We can’t recommend Rainbow Six Extraction if you’re planning on playing alone, especially on PlayStation platforms where you’re expected to pay £40 for the privilege, but if your regular gaming group is bored of the game you play every night, and they all have Game Pass, Extraction will provide laughs.
Portal and Hazard Zone save 2042 from being a real low point in the series, which has swapped iconic, high octane moments for needless scale, without filling in any of that space.
At launch, Call of Duty Vanguard feels like a solid step-up from Black Ops Cold War, but falls short of the benchmark that was Modern Warfare 2019.
It seems backhanded to say that a game is only worth playing if you can find people to distract you from the actual game, but if your group wants something mindless to wind down after an intense night on Warzone or Rainbow Six: Siege, Back 4 Blood is ideal.
There’s nothing wrong with a game about doing simple things, and enjoying a relaxing journey in between, but in Sable, we could never relax.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a completely inoffensive, if somewhat bland adventure that will mildly entertain for the duration of its runtime, but won’t live long in the memory.
Despite its enjoyable campaign, Black Ops Cold War feels like an anachronistic package. The era of one game containing three completely disparate modes feels so long ago in the age of Warzone.
While some of the slower elements of the original games have been fixed, and The Grand Underground makes up for the comparatively weak Pokédex, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's new art style and a few other stumbles make this pair of games a somewhat disappointing retread of Generation 4. They're also very clearly in the shadow of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the upcoming open-world-like Pokemon game that has fans hoping it can take the series in exciting new directions beyond 20-year-old mechanics. If the remit of these remakes was to remain faithful to the original Gen 4 pair, we wish they'd also stuck to the pixel-art aesthetic. Aside from The Grand Underground – and the connectivity with the current games in the series – there's very little reason to play Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl over your original DS copies.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a serviceable open world game elevated by a stunning presentation. While the visuals will utterly wow you, it's a shame it doesn't introduce more original ideas.
Prince of Persia was long in need of a resurrection, and in The Lost Crown, it's found it. Excellent platforming, clever puzzles and a huge map make one of the best Metroidvania's in years, and kicks off 2024 in style.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is a short, sharp trip through the blood soaked streets of Baghdad. A welcome return to the series' roots, Mirage is a breath of fresh air in the endless sea of open world adventure games.
Immortals of Aveum delivers high-octane magical action and a world we're fascinated by. While the narrative itself is predictable and the dialogue between characters can border on excruciating, the rock-solid gameplay is a magical foundation for EA to build on and develop into something special.
C-Smash VR is engaging, exhausting and exhilarating. A VR staple that we'll be showing friends for years, it nails the aesthetics, gameplay, and most importantly, the vibe of everything that's great about VR.
Final Fantasy has never played better, and 16’s cast is destined to be fan favourites. We just wish that when they are outside of the Hollywood blockbuster-tier adventures of the main quest, they were given some more interesting adventures to pursue.
The best games ask important questions. In the case of Dead Island 2, that question is: "Do you think it's funny to chop zombies into bits?" If the answer is yes, then Dead Island 2 is a joy.
Horizon Call of the Mountain sets the bar high for PlayStation's biggest franchises adapted to VR with stellar visuals, engaging gameplay, and jaw-dropping moments.
Hogwarts Legacy brilliantly captures the magic of the world of Harry Potter with its beautiful open world, engaging characters and exciting combat. While the open-world elements of the game make it feel more dated than we'd have liked, it's otherwise the best the Wizarding World has been in a video game.
Hi-Fi Rush is oozing with style and confidence, but like a messy first album, there are some deep cut tracks that don’t hit as hard as the opening few hits. What can’t be denied, however, is how excited we are for the sophomore effort, and the seemingly limitless versatility that Tango Gameworks have shown off in this bold, out-of-nowhere joy.
Every decision Scarlet and Violet make are good ones. The huge expansion and changes to the single player campaign are great, the size of the world and the joy of exploration are the best in the series, and the new Pokemon and battle mechanics introduced all sing. However, it’s just impossible to shake the thought of how much better the game would feel if it was on more powerful hardware, or simply ran acceptably on Switch.
Gotham Knights steps out of Arkham’s shadow to provide a great super hero game full of excellent characters. While some open-world fluff remains, it’s still gaming’s best take on Gotham that we couldn’t stop exploring.