Mothmen 1966 is a welcome first entry to the 'Pixel Pulp' series of interactive retro adventures, telling a quality story about the Leonid Meteor Shower of 1966 and the strange events that surrounded it. Unfortunately the gameplay fails to be anywhere near as interesting, but the package is not without its charm.
Silt feels reminiscent of iconic puzzle adventures like Limbo and INSIDE, but its lack of originality and story see it fail to be as memorable.
Though its narrative isn't cohesive, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the most complete and content packed Lego Star Wars adventure to date, with expanded combat, welcoming accessibility, and great presentation.
Tunic is an isometric action adventure with colorful visuals, fun exploration and well executed combat, though its insistence on lack of player guidance can make for a few frustrating moments.
Sifu's deep combat and ageing mechanics aren't for everyone, but those keen to roll with the kicks and punches will find one of the most satisfying and addictive brawlers of recent times.
Horizon Forbidden West is an absolute treasure that is not only a welcome sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, but also arguably one of the best games to grace the PlayStation 5 thus far – with a solid claim to being the best native PS5 game yet.
Moonglow Bay starts strong with its emotional story and initially solid gameplay loop of fishing and cooking. Unfortunately, bugs and the lack of variety quickly become its downfall, resulting in an experience that grows more bland and frustrating to play the further you progress.
Solar Ash is a visually pleasing adventure that pulls you in quickly with its swift and elegant movement mechanics and a snazzy synth soundtrack. Despite the strong start, the experience begins to lose its grip the longer it goes, with unreliable performance and mundane combat.
Although not without some frustrating moments, Metroid Dread is a great experience, offering up an engrossing journey full of engaging exploration and challenging combat that is proof alone that 2D Metroid is worthy of a renaissance.
In Sound Mind tells an interesting story and provides an intriguing combination of first-person exploration, puzzles and shooting, but it fails to have the impact it could've had due to bland visuals, mediocre combat, and the fact that it's a horror game that isn't very scary.
Twelve Minutes starts off strong and pulls you in with an intriguing premise and interesting gameplay loop but is let down by a poorly executed shock twist, finicky controls, and occasionally obtuse puzzle design.
Cris Tales may not be as feature heavy as the JRPG classics it takes inspiration from, but it oozes whimsical charm with a vibrant anime aesthetic and a likeable cast. The gameplay, while serviceable, may get stale towards the end, but Cris Tales is still a title I'd recommend taking a chance on.
Song of Horror manages to provide atmospheric horror, but its lack of quality characters, unapologetically slow gameplay and heartbreaking save corruption bug make it a game that just isn't worth the time.
Returnal is a brutally tough but satisfying roguelike journey that is buoyed by its addictive combat and myriad of weapons, items and upgrades that ensure the journey doesn't get stale. Its narrative is gripping and unsettling, its visual aesthetic is arresting and despite a high level of difficulty, it's a damn joy to play.
It Takes Two is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging cooperative journey that constantly throws interesting new mechanics and gameplay ideas into the mix. Its narrative shortcomings are disappointing, but the stylish visuals and detailed sound design make for an impressive presentation.
Bravely Default 2 is a decent JRPG cut from the same cloth as its inspirators. The combat is undeniably addictive, but its old-school sensibilities see it occasionally suffer from poor pacing and frustrating periods of grind.
Cyber Shadow is the exciting product of melding memorable NES classics such as Mega Man and Ninja Gaiden. It's difficult and frustrating at times, but the stylish 8-bit look, bopping soundtrack and enjoyable gameplay result in a quality action-platformer.
Super Meat Boy Forever is a sequel not afraid to shake things up, but in doing so it fails to capture much of what made the original so amazing
Hitman 3 does an excellent job of wrapping up the World of Assassination Trilogy, pairing the predictable yet enjoyable narrative with the refined and forever reliable Hitman gameplay
Immortals Fenyx Rising may not do much to push the open-world action adventure genre forward, but it does still ultimately succeed at being yet another competent release cut from the all too familiar Ubisoft cloth.