Moving logs around to jump from one island to the other has never been so relaxing…and yet so perplexing! Some great brain-teasing logic puzzles that get more and more challenging as you explore the “open” archipelago, seamlessly integrating new strategies that will make you approach the puzzles differently. Many of the puzzle variants are repeated and some of the islands feel like filler, but the puzzling experiencing is incredibly polished. You’ll start your adventure simply knocking down one tree…and finish it rolling logs on top of rocks, making rafts and precariously figuring out each placement.

‘Dragon Quest Monsters Joker’ set in the ‘Dragon Quest XI’ universe (main characters specifically…) with a hint of ‘Dragon Quest Rocket Slime’ and some ‘Ni No Kuni II’ gameplay loops. It’s a smorgasbord of JRPG wholesomeness that really relies on your thirst for treasure hunting. There are quests, and there’s a vague story. But ultimately you’re scouring these five huge dragon continents waiting for your party monsters to tell you that treasure is nearby. It’s so simple, yet so addicting. Exploration is pretty much perfect here, just a shame the combat isn’t and becomes super frustrating when the game throws boss fights at you in the latter half. So many ideas, some undercooked, some overbaked and some are just delicious. This is one for the Dragon Quest fans!

I’VE NOT PLAYED PERSONA 5, I JUST LIKE RHYTHM GAMES lol

It’s basically ‘Samba De Amigo’ but instead of Latin music it’s to the slapping soundtrack of Persona 5. The overall package remains consistent with the mainline game (I’ve seen my partner play it), and watching the characters just come out and full-on dance is undeniably infectious to watch. The track list however is just too small and the remixes aren’t much to go on. Each one with a possible four difficulty settings and a plethora of modifiers to make the game easier or harder. The scratching mechanic on top of the circles spewing from the centre makes the higher difficulties absurdly challenging. Too much is happening on the screen and the brain cannot process it without constant practice. The socials where the Persona 5 characters mingle, which primarily act as the objectives for unlockables, are cute albeit inconsequential.

It’s a pleasant game, but in terms of rhythm spin-offs, ‘Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memories’ absolutely reigns supreme.

I’m astounded. This game has absolutely floored me. It’s taken hold of my life, my soul and my everything for the past three weeks.

Literally just completed it with the “Age of the Stars” ending. Level 188…92 hours…and I adored every single second of this masterpiece. Elden Ring is my first FromSoftware Soulslike experience, I usually shy away from challenging games due to unnecessary stress and frustration. Yet, Elden Ring taunted me. It lured me in with its undeniable difficulty. With every death, I learnt from my mistakes. I become stronger and stronger and stronger, raking in the runes and slaying bosses with my overpowered sorcery.

Everything, and I mean everything, was perfect in this game. The no-handholding exploration of a richly detailed sprawling world. Optional catacombs and caves that then unveil an entire new area with multiple points of interest and rewards. The fair yet intimidating combat. The myriad of different character builds, weapons and incantations. The epic orchestral score. The varied bosses with moves that would absolutely pulverise you in one slash of their sword (Malenia can politely go away…). The lore, the atmosphere, the addictive grind for runes. EVERYTHING!

Here I was 4 months ago exclaiming “I can’t believe GoW: Ragnarok” didn’t win GOTY. And you know what? Elden Ring deserves all the accolades, acclaim and praise it gets. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, genuinely a masterpiece.

Decent two-lined rhythm game with a collection of Japanese songs that absolutely SLAP! The songs are frantic, fast and can be genuinely difficult in the “Master” difficulty setting. And if you get the “Full game” DLC, there are hundreds of songs to choose from. Fantastic value for money. Different characters with unique bonuses to unlock, as well as illustrations and side-creatures. Just a shame these are all of girls in as little clothes as possible. Far too over-sexualised to appeal to a certain demographic…

A welcomed reminder that video games do not need to be 60+ hours long, open-world, bloated with content and heavily relying on multiplayer, to be fun. Hi-Fi Rush literally came out of nowhere and nearly every second of its playtime SLAPPED!

'Sunset Overdrive' meets 'Crypt of the Necrodancer' with the flavourings of 'Bayonetta' and the comic comedy of 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World'. Every element to this neatly packaged experience was brimming with charm, personality and just plain fun. The soundtrack, ranging from Nine Inch Nails to The Prodigy, slapped when flailing my guitar to the beat. The art stylisation was impeccable. The voice acting charismatic. The combat fluid and incredibly satisfying. The bosses intense and varied. Just...what a game!

My only gripes are the forced parrying (I suck at parrying, so that's a me issue) and the occasionally long level design. But these are nitpicks to what is a flippin' rockstar video game. ELECTRIFYING!!!

"Cringey dialogue". "Unlikeable protagonist". "Woke trash". Jeez, the hatred spouting from keyboard warriors for this open-world adventure is, quite frankly, overblown to a ridiculous degree. To the point where it's now commonplace to follow the mass in their loathing without actually giving the game a chance. Could it be because the central protagonist is a strong and assertive female who speaks her mind? Knowing today's toxic environment, I wouldn't be surprised. Yes, Frey and Cuff talk to each other non-stop with limited variance in dialogue exchanges, but it's fairly easy to block out and is no where near as relentless as people would lead you to believe.

The game itself is actually very good, in my opinion. And the main reason for its greatness is Frey's fluid traversal. Gliding, sprinting, rushing and generally performing parkour to get from side of the map to the other. It's just damn fun and suits Luminous' engine (FFXV players will know...). Then an experimental element-based combat system (equipped with a temperamental lock-on system) adds more oomph to the...fray. The story itself is fairly grounded with a decent character arc for Frey, abandoned at birth with a huge resentment towards everyone (naturally...) and then magically transported to Athia where she learns to become altruistic for the fate of a civilisation. The lore is imaginative and welcomed compared to the usual open-world copy-and-pasted ventures...

...and speaking of 'Ubisoft' open-world design, that's Forspoken's weakest area. There's just no real incentive and want to explore every landmark and hidden treasures tucked away in Athia's expansive landscapes. You can literally complete the main campaign easily without having to visit a single side location, which defeats the point of the open-world. It's beautiful no doubt, it just needed to be implemented in a way that incentivises exploration. It's also "empty", but it doesn't present itself as an issue due to Frey's rapid-paced parkour. Fields populated with enemies can be blitzed through in seconds, in comparison to over favoured open-world bores like 'Assassin's Creed Valhalla'.

Basically, ignore the haters, give it a go with an open-mind and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.