House of Ashes does just enough to deliver the basic goods for horror fans, marking a modest step forward for the underwhelming franchise.
It takes itself far too seriously to be appreciable as a self-aware throwback to the campy origins of the FMV subgenre, but is too daft and cheaply produced to actually be taken seriously at all.
Despite its appealing open-world and charmingly oddball characters, Biomutant’s jank-heavy gameplay, short length, and over-familiar grab-bag of RPG tropes make for a frustratingly lukewarm experience.
Before Your Eyes almost loses its intriguing story and sumptuous aesthetic beneath an unpersuasive eye-tracking gimmick that's more irritating than boldly forward-thinking. Mercifully, though, there is the option to ditch the blinking and just play through it with a mouse.
More than anything else, WRC 9 is a tantalising demonstration of the DualSense controller’s potential to elevate well-crafted experiences into truly exceptional ones.
If remaining a fundamentally flawed experience, Observer: System Redux is a gorgeously nutty dive down the sci-fi horror rabbit-hole, and an impressive show-piece for your new hardware of choice.
If made from familiar parts, The Pathless nevertheless delivers the goods as a fast-paced action-adventure romp and a mostly unspoken depiction of the bond between human and animal.
Astro’s Playroom is an outstanding introduction to the PS5’s key features and one you’d be a fool to miss under the pretense it’s simply another tepid, low-effort launch day freebie.
It may not reinvent the (steering) wheel, but Dirt 5 dishes up traditional racing thrills with a deft sense of fun.
The biggest issue with Little Hope is that it doesn’t really function particularly well as a horror experience that gets under the skin, filled with tepid, predictable jump scares and been-there-done-that plotting.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a dizzying, glorious marriage of old and new sensibilities, confirming the series is in safe, even inspired hands. The Bandicoot is back.
If Mafia: Definitive Edition‘s gameplay hasn’t moved far beyond 2002, it’s still a gorgeous, reverent glow-up which should satisfy fans both old and new.
Serious Sam 4 feels frustratingly stuck in the past, using the guise of nostalgia to offer up a sub-par, grossly dated product.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds delivers shallow yet fitfully enjoyable, bite-sized mayhem, even as it feels unmistakably slung together in a hurry.
A bewildering mix of fun and frustrating, BPM’s neat hook belies the fact it’s a hardcore rhythm-FPS-rogue-like sure to infuriate and entertain in near-equal measure.
This is a gorgeous, narcotically addictive remake and a major return to form for the beleaguered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise. From this point on, it’s basically the gold standard template for remaking a sacrosanct gaming classic.
For anyone long-tired of self-serious, ultra-violent Battle Royale games, Fall Guys is an arm-flailingly silly rebuke, and one of the most deliriously entertaining multiplayer games I’ve played in years.
If Naughty Dog’s singular vision won’t please everyone, the end result is at least an astonishing display of technical game-craft and cinematic storytelling. A masterpiece, if certainly one not for all tastes – and perhaps not even for all those who loved the original.
Maneater is a game which knows its limitations and refreshingly gets to the point fast, serving up a streamlined – if unpolished – marine-themed open-world RPG.
The Complex is desperately lacking the narrative meat necessary to support its promising presentation, so only the most ardent FMV game fans need apply.