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.