Mick Fraser's Reviews
There are flashes of a great game in Achilles: Legends Untold, which developer Dark Point Games has clearly put a great deal of effort into it.
Whether you played the original or not, The Talos Principle 2 is still a drop dead gorgeous, incredibly challenging puzzle game.
If you're a fan of the universe, Return to Moria is a reason to re-immerse yourself in familiar sights and sounds, but for anyone else it's just another survival game.
Bloody and crass, but also occasionally very human, Robocop: Rogue City is the most faithful adaptation of the movie universe we've ever had.
If you want a CRPG experience that feels a little less complex than many, you could do worse than check out Dark Envoy's colourful fantasy world.
Younger gamers and die-hard fans will find a lot that appeals in Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story.
Dave the Diver on Nintendo Switch is a game that thoroughly deserves your attention, even in an already packed year of classics.
You'll suffer hundreds of deaths in Ghostrunner 2, but every single one is worth it to move you forward step-by-bloody-step.
While it does struggle under the weight of its own ambition a little, Cities: Skylines II is still a super addictive city sim.
Endless Dungeon is a fantastic roguelike with beautiful visuals, a charming cast of heroes, genuine humour, and a comprehensive, well-designed meta-game.
Lords of the Fallen is an enjoyable, challenging game, and the aesthetics are out of this world, but it suffers at times from a lack of focus.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is perfectly serviceable and will certainly scratch an itch for major fans - though it's arguably not a bad entry point for newcomers either.
Station to Station is an enjoyable, likable railway builder with a beautiful art style and a charming soundtrack.
Knight vs Giant: The Broken Excalibur is bright and fun, but drips-feeds new skills and weapons far too slowly.
If its level of challenge is your bag, you'll have a great time with The Lamplighters League. If not, then the easy charm and likable characters might justwin you over anyway.
Regardless of its outward simplicity and colourful art style, Silent Hope is a really fun, rewarding and likable game.
Payday 3 is designed around those emergent moments that only come with friends, when you're trying desperately to stay in control.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a masterclass in how to develop DLC. It slots in and out of the main story seamlessly but still manages to feel utterly essential and compelling.
Summum Aeterna is a decent roguelike adventure with a great aesthetic and superb music, but its gameplay loop and protagonist left me a little cold.
By all accounts Gloomhaven does a solid job of translating what's apparently a very deep and complex TTRPG to video game format.