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Rise of the Ronin is a fantastic adventure with a branching story, challenging combat that rewards mastery, and a beautiful open world. The stunning visuals, entertaining characters and world filled to the brim with engaging quests will keep you hooked, but beware the uneven voice acting and overflowing loot!
Alone in the Dark is an impressive take on the 1992 classic. Featuring solid survival horror mechanics inspired by the latest Resident Evils, a strong selection of puzzles and a narrative that returning fans and newcomers alike can enjoy.
Has the 25-year wait been worth it? Well, it depends on what players are looking for. Fans of the first game will most likely be impressed if they’re hunting for a more modern take on the Outcast formula. In contrast, open-world vets might see this as a decent, yet generic outing on an Avatar-like planet.
Winter Survival is honestly a complete waste of time. The story might give you some initial intrigue. However, the stiff gameplay mixed with unreasonable survival mechanics leads to a frustrating experience that will deter you from being able to make significant progress. Do yourself a favour and pass on this one!
WWE 2K24 continues to improve on the 2K series wrestling formula whilst offering a host of new features for players to enjoy. This year’s MyRise storylines are the best ones yet, and the showcase mode is great fun! Unfortunately, Universe mode and GM Mode still seem to be underserved with 2K focusing on MyFaction instead.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake has polished up in some key areas like fluidity of movement and better animation, but has also taken a minor step back in distinguishing interactables from the environment. Even so, you owe it to yourself to experience the advent of Josef Fares’ cooperative game style, with Unreal Engine 5 graphics and a glorious reorchestrated soundtrack in tow.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden has turned out to be another strong IP for developers, Don’t Nod. The game features unique, real-time character-swapping to access different techniques and a solemn story that works best when it’s focused on the protagonists, Red and Antea. While the enemy variety is lacking and the investigation elements can be a tad tiresome, this 25-hour action RPG should absolutely be on your radar.
Persona 3 Reload is the definitive way to experience this spin-off series’ third entry! With an absolutely fantastic story, refined gameplay and stunning visuals, this remake will definitely keep you addicted for hours on end!
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is actually a really entertaining experience. The interesting narrative features countless jokes and one liners will have you chuckling over and over again. Admittedly the gameplay does take a little bit to adjust to, but it is really fun and chaining combos feels satisfying!
Whether it’s the tactical Heat system that raises the aggressiveness of play, or the noob-friendly Special Style controls that make complex combos a cinch, Tekken 8 has almost everything you could ask for in a modern fighting game.
Whilst I believe that The Last of Us Part II Remastered might have been unnecessary, it does offer a variety of new features for you to enjoy. The cosmetic additions are welcomed and having the option to strum a guitar endlessly may be a bit of fun. However, I believe it will come down to whether or not you want to experience the extra dual sense features or if you are interested in a Last of Us Part II themed roguelike mode, that’ll determine if you play it or not.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown wears the Metroidvania belt with panache. The protagonist, Sargon can whip out a whole range of stylish assaults thanks to his handy teleportation maneuvers and flow through the difficult platforming hazards of Mount Qaf like an Olympic gymnast. It’s just a pity that the story isn’t anywhere near as strong. You can’t win them all, I suppose.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is surprisingly solid, believe it or not. It features an action-packed main campaign over 12 hours long with plenty of optional content to discover throughout its splendiferously sprawling landscapes.
Arizona Sunshine II is a great VR experience with a simple but heartfelt narrative and fluid gunplay that feels very natural with the VR controllers. The game does feature a variety of bugs, but this doesn’t stop it from being an enjoyable thrill ride!
Alan Wake II is a fantastic follow-up to the 2010 original. The combat is more intense, the survival horror is peak and the story is even wilder. Just ensure you have a beefy enough rig (or patience) to keep up with all the hi-res spectacle on PC—and checkpoint-restarting glitches too.
Tevi is one of the best Metroidvanias of the year. Not only does it bring its own superb, anime-inspired aesthetic and RPG mechanics to the forefront, but Tevi also features some of the most lovingly crafted exploration and platforming segments we’ve ever seen from this genre.
For a game that was released all the way back on the SNES in 1996, Super Mario RPG has held up exceedingly well.
Gunhead is a FPS roguelike that promises a level of challenge with its procedurally generated levels and unique gunplay system. However, it can't escape the monotonous rinse and repeat formula of the gameplay, and the samey level design. The inclusion of a sporadic half-baked narrative in this style of game just leaves a lot to be desired.
WarioWare: Move It! inflicts more pain than it does joy. Arms will become tired, motion controls will frustrate, and then the experience will end well before it should. There are some fun microgames packed in here, but it’s such a shame that the execution really lets this entry down.
The Talos Principle II is a fun, but challenging, puzzle adventure. The narrative is intriguing, even if it is a little slow to get going. However, it is the puzzle solving gameplay that is the highlight of this title. The puzzles feel unique and very creative and will cause you to flex your problem solving muscles.