The Thing: Remastered is another splendid remaster from Nightdive. There's absolutely no issue with the enhancements, control tweaks, and other work that's been done here; it's the game itself, unfortunately, that for well over half of its running time leaves much to be desired. A good start, one that digs into the paranoia and fear of the classic movie with a handful of unique mechanics, is all too soon wasted as tension gives way to sloppy gunfights that aren't fun, no matter how smooth they now play or nice they look. It's certainly still a curiosity, and fans of the movie or returning players will enjoy the nostalgia. But beyond that, it doesn't warrant a hearty recommendation.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership takes this long-running RPG series to new heights in a high-seas adventure that's packed full of top-notch combat, inventive variety, a positive and thoughtful story, and lots signature comedy from the dynamic duo themselves. This is a big game, packed full of surprises and fun, and the all-new Battle Plug system, alongside lots of flashy specials, a fittingly emotive art-style, and a world that brimming with puzzles and challenges, make for a must-play in our book.
Hatch Tales, as late as it is in arriving, has ended up really surprising us. This is a delightful retro platformer, full of challenge and focus, that gives you a whole bunch of fun ways to play. Even with just the core campaign, with its smart level design and laser-like focus on doing what it's doing very well, we'd have been satisfied, but the addition of retro Chick Wiggle and Mutant Mudds modes, alongside the online creation offerings, make for a very tidy package indeed, thank you very much.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is a fantastic new entry in the franchise that focuses on improving the core mechanics and experience, making for a more involving board game in the process, whilst also polishing everything to a slick sheen. Online aspects and modern stuff like the game's battle pass and collectibles are woven in smoothly, and the various new modes all have their place in a package that also delivers the goods in terms of minigame quality. Jamboree is the best Mario Party to date, so best make sure you've got your invite sorted.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is the team behind the best of the Persona series at the very top of their game. We were a little concerned we were in for a quick reskin of Joker's past glories, if we're being fully honest (we'd probably still have gobbled that up, let's face it), but what we've actually ended up with is a monumental JRPG. This is a coming together of everything that's been learned, honed and perfected over the years, presented through a phenomenal core narrative that's full of emotion and hope, amazing characters, some of the most warped enemy designs we've ever seen, and enough slick combat and style to do us until they make the next one. They better be making the next one already.
Starfield: Shattered Space is a big disappointment in almost every way. We loved the base game, for all its flaws, and we were willing this to be the big, exciting DLC drop that'd make us love it all over again. However, what we've got here is a very average narrative expansion that fails to add any big choices, upgrades, new enemies, biomes, loot or anything that could potentially excite or draw in new players. It's buggy, janky, badly acted in places, and there are a myriad of bugs and performance issues to be ironed out. What a missed opportunity.
The Plucky Squire is a delightful kids adventure with a fun and unique core mechanic that's been realised incredibly well. Jumping in and out of Jot's storybook to explore the "real" world, engage in light puzzles and face off against Humgrump's minions is a constant delight and, even though the game is never as challenging or as devious as we'd have liked, it's got a ton of heart. A must-play for kids, then, and a breezily nice time for any adults playing alongside them.
Blue Manchu delivered the goods with Void Bastards, but this follow-up is a disappointing effort that can't match its predecessor's atmosphere, charm, originality or strategic smarts. Instead, Wild Bastards is a strangely bland affair, melding boring top-down decision-making and dull first-person sections. The game never really picks up the pace or gives you anything surprising to work with. In a genre packed full of bangers, this one is pretty difficult to recommend on any level.
Shogun Showdown is an instant indie essential. A perfect little core of left-to-right puzzle-styled violence that plays like a sort of bloody rhythm game, and it makes for an endlessly addictive experience that's easy to pick up and lose hours to. There's enough progression in skills to keep it interesting over the long haul, and plenty of mixing and matching in your attack and special cards to ensure no two battles are ever the same. This is must-play stuff.
Emio - The Smiling Man has been hyped up a little too much in terms of how dark in tone the whole thing is. This is still silly, kooky stuff, just like its predecessors. The sometimes frustrating core mechanics also haven't seen any refinement this time around, which is a shame. And so it's left to some top-notch writing to save the day, which it just about does. Once this troubling and intriguing story has its hooks in you (remember there are three demos to try if you're unsure), it's hard to put down. And that, at the end of the day, is all Tantei Club fans will be looking for.
SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is a very average arcade fighter, a game that wasn't great over 20 years ago, and still isn't now. For retro-fighter enthusiasts, there's some interesting aspects to this port in the form of an online mode and the fact the whole thing looks and sounds so great. However, with a very low player count in its lobbies, and nothing more besides a gallery and practice mode by way of extras, this is a very hard experience to recommend to anyone outside of history buffs.
EA Sports College Football 25 makes up for some wonky menus and a lack of tentpole modes by bringing the good stuff where it matters. The gridiron action here is fast and snappy, offense feels fantastically responsive, and defensive plays are easier to read and consider thanks to a combination of clear layouts and more time and space on the ball. It looks great, sounds great, plays great and has thusly become our (American) football game of choice going forward. Madden 25, it's over to you.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition doesn't make a great first impression. It's a downgrade in many ways to NES Remix and there's not as much variety or effort put into the challenges, nor any graphical tweaks to speak of this time around. However, stick with it, get into the competitive mindset, and start collecting up all the pins, icons, and top-ranked times on offer, and you may find yourself fully entertained. It's a slight thing, purely speed-focused, but we expect that'll suit plenty of folk who want a competitive outlet to display their old-school skills. And hey, it also doubles as a handy history of some iconic Nintendo gaming moments and mechanics.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a unique strategy experience that draws from traditional Japanese culture to give us an incredibly detailed world to work through, one bite-sized level at a time. The strategy here is tight, the animations and combat look and feel great, and the dancing, music and base-building ensure that there's always something to do in the downtime between Seethe-destroying sorties. Capcom are still on that hot streak, and we are here for it.
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is Luigi's Mansion 2 with a fancy HD lick of paint. Surprise! It looks great, and the new models, animations, and revamped visuals make for a game that's close to the glorious Luigi's Mansion 3 in how modern and swish it all is. It also controls much nicer thanks to the second stick on the Switch. It's just a shame we haven't got any added extras, then, any new means to save mid-mission, added content, or bonuses. This is 100% the best way to play the game as of 2024, there's no doubt, but it would have been nice to get something a little extra, especially given the price point. Maybe we'll get a Deluxe edition someday.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the best-looking video game we've ever played. It sounds incredible, Melina Juergens acts herself inside out, and on a purely technical level this is just next-level stuff all round. However, we still don't feel as though extending Senua's plight into a Saga is a good idea. We remain unconvinced, and it's because this sequel feels like diminishing returns, as we had worried it might. It's not as vital or as unique in 2024, and it goes for bombast as a means of smoothing things over, resulting in a good game, an interesting eight hour romp, but nothing that screams must-play. Weak combat and dull puzzles are just more salt in these wounds, unfortunately.
Endless Ocean: Luminous attempts to revive a niche Wii franchise as an online exploration experience, and fails miserably in the process. In comparison to the likes of Subnautica, this is an empty, cold, and boring ocean space to explore, devoid of any real reason to play beyond its generally relaxing ambiance and the opportunity to learn some facts about underwater animals. Even taken on those terms, it's weak, its online play is basic and bland, and its story does little to engage beyond teaching you the ropes. It didn't need to be this boring, but it is.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a solid debut for Surgent Studios and a genuinely heartfelt and moving piece of art to boot. We love its focus on narrative aspects, and the obvious time and effort that's been put into its characters and dialogue. For anyone who's had to go through the pain of losing a family member there's a genuinely emotional and uplifting adventure to undertake here, regardless of some slight clunkiness along the way.
Grounded is a fantastic survival game, a colourful, unique, and original slice of joyful adventuring that everyone should play if they have the opportunity. It nails the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids vibe, its core gameplay loops are moreish, and its setting and enemies are often breathtaking in how they reframe the mundane. However, and as usual for these big efforts on Switch, this port has plenty of issues. They've had to tank the visuals, the all-important online co-op is flaky, the frame rate is fine until you start going big on bases - just all the stuff we've come to expect at this stage, really. If you can handle the issues, or if Switch is your only way to play, this game can still deliver the goods and the quality shines through. However, if you have another way to play it, we'd definitely recommend you do that instead.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a slick and satisfying spiritual successor that gives Suikoden fans a great big dreamy treat whilst updating, modernising and streamlining its most retro aspects into a brand-new and exciting adventure for newcomers. With a timely tale to tell, excellent battle systems, an amazing cast of characters and plenty of experimentation and puzzling in its dungeons, this is a big win for Game Pass, and a fine farewell for one of the industry's true greats. Now, isn't that a lovely thing.