There's a lot that I wanted to like about Snack World. Lite-dungeon crawling, a deep loot system, colourful visuals, quirky 'meta' humour – all the right ingredients are here for a staple dish in my personal video game cuisine. While it all looked great on the menu, though, what has eventually been plated and served is more like fast food than fine dining. It's still enjoyable, but it hasn't been made with the same love and care and can make you feel a bit uneasy.
Though it follows a very recognisable 'indie adventure' formula, Lost Ember has exactly the right amount of heart and creativity to make it compelling
Calling it a simulator is a stretch, but this relaxed and friendly adventure does a great job at showcasing just how great bees are
A daring and fresh adventure in Hell that excels in the most important areas but just barely misses the mark in others
It might not even be a mansion, but the Last Resort Hotel is the perfect stage to another freakishly fantastic entry into the Other Mario Brother's oddball spinoff franchise
The Outer Worlds is the kind of inspired take on a genre that could only come from a team as passionate and talented as Obsidian. It's not perfect, but it's creative, succinct, compelling and funny in all the right ways. I sincerely hope that this signals the beginning of a new, ongoing franchise because the people and stories of the Halcyon Colony will stick with me for a long time to come.
Though it definitely rises above its movie tie-in status, Monkey King: Hero is Back happily strives for adequacy and nothing more
Concrete Genie is a shining example of what games and studios are capable of when tackling underrepresented issues, and it does so in a way that's vibrant, creative and above all – incredibly fun
A return to the form for the puzzle-platformer series that plays like a dream
While it might not do everything in its power to earn that 'Remastered' title, this port still offers some compelling reasons to replay the best Final Fantasy game of all time
Astral Chains is a tour de force of potent writing, sumptuous presentation and multifaceted gameplay that stands up with the best that PlatinumGames and the genre have to offer
It's a little light on features, but RAD's world still has depth and a wicked-enough core gameplay loop that I can't stop coming back for more
Loneliness is a complex and difficult phenomenon to capture in any media, but Sea of Solitude does a commendable job despite some unfortunate shortcomings
Nintendo ups the ante on its quirky, creative Mario level-crafting toolset by making it even quirkier and more creative and offering a thoroughly entertaining story experience to go along with it
Nitro-Fueled is a competent and attractive retreading of a 90s loungeroom staple but it lacks the staying power of its genre rivals
A well-meaning and reverant 3D action platformer that's undone by middling execution and a remarkably dull introduction
The risk pays off as Sumo take their cult hit racing series in a new direction that looks great, sounds great and plays like a dream
Brief Battles might not take the party game crown, but it'll certainly take the party game undergarments
With pure, uncut puzzle fun and lots of it, the newest and biggest BoxBoy adventure is also the best
Ghost Giant is hard to talk about without spoiling too much of the story or gameplay, but I can say unequivocally that it is magical. It takes great advantage of the VR platform too, with the only real issue being that not everyone has a VR to experience it. This might be my new favourite Zoink game.