Intelligent puzzle design, striking visuals and a soundtrack straight out of late 90s raves make for one of the most interesting titles I've experienced so far this year, even if it is occasionally marred by difficult and frustrating puzzle design.
Where most games excel in one single area, God of War manages to deliver on every front, providing players with one of the best experiences we've seen so far this generation.
Wizard of Legend is a welcome addition to the library of procedurally generated roguelikes, offering players a challenging arena-based dungeon crawler with unforgiving combat and a vast number of abilities to choose from. Occasional performance niggles can ruin the experience, but they are few and far between.
With only a few small niggles to complain about, Yoku's Island Express successfully merges pinball and platforming without ever making the former feel like a gimmick. Its beautiful presentation and fun, engaging exploration blend together to create a truly unique experience.
The city of Kamurocho is packed with interesting characters, fun activities and a number of excellent diversions, all backed up by a solid narrative that throws up as many surprises as it does heartwarming moments.
feel like there's a lot of potential to be found in GARAGE: Bad Trip, but the poor controls and lacklustre sound design spoil an aesthetically interesting game.
Tetris Effect combines the simplicity of Tetris with an evocative and awe-inspiring mixture of music and visuals to create an experience unlike any other.
Zarvot is a unique experience that's right at home on the Nintendo Switch. It's commitment to manic, arcade shooting is one of its biggest strengths, but this unfortunately highlights the game's weaker elements, namely the platforming. The narrative is ultimately the stand out feature here, as the nuanced character writing highlights the surprisingly profound overarching narrative in a way that keeps players engaged.
Darksiders III, while more limited in scope than its predecessor, provides a tighter, more deliberate experience that elaborates on the lore we've seen so far. The smaller world of Darksiders 3 may disappoint some fans of the previous game, but this feels like a reboot of the series. Poor PC performance, a lack of side-objectives and some unimaginative world-design point to a game with ambitions bigger than its budget, but Darksiders II is a fun and challenging experience that kept me engaged across the length of its story.
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is an exceptional take on the tactical RPG and the addition of a stealth system certainly sets it apart from the crowd. Both genres blend together in a way that's satisfying, challenging and well designed, while an engaging and well-written narrative drives the player forward. The difficulty might be an issue for those new to the genre, but for those seasoned in turn-based tactics, this is an absolute must buy.
Guacamelee! 2 is a worthy sequel
Kingdom Two Crowns feels more like an extensive update than a new entry to the series, but the base game is still so immensely enjoyable that it doesn't really matter. This is the perfect starting point for new players, and those who are returning might still be surprised by some of the secrets to be found.
Vane is a strange game. Its art direction and visual design frame a grandiose, otherworldly affair, but its puzzle design and narrative squash those expectations, ultimately providing a frustrating experience with fragments of its original vision.
For the flaws that it has, Fade to Silence is an ambitious game that provides a unique experience in a crowded genre. The world is stark, cold and unwelcoming, and there's a discomposing atmosphere that always puts you on edge. Fade to Silence isn't for everyone, but for those who want to experience a harsh, unforgiving world, this is just the ticket - just don't rush into permadeath mode right away.
Akane is a game that does one thing and does it exceptionally well; its biggest flaw is that there simply isn't enough of it. Give me more damn it!
To say Trover Saves the Universe is a good VR game would be an understatement. It perfectly blends over-the-top comedy and solid combat while making the most of the VR technology at hand by dragging players into the world and making them centre of the story. Its brand of comedy will not be to everyone's liking, but I still think Trover Saves the Universe stands on its own as one of the best VR games released to date.
At its core, Outer Wilds is a game about exploration, knowledge and experimentation. It's the sum of all those parts and more, perfectly blending them together to create one of the most fascinating games of this generation. Outer Wilds proves a micro - as opposed to a macro - take on space exploration works just as well, if not better.
Wreckfest is a surprising triumph in blending the best that sim and arcade racers have to offer in an explosive and visually gratifying package. A few visual issues and overly aggressive AI do little to spoil one of the best driving games of 2019.
A lot of love and time has gone into Children of Morta, and the level of polish and complexity across its narrative and gameplay make it one of the most interesting roguelites to date. The difficulty curve and relative brevity of its story may put some off, but Children of Morta is a beautifully crafted, polished roguelite that deserves your attention.
Cat Quest 2 is a fun and simple experience that's designed to be enjoyed on the settee with friends and family. It's not as complex or vast as some of action RPG titles, but it's one that is enjoyable from start to finish.