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Konami and Screen Burn Interactive hit the mark with Silent Hill: Townfall, a first-person psychological thriller set in a eerie 1990s Scottish harbor town. Trading hyper-realism for a striking stylized look, it shines with spine-chilling soundscapes, clever note-worthy puzzles, and a rad handheld CRTV gadget for tracking lore and enemies.
Rivage is an ambitious groundhog day puzzler that presents a compelling mystery, and rewards those that dig deep into the finer details. However, despite some good world building, and interesting ideas. The puzzles aren't all that satisfying to engage with, the UI feels cumbersome to work with, and the timeloop format feels like an unnecessary burden at times.
Well Dweller is yet another competent and compelling Metroidvania from the Thompson brothers. Blending cute-as-a-button and harrowing themes to offer up a intricate Metroidvania map that is a joy to explore. It lacks that aggressively punishing difficulty some fans have come to expect from the genre, but that aside, this is a wonderful experience that really spreads its wings
Nihon’s faithful remake captures the essence of what made the original title a classic, while embracing modern gameplay elements that—we hope—will cater to new audiences
Overall, Crimson Moon is a solid, highly accessible action game that succeeds by focusing on fast-paced, "run-the-gauntlet" combat, deep gear customization, visceral executions, and a standout symphonic metal soundtrack. While its weak narrative, repetitive side quests, and limited execution animations prevent it from reaching greater heights, it remains a thoroughly enjoyable experience if you go in with managed expectations.
While the bar isn't exceptionally high bar, it's worth saying that The Blood of Dawnwalker is undoubtedly the best vampire game ever. Some systems perhaps promise more depth than they can actually deliver. But, as a whole, Dawnwalker is an intriguing open-world RPG, with more than enough unique ideas to sink your fangs into.
Resonance: A Plague's Tale Legacy is a gorgeous game with a compelling, well-paced story. Sophia's backstory tangled in Greek mythology is handled with aplomb and the experience is akin to a Hollywood blockbuster at times. However, paint by numbers action-adventure mechanics, minor performance issues, and a lack of unique features and themes that made the mainline games great relegate this spin-off to 'good-not-great' status.
Mortal Shell 2 is the sequel I simply didn't see coming. It's a welcome evolution, taking the fun ideas of the original and refining the experience into an addictive, enthralling Soulslike. It looks stunning, combat is fluid and varied, and the world is a joy to explore. Bosses lack a certain punchiness, and minor tech issues drag the experience down ever-slightly. But, Mortal Shell 2 is undeniably one of the best non-FromSoft titles the genre has produced
Duskfade is a glorious blend of noughties platformer ideals and modern-day polish. Offering sublime visuals, satisfying movement tech, and an addictive collect-a-thon experience that keeps on giving. Combat is a little basic, and the story also doesn't exactly push the envelope narratively. But overall, this is the closest thing I've played to a classic mascot platformer since Astro Bot. It's in the same league, and it wholeheartedly deserves to be.
Low-Budget Repairs, much like its central themes, is a rather askew, awkward, and lopsided affair. When it's at its best, it's a humorous slant on the House Flipper formula. But, at its worst, it's a broken, janky, and underdeveloped mess. Yet, despite its flaws, I still find myself glad to have endured this quirky handyman experience. Mileage may vary, but it's worth a try, provided you're not a perfectionist.
The Relic: First Guardian is not only one of the worst Soulslikes I have ever played, but a prime candidate for the worst game of 2026. It's a game that crumbles under the weight of its own ambition, aiming to be the next Elden Ring and missing the target wildly. Not one aspect of this game warrants praise, and in its current state, it is an affront to the Souls genre as a whole. It's time I will never get back, but hopefully through my suffering, you won't suffer the same fate.
Corsair Cove is a very welcome and unique slant on the colony builder format, offering a satisfying pirate fantasy with a lot of neat ideas. However, due to a rather lackluster card-based combat system that underpins all naval combat, and a rather predictable and linear progression system, Corsair Cove rides the waves and navigates the storm. But doesn't come out completely unscathed.
Halo Campaign Evolved offers a new, definitive way to enjoy the initial Halo Campaign. Complete with staggeringly crisp visuals, smooth gunplay, and welcome QoL changes. But critically, leaves pretty much everything else about the glorious campaign alone, making for a nostalgic affair that transports you right back to 2001.
The Mound: Omen Of Cthulhu has the bones of a Lovecraftian nightmare worth enduring. But sadly, when examined closely, there's very little meat on those bones. Some sanity system mechanics create memorable multiplayer moments, but due to a lack of substance, half-baked mechanics, and the fact that it inexplicably sets out its stall as an extraction game, The Mound: Omen Of Cthulhu will go down as a great idea executed haphazardly.
The biggest compliment we can pay Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is that it feels like the definitive way to play this swashbuckling adventure. A gorgeous, refined and expanded version that changes a lot for the better, while leaving things that made the original great well enough alone. Not all changes are for the better, but overall, this is a successful remake, and one that truly feels like an Assassin's Creed game of old, with a modern facelift.
Moonlight Peaks is one of the few Stardew Valley-likes which truly feels like its own thing, daring to lean into new ideas, Themes and mechanics. While it doesn't re-invent the wheel entirely, the ability to shape shift, brew potions, cast spells and generally lean into the life of a supernatural monster is very welcome. This is a game well worth checking out for all cozy game obsessives.
The Gothic 1 Remake is exactly what we hoped it would be, a modernized take on an uncompromising classic that does exactly what the original did, just on modern hardware with some extras thrown in to delight long-time fans. This is the game that inspired many of the RPGs that we know and love today, so those who enjoy games like The Witcher owe it to themselves to try this experience - and stick with it to be truly rewarded.
Mina the Hollower is a glorious modern-meets retro affair with oodles of amazing ideas, almost all of which coming together to offer a fluid and fun experience focused on freedom. Admittedly, some of the limitations of the retro-inspired top-down 2D approach do lead to clunky, imprecise platforming and cheap deaths. But all in all, this is a glorious continuation of indie excellence from the Shovel Knight Devs.
Despite some filler Game Boy titles bulking up the collection, it's fair to say that this Nickelodeon time capsule is a joy to behold. Search for Reptar is a cult classic for a reason and carries the collection. But there are also little nuggets of excellence to be found within the other baby-fueled titles. Fair warning, the controls are clunky, the camera is cumbersome, and the gameplay is often shallow. But despite it all, these games are a lot of fun, and it's a collection I feel blessed to have access to on modern systems
"Lightning rarely strikes twice, but against all odds, Zero Parades is a spiritual successor worthy of taking the torch from Disco Elysium and running with it. This spy thriller is a slow burn, but one that slowly blossoms over time. It's rich in detail, abundant with memorable moments, and elevates the rudimentary RPG systems of old. It may have some minor tweaks to make for the inevitable 'final cut'. But, no matter how you feel about this new iteration of Za/Um, their new IP is every bit as captivating as that which came before."