Phantom Blade Zero executes the majority of its ideas very well, and it full of style and flavour.
Warhammer 40:000: Boltgun 2 was a bombastic, fun-filled romp from start-to-finish and unlike the first game, I’m actually likely to replay it a few times.
Overall I love Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. When it was first announced I was simply thrilled that this legendary series was finally making a proper comeback, and after experiencing the sheer quality of this successor I’m convinced that it’s here to stay. Evil Empire shows an obvious love and admiration for the Konami series and while I’d liked its difficulty to have a bit more of a kick, I think it’ll be fine for most players.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival was a tough game to critique, as the pieces were all there, they just didn’t all mesh together in the right way. I’d still recommend it to Hellraiser and horror fans alike though. My only advice would be to knock it down to the story mode to alleviate some of its more frustrating elements.
It’s well worth picking up for any Star Wars fan, and I’m already hoping it’s followed up by a full-on podracing game with customisable rides.
Gears of War: E-Day is a solid prequel that gets a lot of things right. The characters, the combat, and the visuals all mesh together into a must-play adventure for any Gears of War fan, but it’s also an excellent starting point for those new to the series.
In many ways, I still think it’s a shame that we had to go all the way back to the beginning to get a truly excellent Halo game, but Halo: Campaign Evolved does give me hope for the future of this franchise.
If Star Fox is intended to be a soft-reboot for an entire fleet of new games, it does the job well, and earns its place in the Nintendo Switch 2 library.
If modern-day AAAs have left a hole in your life that’s longing to be filled by a retro-revival, Mina The Hollower is for you. It’s also for those who are craving their next gruelling gaming challenge.
Whatever it lacks in story or challenge is made up with clever gameplay mechanics disguised as weird and wonderful creatures. It’s unfortunate that some of that magic dissipates on a replay, but even when you’ve filled all of the mysterious book’s pages, you’re still left with another charming Yoshi platformer to enjoy at leisure.
Pragmata truly is a triumph. The mix of hacking and shooting forces you to find a rhythm in combat and depending on what enemies are on the field and what equipment you have, the tempo can vary significantly. Combat never felt like it was outstaying its welcome nor did it feel repetitive.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been eight years in the making and yet it unfortunately misses the mark in several ways.
Kirby Air Riders may fall short in terms of track selection compared to Mario Kart World, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t the best racing game released this year, and one of the best first-party Nintendo games to launch on the Nintendo Switch 2.
We don’t know Nintendo’s plan for the next Legend Of Zelda game, and whether we’ll be saying goodbye to this part of the Zelda timeline anytime soon. If the series is heading in a different direction I think Age Of Imprisonment is a fine send-off to this era of the Zelda series, but if not I’ll be looking forward to the next entry.
When all is said and done, I think Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a fantastic Pokémon game. The new battle mechanics are a stellar addition to the formula and it was great to see Mega Evolutions return in such bombastic fashion. It feels like the continuation Pokémon X & Y needed but never got, as it’s always felt like those games never truly got the love, respect and time they deserved.
Little Nightmares 3 feels like a sequel in name alone. As a co-operative experience with either a friend, family member or partner, it’s a good time and should give you sufficient spooks and scares as well as a few laughs here and there. Visually, the game is on point with some gorgeous and intriguing settings, but they lack depth and get moved along too quickly. The story is the biggest drawback though, and if you’re expecting a story on par with the first game’s, look somewhere else.
Ultimately though I think Yooka-Re-Playlee more than proves itself to be the definitive version of the game, and I hope it can find enough success for a sequel. It captures and reinterprets the vibes of old-school platformers well and really is the closest we’ve gotten to a Banjo-Kazooie successor, at least in my opinion.
Ultimately, LEGO Party has a lot going for it. It was never going to be the superior party game, Nintendo and its red plumber have thrown far too many epic shindigs to be overtaken in that regard, but what LEGO Party offers is an alternative with a different aesthetic and overall vibe, as well as one playable on all platforms, not just Nintendo ones.
Dying Light: The Beast is a must-play game if you’re a fan of the series, and gives a hero’s welcome to the protagonist that started it all. The new beast powers are a great addition to your arsenal and make combat more interesting, and the parkour is as fun now as it was all the way back in 2015. The game is only held back by a map with too much open space, and janky parkour that halts your momentum at the worst possible moments.
Despite being dragged down by the combat I was thoroughly invested and on the edge of my seat for the majority of the game, and despite the horrors I witnessed it hasn’t swayed me from seeing every available ending, for the full and complete story.