Kieron Verbrugge

“Like its adorable amphibian hero, Big Hops is charming and scrappy in equal measure. For all of the issues I faced during my playthrough – some squashed by patch work and others more fundamental – it's ultimately one of the most charming, playful, exhilarating and deeply funny adventures I've embarked on in some time.”

“It's not a particularly ambitious follow-up, but PowerWash Simulator 2 earns its sequel status through effective upgrades and thoughtful improvements across the board. It's a big uptick in looks, feel and play, and still the most fun you can have doing a chore.”

“While it's great to have new ports of some of Nintendo's very best 3D platformers, a high cost of entry and scarce embellishments takes a bit of the shine off of these stars.”

“Herdling's brisk walk through a wild world manages to charm from beginning to end, with just enough drama and beauty to make waving a makeshift cane at a horde of hairy beasts into an unforgettable journey.”

“Short and sweet, Is This Seat Taken? manages to make a joyful puzzle game out of classically uncomfortable social situations. It could have done with a bit more variety, even in its short runtime, but this is one that will speak to a lot of folks.”

“Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV offers a few new diversions wrapped in a neat presentation that makes it a compelling enough upgrade for existing owners. But for anyone jumping in at full wack, the slight visual edge and mixed bag of camera-based minigames don't necessarily make it an essential purchase over the much cheaper and perfectly playable Switch 1 version.”

“Ruffy and the Riverside is an impressive debut title and a top-notch 3D collectathon adventure. The texture-swapping gimmick adds a rich layer to the canvas that more than makes up for some spotty platforming, and Riverside itself is a wonderfully weird and gaudy locale well worth exploring.”

“Occupying a cosy space between video game, simulation and interactive wallpaper, Lushfoil Photography Sim offers some gorgeously enticing locales to virtually visit and snap – and just enough outside the frame to keep you playing.”

“Promise Mascot Agency excels in precisely the areas you'd expect from the folks behind Paradise Killer – it's a phenomenal aesthetic piece and a genuinely gripping, off-kilter crime drama. The management gameplay at its core proves to be a bit surface level, sometimes even intrusive, but there's an undercurrent of beautiful weirdness here that makes even the iffiest contracts worth signing.”

“Terry's bite-sized, open world adventure is absurdly hilarious and hilariously absurd in equal measure, providing a few, thrilling hours of goofy fun with some of the best video game comedy in recent memory. If you missed this on PC last year, now's your chance on PS5 and Switch.”

“Afterlove EP pulls from a deep emotional well to weave threads of grief, love, hope, resentment, forgiveness, identity and more through a mostly-good mix of choice-driven visual novel and rhythm game. It has some issues with flow, and the rhythm stuff isn't amazing, but stick with it and you'll fall in love with this little slice of Jakarta.”

“Tombi! Special Edition is a great example of how something like LRG's Carbon Engine can be used to help preserve a game accurately and respectfully while also modernising the experience enough to make it compatible and palatable for future audiences. The bonus materials could be better-presented, and the game's original blemishes remain by virtue of its preservation, but it's a great way to re-live an underappreciated classic in the genre.”

“THRASHER is hands-down one of the coolest-feeling, most entrancing and memorable VR experiences I've had in some time. With a simple enough concept backed up by gorgeous presentation and the same gleefully unnerving vibe that made Thumper so compelling, it's an absolute trip and a thoroughly impressive use of hand tracking on the Meta Quest.”

“The Star Named EOS tells a wonderful, bittersweet story through a unique gameplay lens that marries point-and-click puzzling with some light photography to great effect. If you've got a couple hours to spare getting lost in this hand-drawn and beautiful little game, you're in for an absolute treat.”

“Unsurprisingly, Spin Rhythm XD is as good on PlayStation as it has been on other platforms. It's a top-tier arcade rhythm title that's remained sorely underappreciated, a fact that will hopefully change with this release. With novel mechanics, a banging playlist, fantastic options for gameplay customisation and a fun (if strange) VR mode, there's never been a better spin on this experience.”

“Beyond Good & Evil's 20th Anniversary Edition does a commendable job of freshening up an experience that had long aged out of its must-play status. Enhanced visuals that don't dull the original charm, welcome quality-of-life and control improvements and a nice smattering of extra content go a long way to making this a worthwhile revisit to Hillys.”

“At the end of the day though, the Kingdom Hearts games being on Steam is a big deal not because they’re very moderately updated or because it’s at all new to be able to play them on PC, but because it’s a huge portion of the PC audience that can finally play them via their distribution platform of choice. And, in the amount of time I’ve been playing the Steam versions prior to launch, everything looks great and works as intended, which is wonderful news.”

“I jumped into The Smurfs - Village Party on a whim, hoping to feel the same dumb glee that I did when burning through Garfield Lasagna Party's trophy list. To my surprise, Village Party's ambitions rose much higher than a lot of games like it, but unfortunately the ensuing fall was much, much deeper than I could have imagined. This isn't worth your time, your kids' time, or anyone's.”

“Mullet Mad Jack is a blistering, balls-to-the-wall throwback to 90s anime and violent, dystopian sci-fi that marries boomer shooters with speedrunning and roguelike aspirations to form an absolutely intoxicating brew. It's short, and there's not much to keep you invested even with infinite floors to climb, but you'll be having a good fucking time while you're in it.”

“Little Kitty, Big City is a hugely charming, succinct romp that's littered with gags laser-targeted at cat owners. It's light and breezy in the best ways, and although some technical rubs soured my time on Xbox Series X, it's a purr-fectly pleasant time.”