A brilliant combination of rhythmic motions and a deep action-packed battle system make for a compelling adventure. Hi-Fi Rush is only let down by its writing and character development, or lack thereof.
Fire Emblem Engage is sadly a missed opportunity to tie together a new cast of characters with the heroes of old.
Some elements of Crisis Core shine, while others are left in the past
Vile Monarch's post-apocalyptic city-builder puts its people first to great success but walks a fine line between providing too much or too little to do.
There's excellence in Splatoon 3 – it just doesn't quite hold for the campaign.
Gwent: Rogue Mage is a great evolution of an already-satisfying foundation. The roguelike trappings of travelling across an ever-changing board full of shifting events and encounters meld wonderfully into the action of Gwent battles. Some redundant events and bothersome bugs aside, this is a real treat.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes rides a great hybrid battle system while barely slowing down for its beloved characters
Floppy Knights, with its caring protagonist and welcoming style, is a really enjoyable tactical card game that offers more the longer you spend with it. It's a joy to experience.
Salt and Sacrifice is a riff on what came before, but not an entirely successful one. A tense, fraught combat system with gallons of customisation options carries Ska Studios’ sequel, and boss fights are entertaining if overly tough at times, but the storytelling and narrative designs of Salt and Sanctuary can’t hold up their end of the bargain.
While its leading pair and open world design stumble at times, Ghostwire’s wonderfully weird side stories and engrossing combat, more than pick up any slack and work in harmony with the game's more zany and offbeat elements to create a world that hasn't just got looks, but one hell of a spirit, too.
Triangle Strategy is a great strategic battler, meshed with devilish politicking and weighty decisions. It's just a shame the cast of characters never gets a chance to shine just as bright.
Deflector is a pretty hectic early access action game that's got its risk to reward ratio a bit off balance. It's also pretty buggy right now.
Whether you're a newcomer or someone steeped in the history of the Neo Geo classic, Windjammers 2 is arcade action in simple and enthralling form, beckoning you in with a low skill barrier, dazzling art style, and an eclectic mix of characters.
Endwalker rounds out a decade of swirling story developments and character arcs with a triumphant finale, ensuring Final Fantasy 14's legacy as one of the best MMOs ever made.
Shin Megami Tensei 5’s combat is great, punishing and rewarding in equal measure without ever tipping the scales too far in one direction. Mixing and matching your deck of demons makes for great fun as well, and spurs you to look to all corners of the ruined world for allies of all shapes and sizes. It’s everything outside of the battling and grungy soundtrack where Shin Megami Tensei 5 badly misses the mark, with one-note characters that you’re never given the chance to better know, and a paper-thin plot that feels dragged out over dozens of hours. Shin Megami Tensei 5 is a good RPG battler, but it’s not good at much else.
Although the playable roster of The Hinokami Chronicles is feeling the lack of demons right now, there's a lot to enjoy from the characters who are there. This 3D fighter delivers on the promise of a power fantasy of Gotouge's manga epic.
Lost Judgment is more of the same, with better detective work, great side cases, and fast-flowing combat.
There are missteps and a few bumps along the way, but this soft reboot of a long-running series emerges a triumph.
A brilliant battle system is let down somewhat by the largely underwhelming side stories and meandering companions of Scarlet Nexus.
Monster Hunter Rise is a great adventure, providing fascinating new tools like the Wirebug and walking a fine line between arcade and fast-paced HD gameplay. The Rampages are a neat new addition when used sparingly, but a reliance on online hunts to finish Rise's story is a puzzling step.