All in all, Party Animals is a fun, hectic online wobbly brawler. The levels are varied and have some clever ideas and set-ups, while the physics-based nature of the combat provides hilarity whether we’re on the good or bad end of the randomness. Matches can feel a little overly long, but as something to pick up for an hour or so with friends regularly, this fits the bill nicely.

An excellent update to a relatively unknown arcade game. Quantum: Recharged is small in size and scope but the price is right for a cracking good time.

MythForce pulls HARD at the nostalgic strings of those that long for Saturday morning cartoons. The looks are unfortunately far above the gameplay however with the slow progression and broken combat. It’s not so much that it’s near unplayable, just noticeable. I look forward and hope we see more MythForce in the future whether that’s a straight sequel or another genre as long as it uses this amazing look.

A solid beginner entry into Turn Based and Roguelike genres. Days of Doom doesn’t have enough for veterans but will certainly entertain while it lasts.

The Crew Motorsport separates itself from Forza Horizon. While Its simple nature may be a turn-off for some others may see it as a nice change of pace from the realism of racing. The open world of Hawaii does have a rather small map but with new content being added seasonally, The Crew Motorsport can keep gamers coming back for more.

Mortal Kombat 1 meets its lofty expectations and continues to set the standard for fighting games. The invasion mode didn’t blow me away, but with seasonal updates it has the potential to become great.

Immortals of Aveum is impressive and feels unique enough to stand out on its own in the FPS genre. The fact that it dabbles in the RPG and Puzzle areas makes the adventure a more fun and interesting experience. Every area is a delight on the eye and the voice acting and acting in general keeps you gripped like you are playing a part in a movie. With lots of various magic tricks to learn there is plenty to enjoy here. It’s just unfortunate that its release was so close to Starfield, as otherwise this could have received much more deserved attention.

The ever so popular board game, Gloomhaven has finally made it’s way onto Xbox in a glorious digital format. Despite enjoying board games however this adaptation did not do much for me personally. The system is complex and something I could not grasp super well. The tutorial does a fine job at holding your hand though and seemingly goes over every detail that makes Gloomhaven popular amongst its original fans, it was just too slow for me. That said I think fans of the actual board game would enjoy the thoroughness this version has in it as well as the new content that does not exist in the physical format.

Starfield for me is very easily the game of the year, it would take something phenomenal to knock it off the top. Is it perfect? Not by any means, there are bugs and exploits to see but you have to go out of your way to do so, albeit to the detriment of your own experience. I think calling it Fallout in Space with Mass Effect tones and elements of No Man’s Sky is a cheap description. I think this is the massive space adventure we have needed and I am addicted to it and with so much content I feel very spoilt. It is so much fun and an RPG lovers fantasy to explore and I cannot recommend it enough.

After laying dormant for a while, Armored Core has returned to light up the stage on hardware that makes the most of its grandeur. Fires of Rubicon feels exciting to play, it looks superb, it’s fast and furious, it’s devastating and badass, it’s all you could imagine a modern Armored Core game to be. Sure, humans are absent and all the codenames and straightforward characters make it rather unrelatable, but when you’re caught up in thrilling tussles with all manner of mechanised robots, nothing else will matter. If Fires of Rubicon is a glimpse at what the future holds for Armored Core, it’s a very exciting one indeed.

Episode 4 did start off very, very slow, but definitely heated up near the end. This episode has created a great set-up for the final episode and I have enjoyed what the team have done with the story throughout so far.

Overall, Daymare 1994: Sandcastle is in a unique position in that it isn’t a game I would recommend to people over the likes of the aforementioned Resident Evil games, as it doesn’t do enough to feel unique in its own way, but instead I would recommend it to someone who wants more of those same experiences. Maybe in the future, we can see something to make the series become more of its own but for now, Daymare is a great option to delve into if you want more Resident Evil whilst you wait for more Resident Evil.

NBA 2K24 is an overall disappointment compared to not only NBA 2K23 but past NBA titles too. To see how far it’s fallen, all the past great features no longer included, it hurts to see that the only thing that matters is how much VC someone spends on a game. This is the first year that we’ve seen 2K blatantly be VC-heavy and it won’t be the last. Nobody should have to purchase a game that expects you to pay more on top of that. NBA 2K24 is the perfect example for game developers everywhere of what not to do in the gaming industry unless you’re greedy and don’t care about fans.

We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip is an excellent entry point into the We Were Here series, offering up something a little different for returning players and a great taste for those looking to try it out for the first time. The puzzles are – as ever – brilliantly crafted, and require good team work to get the best results, but it’s also just as funny when things go wrong too.

Overall, there is plenty to explore within the confines of its vast yet linear areas and it rarely has a dull moment with plenty of enemy variety, incredible boss fights, and some truly spectacular visuals. If you’re a fan of From Software, then I expect you to now be a fan of Lies of P as it has all the right notes and feels like From Software themselves have been in the backend having a tinker on a fresh I.P and for that, we can only praise the solid work put in from Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio.

Aesthetically a wonderful little title that has lots of features in there that I wanted to play of. Sadly, As Far As The Eye is hindered by a counter-intuitive controller scheme.

I have just finished Episode 3 of The Expanse and am unsure how I feel. In this episode, we have just landed at the mining station and you are with Maya throughout – however, at just 50 minutes long, I felt a bit short-changed that it was all over so soon. To be fair, there is a good amount of drama and a big set-piece to cap it off, but at the same time a newly introduced puzzle mechanic is pretty naff and only seems to pad out the already short runtime.

One of the best thought out FMV games by Wales Interactive, a must play for fans of the genre and good entry point for newcomers.

Full Void is a fantastic puzzle platforming adventure, using stunning visuals and animation to suck us into the world, while also revelling in smartly designed mechanics and challenges.

I appreciate that the devs/publishers have a steam bundle called ‘Deadly Bakery’ that just about justifies this game’s existence. Utterly woeful at every turn, and best avoided.

Unfortunately, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre loses its appeal gradually when you find yourself performing the same actions over and over again, where every match plays out in the same way, refusing to change things up to keep the drama ticking along. The lack of time limits can make matches drag on laboriously too, so it’s easy for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to wear out its welcome. Ultimately it’s a cool PVP game, but it doesn’t have the fresh ideas to contend with its contemporaries.

In what feels like a love letter to JRPG’s and professional wrestling, WrestleQuest hits all of the right notes. My qualms with it are small but it definitely met my expectations. The wrestling tones are laid on thick but in no way do I think it will be a hinderance to RPG fans. If you can stomach lots of talking and a variety of moves via turn based combat, well you can do much worse than WrestleQuest. OH YEAH!!!

The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation isn’t without some charm though, the retelling of this story goes some dark and strange places, and the acting is enjoyably cheesy for the most part. There are moments where it threatens to ramp things up in the gameplay department, but it’s not long before we’re into another boring chase sequence to slowly try and figure out. It’s short enough to power through if you really want to experience the story, but there are far better titles in the genre out there to play.

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy is an incredible amalgamation of everything the series has done so far, and produces not only the best Trine game yet, but also one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year. The freedom we’re granted with the tools on offer is excellent, and combined with stunning presentation, this make Trine 5 utterly essential playing in my eyes.

When all is said and done I believe Blasphemous 2 will sit high atop the Metroidvania Pantheon. However, throughout almost my entire time with the game, I couldn’t get the first game out of my mind – thinking how I should go back and play it again or finish off all of the free bonus DLC. The new weapon system with its three separate weapons gives this a good amount of replayability and allows for many different playstyles which is great. As a whole, the sequel is much more approachable for new players to the genre, and while there are plenty of improvements and quality-of-life additions, I can’t help but feel that Blasphemous 2 is the inferior product. Hopefully, the Game Kitchen plans on adding additional content here as they did with the original. I enjoyed my time with the game, but it needs something more to really draw me back in.

It has been a while since I have had the need/want to replay a game over and over because of the carrot and stick. Astro Flame Starfighter gives a good balance of making you want to play more because of the enjoyment factor and the need to upgrade your ship to finish off the level/mission or get the 3 stars you wanted for completing said mission. Graphics are good when playing and handling of your ship is good too. Each boss has its own unique look and attack which was a good surprise.

Overall, Mirrored Souls is an enjoyable, surprisingly tough puzzle title with a well-implemented dual-control mechanic. The Bricks Studio make sure to make good use of the various mechanics they introduce, and for those looking for a new puzzler to see them through a few evenings this will do nicely.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 2: Hunting Grounds throws you straight into the action, continuing from the cliff-hanger of Episode 1. You and your crew are running low on resources and have to escape from the space pirates. You have more exploring to do, relationships to build and more resources to gather. It’s more of the same gameplay for the most part, with the inclusion of a new evade mechanic from drones and some light gun fights. The story has enough depth to keep us wanting to come back as soon as Episode 3 is ready.

Zombie Derby does nothing groundbreaking but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t scratch a certain itch. It reminds me of simpler times and perhaps the type of game I used to play in my internet browser as a kid. Good for short bursts in my opinion and easy to pick up from anybody. The real get here would be the gamerscore as the full completion with all achievments can be had in less than half an hour and the game won’t cost you that much.

Without being so finicky though, RIDE 5 is a superb bike racer. It balances fantastic visuals and incredible bike detail with plenty of breakneck speeds and thrill-inducing racing moments and whilst it doesn’t change too much from the already successful formula that the series has become renowned for, this is certainly an enjoyable adventure for bike aficionados.

Overall, Madden NFL 24 is a solid game that delivers a realistic and immersive football experience on the Xbox Series X. The game has amazing graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, new features and modes, and a smart artificial intelligence system that makes it challenging and fun. If you are a fan of American football or looking to jump in for the first time, you should definitely check out Madden NFL 24 on Xbox Series X.

LISA: The Joyful is not a game I would recommend just jumping into without either playing the previous game in the series or at least reading up on as it is disturbing enough, without being confusing too. I find it lacks a lot of structure as I understand some of the character development and the struggles of Buddy’s situation but without any backstory or assisting narrative, it’s not easy to connect with what is happening. The battle system in the game is quite fun and I enjoy the different moves you can use and some of the animations of the enemies are delightfully kooky.

Remnant II improves on its predecessors in every way, adding depth and variety in all the places it needed to. Whether played solo or with friends it is a polished and accomplished sequel that Gunfire Games should be proud of.

Simply said fans of Moving Out should love Moving Out 2. This is everything a sequel should be. Doesn’t over complicate the formula that worked so well in the first game and in a sense is just more of it which is what I personally want most of the time. With its wealth of accessibility options, it’s a great game for newer gamers and veterans alike. I can’t wait to play more of this game co-op via online play with friends.

For cat-lovers and Xbox lovers, Stray is a pleasant and uncanny feline-centred adventure game that’ll be purr-cisely what many will be looking for. The various cat behaviours are cool, the dark alleyways and neon evoke a particular kind of foreboding atmosphere, and there simply isn’t another game out there quite like Stray. However, Stray’s presentation is a mask for routine gameplay dynamics, and the overarching dreariness of the dystopia setting doesn’t mesh convincingly with the playful moments found dotted throughout. There’s a sense BlueTwelve Studio wanted a big-time mainstream experience condensed down to the length an indie title, and they’re successful in achieving that, it’s just the world they created could’ve been cheerier and less predictable. Thankfully though, this cat game never outStrays its welcome.

All in all, I’ve had a..blast… playing Marble it Up! Ultra this past week. There are a lot of levels to work through, the times are truly a challenge, and some of the designs are masterfully done. Add in the weekly challenges and multiplayer and we’ve got an easily recommended arcade title that should provide entertainment for some time to come.

Insomnis is a short lived affair, preferring to stake it’s thrills on tense atmosphere building and jump scares than combat or hide and seek scenarios. The tale it tells is entertainingly sad enough to pull us through the 2 hour runtime, and for the most part the puzzles are just on the right side of not quite too easy to make them enjoyable to complete. Some control issues and a mumbling protagonist sour things slightly, but on the whole we enjoyed our time with the game.

I had a good time with Mr. Run and Jump, with the feel of the movement and inputs coming across really well. It’s challenging, but rarely unfair. The retro neon visuals also really drew me in. The levels can feel a bit overlong, though thankfully when you die you don’t get set too far back. One for those looking for something to dip in and out of.

Frontier have worked their magic to ensure it’s the best F1 Manager game out there and have another smash hit on their hands. With the Race Replay feature and the ability to change teams coming down the road, F1 Manager will keep fans pinned to their team principle chairs.

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is a nice time killer if you want to play something to take the edge off. The replayability is insane as you can up the difficulty in the dungeons if you want more of a challenge. Sure the zombie slaughter may not be something to scream to the hills about, but it is definitely worth mentioning to a friend or two that love the hack n slash genre.

Overall, this is a good first outing for The Expanse: A Telltale Series. The et up for the season has me intrigued, and the gameplay improvements are most welcome indeed. I eagerly await the rest of the season.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a very cutesy platforming game that does it’s job surprisingly well. The “speed tech” taught is simple but effective and the variety of level types was a pleasant surprise. The art style and the story are nothing to write home about and certainly won’t appeal to all but platforming fans who admire gameplay are encouraged to give the pirates a run for their money. It doesn’t really overstay it’s welcome (underwater levels aside) and the levels feel bite-sized which was nice. A fun game to just pick up and play for bits at a time.

Inner Ashes is a game that tries very hard to deliver facts about a terrible real world disease mixed with an emotional story in a videogame and it misses the mark for me. As a walking simulator at it’s core the gameplay is expected to be a little slow, however they can hold their own ground when they come with great stories. Unfortunately Inner Ashes is mediocre for me. I appreciate all of the interesting facts I learned about Alzheimer’s Disease because of this game but the mechanism they used, a videogame, doesn’t quite align with this presentation as something interesting enough to hold my attention.

Double Dragon Gaiden: ROTD is a perfect addition to the series keeping what made the originals memorable and enhancing the experience without going fully 3D. The fast-paced action and different play move sets keeps things fresh as well as playing the stages in a different order to enjoy new challenges. I appreciate the effort that has gone into keeping the game fresh with the rogue-lite elements, the unlockables in the shop and the variety of characters you can play as I think this is well worth picking up.

For less than a fiver on the Xbox store, there’s not much to lose if you’re even remotely keen on a fun but challenging indie puzzler. There’s not much in the way of extra flash or pizzaz, but what’s here is solid puzzle gaming through and through.

While the live service nature might not inspire much excitement, as a game to play with friends Exoprimal is a worthwhile pickup. The action is immediate and hectic, but never overwhelming, and the rounds are generally well paced and fair to enable some exhilarating final moment reversals of fortune. It might not have to flash of some of the bigger multiplayer titles out there, but it has more than enough to come recommended, especially if you’ve got a Game Pass subscription.

With a fresh take on the Aliens game franchise and a deep understanding of what made that movie tick, Aliens: Dark Descent is a great Real Time Strategy.

Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a brilliant, cute title that was built off their original RPG so many years ago. This feels like a step up for those who played the original story. The main takeaways will be the art and music for most players. You do have the freedom to explore, but the story only moves forward when finishing tasks assigned to you opening new sections. The game was updated back in May which added a quick save feature and fixed minor bugs. This title is very polished unlike many of the games flooding the Xbox marketplace currently. Melon Journey is not a shovel ware title and does have substance for those looking for a more relaxed game to pick up and enjoy. If you’re looking for heavy action, that will not be this title. It is low skill based and requires paying attention to text prompts to know where to go. This is a slower paced game, however, it is incredibly cute from the music production to character designs.

It’s always a good day when I get to play a game that was thought to be lost in a forgotten era of gaming. Nostalgia hits hard for me with Enclave HD and although very excited to give it another go, it’s just a port of an old game. Am I happy it is back and playable on current hardware? Absolutely! Do I wish a little more love was done to it? For sure. I’d probably have a hard time convincing someone to give Enclave HD a try if they didn’t play it on original Xbox but for those that did, I think it’s worth the admission price.

Maquette has utterly wowed me these past few nights, with an excellent concept realised brilliantly. Graceful Decay make smart use of the time allotted to a playthrough, and keep things fresh and interesting throughout. That even the story got me properly hooked is a testament to Graceful Decay, and as such Maquette comes highly recommended indeed.

Other than some awkward controls at times, Homebody has risen up the ranks to be one of my most enjoyable gaming experiences this year. The time loop/puzzle/survival horror combo is smartly put together, with a fantastic sense of progression constantly. Combined with the retro presentation and well written, engaging tale, Homebody is an easy recommendation to make.

Writing this conclusion brings a tear to my eye; on one hand, Layers of Fear looks beautiful, controls well and does give you a sense of horror. But then there is the gameplay loop – as I started playing I noticed more and more that Layers of Fear relies more on walking and looking than traditional horror gameplay. After about 30 minutes of picking notes up to “read” (the voice acting was excellent), I was disappointed. I wanted/thought more would happen. My interest did pick up once we got the lantern, however, that was short-lived. Some of the puzzles were good but overall I was left very short-changed and rather let down by what I got (or didn’t get) out of it.

The Valiant recovered from almost making me put my controller down to blossom into a decent entry in the RTS genre, it’s different take on the traditional RTS mechanics could well make it stand out against it competitors, but time will tell if The Valiant can turn into a franchise for THQ Nordic or be a one and done title.

Fall of Porcupine is a fantastic story with a real heart, which is in need of a little polish to make it perfect. For those willing to play through the bugs and the translation they will find a rough gem.

Twelve-years is a very long time but Ghost Trick’s return to relevancy is a very welcome one indeed. The premise is as deliciously absurd as it is effective at drawing you into the game’s puzzle-heavy gameplay, the artstyle is immaculate and indubitably expressionistic, and although it’s rather short, it leaves a thunderous impact. Ghost Trick may no longer be ghosted by merely existing on a Nintendo handheld – now you can rejoice in playing it for yourselves and bask in the remastered experience of a well-loved and superbly-made classic.

When Yukes and Kenny Omega stated they were looking to bring back the glory days of N64 wrestling titles I was on-board. As a fellow student of those times, there’s a clunky charm to AEW: Fight Forever with its meaty feeling moves and arcade-style action. However, those days were far longer ago than I care to think about, and younger players will have gotten used to a more fluid and fully featured sports entertainment game. If you can work around some of the more pressing quirks there’s fun to be had here, but this feels more like a base to build off of for the hopeful sequel down the line.

Crash Team Rumble is not the game fans of the bandicoot asked for but is the game we got, and I can say it isn’t that bad. The game in its content is a bit shallow with one main game mode but I hope that will change in the future as it is a games as a service game. I look forward to lobbies full of friends in the future versus randoms but this a fun pick-up-and-play (for a bit) game. We shall see how it’s future holds up.

Escape from the Past sticks true to what made Escape Academy brilliant, and expands it with five tough but fun new challenges. Well worth a look for those who’ve already had the joy of the previous work, but equally recommended to those even mildly curious.

Despite its flaws Miasma Chronicles is a good but not quite great game that sucks you back in for more and will be a decent pickup for anyone who enjoys tactical turn-based games.

Nocturnal is not a standout title but it is far from bad. A shorter experience, this linear platformer will end up testing your patience and reflexes in challenging but not punishing traversal and combat. Although basic in fighting and its skill selections, Nocturnal is a fine game that’s worth the attention of 2D platforming enthusiasts.

Relic have done phenomenal work porting Company of Heroes 3 over to consoles. It does a great job of onboarding newcomers to the RTS genre and provides hours of content. That said, there is still a hefty learning curve and time investment which is going to cause some to struggle.

Underwhelming ending aside, Amnesia: The Bunker is an excellently crafted survival horror, with plenty of tension, dread, near misses and clever puzzles to keep us coming back for more.

Rollercoaster management games are few and far between these days but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great games out there for the category. Luckily Park Beyond is coming out swinging as this is a really fun entry in the management genre. It offers some crazy impossibilities to the theme park rides that make the experience so much fun. Unfortunately the launch hasn’t been the best for me with crashes and technical issues with the AI, however I have the upmost confidence they will be fixed in the near future. You know if this type of game is for you and if it is, Park Beyond isn’t a bad one to take a try on.

With the new handling model, Braking Point 2 and F1 World, F1 2023 has the fresh coat of paint the series has needed for some time. For the first time in a while, I can see myself dusting my wheel off and racing rather than settling for just commentating.

Itorah is a wonderful world, with great level design and characters, hindered by one small mechanic that blemishes what should be a great game. Instead, it is just a good one.

With its vibrant visuals, addictive gameplay, and familiar Lego theme, Lego 2K Drive is a must-play for Lego enthusiasts and racing aficionados. There are a few missteps and they might have borrowed heavily from other arcade racers, but overall, I highly recommend this game for anyone looking for a fun and engaging open-world racing experience.

Demon Skin has done an immense job of bringing a lot of complexity to the 2D hack’n’slash genre. The story may not be too detailed but the focus of this game is on the atmospheric level and character design and the hellish combat mastery. If you want a short but challenging 2D game which looks great and puts your reflexes to the test, then this is a solid game to pick up.

Blizzard has proven that AAA games CAN launch in a ready state and be a game of the year contender straight off the bat. It’s going to have to be something special that beats Diablo IV to the top of my list.

Teslagrad 2 is a step up in every respect to its previous installment, a fantastic platformer with a wonderful set of auxiliary gameplay elements anyone that loves 2D platformers should play this.

I had a bloody excellent time with The Tartarus Key. It hit me hard with the nostalgic presentation, and hooked me in with clever, well-crafted, and almost perfectly pitched puzzles throughout.

Zombie Derby 2 brings together Trials HD physics and the enjoyment of running over zombies in cars! I had a blast playing Zombie Derby 2; the controls were smooth, and the graphics were good and the music was perfectly matched. I’d have preferred not to have to need to repeat the same levels multiple times to progress, but other than that this was a fun evening of gaming.

Evil Wizard was a pleasant surprise to me. Taking the role of a villain, this game’s unique blend of dark humor and fourth wall-breaking antics is an absolute masterpiece. The witty dialogue and clever references had me smiling ear to ear while navigating me through this game ‘after the game’ (which will make more sense if you play it). The game seamlessly blends intense boss battles with moments of comedic relief, creating an unforgettable gaming experience. With its not-overly-complex gameplay mechanics and fun story beats, this game is a must-play for any fan of action adventure games, particularly those with a fondness of Deadpool style humor.

Camera control aside, Tin Hearts has been an utter joy to play. It’s charming, clever, looks and sounds lovely, and has just the right puzzle difficulty to have us looking forward to coming back for an hour or so each night.

No One Lives Under the Lighthouse is an enjoyably dark, surprising adventure that is well worth a look for those in the market for something a little obtuse, yet different.

Overall, we came away pretty underwhelmed with The Last Case of Benedict Fox. While there are seeds of good ideas here, the package as a whole just throws up too many hurdles for us to look past in order to seek them out.

Artistic expression is what will strike the biggest chord in Strayed Lights. There are lovely moments of beauty to unearth, and you will no doubt find a game ignited with a love for tranquillity and colour. However, empty spaces make Strayed Lights world feel uncomfortably abandoned at times, and the combat is based too heavily on precision and colour matching to engross. Thankfully, Strayed Lights is short, but it runs out of momentum too soon despite some impressive boss encounters and some gorgeous skies. Give it a whirl then, but you won’t feel like Strayed Lights is anything but a shallowly gentle gust that will blow by without the force it needed to stick in the mind.

With this many clumsy design decisions it is a miracle this game made it past pre-production. I will never look down on anyone that endorses playtesting again.

Mia and the Dragon Princess is another solid effort from the teams at Wales Interactive and Good Gate Media. The cast all put in some excellent performances, the story is brief but also full of interesting twists and turns, and it had us laughing far more than expected to with some classic British humour. For our money, this is one of the best live action adventures out there.

This is just disappointing from all angles. Boring combat in both gun feel and enemy AI, lifeless open worlds that actively discourage exploration, and hero powers that are flat out rubbish to use make not for the fun co-op shooter we were hoping for. A massive miss for Xbox, Arkane, and Game Pass.

The driving is smooth and fluid, the maps are vivid, and I love the characters and how they're made to perform. But let's be real here, gacha mechanics shouldn't even have been considered for a racing game.

The Library of Babel has beautiful art and an intriguing story, but the game built on top of that lacks polish and evokes old-school design in the worst way.

I know I am not the intended audience, however, I did have fun with this kart racer. Controls are simple with the added feature of auto acceleration for the younger players (or the lazy ones like me), while the graphics look good and are on point for the Gigantosaurus world.

In the mashup of the year comes Panic Porcupine which is kind of like throwing Sonic and Super Meat Boy into a blender. Overall the challenge of the game is fun to take on but can quickly become overwhelming if your skill isn’t up to it. If you are one that can keep the rage down and is decent at platforming, I would recommend this game. If you are one to need a new controller after dying over and over … and over again, then maybe save your controller and play something easier.

There’s enough here for fans of the Sherlock Holmes style detective games, though for me the constant back and forth between menus and uneven movement through the world left me uninspired to continue playing.

Nuclear Blaze is an absolute joy to play, be it taking it easy on Kid Mode or working through the 2 hour campaign on one of the multiple difficulty modes. The action and level progression is almost perfectly paced, it looks stunning, and only very, very rarely did we encounter a moment where we had anything less than great fun extinguishing flames.

Warm, inviting and pleasant, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus And Butterfly is a wonderfully accessible and gentle graphic novel game with a beautifully well-meaning heart. Changes from its predecessor are minimal, but Hibiscus And Butterfly encourages you to discover an array of comforting drinks, while the cast of fantastical and not-so fantastical characters tell you about their life predicaments, their perils and their successes. Much like a good pick-me-up, Coffee Talk Episode 2 is as easy as you’d like but has space for you to master the fine art of being a top-tier barista in a busy bustling café. The addition of Hibiscus And Butterfly Pea brings a classiness and a radiance that will lighten your day, and there are reasons to replay the story several times through to see everything it has to show for itself. There’s still plenty of room for Coffee Talk to grow and flourish, but this sequel is well-worth diving into if you just want to take a pew, grab an eye-opener and relish in a bevvy of stories.

I hope you expected some running and gunning with a game called Guns N’ Runs because that is exactly what you get. Make no mistake though the challenge this game will bring you. Ultimately it was not the challenge that did it in for me but the blandness. While definitely retro inspired it was not an exciting experience that I would recommend to anyone other than those who love grinding out difficult games such as this.

I am impressed with Dead Island 2. The first Dead Island didn’t grab me as much and it was only when I tried the demo at the recent WASD event that it piqued my interest. There is a lot to enjoy about Dead Island 2. It looks stunning graphically, the story – although surreal – is gripping enough and the skill card level progression is refreshing. The combat is the feature that feels familiar and could have been quite dull over time, but Dambuster have introduced many things (such as curveballs) to keep things interesting. Fun solo, but even more enjoyable with a few friends, this long awaited zombie slasher comes recommended.

While the idea is novel and decent on paper, God of Rock left us wanting thanks to a tricky learning curve and music that fails to inspire replayability.

Pirates Outlaws is a solid deck-building roguelite that adds tons of content and lots of interesting spins on familiar formulas, it is an easy recommend for fans of the genre. For those that are new to this style – there are better places to start.

King of the Arcade does a fair job of being a cheaper title that gives you value for money. It’s not too difficult, it gives you a feel of what arcades used to look like in the past and there are plenty of different games to play. Those born around that era they will find the knockoff titles fun to play if not just amusing. It could be a fun way for a parent to expose their kids to games of the past without it being overwhelming and without all the loading.

Emoji Kart Racer lacks in content that is offered for the pricing they have selected. The sounds are if not annoying, the best part of the game. The music isn’t too short or too loud, except for the emoji’s sound effects for winning. The visuals are clean, colorful, and work for most levels. There are tracks influenced heavily by bigger, more well known Arcade racers. There are typos in some signage which I don’t think is intentional. The length of the time played is less than four hours and could have been shorter if the karts went a little faster. The AIs and respawning functionality removes all challenges. This title is for beginners and those who are younger. Had there been a better user interface for using items and targeting others and the scaled difficulty wasn’t so low, this could have been a worthy recommendation. The drifting was the biggest let down, or lack thereof. I was simply left wanting more from the control and handling. The design of the game was well done, just not the feel of how the kart rides.

The visuals are amazing, the game is simple and it has a heart, that I can say about Minecraft Legends. There are things that could’ve been done better and it’s not as complex as the Civilization games – or any strategy game for that matter – but Mojang and Blackbird Interactive get my respect for venturing off into the unknown and finding a treasure like this.

Not For Broadcast is unlike anything I’ve played before. The tv-editing simulator gameplay presses all the right buttons, keeping you engaged in a well-written story packed with humor. The writing really clicks with many elements, riffing on real-world events over the past few years. I don’t know how well the story will age, but the gameplay is so unique that I have no doubt it will stand the test of time. I give Not For Broadcast my full recommendation. I know some of the games I get behind can be somewhat niche and might not be for everyone, but I really believe Not For Broadcast has mass appeal, scoring high in all demographics.

Flat screen or not, The Last Worker had us hooked from start to finish thanks to excellent writing, a charming art style, and constantly changing gameplay and mechanics that rarely outstay their welcome.

The concept of Murderous Muses is great, with randomised runs meaning every game can and will play out differently, giving dedicated players a new challenge to solve each time. However, unless you’re completely invested it can be tricky to keep track of the clues given. Some wonderfully camp acting and an over the top story at least makes even failed runs entertaining, though a little more help – especially early on – wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Mile 0 is something of a pleasant surprise. The inclusion of Rides makes storytelling and decision-making riveting and fresh, underpinned by an insatiably likeable arcade hook. Mile 0 also boasts a greater focus on characters and relationships than the original, helped along by a pleasantly bite-sized price tag. The big dinger though, is that Rides can feel too on-rails for its own good despite its novel use in storytelling and decision-making. Mile 0 also fails to transmit the fervour of Rides to the rest of the experience-this despite some flashes of playful subversiveness and youthful hijinks present throughout. Ultimately Mile 0 can be softly recommended for what it does offer, but it is a lightweight entrée more than a transcendent main course-this one’s lacking the protein and bulk required to truly satisfy over the long haul.

Saga of Sins is an action platformer with some nostalgic tones of some of the old Disney platformers on the 16-bit consoles. The sinister vibe of the story is amplified but the interesting stained glass window graphics. The gameplay is alright but nothing too memorable apart from some tricky boss fights. The voice acting although commendable needed some work and the accents and tone used kill the game’s vibe at times.