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Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn't exactly rewrite the soulslike gameplay design, but I honestly think it brings enough to the table to justify itself. With its fantastic Impetus Repository levelling system, I was able to build and rebuild Wuchang however I liked and fully explore its complex and flexible combat system. Admittedly, some mechanics are somewhat of a mixed bag, ranging from the delightful Skyborn Might resource which rewards aggressive play, to the more annoying Inner Madness feature that makes the player character a bit more of a glass cannon than I would have liked. Overall, however, those looking for a deep new soulslike to get stuck into, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is pretty damn great.
With the release of PATAPON 1+2 Replay comes vibrant and wonderful flashbacks to a colourful, vibrant, arcade-y and, most importantly, fun, era of games that don't really exist anymore. It was a joy for me to visit these games for the first time, and I'm finally well invested in the majesty and magic of the RTS and rhythm fusion harmony that the franchise is known for. With how grandiose and exciting the battles get with their devotion to music and busy, frantic chaos that explode across the screen, I'd be hard-pressed to find any fan, new or old, who doesn't find joy here, smiling like a huge dork as your units chant and stomp across the world. Though there's still the oddball of funk, including some poor tutorialisation in the first game and real brick wall moments that require grind, I'm glad PATAPON is back in a largely unaffected package. Players should jump right into this here nostalgia-infused release. The water's fine, and you'll be remembering the Patapons' spirit songs for years to come.
Shadow Labyrinth is such a fascinating reinvention of PAC-MAN that completely changes the concept of what a PAC-MAN game can be. It's a completely unapologetic, brutal reimagining that fully commits to this vision. It pays off in its best moments, whether you're fighting a huge boss or weaving through some difficult platforming, but the punishing early game and confusing design choices really weigh it down. It's far from the most flawless Metroidvania, but if you can stomach the difficulty, it's a compelling new PAC-MAN experience.
For an independent studio's debut game, Luto strongly delivers on Broken Bird Games' ethos of delivering deep narrative experiences that reflect both their passion for video games but also great stories.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 sticks the landing with a clean kickflip and a modern twist. Iron Galaxy may have sanded off some of THPS4's open-ended charm, but what's left is a fine-tuned tribute to skateboarding. With excellent controls, deeper creation tools, and a diverse music and character roster (shoutout to our Aussie legends), the game is accessible and ridiculously fun. Even with a few bails, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 proves the Birdman's legacy can still shred.
A brutal, lightning-paced take on the point-and-click adventure, The Drifter stands confidently among the greats of Australian horror fiction. Building a uniquely unsettling atmosphere with its chilling prose and narration, it presents a compelling supernatural mystery that will satisfy any adventure game fan. With gorgeous pixel art, killer voice acting, a soundtrack full of bangers, and an engaging gameplay loop, The Drifter is a home-grown triumph.
I'm so glad Kaname Date is back. No Sleep for Kaname Date is such an enjoyable romp through the familiar world that refines the formula, confidently adding escape sequences that fit so naturally into the gameplay loop you'd think that they've always been there. While the story and mystery don't completely hold up throughout, the character interactions and pure personality of the cast more than make up for it. For AITSF fans, it's an absolute must-play. For newcomers to the series, it's a compelling reason to dive into the series from the start.
Smashing and crashing his way to a new generation, Donkey Kong is well and truly back with Donkey Kong Bananza. Each layer is an absolute joy, with largely destructible environments that are jam-packed with secrets and hidden goodies. It's visually stunning, too; incredibly colourful and a true showcase of what the Switch 2 is capable of, with lots of variety. With so many collectables to find and a lot of nostalgic nods to D.K.'s long history, it's a must-have platformer that nails the brief and lives up to the legacy of Nintendo's greatest hits.
Kojima Productions' best project yet is Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, and it's largely thanks to how refined and an improvement it is on its predecessor, rather than being the perhaps expected unconventional sequel. The star-studded cast and their conjoined chemistry have helped craft a more interconnected and personal world this time, only bolstered by the unbelievably gorgeous, detailed and technically impressive open world where every journey is its own story. Every job and delivery is a delight and an immersive challenge against the greater elements. Picking you up off your feet and prodding you along are all the other players' structures and creations around the world. In Death Stranding 2, you are never alone. That remains true whether it's paying respect to those that came before, or paving the future of open world games that Kojima Productions, and even you, the player, are actively doing at all times. What a bright future it is.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a fun, narrative-led stealth game that doesn't demand too much of you. Stealth game veterans are unlikely to find a challenge in these common mechanics, but the beautiful details built into the world of Rosmark make up for it. The character-driven story is supported by great vocal performances and cutscenes that would fit in alongside any modern triple-A.
Overall, Kaizen: A Factory Story is a brilliantly made game that creates a difficult, but satisfying experience with likable characters and an engaging story to boot. It's always exciting when it offers up a new tool to use, and you can figure out all the different ways it can be used. On top of that, the character interactions were always fun to read. Maybe this is better than a boring job in sales after all!
Misc. A Tiny Tale is a classic 'we're going on an adventure' mixed with 'little guy in a big world' type of game, that's downright adorable. With such personal storytelling, it's easy to get attached to Buddy and his mate, Bag Boy. The overt themes of environmentalism and reusing items are something that a lot of us know about; these combine well with the more personal themes about obsessive thoughts or depression, which really get to the heart of the story. Some better visual accessibility when picking up rubbish would help, and it's weird how characters chastise players who ask for help. But all in all, Misc. A Tiny Tale is an adorable romp that fans of Pikmin or Chibi-Robo will get a kick out of. It'll be exciting to watch what Tinyware Games does next.
I enjoyed my time with Everdeep Aurora, although it could have been better. Nautilus Games very deliberately nails the feel of an old Game Boy game from the mid-1990s, although it may turn off players looking for something more complex or challenging. With its charming art style and gameplay, it's hard not to have a smile on your face as you drill down into the Everdeep. That said, the lack of clear guidance regarding exactly what the game is asking you to do a lot of the time left me longing for a quest log or objective marker. If you're looking for a chill platformer with retro stylings and don't mind a lack of clear direction, Everdeep Aurora is worth checking out.
Against the Storm's genre hybridity does jettison some of the base pleasures of the city builder, but otherwise, Eremite Games has crafted a compelling 'just one more settlement' roguelike gameplay loop. With the combination of a beautiful and familiar fantasy aesthetic, strong foundational mechanics with a lot of variety, and a remarkably intuitive adaptation from its PC roots to a controller, Against the Storm is an assured and accomplished console port.
ISLANDERS: New Shores builds upon what made the first game great and why I got it in the first place back in 2020. It added new elements to keep players engaged, while also providing a fresh improvement from the first game, by featuring better visuals, music, improved gameplay mechanics, and a points system that encourages you to reach the top of the leaderboard. It's a cozy game if you're after something chill or an intense puzzle game if you're after that top spot. Regardless, it's addictive and will keep you hooked.
Tamagotchi Plaza is a flat experience in a bright, colourful package. The minigames are fun for an hour or so, but take too long to add new mechanics, leaving the gameplay repetitive and unsatisfying. It's fun to see so many Tamagotchi characters walking around this world, but it would have been far more interesting if there was anything substantial for them to actually do.
As a throwback to the old 2D Castlevania games, Chronicles of the Wolf is serviceable and mostly effective. If you're after a nostalgia trip that doesn't have many ambitions to forge its own identity or take note of the quality of life improvements that metroidvanias have been honing since the 1990s, Chronicles of the Wolf will be a satisfying romp through the French countryside. However, the game isn't aspiring to anything more than a simple trip down memory lane, and would be hard to recommend for anyone not already a Castlevania fan or looking for something that evolves on past Metroidvanias rather than simply imitating them.
PEAK is, well, the peak of climbing games. Aggro Crab and Landfall Games' combined talent resulted in an incredibly tactile, aptly challenging and delightfully chaotic puzzle platformer. With lots of colour, whimsy and charm, every pitfall or plummet to your death on the trying climb is just another opportunity for you and your friends to pick yourself up off your feet, and get moving again. It's dangerous to go alone, take this plush alien toy, healing balm and your best pals with you. You won't regret it.
A gorgeously presented modern twist on the classic 3D platformer, Ruffy and the Riverside is positively glowing with charm. Featuring a cavalcade of fun environmental puzzles that take advantage of its unique copy-and-paste "SWAP" mechanic, a delightful blend of hand-drawn spritework and rendered environments, and cheeky writing that makes you fall in love with its silly little characters, this is a perfectly lovely adventure with tonnes of heart.
Rematch is a wonderful reinterpretation of football with just enough innovation to make the sport its own. Thanks to an amazing gameplay loop and beautiful art style, every match has been unforgettably fun. Unfortunately, some current issues with server performance and limited, restrictive content stop Rematch from becoming a must buy. Still, anyone looking for a hot new multiplayer game like nothing else should keep a close eye on Rematch's future.