But the moment an enemy draws a weapon with which they intend to use deadly force, the game state changes: your License to Kill is activated. This is a brilliant use of the Bond terminology and iconography, but it’s also just flat-out clever game design, delineating the different modes of gameplay. [3-Hour Hands-On Impressions]

Vampire Crawlers’ deck-building gameplay is incredibly smart, and the runs never feel like they stretch for too long. It takes every smart decision made in Vampire Survivors and translates it beautifully to a new style of gameplay. Even if you’re not usually a fan of roguelites or deck-builders, you need to try Vampire Crawlers.

Saros is a bold, confident realization of 30 years of Housemarque. It builds on the mystery and exceptional gameplay of Returnal with an excellent lead performance, and changes to the formula mean even more players will come to realize that Housemarque is PlayStation's secret weapon.

For now, Masters of Albion in early access represents a solid start from the wayward creator of some of the greatest games to have been born on these sceptered isles. It’s premature to be rolling out crack-addled 90 per cent scores in this day and age, but when the AI-pocalypse comes and gaming magazines make a comeback - as surely they will - I can see Masters of Albion being deserving of more than a few accolades. [Early Access Score = 60]

Like its predecessors, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is an entertaining collection of ridiculously random set-pieces, tied together in an easy-to-play life sim. It does start getting repetitive after a few weeks, but the exceptionally localised dialogue and the scope for heavy customisation makes it a game the entire family can enjoy regardless.

There’s something charmingly simple about Pragmata. It’s an 8-hour, linear third-person shooter with a charming, if fairly generic, story. We used to get dozens of these games a year; now, with this production value, they’re such a rarity that it’s a breath of fresh air.

Driving up a mountain as snowy roads stretch out into the distance is a sight to behold, and when you’re in the city at night, with neon signs reflecting against puddles, it’s clear this is one beautiful game. [Hands-On Impressions]

Raccoin is a deeply dangerous game. Full of personality, deep, addictive gameplay, and a great visual style, it's a game I'll revisit for years. Some early game resistiveness doesn't dampen an experience that sits comfortably alongside Balatro and Vampire Survivors.

With few standout multiplayer challenges and little compelling solo content, Bellabel Park feels overpriced and inessential next to the excellent original Switch 1 game.

Despite the tumultuous landscape of live-service games around it, Marathon firmly carves its own place in the extraction shooter genre with an unmatched presentation and breakneck rhythm.

While its battle system is going to divide some players, the monster hatching and raising is some of the best in the business. Monster Hunter Stories 3 might be the best turn-based Monster Hunter yet, and shouldn’t be ignored by fans of Capcom’s larger-than-life series.

WWE 2K26 offers another net gain over its predecessor, ensuring the series continues to evolve in a positive direction. While its new reversal system will initially divide players and the spectre of microtransactions continues to loom over MyFaction, the overall package introduces more quality-of-life features to ensure each of its numerous modes is better than it was last time.

Scott Pilgrim EX takes everything that was great about the first game – the combat, the music, the beautiful pixel art – and throws it into an all-new adventure rammed with game references. The open-world structure and relatively short length won't be to everyone's tastes, but if those aren't a problem to you then it's a must-have.

Pokémon Pokopia is an excellent life simulation game that takes the best bits from the champions of the genre and evolves into something that Pokémon fans, and cozy game fans will love. Late-game grinding doesn't dull an adventure that's as full of discovery at 100 hours as it was at 1.

When taken in isolation, Resident Evil: Requiem is fantastic, and a genuinely brilliant entry into the mainline series. It’s still straddling that line between fear and power, and while Grace might not have Leon’s roundhouse kicks and one-liners, she can always fall back on the Requiem. It’s a game designed to challenge you, not pull your last precious hairs from your head (unless you try Insanity difficulty). Capcom has once again delivered a polished and beautiful Resident Evil game, it’s just not quite amongst the best.

Mario Tennis Fever is another solid enough sports game from Camelot, but a disappointingly short single-player offering and a real risk of imbalance – whether using Fever Rackets or not – means what could have been fantastic will have to settle for simply being good.

Romeo is a Dead Man is Grasshopper Manufacture at its most confident and its least conformist. It's got its fair share of rough edges, but the combat is satisfying – offering a challenge without being frustrating – and the sheer inventiveness in its myriad art styles and its bizarre plot ensure this is an adventure you won't have seen before. Anyone with an interest in wandering off the beaten track of familiar third-person action adventure games should check this one out.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a sad microcosm of the state of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio: a developer spinning its wheels, no longer caring for quality, content to chew up old assets and discard what made the original special in order to spit out a yearly release that cashes in on love for what the series used to be.

Nioh 3 feels like the summation of Team Ninja's efforts from the last decade. Its combat is varied and tight, much like its level design, and it's a fantastic adventure. Storytelling could use some work, but the action is flawless.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like a game stuck between two worlds. When it’s emulating previous entries, Beyond is a blast, with excellent boss battles, and some truly gorgeous environments to explore. But this is eventually bogged down by out-of-place additions, awkward storytelling, and overly aggressive hand-holding that spoils the discovery.

Dispatch is more of a TV show than a video game, and while some of its parts feel disjointed and forced, an endearing cast of characters and an uncommon comedy tone manage to glue everything together.

Call of Duty Black Ops 7's multiplayer is some of the finest the series has had to offer in years. It's just a shame it's tied to a baffling, turgid, ridiculous campaign that makes a great argument for stopping Call of Duty campaigns all together. 7 games is plenty. The Black Ops series has run its course.

Kirby Air Riders really didn't need a combined 107 minutes of Nintendo Direct presentations to sell players on its merits, because it only takes a few races to see how fun it can be. Road Trip mode's imbalanced win conditions will divide players, but the brilliantly diverse Road Trip (which is built with multiple playthroughs in mind) and the hefty 750-mission Checklist ensure solo players have plenty to do.

Enhance's Tetris Effect follow-up is a loud and brash, if somewhat unrefined, synaesthesia puzzler that’s more visually dynamic than its predecessor, but often at the expense of gameplay clarity.

Age of Imprisonment may be the most serious of the Hyrule Warriors games to date, but it's also the one with the most engaging and rewarding combat. Fans of Tears of the Kingdom may be annoyed to see an essential retelling of part of its story, but the side-plots add more depth to make up for this to some extent. Fans of the Warriors gameplay style will be absolutely catered for here.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is yet another tremendous compilation from Digital Eclipse, as it continues to uppercut any challengers to its reign as the king of retro re-releases. The only sticking point in a flawlessly presented collection of games is the games themselves, some of which (especially the non-arcade releases) don't quite manage to break the Test Your Might blocks these days.

As a sequel, The Outer Worlds 2 doesn't strive to reinvent its past foundation and does little to stand out in the RPG genre. If you're looking for new toys to play with, you'll find plenty of weapons and a much-improved gunplay to boot. Just don't expect to carry many memories of your time in Arcadia with you.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a balls-to-the-wall action game with a relentless pace and an almost comedic level of gory combat. It's very much a one-trick pony, however, and as thoroughly entertaining as fighting waves of enemies is, its tendency to recycle assets near the end of the game means it can start to overstay its welcome if you don't take it upon yourself to use the wide variety of optional moves available to you.

Pokémon Legends Z-A is a grand adventure that once again proves that the Legends series is home to the most interesting ideas Game Freak has. It's a game that understands its audience, and feels like a love letter to both players who grew up with X & Y, and those who've been here the whole time. The new battle system really worked for me, and the Rogue Mega Battles are bombastic fun, even if, like the traditional turn-based offering, it can get very easy as you level up your team. I hope the Pokémon Legends series is here to stay.

Battlefield 6 is exactly what the fans wanted, and what this game needed to be. The single player is fine, if largely tertiary, but the multiplayer shines. Extremely fun to play, rewarding and full of excellent maps and modes, this is the Battlefield multiplayer suite that will be bring those lost by 2042 back into the fold.

Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 were considered among the best games ever made when they were released, and a decade and a half later that still hasn't changed. The attempt to replace the Wii Remote's pointer controls with Joy-Con gyro movement never feels quite as intuitive as the original experience, but this concession won't dampen the spirits of anyone lucky enough to be playing these games for the first time. Both games remain the high point of creativity in the platform game genre, making this one of the easiest recommendations we've ever made.

In a franchise that doesn't change much year-to-year, EA Sports FC 26 takes that to the extreme. While it's by default the best football game on the market, and competing at the highest level of Ultimate Team remains enjoyable, we expected a more revolutionary entry. Promoted as the game that would fix years of issues that have plagued players, most of them remain. Cynical changes to Ultimate Team make the mode worse for free-to-play players, and the game's other modes are barely looked at.

Ghost of Yotei fufills much of the promise of Ghost of Tsushima, delivering a hugely enjoyable open-world game, that almost rids itself of Tsushima's bloat. Pacing issues and some underdeveloped villains asside, Yotei improves on the original game in every department, and delivers best-in-class visuals and music.

As a sequel, Hades 2 is ambitious, and delivers one of the most satisfying roguelite experiences in years. Yet, it can’t escape the shadow of its predecessor, and in trying to add every idea possible to amplify its scale, the story ends up losing the trademark weight of the studio.

Silent Hill F is certainly a diversion from the main series in a lot of (mostly welcome) ways, but it's still very much a Silent Hill game at heart. By focusing more on action – especially after a surprising twist halfway through – it risks alienating some survival horror fans by making combat the priority rather than the last resort, while some of its puzzles are too obtuse for their own good, but it's still an astoundingly beautiful game that horror fans really should experience regardless of its flaws.

CrossWorlds is a brilliant karting game with satisfying handling, a fun portal mechanic and useful customisation options. Its weapons aren't as punchy as we'd like and it's unclear how it's going to keep players' attention long-term but it's a genuine, more traditional alternative to Mario Kart now that Nintendo's pointed its series in new direction.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is caught in a web of trying to bind two conflicting genres together, with the expectations and norms of each half damaging the other. The beauty of its art design and precise, joyful feel of its movement are inarguable wonders, but the tiring and demotivating nature of its sadistic approach to challenge ripples throughout the entire experience of exploration and combat. It's more of what was good about Hollow Knight, but it failed to avoid some very clear pitfalls in design on its long path to release.

Borderlands 4 is a great RPG shooter with rewarding, engrossing gameplay. Some of the set dressing, like the bland new characters and pointless grappling hook, take the shine off, but the sheer amount of fun we've had with the game can't be overlooked. Borderlands 4 reminds us exactly why we were such big fans of the original two games, and falls on its sword in learning the mistakes of 3.

Rather than trying to bring Sony's classic golfing series into the modern age, Bandai Namco has ensured Everybody's Golf Hot Shots feels like one of the older games in the series. That's certainly not a negative: it has a devoted fanbase for a reason, and the decision to stick with the three-press swing system and provide lots of single-player content results in a pleasantly authentic old-school Everybody's Golf experience.

Cronos is a perfectly acceptable survival horror that looks astonishing at times and has an engaging plot (albeit a very confusing one) to ensure players reach the end. That said, there isn't a lot here that hasn't been seen in other survival games before it, and the combination of annoying enemy AI and no real difficulty settings mean some players will have a frustrating time of things.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land was already a fantastic game, and this new upgrade is worth the $20 asking price. The increase in resolution and switch to 60fps make it look and feel far more polished than before, and while the 12 new stages are essentially little more than an expansion pack, in this case more of the same thing isn't a negative.

It's been too long since we had a new Shinobi game, but Art of Vengeance has been more than worth the wait. With tremendous visuals, an exceptional soundtrack and a compelling combat system that makes each fight a delight, this elevates Sega's action platformer to new heights in the same way Lizardcube previously did with Streets of Rage 4. Exceptional.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater does exactly what we wanted it to. It's a way to play the PS2 classic on modern hardware, with a fresh coat of paint, and contemporary controls. While those looking for a more expansive remake may be left wanting, translating much of MGS 5's excellent gameplay to the PS2 classic is more than enough for us. After a difficult decade, Metal Gear is back.

Drag x Drive is a lovely little multiplayer game let down by a dearth of content. As long as you get get to grips with its control scheme you'll have a great time on the court and will likely get your $20's worth, but Nintendo needs to update this game with new features or modes if it doesn't want to see the community moving on after a couple of months.

Mafia: The Old Country returns to the series' roots with a more linear adventure, delivering a solid story (if a cliché-heavy one) and satisfying combat. The character models and environments are stunning to look at, but the latter raises our main issue: as much as we appreciate the focus on a linear story, this wonderfully sculpted Sicily map is begging to be explored more and is sorely underused as a result.

The Switch 2 version of WWE 2K25 is the best wrestling game on a Nintendo console since at least the N64 era, certainly the GameCube one. It's not without its faults, some of which are present on all versions of the game, but the overall package is a brilliant offering. It's satisfying enough as an annual iteration on other formats, but as the first non-broken WWE 2K entry on a Nintendo console since the 480p era, it's a revelation for Nintendo-playing wrestling fans.

Le Mans Ultimate is an exceptional racing sim that offers quality racing. It's sorely lacking in features, however, especially if you're a solo player.

Though Mario Party Jamboree’s Switch 2 additions are of mixed quality, its best additions, which take advantage of the Switch 2 hardware, undoubtedly elevate what’s already one of the best series entries.

Falling slightly short of Odyssey’s genius, Donkey Kong Bananza is still a thoroughly entertaining Switch 2 platformer, with a heartfelt story, and DK’s most memorable adventure in years.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is an all-time great sequel and one of Hideo Kojima's best games. With a stunning world, greatly expanded gameplay and player choice, and one of Kojima’s most compelling casts and narratives, it significantly improves on the original in virtually every way.

Welcome Tour breaks down the Switch 2 console and controllers to an impressive degree, sharing a wealth of behind-the-scenes insights into Nintendo's hardware development research. Its level of depth won't appeal to everyone, however, and while its tech demos and mini-games are fun enough they lack longevity, meaning once you've seen everything on offer here your $10 has pretty much run its course.

Although its open world is wonderfully designed, Mario Kart World's undercooked Free Roam mode means it's not utilised to its fullest, turning what should have been an exciting new direction for the series into a disappointment. This is thankfully salvaged by the traditional Grand Prix, VS Race and Online modes, which are as brilliant as ever, and the exceptional new Knockout Tour battle royale, meaning the overall package is still well worth your time.

Elden Ring Nightreign is an overly clumsy attempt to graft multiplayer antics to one of the best RPGs ever. While its rougelike elements may entertain, a lack of variety and uneven combat system ultimately make for a curious sideshow that doesn't come close to the series that shares its name.

A cheery and densely-packed co-op metroidvania that’s here for a good time, not a long time.

Doom: The Dark Ages gets so much right, that its main flaws come when the game takes you away from its main, excellent combat loop. While not every new addition works, the game’s new open zones are a treat, and the Doomslayer’s arsenal is still incredibly fun to run around with.

Oblivion's importance to the history of not only RPGs, but modern video games, can't be undersold. It's a game that deserves to be enjoyed by a modern audience, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a great way to do that. Issues with the game that were slightly annoying in 2006 are maddening in 2025 and may turn off new players, but for millennials who still talk about The Dark Brotherhood, it's a lovely nostalgia trip through one of gaming's best RPGs.

South of Midnight is a gorgeous adventure with wonderful performances, striking visuals and solid platforming gameplay. Its combat, however, is repetitive and reductive in equal measure, letting the overall package down considerably.

InZOI is a wonderfully detailed challenger to The Sims with extensive customisation options and some surprisingly original ideas, such as being able to create objects from photos. With a bit more personality and structure it could be a serious contender for the top spot, but at this Early Access stage it's instead a worthwhile alternative to EA's series. [Review in Progress]

Assassin's Creed Shadows finally takes the main series to Japan, and does so in some style. With excellent gameplay, a compelling narrative and a massive, beautiful world to explore, it is so much better than many expected it to be. Even if it's not the game that saves Ubisoft, it did exactly what it needed to, bringing confidence back to one of modern gaming's biggest and most troubled franchises.

While its plot and performances sometimes had our eyes glazing over, there's still no doubt that Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is an impressively vast adventure which has clearly been designed with the player's comfort in mind. With swift exploration, an engaging combat system and a wealth of side quests, things are already compelling from early on, and that's even before the mechs turn up and kick things up another level.

With a string of improvements across all its existing modes, WWE 2K25 outdoes its predecessor in pretty much every way. The weak link is the new Island mode with its cynical pay-to-win mechanics, but throw a Cena taunt in its face and pretend it doesn't exist and you'll find more than enough elsewhere in the game to keep you entertained for months.

Split Fiction is visually streets ahead of its predecessor It Takes Two, but mechanically the two games are very similar. The game is occasionally in danger of verging into repetitive territory with its constant shifting between two main environments, but its healthy selection of varied side-stories and its constantly changing mechanics ensure its gameplay remains engaging and entertaining throughout, even if the same can't always be said for its story.

Omega 6's strengths lie in the characters and world created by former Nintendo artist Takaya Imamura, while its weaknesses are mainly due to the game built around them. Had it been shaped into a more linear visual novel those strengths could have come more to the fore, but the adventure gameplay and awkward Rock-Paper-Scissors battle mechanic get in the way at times. Its low price still makes it worth a look, however.

Fans of the Two Point series will already know that Two Point Museum is a silly but compelling simulation which is easy to learn but hides a surprising amount of depth and variety. The new expedition mode, despite feeling a tad lootboxy, nevertheless ensures that this isn't just Two Point Hospital or Campus with a new lick of paint, meaning while we'd heartily recommend it to newcomers, veterans who thoroughly rinsed its predecessors shouldn't worry about this just being more of the same.

Monster Hunter Wilds is confident, bold, and one of the best Monster Hunter games ever, thanks to its ability to stand on the giant shoulders of Worlds and improve it in virtually every way.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an amusing, if underwhelming way to kill time before Yakuza 9, but considering the speed at which RGG is releasing new games in the series, you probably don't have to wait that long for the next traditional entry.

Avowed is a solid action RPG with an entertaining script, satisfying combat and impressively detailed environments. The inability to clean up side quests after the main story is beaten can be frustrating, but take your time with it and enjoy everything it has to offer, and you'll find plenty of memorable moments.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a brilliant RPG that's uncompromisingly itself. Difficult, mucky, and bloody, it's an excellent realization of the promise of the first game and a coming-out party for Warhorse into gaming's top tier.

Civilization VII is bold enough to add big changes to its formula, without getting rid of everything that has made the series iconic. Say goodbye to your free time, as from PC to handheld, every waking moment will be consumed by One More Turn.

With improved presentation and controls, Donkey Kong Returns is the definitive version of a classic platformer. Though it lacks the variety and bold ideas of its sequel, and offers little new content, it's a worthwhile experience for those who missed it the first time around.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins will offer enough for fans, but won't blow the minds of new players or series regulars. The scale of the game's battle and rock solid performance are impressive, but there's little to write home about outside of that.

Rita's Rewind is a wonderful love letter to Power Rangers and old-school beat 'em ups, meaning it should easily appeal to fans of either or both. Results vary when it strays into different genres, but at no point does it ever stop being fun to play. It's short, and the voice samples are repetitive, but as long as you can cope with that it's thoroughly enjoyable.

We had a smile on our face from beginning to end while playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. As close as games can come to a genuine old-fashioned Hollywood blockbuster, it's also an incredibly rich adventure game stuffed to the gills with secrets to find.

Stalker 2 could be a great game in a few years, but what's presented at launch is a technical mess that doesn't capitalise on its best ideas. Compelling side stories and a brilliant setting do a lot of the heavy lifting, but at launch Stalker 2 isn't an adventure we'd fully recommend embarking on.

Lego Horizon Adventures won't top any game of the year lists, but it's an enjoyable retelling of Aloy's first story, mixed with witty, Lego Movie style writing, and gameplay that will entertain the whole family.

Tetris Forever is an exceptional celebration of one of the most important series in video game history. Although factors outside of the developer's control means some of the most iconic versions of the game aren't available here, everything else – including the references to those games and one cheeky recreation – is handled with such attention to detail that this has to be considered the definitive telling of the Tetris story.

Mario & Luigi Brothership is a triumphant return for the series, maintaining the spirit and action-oriented platforming of its predecessors, coupled with fantastic exploration and satisfying battle mechanics.

Slitterhead isn't very good, but it is very interesting. In an age of remakes, sequels and safe bets, it's heart-warming to see something that's so clearly such a singular vision. We're disappointed that vision is sold short by basic combat and a focus on the game's ugly characters, but we're glad it exists and would welcome more attempts like it.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels like BioWare playing it too safe. While it nails what it does best, like the excellent cast and interpersonal relationships, from a gameplay perspective it feels out of date.

Sonic X Shadows Generations delivers a sturdy one-two punch of fan service, providing a solid remaster of a 2011 favourite and coupling it with a new game starring a fan favourite. The usual 3D Sonic platforming issues remain and the Shadow Generations open-world hub may annoy those who disliked Sonic Frontiers but overall it's a brilliant package.

Jamboree is one of the best Mario Party games to date, due to the sheer number of modes available and their general high quality. It still hasn't managed to shake some of the core issues of the series (especially when it comes to balancing the game for younger and less experienced players) but judged against previous entries it stands out as a top offering.

Metaphor: ReFantazio could have so easily been Persona with the names filed off, but it's so much more than that. It matches incredibly fun, expansive combat with an excellent cast of characters that make the nearly 100-hour journey a memorable one.

Silent Hill 2 is a skilfully handled retelling of one of the medium's most loved survival horror games. It stays faithful to the original (to a fault at times) but breathes enough new life into it to simultaneously ensure that long-time fans will appreciate the respect shown, while newcomers won't find it antiquated.

EA Sports FC 25 makes smart choices so that the time you're spending in the game feels much more worthwhile. Rush is the best addition in years, and hopefully indicative of the future of the franchise.

Despite some ambitious ideas, beneath the surface Echoes of Wisdom is surprisingly uneven Zelda adventure. Few of its headline mechanics are utilised to their potential which means that, while enjoyable and charming, it ultimately feels less essential than other modern 2D entries.

Epic Mickey Rebrushed takes one of the Wii's most visually unique platformers and fixes the camera and control issues it deperately struggled with before. The result is a far better way to play the game, finally allowing players to focus more on the wonderful art direction and storyline.

Dead Rising is still heaps of daft, gory fun, and the Deluxe Remaster is an excellent excuse to catch up with Frank. Almost every change that's been made to the new release is for the better, and while it won't blow your socks off like Capcom's other revisited classic, we're more than happy to spend another 72 hours with Mr West. He's covered wars, you know.

Funko Fusion is fun to play and its TT Games / Lego series ancestry is clear to see, but its frequent backtracking, its slightly off comedy and the way some franchises get less love than others mean that fun is often experienced with an asterisk. It's worth a play, as long as you don't mind collectathons and replaying levels.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection combines seven superb arcade classics, even though Marvel vs Capcom 2's superiority does make five of them feel a tad redundant. The addition of The Punisher is a welcome extra, but the Museum mode is on the basic side.

Astro Bot isn't simply an enjoyable platformer with some nostalgia tying it together; it's a generationally impressive entry in the genre that understands PlayStation at an atomic level. The sheer level of joy the game produces makes it impossible to compare it to anything other than Mario's very best adventure. Astro is no longer a vector through which to reference PlayStation icons; he is a PlayStation icon.

Solar Crown is a perfectly enjoyable open-world racing game with solid handling and plenty to do, but its world map is too large to maintain a consistent level of detail and it loses some personality as a result. This, combined with occasional frame rate issues even in Performance mode give the game an unpolished feel. If you're looking for a new open-world racer we'd still recommend it, as long as you don't expect anything particularly innovative.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is a solid way to round off the series' remasters on modern platforms. The point-and-click style exploration gives the game a slightly different feel to the rest of the series but both games are still legnthy, engaging affairs with plenty of fun twists and enjoyable dialogue.

As the third game in the Famicom Detective Club series, Emio: The Smiling Man is a faithful entry that fits perfectly alongside the 2021 remakes of the first two titles. It fits in a little too well, however, because its gameplay hasn't changed much from the 1980s originals, meaning its 'choose every option until you move on' dialogue system ends up feeling like a boring box-ticking exercise rather than an intuitive investigative process. The story is great but it's strictly for those who love visual novels, no matter how linear.

Star Wars Outlaws is a pulpy, Uncharted-style adventure that doesn't quite fulfill its potential. Kay and Nix lead a great cast through a well-paced, punchy story, but the game's Reputation system, and syndacite storyline in general feels undercooked.

Concord is an enjoyable shooter, kneecapped by a $40 price tag and a bland cast of characters. When it arrives on PlayStation Plus, which feels almost certain at this point, its worth picking up, but only with the enthusiasm you'd treat any other free-to-play fare.

Cygni is an exceptional evolution of the shoot 'em up genre, one that relentlessly pummels the player with enemies and explosions. Its combat is extremely satisfying and its lengthy stages and customisable elements make it the sort of game you'll play through numerous times. We'd be recommending it as a full-price game, but at £25 / $30 it's a no-brainer.

Steamworld Heist 2 is a charming, generous and surprisingly challenging seafaring romp. From its fun filled real time sailing to its refreshingly tactile twist on turn-based gunplay, Image and Form’s pirate romp breathes a welcome breeze into an often stuffy genre.

Thank Goodness You're Here is the new high watermark for a comedy game. Constantly hilarious, inventive and creative, it's a complete joy. A brisk 3 hour jaunt through the fictional north of England, Thank Goodness You're Here sets out its ambitions from the beginning, and confidently exceeds them.