Featuring an extensive branching storyline delivered by concise yet evocative writing, After The Wane excels at making every decision feel significant, with an unexpected twist that will leave players rethinking everything. It looks beautiful, sounds fantastic and showcases the developers Nova-box at their very best.
While 'Love: Fall In Death' doesn't 'suck', it's not going to go down in the annals of the FMV gaming greats either. It revels in its schlocky comedy, channeling the 1990's classics, but falls short of ever reaching their glorious levels of trashiness.
The series is in desperate need for interesting new modes and innovation which doesn't arrive here, but Let's Sing 2027 is still a competent interactive karaoke and is certain to liven up any party. You'll need to invest in the VIP pass to get the most out of it however, because that's where this title really sings.
Planet Zoo 2 is an enjoyable, beautiful and highly rewarding evolution of the original, placing a much greater emphasis on wildlife conservation through customisable nature reserves. It builds on its predecessor with improved construction and customisation tools, the addition of aquariums and a roster of more than 130 species to home, all brought to life through impressive visuals and realistic animations. However, the increased complexity makes for cumbersome control on console and there's a few bugs that still need to be squashed. Despite these minor frustrations, Planet Zoo 2 delivers a deeply satisfying zoo management experience and a meaningful step forward for the genre.
With this sequel, Auroch haven't reinvented the winning formula from the original game. Instead, they've refined it. It's more. It's bigger. It's better. Boltgun 2 is an 8 hour bullet ballet through a vibrant Warhammer 40K world that you'll want to restart as soon as you've finished it. In my humble opinion, it's one of the best boomer shooters to hit the market in years and is essential for fans of Warhammer 40K. For the Emperor.
If you want a traditional game of Monopoly with Star Wars trappings, then this isn't the game you're looking for. If however you want to play something quite new for virtual board games that uses Monopoly as its basis, introduces a dozen new rules that transform the game and covers it in Star Wars regalia, the force is strong with this one.
A chilled yet rib tickling poker simulator that mashes together 4 iconic characters from various corners of the webosphere, Poker Night At The Inventory is a curio that's worth revisiting for fans of the original release. For everyone else, your milage will vary depending on your affinity to the quips of a violent rabbit and a mini-gun touting meat head.
An atmospheric detective mystery, The Last Case of John Morley is a compact tale with surprisingly high production values for a game of this size. Unfortunately, it undermines itself by telegraphing its twisting narrative and lacks those 'eureka' moments you'd find in other, similar titles. Still, if you're in the mood for a one-and-done 'whodunnit' that you can start and finish in a single sitting, this is still worth your attention.
A whimsical, irreverent and eccentric adventure game centred on musical theatre and improvisation, Once Upon A Jester is a pleasurable game that doesn't outstay its welcome. It might be a bit too simplistic for some, but the light-hearted, fun loving vibe of the game is a refreshing change of pace in a market over-populated by grimdark soulslikes.
Setting a new high bar for interactive storytelling games, Dispatch takes the Telltale formula, refines it and matures it into an essential experience. With world class voice acting bringing a top quality script to life, this game is a surprise GOTY contender.
With slick gun play, considered movement, an addictive risk vs reward game play loop and oodles of style, this is a high quality extraction shooter. It isn't perfect, but with a few patches and a heavily populated roadmap of future content, Arc Raiders has the potential to be the pinnacle of the genre.
While it's impossible to recommend Extremely Powerful Capybaras over any of the giants in the genre, it could act as a competent "my first auto-roguelike-bullet heaven" game. It's light on content and the repetitive nature may grate on some, but the colourful art style and inclusion of co-op are a saving grace, and I could see if added to the rotation for family game night.
An excellent return to form for the series, Battlefield 6 is a military shooter that perfectly balances being 'fun' while basing it in 'reality'. While the campaign narrative lacks real depth, it's an explosive joyride that's ripe for a sequel. It's the multiplayer that will keep players coming back however, setting players loose in an explosive playground and letting them shoot out their own stories of the front lines. This is an easy recommendation, and a strong contender for 'Shooter of the Year 2025'.
Exploring the intrinsic link between creation and destruction, Dreams of Another hints at hidden depth, but fails to deliver it in a clear and understandable way. Repetition and disjointed storytelling undermines the narrative which is otherwise propped up by interesting art direction and a top quality soundtrack.
Refining the formula that has brought it such success, Borderlands 4 is the definitive looter shooter of this generation. Some technical hiccups take the sheen off what is otherwise a very polished experience that delivers poignant story beats, hearty belly laughs and a smorgasbord of slick, violent action. Despite its technical issues, this is the incremental evolution that Borderlands needed and rewards long time players with callbacks we've waited years to see. A true delight.
A brief, pacey and regularly unsettling pastiche of Steamboat Willie, Bad Cheese will unfortunately stop short of sending a shiver down your spine. For fans of teen-horror, it’s still worth a few hours of your time, but its rigid structure and lack of real depth will prevent it from joining the horror classics.
A much improved and expanded second lap for the series, Formula Retro Racing – World Tour is a retro inspired racer that attempts to modernise the Virtual Racing and Outrun formula. It succeeds, to some degree. There’s still unfulfilled potential however, as the game lacks a variety of game play modes and the single player content can be completed in just a few hours.
Far more than just a remake of the 2007 game, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2023) is a character driven deep dive into the psyche of the titular detective and a competent, enjoyable mystery game to boot. It might not be the most accommodating to newcomers to the series, but if you're a fan of the Frogwares Sherlock Holmes titles, this is yet another cracking crime solver.
Some of its endings might leave you feeling a little derezzed, but the branching narrative journey you take to get there makes Tron: Identity an experience worth having. Thought provoking writing and incredible music are coupled with an enjoyable card game in a tale that tackles new frontiers in the world of Tron which will be essential for those the 'fight for the user'.
It ironically has a few bugs, but The Forest Cathedral’s dramatized portrayal of Rachel Carson’s research into pesticides is still one worth your time. Short and succinct, the game blends narrative focused exploration with 2D platforming into a seamless experience. While none of its component elements are particularly earth shattering, the way they are combined makes this game more than the sum of its parts.