A.I.L.A is a game of two halves. The first promises an intriguing and mind-bending narrative with gameplay experiences pulling from various inspirations for an exciting, evolving horror experience. The second unfortunately drops much of what makes the game feel unique and special, with a dampened finale and some overly drawn out, familiar experiences. Despite this, it still shines with the glow of an enigmatic A.I machine ready to take the world by storm, even with some technical hiccups.
Sprinkling tower defence strategising on top of an addicting roguelike bullet-hell proves a stroke of genius for Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road. Fantastic persistent and in-game upgrades that keep the gameplay fresh, a vibrant and playful art style and excellent bullet hell mechanics make this an absolute blast, especially on Steam Deck. While it does struggle with some repetition in environments and a grinding bottleneck, it'll be hard not to spot this entertaining monster coming over the hill.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl ventures into the uncharted territory of the PS5 in a much better technical state, though the odd bug is still common. Boasting a huge apocalyptic landscape to explore, impressively long main story and some great gunplay, its destructive charm is easily noticeable. Sadly, it feels caught between two parallel genres and is unable to commit to either, suffering from tedious survival mechanics and superfluous decision making. The mysteries of the Zone pale in comparison to the mystery of what could have been if it had had a unified vision.
Boasting an impressive commitment to a versatile sandbox of hack-and-slash and retro FPS action, Rebel Engine has the fundamentals for a fast-paced and exhilarating time with vibrant visuals. It breaks at the seams thanks to cumbersome controls, a flat story and lack of punch in feedback to the action, but stylish hunting thrill seekers should find something worth blasting through.
Anomaly hunting in the style of Cabin In The Woods sounds like a great premise on paper, but The Cabin Factory falls foul of malfunction thanks to overly repetitive and bland gameplay, with too small an environment to maintain any form of tension. It does attempt some semblance of a story and it may do well as a quick experience for streamers, but there's little else beyond that to recommend it above established cult classics like Exit 8.
This desert revenge adventure loses its way in the heat and the bloodlust. Whiplash inducing story inconsistencies, mind-numbing combat and stealth, alongside a complete lack of real exploration cause Blood of Mehran to suffer a fate worse than death - exile into a barren and unending trial of tedium. At least the landmarks are nice.
Though troubled and caught up in transition from expansion to a fully fledged game, Dying Light: The Beast still excels in the core fundamentals of combat and parkour. The story is forgettable, while the lack of night-time scenarios feels disappointing, but The Beast will give Dying Light fans more of what they most desire: decimating infected crowds and dashing across skylines with reckless abandon.
The seemingly strong foundations of Arctic Awakening's opening give way like an icy lake with one too many cracks. Where the narrative struggles with inconsistent performances and an underwhelming concluding chapter, the music and visuals elevate and lift the experience far beyond its basic walking simulator beats. Even if you may take a freezing bath or two along the way, I'd still recommend daring the trip across the Arctic for the sights and sounds alone.
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle: The Order of Giants delivers more of what the base game so excelled at, albeit in a trimmed down fashion. The puzzles and tombs in this DLC deliver some of the best you'll find, but the new location being so sewer-orientated is a let down. Pulled up by the scruff of the neck by some fun storytelling and more excellent gameplay, this expansion does just enough to make you want to don the famous explorer's hat once more.
In attempting to modernise and streamline the formula, Killing Floor 3 delivers a decent but disappointing follow-up to a niche classic. The changes to Perks, weapon variety and introduction of the social hub do little to uplift the core mechanics, and even hinder the best of what Killing Floor 2 delivered. The music and MEAT system deliver the thrills alongside solid gunplay and wave-based survival, but this sequel struggles to build a menacing legacy that can stand alongside the previous iteration.
Mafia: The Old Country strips back much of what weighed Hanger 13's previous entry down. While the story and gameplay rely solely on solid and well-trodden tropes in a much more linear design, the intense focus on great characters and a gorgeous Sicilian setting make this a leaner experience that's worth the lower price of admission. This Mafioso family has a long way to go to re-establish its place at the head of the table, but the beginnings of its criminal enterprise are promising.
Dripping in Lovecraftian and Papers, Please! inspiration, Static Dread: The Lighthouse forgoes the generic focus on monster shooting, instead drawing you in and challenging your sense of reality with difficult moral decisions, stress-inducing gameplay and an unsettling, ever-deteriorating environment. Few games capture the essence of H.P Lovecraft's particular blend of madness from unknowable knowledge, but this Old Great One does.
Spy Drops desperately wants to be an authentic homage to the original Metal Gear Solid, but fails in almost every aspect. Riddled with issues, from the camera, to the AI, to the level-breaking glitches, there's simply little redeeming quality to this low-effort copy. Just do another re-run with Solid Snake himself and save yourself the pain of this.
Few games can compare to the unsparing and ferocious intensity that permeates through every part of Ready or Not's gameplay or presentation. The more controversial themes and imagery will likely be as stomach churning for some as the often times inconsistent AI and multiplayer experiences. Yet I still found myself returning to duty to bring order to the chaos. Ready or Not is a tough and unforgiving game, but one that's simultaneously rewarding and stressfully evoking.
Powerhoof deliver one of the most engaging and compelling tales you're likely to experience this year. Joining Mick on his journey filled with emotional stakes, peril and thematic intrigue is a pleasure, and one I'd encourage you to embark on for yourself. Aside from the occasional technical issue, The Drifter is a wonderfully crafted noir point-and-click adventure from start to finish.
Like any creative 4-chord song, Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson makes good on the promise of a turn-based RPG that melds a great tune with a stylish bassline. Also much like a 4-chord song, it quickly becomes easy to predict and master, lacking that extra depth to elevate it beyond its accessible design. Even so, it's hard not to play it without a smile on your face and an appreciation for its colourful visuals.
From a solo player's perspective, Phantom Squad is a frustrating and unbalanced trial of patience that doesn't pay off enough to make it worth it. Rope in a couple of friends to squad up though, and the game completely transforms into an intense, intricately designed and frantic sandbox to have a blast in. Just make sure you don't go it alone, this unit was meant for a team, not an individual.
Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition launches a decades old crusade to reclaim the glory of 2002 and by all the knights and eunuchs does it succeed. An incredulous bounty of new content, alongside gloriously enhanced visuals and quality of life improvements make this an almost impenetrable castle. Storming the walls and setting kingdoms aflame has always been spectacular, but Firefly Studios have set a new gold standard for their own series, and for remasters everywhere.
FromSoftware have tried their hand at an entirely different style of game in Elden Ring Nightreign. The stripped-down, condensed and multiplayer-orientated focus leave a title that has many thrilling moments, but feels devoid of the life and soul that made the original Elden Ring such a special experience. Entering this fog alone is folly, but with a couple of like-minded Souls vets, there's plenty of great moments to be had amongst the repetition.
Walking your patrol as a rookie in The Precinct will fill you with wide-eyed hope thanks to some great arcadey Police gameplay, packed with chases and satisfying arrest work. Much like a disillusioned veteran, however, over-exposure to the same shallow mechanics, predictable story and lack of consequences will have you eying up retirement sooner than you may have envisioned.