Brad Lang
The Stretchers is a deceptively simple co-op game that manages to be fun for every second of it's brief run time, delivering interesting levels and hilarious chaos as your shout at your partner (or left hand) to just pick up the damn stretcher
Bloodroots is an aesthetically gorgeous, grindhouse inspired action game with a glorious combat system that's unfortunately spoiled by some poorly designed platforming segments that just refuse to gel with the game's core mechanics.
XCOM: Chimera Squad is a thoroughly enjoyable twist on the franchise, bringing some fresh ideas to the fore while still retaining the roots of the original game it draws from. There's certainly fun to be had here if you're able to overlook the occasional bug.
Dark, depressing, and more than a little intense, Inmost is a gorgeous game with a powerful narrative hook that doesn't need to focus on its gameplay to deliver a powerful experience.
Noita is an exciting experiment that grew into a tense, complicated, and altogether satisfying game of self-expression and discovery. It allows players a level of freedom often unseen in rogue-likes at the expense of a clear and distinct visual language, and situations that become difficult to quickly parse.
Despite some boring locales and an over-reliance on the darkness just for the sake of it, Amnesia: Rebirth is an excellent horror game with some fun puzzles, well-written characters, and genuinely terrifying moments.
If you need some optimism and pure joy injected into your life, Pikmin 3: Deluxe Edition is for you. A fantastic remaster that adds a healthy chunk of new content to what was already a bulky game, that improves the overall experience.
Bravely Default 2 is occasionally weighed down by its poor pacing and sometimes sluggish gameplay, but it still offers a sprawling and expansive JRPG that sticks closely to the roots of the genre while offering up a few unique twists.
Push past the convoluted mechanics and daunting start of Trials of Fire to be greeted by a deep and engaging deck-building rogue-like that's meticulously designed, generous with content, and rewarding to play.
Jetstream is a simple, uncomplicated gem of a puzzle game that does well to keep things accessible whilst also missing the opportunity to expand on many of the games more interesting challenges
Pathologic 2 is a punishing, twisted game that is burdened by some intentionally poor mechanics that, while interesting to analyse, detract from the game itself
Despite an upgrade and loot system that's fairly uninspired and slow, Remnant: From the Ashes manages to make a name for itself with some engaging combat, beautiful environmental design and exceptional boss fights
Blair Witch is a creepy, tense expansion on the mythos established by the films and while it does capture the general aesthetic of the movie does stumble in trying to replicate that which made the franchise so well-regarded to this day
Drawkanoid is a unique, creative exploration of brick-breaker games and the mechanics that drive them. It delivers a solidly enjoyable experience but is unfortunately limited in its scope.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is still a great game a decade later, but it's even better now with the addition of modern multiplayer sensibilities, improved visuals, and an expansive single-player campaign.
Cyberpunk 2077 tells a compelling story with an excellent assortment of characters but fails to deliver on the promises of a living, breathing open-world. All of these faults are amplified by a messy user interface, unengaging combat, and shoddy performance across multiple platforms.
Forged in the Barrens is an interesting expansion for Hearthstone that plays it safe while also introducing ideas that could make for some exciting changes in the future.
Refunct is a unique experience that despite the lack of content manages to communicate its themes through simple yet satisfying mechanics
Pillars of Eternity on Switch is the same fantastic CRPG with great writing, strategic combat and interesting lore but unfortunately dips in quality due to some below par performance and a less than handy translation of the game's menus to the Switch's controls
The Sinking City is a great game for fans of Lovecraftian horror and delivers some stellar quest writing but unfortunately stumbles due to overused and uninspired mechanics, a bland protagonist and general lack of life