Do not buy this game and avoid the extra DLC at all costs.
While there is a lot to like in Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality, this port basically makes it unenjoyable. While it's possible to play this to completion, and the content is all there, it's recommended to play this on a different platform, where there are less compromises.
Giraffe and Annika is not a good game, which is a sad thing, as it feels like there is something missing. It's very rough, and is reminiscent it is one of those Unreal Engine 4 demos made by students. There are some redeeming qualities, like the charming character design, and a unique battle system for bosses, but it's so overshadowed by technical bizarreness and a lack of cohesive feeling that it's simply impossible to recommend to anyone but the biggest fans of Annika's design.
The developers have done their best to offer Queen fans an unmissable experience, but it does mean that if Queen isn't a personal goldmine of song bliss, then it is advisable to steer well clear of this game. It's a serviceable karaoke experience but with the complexity and high notes of Queen this is definitely a hard one to recommend. If Queen are like personal idols, then pick this up without hesitation, otherwise there are more varied and interesting karaoke games out there.
Not the best, not the worst. Its most interesting point is the bizarre world and the way the game approaches the management system. The colour matching battling is a bit too simple, and overbearingly frustrating at times. Despite some downsides, the game has fun moments but is hampered by a lack of focus. It offers a little incentive to play through again with the various factors of the daughter's growing statistics and has some properly endearing characters that help the ride go smoothly. In conclusion, take Ciel Fledge with a pinch of salt, as it's a love it or loathe it kind of deal.
A solid but short VR horror experience, Afterlife VR is a confident and reasonably immersive game. The developer clearly had fun making it but the lack of replayability and shorter runtime stop this from being a full recommendation.
Odd design choices lead to a not so stellar action game with an unfortunately generic, asset-y world design. [i]Valkyrie Elysium[i/] has great moments but is stuck in a mediocre shell that is missing the unique draws of the previous entries in the series. Once the story gets moving it's a good Valkyrie story, but a lack of polish leaves this game floundering instead of standing tall.
An unfortunately thin experience Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, is a fun romp while it lasts, but it lacks any draw to return to it after completion. The multiplayer options are limited, but the online mode is solid and functional. For anyone who loved the remaster in the past, this will feel exactly as it did back then, but missing local play. A decent driving game with some weird changes.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is a fun game to return to, and somehow it feels and plays exactly as everyone remembers, yet doesn't feel any worse than before despite its age. It has the same great loot and explore-heavy gameplay, with hoards of enemies to chop through as well as co-op play. However, it also falls into the same pitfalls, and for a remaster that is unfortunate. It's going to be a lot of fun for those who played it in the past, but new players beware of the rough difficulty and old-fashioned gameplay approach.
Balan WonderWorld deserved to be far more than average, as the final game is a marked improvement over the demo. It's beautiful a lot of the time, character designs are mostly wonderful, the unique ideas that appear in each level are great fun… however the overall execution is simply lacking something important. The repetitive bouts, rough edges, and the sometimes awful physics make this a much harder title to recommend. It is full of bubbly unique charm, and is mostly heart-warmingly fun, but many will be put off by the slow, restrictive design, despite this being designed around it. Hopefully, the game will get some traction.
An interesting world full of cool ideas sadly hampered by its story and gameplay pacing. Encodya will supply a great variety of content and puzzles to baffle and test players of all skill levels, backed by a great story and world that make the game worth the price of admission. If point and click adventures are of interest, then this title should be on a wish list as it presents a unique experience and story that would have benefitted from a little bit more feedback and a patch.
There is a solid game in WarriOrb, which has some well-designed elements and curious story moments. Unfortunately the experience is marred by flawed implementation or design in the core gameplay that makes this feel more frustrating than challenging.
Returning to Croc: Legend of the Gobbos after so many years is a joy. The music and setting are as vibrant and fun to engage with as ever, and the characters that inhabit the islands are just as cute. This remaster is the definitive way to play Croc's first adventure and a worthy contender for best PS5 platformer. Nostalgia plays a hand in this enjoyment, however, so if a platformer with old mechanics sounds like a hard sell, give it a pass. If this is how Argonaut remasters games, it would be amazing to see the developer continue to do so before dropping a potential sequel *wink wink*.
Sniper Elite: Resistance is a good game. It is not pushing new ground for the series except in the multiplayer functionality. What Rebellion has made is a solid title that expands carefully on the concepts of the previous game without rocking the boat. An explosive and gut-exploding dose of sniper fun. If this doesn't explode your testicles, nothing will!
Trepang2 is a very fun and surprisingly accomplished FPS that thrives on its physical and fast-paced action combat. Players who don't mind the simpler aesthetics will find a game that has a certain catharsis that up until now was pretty much only scratched by the original F.E.A.R.. It is more than worth a look and comes recommended on PlayStation 5.
Forza: Motorsport 2023 is both a fantastic racing experience and an example of everything wrong in the genre at the moment. the driving is better than ever and the visual design is fantastic but the soundtrack, lack of local play and the small number of bugs did detract from the overall experience. It's got a ton of amazing content that makes up for the issues, however, so it is a hearty recommendation to all motor nuts.
Shin-Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation - The Endless Seven-Day Journey may be a mouthful to say but the game is a charming little title that is one of the most relaxing times a player can seek. While it won't appeal to everyone with its slow meandering gameplay, those who want to feel like a child on a holiday will find a memorable experience. A great, child and family friendly, experience.
Wanted: Dead is a great action game, it has flashy visuals, violent combat full of blood and dismemberment, and mostly it has a great interesting if unusual story, carried by interesting characters, external influences and sinister plot. The world is built in a cool, refreshing way and the moment-to-moment gameplay is engaging though sometimes simple. It promises something unique, and it delivers something not only unique but recommendable to fans of futuristic worlds and action games.
A fun but obviously niche title that throws players into a deeply ecchi experience that will satisfy fans of the genre, Gal*Gun: Double Peace is excellently made for what it is, and only really falls over when it comes to performance. A thoroughly weird, perverted, but ultimately hilarious game that is going to fit well into people's Switch libraries if they are a fan of this style of content.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is a great Call of Duty entry with absolutely stellar ser pieces, fantastic visuals, and plenty of modes surrounding an excellently fun campaign. The only downsides are the muddied stories… not to mention what is happening in the company that published it. Highly recommended for CoD fans and people looking for a bit of mindless fun set in WW2.