Between musings of transhumanism, capitalism, power, and technology are human stories about real people. No space wizards, no ship shootouts, no heroes. Just the everyday reality of folks trying to survive. It’s incredibly grounded, and something I wish we would see more of in sci-fi. Citizen Sleeper’s world belongs to its junkyard scavengers, grubby engineers, repair technicians, cargo haulers, and everyone else on this ramshackle asteroid belt. I don’t want the glitz and gloss of Starfield, Star Wars Outlaws, or Cyberpunk 2077. I want grounded, punchy stories about nobodies, and that’s what Citizen Sleeper 2 is. What a fantastic start to 2025.

I find it difficult to ask more from Nioh 3. It’s a game that proudly announces its goals at the outset, and trusts the player to discover how well it’s going to nail every one them over the course of its 45+ hour runtime. It is the confident result of shaking up Nioh’s near decade-old formula that’s only outshone by Team Ninja’s steady hand in crafting it.

Octopath Traveler 2 is an easy recommendation for old-school Japanese RPG nerds - and might even entice the odd newcomer. I wouldn’t quite recommend it over Live A Live, another 2D-HD gem - but it’s pretty lovely nevertheless.

It plays like Dragon Ball. While it plainly owes a lot to MVC3, Dragon Ball FighterZ manages to strike a balance between tag versus fighter ideas and the iconic imagery and designs of its license to create the best Dragon Ball game there’s ever been – and arguably one of the best licensed games ever.

If you’re new to the series, I’d still absolutely recommend starting with the original. For fans, though, it’s more Valkyria Chronicles, and that’s reason enough to pop a giant red exclamation mark above your head with excitement.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a little safe at points to make it a proper all-timer, but I’m not sure that was ever the intention. It’s a game that is easy to like, can be played by everyone, and sits nicely alongside other Switch exclusives from Nintendo. If Kirby becoming a car is everything you want in life, good for you and welcome to your new favorite game of all time. For me, Kirby remains just below A-tier, which is still a great place to be. It’s often where some of the tastiest snacks are.

If you liked any of the Witcher games, novels or Gwent, then I would implore you to buy Thronebreaker. It’s like a 30-hour long easter egg, filled with references, inside jokes and an engaging story with an empowering lead.

The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a little less consistent when compared to the two collections that preceded it, but it's still doing the good work of bringing a gem of a series to new platforms and audiences at a time when these games otherwise risk being left behind. Whether its slightly shaky attempts to position itself as a stand-alone trilogy will prove an effective draw for new players remains to be seen, but of course it's an absolute must-play if you're already a fan of the series — and if you were drawn into the franchise through the last two remastered collections and haven't encountered these three games yet, you're in for a particular treat.

It’s a shame, then, that some of the level design choices don’t really pair up with the engine Toys for Bob has built this love-letter to 90s platforming games in. Loose and floaty physics, an abundance of different mechanics that often feel part-baked, and some design choices that feel sadistic – rather than simply difficult – leave this approach to Crash Bandicoot feeling less like a true sequel, and more like a licensed spin-off.

In a world where we've seen Square Enix fall down with remasters (examples include the lacklustre Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters and the egregious Kingdom Hearts on Switch), Tactics Ogre: Reborn highlights something special – a change of the guard, so to speak, that bodes remarkably well for the rest of the publisher's classic RPG oeuvre.

In spite of all the niggling problems, for Pokemon fans, those who skipped Sun and Moon or kids looking for their first Pokemon experience this is a fantastic package.

Shin Megami Tensei 5’s combat is great, punishing and rewarding in equal measure without ever tipping the scales too far in one direction. Mixing and matching your deck of demons makes for great fun as well, and spurs you to look to all corners of the ruined world for allies of all shapes and sizes. It’s everything outside of the battling and grungy soundtrack where Shin Megami Tensei 5 badly misses the mark, with one-note characters that you’re never given the chance to better know, and a paper-thin plot that feels dragged out over dozens of hours. Shin Megami Tensei 5 is a good RPG battler, but it’s not good at much else.

It’s a strong campaign, then, and one made better when you play with friends – as is always the way – and the suite of features that accompany it will likely keep you busy for some time.

By dodging the eager game-as-service guff, Guardians of the Galaxy can focus on being something more compelling - even if you won’t play it for as long. For its ten-plus hour runtime, you’ll enjoy a thrilling, gripping, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt adventure. The game built around that narrative framework isn’t earth shattering - but it is enough scaffolding to allow the story to shine. You have to understand what Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is going into - but if you do, one of the finest narrative games of the year awaits. Switch your brain off, give yourself over to its story, and you’ll find much to enjoy.

Obviously, if you love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you’ll love Shredder's Revenge. As hinted at in the intro to this review, it’s built for you! If you’re like me and don’t have that history, you’ll still find a polished, super enjoyable experience here. With up to six player co-op, it’s the perfect game to slap on in the living room with some friends crashing round, plug in a few controllers and have a bash. I did, for important critique-related reasons, order some pizza while I was testing it out. I can confirm that it does, in fact, make the experience that much more enjoyable. Additional toppings aside from cheese were not tested.

Taken alone, any one slice of the game – like a single house, the village itself, even the way combat handles – has its issues. But combined, it merges into something that’s still special – even if it isn’t quite as brilliant as Resident Evil 7 or 2 Remake. It’s an easy recommendation – though if you didn’t back in 2017, you might want to play RE7 first.

These games include a stupidly large amount of content and Sun and Moon remain the most compelling, charming and interesting world Pokemon has presented since it was brand new back in the the 90s. For its audience, this enhanced edition is well worth the price of admission, though I’d be lying if I said my eyes weren’t firmly towards the future when Pokemon arrives on the big screen via Switch.

The PC version of Nioh is the very definition of functional. It works well enough that you can enjoy your time with it, but it’s unremarkable everywhere that matters.

This is not only a great Dynasty Warriors game, but also a nice chance for historically-curious folks to hop on board. If you do decide to pick up Dynasty Warriors: Origins as your first title in the franchise, you'll be introduced to one of the most enjoyable action series and historical stories out there. If you're already a Dynasty Warriors fan, you know what you're getting into. Roll up those sleeves buddy, China won't save itself.

So, it’s a little on the easy side. But in the 90s, Mario RPG created a new generation of role-playing fans with a mix of whimsy, magic, and familiar characters that back then was incredibly uncommon. This remake retains all of that - all of the stuff that matters. At some point, I have to accept that us old’uns who remember it probably aren’t the primary audience for this remake - and that’s okay, too. It’s an easy recommendation, regardless.

Doom The Dark Ages will get your blood pressure up. It will test your reflexes, your problem-solving skills, your aim, and your ability to solve problems on the fly. It’ll probably test your patience a little, too, when the chugging, uninspired, padded-out sections in the middle start to wear a bit thin. But when it does manage to get your adrenaline pumping, you’ll be champing at the bit and thumbing shells into your shotgun so fast that the princes of hell themselves shaking in their boots.

It has its moments, but like Jin Sakai in the opening hours, the past holds it back. It’s Open World: The Video Game. It’s far too easy, too - the lack of consequence for failure makes it feel like you’re just going through the motions. If you’ll excuse the wind-based pun, it’s a breeze. While playing it, I often found my mind wandering. By the third and final act, I just wanted it to be over. Like the samurai, Ghost of Tsushima feels like a relic of a bygone era.

The Nintendo Switch port is impressive, and the game is perfect for a spot of grinding on the go, with only occasional frame drops to let it down in certain cities. Otherwise, Tales of Vesperia is a classic JRPG that goes back to the roots of what made the series shine. Despite its flaws when it comes to its setting and style, earnest storytelling, a fantastic combat system, and memorable cast of characters make the game worth that ten year wait.

Nostalgia might well have carried this one through, but in truth it doesn’t need it: this is a great game that has for the most part aged remarkably well, with the visual upgrade and other tweaks serving to make absolutely certain it’s worth the price of admission; I just wish the AI didn’t sometimes feel so cheap. It’s rare that a game can be as good as it was 20 years ago in a modern re-release – but this classic kart racer manages it.

Both previous games had surprisingly strong online offerings – and it’s possible this third game’s lack of new ideas might be addressed in the coming months, as Splatoon 3 embraces its nature as a rolling service game. Regardless, though, the launch day package is a definitive Splatoon offering – and a very easy recommendation.

The management sim is on the up again, but Parkitect might be my favorite game of the genre’s revival yet.

This is the sort of game that only Nintendo could make, and it’s a follow-up to Wii Fit that feels worthy of that game’s exercise chops while also far more firmly and confidently a video game. Minor hardware issues and a story that’s frivolous to the point of bordering dangerously close to annoying, are small issues in the grand scheme of things. This has quietly arrived as one of the most original games of the year – and better yet, is one of my favorites.

While the backtracking remains, it feels much less painful this time around thanks to it being part of a game with smooth performance that’s ultimately much more fun to actually play. The game is considerably improved as a result, and much of what made the original quietly special can now shine far more brightly. It might not be perfect, but within this slightly flawed framework beats the heart of an absolute masterpiece. Those who fell in love with Nier through Automata should go into this with a clear expectation that this is not that game – but if they do, they’ll find much to love.

On the whole, Two Point Campus lets your most fantastical dreams come true. Whether that’s a campus of dysfunctional wizards or accomplished chefs, Two Point has learnt a lot from its prior endeavours and applied its knowledge to make what is one of the most attractive and witty simulation titles out there. Whether you’ve only the time to commit to Two Point Campus for a mere few hours or many months, you’re set for your own education on academic absurdity.

Stray might ultimately be indie in size, but it’s triple-A in quality, and while it may only last eight to 10 hours, it’s a game that has touched me for a lifetime. I can’t wait to see how Straybrings people together, because that’s exactly what it’s going to do. Now, go hug your cat for me, if you have one.

This is a game to be savoured slowly and enjoyed as much for its questionable qualities as its obvious ones. Where other franchises seek to shave off rough edges, Yakuza has opted to not only keep them but to celebrate them.

The game still plays great on a controller on PC, and no amount of exclusive content will matter when you see it running this well. Sure, you’ll have to stomach the upfront cost of a PC, but I am willing to bet you’ll find other uses for the new machine than just playing Destiny 2.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster stands is a prime example of how to do remasters right. It doesn't cut or alter hastily. What Capcom has added, and what it has improved, only enhances the original experience. For Dead Rising fans, this is like a re-opening of your favourite childhood fast food spot, a brand-new un-torn version of your favourite t-shirt, or returning to a beloved holiday destination and finding all the places you've missed are still there and with a fresh coat of paint.

A beautiful, challenging and often utterly brilliant throwback to the golden age of Japanese RPGs that somehow scuppers its chances of being a true classic through an ambitious but ultimately flawed narrative structure.

FIFA 19 is better than FIFA 18 in almost every way, and it’s more fun to play than any other football game right now.

There’s an admirable, bold level of depth on show here, and even the story begins to pull its weight more vigorously in the second half of the game. The fact that combat still works after so many hours proves that this is the best sort of RPG, one with a longevity and a depth not so often found in story-driven Japanese RPGs in the current market.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus threads the needle and somehow finds a brilliant balance between old and new, between tradition and upheaval. It’s the 3D Pokemon adventure that I imagined back in the 90s that never came. It’s fresh. It feels new, exciting, and like a powerful new beginning for the series. Technical shortcomings and minor frustrations can’t take away what this game achieves elsewhere; it’s the best main-series Pokemon game in a long, long time.

Mortal Kombat 1 is a generally positive step in a new direction. I find myself frustrated with Liu Kang's decision to allow live service DNA to creep into his new universe, and I long for some of the features left behind (like the Krypt). Mortal Kombat 1 sets the stage for a new era of MK that you can't help but get pumped up for. NetherRealm, like the characters in its ultraviolent universe, is staring right into the face of a brave new world and locking eyes with the future. Keeping those eyes in its head, though, may remain a challenge.

Khazan is the perfect example of a game that's more than its individual components. The game does re-use a lot, but the gooey core of the game is so engaging, so fun, that you don't really care. It's moorish, devilishly so, and while the game doesn't nail everything, it has got enough guts behind it to warrant a sturdy recommendation to almost everyone. That is, unless you struggle with the challenge these sorts of games champion. In that case, Khazan won't welcome you to the Dungeon Fighter universe with an open hand, but rather smack you away with a closed fist.

Midnight Suns is honestly a brilliant bloody time: an extremely fun tactical RPG nestled amongst an adorably wholesome relationship simulator. A superhero game which understands that the appeal of comics is often much less about punching Venom than it is about seeing a bunch of daft looking folk cutting about in a big house, being nice to each other, bickering about leaving towels on the floor. Real stuff. Relatable stuff. The stuff of life.

This is a gorgeous game, and a compelling one at that, and anyone that ekes out even a fraction of enjoyment from this genre owes it to themselves to at least give this a go. I promise you, it’ll leave you charmed and hungry for more.

This remaster is a winner. It’s a stellar package, and hopefully a template for what is to come. The minor shortcomings are all due to the age of this title – but this is an old game. You have to take it for what it is – a glorious little piece of history. In presenting that, this is a practically flawless release – but the old-fashioned, less friendly design in places will mean this one isn’t quite for everyone.

For my money it probably doesn’t best SF4 – there’s something special about the way that game moves even if it is now ugly as sin in comparison to its successor – but Street Fighter 5 is easily one of the best fighting games of this generation, perhaps only bested by the dark horse that is Xbox’s Killer Instinct.

Black Ops 6 isn't just a strong new entry in a massive franchise that feels like going to Burger King and getting exactly what you ordered. It's the most confident Call of Duty has been in years, with both Raven and Treyarch taking a few well-calculated chances where they could afford to do so, and trimming the fat off the core 'Twitch FPS' experience that regular customers come for year after year. As a direct result, the whole package becomes a really easy recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in military-themed competitive shooters. Respawn issues and small glitches are a thing, but there's a rock-solid offering of varied FPS thrills here that are just well-executed all the way through. As the kids say: we're so back.

There’s a compelling endgame, there’s loot that actually matters, and missions don’t feel like they’re copy and pasted to bulk out the runtime. If some of the frustrations can be ironed out, it could be the best of its genre. But for the love of god, please let your writers say something if you ever make another one.

A brilliant sequel that wrestles control away a little too often.

It feels like this review is a list of shortcomings – and to be honest, it mostly is – but one can’t ignore the sheer quality and classic appeal of the trio of games included. However they’re wrapped up, the main thing you’re going to be doing is playing the games, and so three classics bundled together running well and looking as you remember is a fine offering from Nintendo. I still think Mario deserved a more lavish birthday celebration, but the classic titles in this collection really can’t be diminished.

Rats are often embodied by their desperation; as creatures that’d wear their own claws away by scratching desperately to survive, or eat through the hot, wet meat of a living person in the blind hope they’ll see freedom once again. Requiem feels like a game that isn’t just built around rats, but based on them. It asks: ‘what would it be like if the rat under the bowl had a conscience’? And its comment on the nature of humanity – and how similar we may or may not be to chattering, mindless vermin – will stay with me for years to come. Asobo should be proud of what it achieved in this game, as depressing and engrossing as it is.

If you do manage to hold out, you will be rewarded with flashes of brilliance, it’s just that those flashes are buried as deep as the core story is buried in the endless dialogue.

The writing, direction, and performances are consistently brilliant. This is Remedy at the peak of its game. Control feels like a company rediscovering itself, waking from a long slumber. Remedy’s legs work as intended once more, the vestiges of sleep paralysis a distant memory.

As it is right now, with the quality and quantity of content in the launch package of Battlefield 6, it is incredibly easy to recommend the game to anyone who enjoys multiplayer shooters. It’s an especially exciting proposition for those of us who just cannot keep up with Call of Duty’s rollerskates-based movement and its instantaneous time-to-kill. There’s finally a compelling middle ground between the indecipherability of tactical shooters and the yearly slop of CoD, and it’s one you won’t have to convince yourself to play simply because it’s there, you’ll do it with a big grin on your face because of how fun it is.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a win, with so many quality of life changes from its predecessor on 3DS. It’s welcoming and accessible, familiar yet new, complex but not too confusing, and has plenty of surprises waiting for players and I can see myself playing it way beyond this review.

By offering such a wide variety of experiences to please both handheld and docked players alike, 51 Worldwide Classics ends up a worthy follow-up to the DS Clubhouse Games in spite of its flaws. It quietly becomes another must-own Nintendo Switch title. It’s not a big-budget, mind-expanding adventure – but it’s a fun, generally solidly-constructed collection of eminently playable classics. It’s video game comfort food, and has been a delight to meander through in the present day’s isolation.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is an incredibly bare-bones port, but that doesn’t really matter in the end. We all know it was originally released on a naff platform next to nobody owned, and a game this fun and charming deserves a second chance. The Switch and 3DS versions are fine ports, and suitable for just that.

Playing Burnout Paradise today, something else stands out: the speed.

Really, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is all the action from the Star Wars series, swaddled in the slapstick silliness LEGO has become known for in entertainment. While it’s not a 1-to-1 retelling and your favourite moment might have been left in the toy chest, it’s a knowing showcase of Star Wars’ place in pop culture – memes and all – in a deep, but accessible package.

There’s a lot lifted from other games in A Plague Tale, but somehow there’s nothing cynical about it. This is a full-hearted reach for the big time of AAA storytelling that succeeds in the most important departments, thanks to its sparkling polish and subtle characterisation. It’s one of a handful of games for which I could tell you the personality traits and motivations of not just the protagonists, but four or five secondary characters. Consider this review a carrier: Asobo Studio is a name that’s going to spread.

World of Warcraft went through many changes over the years, for better and for worse. That leaves Classic feeling conflicted, both a rose-tinted dream and a dated mess.

It feels monumentally important, wonderfully clever, and full of a gleeful energy that’ll make the heart of any old-school RPG fan swell. Top marks on this website doesn’t mean it’s a perfect game; it just means we recommend playing it absolutely unreservedly – and such is the case here.

There are problems with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, for sure. But it’s so fun to play, it’s telling a gripping story, and there is so much sense of progress and reward for every little thing you do that it actually feels like an open world game that’s taking its cues from a modern roguelike, or something. Every action has meaning, and the breadcrumbs that tempt you to clean up all the icons on the map are moreish. This may be one of the biggest Assassin’s Creed games ever made, but it also feels like the most well put-together.

Of the Life is Strange games I've completed (2 is still woefully unfinished for me atm), True Colors is my favorite. It strikes the perfect balance of focus on Alex as a person, the town of Haven Springs as a community, and how the two interact and change each other. While I'm still not sold on the superpowers as a mechanic or narrative device, they're unobtrusive enough to be fine, and do provide more to actually do besides walking around, looking at things and talking to people. If you liked previous entries in the Life is Strange series, you'll probably enjoy this one. It's a tighter, cleaner take on the formula, but at its heart, it's still the balance of magic and mundane that’s become signature to these games.

Fallen Order is a game whose worst moments are serviceable, and best moments are memorable. It’s worth experiencing by Star Wars fans hungry for an original story that doesn’t settle for trite, and action game players looking for a decent – albeit flawed – combat.

The learning curve is a bastard and, while the matchmaking is generally pretty good in terms of finding you opponents, you’re going to die again and again, in awful and hideous ways. It’s grim and beautiful, with no single-player mode outside of the tutorial. And if that sounds awesome – and honestly it is – then you know what to do.

Sitting back and thinking about why I dig Ghostrunner 2 so much, I've landed firmly on the belief that it's because OneMoreLevel's dedication to building a game with the 'rule of cool' in mind has crossed over into my own personal tastes. For those who gain pleasure (guilty or otherwise) from an unashamed love of katanas and cybernetic augmentation, Ghostrunner 2 is pouring the gravy you love straight down your throat.

It is a genuine pleasure from start to finish, as dark and uncomfortable as it may be. But for every moment that might make you grimace, there is satisfaction to be found in seeking THE GIRL’s revenge, and destroying THE CULT is definitely a damned good way to spend 5-6 hours of your time.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a lot of fun, and as meaningful a send-up to the source material as one could hope for. I spent time in training mode, popping supers and comparing them to old anime episodes, and smiled to myself when it matched up perfectly. But in stepping away from what did happen in Dragon Ball to what could have happened, this game manages to make the original narrative all the sweeter. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a festival in Goku's honour, and a must buy for age-old lovers of Akira Toriyama's work.

I might be easily pleased these days, but I think Crysis Remastered Trilogy is an easy recommendation for anyone who loves a bit of first-person gunplay. All three campaigns are good to great, visually they look the part, and it can already be bought at a smashing price. Not the definitive package, at least on consoles, but it's very good all the same.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is not a dramatic departure from the formula as we last saw it, but manages to be much more fun and feel way more fresh than any entry since Brotherhood and Black Flag. It plays to the strengths of a genre Ubisoft helped bring into the mainstream, respects the player and their freedom, and allows them to beat up crocodiles. I’m into it.

Another Call of Duty that doesn’t really change anyone’s mind about Call of Duty. Whatever’s there that I thought might actually be making a leap was seemingly just good marketing. In that sense, I suppose, it’s been pretty successful. [Multiplayer review - score = 60]

Far Cry 5 is an interesting game to play in 2018, and it’s easily the best the series has been since Vaas asked us if we knew the definition of insanity in 2012.

Age of Empires 4 is as multifaceted as the events it depicts. It’s more ambitious than other AoE games in handling its content and inspirations, but also far more reserved in changing the fundamentals. There’s no need to change what works already, though a few additional gameplay flourishes could have helped AoE 4 feel more fresh and exciting. The campaigns are robust, but the missing content stands out in its absence. That’s especially true considering Age of Empires 4 is a full-priced release, though being on Game Pass makes it a more appealing prospect. What’s here is still more than enough to be getting on with, but lIke any good strategist, World’s Edge is planning ahead for the long game.

Battlefield 5 is a brilliant shooter that’s hamstrung by its setting. Ignoring all the tonal weirdness, the core of the game is the best it has been since Bad Company 2, filled with smart design choices. When we finally get away from this latest trend of revisiting historical conflicts, when Battlefield is once again freed creatively, we could finally get something to rival the Bad Company series.

Rest assured – these are a fantastic way to revisit familiar adventures for existing fans and a must-play in the genre for everybody else. At last, they’ve got a current release definitively worth bothering with.

As far as next-gen titles go, Immortals Fenyx Rising is definitely one you should be adding to your list. It’s available on almost every platform – sorry, mobile gamers – and looks fantastic on the Xbox Series X, which I got to review it on. Overall, it’s a charming, cerebral and funny time-sink adventure that’ll really cheer you up and distract you if you’re having a quiet festive season this year.

Like a Dragon: Ishin in my eyes earns the lofty score I’m giving it. The game is the most fun I’ve had with a single player game in years, and getting a review code for it the same day as Hi-Fi Rush left me spoiled, incredibly tired, and astoundingly happy. It’s worth your time and your money.

If you can stomach that pesky cake-carrying elephant, Stellar Blade is well worth your time. It's not perfect - there's room for improvement, sure - but having experienced Shift Up's first venture into a triple-A console release I'm along for the ride from here on out.

Though Hellblade 2 has the power to force your jaw open and give you goosebumps, too often the whole project ends up feeling like a very expensive tech demo – an absolute tour de force of technical achievement bogged down in its own sense of gravitas and mystery. Keeping you off the stick for so many of its most impactful moments, and not giving you enough to play with when you do have control, hobbles the potential of this visual and aural masterpiece enough to make the whole experience feel like it was constantly trying to find a foothold on that dread Icelandic scree, and never really getting to its feet until you come staggering over the finish line.

Eyes in the Dark is a real testament to the efforts and inspirations of developer, Under the Stairs, and after this experience with Bloom Manor, I truly look forward to seeing what it's capable of next.

Ultimately, though, it’s down to a breathlessly dynamic battle system to provide Gears Tactics with surprises. Something as safe as setting your soldiers to overwatch, so that they can shoot at moving targets in the enemy turn, becomes endlessly watchable when those enemies can pinball between killzones, knocked about by bullet spray.

It’s a game I could easily see myself winding down with during the evenings, ticking off my to-do list of tasks while wrapped up cosily. The music, the style, the brief thrill of finding rare components or clearing dungeons; it gives me the same feelings that Harvest Moon once did, but God damn, there’s a lot to be cracking on with at any given moment. With that in mind, I think it’s about time I return to Sandrock.

In some ways, that focus-shift back to SRPG fundamentals feels like a possible course correction after the significant ‘Personafication’ of Three Houses. On the other hand, this game still feels like it strives to marry old-school Fire Emblem with those new ideas. As a fan of older Fire Emblem and strategy games in general, I was thrilled to see the depth of combat and the level to which you can make battling your absolute focus. That’s still true even if Engage doesn’t quite get the balance in its execution right in a way that might put a small subset of Three Houses lovers off. It’s still a tremendously satisfying experience, mind. It’s engaging - sorry, I had to get it in – and an easy recommendation.

Alan Wake was and still is an occasionally bizarre action horror game, with some lovely set-pieces, fun combat, and what I hope is a slightly tongue-in-cheek sense of self-importance. I think it stands up remarkably well 11 years after its original release and this Remaster is the best way to experience what I consider to be a modern classic.

Bandai Namco is on a bit of a fighting game roll. Tekken 7 and Dragon Ball FighterZ are both hugely successful, and SoulCalibur 6 comes out swinging with the same sort of tightly-constructed, satisfying action. It’s arguably the most approachable of the trio, though its accessible systems aren’t necessarily the best-balanced in the world. It’s an easy recommendation, mind, because at a casual level SC6 is just bloody good fun.

While there’s an inherent fumbliness to Blood & Truth – I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve dropped a grenade under my own ass, my friend – it’s a game that wants you to feel and look cool. When you’re in the zone, it’s the closest to playable John Wick as we’re likely going to get – that is if John Wick liked flipping people off and collecting vape bottles. If you’ve got PSVR, this is the game to show the tech off to all your pals.

All told, this feels like a solid offering from Sega and Sonic Team. Generations remains a perfect history lesson for younger fans, while Shadow’s new narrative provides a tantalizing introduction to the character before he hits the Hollywood big time just before Christmas. It’s one of Sonic’s better recent outings made just that little bit better - and you can’t really complain about that.

Space Marine 2 is a triumph of a game. It's a must buy for Warhammer fans, and absolutely recommended for good game enjoyers. I hope you consider yourself a part of that illustrious group. Space Marine 2 is one of the best Warhammer games ever released, and one of the most dangerous gateway drugs to plastic crack I've ever seen.

Pokemon Sword & Shield is all too often a bit disappointing, and in some places actually feels a little unfinished, but it also fully provides that warm, fuzzy feeling that one expects from the series. Crucially, even through frustration, never once did I think about putting it down, which is to its credit.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an excellent action game, and a tightly-focused, well-executed example of why Team Ninja is often mentioned in the same breath as FromSoftware. Razor-sharp combat that wields the power of momentum with deft ease, supported by intricate and well-designed levels, against the backdrop of an over-the-top historical fantasy? It’s just a shame about the quality-of-life aberrations that constantly chip away at your morale.

Pokemon Sword & Shield is all too often a bit disappointing, and in some places actually feels a little unfinished, but it also fully provides that warm, fuzzy feeling that one expects from the series. Crucially, even through frustration, never once did I think about putting it down, which is to its credit.

That’s what Avowed is: strong storytelling, great combat, lovely visuals, and utterly charming. It’s not going to light everyone’s hair on fire, but that’s fine - because I know for a certain subset of people - refined people of taste, if you ask me - Avowed will enjoy cult classic status. It doesn’t necessarily push the envelope, but nor does it need to. It’s exactly what it needs to be.

It’s a game I could easily see myself winding down with during the evenings, ticking off my to-do list of tasks while wrapped up cosily. The music, the style, the brief thrill of finding rare components or clearing dungeons; it gives me the same feelings that Harvest Moon once did, but God damn, there’s a lot to be cracking on with at any given moment. With that in mind, I think it’s about time I return to Sandrock.

Overall, if you’re looking for more Dredge, or a reason to delve back into the game for the first time since The Pale Reach, The Iron Rig more than likely has at least a weekend worth of fun to offer you. Even if it feels in places like it could have been a bit more than just another fish added to the catch of a good and spooky net.

Pokemon Sword & Shield is all too often a bit disappointing, and in some places actually feels a little unfinished, but it also fully provides that warm, fuzzy feeling that one expects from the series. Crucially, even through frustration, never once did I think about putting it down, which is to its credit.

I found myself enraptured by this game. Hooked on its combat-cum-strategy and constantly awed by the sights I saw, entertained by the steady flow of upgrades and the structure of the mission layouts. It broadened my horizons a little bit, if a game can do that. That can't be a bad thing, can it?

Make no mistake, Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee aren’t the foundation-shaking next-generation Pokemon games hardcore fans have been waiting for, but experienced trainers will find a lot to love in this nostalgia-driven spin-off. Newcomers and lapsed fans will likewise find an approachable and exciting adventure with hidden depth.

Ultimately, the more you give to Indika, the more you get out of it; whether it’s pondering the philosophical questions it asks you or soaking in the environment… just don’t anticipate any concrete answers. Indika wants you to come to those conclusions yourself, much like its troubled protagonist.

All told it’s a solid little package, however, and Catherine is still full of charm in how it delivers its whacky, mind-bending storylines – even though how it approaches some topics is deeply flawed.

The problem is that, as many of us know, gacha games are inherently exploitative, and even though I'm confident in resisting spending any money on them, I still feel a bit strange about the pull I'm experiencing towards such a game thanks to a seperate, supposedly stand-alone RPG. Should you play Relink for a taste of Granblue Fantasy's world? I think so! But go in knowing that it won't give you everything you might want, and take it as it is.