Henry Stockdale
Tennis World Tour 2 gets a next-gen upgrade, and it makes for a decent tennis sim.
While King of Seas is a slow-burning pirate adventure with some finicky combat, it ultimately makes for a fine journey across the Seven Seas.
Rainbow Six Extraction is a uniquely enjoyable entry in Team Rainbow’s history, though the significant crossover with its predecessor makes me feel like Ubisoft could’ve opted for a Siege expansion instead. It's not a huge problem for Ubisoft+ or Game Pass subscribers, sure, but it's a steeper ask for everyone else.
If you’re a newcomer or an existing Gen 4 fan, you’ll still have plenty of fun with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. There are noticeable quality-of-life improvements, the Grand Underground is enjoyable, battling against friends is always a joy and there remains an entertaining story. Personally, I just think there’s room for improvement.
Frontier's annual management sim offers some small refinements over its predecessor but a lack of major upgrades means it doesn't snatch pole.
Persona 5 Tactica marks a welcome return for the Phantom Thieves, delivering a fun strategy spin-off with plenty of heart.
There are several issues though and its biggest one regards movement, which offers three options: teleportation, swinging the PlayStation Move controller, or a smooth option reliant on button pressing. None of them click perfectly and adding to this, character models look a bit rough. If you can get past these flaws, Onslaught is ultimately enjoyable, bringing good combat and rebuilding Alexandria is quite fun. If you’re a fan of the TV series, this is worth a look.
Co-op is where Can’t Drive This truly shines. Bringing some frantic entertainment, cross-generation multiplayer, and adaptive feedback for acceleration – the only major PS5 upgrade — we just wish there was more to it. It’s also incredibly bare, and there isn’t huge variation between these modes. Unlocking new customisation options isn’t enough to keep you coming back, and though you’ll have a fun time with friends, you won’t be here for a long time.
Bake 'n Switch makes for a fun experience overall but it's hard to deny that certain elements feel bare. With a minimal PvP mode, no single-player option (at launch, anyway) and issues with online progression, it does feel rushed upon delivery but there's still plenty of content to keep players busy. If you can assemble a team of friends, have a younger family to entertain or just want a new multiplayer experience, there's enjoyment to be found here – but it's a cautious recommendation.
Despite a well-executed premise and pleasing blocky visual aesthetic, Unrailed is ultimately a short-lived game. It tries to promote replayability with an inbuilt achievement system, leaderboards and different modes, but this doesn’t disguise a lack of depth to the core gameplay. It’s still an enjoyable experience though and whilst solo play won’t hold you for too long, if you can gather a group of friends to join, this is one co-op game worth looking into.
Double Pug Switch might be frustrating at times but there’s still an enjoyable experience here. Bringing us fun but basic gameplay, it introduces one of gaming’s more adorable protagonists in a light-hearted adventure, though it won’t offer platforming fans anything particularly ground-breaking. With its lower price point, there isn’t much risk here if you're a fan of runners and, as such, it comes with a cautious recommendation.
Kirby Fighters 2 is a kid-friendly fighting game that holds rather limited appeal.
If you’re seeking a JRPG with a more horrifying aesthetic, you’ll have fun if you can look past those flaws. Shin Megami Tensei fans will probably enjoy what’s offered but otherwise, I can only truly recommend this to the JRPG faithful.
You can see Cyanide Studios had good ideas for Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood, so it is a shame to see that potential wasted. Tearing through enemies is undeniably satisfying and Earthblood's stealth mechanics feel rewarding but with poor visuals, a short campaign, and disappointing story, you can't ignore these pressing flaws. Cyanide has faithfully integrated Werewolf's lore here – even if that is a little bare – so tabletop series fans will likely enjoy it, but anyone else would best approach with caution.
Georifters has good ideas on paper but ultimately, it all feels rather tedious. If you're searching for new kid-friendly multiplayer games, there are better experiences available and at a lower cost, making this hard to recommend by comparison. Should those options already be exhausted, Georifters does have some fun moments within its Adventure Mode co-op while the Battle Arena mode offers competitive fun. But ultimately, those seeking a new puzzle-platforming fix would be better off looking elsewhere.
An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs is Strange Scaffold's latest bizarre outing and offers an incredibly funny adventure let down by constant fetch quests.
Edge of Eternity offers a throwback to 90's JRPGs, though it doesn't nail the landing it seeks.
Each level is also beatable within 5 minutes, meaning you could finish the story in just over an hour, though considering the extremely low price point, that’s more forgivable. Ultimately though, whilst the N64-era aesthetic will appeal to some, Macbat 64 just isn’t worth your time. Diploducus Games seem to be relying on little more than nostalgia as it’s selling point, but when it utterly fails to deliver on gameplay, we can’t recommend this to even the most die-hard platforming fans.
I'll likely be playing Three Hopes for a long time to come - I've already begun my Black Eagles New Game+ run - and when I previously said this isn't just Dynasty Warriors with a Fire Emblem skin, I meant it. Three Hopes is genuinely impressive. It walks a fine line between freshness for existing fans and approachability for new players, and personally it's had me invested from the start. I'd love to see where Nintendo's musou spinoff concept goes next.
Characterful fighters, a good skill ceiling, and a co-op emphasis with real depth makes Warner Bros. MultiVersus a very pleasant surprise.