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With its immersive setting, streamlined gameplay, and bustling endgame (not to mention the one-time buy-in) New World Aeternum is a great MMO for newcomers and genre enthusiasts alike. Whether you want to engage in the persistent Faction War or play it like a singleplayer action RPG, there's a huge amount of freedom while the core game itself has been enriched through months of updates and fully optimised for consoles.
Frontier's park-building sequel is a vibe, it is a mood, and it is sunshine wrapped in a very bright bow. Minor control frustrations aside, it's the best theme park builder out there, with impressively deep customisation, beautifully detailed visuals and the ability to make hours of your life melt away.
Max Mustard is easy to recommend for a 5-7 hours of cutesy VR platforming fun. It's lacking a little originality though, wearing its many platforming influences proudly, so whilst it's fun and has some great moments, they fail to elevate it to the status of the games that have inspired it.
With its distinctive new style, challenging combat and well-designed puzzles, Sorry, We're Closed is a game I would highly recommend it to any survival horror fan.
Lego Horizon Adventures definitely gets a lot right, but it also lacks the creative flair of its forebears. Fundamentally, it nails the style and tone of Lego, but seems to forget what it's actually used for.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a wonderful new version of perhaps the single most influential JRPG. It isn't a top-to-bottom remake or a surprising meta-retelling – it's classic Dragon Quest, brighter and better than ever.
Redacted ain't no lazy Hades clone, instead it offers an experience that is unique amongst the crowded Roguelike genre. Put up with the steep difficulty and slow progress and you'll experience an immensely enjoyable game, one that is cram-packed with slick combat and brilliant characters.
I love what Dotemu and Leikir Studios have achieved with Metal Slug Tactics. The unlikeliest pivot for a franchise aside, it mixes interesting tactical action, Roguelike progression and brilliant visuals into an indie title that nails the balance between nostalgia and modernity.
The Veilguard is a beautiful-looking and highly enjoyable game, and a nice return to a more focused feeling RPG that does justice to both Dragon Age as a series and also to Bioware. It's fun to play in the moment-to-moment, the big decisions feel impactful and worthwhile, and fans of the series will be happy to be running around chasing after that lamentable egg of an Elf once more. It's no Dragon's Dogma 2, though.
Dark and Deep is a focused and atmospheric title that doesn't outstay it's welcome. Most of this time is spent immersed in the unique aesthetic and it stands out amongst the many other copycat PT wannabes that flood the horror tag on Steam. The ending is interesting although some of the imagery felt too separated from the Doré influence and instead moved into more conventional folk horror. All in all, Dark and Deep is a well polished and fascinating indie horror that has a look and feel all of its own, and for that it deserves a wider audience.
With a multitude of Metroidvanias out there, a prospective new entry in the genre must stand out from the pack to get attention. Awaken – Astral Blade certainly stands out, but not in a good way. A poor story, poor collision detection, and overly floaty platforming combine to provide an unforgettable experience, just for all the wrong reasons.
Superbly immersive and packed full of action and chills, Metro Awakening is by far the best PSVR 2 game this year and should be in the top ten of all PS5 games of 2024.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a welcome return for the other Mario RPG series, taking a more straightforward, less gimmicky approach to bring new players into the fold. The rhythm of the brothers in combat is pleasingly engaging, as ever, and there's a solid adventure here, but it's just lacking that spark to match the franchise's very best.
Slitterhead is destined to be a cult classic, though mainly because of what it could have been, as opposed to what it is. The combat is functional but feels dated and gets boring before the end, the dialogue sections are unvoiced and feel cheap as a result, and the loop of finding and then fighting enemies through various forms soon becomes unfortunately one note. I enjoyed immersing myself in the world of Slitterhead but the game itself feels too much like a relic of a bygone era than a new title by industry giants.
Beautiful, contemplative and engaging, Empire of the Ants is a unique hybrid that will delight fans of the natural world.
Modern Warfare had a great run, but Black Ops is now back on top in their ongoing sibling rivalry. Fluid character movement, high-tempo multiplayer, evolved Zombies co-op, and an incredible campaign come together in 2024's most irresistible first person shooter.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a great version of the original that offers limited but welcome updates such as resolution increases, faster load times and a much requested New Game+ mode. The unique grindhouse aesthetic and over the top humour remains as distinctive as they always were and it is here that the appeal of Shadows of the Damned lives or dies. If the absurd humour and over the top ideas are your cup of blood then this is an easy recommend even if you don't have nostalgic memories of the original. Get ready to grab your Johnson and kill some demons.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered might not have been a wholly necessary overhaul, but there's plenty to like about it, from greater visual depths and details, to the majorly improved dialogues.
The Smurfs – Dreams is a welcome throwback to classic 3D platformers and makes for a good snackable game if you've already played the likes of Astro Bot or the Mario games (or don't have the relevant consoles for them). It'll keep you well entertained for the 7 or 8 hours it lasts and there are plenty of hidden secret collectables to hunt out. Whether you have any nostalgia for the Smurfs or are new to them you could do a lot worse than to have a snooze with the blues.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a very easy game to recommend. If you have enjoyed previous games in the series, this is doing enough of the same to scratch that same lowkey mystery vibes itch. The ability to shift between timelines can become a touch overwhelming at times, but there's several things in place across the UI, accessibility options, and narrative flow to keep the gameplay smooth. What's more, I think this game might have redeemed Max Caulfield for me too, so take that how you will.