Cam Shea
Okami is one of the finest games to come out of Japan in the last decade, and Okami HD is absolutely the best way to experience this epic adventure. Its re-release is rather timely too, given Japanese game publishers are currently preoccupied with creating games that will appeal in the West. Okami, in contrast, represents a pure, resolutely Japanese vision, and is all the more appealing for it.
A superbly crafted and challenging technical skating game.
A wildly inventive 2D Roguelike with a 30-second gameplay loop that lasts for 20 odd hours.
I greatly enjoyed the two or so hours it took me to play through Pony Island. This is a game that delights in toying with your expectations and in breaking the fourth wall, in revealing its sinister yet playful world, and in building up a compelling antagonist and telling an ambiguous story. Pony Island is about as punk rock as they come.
Unique mechanics, dynamic gameplay and polished presentation make this the collectible card game to beat.
Inertial Drift's innovative racing mechanics take drifting to a whole new level.
Age of Calamity boasts compelling combat, a stack of content and a clever remix of Breath of the Wild's Hyrule.
Rollercoaster-like courses and a wealth of moves make OlliOlli World a huge amount of fun to play, whether you're just cruising or out to become a true skate god.
A vibrant and delightful playground that will surprise you at every turn.
An inspired rhythm-action roguelike powered by an excellent soundtrack. You'll dig it.
Assault Android Cactus is an intense twin-stick shooter that's been polished to within an inch of its life.
SteamWorld Dig 2 retains the original's addictive resource-gathering gameplay, but supplements it with a gorgeously detailed, handcrafted world. Its heady mix of exploration, combat, platforming, and puzzle solving, alongside an expansive set of abilities and mods gives it plenty of variety and a great gameplay rhythm. I wish there was more to do once the campaign ends, but that's a testament to the fact that what is here is just about pitch perfect.
Reroll gives a whole new generation the chance to experience this wonderful Japanese fever dream.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends may not be the most visually appealing CCG, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in modes, mechanics and card design. This is well worth checking out for fans of The Elder Scrolls or digital card games in general. And like all great CCGs, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Expand is a triumph of visual design and scoring that also boasts some clever design ideas.
Dishonored Definitive Edition doesn't live up to its name, but the core game and its DLC are still stylish and fun.
If you like your games with an offbeat sense of humour and plenty of personality, Flipping Death comes recommended. Its central game design hook of flipping between life and death makes for an interesting world to navigate and puzzles to solve, and its characters are so oddball and endearing you'll want to hear every conversation in full, not to mention find out how it all ends.
Marvel Snap packs bold ideas, deep gameplay, a punchy presentation and lots of love for Marvel. Its approach to building a collection and randomness in gameplay won't be for everyone, but it's still well worth playing.
Octodad revels in its brand of absurdist physical comedy, but also tells a touching tale.
It may be a very short diversion, but Donut County is a delight. It's absolutely brimming with personality, has a killer soundtrack and visual aesthetic, and is based on an irresistible gameplay hook. I'd have loved more, but I guess I'll just settle for playing through it again.