Capcom has modernised the formula without sanding off its personality, combining deliberate swordplay, grotesque demons, and a rather rollicking adventure marked with dark twists and turns. The end result is a bloody, stylish and surprisingly amusing-in-spots slasher that understands the appeal of cutting through Genma demons with increasing degrees of supernatural bullshit. It’s not trying to be Warlords again. It’s forging its own blade. And after nearly two decades of waiting, I’m more than happy to be storing it up on my katanakake with the older ones.
It’s not The Witcher 3. It doesn’t need to be. Dawnwalker has its own blood type and a unique RPG-ing taste that’s anything but vein-illa. Despite the occasional technical anaemia, there’s enough life in it to suggest Rebel Wolves could eventually sire a truly monstrous series from this.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy doesn’t reinvent the action-adventure genre, and it doesn’t completely preserve the things that made the previous Plague Tale games distinctive. Instead, it takes the series somewhere genuinely new and, for the most part, sticks the landing.
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition sure ain’t the definitive technical version of FromSoftware’s masterpiece. The 30fps target, occasional open-world performance dips and reduced visual fidelity are real compromises, and players with access to stronger hardware will get a cleaner experience elsewhere. But holy Golden Dung, this port works way better than I dared to hope for.
Star Wars Zero Company is an excellent tactical RPG that understands why this genre is addictive. It takes familiar XCOM foundations, removes some of the barriers to entry, adds some clever new mechanics and then gives the whole thing an absurdly attractive Star Wars coat of paint.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2 is a technically ambitious, occasionally messy resurrection of one of Bethesda’s finest RPGs. The 30fps performance and frame-pacing issues stop it from being the definitive version, but the visual overhaul, modernised systems, complete content package and sheer convenience of handheld Cyrodiil make this an excellent way to revisit an old friend.
At this stage, I’m quite impressed. The spectacle is there, the movement is excellent, the team mechanics have genuine potential and the accessibility is considerably better than the intimidating 4v4 structure initially suggests. If Arc System Works can iron out the mechanical quirks and prove that the deeper systems have enough variety to sustain a serious competitive scene, Marvel Tōkon could become something considerably more interesting than another licensed fighter with pretty particle effects.
For newcomers, this is unquestionably the version to play. For returning fans, it’s the replay the original always deserved, complete with meaningful new content rather than the bare minimum expected from a modern re-release
It’s bigger, smarter and more flexible than the original without losing the beautifully stupid charm that made Heave Ho such a co-op classic. If you’ve got pals, offspring or anyone willing to risk your relationship in the name of physics-based nonsense, Heave Ho 2 is an easy rec. Just don’t expect anybody to admit it was their fault when everything inevitably goes spectacularly wrong.
The aged skeleton of Halo hasn’t lost many minerals or calcium after 25 years and I’m going to give Halo Campaign Evolved a big thumbs up.
Nintendo has taken one of its brightest multiplayer franchises and confidently marched it into completely different territory without losing its identity along the way. That’s a remarkably difficult balancing act, yet Splatoon Raiders makes it look effortless for most of its runtime.
No, it isn’t going to replace proper boxing lessons. Nor should it. But as an entertaining way to burn calories at home without paying gym fees, waiting for equipment or being silently judged by Influencer McBiceps, Fitness Boxing 3 lands enough clean hits to keep me coming back
DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations is exactly what a great expansion should be. It doesn’t reinvent the foundation established by the base game. Instead, it strengthens it, expands it and quietly fixes one of its biggest shortcomings by restoring the glorious speed that made DOOM Eternal so addictive in the first place.
It doesn’t feel like Ubisoft trying to improve Black Flag. It feels like Ubisoft finally allowing Black Flag to become the series GOAT it always wanted to be.
Comfortably earns its place as one of the Nintendo Switch 2’s best action games
The core minigame design is as sharp as ever, the multiplayer additions are genuinely transformative for group play, and the soundtrack is as sticky as anything the series has produced.
Star Fox serves as a welcome reminder that elegance never goes out of style
It’s an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys games that demand persistence, precision and just a little bit of stubbornness
007 First Light doesn’t merely earn its licence to kill. It earns its licence to stand alongside Naughty Dog with its kennel full of best action-adventure games of this modern generation.
TT Games didn’t just rebuild Batman here. Along with their last stellar showing, LEGO Skywalker Saga, they’ve slapped down a duplo-sized brick in a larger plan to rebuild my faith in the entire LEGO games formula.