Tristan Ogilvie
A short but sweet slice of propulsive platforming action, Pepper Grinder is all driller and no filler.
It’s not without its memorable moments, but Alone in the Dark fails to escape the shadows of the other contemporary survival horror titans that it helped spawn.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong might not be as polished as a Mini-Mario toy fresh off the assembly line, but it's just as full of charm and fun to play with.
Sprawling, enthralling, and packed with dynamic brawling, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth isn’t just the best turn-based Like a Dragon game, it’s one of the greatest games in the entire series.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora features a stunning alien world to explore, but doesn’t contain as many genuine surprises as other modern open-worlds.
Flashback 2 is not a blast from the past – it’s a total misfire.
Like a Dragon Gaiden’s combat hits with flash and fury and its story is sharp, but its setting and side activities feel a bit on the stale side.
Alan Wake II is a superb survival-horror sequel that makes the cult-classic original seem like little more than a rough first draft by comparison.
Cricket 24 is a disappointingly modest and often slipshod update that seemingly lacks the confidence or creativity to advance further down the wicket.
Moving Out 2 is a colourful and chaotic co-op sequel that tasks you with bending at the knees while consistently splitting your sides.
If you’re after a frictionless, family-friendly platforming adventure that’s heavy on charm and light on challenge, then Disney Illusion Island fits the bill better than a muzzle on Donald Duck.
Spellbindingly surreal and stimulating to the end, Viewfinder is the freakiest form of photo mode in which every snap is a happy one.
Layers of Fear is an atmospheric tour through the shattered psyches of some seriously tortured artists, but predictable shock tactics fail to provide more than a handful of genuine scares, let alone layers of them.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a disappointingly uneven Metroidvania that’s just as likely to engage as it is to enrage.
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened could have been an intriguing clash of Cluedo/Clue with Cthulu, but instead it’s just a case of squandered potential.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is the series' most relentlessly exciting adventure rebuilt, refined, and realised to the full extent of its enormous potential.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is an enjoyable and interesting spin-off from the Yakuza series, but not an essential one.
Dead Space is a superb remake and undoubtedly the definitive way to experience one of the best survival horror shooters that Capcom never made.
The Callisto Protocol is a satisfyingly gory spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, but it’s ultimately more of a striking modern mimic than a scary new mutation.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me’s tour through a maniac’s mansion is disappointingly lacking in any real menace or surprise.