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Last reviewed: Mina the Hollower · 7 days ago
Luna Abyss is a AA shooter that holds its own against some of the elite of the genre. Its enticing and ominous sci-fi world is a delight to look at artistically, even if its muddy graphics let it down on closer inspection. Its story is fine, but a slick sense of progression keeps its action and platforming interesting from start to finish.
Planet Zoo is, ironically, a relatively toothless park building game. It doesn't have the delicious chaos of the Jurassic World Evolution games or the thrills of building your own rollercoaster and then hoping it'll stay on the tracks in Planet Coaster. But it's a pleasant and charming game. There's an airy joy in creating a peaceful home for animals to live in, and the earnest conservationist slant of Planet Zoo is hard to fault.
If you can look past the repetition and the roadblocks, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a largely solid shooter. It nails the visuals, the guns generally feel great, and the sound design is suitably punchy — just don't expect it to push beyond those foundations.
While the game doesn’t look particularly pretty, it does run at 60 frames-per-second on PS5, and the developer has implemented haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers, which help communicate the feel of driving a gigantic double-decker. Post-release support is en-route, too, promising new school bus-inspired gameplay and trams, so there’s a lot of life left in this one even once you’ve mastered the extensive content available on day one.
Whether you're a fan of LEGO, arcade racing, or both, this game comes highly recommended from us, with the unfortunate caveat that it also features pretty aggressive monetisation. Tactile open worlds have a decent amount to discover, the Story mode strikes the perfect tone, and the driving itself is great fun. On top of all that, an impressive build mode lets you make your own crazy cars, though it's a shame you can't share them with your pals. Unfortunately, the microtransactions are hard to ignore, and they drag down what is otherwise a creative and engaging racer.
If the lead character’s HP reaches zero then it’s game over. All character levels are lost upon defeat, and you’ll have to start the dungeon from the first floor, keeping your equipment and any learned skills. Though the floors are short, it’s best to take your time and level up steadily to make progress in preparation for the potential difficulty spike, otherwise you’ll pay the price for trying to rush through. The game's flow can feel quite protracted as a result, and there’s a certain amount of level grinding from the off.
Tin Hearts is a charming Lemmings spiritual successor with a moving story that's perfectly presented with gorgeous visuals and relaxing music. The few bugs and frame rate issues aren’t enough to prevent us recommending this excellent title. This isn’t one to march on by.
Zool was a classic back in the day, but it didn't endure as much as other genre luminaries. This remaster enhances what was great about the original title while adding some modern elements to sweeten the deal.
Garden Simulator is low risk, low reward, but highly addictive. We spent hours before we even realised it, and found the experience to be thoroughly relaxing; exactly what the small plot of the game sets out to achieve. While it’s nice to potter around your small garden and admire your crops, it does feel somewhat tedious after a while. Tasks tend to be repeated in some form or another, and there’s no variation in season or weather. Every day is the same. It feels like a trick has been missed with this, and that so much more could have been done by adding this in, along with some garden pests.
Revita is an easy to pick up but tough to master twin-stick shooter, presented with gorgeous visuals and catchy music. It’s addictive gameplay loop, balanced risk/reward mechanics, and abundance of content puts it in strong competition with the biggest and best in the genre (The Binding of Isaac, Dead Cells, and Enter the Gungeon) for the top spot.
Minecraft Legends lacks the strategic depth to entice genre veterans but could be a great place to get newcomers or younger audiences interested. It has a lot of heart and can be a good bit of fun, provided your expectations are properly calibrated.
While there is a light sense of progression enabled by an XP system, the game generally feels quite hands-off in terms of guidance or direction. We enjoyed learning the operation of the trams and even the signalling system, but once we’d driven both routes a handful of times, we didn’t feel massively compelled to do it again. By comparison, Train Sim World 3 – with its medals, collectibles, and deeper scenarios – feels a lot more moreish, and thus we’d only really recommend TramSim: Console Edition if you’re comfortable with setting your own rules and rewards.
Stray Blade is an enjoyable entry-level Souls-like RPG with a beautifully built world to explore. Its intriguing narrative and comical companion, Boji, will keep you entertained for its full 20-plus hour duration. Although bugs and frame rate issues are present, we would recommend Stray Blade to those looking to get a foot in the door of the Souls-like genre.
There is nothing brand new to look forward to in the title, but Afterlife VR effectively takes a blender to a number of horror tropes and settings, delivering a sufficiently worthwhile experience.
Nuclear Blaze is an enjoyable pixel platformer that gets all the basics right but lacks any meaningful depth to keep you engaged. Its vast array of difficulty options can be praised for making it accessible to all, however its incredibly short runtime makes it a very passable experience.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor does what any successful sequel should do: it expands on the foundations of the first game and does everything better. Combat is just as enjoyable and offers more options, exploration is on a whole other level, and the Metroidvania elements make for engaging puzzles and satisfying rewards. Easily one of the best Star Wars games ever made, it hands 2023 yet another crowning highlight.
Afterimage does enough to stand out in a genre that is quickly becoming overcrowded, with its surprisingly deep combat and excellent visual design. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but will likely find a loving home in the hands of Metroidvania enthusiasts.