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.

Despite the AI controversy around the launch of Crimson Desert, I’ve found a lot to enjoy during my time with the game. There is a lot of content to explore, and freedom to do so at your own pace and style. So much so, that even with some annoying interface and controller decisions and an initially confusing storyline, I found myself compelled to keep coming back and enjoying the moment to moment experiences.

Severed Steel is a must have for this year, nothing else has come close in a long time to distilling the definition of ‘fun’ into a video game.

I have spent nigh-on 20 hours with the game, and my goodness, I cant wait to get back into it. There are a few small niggles, but the mix of difficulty with easy replayability and easy access makes this game worth trying out for anyone that enjoys some fun and a challenge.

Despite the slight dip in the middle, I came away from A Musical Story utterly won over. It has simple but effective gameplay, some excellent music, and a touching tale told entirely in its fantastic artwork and music.

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.

If you haven’t experienced Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, this is the time to do so. This remake rejuvenates a hidden gem with excellent visual and audio refinements that make the original seem decades old despite only being a singular decade old. If you take out the remake’s flourishes you’ll still be privy to one of the absolute best indie experiences around with one of the most emotionally arresting games you’ll ever play. The controls may not be ideal for those with co-ordination issues, and are otherwise quite finnicky at times, but their inventiveness more than makes up for any stodginess. A Tale of Two Sons‘ elegant autumnal sheen has been evolved remarkably, and now is the time for the outliers to lie inside and cozy up to one of the most striking and artistically nourishing hidden delights in modern videogames.

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.

Given it’s been well over a decade since a new Prince of Persia game was released, it’s understandable for one to be skeptical about The Lost Crown in spite of the development studio’s excellent pedigree. Rejoicefully, The Lost Crown has turned up at the beginning of 2024 and has laid down a remarkable gauntlet for every game to live up to this year. The combat and the electrifying assortment of powers in The Lost Crown makes battles against all of Mount Qaf’s foes a vigorously moreish delight. Yes, the characters, story and lack of charisma and personality bite is a little disappointing, but when you’ve got a joyously raucous return of Prince of Persia on full display here, any disappointment flutters away and returns into the form of pure elation. The Lost Crown is a celebration of the Metroidvania and you’ll be truly glad to come along for the ride with Sargon and company.

Constantly surprising, packed with clever puzzle design, and with an interesting story to boot, The Entropy Centre has just cemented itself as one of my favourite puzzle titles ever. Too many combat sections let it down a little, but they are worth persevering with to see just how Stubbington can show off his puzzle acumen next.

Olija oozes originality, from its cinematic storytelling to its uniquely retro graphics and the genre-bending award-worthy soundtrack that ties it all together. And don’t forget about its fluid combat and exploration-focused gameplay that slowly introduces new mechanics that keep the game engaging and fun but at the same never letting it get too complex. For a while I put off engaging in what I believed to be the final encounter because I truly enjoyed my time in the game world and wanted it to continue. While watching the final cut scene I was not so secretly hoping my character would get dragged back into the land of Terraphage. I felt like there were still mysteries to discover; maybe there was another island hidden somewhere. I’ll definitely be playing through the game again at some point. The bottom line is Devolver Digital has another winner on its hands in Olija.

Excellent presentation, storytelling, performances, and some great quality of life touches make The Casting of Frank Stone one of our favourite Supermassive Games releases yet.

Consider me a Monster Hunter convert. Wilds is a great entry point to the series for someone like me who’s never really gotten into it in the past, but there’s plenty of depth and nitty gritty here that fans will no doubt find enjoyable to get into. A lengthy and enjoyable campaign leads into a vast end-game that will keep me coming back for some time yet.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties was always going to be a hit with me as a fan of the series. A lot of the amendments to modernise the game and make it more fun and interesting have hit the spot with me. Although its not the strongest story in the series, coupling it with the Dark Ties side story brings an interesting dynamic on the story which I enjoy. But a horrifically bad casting choice has completely tarnished the game and left me with mix feelings.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a retro-fueled adventure that combines satisfying combat with extensive exploration to create an exquisitely crafted, nearly flawless experience. Matt Kap and his team at Labworks have studied the classics well while interweaving new ideas and mechanics into the formula.

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.

I was pretty much sold on Art of Rally the first time I saw it, but perhaps what might have truly sealed the deal was the line the large buddha statue laid on me in the intro, “we are in a parallel universe, where Group B was never cancelled”. Art of Rally is coming to Game Pass and there’s no excuse for anyone not to give it a try, unless you absolutely loathe racing games. It should appeal to any one with even the slightest interest in racing games, but will also satisfy the racing game veterans. The art style is sublime – I know some players might not be into the non-realistic graphics. It doesn’t get better than this in terms of pure art, and overall fun, and Art of Rally is both.

I am not saying that Sonic games are back, but I am definitely saying that Sonic racing games are back. This is a game that loves accessible racing and has an adoration for its own franchise. It has elevated each part of what came before, and I don’t think Sonic Racing CrossWorlds can be dismissed as the ‘other kart racing’ game anymore.

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is yet another fantastic brawler, with excellent combat complimented by the dual character switching and combos, some brilliant A/V work, and plenty of reason to play it through multiple times. Some difficulty spikes ruin the flow a little, but get some buddies in and you’re in for a real treat with MARVEL Cosmic Invasion.

As I mentioned earlier it’s hard to review games like The Quarry without spoiling the story, but I hope I’ve been able to whet your appetite enough with what could easily be Supermassives best entry to date. With the beautifully crafted scenery, soundtrack and great cast it’s certainly one I’ll be playing again and again once I get my Series X version!

The top tier remakes continue to come from Capcom, with Resident Evil 4 taking a beloved classic and modernising it in all the right ways. A couple of small niggles aside, this will go down as one of the greatest games this year, if not this generation.

Overall, if you’re a fan of management games, the Jurassic Park or Jurassic World films, or simply want to get involved with a game that ticks all the right boxes for fan expectations, then Jurassic World Evolution 2 is a game that you should be playing.

For the King is undoubtedly one of the most distinct, intriguing, and fun RPG roguelikes in recent memory, and what’s more, the content value is through the roof. Despite the odd technical hiccup, the game succeeds in blending so many mechanics together without making a mess, and yet respectably manages to remain accessible and exciting throughout. If you’ve even a smidgen of interest in this game, you owe it to yourself to pick this up.

Some minor niggles in visuals and UI marr things slightly, but overall as live service titles go, Breakpoint is one of the better examples.

The Devil In Me is a solid round-off to Season One of The Dark Pictures Anthology. It has some of the best character and story work so far, with gruesome, inventive horror that kept us on our toes. Once the online woes are sorted we’ll be jumping back in for another go, and can recommend fans alike do the same.

Teardown isn’t just a game – it’s an indie gaming masterpiece and probably the best indie game I have played this year (and trust me, I play a lot of them!). Tuxedo Labs has meticulously crafted an experience that not only delivers a thrilling main campaign but also encourages creativity through its sandbox. If you’re seeking a game that seamlessly combines strategic thinking, destruction, and endless possibilities, Teardown is undoubtedly a must-play. The joy experienced by my son and I stands as a resounding testament to the game’s success in providing an unforgettable and expansive gaming journey.

The Bloodline expansion is well written. It’s all about the exciting story and if you are a huge fan of the Watch Dogs universe, you can’t fault this. It’s a ton of fun to play and it brought back good memories to the point I might play the first game through again (or continue the first game’s DLC which I started but never finished!).

Considering how much of challenge there can be in Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, there’s no denying it is a consistently rewarding and satisfying game to play. The three areas on offer are huge but packed with interesting terrain to traverse and conquer, and there are more objectives to tackle than you could ever realistically need. The non-driving parts are a let-down but are brief enough to not sour things too much over all. A niche-but-worthwhile experience awaits those who are willing to tackle the wilds.