Immortals of Aveum puts a fun twist on FPS conventions, and delivers upon its promise of colorful, exciting magical combat. But the story and worldbuilding are undermined by a cringeworthy script, and the half-baked loot system and metroidvania elements betray a lack of confidence in the central premise.
Beyond the shock value of its demonic horrors, this survivalist city-builder has little to recommend it.
Absurd, unrelenting and endlessly creative, Turbo Overkill is a masterfully composed symphony of violence.
Remnant 2 is a dependable looter shooter made special by its boundless capacity to surprise.
A powerful generator of gnawing tension and tough tactical decisions, Aliens: Dark Descent is a script pass away from being an all-timer.
Lovingly remade, this game is no longer the trailblazer it once was, but there is an enduring majesty to the design of its space-station setting
Boltgun's boltgun earns a place in the pantheon of great video game weapons, but the rest of the game's arsenal doesn't quite live up to it.
HROT is a retro shooter that uses nineties style 3D graphics to build an oppressive late Soviet dictatorship afflicted by an unspecified disaster. It offers a masterclass in classic FPS map design, but has a weaker arsenal than other boomer shooters, and becomes less coherent as it progresses.
Despite occasional flourishes, Arkane's latest game feels fundamentally at odds with itself
Respawn Entertainment's sequel is a huge improvement over Jedi: Fallen Order, and a virtual blockbuster without compromise
This visual novel spins a passable yarn in a noirish atmosphere, but would benefit from more space to explore it
Dead Island 2 doesn't pretend to be anything other than a daft, messy romp through undead LA, and this carefree, capricious attitude is precisely what makes it fun.
Don't be fooled by its drab exterior, Wartales is a deep and richly rewarding exercise in party creation.
Set in an Amazon-like fulfilment centre, this satirical adventure has interesting ideas but fails to adequately explore them
There's merit in Ravenbound's kinetic combat, but the game's ambition is undermined by technical issues and an empty world.
The Settlers: New Allies has some degree of pedigree coming from Anno 1800's Ubisoft Blue Byte, but it's, unfortunately, a dismal strategy affair, confused, anaemic, and achingly dull.
This remake of 2008's urgent sci-fi horror from Visceral Games resists big changes in favour of some laser-focused improvements
Lacking the sharpness needed by both shooters and comedy, High on Life is a low point in the gaming calendar.
Ixion elegantly balances the dynamic play of a colony simulation with a grand, meticulously directed sci-fi narrative. Its perilous journey through a cold and dangerous universe is vivid and engrossing, although its complex routines occasionally obstruct its storytelling ambitions.
"As Darktide's levels aren't grouped into acts, it's much harder for Fatshark to tell coherent stories across them"