Mazen Abdallah
You can’t go wrong with giant robots, and Gundam Versus shows us just how fun the buggers can be. It’s a solid arena fighter that can quickly turn chaotic, and it’s great fun for fans of Japanese-style arena action titles. Some parts are repetitive, and there’s a fair bit of grinding, but it’s a pretty underrated fighter.
The Evil Within 2 is a love letter to classic Japanese horror games, with a dose of new blood. It’s almost like a cover album of horror hits, and that cuts both ways – at times it can feel dated and derivative. However, for the most part Evil Within 2 manages to improve all the flaws from the first game and deliver a solid modern action horror title.
Housemarque has delivered another superb shooter with Nex Machina. It’ll have you dashing about, trying to save the humans and mowing down hordes of mechanical monsters. It’s a must for any fan of the genre, and its variety of modes will accommodate casual as well as hardcore fans
Desync can be frustrating at times, but it’s a well-designed shooter that forces you to focus and choose your moves carefully as you battle hordes of neon monsters. Its thumping, bass-heavy soundtrack and neon world make for a very immersive shooter experience, and it’s an easy recommendation for fans of shooters.
With its color-based goo mechanics, Splasher’s platforming turns into a manic mix of climbing, bouncing and dodging. The talent behind this title is evident, and it’s sure to entertain fans of platforming with its fun yet challenging levels.
Katamari Damacy Reroll is a great chance to explore one of gaming’s most revered cult hits. The gameplay might not be all that creative after a while, but it’s still a whacky, whimsical game of colors and shapes and rolling around that definitely merits a playthrough.
Metro: Exodus is a great final chapter for one of gaming’s most underrated series. It definitely feels like it waters down some of the series’ more unique aspects in an attempt to bring the series to a wider audience, but it still has enough of that signature Metro charm to be a challenging yet fun romp through the wasteland.
This version of Resident Evil 2 does what every remake should do; it retains what made the original great while rethinking the aspects that didn’t age as well. The remake gives players a chance to explore an absolute classic that definitely hasn’t aged all that well, and it’s a great nostalgia trip for fans of the series.
Timespinner wears its influences on its sleeve, but it wears them proudly and manages to pay tribute to the 2D RPG Castlevania games and other great metroidvanias. It crafts a unique and often engrossing new world, and by the end, I felt like I had really relived the classics, and not in a bad way.
Gray Dawn takes on the familiar territory of religion and the supernatural, but it does so with a surprising amount of maturity and dedication. The story will have you scratching your head, but its multiple endings each offer some emotional payoff.
Pode is a heartwarming experience about friendship and working together, and it’s best enjoyed with a friend. It can be a little tricky at times, but overall it’s fairly smooth and enjoyable.
Outcast: Second Contact, is a great throwback to a classic title that didn’t get nearly enough attention when it was first released. Unlike other remakes, the game has aged fairly well, and it’s clear that the game’s design was ahead of its time. It’s still got some rough edges, but it’s a great underrated classic, and it’s worth a spin
RUINER is a game for fans of brutal action and mayhem, and it’ll appeal to your inner psycho quite nicely. It’s not really as memorable in terms of storyline, but its thumping soundtrack and vibrant visuals make it a modern classic
While some difficulty spikes make it frustrating, Sundered is a capable action metroidvania that deserves a look simply based on its incredible world. Lots of indie games try and create a bleak, desolate world that you need to sift through the ruins of, but Sundered creates surreal and often disturbing sights with real talent, and it’s a world you won’t soon forget
The Escapists 2 offers gamers a chance to be creative in the way they approach challenges, and in the sequel you have a chance to tackle challenges with friends. It can feel a bit grindy, but that’s very much intentional considering it’s meant to reflect the life of a convict trying to slip out.
Torment: Tides of Numenera lives up to the Torment name by crafting a deep, engrossing quest that takes you into a strange world where you come to grips with fate, life, death and everything in between. It’s got a ton of dialogue to read through but you’ll be turning the figurative pages before long, and the story has some truly jaw-dropping moments. A modern classic.
SUPERHOT VR is a totally new VR experience for the SUPERHOT world, and it’s amazingly well crafted. While the controls on PSVR can be a bit wonky, you’ll surely feel like you’re an action hero pulling off elaborate combos frame by frame. It’s not that long, but it has enough content to make for a really fun VR experience.
Worms W.M.D offers a fresh take on the classic Worms games that manages to update it for the modern age without changing the gameplay that made the series such a hit. It's a great title for fans and newcomers alike.
Lawbreakers has some rough edges and it’s had a bit of a bumpy launch, but under the issues is a really solid arena FPS that has wacky, chaotic, and fun moments. It could use more players and some tweaking, but it has the makings of an FPS classic.
Renowned Explorers: More to Explore! is a game that strategy table-top lovers will certainly enjoy, and its simple mechanics hide a deep, intricate system of progress that pushes you to really think things through. Its light humor and likeable cast of rogues is a great bonus.