Rob Kershaw's Reviews
Another fine and varied selection of titles from the Jackbox stable, with something that will appeal to everyone in your party.
Stylish but oddly lacking in atmosphere, Jennifer Wilde has some interesting gameplay concepts which fail to fully ignite, and Wilde himself often feels more like set dressing than a crucial part of the story.
It doesn't make any strides in advancing the genre, but brevity, timeliness and an allegorical story mean that The Plague Doctor of Wippra's gameplay faults can mostly be overlooked.
A gentle, immensely silly romp through an Agatha Christie style whodunnit. Lord Winklebottom is a promising debut from a talented indie studio.
A few good scares and some excellent psychological horror aren't enough to fully raise this anthology from the dead.
Crowns and Pawns brings both freshness and familiarity to the point-and-click genre. It may be brief, but quality voice acting and fun puzzles keep momentum going until the very end.
Chernobylite has a lot of interesting concepts but it doesn't manage to form them into a cohesive whole. Patient players may get something out of it, but be prepared for a slog.
If you're looking for an isometric RPG with a nostalgic aesthetic and Souls trimmings, Tunic is it: a tough, beautiful action-adventure which rewards the patient and batters the reckless.
Walking simulator fans and those who enjoy an intriguing supernatural mystery will lap up Ghost on the Shore. Performance issues and a strict adherence to the genre will turn the rest away.
When Horizon Forbidden West lets you enjoy its incredible open world in peace, Aloy's second outing is a marvel to play, even if its swollen map doesn't fully make up for a lack of true invention.
Firework's initially creepy premise and relatively engaging puzzles soon give way to a confusing plot that suffers from poor localisation.
A stellar slice of indie goodness whose frenetic and precise fighting elevates it above the pack, while highlighting an important chapter in Taiwanese history.
Under Eastward's glossy and well-designed exterior, there's a confusing and overlong story that never really satisfies.
Scarf doesn't brave new platforming territory, but platforming newbies will appreciate its forgiving nature, and it tells an interesting and often dark story in an engaging way.
Growbot is a charming puzzle adventure with a lot of heart, wrapped in a fantastically illustrated environment.
Party Pack 8 is varied, accessible and fun. It might not be the best compendium in the series, but the likes of Job Job, Drawful Animate and Poll Mine will ensure that it's high in your consideration for a night of party games.
True Colors is by far the best entry in Life Is Strange to date. Pulling the focus away from powers and onto relationships allows the story to grow naturally, and beautifully, without losing the essence of what makes the series great.
Equal parts captivating and chill, Echo of Starsong is a wonderful hybrid of visual novel and adventure underpinned by a remarkably human story.
Gorgeous visuals can't mask the emptiness of Vesper's levels or the perfunctory nature of its platforming.
Lacuna is a slick noir adventure debut handled remarkably well by a tiny indie team.