Rob Gordon

“Dustborn is a game that tries to be many things, and in the end does instill some of its charm in the player. However, the grating tone of the game's dialogue, which takes up the bulk of the game's run time, hampers the user's overall enjoyment. It's a bit of a missed opportunity, as underneath it all is a story and game world that begs to be properly realized.”

“Still Wakes The Deep is a very atmospheric horror game with some brilliant moments and strong character dialogue. It is unfortunately hampered by a safe overall narrative that players may find more comfortable than scary, and a lack of something new within its gameplay model. Nonetheless, it's an effective game that oozes quality, and those after a strong if not purely creative horror title will find plenty to love.”

“F1 24 is another excellent entry in the franchise from Codemasters. It's not the most exciting update of all time, lacking any major changes that give a wow factor, but those tweaks that have been made work well and provide players old and new alike with something substantial to enjoy. It might not be a necessary purchase for those who have owned an entry from the last couple of years, but Codemasters once again proves its ability to make the best racing games on the market.”

“Heading Out is an interesting racing game that blends narrative-driven elements successfully. The moment to moment gameplay is serviceable at the very least, with sections of real strength, but the experience is truly elevated by the game's atmosphere and structure. It won't be for everyone, but those who enjoy a title that tries to hybridize different ideas that shouldn't necessarily work together will certainly come to appreciate its full and compelling world.”

“TopSpin 2K25 has the core elements of a good tennis game, and its actual moment-to-moment gameplay has sufficient improvements over anything else on the market to keep tennis fans happy, especially the complexity of options for players with every swing of the racket. Structurally, the game has a few hiccups, with a fluctuation when it comes to just how enjoyable certain parts of the career mode are combined with awkward pacing that seems deliberately structured with potential in-game transactions in mind, although there's still plenty there to enjoy.”

“Life Eater provides something quite different from anything else available, and will likely live long in the memory. For that reason, even in spite of its faults, it's probably worth a try for anyone with even a cursory interest in horror or new ways for games to tell their stories.”

“Overall, the quality of Death Noodle Delivery is a bit inconsistent. Its use of Paperboy as a fun game structure to then have those more introspective moments is a good idea and executed fairly well. However, some clumsiness with themes and plot, as well as some awkward gameplay choices, mean it never quite achieves the potential that it has.”

“Outcast - A New Beginning unfortunately lacks many aspects needed to revitalize this cult classic for the modern day. With an archaic gameplay loop and middling action, it’s not quite the follow-up to a revolutionary experience that fans may way. Although some may enjoy a return to Adelpha, and there’s quality to be found in exploration, this is an open world game that fails to hit the mark.”

“WWE 2K24 is an excellent wrestling game, with the franchise returning to form thanks to a fantastic variety of gameplay modes.”

“Iron's Hot is something of a mixed bag. There's a lot of charm and a lot of promise, but a lack of variety and some unfortunate bugs and sloppy design hold it back from being a must-play. Those who enjoy a cozy game or are after a light-hearted fantasy will still likely enjoy it, but that recommendation does come with some footnotes.”

“Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an excellent adaptation of the Warhammer universe into a genre that some may expect not to work. A compelling RPG with a strong understanding of its original property, it’s a great example of the classic C-RPGs of the 1990s and early 2000s. Although it perhaps does nothing revolutionary, it provides an intriguing and exciting adventure, especially for fans of the tabletop game.”

“Spirittea is a fantastic cozy game. It sticks closely to the life sim template with the skeleton of its gameplay, but its main gameplay of bathhouse management and its spirit -finding progression system means that players will thoroughly enjoy what Spirittea has to offer. In addition, it's even better on Switch as something to be lazy with on the sofa or on a long journey.”

“Under The Waves is a powerful story with wonderful atmosphere, but a lack of polish holds it back from achieving its true potential.”

“Overall, F1 Manager 2023 is a successful management sim. It understands the complexities of the sport of Formula One well, and replicates it with gameplay that is accessible for people without them getting lost in data. Although there's room for improvement, it's an excellent option for fans of F1 in general.”

“Dave the Diver is an absolute delight to play. Its core gameplay loop is wonderfully relaxing, but before too long players will be finding all the different options in its nooks and crannies. It’s surely one of the best games of the year so far, and players will love taking on the role of our goatee'd hero.”

“All in all, Killer Frequency is a clever slasher puzzler that is well worth the time. Horror fans will get a lot out of its knowledge of the genre as a whole, and its fresh take on telling a slasher story means that even within its tropes there's still something to find. It doesn't always land, and the Switch version does have the odd issue, but Killer Frequency is bloody good fun.”

“Above all else, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is an interesting game. A blend of visual novel and magical relationship adventure, it's an intriguing mix that for the most part works extremely well. It may start to struggle when its simple design approaches fail to match the intricacy of its plot threads, but overall it holds its own.”

“Overall, this leaves After Us as a flawed but intriguing 3D platformer. Its moments of brilliance are great to behold, such as its varied, dreadful locales and those moments where its platforming truly clicks. However, its lack of character and story development and its more frustrating sections do mean that it's not a perfect game - but at the very least its heart is in the right place.”

“Overall, Farming Simulator 23 scratches the same sort of itch as previous games in the series, but it's maybe not as effective has the more substantial home releases. There's enough here for a player to initially sink their teeth into, particularly when the game's portable focus is considered, but that depth does disappear relatively quickly. Even so, there's still something deeply satisfying about its farming gameplay loop, and those after a relaxing experience will find one here.”

“Overall, Terra Nil is a wonderfully relaxing strategy game. Its unique approach to the strategy genre is refreshing when compared to its peers, and although its scope is a little limited, players will still want to revisit to get the optimum outcome of each level.”