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Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn maintains the high quality of the base game, but lacks the new content to stand out as a substantial expansion. Don’t get me wrong, the storytelling is great, the combat is still fantastic, and the world looks amazing, but the lack of new playable characters, Artes, and areas to explore does leave it feeling a little underwhelming. I’d still highly recommend playing Beyond the Dawn if you enjoyed Tales of Arise the first time around (and it still gets a good score because it’s a really fun experience), but maybe keep your expectations in check if you were hoping for something that evolves and expands upon what made the base game so good to begin with.
In Stars and Time in an innovative time-looping treat that’ll keep players engrossed with its satisfying sense of progress and fun combat. It’s always rewarding to discover new ways to progress, learn more about the world, and venture forward that bit further on your journey to defeat the King, whilst the deaths you suffer add a fun twist to the formula thanks to their unexpected yet comical occurrences. And sure, the process of looping through some events over and over again can be a little tedious, but at least the game does try to streamline the process for players. It’s just a very creative, clever, and fun experience, with In Stars and Time taking an established time-looping gameplay mechanic and giving it its own unique sense of zing thanks to its quirky RPG approach.
The Pale Reach stands out as an impressive piece of DLC for Dredge, with all of its extras complementing the satisfying (and endlessly eerie) fishing action of the base game. It is worth noting that it doesn’t try to change things up too much and its two-hour runtime is on the short side, but with a £5.99 price point and the same rewarding sense of discovery players would’ve experienced in the base game, it’s hard to complain too much. It has certainly got me excited to see what else Black Salt Games have up their sleeves for Dredge, with its future a bright one if this is anything to go by.
Persona 5 Tactica offers a refreshing twist to the formula that brings in some cool ideas, even IF it can get a bit repetitive over time. The combat is intuitive and tactical, it looks fantastic, and the storyline managed to hook me in, so it’s clear that it does a lot right. It just has a few missteps too, with some repetitive showdowns, a lack of exploration, and an overfamiliarity with the Phantom Thieves letting it down a little. I still had a really good time with the game and it’s exciting to see the series take a different direction, but I think I’m ready to move on from these characters and see what the future of Persona really brings.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is shorter than other titles in the series, but still offers another gripping adventure that’s packed with twists and thrills. Kiryu is a real treat to play as thanks to his colourful personality and brutal combat skills (his ‘Agent’ abilities especially stand out this time around), whilst Sotenbori is packed with fun things to do across its mini-games, colosseum, and substories found in the Akame Network. It is guilty of padding things out with some of its duller fetch quests and the smaller size of the world does get noticeable when you reach the later hours of the game, but there’s still plenty going on to ensure that Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name stands out as another impressive release in the series. It offers an appealing throwback to the series’ action-focused origins and once again proves that Kiryu really is one hell of a badass.
Lake: Season’s Greetings adds a festive twist to the wonderful gameplay loop of the base game, and somehow, it makes it even better to play. I loved seeing Providence Oaks covered in snow and Christmas decorations, whilst getting to experience the town and its inhabitants from Thomas’ perspective felt refreshing – even if the narrative didn’t feel quite as impactful as the first game. It just felt great to be able to return to Providence Oaks and experience the joys of the town once more. And when you add Christmas to the mix? It just feels really special. If you enjoyed the game the first time around, you’re in for a real treat with Lake: Season’s Greetings.
I loved American Arcadia, with the zany narrative and clever blend of 2.5D platforming and first-person puzzling making for a unique and memorable experience. There are plenty of twists in the comical narrative to keep players wholly invested in Trevor and Angela’s plight, whilst you’re constantly put into creative scenarios that’ll test both your platforming and puzzling skills. You’ve got to be on the ball if you want to succeed in your journey, and whilst there were a few puzzles that fell short of the mark, I found it hard to put the controller down when playing. American Arcadia is just really, REALLY good and definitely stands out as one of the best platforming-puzzlers that I’ve played this year.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is an excellent remake that introduces plenty of new ideas whilst embracing the nostalgic charm of the game’s original release. I loved the unique visual style that blends 2D sprites and 3D environments wonderfully, the combat was more satisfying than ever thanks to its intuitive new mechanics, whilst the countless other additions such as fishing, quest markers, and voice acting go a long way in making Star Ocean: The Second Story R stand out as a VERY impressive release that deserves the attention of all RPG fans.
Salt and Sacrifice isn’t as good as its predecessor, but still offers an enjoyable Souls-like experience packed with rewarding combat and exploration. The world is still wonderful to explore and offers a myriad of secrets to uncover and vicious enemies to vanquish, whilst combat is intuitive and gives players more creative options thanks to the likes of the grappling hook. It looks beautiful too, whilst the boss battles are once again a highlight of the experience. The new features just fall short of the mark a little, with the multiplayer fiddly and Mage Hunts a little bit boring to complete, whilst the lack of a map and proper fast travel can make traversal a drag. They don’t make it a bad game at all though, with Salt and Sacrifice still maintaining the overall quality of the original to stand out as an engrossing 2D Souls-like experience.
Little Goody Two Shoes has a bit of a learning curve, but the tantalising narrative and variety of gameplay mechanics ensure it’s an engrossing experience. It was easy to root for Elise through her daily struggles in her fairytale-inspired life, whilst the eerie undertones and focus on managing her well-being will certainly keep players on their toes. There are lots of creative scenarios to find yourself in on a daily basis too, and whilst they can admittedly get a little formulaic, they never stop being entertaining. The nighttime sections can be a little frustrating and it can get a little overwhelming managing every aspect of Elise’s wellbeing early on, but there’s a good time to be had playing Little Goody Two Shoes. It’s one of those games that’s a little hard to describe with words alone, but only because it’s so varied, creative, and, most importantly, fun.
The Invincible is a wondrous retro sci-fi escapade that’ll hook players in with its intriguing story and gorgeous presentation. It’s hard to talk about all of the things I liked about it without giving away too many little spoilers for players, but with plenty of surprises to encounter as you shape your story on Regis III, it’s easy to find yourself fully invested in Yasna’s journey. It did suffer from a few technical hiccups during my time playing and I’d be lying if I said the movement speed wasn’t a little bit slower than I’d like, but they’re minor issues in what is otherwise an alluring sci-fi experience.
Robocop: Rogue City keeps things simple, but the chaotically fun action and authentic use of the source material ensure players will have a good time roaming the streets of Detroit as the iconic law-abiding hero. I never stopped enjoying unloading lead into enemies, throwing them through windows, and causing destruction throughout the environment, whilst the engaging side quests add a neat twist to the formula where your actions will determine how others view you. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing you wouldn’t have seen before, but it was deeper than I expected. The game is far from perfect, whether that’s with the dumb enemy AI, the lack of originality, and its repetitive nature, but it still makes for a really good time. I’m probably being half a point generous in my scoring here, but given that this is best it has felt to be Robocop in a video game, I think it deserves that bit of extra praise.
You Will Die Here Tonight wears its Resident Evil inspiration like a badge of honour, but still manages to stand out as a unique and entertaining survival horror experience. Everything about the world and character design, the narrative, and the puzzling will take you back to Capcom’s iconic release, but the game has enough of its own clever ideas with the first-person combat, the time loop, and the unravelling of the ‘true’ ending to ensure it deserves plenty of praise on its own merits alone. I had a really good time playing through it, and whilst the combat was guilty of being a little easy at times, it never stopped being fun blasting away at the vicious undead and finding out just what the hell is going on. Just be warned: you will die here tonight, but it’s the only way you’ll find a way to survive the ordeal.
I don’t like the idea of criticising a game so heavily, but Quantum Error is boring to play and has a lot of technical issues that need fixing. It’s clear that the small development team put a lot of heart into the game (and there are moments where it can shine), but a blend of over-ambition, poor design choices, and a lack of polish severely hold it back. There are some interesting ideas on show (especially with the firefighting) and the experience will be a lot more tolerable if the technical issues are fixed, but Quantum Error just isn’t a good game. Hopefully, TeamKill Media can take some lessons from it, rein in the ambition, and lean on the game’s strengths for future entries in this planned trilogy. But as it stands? It’s a tough title to recommend.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a roaring success for Insomniac Games, with the sequel managing to improve upon everything that came before it in the previous titles. Sure, there’s familiarity to be found in the combat and the New York setting, but there have been enough innovations and additions made to ensure the experience still feels incredibly fresh and thrilling. Add to that the gripping story, the clever Spider-Man swapping dynamic, the traversal that looks and feels wonderful, and the sheer wealth of things to do across the varied missions, and it’ll become clear that this isn’t only the best Spider-Man game that has ever released, but also one of the best PlayStation 5 games too.
Ghostrunner 2 improves upon the original in every way, with the refined mechanics, new additions, and smarter design making for a very impressive sequel. It’s equally brutal to play too, with a TON of deaths suffered during my playthrough – but hey, that’s all part of the fun, right? It feels like a genuine evolution of what was already a very fun formula, and whilst it does have some technical issues that could cause some frustration, there’s no denying that Ghostrunner 2 is a stylish and thrilling experience.
Sonic Superstars disappoints with its multiplayer action, but offers an enthralling and nostalgic experience when played solo. It captures everything that made the 16-bit titles so much fun to play, but also has plenty of innovative ideas on show to ensure players are always doing something that feels fresh and enjoyable. The new stages look wonderful too, whilst the Chaos Emerald abilities give the gang plenty of new tricks to use (even IF they aren’t imperative to your success). It is disappointing that the multiplayer mode isn’t very intuitive and there are a few boss battles that could feel like total duds, but these issues don’t stop Sonic Superstars from being a blast to play. Just be warned: if you were hoping for an enjoyable co-op experience, you might want to look elsewhere.
World of Horror is a fascinating horror experience that truly adds its own unique (and disturbing) take on the genre, and believe me, it’s a lot of fun to play. There’s something incredibly addictive about solving the many harrowing mysteries of the world and trying to survive through its eerie events along the way, whilst the RPG mechanics make it easy to invest in the world and your character. The combat is slick too, and whilst it is very simple in design, it offers enough strategic depth to ensure players will never feel safe in any showdown they face. It is a little guilty of being unfair with the RNG and the UI can feel a little intrusive to begin with, but it’s hard not to be incredibly impressed by World of Horror. It offers an addictive gameplay loop that’ll keep players coming back for more and more, but, most importantly, it makes for a REALLY good time.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a wonderful blast to the past that gives players a reminder of just how fun old-school Assassin’s Creed can be. There’s a greater focus on stealth and the world is more streamlined, but there’s still plenty of creativity on offer as you figure out the best way to take out your targets. And when you do pull off the perfect silent kill? It’s really, REALLY cool. I just really enjoyed my time with the game, and whilst I’m still a fan of the more expansive and RPG-centric approach taken in modern Assassin’s Creed titles, there’s still plenty of room for this old-school take on the gameplay as well. Here’s hoping it’s not just a one-off, but something we’ll see embraced again in futures releases in the series.
Lords of the Fallen is an impressive release that trumps the original in every way, all whilst introducing some splendid mechanics that help it stand out in the crowded Souls-like genre. The parallel worlds idea is really, REALLY cool, whilst simply exploring the land of Mournstead is always satisfying thanks to its wonderful environmental design and sense of unpredictability across both Axiom and Umbral. It gets all of the basics right too, with combat slick and varied throughout and each epic boss encounter putting your skills to the test. Whilst I’ll admit there were some areas which lacked the polish for it to fully match up to the likes of Elden Ring, Lords of the Fallen is still a very good game. The difficulty spikes can be a little bit unfair in places, especially when the game overwhelms you with a high enemy count, but it doesn’t stop Lords of the Fallen from being another Souls-like release that REALLY deserves your attention.