Rematch is arguably the best sports game I've played in years, and that comes down to the air-tight mechanics at the core of its gameplay, and how good it feels to dribble, make a pass, take a shot, or make a save - all of which wonderfully balances its 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 game modes. It's tackled at the knees by everything around that core gameplay, from its poor UI/UX menu design, to its uninspired visual style and the fact that it currently lacks any offline game modes, and, at least at launch, the several networking issues and bugs that plague the experience.

Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia is a more streamlined, sleeker and quicker Total War than those before it. However, the changes to make it like this offer new opportunities and one of the more tactical campaign maps than ever before. While it still suffers from some issues, like boring end game and being altogether too easy, there's still a whole lot to gain from playing Thrones of Britannia.

For a $60 (or $70 on current gen) release, don’t expect the Call of Duty Modern Warfare II campaign to be solely enough for the asking price. With a roller-coaster story that bounces from locale to locale with a lack of attention span across its four-hour runtime, 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 is disappointing after coming off the highs of Vanguard and even the first reboot of Modern Warfare. It’s a serviceable shooting gallery that really doesn’t have much to offer that we hadn’t seen before across prior campaigns. [Campaign Review Score = 65]

While The Escapists 2 appears to be a bombastic, fun loving adventure through misfortune and triumph, it turns out to be mostly a long and patient game of planning, and luck.

Star Control: Origins boasts some of the sharpest writing I’ve come across in a while. It made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, which is a rare thing. Unfortunately, this space adventure is at its worst when it’s at its spaciest. A lack of navigational tools, dull resource collecting, and oversimplified space battles all conspire to knock the game down a peg. Star Control: Origins serves up a lively galaxy worth exploring, but sometimes the commute can be a killer.

This is a multiplayer game, not a single player one. Cruising through the skies against a squadron of human pilots is frantic and enjoyable. Anything else is not worth your time.

Simply awesome. Fans of the series know exactly what to expect while newcomers are welcomed into this world of tragedy and whimsy. It's free and fun, what more do you want?

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is heavily dependent on the amount of free floor space you have available. If you have a large home, space to drive under the sofas, no extra rugs or thick carpets, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit will be an amazing experience to share with the children. If you live somewhere fairly cramped or have a lot of clutter that's going to get in the way, then you will find this very difficult to enjoy indeed. Great for the kids at Christmas, as long as you have the space.

End of Zoe is just wacky enough to work, although it doesn’t really build on Resident Evil 7 in any meaningful way. It doesn’t add much to the game’s story, lacks any truly memorable set pieces, and, most crucially, isn’t scary. As a curiosity, End of Zoe is a worthwhile experience, but it’s a somewhat odd final statement for the Resident Evil 7 saga.

Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Crown Tundra is the better of the two DLCs for the game, though that's not saying much. It manages to weave Pokémon's modern sensibilities with some strong nostalgia for old-time fans like myself, and I found myself more than happy to cycle around The Crown Tundra for hours on end, catching all of the Pokémon I found. If that's not a good result, I don't know what is.

Mario Tennis Aces is one of the best Mario Tennis games, and well worth it for gamers who love to sit back with groups of friends. If you appreciate a good game of tennis with some whacky rules to spice it all up, you'll surely enjoy this.

We. The Revolution is a great concept, there's no doubt about that. Unfortunately, it falls down at one of its key moments, but the overall experience is still tense and very atmospheric.

Unruly Heroes is a decent action-platformer that has a fantastic art style and genuinely looks beautiful. The platforming and combat, for the most part, is sound, with a huge amount of variety to find in the levels. However, the controls can be a little unresponsive and the game does have issues with some very forced 'comedy', though comedy is always subjective. Is Unruly Heroes worth buying? For what is a reasonably low price, it is a decent title to pick up and is worth spending some time with.

Vaporum offers a very engaging blend of dungeon crawling, RPG and survival games that it's hard to put down until the end of the campaign. While the mechanics may not be all that original, the customization possibilities, exploration, and puzzles make it so that players won't be troubled by the relative lack of innovation.

Visions of Mana is a fun JRPG for the first thirty hours but the continuous backtracking and overall padding left me feeling like my time wasn't being respected by the time Val's journey came to a close

Fans of horde modes in their shooters will find plenty of reasons to keep coming back to Killing Floor 2, although the experience is substantially better with a group of like-minded friends.

While Life is Strange: Double Exposure was a lot of fun and had a lot of great moments between using her powers to swap between timelines to be a murder-mystery detective, conversations dragged on and significant choices being made didn't feel consequential at all. It's a great experience, with a lot of twists, but some of it feels a bit too drawn out at times.

Homeworld 3 marks a successful return to a long-revered series. Bringing back the successful space strategy series, but improving the combat by a large amount with a more tactical approach, Blackbird Interactive has successfully made their mark. With exceptional tactical combat, made all the more important by the fact that everything carries over, and one bad mistake could cripple you much further down the line. The additional War Games mode only enhances this, making for a very engaging title.

Absolver features one of the best fighting systems to be found in gaming. In addition to this, it looks and plays fantastically. However, it's let down by a few balancing issues, some glaring design problems caused by the unpredictable multiplayer feature. The end-game, however, could make for one of the best multiplayer experiences the year has to offer.

Tormented Souls is a love letter and throwback to the old school survival horror games, warts and all, even including the age-old tank controls found in the games it looks to emulate. Honestly, it does a good job in this, setting the atmosphere, ramping up the stakes and only rarely venturing into the absurd when it comes to puzzle logic. While not completely innocent, with some nonsense puzzles, and a questionable art style for the protagonist, there's enough on offer to keep you going and it makes it more than worth the reasonable price of the game.

Styx: Blades of Greed is the definition of a solid 'AA' game. It struggles under the weight of its own ambition and some Unreal Engine 5 optimization woes, but its charming main character and quality of its sandbox level design make it a game that those looking for an almost pure stealth experience will love.

Life is Strange 2 - Episode 3 continues to impress in terms of soundtrack, setting and character development. It's not as fast paced as the others in this series, but it works perfectly for the emotional narrative underpinning the overall journey.

Etherborn looks nice and has some really interesting puzzles but they are presented in a way that's just a little too slow, not to mention a little too frustrating, to be truly enjoyable.

There's a decent JRPG here, if just incredibly dull. Digimon fans will find plenty to enjoy, whereas casual observers of the series will probably be better off by picking another JRPG.

Jeff Minter's latest interpretation of this arcade classic still holds up as one of the best versions of Tempest to date, although the price and lack of changes from TxK both make it a difficult purchase to recommend at $30.

Gran Turismo Sport is a good game, and yet, it’s still a disappointment. Given this series’ pedigree, good simply isn’t good enough. GT Sport still brings it on the track, but its lack of content can’t be ignored, and you can’t give the game top marks in world where Forza Motorsport 7 and Project CARS 2 exist. If you’re a diehard fan of Sony’s series or really into online racing, GT Sport is worth a shot. If you just want the best racing sim out there, you may want to kick some more tires.

Bulletstorm is back and it is still as ridiculous as you remember. The Skillshot System provides an awesome challenge for FPS players who want something a little different than your typical military shooter.

Yooka-Laylee is a fun throwback to a simpler time, but in the process some things got lost in translation. Whether it’s rose-tinted specs or just modern game design sensibilities, something doesn’t feel right with Yooka-Laylee, even if it runs great on Switch. I guess it just can’t compare to the likes of Super Mario Odyssey.

Stars in Shadow, developed by a two man team, offers a compelling but simple approach to the 4X Strategy game genre. While lacking some depth in the grand scale, it more than makes up for it with compelling ship battles, using custom designed ships that offer a great amount of customization.

While missing some of the polish other games might have, The Council feels like it could be the next step in the genre thanks to branching narratives that feel much weightier than before and a mystery you can't help but be drawn into.

Onrush is a smart, modern rethink of 2000s era arcade driving games, which deftly combines over-the-top, blazing-fast action with elements of popular team-based shooters like Overwatch. No, Onrush isn’t a traditional racing game, and it may take a little getting used to, but those willing to give something new a chance are in for a raucous ride.

Episode 4 of The Council, titled Burning Bridges, gets the game back into its stride, even if the conversations are a bit disappointing. The RPG progression is starting to pay off, though.

X-Morph: Defense fixes the tedium of tower defense games by blending it with high-octane twin-stick shooter gameplay, and the end result is great. Definitely worth playing portably on Nintendo Switch.

Roguelikes aren't for everyone, but The Persistence manages to show that a few tweaks to the usual experience can make wonders for accessibility. With a great atmosphere, intriguing setting, and great mechanics that allow for a variety of play styles, The Persistence is a more than worthy game for both roguelike diehards and those looking to finally get into the genre.

Evil Genius 2: World Domination has a certain nostalgic charm, and not just because of its retro 007 stylings. It feels like something you might have found on your dad or friend’s computer back in the Windows 3.1 era and sunk a few diverting hours into. Unfortunately, a lack of depth, challenge, and modern features makes the game hard to fully recommend in 2021. Some fun can be had if you keep your expectations in check, but don’t count on Evil Genius 2 taking over your world.

Aliens: Dark Descent is an excellent real-time tactics game mixed with survival horror and arguably the best Aliens game around. Excellent tactical action in a world ever-succumbing to the Xenomorph threat, you will find resources scarce, leading to difficult decisions, ones made all the more difficult when time is also a factor. Add on an engaging enough story and an excellent atmosphere, and you have a game that I can't help but recommend to anybody and everybody.

The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy brings some of the most divisive entries in the series with some needed improvements to the aesthetics. While it doesn't do much to improve on their flaws, it is still the definitive way to experience each of these games and relive the next chapters in the story of the original Ace Attorney trilogy.

If you’re looking for a hack and slash game, Fate/Extella Link is a fantastic one, even if you’re not a fan of the series, though if you are, that’s another good reason to jump in.

Sonic Frontiers may not be the best Sonic the Hedgehog ever made, but it's definitely in the upper echelon of the franchise. The new open-world formula works surprisingly well even with its issues, and Cyber Space stages and combat are well-designed, engaging and, most of all, fun. With some tweaks, the Sonic Frontiers formula could be the basis for the franchise moving forward, potentially bringing it back to its glory days.

WarioWare: Move It! is a touch too clever for its own good, taking a concept that’s best when kept simple and drowning it in fussy unreliable motion controls and overelaborate microgames. There are still some flashes of that old anarchic fun here, but even those who have loved past WarioWare games may find this vacation-themed entry a bad trip.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath lets its villains strut their stuff in a fun epilogue, and the new fighters are all welcome additions, but an overall lack of content makes it tough to wholly recommend this expansion at its full $40 price tag. Those new to Mortal Kombat 11 can get a much better deal, but if you’ve already bought the game, this Aftermath may not add up.

Coven of Dusk satisfies that itch for an Etrian-styled RPG on the Nintendo Switch that has yet to come, but with all things that come from Nippon Ichi's RPG powerhouse, it's a study of excess for better or worse.

The game's simple nature binds a Little to the Left, but it achieves its aims very well. Even when testing your brain with a puzzle, it is a calming game. It offers various puzzles, some with multiple solutions, a daily puzzle to keep coming back to, and a little amusing narrative in the background that all cat owners will find familiar. This is a game I've enjoyed, and I can find myself returning to it, offering an excellent refresher and palate cleanser.

Lords of the Fallen boasts impressive visuals and an interesting story for a soulslike, but unfortunately, that's where the praise ends. Despite functional gameplay and a well-designed world, the experience is marred by frustrating combat mechanics, subpar enemy placement, and an overall lack of polish, making it one of the most frustrating soulslikes ever released.

The Assassin's Creed 3 Remaster improved the graphics and very little else. There is a reason this game is one of the least popular in the series history and without anything done to address its previous faults, its age makes it even more unpalatable.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an ambitious passion project that clearly invokes some of the highlights of Bethesda's signature RPG series while retaining some unique quirks all their own. Unfortunately, the first few steps out of Early Access show that this adventure into Avalon could have used a little more time fending off the Red Death.

Total War: Rome Remastered is a great remastering of one of the most influential and important strategy games in the history of gaming, though it is warts and all. Certain improvements are invaluable in bringing the original closer to modern sensibilities, though they only go so far, allowing issues like pathfinding to remain, as well as a dense-as-concrete AI, even though it has been improved. However, no matter the issues, the gameplay is engaging, exciting and most of all, fun. This is a massive game, featuring two extensive expansions that have also been remastered, and one that I would recommend to any fan of the original, any fan of Total War and anybody who wants to ease themselves into the series with a game from simpler times.

Marvel's Midnight Suns - The Good, the Bad, and the Undead offers more of the core game but with a funnier character, one oozing with the personality we've all come to love across multiple forms (including Ryan Reynolds). While it's not the most extensive DLC, and I think the base price is high for what you get, the experience is good during the DLC missions, and you've then got a great character for life.

Even if you don’t go back to the game after finishing it once, there’s plenty in that four-hour experience for you to enjoy. RUINER is a no brainer if you are interested in fast-paced action games that require real skill to truly perfect.

There's no questioning that Get Even offers a different dimension to the first person shooter genre, yet it struggles to maintain the aspects that make it most unique, quickly devolving into a repetitive cycle.

Disney's Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a solid remaster that enhances the original experience with some nice improvements. Unfortunately, the experience is still carried by the setting exploring Disney's forgotten history, as the remaster does little to address dated level design, lackluster combat, and underdeveloped features like the morality system. Despite these shortcomings, Mickey's journey in the Wasteland remains enjoyable, especially for hardcore Disney fans eager to see some of the company’s long-forgotten characters brought back to life.

Concrete Genie is a fantastic game that lets you explore a beautifully realised town as well as your own imagination. While there are some tiny annoyances, Concrete Genie is so dedicated to making you feel creative that you'll barely notice them as you play.

Afterparty blends genuinely thought-provoking depictions of growing up, working, and the afterlife with great comedy and fantastically awkward conversations. While technically it has a few hiccups, the story and tone they strike are near flawless.

The Persona Dancing Endless Collection's price tag is the true shadow of this rhythm compilation. If you choose to do battle with your wallet, you'll be rewarded with a trio of rhythm games that are filled with style, remixed beats, and another chance to spend a few hours with those RPG party members you developed such deep social links within previous adventures.

It isn't hard to recommend a game like Bomb Rush Cyberfunk to fans of Jet Set Radio. But I still think that 3D platformer fans should give this game a shot, too, as the mechanics are pretty easy to get into, and there's a lot to do here that will scratch that itch. With the number of games that are bangers releasing this year, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like a nice break.

If you can find some like-minded friends to join your adventures fresh out of Starfleet, Star Trek: Bridge Crew makes for a great social experience. Those that opt for a more single player experience might find themselves missing out on the magic.

Attack on Titan 2 has an action-packed campaign that fans of the show will enjoy along with a pretty fun multiplayer mode, even if does look a bit outdated and the traversal system can prove to be more challenging than taking down a Titan.

Yoko Taro's storytelling is laid out on the table in a card-based adventure that'll appeal to tabletop and JRPG fans alike in Voice of Cards.

In Sound Mind is a surprisingly compelling title, offering an interesting story and strong horror experience. However, some aspects start to outlive their welcome - if only due to annoyance. Tackling a sensitive subject like mental health, In Sound Mind could have really fallen flat if We Create Stuff didn't handle it well, and while it can come across as heavy-handed at times, this is generally well done and worth experiencing.

The Ninja Saviors needs little introduction, proving to be as faithful to the SNES classic as one can get. The updated presentation and new characters make this a one-way trip worth playing once again.

Carto is a brilliantly simple puzzle game about literally moving the world to help those in need, all the while making a few friends as you try to make it back home.

I loved the nostalgic feel of the game, and how detailed the world was, with the ability to capture everything with the camcorder. However, a lot of the conversations felt too drawn out, with a lot of awkward pauses, or overlapping conversation that just felt too overwhelming.

An undeniable and great improvement on the original. Featuring a huge amount of content, including some brand-new game modes, as well as a revamped and improved portion of the original campaign, there's a lot on offer. The AI is improved, though does have a few niggles here and there. Particularly so with pathfinding. This issue is overwhelmed by the amount of content on offer, great improvements to the aesthetics of the game, improvements to multiplayer as well as changes to the home city system outside of the campaign. While not as outright fantastic as Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, this is still a brilliant release and comes in at a very low price.

Tell Me Why uses everything it can to get you invested. The puzzles are creative and often use the game's systems in a way you might not expect, while the characters are incredibly interesting and the story is powerful.

Dungeons 3 has taken the series to its highest point yet. While overbearing on the forced comedy, it can be genuinely funny. Most of all, though, it's addictive. Dungeons 3 features incredibly polished gameplay with great visuals and audio and the wide variety within the campaigns 20 missions never gets boring.

No More Heroes III is a glorious, gory mess, bursting with excitement and creativity from beginning to end. The game’s intensity does shift down a gear when exploring its dated open world, but its best moments shine bright enough to keep your heart and beam katana pumping through the slower bits. Suda51 has scored another bloody Touchdown.

With a focused approach, looking at the Trojan War, Total War Saga: Troy offers you the choice between following the story of the war or forging your own path, each time feeling different. This is enhanced by unique game mechanics for each faction within the game, though there are sadly a limited number, as well as adding mechanics that all factions work with like the favour of gods. This is backed up by a brilliant resource and city-management system, making this one of the more strategic Total War titles out there. There are some flaws, such as agents mostly feeling useless and a few small niggles with diplomacy and allied AI, but these are outshone by the aforementioned positives and a fantastically tactical combat system due to enhanced units and new terrain, as well as mythical units. Put simply, Total War Saga: Troy is an outstanding first entry from Creative Assembly Sofia and a fantastic entry to the Total War franchise, highlighting what the Saga spin-offs can bring.

Observation spins a solid sci-fi yarn steeped in ominous atmosphere, but it fails to live up to its intriguing “Play as HAL 9000!” pitch. Too much of the game feels like irritating busy work as you wait for something interesting to happen. Folks who care about story first and foremost will want to give Observation a look, but those hoping for both an engaging plot and mechanics may find this space odyssey a drudgery.

Iron Harvest could be best described as Company of Heroes with Mechs. That's high enough praise in itself and Iron Harvest lives up to it. Featuring great RTS combat across an extensive and engaging, campaign, skirmish levels, challenges, and multiplayer, you'll have a lot to bite into and enjoy. It's well balanced and at a pace which rewards tactical thinking over simple fast gameplay. There are a few slight issues, aesthetically it does feel like more could have been done, but it's still a decent enough looking game. There are also a few very minor bugs here and there, but nothing that can mar your enjoyment. Iron Harvest is a game I heartily recommend for strategy fans, particularly those who like the Company of Heroes style gameplay.

For being a game that has been in development hell for over ten years, Dead Island 2 turned out alright, thanks to the wacky atmosphere and characters, fun combat, and acceptable quest quality. All of these features, however, become progressively worse as the campaign proceeds, making the game nothing more than an acceptable experience that may not be worthy of its full price tag for those looking for something a bit more involving.

Event[0] is an incredibly interesting game. Set on a small but incredibly detailed space ship and featuring an incredibly unique character, in the AI Kaizen. It will test your brains and your empathy, as well as your patience. Will you argue with Kaizen? Will you be friendly? There's so much to do, puzzles to solve and the space to explore.

Trading spell books for cell phones, Nihon Falcom proves once again that they are masters of the action JRPG subgenre.

Railway Empire is a strong but shallow entry into the railway management style of games that has gone long ignored. With a few slight downfalls, primarily as a result of the game only offering limited maps and time periods to operate in, it can go by a little too quick and become repetitive. However, the journey to get to that stage can be enthralling as it offers a high level of tactical thinking as you interlink your network of rails.

Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection plays it a bit too safe when it comes to being the first sequel in 15 years, instead opting for a polished up retelling of Arthur's quest to rescue his fair maiden from the clutches of evil demons not once but twice.

Ara: History Untold is a highly ambitious 4X game that looks to branch out and add even more depth to an already detailed genre. In many ways, it succeeds, bringing in a map and city-building system that far surpasses others in the genre and successfully interlinking practically every area. However, with some successes come issues, with the added depth in the supply chain making it a bit of a micromanagement nightmare; it tries to alleviate some of these issues with a user-friendly UI, but it could be a sticking point for some. The AI also seems to go on the fritz and break the game's rules.

With great art and an interesting idea at its core, Aegis Defenders still would have needed quite a bit more refinement to really stand out.

The Walking Dead was worth saving. The usual Telltale caveats about polish and quick time action scenes apply, but this is exciting, powerhouse storytelling, packed with fantastic character work and edge-of-your-seat cinematic moments. The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode 3 lines up the sights for a bloody good finale – let’s hope Skybound nails the headshot.

Despite being a masterpiece of split universes and the often futile attempts to fight fate, we're living in the timeline where the original source code for Chrono Cross was lost to the scars of time and the remaster that exists in this age wasn't given the focus that one of the greatest JRPGs of all time deserves.

Lego DC Super-Villains doesn’t shake things up that much, but it doesn’t break anything either. Ultimately, above-average level design and a dizzying amount of DC content mostly make up for the game’s bland action and lack of polish. Lego DC Super-Villains might not have the chops to take over the world, but it may conquer a surprising amount of your family’s free time.

Portal Knights is a Minecraft-alike with a lot of personality and a lot of promise, but in its current state, I just couldn’t enjoy it. It feels bloated in places, empty in others, and just can’t compare to other games in the block-placing, creation “genre”. Fun for a while, but outstays its welcome too quickly.

So far, I'm having a lot of fun with Top Spin 2K25, though there are some obvious shortcomings, like the lack of online doubles and custom matches, the very limited roster of pro players, and the too-long rallies. I'll reserve final judgment after proper testing of the 2K and World Tour modes when they go live.

Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club really sneaks up on you. For much of its runtime the game is a likable, if somewhat by the book, throwback detective visual novel, but Nintendo swings big in terms of narrative in its final hours, ultimately delivering a story that’s much more daring, dark, and affecting than anything this franchise has delivered before. Whether you’re a visual novel nut or just in the mood for a good mystery with some teeth, Emio will leave you grinning.

Starlink is a fun game, with great toys to play with and solid combat to back it up. Unfortunately, the sloppy story and barren explorable worlds hold back what could have been a great return to form for the toys-to-life genre.

Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is out-done by other farming games on the market and even games from its own series. Not exactly a low-point in the franchise, but not worth playing over other titles.

The sadistic events that surround the town of Le Choara are what makes Death end re;Quest 2 such a compelling read. While the combat is passable by IFI standards, it's the quality of writing that makes this such a memorable title on its own.

A beautiful game with a simple, engrossing theme running throughout it all. You might think you've seen something like Masters of Anima before, but it has more to offer than it would seem at first glance.

Total War: Pharaoh is a successful return to pure history for the series. While some may not like aspects, such as a limited unit variety and a map that can feel a little narrow in areas, the gameplay is enhanced across the board thanks to a variety of features, increased tactical options in combat, and more.

Song of Horror is a genuinely atmospheric, creepy horror game, with the major selling point of an enemy that you're never actually sure about. The advanced AI system of the horrors you face, combined with sound, visuals and other game mechanics make for one of the more engrossing and captivating horror titles of recent memory. There are some faults, such as backtracking and a bit of adventure game logic when trying to solve puzzles, but these do nothing to stymie everything Protocol Games are bringing to the table.

The makers of Omensight probably wish they had an infinite time loop of their own. Painfully repetitive and lacking in polish, this game clearly needed a bit longer in the oven. Forgiving Majora’s Mask fans may find Omensight’s story and action enjoyable enough, but many who buy the game will want to turn the clock back on their weekend.

Removing a significant amount of content and replacing it with Mine's Dark Ties storyline hurts the narrative as a whole, but perhaps not as much as the other design choices at play for this remake of Yakuza 3.

Far Cry 6 features a beautiful world filled with chaos, but it also fits the status quo for the series without putting its actors and tech to good use.

Sphere of Influence - Ascension takes you on a more personal journey through the Sengoku Jidai period of Japan. Take control, rise through the ranks and explore an even more detailed game than the original. This standalone expansion improves on the original in almost every way.

Trackmania is a nice addition to the series, one that looks and sounds great and, even when it's incredibly frustrating, it's fun. The downside is the new monetisation system, a subscription service that looks like it could segregate the community. The game is very extensive and if the audience picks it up, it could be great for the same reason the other Trackmania games were: user-created content using an outstanding track creator and editor.

Expeditions: Viking, while not perfect, offers outstanding tactical combat, with excellent character and world development. You'll encounter a host of interesting characters, fulfilling quests and important decisions as you travel from Denmark to Britannia, in a quest to save your clan.

At first I was rolling my eyes at a blatant rip off of other fantastic games, but by the end I realized this is a great game in its own right.

Phoenix Point offers a great return to a more complex, more involving, if not a little too slow (at times) version of the XCOM style of game. Featuring a massive amount of customisation and personalisation, from the building of your own personal Earth-saving force as well as diplomacy with the surviving factions, you have a massive amount to sink your teeth into. Add onto this some of the best tactical gameplay around and a very replayable nature, you have something that will suck you in. There are issues, it can grind to a halt at times and it can also feel a little repetitive with repeated side-missions. In the long run, this is a great game and one that is well worth spending your time with.

Ancestors Legacy is a genuinely good console strategy title, with Destructive Creations having ported the game over well with improvements to UI and controls to make it as playable as possible on a gamepad. As for the game itself, while simplistic compared to other strategy titles, it offers a great jumping-in point for those new to the genre. Even those familiar will find something enjoyable within, with a well-balanced (albeit small) roster of factions supports a strong multiplayer, even a decent, albeit repetitive campaign.

Nantucket is a strangely compelling and addictive game that acts as a follow up to Herman Melville's Moby Dick. While it can be quite repetitive, it's this loop as you develop your ship and crew that lets the game sink its harpoon into you. With a great visual design and some songs made just for the game, alongside the in-game newspaper that sticks true to the in-game date, Nantucket has buckets of atmosphere. I doubt it's a game for everybody, but Moby Dick, Strategy and Simulation fans (you don't have to be all three) will find this a charming game.