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If you're after an accessible and welcoming bus simulation title, Bus Bound fits the bill in a serviceable fashion. Riding buses, collecting passengers and managing routes are all well implemented, and the handling of each vehicle makes each journey slightly different. Hardcore sim fans may be displeased with the lack of esoteric manual features and the inability to walk outside of the buses, but ultimately Bus Bound is a welcome aboard for anybody who wants a sim offering without the torturous nitty gritty technical graft.
Though Adorable Adventures is extraordinarily simple for older gamers and seems to lack ambition, its impact arguably extends beyond its offering as a video game, at least to younger folk anyhow as it seeks to expand their knowledge of their relationship with the natural world that surrounds them and, of course, the sprightly boars that serve as Adorable Adventures protagonists. A great introduction to open world design for new games and the young folk alike, Adorable Adventures also makes a good case for itself as a relaxing refuge from the worries of the world, one where you can get lost in the beauty of nature, smell flowers and frolic about with your boar siblings. I'm not sure about you but to me, I need that sort of wholesome in my life right now.
Aphelion is very much a compelling, though mechanically nuts and bolts narrative adventure that embraces linearity and spectacle above all else. Though its embedded dynamic of interpersonal relationships is engaging, the technical flaws, occasional clunkiness and aged-like-milk stealth sections sadly do much to undercut its otherwise impressive qualities.
The moment-to-moment FPS gameplay is flawed courtesy of its boxy repetition and lack of kablam in places, but even though it isn't fully accomplished, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is nonetheless an outstanding curiosity that doffs its sleek fedora to Disney and the noir genre.
Ground Zero plays its cards very early on, showing you exactly what it wants to do from the get-go. It channels its inspiration from old-school survival horror games that made the PS1 so special, even leaning into pre-rendered backgrounds and offering tank controls. Visuals get blurry in certain areas, and frame rate takes a hit in weird places. Then there's the old-school need to actually conserve your ammunition for boss fights, which can put you in a position where you can't defeat the boss without enough weaponry. Overall, Ground Zero makes for a good time and has a good gameplay loop as long as you know what to expect from it.
A blistering, rapid-fire epic without peer, Saros confidently delivers a dual masterclass in third-person shooter design and roguelike sensibilities all wrapped in a delectable veneer that elevates it to one of the best looking games on PlayStation 5. To quote the kids - Housemarque cooked here. This is their masterpiece and it is next the must have, utterly essential PlayStation exclusive. Carcosa beckons.
Tides of Tomorrow boasts an interesting world, and has great foundational ideas, particularly with its approach to asynchronous multiplayer. However, it feels more inconsequential and disjointed than it should, and as a result doesn't fulfill its potential.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss does ample justice to its grim source material, fashioning a compelling investigative adventure which generously drips with atmosphere but one which is sadly somewhat undercut by a wealth of technical issues that take the sheen otherwise what is a highly enjoyable Lovecraftian romp.
There is a timeline where the developers behind Dead Cells didn't have the opportunity to use their ample talents to create a thoroughly excellent Prince of Persia. Thankfully, this is not that timeline, because in this timeline The Rogue Prince of Persia exists and isn't just a great spiritual follow-up to Dead Cells, but also one of the best Prince of Persia games to ever be released. Period.
Proving that effective, heart-stopping horror can emerge from even the chonkiest pixels and cobwebbed 8-bit audiovisual presentation, Faith: The Unholy Trinity is a disturbing, skin-bumping terror that embraces its technical limitations and plodding pace to deliver the kind of genre offering that many larger studios wish they had the gumption, imagination and freedom to pull off.
Pragmata marks something truly special for Capcom; an experience that manages to marry action, conflict, and story into a cohesive whole that more than justifies the long wait for expectant fans. It juggles a variety of mechanics and miraculously blends them together. Every facet of this game is explored to its fullest, with still more room to grow. For all I can say in this review, Pragmata is very special.
Honestly, Hades 2 is a great game. It feels wholly like a game while still maintaining a narrative for those of us who need that narrative element. It balances all of the roguelike factors in such a way that you always feel like you are progressing, even during setbacks. The premise is a blast, and so is the gameplay loop. Auto aim works well for what it is, but the lack of aiming could put you in precarious situations. All in all, Hades 2 could easily be in the running for Game of the Year, just like its predecessor was in 2020.
There is something that really irks me when a horror game doesn't provide any scares or tension. The Occultist looked like it was going to be an entertaining experience, but it doesn't provide much entertainment. The puzzle-solving and exploration are passable, but everything else is a huge letdown.
While the comfort and charm of the series can still be felt within Life Is Strange: Reunion, Deck Nine attempts to course correct the series, but in doing so, not only hurts the core experience, but previous titles in the franchise as well. As a long time fan of Life is Strange, I can't help but feel disappointed.
Starfield plays as you would expect an RPG to play in the sense that the inputs do what you want them to do. Performance also works well enough, particularly for a Bethesda game. Odds are, however, that you won't want to play for very long anyway. In this game, you get nothing but residual information about the world around you and humdrum experiences for you to play. Even in Dark Souls, you receive a challenge that faces you head on and you get rewards for surmounting that challenge. Whether it's the plot or the gameplay, Starfield puts any interest you may have on the back burner for something much more mundane to take its place.
A fantastic setting and an exceptional soundtrack provide a fantastic experience for South of Midnight. Compulsion Games has capitalized on an untapped Southern Gothic Folklore setting. The stories of tormented citizens of the past and present are well presented and can strike a nerve for the weak-willed. For those looking for something unique wrapped in a familiar gameplay package, South of Midnight shouldn't be missed.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a decent new addition to the franchise after 23 years. It tries to breathe life into the franchise, but it makes only a bare minimum attempt. Though the voice work and soundtrack are the standouts here, the action and platforming suffer from bad level design and bad enemy AI. Even the game's story suffers from simple and mediocre writing, something that was once a standout for the franchise.
By leaning on its MGS stealth adventure lineage, Konami and developers ZDT Studios has produced a pleasing homage through it courtesy of Darwin's Paradox. The threats and the platforming challenges are numerous, the references are cool and you'll be content to keep on lapping this one up just to see the iron will of Darwin continue onward towards salvation. At times it can be a bit tricky to know exactly what to do, the story is threadbare and it might not be lengthy, but you will surely remember this one when you're done-even if it's just for the Metal Gear Solid references.
Despite the lack of any substantial extra materials and the as-is presentation of the various mixed quality games in the package, I can still confidently say that it's good to have playable versions of X-Men: The Arcade Game and Captain America and the Avengers in the here and now of the year 2026. Though this is an uneven package overall, older gamers who grew up with these superhero titles of yesteryear will still nonetheless find a rather potent and concentrated hit of nostalgia here. For everyone else, the Marvel MaXimum Collection provides a reasonable if uneven peek into the past of Marvel licensed video games.
Though the game has clearly been made on a relatively shoestring budget, it still manages to ooze a happy go lucky charm all the same that feels increasingly rare in these fraught times. New Super Lucky's Tale might lack truly innovative gameplay elements or any new features beyond its PS4 counterpart, but the fact that there are still so few bonafide 3D platformers doing the rounds means that New Super Lucky's Tale still earns itself an easy recommendation for fans of the genre and proves itself as an ample and captivating post Astro Bot fix.