics that the fun new features are built around, but for most players, it'll feel pretty frustrating to have to play it in its current form. It's like when you get a new toy but first must remove all those ties and straps keeping it displayed in the package. Dynasty mode often feels like you're stuck removing those straps. There's a toy right there before you, but it feels like you never get to finish unboxing it all.

If you've played the developer's other titles then this one isn't any different; it largely works as intended and still provides a quick Gamerscore fix if that's what you're looking for. If you're new to the developer's output, while the game is a decent entry point for those new to the genre, it's not their best work. With Noir Chronicles: City of Crime, Artifex Mundi has made you an adventure game you can refuse.

Sundered is a game that is able to constantly give players that “one more time” feeling by providing multiple ways to overcome its many hurdles. When you die, you know that you’ll almost always be coming back stronger to tackle the obstacles that are put before you, whether it be a seemingly undefeatable boss or an unforgiving location full of hard-hitting enemies. Some deaths can be chalked up to procedural generation forcing you to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when the gong sounds, but those moments become less and less bothersome as Eshe is continuously upgraded through the satisfying and fulfilling gameplay loop.

Just like its campaign can be fun after you forgive its glaring flaws, Wrecking Zone is similarly full of potential and could be something really cool with further development. In its current form it can certainly be entertaining, but considering you can't deliberately play with friends yet, you'll wait a long time in matchmaking. It all lacks variety round to round, so the fun feels fleeting. Hopefully the developers have the green light to build on the multiplayer suite because it feels like they could have something really worthwhile on their hands after a few updates. For now, it's pretty easy to jump off.

JackQuest attempts to blend genre features together with its platforming and metroidvania elements, but it ends up being quite average in execution in almost all aspects. The art style and catchy, albeit short, soundtrack are positives, but they do little to eliminate the middling feel of the game. The plot doesn’t make me care to learn anything about the characters or what will happen to them, and the gameplay, while serviceable, doesn’t compel me to recommend JackQuest to fans of this style of game. It isn’t a terrible game, but there are far better options for those who are looking to for a fun retro romp.

Cities Skylines is an essential metropolitan simulator, but some of its DLCs aren’t all that necessary. Parklife might be the least essential of the major updates so far. Its mechanics don’t impact or benefit the systems of the main game enough, and individual building objects aren’t attractive either. However the ability to shape a park space on both a larger and smaller scale does make cities feel more alive, more lived in and more like mankind has carved a space into the natural landscape. Die-hard fans of the game will jump at the chance to fine-tune and beautify their creations, but the casual city planner probably won’t find enough here to be worth the investment.

Shadowgate is very easy to recommend to fans of the original game or of the early days of point-and-click in general. For modern genre enthusiasts, it may be a tougher sell thanks to basic presentation and lots of opportunities to get a game over. Regardless, this is the best updated version of a thirty year old game that one could hope for, and it should leave nostalgic adventure gamers hopeful for more classic revivals in the same vein.

Brief Battles can be very fun if you have local players of comparable skill to play against regularly. It feels great to play, it's visually clean and distinctive, and it's got a high skill cap. Unfortunately, most of us aren't so lucky and the lack of online or even AI gameplay really hurts it. As an alternative, the game offers up both single player and co-op challenges. The co-op challenges are short and easy while the single player challenges are long and brutally difficult if you're going for gold medals. Knowing all those caveats, the challenges are fun and the game itself is designed very well. That's commendable in its own way and means platformer aficionados might find something to love here.

Ultimately, this pack can make a player's city look the part of a modern capital trying to tread a difficult ethical line between industry and eco-friendly practices; it's just a shame that there isn't more of a progression and reward incentive for all players to properly interact with it.

BPM is an amazing concept, realised wonderfully. It's not the easiest of recommendations due to the game's brutal difficulty level and heavy metal skew, but if you're on board with those things, willing to learn something new (and get your ass handed to you repeatedly in the process), and prepared to overcome the whims of some random elements to bring down Nidhogg, you're in for one hell of a time. Honestly, well executed passages are next-level satisfying, from triple-tap kill combos to the beat to the simple act of reloading some of the fiddlier weapons. Completionists beware, though — the list is a bit silly.

I played this game during a heatwave, and it was wonderful to find a distraction from the heat in the investigative shenanigans of these well-spoken animals. Lord Winklebottom was full of unexpected surprises, and kept me laughing throughout. If you’re a fan of point-and-click games, detective stories, or are looking for something that’ll get a few chuckles out of you, you might want to consider stepping into the shoes of Lord Winklebottom. I spent around nine hours in the game, and aside from a few frustrations, I really enjoyed my time with it. Here’s hoping for more Lord Winklebottom cases in the future!

The Toaplan Arcade Collection is an absolute must for arcade gaming buffs and action game purists alike, and it offers a great opportunity for newcomers to check out some two-player classics. However, it is a bit disappointing that the collection comes with no supplementary materials. Plus, there's no getting around the fact that some of these arcade games just aren't very good!

The Toaplan Arcade Collection is an absolute must for arcade gaming buffs and action game purists alike, and it offers a great opportunity for newcomers to check out some two-player classics. However, it is a bit disappointing that the collection comes with no supplementary materials. Plus, there's no getting around the fact that some of these arcade games just aren't very good!

Battlefield 6's new Redsec battle royale mode is grounded by strong gameplay from the main game and mechanics lifted from Warzone, Apex Legends, and Fortnite. However, with clunky menus and UI, some poor HUD, and bereft of its own ideas, Redsec needs to start building a house on these foundations as quickly as possible to become more than a pitstop for me.

My Hero Academia: All's Justice is an exceedingly generous fighting game that, unfortunately, disappoints in a lot of key areas. If you've got a tolerance for some sloppy fighting mechanics, or if you're enough of a My Hero Academia fan to look past the issues, you can still have a good time here! However, there are definitely better 3D arena fighters out there.