AWAY is a beautiful and educational adventure like no other, but major gameplay mechanics are poorly executed and take away from it being a standout title in the survival genre.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a super fun yet sometimes frustrating arcade racer that is hindered slightly by some design shortcomings.

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

The fires of hell burn hotter than ever, bringing the tale of the Dark Wanderer back in an eye (and ear) blisteringly good way.

Medieval Dynasty is a gorgeous survival/crafting and town management adventure game that satisfies our primal urge to create, build and form a community. After spending a year in early access, the ‘full release’ definitely has a solid foundation, but some mechanics could have used a bit more time in the oven. If you’re prepared for a long term investment, you’ll reap a fantastic reward.

Telling a number of touching tales of loss and love, Kena is a visually stunning action-platformer that feels like a classic PS2 game in mostly the right ways.

Eastward is a beautiful adventure, full of complexity and memorable characters that makes a world full of pixels seem larger than life.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is a visual and technical marvel that introduces a number of features that, while not essential, absolutely add to the overall experience.

An enthralling murder mystery with mature themes makes Lost Judgment one of the best narratives in the series. Yagami and his cohort are in their element as detectives and lawyers doggedly pursuing justice and truth, so much so that its relatively easy to overlook some of the tonal dissonance with the side content.

Backed by a stunning art style and the voice of Geralt of Rivia, Tails of Iron is an excellent action-adventure RPG that offers a challenging yet satisfying Souls-inspired experience in a captivating medieval world.

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.

Through a great soundtrack and entertaining story beats, SkateBIRD proves that you don’t need to always look to the skies for a game to leave a lasting impression.

Deathloop takes Arkane's well known brand of first-person action stealth and artfully melds it into a time-bending multi-assassination power fantasy.

Webbed is a simple and cute platformer that provides players with a few hours of enjoyment web-swinging through bushland and befriending other bugs all in the name of love.

Rustler brings classic Grand Theft Auto to a twisted version of the European Middle Ages, but its reliance on other media for laughs and a finicky release build makes it a title worth trying only for those nostalgic for the vintage entries of a now-juggernaut series.

Gothic fairytale stylings and unique mish-mash of systems come together into yet another great example of Zoink's boundless creativity and game design chops. Fans of Burton-esque worlds and tabletop tropes would do well to get Lost in Random.

The best Life is Strange game yet. Through the concept of empathy, True Colors manages to drive video game storytelling to new heights. An expanded scope, hugely impressive production values and new, bingeable format make this a must-play for fans of narrative adventures.

The Artful Escape is a brash, bold and beautiful musical journey with a simplistic gameplay hook and all the interdimensional jellyfish deities you can shake a quantum-powered space guitar at. It's the next-best way to spend an afternoon indoors to dropping acid.

Combining the best ideas of the past three generations of 3D action JRPGs, stripped of excess and micromanagement, Tales of Arise is one of the most tactile and frenetic action-narrative experiences to come out of Japan in recent memory.

Standing out among the Metroidvania crowd is tough, but with satisfying combat, great platforming and a cleverly designed and well thought out world, F.I.S.T. more than manages to stand on its own lucky feet.

Behind the Frame is a subtle and evocative tale that explores the lives of two artists, their relationship and what inspires them to create. The short experience is made memorable by the high-quality animations and the mood setting melodies. Puzzles may be easy, but it’s clear they are intended to be vectors to experience the story, rather than hindrances. A perfect game to unwind with your drink of choice and get lost in.

Garden Story is the kind of chill adventure that’s great in short bursts but long play sessions may leave you bored. The combination of genres is unique, but I feel like each aspect could have been explored more for a deeper experience. I definitely enjoyed what I played and was charmed by the characters, environment and music, but at the end of it all I was left wanting more. But how much can you expect of one humble grape?

Despite some minor design flaws, Golf Club Wasteland is a solid, if depressing, round of golf on post-apocalyptic Earth.

King's Bounty II is a well-meaning sequel that unfortunately lacks the character required to live up to its predecessors. Mediocre storytelling and shrug-inducing graphics and sound are partially redeemed by a decent combat system, albeit one without the courage to experiment.

The Big Con is a bright, fun and surprisingly wholesome crime spree through a Saturday morning cartoon version of 90s America. You might develop a compulsion for kleptomania, you might feel bad for picking hundreds of pockets, but at least you'll laugh along the way and feel cool doing it.

No More Heroes III is a game of a different time. While its simple combat and its unique style still set it apart, its hidden age does more harm than good.

Humankind is an impressive showing of what Amplitude can do with historical turn-based strategy but is edged out by the series that clearly inspired it. The promise on the box of building a culturally diverse empire is not yet fulfilled, with successive playthroughs showing the moral choice and culture systems as being underdeveloped.

Psychonauts 2 is exactly what I was hoping for in a follow-up. Double Fine has smartly refined its unique brand of platforming adventure while greatly expanding its narrative qualities. Plus, it's an absolute treat for the eyes and ears. This is how you do a sequel.

Grime packs a mean punch in both its platforming and combat, with a visual design that's worth writing home about. Its mediocre Metroidvania aspects are what keep it from being a must-play, however.

Refinements made to the core game make Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut feel fresh, but the additions within the truly excellent Iki Island expansion elevate the game to completely new heights.

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.

A surprisingly complex and mechanically perfect condensation of the Soulsborne experience into the boss rush genre. Eldest Souls not only joins the ranks of its genre champs Titan Souls and Furi, it defeats them.

Foreclosed features a masterful comic book art style and pumping sci-fi soundtrack, but its average action and failure to capitalise on its cyberpunk themes make it a hard sell.

Synth Riders isn’t going to set the world on fire for being novel or daring, but what it does do it does as well as any other VR rhythm game on the market.

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.

Trigger Witch’s twin-stick action and RPG elements scream for a more defined identity, but that’s more than made up for by the game’s incredible aesthetic discipline. A lesser development studio would have tried to run with the idea of G-rated fantasy with [REFUSED CLASSIFICATION], but Trigger Witch is clever enough to let it all happen naturally. It’s a loud, proud, blood cloud of an action game that anybody with an interest in the genre needs to check out.

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.

Chernobylite weaves together a strong narrative, compelling characters and highly detailed environments to deliver a glowing (pun intended) entry into the sci-fi survival horror RPG genre.

The Forgotten City is a beauty to behold no matter the eye, a deeply contemplative story matched with wonderful puzzles based in classical antiquity.

Cris Tales is an enchanting story wrapped in a gorgeous visual style, but lacks sustained imagination in gameplay. JRPG players will find enjoyment within, but those less patient may be turned off after a few hours.

After 14 years, the best soundtrack on the Nintendo DS has been met with its sequel – now the best soundtrack on the Nintendo Switch. Delightful deja vu, this sequel revives everything that works and delivers it all over again with vibrant new life. Just excuse the disappointing new cast and technical hiccups for one of the year’s most stylish surprises.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles' one-two punch of newly-translated ports is a fantastic package for both newcomers and long time fans, even if it falls prey to longstanding pitfalls. A compelling narrative stacked with an eclectic cast and top-notch writing drives a satisfying, if simple, gameplay loop that's like little else in the genre.

Where the Snow Settles tries to tell a story of substance but the game’s short runtime means that players never build a vested interest in Aurelia's journey.

Despite first appearances, Mini Motorways is a rewarding check-in with oneself rather than a simulation of traffic management and logistical network development. It’s a meditative simplification of city builders, like if Sim City was a bonsai that only needed the gentlest of tending, and maybe the occasional congestion-busting bypass.

Death's Door feels great to play, it's beautiful to look at, and the characters and world are beyond memorable – clock in and get your reap on.

F1 2021's new story mode and level of customisation and accessibility make it perfect for hardened racing fans and those looking to take the genre for a spin.

Within The Blade is a love letter to the 'hard ninja game' tradition, drawing inspiration from titles of the pixel age in particular. While it may take some getting used to, the game's difficulty curve becomes more rewarding than not...sans a few minor setbacks.

A simple control scheme concession elevates this new version of Skyward Sword from simple HD remaster to essential playing for anyone that dismissed the original for its love affair with waggle. Here's a top-tier 3D Zelda, freed of its shake-to-win shackles and ready to be appreciated anew for its timeless tale and awesome adventuring.

Monster Hunter Stores 2: Wings of Ruin has made me a believer that not all JRPGs will rub me the wrong way. Its charming, lovely story mixed with its wonderfully engaging combat and being able to kidnap monsters create a fantastic experience which also adds to the depth of Monster Hunter's world and lore.

Mario Golf Super Rush is competent, and it shows flashes of creativity in its Speed Golf and Battle Golf modes, but the package ultimately loses momentum a little too quickly. Still, with friends it's a blast, so if you've got a good group of friends that're ready to don some plaid plumber's overalls you're in luck.

Scarlet Nexus surprises with its ecstatic, colourful combat and cast of characters. However, experiencing the story is a test of endurance due to its dull presentation.

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.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a fine enough remaster if you have fond memories of the original. It looks and sounds great, but stumbles in its translation and will likely do more to frustrate newcomers than convince them the Master System classic was any good.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 builds on the foundations laid by its predecessor and elevates the series to new heights thanks to satisfying long-range sniping and impressive level design.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 & 2 rock and are arguably better games for their age that are best experienced with a Pro controller or even a beefier platform, just ignore Razor’s Edge.

Easily the best Ratchet & Clank game in the series, Rift Apart also manages to be the most technically and graphically impressive game of the current generation so far.

Necromunda: Hired Gun features a stunning art direction, but with a garbled story and more technical and design blemishes than you can poke a space stick at, this one's bound to be buried in the under-hive.

It’s refreshing to play a game so carefree and quirky as Miitopia that also allows you to customise the experience for whatever level of wackiness you need in your life.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends has a strong premise on paper and at times is fun and exciting, but its gameplay shortcomings mean that it never reaches its full potential.

Creating a grand interplanetary civilisation is one thing, but managing the needs and supplies of the subjects is tough work. Before We Leave makes logistics an easy, streamlined process through an intuitive UI and readability across its design. The fun lays in ironing out the kinks in your immense system and achieving a sustainable economy, all to overcome impending doom. While there is some underlying mundanity, the overwhelming joy and optimism the game extrudes from the player cannot be understated. And hey, if you grow tired of the system, you can always sabotage it from the inside to try and teach your Peeps to live free and naked.

Aspects of the gameplay of the earlier titles will probably no longer satisfy, but the Legendary Edition is a stellar compilation and dutiful upgrade of three classic titles that show BioWare at the peak of its storytelling and world-building prowess.

Biomutant's weird and wonderful world is a treat to take in, even when its diverse gameplay elements don't always hit the mark. If you're looking for a fresh and furry take on open world RPGs and don't mind a little jank, this might be just the ticket.

SMT3 Nocturne HD Remaster realises that the less time we can spend with the cobwebs of the past by opting into the new Merciful difficulty, the more time we can enjoy this world and its story anew.

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.

Rain On Your Parade encourages you to take something cutesy and adorable, and find your inner evil. Drink deep of the chaos a simple rain cloud can impart on the world as you ruin weddings, start fires and bring about the extinction of the dinosaurs. At the core of it all, ruining someone’s day has never been more fun.

Resident Evil Village is a technical masterpiece, featuring a fantastically realised and foreboding setting with a great sense of balance between action and horror elements. The king of survival horror refuses to relinquish its crown.

Returnal is a challenging, atmospheric and creative experience that boasts amazingly smooth and satisfying gameplay. Add in an intriguing narrative, graphical excellence and some impressive utilisation of the DualSense controller and Returnal might just be an instant PlayStation classic.

New Pokémon Snap is the perfect mix of discovery and escapism that retains its nostalgic feel but in a modern and beautiful Poké-laden package.

This hellish remaster is stretched to raw, fibrous sinews. There is far too little variety in the weapons and enemies to make the many hour stretches of blind backtracking and incomprehensible connected-world layout anything more than a slightly dressed up chimera’s corpse. Place this in video game museums with its cult mantle and a sign above its polished noggin that reads ‘look, don’t touch’.

It's probably not going to win over haters of the original, but for returning fans or those who jumped in at Automata this is a fantastic update to a cult classic game that also happens to bring with it some very exciting new surprises.

Don't Forget Me is a highly polished short story hindered by its forgettable pixel art style, but its short length plays to its strengths. Highly recommended for fans of the cyberpunk genre, and for anybody keen to have their morality tickled.

While it might appear to be just another cover shooter on the surface, Outriders' excellent class abilities, aggressive combat and engaging loot systems allow it to stand toe to toe with some of the genre's greats.

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

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut is the definitive version of an incredible point-and-click RPG, mixing the darkest of humour with genuine insight in a surreal setting begging to be explored.

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

Oddworld: Soulstorm isn't without its issues, but the good far outweighs the bad. Its crafting system will prove controversial, but it is an overall boon to the game. A visual treat through and through that hits its stride after the first few levels.

Arkham board game fans will find little in this adaption that harkens back to the fantastic tabletop challenges. This could almost be a ‘my first turn-based tactics’ game, hampered by embarrassingly arbitrary puzzles, bad technical and vocal performances, and progress that provides meaningless penalties rather than rewards.

The Wild Case is a stock-standard point and click adventure that never excels or fails in any particular area but does enough to warrant a playthrough for fans of the genre.

DOOM 3 VR Edition is a welcome addition for AIM Controller owners, but a little too late to the party.

Playing through the thoughts and emotions that Izzy's feeling during a difficult time in her life is confronting and heartfelt in equal measure, making it all the more disappointing that Lost Words' core mechanic lets it down so much.

id Software round out the Doom Slayer's bloody interdimensional journey with characteristic style and flair, delivering a punchy and satisfying finale.

The main issue with short games is that they need to be a tight experience; try and cram too much in and they often feel rushed. Unfortunately, this is The Fabled Woods undoing, with the game trying to tell a poignant story with multiple links inside a movie-length runtime. There’s a good story here, it just needs a little longer to have more of an impact.

A fun, gorgeous platforming romp that makes great use of its split screen-only twist in both gameplay and narrative. Hazelight proves that co-op lightning can definitely strike twice.

Despite an intriguing alternate universe and a decent story, Paradise Lost fails to reach its potential due to poor voice acting and tedious gameplay.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town takes a fresh and engaging step forward; it is packed with varied content, adorable animals and deep customisability that will make many farming sim fans happy.

Monster Hunter Rise shows a tremendous amount of progress in terms of game design and accessibility, even after the great strides that Monster Hunter World made in those fields, and continues to improve upon itself with interesting ideas like the new monsters and the Wirebug – this game is a must buy.

A faintly interesting premise is irrevocably squandered by muddy visuals, tedious moment-to-moment gameplay and a hateable weak-willed protaganist.

Unfortunately, the game's interesting character designs and a decent art style aren't enough to carry it through its mediocre combat, rough audio and low stakes.

Harvest Moon: One World feels like an unfinished release that could have been so much more but is as uninspiring as its flat, empty landscape.

Quotation forthcoming.

The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante hits all the right notes of a choose-your-own-adventure game, with just enough of its own spin to stand out from the crowd. A dark fantasy world rife with pseudo-historical politics and tensions are just the icing on the cake.

For just over $10, Movers in Paradise is fairly easy to recommend to those who enjoy Moving Out’s quirky personality and clever gameplay, as it’s more of what you likely loved the first time around. The new features are mostly fun, save for the few moments where they become frustrating, and the fresh location is a nice change of scenery. We’re all dying for a holiday, yet none of us can go, so perhaps think about booking a ticket to Packmore Island instead.

Although the enhancements may be minor, The Sinking City for PS5 is the slickest and most enjoyable version of Frogwares Lovecraftian detective adventure to date.

Taxi Chaos wears its inspiration on its full-print shirt's sleeve, but lacks the understanding of what made said inspiration so compelling. There's almost nothing of worth here: A poor imitation of a game that's literally free these days.

A unique, thoughtful narrative puzzler with a mind-bending recursive twist that succeeds by focusing more on evoking its themes than unpacking them. Some minor lapses in polish aside it's a short, sharp hit of emotion and wonder that should be on every indie puzzler fan's list.

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.

From start to finish Pumpkin Jack is a joy to play thanks to its magnificent soundtrack, impressive writing and gorgeous visuals that complement the solid gameplay.