All in all, 505 Games and KUNOS Simulazioni have a great simulator for wheel users. It provides excellent feedback and is the way the play, if you’ve the right set up. Controller users can still find enjoyment if they take the time to tweak settings, but they will definitely miss out to a degree. Those less experienced with racing games should probably be wary of jumping in here too, as the sim style of racing could be a turn off until they “git gud”, as they say.

As I stated before Formula Retro Racing is a straightforward game. Coming into this game I twas expecting a better, newer version of Virtua Racing – and I was right. It doesn’t need to have a bunch of new features to top the older game. All it needed to do was visually enhance it and to keep the same charm that the game had in the ’90s. If you haven’t played Virtua Racing, or just want to play a fast-paced arcade racing game for a reasonable price, then Formula Retro Racing is the game for you.

RAD is actually quite a fun game to play, the different mutations keep the game interesting and, as the game doesn’t give you much about the story, a lot of things are a mystery, and enjoyable to discover. The long loading screens when you start or when you die do ruin the games flow a little bit, but there is enough content, and it is challenging enough, to keep you interested for a while.

All in all, Watch Dogs: Legion is a brilliant third instalment to the franchise. I am loving the fact you can play as pretty much anyone, but I have yet to find my favourite character that I 100% want to always play. But with so many to choose from I think I will be constantly changing. The story is interesting and the hacking is smooth and rewarding. For me, this is a must-play.

A fantastic cast brings a very real light to harsh realities of the entertainment industry, accompanied by some brilliantly realised puzzle/horror gameplay that oozes tension and atmosphere throughout the entire story.

Overall, whilst the combat could be improved, and if I’m being picky the enemy types could have been expanded upon, the 10–12-hour playtime is worth investing if you enjoy horror and want something refreshing to give you a scare. There may have been multiple horrors to have arrived recently, but this one certainly stands up there as one of the better releases of 2022, whilst the story is one that sticks in the mind from the opening moments and continues after the controller goes down at the end of the evening.

It happened, it finally happened! It’s been too long since I’ve enjoyed a good TMNT game but I am so happy to say Splintered Fate delivered a good time. Roguelites have been hot for a while now and throwing the TMNT skin on top of one makes a lot of sense. I think more recognizable IP’s should branch out and try new genres like Splintered Fate here. Easy recommend for Turtles fans and roguelite enthusiasts alike.

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.

Jurassic World Evolution is an outstanding management sim. Frontier Developments’ carefully crafted and well balanced gameplay mechanics ensures that it’s accessible for genre veterans and newcomers alike. The game does an excellent job at keeping the player engaged through its diverse sites, which is bolstered further by its great pace, its decent progression system and its vast amount of options.

Newcomers and vets of the series will probably find the Serious Sam Collection to be of good value and a reasonable HD port. The added frame rate and graphic options are a nice touch for this classic series.

This next gen, upgraded version of Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer brings the fun of a Diablo-like experience to our shiny new machines. There’s a lot to play and experiment with, with a good range of characters and abilities. Fighting mechanics feel good, though easily switching weapons with the right stick in combat can feel a little too tricky at times. After a fairly standard feeling initial load, the Series’ SSD really shines in game, letting us move about in game super fast!

A visually busy game, ArcRunner is a good multiplayer Roguelite/3rd person shooter. However in singleplayer the grind can be too much to bear, with unlocks and progress a chore to get to.

Despite some niggles, TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2 is easily the best feeling racer I’ve played in quite some time. The sheer sense of speed and place in the thick of hurtling along the track is almost overwhelming. Some more shorter races would have been nice, and it’s all too easy to fall to the back after a single mistake, but put a bit of time into grasping the delicacies of the handling and you’ll find an incredibly satisfying racer.

While I was disappointed by the horror aspects in Close to the Sun, overall I found my time with it to be quite engaging. The story and characters get their hooks in just enough to keep you playing, and the world building – from the gorgeous visuals to the incidental details and notes left behind – is brilliant. That it keeps its run time brief is to the games credit too, as yet more chase sequences would definitely have harmed the experience.

Overall, if you like the world of Sherlock Holmes, enjoy a good investigative adventure, or have enjoyed any of the previous games in the series, either new or old, then Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is likely to be a game you will thoroughly enjoy. It has charm, wit, excitement, and plenty of harrowing crimes to chill you to the bone as you explore the picturesque locale of Sherlock’s childhood stomping ground. This is what I always want a Sherlock game to be.

I personally loved playing Slipstream, it grew on me with a bit of time enjoying the art and music designs. What was even more impressive is that this Indie title is from a one-man team and this is his third game, but first on console. Sandro Luiz De Paula is the man who made this masterful homage to classic arcade style racers and should be proud. It’s a simple game, but works with no issues I found. The variety of difficulty options allow for the player to establish their playstyle letting them pick the pace. The art style of colorful exotic levels makes it fun to race through over and over switching paths up each tour finding different exits. The game doesn’t offer a lot through variety of cars or customization options; however, it doesn’t need to. The game is relatively cheap for what is being offered with stunning visuals and audio design.

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.

Phasmophobia has hit the Xbox and brings all its scrappy charm along with it. I think there are people who are going to love this multiplayer horror game, but once the scares wear off, there isn’t a lot to keep coming back.

Strange Brigade is a treat. One that’s jam-packed with action, charm and personality. Everything from the game’s multi-branching level design, to its impressive variety of enemies and weaponry, rarely fails to excite. The game’s mashup of heavy combat, puzzle solving and collectible-seeking, makes for a gorgeously detailed adventure that’s constantly fun and dynamic. This is among Rebellion’s finest work to date.

The Jackbox games have always been a great accompaniment to a party with friends. It is an icebreaker and way for all your friends to get involved and have a laugh. However, some of the games really do only work with people of a specific personality, and its rare everyone is that similar at the party. While I’m not overly keen on Talking Points and The Devils and The Details, I think Quiplash, Champ’d up and Blathers are going to be the main winners here to encourage fans to buy the new pack, making the price of entry worth it – especially if you’ve got a gathering (virtual or otherwise) coming up soon.

Tempest 4000’s price-tag is wildly unforgivable when you factor in the meager content that you’re getting in return. This is greed at its absolute finest and despite the series’ fame for being colorful and fast-paced, which indeed the game is, there’s just not enough content within to justify its cost. Easy to get into and nostalgic Tempest 4000 may be, but it ultimately becomes bland and uninteresting quite quickly.

Wuppo is a sensational experience that’s packed with content, charm and an endearing soundtrack that runs deep in the colourful design. I found issues with the difficulty spike during boss encounters, and I was a bit let down by the lack of a solid story, but these small faults are not enough to pull the game down from greatness.

Mercenary Kings will no doubt appeal to those that are fond of the Metal Slug series. However, the gameplay doesn’t prove to be quite as frantic or energetic. This is a game that’s better when playing with others, and the added crafting and looting system certainly helps it to stand out. That being said, players will be enduring some poor design choices and irritating combat mechanics throughout the entirety of play.

Sonic Origins is a great example of packing classic games together and improving them for a modern audience. The added mission modes are the stand out, but the games themselves still play just as good as ever, especially with the new Anniversary mode. Pre-order lock out nonsense aside, this is a fantastic way to experience the classics.

Void Bastards is a serviceable first-person shooter, at best. Whilst intriguing, initially exciting, and quite deep as far as its crafting goes, the game’s lack of play depth and environmental variation makes for a very repetitive trek overall. On top of that, its unrefined combat and its lackluster AI proves to be a further hindrance throughout. Still, there’s certainly some fun to had in this loot-fueled space romp, it’s just very fleeting.

It seems so rare to come across a game that can truly achieve its objective, but with the combination of tranquil adaptive music, beautiful scenery and the mesmerising, flowing movements and colours, Lumini seems to genuinely allow the stress and worries of life to melt away.

Airoheart is one of the better Zelda-likes I have played and working my way through the game has been a trip down memory lane. It borrows so much from the Link to the Past formula, but also adds in plenty of its own ideas and mechanics. Perhaps the biggest issue I have with the game is its price point, $40 is way too steep for this game. I think if it was $20-25 it would sell many more copies and find a much larger audience. There are a handful of other issues, but most of those could be addressed with a patch. If you’ve been looking for a game to satisfy your classic action-adventure cravings then Airoheart could be your game, at the very least you should put it on your wishlist so you can pick it up if the price changes or it goes on sale.

Overall, if you want a story set in the gritty era of World War One and don’t want to have to play through a Call of Duty or Battlefield campaign to do so, then Ad Infinitum isn’t a bad way to spend your time. It isn’t perfect and there are areas that clearly need some improvement but for a story that delivers and enemies that offer the chills, this is an experience that’s at least worth the once-over.