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Kena: Bridge of Spirits is stunning spectacle full of heart and unbelievable charm. If you aren't carefully selecting hats for your Rot companions by the end, then you're probably made of stone. In the event that your soul is inhospitably frosty, Kena can be deceivingly challenging, throwing boss fights at you that will make those on Demon Souls look like a cake walk. A few minor issues stop Kena from being a showstopper, but there is no doubt that this a great game, and an amazing debut for a 15-person strong team.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania boasts a triumphant return for everyone's favourite primate puzzler, bringing along with it potentially 100s of hours of gameplay that long-time fans and newcomers alike will easily go bananas for.
Aragami 2 could be a good stealth game, with a good foundation of stealth gameplay and even an intriguing story, but it is plagued by constant bugs, performance issues, poor level design, pacing, rough implementation of gameplay mechanics and a visual style that only further serves to make its flaws even more evident then they already are.
KeyWe is more than just an adorable concept, it actually backs it up with a thoroughly enjoyable co-op experience that always seems to know when to change things up in its formula without ever losing sight of what makes it tick. It's possible to enjoy it solo, but honestly, that pales in comparison to joining friend or family in a round of buttslamming boxes and pecking papers to deliver the mail as the fuzziest little postal workers around.
Chernobylite combines some cool ideas and implements them in a way that complements the story it wants to tell. Several issues stand in its way, with potential save corruption acting as the biggest road block. Once that issue gets patched out, the core experience will offer up something unique, even if many of its gameplay elements lack depth.
In Sound Mind attempts dark humor to great effect, but quickly falls back into basic first-person shooter gameplay tropes, leaving its original intentions behind. The game still plays well, and makes for an engaging puzzler and exploration game; it just doesn't maintain its horror vibe for very long.
Simple but satisfying platform puzzles combined with some stunning hand drawn artwork make for a brief but emotional and entertaining adventure which dares to try something new.
A deeply thoughtful, eminently accessible and cleverly crafted bite-sized puzzler, Bonfire Peaks has more subtle emotion, charm and smile-cracking ingenuity than most of the games that have released this year. If you want to hone your logical senses and embolden your spirit concurrently then Bonfire Peaks is certainly one summit worth conquering.
Astria Ascending is a fascinating JRPG with intriguing storytelling, distinctive characters and charming hand-drawn art. Artisan Studios has outdone themselves providing a lengthy gameplay experience and addictive mini-game that will have you entrenched for hours. My only grudge against the game is the maps can be perplexing at times when attempting to complete side-quests or just finding your way through dungeons and temples. However, the combat mechanics are solid and customization options for your party and builds provide a lot of depth and strategy. Considering the fact that Astria Ascending is not a full-priced title, the game is definitely worth checking out, especially for fans of the genre.
Clearly meant for those who have long been ingratiated with the BattleTech universe, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is an appreciably deep mech stomper that needs a lot more polish a better storyline and cast of characters before its appeal can reach beyond the outer limits of its dedicated fanbase.
A fantastic add-on that not only brings new campaigns but adds great new mechanics that keep the experience feeling fresh. The first-person viewpoint makes things feel like new, allowing you to immerse yourself in the zombie apocalypse, along with other much-needed quality of life improvements stemming from the melee system to the tighter controls and improved performance with 60 FPS. Overall, World War Z: Aftermath feels like it was made today rather than three years ago.
Though the additions to this newly reinvigorated version of Death Stranding might be considered to be superfluous by die-hard Kojima fans, there's no denying that Death Stranding Director's Cut is the definitive version to play Kojima's most recent opus on console, thanks to an opulent visual makeover and a wealth of quality of life improvements. Though still remaining divisive at its core, Death Stranding Director's Cut is absolutely the best way to see the hype surrounding Kojima's most esoteric work.
The Plane Effect tries its best to be interesting but unfortunately fails to provide any entertainment value in what's ultimately a pretentious, self-centred affair. Gaming is supposed to be a form of escapism, yet this one simulates the depressing tedium of a 9-5 cubicle job a little too well.
A breezy and relaxing puzzle game hidden within the veneer of a city builder which just happens to be highly addictive and rewarding despite the lack of visible Islanders. Easy to pick up and hard to put down, Islanders will appeal to anyone who enjoys meditative gaming.
Odd inventory design niggles aside and shopworn concepts aside, Tails of Iron is beautifully presented and a roundly entertaining, surprisingly grim action RPG that boasts a grandly enjoyable combat system. Fans of punishing action RPGs and grimdark fairy-tales will find much to love here.
A fantastic action adventure that taps directly into the root DNA of the Yakuza franchise, Lost Judgment not only manages to simultaneously boast both the darkest and the goofiest storylines of any title in the series to date, but it also stuns the player with an absolute avalanche of hugely entertaining side quests and activities. More than that though, Lost Judgment also provides solace for those who found themselves turned off by the turn-based combat system that the mainline Yakuza series now seems to favour, while welcoming newcomers to one of the best new Japanese franchises of the last two decades.
Bus Simulator 21 offers a cathartic toy box for the most dedicated of bus fanatics, with dozens of hours of gameplay hidden beneath its flaws. Unfortunately, it misses the mark too often and in too many ways to warrant a recommendation to anyone outside of its extremely niche audience.
NBA 2K22 does many things well, most of which has already been done well in the past. Exceptional, challenging gameplay keeps the strength of the game close to its chest, and NBA 2K22 offers an impressive spread of modes to complement that gameplay. Apart from a few misguided choices, the biggest crippling factor this year comes from how The City takes a good idea and stretches it way too thin. NBA 2K22 is great for hardcore fans of the franchise, but it doesn't leave the door open for many others.
Full of character and charm, Lost in Random is a witty and enjoyable tale that at times, mimics our own. It's eerily beautiful, well made and fans of board games will fall in love with it. The combat system is rewarding and has just enough nuance to keep it interesting until the end. So roll your dice and take a chance on Lost in Random. It is a unique game amongst its current peers.
Deathloop is not only one of the most conceptually ambitious and well executed games ever made, but Arkane's PlayStation swansong also has a boundless energy and ingenuity that no other game can match. Quite simply, Deathloop is an unparalleled synergy of first-person shooter design, explorative bliss and narrative complexity that we likely won't see again for a very, very long time.