Ashley Bates's Reviews
El Paso, Elsewhere might suffer from some filler levels, but the excellent gameplay and writing make it worth checking out.
Mortal Kombat 1's New Era might be a bit too familiar, but the core gameplay and range of modes on offer here is undeniable.
A fun space-faring RPG held back by a few glaring decisions, Starfield is a good launching point for a game that'll become something great in the future.
There's charm and appeal to be found in WrestleQuest, but this old school RPG doesn't have enough to stay in the main event.
A brilliant standard setter for remasters and re-releases going forward, Quake 2 feels like a love letter to one of the grandfathers of boomer shooters.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a smart, fun and well-executed roguelike take on the beat 'em genre.
Exoprimal has good ideas, and feels like a genuinely novel and fun concept, but the asking price is simply way too steep, leaving the player to feel like extinction might be inevitable.
AEW: Fight Forever's good ideas can't save it from a paltry amount of content and somewhat inferior gameplay compared to its competition.
A sublime fighting game masterpiece from a company at the peak of their powers, Street Fighter 6 is utterly incredible.
A solid first lap for a racer that might need a bit more time to hit top speed, LEGO 2K Drive is still worth playing whether you're young, old or somewhere in between.
Competing with Fire Emblem for the title of premier strategy game on the Nintendo Switch, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a definitive combination of two cult classics.
Meet Your Maker is a good first step for a game that needs some more content and ideas if it's going to keep any momentum.
Not exactly a huge advancement on last year, but WWE 2K23 didn't need to be, instead offering smart improvements on an already great formula.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's engaging combat, satisfying parries and decent level design help this Soulslike become a truly entertaining package.
Like A Dragon: Ishin is a competent remake of a previously Japan-only release, but series veterans might find more issues to nitpick over.
While there's an audience out there for Wanted: Dead's schtick, the myriad of issues with the whole game make it a tough sell.
While Lone Ruin is currently sparse on content, there's some solid gameplay foundations here that could be built upon in the future.
The Rumble Fish 2 isn't the most groundbreaking port ever, but there's still a solid fighting game on offer here.
Evil West isn't the most complicated game ever made, but it doesn't need to be, offering a good few hours of overpowered fun.
A loving homage to horror gaming's biggest franchise, Save Room is a puzzle title that won't give you a fright.