Those who delve into the survival horror genre and Cthulhu enthusiasts will be able to scratch their Cthulhu-shaped itch with the experience Edge of Sanity offers. Despite its predictability, it is an addictive, fun and spooky eldritch horror that will keep you entertained for hours as you endure monsters on each run and manage your resources for survival. It’s safe to say that Edge of Sanity is yet another great addition to the Cthulhu-inspired eldritch horror genre.

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.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero does a decent enough job in carrying on the legacy of the 3D arena fighter, with some fun if slightly tricky mechanics and a story mode that does just enough to be enjoyable in its own right. Ultimately it serves its purpose as an entertaining slice of the animated series, despite not feeling wholly unique to the franchise. I would have loved an even broader story mode, allowing a greater number of the available roster to be playable, but fans of the previous entries in the series will no doubt flock to this modern iteration solely to play online. Time will tell if there’s longevity here, but as a total package there should be more than enough to appease even the most die-hard of Dragon Ball fans.

If you can only play one turn-based fantasy roleplaying game this year, let it be this one. Swords and sorcery Persona is a marvellously-executed pitch.

There’s a lot to like about Beyond Galaxyland, from its 80’s-vibe story full of vibrant characters to its enjoyable turn-based combat. It manages to pull together a number of different mechanics into a level of coherence (though some work better than others) in a package that impresses with visual flair and an identity wholly its own. This is the kind of sci-fi I love, the fish out of water tale where the impossible becomes possible and the characters all manage to feel unique to each other amongst a sea of weird designs. Come for the action, stay for the Boom Boom.

Despite some troubled animations and controls, Copycat plays its emotional journey excellently. As a cat owner and someone who has lived somewhat similar events in recent times, its tale of love and loss hit hard, but was a journey worth taking.

Echoes of Wisdom is an exemplary game. It has completely obliterated the limitations of the old top-down Zelda formula and will have huge gameplay ramifications for the next generation of Legend of Zelda games, whatever form they take (Zelda Maker seems so obvious). It’s heartbreaking to see some control oversights and the glossy plastic art direction hampered slightly by the technical wobbles. I barely cared, though. I just wonder how I’ll be able to go back to the overhead adventures of the little green-hooded twink after this.

A remaster of Epic Mickey didn’t need much to be a slam dunk, other than to save this inventive and introspective piece of Disney history from finding itself in the same state as the ‘toons it spotlights – unworthy of the current corporate image and left to decay in the dark. As a bonus though, Purple Lamp’s capable brushstrokes have managed to both preserve the art and make it easier than ever to appreciate.

For a game, let alone a series, to have a 30 year long history and fanbase is no small feat and Revolution’s work has retained its audience and place in gaming culture for a reason. Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templars is nothing short of a masterpiece, and the fact that we’re still playing this game decades after its initial release is proof of that. Reforged feels like the perfect way to honour the game’s past but modernise it for new audiences. There’s something calming about returning to a game that’s so familiar and such a part of who we are. I cannot thank Revolution enough for the joy that Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars has brought me over the years and I hope the game finds a new audience and sparks more love for the point-and-click genre.

From the first moment I saw The Plucky Squire, I knew it was something special. Every trailer, every preview – right up to actually playing the game, it has delivered on every frolicsome promise that All Possible Futures showcased to us. The technology on display in bringing the book to life is so appreciable that you can’t help but gush about it to anyone within arms reach – it’s just slathered in that special something that elevates a game from being ‘just another notch’ on your interactive media bedpost, and instead reserves a spot in the hallowed halls of games you will love talking about and referencing for years to come.

Is this new version of Dead Rising worth the investment? As a long-time fan, it’s an easy yes from me. The original experience still holds up to this day, despite some obvious problems that remain, and as much as I’d have loved if Capcom had tweaked other key areas or perhaps added some new modes or characters to the existing package, the visual overhaul and UI improvements make for the most polished version of Frank West’s escapades to date. I’m glad that the franchise wasn’t completely swept under the rug after all these years, and the hope now is that the respectful work put into this rerelease will lead to a full revitalisation in the future.

Funko Fusion’s biggest success is how well it matches the vibe of Funko’s uber-popular line of vinyl figures as a whole – joyless, soulless representations of beloved franchises that capture almost none of the charm of the source material. The most culturally-relevant thing here might be the collectible KFC buckets.

Taking everything learnt from Void Bastards, Wild Bastards is an inventive spiritual sequel, blending strategy and shooter perfectly within its space cowboy antics. It’s a must play, no doubt.

Evotinction draws inspiration from a host of classic sci-fi influences, but flip flops between tropes and struggles to find an identity of its own. Its flat tone and atmosphere betray the beauty of its presentation, and what is really a basic story fails in many ways to hold itself together under the weight of its loftier ambitions. The action stealth certainly flirts with some interesting ideas, but a lack of balance and wonky execution unfortunately make it another imperfect cog in a machine that already has several. ChatGPT may rise up one day and decide that humans are a nuisance to be eradicated, but Evotinction fails to capture the potential horror of that.

Despite my issues with The Casting of Frank Stone, I had a decent enough time during my six hours. The story may not have had the payoff I was promised at the start, but I was intrigued enough until the end, even if the gameplay did its best to take the sting out of the experience. Maybe my lack of Dead by Daylight knowledge hindered my enjoyment, but fans of Supermassive’s games will likely have a good enough time. Just don’t expect its best work.

As the often overlooked and underappreciated cousin of the Ace Attorney series, Investigations holds a certain mystique that may have been missed by most casual fans. The change in formula and lack of a sequel translation meant that it was hard to invest in, and so it missed the opportunity to be praised alongside the more mainline entries. But this remaster has done all the right things to right such wrongs, easily communicating that Edgeworth is every bit as enjoyable as his spikier haired adversary – with a fun tale that steps comfortably out of the courtroom and onto the global stage.

Taking the best parts of a card battler and classic ‘match three’ board busters, Demon's Mirror manages to create something familiar but still fiercely unique and unquantifiably vast.

Astro Bot is a wonderfully entertaining and diverse platformer that throws new ideas at you at an incredible rate, topped with stunning visuals and an injection of PlayStation nostalgia.

To completely divorce myself from my long love of Warhammer, I would still estimate Space Marine 2 as an exceptional gaming experience. The narrative can only get as deep as the genre allows but even within those limits it plays with interesting ideas, the very nature of the beast being one of disconnection, with forty generous millennia distorting our concept of sensibility and preservation. This is a universe of conflict, pain, and endless peril, and Saber has made it incredibly fun to inhabit, with plenty of reasons to revisit and – most importantly – convince your mates to join in.

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.

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.

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.

A calm and thoughtful experience, The Garden Path doesn’t worry itself over mission objectives or the need to build a fortune over time. Coupled with some impressive visuals and an audio score that relaxes the soul, it’s an experience many will relish compared to some of its older brethren within the farming sim space. There’s plenty of creativity on show, even if some of it feels a little overdone in places, but you can feel the love and respect for your time within every wonderfully hand-drawn pixel.

From its pixel perfect art to sharply deployed writing and unique, engaging combat systems, Arco is a masterclass in refined simplicity and self-confidence. Cinematic and thrilling, it is one of 2024's best surprises.

Earth Defence Force is like the conventionally unattractive partner you experimented with in your youth. They were so grateful for your attention, and in turn, really knew how to show their appreciation. A genuine guilty pleasure of the kind that you might be a bit sheepish to introduce to friends because they buck the trend of traditional beauty (and they just sound a bit weird). But goddamn it, you grew from having indulged the relationship with the ugly duckling. It’s great coming back to that partner as I settle into adulthood. They don’t give a shit about how they look, are mostly stable, have a pleasant demeanour, and still aim to please by exploding all over my jorts.

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.

I wanted The Sacred Acorn to be more, to really hone in on what a squirrel hero could be. What’s here is mechanically sound, enjoyable animations and a world worth visiting, but at every corner it just manages to miss the mark. Cuteness aside, a few layers of polish or perhaps a rethink of its systems is all that stands between it and a successful breakaway from the norm. Instead, it punches above its weight and puts in an admirable performance, but unfortunately falls short of successfully navigating its way through the minefield.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! establishes itself as one of those games that will always prompt the question of, “Have you played Thank Goodness You’re Here!”? when encountering people of a positive nature – where you will then delight in their own telling of their experiences or feel the giddy warmth of recommending it. It’s razor sharp, densely packed and firing on all cylinders for the entirety of the afternoon you will spend playing it – all for the price you’d pay for a disappointing fast food dinner. And by the time you encounter the ending and drink in all the madness THAT has to offer, I’d challenge you to not feel well cared for.