Memories in Orbit delivers outstanding atmosphere and exploration, held back slightly by combat that never quite evolves.
Kejora’s gorgeous art can’t mask a clunky, buggy core that feels undercooked and frustrating far more often than it is enjoyable.
Pathologic 3 is a deliberately abrasive survival experience that blends detective work, time management, and psychological pressure into something uniquely unsettling. It’s rough around the edges and often frustrating by design, but for players willing to engage with its systems on their own terms, it offers a bleak, rewarding experience few games dare attempt.
StarRupture shows genuine promise, but its Early Access release struggles with sparse world design, limited enemy variety, and missing quality-of-life features.
Total Chaos transforms its Doom-mod roots into a full standalone survival-horror adventure, sending players into the nightmare island of Fort Oasis. With brutal combat, heavy resource management, and dense, labyrinthine levels, it delivers a harsh but rewarding descent into madness.
At £30 on Steam, the asking price is frankly absurd. You’re getting one repetitive mechanic, no real innovation, and a loop that runs out of steam (no pun intended) within an hour. Dreams of Another could have been an intriguing little experiment, but it’s a one-trick pony that never justifies its cost or concept.
Hades II is a stunning roguelike package. The game takes everything that worked in Hades and dials it up to eleven. Even after dozens of hours, it continues to surprise and delight in equal measure. This is a thrilling, endlessly replayable sequel that cements Supergiant’s reputation as one of the best studios in the industry, delivering one of 2025’s defining games.
When the dust settles, it’s hard not to come away from Little Nightmares 3 disappointed. Its brief 3–5 hour runtime offers little more than recycled ideas and formulaic scares. There’s no spark of innovation here, just a pale imitation wearing the nightmarish skin of what came before, destined to fade from memory almost as soon as the credits roll.
Death on the Nile is a fun mystery with satisfying puzzles and a rewarding investigative loop. But Jane’s bolted-on subplot, stiff visuals, and frustrating bugs keep Poirot from truly stealing the show.
Yes, this is a challenging game, and the Rosary Bead currency is in desperate need of refinement, but this is still an absolute joy to play through. Platforming is tightly designed, combat is both crunching and punishing, and the story beautifully told across this 15–20 hour adventure. Silksong is a game that not only meets expectations but often surpasses them. It’s haunting, challenging, and expertly crafted — a journey that lingers long after the credits roll. Minor flaws aside, this is one of 2025’s standout releases, and a game that firmly cements Team Cherry as masters of the genre.
Despite a few glimmers of brilliance, Cronos: The New Dawn ends up so aggressively mediocre on so many levels that it’s hard not to feel disappointed by what could have been.
Hell is Us isn’t perfect, but it’s a highly enjoyable experience. While the story and characters don’t quite hit the mark, its rich mythology, striking world design, and varied combat make it easy to recommend. It’s not a Souls-like, but this adventure packs plenty of soul.
Wait for a heavy discount on this one and temper your expectations; The Old Country is an old dog with no new tricks.
Given the small team behind this project, there’s a clear enthusiasm and love for survival horror that shines through in blood-soaked glory. While it is a bit rough around the edges, and is certainly not without its issues – difficulty and level balancing notwithstanding – Heartworm is a decent ride while it lasts
If you’re a sucker for Souls-like games, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers will likely fit like a well-worn glove, even if it does have some holes. The innovations are more like slight tweaks than game changers, but outside of the beautiful world and gorgeous vistas, the magic-centric, dodge-heavy combat is going to be very hit or miss for people.
Revenge of the Savage Planet is a worthy sequel — quirky, packed with content, and often a joy to explore. The colourful worlds and clever metroidvania level design are its biggest strengths, rewarding curiosity with satisfying upgrades and platforming challenges. Unfortunately, a frustrating stamina system and underwhelming combat hold it back from reaching its full potential.
At a budget price point, it’s easy to forgive the rough edges, especially if you’re craving that old-school feeling of dread and discovery. If you can tolerate some frustrating boss fights and uneven polish, there’s a lot to admire here — and Red Soul Games are absolutely a team to watch for the future.
Fast, high-octane action and an addictively moreish premise; Haste is an experiment that really shouldn’t work but absolutely does. It’s certainly not perfect, but what’s here makes this one of 2025’s best arcade games so far.
Despite a few wobbles, The First Berserker: Khazan is a lovely surprise. It's certainly not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it a perfect Souls-like. It has some issues with boss HP and a couple of level design flaws but cleverly creative inclusions like an Easy Mode (although it's more of a "Not quite so difficult" Mode), bonus Lacrima from failed boss attempts and a lot of variety to skills and build-types makes this a very solid Souls-like. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's the best on the market since Lies of P. This one's a very easy recommendation.
Atomfall is a decent little RPG but it also sports some glaring flaws within its gameplay loop, holding it back from being a fantastic game. The combat and stealth are poor, wildly unbalanced and feature some laughably bad AI. However, the narrative, writing and rewarding open world exploration are really solid, going a long way to balance that scale out. So ultimately, it’s a bit of a mixed bag and a difficult one to score, especially as this is a game you’ll either love or loathe.