SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays is an excellent game for fans of the series but could do a better job of onboarding new players.
A beautiful looking Noir visual novel that occasionally fumbles some big issues. It has lofty aims, but a less than flawless execution.
Mary Skelter 2 is a fun game at its core, but it surrounds that with a lot of elements that detract from the experience and make it almost unplayable in public, at home, or anywhere you think your screen could be seen. Fanservice isn't an inherently bad thing, but the characters are all way too young to be used in this way, and it's just not great. The customisation is good, and the combat gets great the further you press on, but it's hard to ignore the random instances of undressed girls sprinkled throughout the game.
Black Future '88 is a stylish, stunningly fast roguelite that has a unique setting and world to mess around in. If you love to get your head smashed in by games, then you'll undoubtedly fall in love with this one, but if you need a bit more than that to commit, then you might not find anything here for you. It's a lot of fun, but it does feel a bit cookie-cutter in some places, and the world of roguelites is very competitive nowadays.
Espire 1: VR Operative is a fun stealth game that suffers from bad AI and a dull story. It's saved by great movement and replayability.
Pokémon Sword and Shield is a positive step in a new direction, but one that is held back by a fear of the Unown. It's still an incredibly fun new adventure, and the Pokémon selection and variety is the best it's ever been. That said, it would be incredible to see the Wild Area become the new norm for the series, but as it stands, many of the new features feel more like spraying your sofa with Febreeze when really you need to buy a new sofa. Sure, it smells and feels new, but it's not, and you should really just commit to moving on from what was normal, and forge a new path into a new sofa. Look, just go with it.
Between sluggish movement and dull puzzles, I think it's enough to say that even Jodie Whittaker can't save this game.
Valfairs is as metal as they come. It's tough, gory, and a lot of fun with an amazing soundtrack. It's just a shame it doesn't tread much new ground.
If you like strategy games, then this is one you'll not want to miss. For everyone else, this could well be the one that casts a spell on you.
An unholy union of anime, Dark Souls, and My Chemical Romance, Code Vein is as much about style as substance. If that sounds good to you, then you're in for a treat, even if it lacks some of the polish of the genre's best.Jason Coles
I've got very mixed feelings about Borderlands 3. Overall I like it and it's fun to play, but it could have been so much more and the writing feels like time traveling back to your high school days and being surprised and a little disappointed at how immature everyone is. Few things in life are as embarrassing as the person you were five years ago. If you're not embarrassed, then I'm sorry to say that you may well be the Borderlands 3 of your friend group; stuck in the past unable to grow or change in any meaningful way, relying on fart jokes as a stand-in for your personality.
Iceborne is as much a roaring success as Monster Hunter World was, and it can receive no higher praise than that. It successfully adds in new layers, monsters, and a beautiful new area, all of which will have players flocking back to the game to experience it all.
Sin Slayers aims to meld two genres together into one tasty soup but instead creates a nasty black goop.
A euphoric, almost religious game, and one that will make you wonder what you've been doing playing other games.
Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada is a fun, unique and genuinely funny game. It manages to keep you entertained throughout its playtime with a mix of solid jokes and excellent gameplay, and unlike so many games that jump from mobile to Switch, it works perfectly on the system. It's a delight and one that you'll find yourself hooked on. Also, down with capitalism and billionaire CEOs.
Gorn is challenging, horrifying, hilarious, and a genuine joy to play. It manages to be brilliant in both short bursts and long sessions, and there are so many little challenges to complete and weapons to master that you'll never really be able to put it down for good.
All in all, Swords of Gargantua is just kind of disappointing. It starts off with such an intriguing and involving cutscene and lore dump, but then never really follows up on it at all. What you end up playing is a very run-of-the-mill wave-based sword fighting game, but one that lacks the same depth as so many other VR titles. It never manages to make good on what it could be, and instead seems happy to stick around as another arena battle game, but one where the combat isn't good enough to carry that. There are just better options out there.
Slay the Spire takes the best parts of roguelites, dungeon crawlers, and card games, and mixes them together into an unholy, but absurdly enjoyable game. It's the kind of game that gets under your skin and uses it like a tent, just camping out and reminding you that you aren't playing it. It's the kind of game that you can jump in for one quick run and suddenly realise that you've been playing for five hours and should really be asleep. It's the kind of game that is easy to play, hard to master, and impossible to put down. What more could you want?
Draugen begins as a fascinating narrative-adventure game set in a gorgeous world. It's a shame that it struggles to maintain its momentum.
Dance of Death: Du Lac and Fey is as awkward to play as it is to say. The interesting concepts can't save it from being a rather disappointing outing for the legendary characters.