Enchanted Portals copies almost everything about Cuphead, except for the precision of its mechanics, the tightness of its design and the enjoyment gleaned by mastering it. All the good bits really…
While this sandy action RPG is somewhat lacking in technical and visual polish, Atlas Fallen is still a strong outing from Deck13, with the outfit continuing to prove it's got the chops when it comes to crafting interesting mechanics and fun combat.
Burning Shores may not feel essential in the grand scheme of things, but a solid self-contained story and dedication to character depth make this the perfect excuse to return to this brilliant action-adventure RPG
Curse of the Sea Rats' charmingly nostalgic art direction can only partially hide a Metroidvania whose mechanical shortcomings are numerous, and whose substandard technical stability is irredeemable in its launch state.
Wo Long is another solid entry into the hardcore hack and slash RPG genre, but some wonky difficulty and questionable enemy AI spoil some of the design nuances and mean it doesn't quite hit the heights of Team Ninja's previous efforts
Ragnarök chooses iteration over innovation, but continues to operate in a league of its own in terms of its nuanced gameplay and otherworldly technical execution. This is the new posterchild for what the PS5 is capable of, and the passionate product of a development outfit that can seemingly do no wrong.
Metal: Hellsinger enlists some all-star musical talent to bring its dream of metal-based FPS mayhem to life, but stumbles in finding its gameplay rhythm.
This interactive crime drama packs a unique visual style and some gripping moments dealing with mature themes. The choices you make are crucial to the fates of two families, but the impact is more keenly felt in the first act than the second.
A brilliant new playable character makes re-experiencing the beautiful brutality of Cuphead a worthwhile prospect. The expertly designed bosses are a delight, even if the experience ends up being a bit of snack rather than a full meal.
A quaint art direction and an occasional well-conceived puzzle are not enough to redeem this painful slog through a child's living nightmare. Trial-and-error instakill sections and some of the worst hide and seek stealth since Sanity of Morris ensure the greatest nightmare will be your own.
Strangers of Paradise is a loveable action-RPG despite its best efforts to spoil itself with a story that only becomes interesting in the last hour. The action is a little messy and not all of the moving parts gel together perfectly, but it's got a compelling janky charm that is hard to ignore.
An expansive, beautiful and engrossing new adventure that deepens the series' lore while doubling down on what made the original such a classic. A masterclass in meaningful open-world design, where exploration and curiosity is encouraged and rewarded.
Halo Infinite's campaign closes a few doors and opens some others, and even if the open-world stylings could be better integrated into the overarching gameplay design, it's a title that pays homage to the past while looking to the future
Call of Duty: Vanguard unabashedly apes the style of 2019's Modern Warfare, with a multiplayer that is fun though familiar, but featuring a campaign that largely misses the mark.
BPM: Bullets Per Minute demands its pound of flesh in terms of initial difficulty, and many will find this off-putting. But persist and you'll be rewarded with a unique roguelike rhythm-based FPS with a metal soundtrack that slaps harder than the hand of God.
An enthralling murder mystery with mature themes makes Lost Judgment one of the best narratives in the series. Yagami and his cohort are in their element as detectives and lawyers doggedly pursuing justice and truth, so much so that its relatively easy to overlook some of the tonal dissonance with the side content.
Deathloop takes Arkane's well known brand of first-person action stealth and artfully melds it into a time-bending multi-assassination power fantasy.
Some devilishly clever puzzles shine in a unique take on the point-and click genre, but the game waits to the end to make its story truly interesting, which might be a little late if you're looking for an emotional investment to get you through some of the more tedious moments.
Foreclosed features a masterful comic book art style and pumping sci-fi soundtrack, but its average action and failure to capitalise on its cyberpunk themes make it a hard sell.
The Ascent nails the cyberpunk aesthetic but doesn't really attempt to capitalise on its themes of corporate slavery. The solid audiovisuals and competent action-RPG twin-stick shooter hybrid gameplay manage to glue the experience together, even when glaring flaws such as lacklustre quest design and an overreliance on backtracking threaten to derail it.