Near-Mage is an intriguing story in a stunning Transylvanian setting that doesn’t quite live up to its potential due to its underutilised magick mechanics and lack of difficulty. Some adventure fans may appreciate Near-Mage’s simplicity, while others will wish it had more of a challenge.

Repeatedly reliving Armageddon may not sound like an appealing prospect, but when it looks and sounds this pretty, I can understand. The audiovisual identity of Wizard with a Gun may be its strongest ally, but that shouldn’t discount the enjoyable gameplay loop and inventive combat options. The mismatched difficulty, unenthusiastic base building and some occasional technical hiccups stop me from fully investing in this world, but I certainly appreciate the more bite-sized survival offering that Galvanic has provided.

This third-person action game is a little rough around the edges and tries a little too hard to be serious, but its premise and combat is compelling enough to get the job done.

People of Note is an ambitious turn-based RPG which shines in many ways but ultimately fails to hit all of its high notes. While the soundtrack and turn-based combat are individually strong, there’s a persistent disconnect between the gameplay experience and the power of song that the narrative is trying to sell you, leading to a weird sense of musical emptiness that undermines the core selling point of the game.

Born Punk is a solid point-and-click adventure whose overly faithful homage to the classics slightly hinders its enjoyment.

Worth milking every drop – the steaks have never been higher.

With revamped combat and a slick presentation, Super Mech League is a vast improvement over the original in many ways, though a lack of content might limit the amount of time you spend with this robot rumbler.

A relatively quaint expansion that doesn’t really strive to do much beyond adding some Pokémon and telling a small, nice story. Still, it is victim to the horrendous technical woes that plague the Generation 9 games, as well as some strange balance choices that make the early periods of the expansion feel quite weird.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is the same game that everybody lamented when it was lost six years ago. The progression-based game flow, the fantastic visuals and soundtrack, and the same problems bar one. While it’s nice to have back what’s become something of a legend in its absence, you know what they say about meeting your heroes.

A decent tactical challenge flanked by a wealth of content, Door Kickers is let down somewhat by a poor tutorial and a messy control scheme.

Super Meat Boy Forever is a sequel not afraid to shake things up, but in doing so it fails to capture much of what made the original so amazing.

This spooky age of piracy has charming supernatural characters and visuals, but the hardcore stealth action on offer is an uncompromising, often unwieldy beast.

Expanding on the already fun combat while offering a new and improved endgame mode, Worldslayer is worth heading back to Enoch for, even if the story told on the trip is a forgettable one.

While this remake is a welcome look into Nintendo's diverse game productions and provides a story that'll satisfy most thriller buffs, some aspects hold it back from being a must-buy.

While this remake is a welcome look into Nintendo's diverse game productions and provides a story that'll satisfy most thriller buffs, some aspects hold it back from being a must-buy.

A solid strategy experience isn’t quite enough to elevate Days of Doom past its more varied competition on the indie market, but there’s just enough meat on the zombie bones.

As someone who plays EA Sports FC casually and just wants a solid football game, EA Sports FC25 ticks the boxes. Career Mode has had some nice additions but it still pales in comparison to its competition, but the new Rush mode is a blast. But as the years go on and the changes get less meaningful and more buzzwordy, it’s hard to argue against the idea that this could be a DLC pack that EA charges for a fee much less than a full-priced product. However, the shareholders would likely give that idea a red card.

The team at Outerloop Games exudes confidence and style with Thirsty Suitors, a delightfully approachable palate cleanser that anybody can enjoy in this year of incredible releases. With its heart on its sleeve, a charming cast, and constant nailing of intimacy and culture, Thirsty Suitors comfortably ollies its way into your heart and makes for one of the year’s best depictions of desire, culture, and vulnerability. Jala’s skateboarding odyssey of growth is worth beholding, even when the surrounding gameplay doesn’t quite meet the standard of its writing and visuals.

With a gorgeous world and story to match, Assasins’s Creed: Dawn Of Ragnarok expands the scope of the original game in a direction that is quite fantastical and is bound to pull you in one last time.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Football excels on the field, but it struggles to make a compelling offer for solo players or anyone not willing to invest time in forming and maintaining a Strikers Club. It's just pick-up-and-play enough to work as a party game with mates and it's compelling to watch in action, but the lack of embellishments is sure to hurt its long-term appeal.

Trek to Yomi uses incredible cinematic stylings to tell a surprisingly strong story of revenge, but its 2D combat that doesn’t always strike true.

Demon Skin cherry-picks mechanics from your favourite games and presents them in a deliciously gory fruit salad.

While it may be far from perfect, Sonic Frontiers is a colossal step in the right direction for the future of the neon blue needlemouse. Its issues are more stumbles than falls, with the action and exploration creating a memorable experience for everyone's favourite Hedgehog.

A fresh and emotional take on the Sherlock Holmes property creates the best narrative in the series yet, but it’s let down by some ambitious design choices.

Cavern of Dreams may not reach the heights of the juggernauts that inspired its creation, but it still provides a solid adventure with plenty of nostalgia.

This long dormant franchise gets a rebirth on the Switch, and while it struggles to consistently hit that tough but fair sweet spot, there's enough charm in this brutal old-school platformer to warrant a look in.

A stunning One Piece game great for fans and JRPG newbies, but one that won't satisfy hardened min-maxers.

Sumerian Six is clearly going to excite that contingent of weird and wonderful people who love to solve puzzles in a murder-y way. The aesthetic on offer, combined with the fun and fanciful tale of the Engima Squad meeting up and working together to take down a magical Nazi warlord, is plenty to grab you and hold tight. Just keep a pocketful of patience for any silly shit that happens while you’re save scumming your way to victory.

Look, maybe I don’t know anymore! It didn’t feel like I was actively having a blast while playing To a T, but now, looking back, I do feel a warmness for it. Some kid might play it and feel less shameful about their own unique shape or way of being in the world. Or it might inspire them to attempt a feat of heroism to win over their bullies. Maybe some fully grown person will become slightly less sad whenever the dog licks their face or dresses them in school uniform. All I can say is that when Giraffe sings ♪ I wake up at 3 every morning to bake the bread for sandwiches ♫ this cute stupidity feels close to perfection.

It’s a chaotic push and pull between ecstatic fun and dull annoyance that honestly drives Soulstice, but it’s nonetheless worth checking out.

While Final Fantasy XVI didn’t meet this fan’s expectations for a new series entry, newcomers to epic fantasy and action games will be swept away by the eye-melting combat and enormous-yet-approachable scale.

ICARUS is a fantastic game, but the console experience is let down by frustrating UI and controls. If you have likeminded friends, the limited multiplayer will still deliver hours and hours of fun and satisfaction, but if you

The Ascent nails the cyberpunk aesthetic but doesn't really attempt to capitalise on its themes of corporate slavery. The solid audiovisuals and competent action-RPG twin-stick shooter hybrid gameplay manage to glue the experience together, even when glaring flaws such as lacklustre quest design and an overreliance on backtracking threaten to derail it.

Short and sweet, Is This Seat Taken? manages to make a joyful puzzle game out of classically uncomfortable social situations. It could have done with a bit more variety, even in its short runtime, but this is one that will speak to a lot of folks.

Need for Speed Unbound sees Criterion put its spin on the formula laid down by its predecessor and the result is a stylish racer that is mostly fun but sometimes frustrating.

Steelrising makes some welcome changes to the genre formula but its best qualities are blurred by its lacklustre writing and world design.

Call of Duty: Vanguard unabashedly apes the style of 2019's Modern Warfare, with a multiplayer that is fun though familiar, but featuring a campaign that largely misses the mark.

Monster Crown is chock-a-block full of monsters and retro charm but you might want to wait for some of the bugs to be squashed first.

Some devilishly clever puzzles shine in a unique take on the point-and click genre, but the game waits to the end to make its story truly interesting, which might be a little late if you're looking for an emotional investment to get you through some of the more tedious moments.

Silt feels reminiscent of iconic puzzle adventures like Limbo and INSIDE, but its lack of originality and story see it fail to be as memorable.

Despite the game’s issues, many of which I haven’t the space to detail, I could not help but keep playing. Although it feels like Guardians of Azuma would have benefited from a bit more development time, there was enough satisfaction and enjoyment in the steady cadence of explore-build-socialise-rinse-repeat that I simply didn’t want it to end. In good news for anyone sharing these sentiments, to a certain extent it doesn’t end; you can continue to explore, expand your villages, and develop your relationships in the post-game. The main gameplay components fit together like jigsaw pieces, and, if you can look past the issues, on the whole it’s a bit of an unpolished gem – multifaceted, perhaps a little scratched up, but ultimately with some value under those surface imperfections.

While it does not dramatically change the radical dinosaur that is Serious Sam 4, it does provide more unbridled carnage that defines the series – just now with a distinctly Russian flavour. Blasting enemies with dual-wielded AK-47’s and joking about vodka define the experience, and while it may not appeal to everyone, I know a lot of us will get a kick out of it.

Ubisoft’s XDefiant is a compelling live-service offering that is remarkably substantive in its free-to-play offering. As a competitive shooter, its blend of satisfyingly agile movement and liberal lifting of modes and map philosophies from every other shooter makes a strange first impression. There is nothing new or surprising about what XDefiant offers. But those curious few eager to go through the initiation hellscape of purely random-skill matchmaking will find a clean and well-structured shooter that should broadly impress anyone who doesn’t mind their competent online shooter to be a personality-lacking, serials-filed amalgam of all its best competitors. Flaws and all, I was continually drawn back in the hopeful search for any active, local lobby.

While Until Dawn remains Supermassive’s best rendition of its choice-driven horror games, this remake (a term that feels generous) feels like nothing but a cash grab and a move to fatten the PS5 game catalogue given you can buy the still perfectly fine original for $25 and there’s no upgrade option for existing owners. However, if this is your first night on Blackwood Pines Mountain, this new version is a great way to experience the game, but it will come at a cost.

I really did want to enjoy Ann’s story, it’s visually beautiful and has some clever little in-game tricks to its aesthetics. It’s just a damn shame the narrative couldn’t quite keep up, leaving ANNO: Mutationem a visually stunning but muddled, confusing game.

Positively overflowing with meaty, tactical combat and terrific character writing, Trails of Reverie is held back by its dated presentation and sky-high barrier to entry.

High Isle offers a number of fun, entertaining experiences. However, it focuses on mostly delivering more of the same rather than building and properly expanding on the game’s core ideas. It’s completely fine that it does this, but I just personally wish it strived to be a little more.

Another Code: Recollection is a solid repackage of two classic adventure titles that manages to celebrate the Cing games despite some lacklustre puzzles and clumsy camera controls.

Nobody Wants To Die is a bit of a surprise package. I was ready for the crime fiction-infused future noir tropes and the cool post-human sci-fi musings that go with the genre, but I wasn’t ready for the sheer beauty and precision of the visual presentation. With a little polish on the dialogue and narrative tone, plus some deconvolution of the story elements, Nobody Wants To Die could have achieved greatness, but at the very least it’s indicative of a very talented studio with infinite potential, and one that should be watched with a keen eye.

Ritual of Raven is a cosy, witchy farming simulator that attempts to offer a fresh take on the genre. While the game has technical glitches and a couple of subpar design choices, it does enough right that it is hard not to enjoy one’s time with the game.

With some light visual touchups, Adol continues to dominate his PS2 era. The new sea air is good for his crimson hair, but the breadth of exploration can occasionally feel as broad as the Suez Canal.

A glossy and streamlined remake of a cult classic faithfully updates the experience for modern audiences but struggles to make much of an impression nearly twenty years after the original release.

Game Builder Garage is a novel and wonderfully-designed visual programming suite, but its tutorials are far too rigid and there's little else to do outside of them if you find your creative juices have run out. It's got the Nintendo charm in spades though, and it's definitely something that parents of budding bedroom developers should see good value in.

Generic boomer shooter gunplay and a stretched-out runtime could be make this a cold case for some, but the incredible rubber hose aesthetic and entertaining noir setting should help see most detectives through to the end.

Rose is a fascinating character that deserves her own, full-blown sequel, but for now Shadows of Rose is a worthwhile adventure for those looking for a little more from an already brilliant Resident Evil tale.

Gungrave G.O.R.E is a thorough examination of what games offered us before they transformed into 40-hour cinematic masterpieces. While its appeal may not be broad enough to interest everyone, it establishes itself as a love letter to a time when your gaming experience was absolutely about bombastic style, personal fantasy and massive high scores.

Dead Island 2 is every bit the gory zombie slasher it wants to be. But as enjoyable and solid as it is, issues with repetition and the gameplay loop stop it from being the game it perhaps could have been.

Godstrike’s brevity is counterbalanced wonderfully by its intensity at the cost of being a little rough around the edges.

This earnest, occasionally awkward epilogue to Tales of Arise isn’t essential, but it packs enough delights to reward returning fans.

An intense atmosphere and intriguing story which is unfortunately marred by the age the game was created in. Looking past the clumsiness of the movement, it is still one of the most accessible and fun Project Zero games.

Outlaws will feel familiar because it is familiar. The gunplay is good, the mission structure is good, the stealth mechanics are good, the traversal is good. Individually, the components that make up Star Wars Outlaws are varying degrees of alright, but it come together to be more than the sum of its parts. This rendition of the often-explored sci-fi-fantasy universe is authentic and immersive, our protagonist is likeable and energetic, the narrative is colourful, and the syndicate shenanigans are entertaining. There are plenty of flaws to point out, and I have, but when it comes down to it, I keep on coming back to one word to describe Outlaws: fun.

Fire Emblem Engage is enjoyable but leaves little impression. If the narrative was more compelling, if the character relationships were deeper and more interesting or if combat was more varied, there’s every chance that Engage would have felt more robust and impactful. In the absence of those things, Engage just feels…fine.

Twinkleby is a cozy, light-hearted, dollhouse-like decorating game that will capture you for hours as you house the many characters that come to your islands. Despite its quirks, it features relaxing gameplay in an adorable, customisable environment.

Knuckle Sandwich is a unique and stunningly vibrant and gorgeous pixel-animated RPG that will test your resolve with its mini-games and turn-based sequences.

It may seem harsh to knock a game for doing what’s already proven to work, especially when I had praise for all of the same qualities when I reviewed Little Nightmares II, but we’ve been here before. Twice now. And a fresh set of eyes and hands could (and should) have resulted in something more. What’s here is perfectly fine, enjoyable and comfortably familiar, just not at all essential.

TRON: Catalyst is a solid game for TRON fans to experience. Despite the back-and-forth, the game features a detailed story that is satisfying to uncover as you explore the Grid and factions. The looping glitch is a great addition to the story, and the abilities you unlock throughout the game make the fast combat and gameplay more interesting. And of course, the Light Cycle is fun to use. Ultimately, TRON: Catalyst gives you more insight into the Grid life and what it’s like to be a program.

A general lack of polish and quality assurance has become a somewhat endearing shortcoming of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience. We joked about it and expected it for the sequel, especially given the endurance of a developer currently facing tragedy at home. GSC Game World’s extraordinary ambition in delivering this long-awaited follow-up is buoyed by some frankly impressive world-building and narrative developments that fully commit. The extraordinary scale of this world, the generally satisfying gunplay, and the ambitious story are always contending with the player’s growing anticipation that their experience is about to break down at any moment. The magic circle that is so crucial to the successful immersiveness of this series is, currently, fractured by the extent to which the many promising aspects of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 simply don’t reliably function together.

Thymesia understands the core of what makes the action genre so satisfying but fails to meaningfully execute on its ideas and world.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet offer a unique and incredibly engaging experience that the series has desperately needed since its transition to 3D back in 2013. Unfortunately, it has also been released in an incredibly unoptimised state which sours the whole experience.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet offer a unique and incredibly engaging experience that the series has desperately needed since its transition to 3D back in 2013. Unfortunately, it has also been released in an incredibly unoptimised state which sours the whole experience.

Undoubtedly the best Gears of War has ever looked, the continuous finessing of the title has only set to highlight some of its eccentricities in an unflattering light. Charming jank of yesteryear is instead jarring to behold by modern standards, even if the gameplay experience still nails the brief in the lofty year of 2025.

While the concept of Lake is simple and sweet, the repetitive gameplay can take away from the story and its interesting characters, making the daily delivery tasks more of a chore than something more.

UnMetal puts a parody spin on the older Metal Gear games, while also being a competent mid-80s stealth title. Its reliance on its humour in both gameplay and writing will make it a chore for some, but a joy for others.

For the small audience looking for a romantic World War 2 satire featuring a harem of loli leaders, My Little Dictator will entertain for dozens of hours. Just skip the combat.

Star Ocean's 25th-anniversary title celebrates its beloved PS2 classic with a spiritual remake, but its adherence to archaic series’ design will ward off new players.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is a cute and cuddly family RPG that sacrifices depth for accessibility. This lack of substance may turn off older players who may be used to more complex affairs, but younger players and their parents will discover a great way to get acquainted with a popular genre of games.

Mothmen 1966 is a welcome first entry to the ‘Pixel Pulp’ series of interactive retro adventures, telling a quality story about the Leonid Meteor Shower of 1966 and the strange events that surrounded it. Unfortunately the gameplay fails to be anywhere near as interesting, but the package is not without its charm.

A pixel art treasure-hunting adventure title with a pirate theme and boatload of charm, Bilkins’ Folly gets lost and digs holes in the wrong spots, but ultimately finds the booty.

Racing after an armed robber, crashing through road signs and dodging civilians, only to jump out of your patrol car, take cover behind your vehicle and engage in a firefight with the crazed assailant is as fun in The Precinct as it sounds. Unfortunately, once they’re in cuffs, the monotony of processing the soon-to-be prisoner drags the experience down. Combined with a shallow story told in an uneven way, the repetitive gameplay loop tarnishes the badge and gives the boys in blue a bad wrap.

In Sound Mind is a flawed but fun horror-adventure game. Flawed on the horror but fun on the adventure.

Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV offers a few new diversions wrapped in a neat presentation that makes it a compelling enough upgrade for existing owners. But for anyone jumping in at full wack, the slight visual edge and mixed bag of camera-based minigames don’t necessarily make it an essential purchase over the much cheaper and perfectly playable Switch 1 version.

There are more polished, quality roguelites out there that will engage you for a longer period than Death or Treat, but that says less about its own achievements and more about the incredibly high bar set by its predecessors.

From bizarre difficulty balancing to a poorly written story, Lightfall has a lot of misses. However, it also makes a lot of good changes that enhance the general gameplay like with Strand subclass and the accessibility of buildcrafting. It isn't the worst Destiny 2 expansion, not even close, but it is also far from being great.

Overall Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is a fun tower defence game that features a vast selection of roguelike elements to help you kill as many orcs as possible. You’ll upgrade and unlock everything you can to survive each wave you go through, all to defeat the ending boss of each run. Despite its lacking soundtrack and story, you’re guaranteed to have fun for hours in co-op or solo.

A fun pick up and play experience that is unfortunately held back by its inability to truly innovate on its predecessors and take advantage of the Switch's hardware.

With no timers, no combat and barely any challenge Submerged: Hidden Depths is a super chill if overly shallow adventure that makes a good palate cleanser between bigger titles.

Henry Mosse and the Wormhole Conspiracy is a prime example of just what a point-and-click adventure game is in the 21st century – captivating visuals and a charming story with simple, if mediocre, gameplay. While sure to cause lethargy in more radical aficionados of the genre, there’s certainly not nothing to love for the traditionalists. Newcomers to the genre will have a pleasant time as well, thanks to the game’s dedication to flow.

Siren’s Rest is an enjoyable, if a little short, dive beneath Still Wakes the Deep’s waves that doesn’t capitalise on its strong narrative, leaving players a little unsatisfied. The premise and setting do manage to build some solid tension, but it never elevates to a genuine scare factor that would take the experience to the next level.

It is agonising to try and share some final thoughts for The Crush House. The concept and execution at its core is top notch, offering a brilliant twist on some existing gimmicks that just aren’t all that common. The disappointment comes from the end of the honeymoon period, where you find yourself hungry for just a little more depth to really reach your TV production potential. I have rarely found a game that offered such a concise gameplay loop, that was wildly fun to engage with and excited you to master it – only to then hit your head on the ceiling of your ambitions in rapid fashion. While my gripes might paint a picture of this game not being a recommendation, I have to insist that the fun parts of The Crush House are absurdly fun. This isn’t a case of the game being broken or unloved, quite the opposite – it is an exceptional level of potential not quite reaching its zenith. Film some butts, see for yourself.

The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf is a bright and colourful adventure suitable for all ages and skill levels. As a platformer, the areas have fun designs and provide a good variety of interactive elements to keep the game feeling fresh. While the crafting mechanics in the game miss the mark, Mission Vileaf is still enjoyable to play and is sure to warm any Smurfy player’s heart.

Salt and Sacrifice makes a number of changes to its general design and structure that are absolutely not worth the cost, and while the game is still enjoyable, it ultimately feels like a step backwards from the charming 2016 original.

Most notably, Emio establishes a surprising amount of heart and sincerity in its brief runtime. Strangely, though, it achieves very little in the way of thrills or chills. More a small-town crime procedural than a dark murder mystery, players will find their best experiences driven by a genuine care for these characters and how they process the impact of tragedy in their insular community rather than sensationalising their trauma for our entertainment. The serial killer thriller lurks on the furthest edges of this story, only ever coaxing the player along with the threat of its darkly exciting carrot. This long-awaited entry in the Famicom Detective Club series is clean, well animated and voiced, and has some seriously good visual novel writing. Despite this, I wouldn’t be in a hurry to recommend this to fans of either detective games or visual novels unless their backlogs are running low.

Mario Kart World stands in stark contrast to the original Switch’s franchise re-evaluation, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Where Link’s first foray into true open world design made for a generation-defining experience, Mario Kart World’s shift is uneven and chaotic, often producing frustrations alongside innovation and fun. A massive leap in fidelity and a lengthy development cycle have shaped a gorgeously realised world and roster of racers to barrel down impressive tracks with a small bag of new tricks. But the time spent between these breathless bouts is unrefined and clumsy, a world built for a console’s lifetime worth of updates that, for now, offers you little more than a freshly paved highway to nowhere. Mind the toll.

The Invincible absolutely looks the part, jampacked with stunning alien vistas and a brilliant retrofuturistic aesthetic, but its premise can't quite maintain the momentum of suspense and intrigue generated in its opening act.

Button City gets a lot right in its attempt to mesh late 90s low-poly style with narrative adventure gameplay and a heartfelt story full of great characters, but it's undone by numerous and often game-breaking bugs and a tad too much backtracking.

Where most Mario games will leave a smiling impression between bouts of frustration, this Paper Mario entry wants you to be laughing out loud as well. I’m just worried that the humour might not carry everyone to the finish line in light of repetition, laborious backtracking and uninteresting combat. But there’s no denying that this remake is polished to the smoothest presentable sheen, leaving a first impression I still love, even though it burned me out long before the credits.

Despite some moments of genuine enjoyment, with a combat system that does its best to entertain, Forspoken never makes the most of its potential. Ultimately, there are bigger, bolder and more inventive action games both already out there and soon to be upon us in an already stacked 2023 release schedule.

Wanderer does a lot of great things, but is held back primarily by the ageing hardware but also some uneven design choices.