A Saints Row game with no ambition, no plot, no variety, and no way of raising the bar. Solid and good for a chuckle or two, but ultimately an empty experience.
Rather clever physics-driven climbing mechanics marred by the game's lack of willingness to actually do anything with them. Still, Grow Home manages to be a cheap, pleasant surprise of exactly the sort we ought to encourage.
Much more than a pretty face, Ori and the Blind Forest is a remarkably solid – if somewhat disappointingly conventional – Metroidvania with a drop of 90s Nintendo magic flowing in its veins.
Painfully unsatisfying for what its ambitions suggest, but a well-crafted boss rush and a solid example of masocore gameplay outside a platforming format nonetheless.
A bit of muck and rust here and there can't hide the truth: Convoy is a ruthless, colourful, and occasionally very satisfying jaunt across a randomly-generated wasteland. A fine roguelike, especially for FTL fans.
It's either going through an identity crisis or in dire need of a chest with a boomerang in it, but for what it's worth, Toren is a strange and beautiful little adventure. Give it a look, but don't expect anything special.
If the words 'cyberpunk stealth immersive sim' make you weak at the knees - and they ought to, really - you'll find Neon Struct to be a fun little tribute to the games that made those words special.
Even if Crypt of the NecroDancer lacked its trademark rhythm-action mechanics, it would still stand out as a cleverly designed, feature-rich, immaculately streamlined take on a classic roguelike formula. As it is, it's extraordinary.
Unambitious game with sloppy design gets given a second chance for some reason, turns out to be even more mediocre in retrospect. More news at eleven.
A stealth game built to satisfy the central tenets of the genre in the most discrete, distilled, trimmed-down way possible. Certainly well-crafted, but simply not that engaging.
Digs up a subgenre that hasn't been touched for nearly two decades, turns it around, and aptly demonstrates what we've all been missing out on: a unique tactical stealth-action experience that's at its best when things go off the rails.
The first game in a very long time to put an honest smile on my face. Smart, silly, and unfailingly creative from beginning to end. It's not much of an RPG, but only because it's too busy accomplishing so much more.
Transformers Devastation is not quite Platinum's A-game material, but it's more than we could've ever possibly expected from a franchise tie-in. A tad anemic and weighed down with extraneous systems, but a damn fine experience nonetheless.
Sublevel Zero breathes new life into the 6DOF genre, but does it with the unfortunate side-effect of crippling insubstantiality. Good for a taste of claustrophobic zero-gravity combat, but without the depth or breadth to follow through.
Turns out that the barriers to entry on this cult classic were a lot bigger than a rough translation and some poorly-aged textures. A perfectly competent re-release of a fascinating, harrowing, and utterly draining experience for those with unshakeable persistence.
Just Cause 3 is a big, messy, slightly-samey sandbox that excels at destructive physics experimentation and not much else. Good for unwinding, but gets old sooner rather than later.
Oxenfree spins a supernatural mystery with some truly brilliant touches, but without especially interesting characters or mechanics, it's little more than a spectre of its true potential.
Exploration through stylish worlds with a dash of subtle, paranoia-inducing surrealism makes this a strong—if somewhat tedious—walk-em-up, but for a game building off the memory of a literary legend, the actual narrative leaves a lot to be desired.
A brilliantly finely-tuned - albeit somewhat malnourished - piece of arcade first-person action for the bunnyhopping, circle-strafing, monstrosity-massacring crowd. Highly recommended.
If you’re in the mood for some light, undemanding puzzle solving soaked in a delicately-constructed atmosphere, The Guest can provide, but sadly it takes a lot more than that to create a rounded, satisfactory experience.