Nick Gillett
A visual novel set in the world of Roadwarden that offers some degree of choice, but whose real charm comes from its straightforward prose and troubled, authentic-seeming characters.
A succesful re-imagining of the classic 90s interactive movie, that retains the characters and setting but adds some fun new puzzles and VR wonderment.
It's no Sonic Mania, but this is still one of the better attempts to create a modern day 2D Sonic The Hedgehog, with impressive visuals but boring boss battles.
A fabulously detailed racing game with a huge car roster and engrossing single-player modes, slightly marred by forcefully encouraging you to perform practise laps before races.
A wordless and atmospheric puzzle game that's just as ingenious and inventive as Limbo and Inside, but with more substantial gameplay and perfect pacing.
A taut, characterful headrush of an expansion that completes Cyberpunk 2077's redemption and re-establishes it as one of the great open world adventures of the generation.
A pub band cover version of Forza Horizon 5, that despite a few unique ideas doesn't come close to the fun and variety of its inspiration.
A story about loneliness and grief, set in a retro-futuristic 1970s and told from the perspective of a deepsea diver, which is less interested in action than creating the right atmosphere.
An intriguingly whimsical mix of choose your own adventure book and musical, whose lacklustre songs and limited interactions don't manage to live up to the promise of its name.
A full-on space opera looter shooter RPG, that is brimming with content and exciting combat set pieces, but which doesn't quite know when to stop before it starts to feel repetitive.
A combat-heavy action RPG with fun fights and spectacular landscapes, that's brought down by glitches, fiddly navigation, and an over-reliance on fetch quests.
This slightly spooky sequel continues its tale of real people in strange situations, picking up the story and characters of Oxenfree and retaining its style and puzzle-adjacent gameplay.
A beautiful and exquisitely violent ballet of gunfire and telekinesis, that feels incredible to play but lacks the challenge or variety for long term play.
A crisply drawn futuristic racquet sport with consistent and nuanced physics that's let down by a user base too small to support online matchmaking.
A glorious looking and warm-hearted adventure in modern healthcare, let down by tedious mini-games, bugs, and lengthy conversations that often go nowhere.
It’s practically impossible to review Honkai: Star Rail. It’s so huge you couldn’t hope to finish it and even if you could, as a live service game, it continues to change and evolve as it updates. The anime art style may or may not appeal, and the old school random monster encounters might irritate or feel like coming home, but at least it won’t cost you anything to find out.
A charmingly narrated VR puzzle game, with some interesting mechanics, but it's let down by mechanical difficulties and occasionally insufficient signposting.
A massive and complex fantasy themed 4X strategy game, made appealingly straightforward thanks to its cleverly refined interface.
Immersive sim meets four-player co-op in this vampire themed first person shooter that features competent gunplay but a lack of ingenuity in its challenges.
A 90s style JRPG with dungeon exploration, random monster encounters, and a penchant for crafting, whose rough and ready production values undermine its comforting milieu.