There’s a lot of layers to Port Royale 4. Its gameplay is impressively deep, and to truly succeed at it, you need to excel at multitasking and strategising. Like any sim game, it’s not something that just anybody is going to enjoy. But if you are a fan of deep simulation games, there’s a lot to love here.
But Trollhunters lacks the polish and finesse of Shantae. Like the majority of TV or movie tie-in games, it ultimately feels a bit soulless and hollow.
On the whole, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a decent collection. It doesn’t try to impress with extra features or fancy padding; it simply puts three games from the past in a simple collection for old fans to enjoy.
Running around Going Under‘s dungeons is a joy, and you’re never quite sure what will be waiting for you behind a new door. Every time you die, you’ll be keen to jump straight back in and see if you can get just that bit further. It might not be the deepest Rogue-like game out there, but you’ll be hard pushed to find another quite as fun as this.
Whether you’re an avid Marvel fan or simply enjoy sinking numerous hours into action RPGs, there’s a lot to love about Marvel’s Avengers. Its characters and its world have been brought to life with a lot of care and detail, making it a pleasure to spend time with.
Lair of the Clockwork God is funny and one of a kind, but it’s also far from perfect. It’s let down somewhat by its random bugs and lack of polish, but if you can look past them, there’s fun to be had here.
Journey to Batuu is by far one of the most interesting expansions to come to The Sims 4; if you’re a Star Wars fan, it’s worth paying a visit to just for the fantastic atmosphere.
There are very few murder mystery games that give you as much agency as Paradise Killer does. Although it takes a little while to get into the swing of things, when you’re deep in your investigation, coming across key pieces of evidence or catching your suspects out in a lie, you feel unstoppable.
If the gods of random generation line everything up in your favour, Windbound could be a truly captivating adventure. It’s unlikely to happen that way though, and sadly its many frustrations outweigh the beautiful game it could have been.
I’ve no hesitation in saying that Tell Me Why is Dontnod Entertainment’s best game yet.
Can I recommend Jessika, then? Well, no, probably not. It’s a tough game to sit through – and not just in a “it deals with challenging subject matter” sort of way. It’s hard to shake the feeling that you’re having someone’s gross beliefs about their twisted ideology shoved down your throat. Its initial premise had me hooked at first, but the bait-and-switch of subject matter does not make for a pleasant experience.
New Super Lucky’s Tale is a game that probably doesn’t need to exist, all things considered.
There’s a hell of a lot to love about Helheim Hassle. Its world, animation, characters and storytelling are all excellent; in terms of art and sound design there’s a level of polish rarely seen outside of AAA releases. But there’s also a lot that lets it down.
It’s a fun little game while it lasts – but the question is, just how long will it last? There’s no denying it’s one of the most accessible battle royale games out there; even if you’re not a fan of competitive multiplayer, Fall Guys is easy to jump into and get a kick out of. But it’s a kick that is more than likely short-lived.
The Alto Collection is wonderful in its simplicity. It goes to show that games don’t need to be crammed with special features, over-the-top special effects or Hollywood-worthy storylines to be engaging.
Darkestville Castle does a wonderful job at capturing the joy of the classic point-and-click genre.
A platforming game at its heart, Skully is brought to life with beautiful visuals and a unique character system. Its puzzles will, at times, have you scratching your head, and some platforming sections will really test your mettle. In fact, it perhaps verges on being overly frustrating on occasion, but overcoming an obstacle and making it to the next checkpoint is genuinely rewarding. Ultimately, there’s little else like Skully out there, so if you’re a fan of 3D platforming with a smattering of puzzle solving, it likely won’t disappoint.
Fairy Tail is over-the-top, comical and captivating – and it’s one of the most enjoyable JRPGs I’ve sank my teeth into in some time.
A more succinct journey would have been more effective, and some gameplay elements don’t quite pay off, but to say it’s been created by a small team, What Happened deserves to be praised.
All told, Maid of Sker isn’t a terrible game, but it is a disappointing one.