Top-tier Castlevania alongside 'Symphony of the Night' (which funnily enough Aria clearly uses many elements from Symphony!). Challenging with typically well-designed enemies that you slaughter with a wide variety of weapons. Great castle layout with unique rooms. Intuitive "Tactical Soul System" - which progressed the metroidvania sub-genre tenfold! - allowing you to absorb unique offensive and defensive abilities from enemies. Memorable boss fights - aside from the first three which then become normal enemies later on in the game. Soma Cruz is everything. Death is a bitch.

It's relatively short but this is pure Castlevania excellence and, alongside the DS sequel 'Dawn of Sorrow' is easily the best portable entry in the franchise.

Harmony of Headache-inducing map design...apparently. Personally, the twin identical castles weren't that much of a nuisance and was always allowing me to explore and find new items. It's definitely a Castlevania game at its most Metroidvania though, with little to no guidance and an incalculable amount of backtracking when switching castles. But genuinely still enjoyed it.

Bosses galore (although not as challenging as other titles in the series), endearing story, vital items everywhere and plenty of varied enemies to spice up the gameplay in each new room. Whipping my way through skeletons, lizardmen and demons with satisfying movement and a various elemental spells.

It's not the most harmonious Castlevania entry (Aria of Sorrow still the supreme GBA title) but the no hand-holding exploration is something I personally relish, and Harmony encourages that and then some!

A rhythmic tribute to one of the longest running video game franchises of all-time. From the fifteen mainline entries - and their sequels/spin-offs/remakes - to the more niche titles such as Mobius and Chocobo Mystery Dungeon, Final Bar Line has one of the most selective playlists ever in a rhythm game. Seriously, nearly 400 Final Fantasy songs and they STILL don’t include every single game (My Life as a King deserved an inclusion…). But what Theatrhythm presents is a harmonious legacy that really excels at showing the musical progression of video games. The polyphonic bit tunes of FFI and FFII soon grow into elaborate orchestral pieces from FFXIII and FFXV, and it’s genuinely awe-inspiring. It showcases the franchise’s strength musically, injecting harmonies into your mind where you’ll subconsciously start humming them every night!

Over 100 characters to unlock and choose from in a rudimentary but pleasant RPG mechanic that allows the likes of Cloud, Lightning and Noctis to fight enemies while you’re tapping and holding notes. The tracks are well-designed in terms of note placement and unbelievably challenges your reflexes on Ultimate difficulty (I felt like a GOD clearing “One Winged Angel - Rebirth”). Over 1,000 collectible memorabilia cards to keep you coming back for more, including cute screenshots from each of the games. And those cinematic levels? chef’s kiss

I just wish the RPG aspect and quests were more evolved than just a visual distraction while completing the tracks. But as someone who really hasn’t experienced Final Fantasy in all its glory, I got chills when those Theatrhythm medleys started playing. What a legacy!

A mutated misadventure of wasted potential. Ahhh...you know when you can see the beauty beneath the mounds of unrefined excrement? That's Biomutant. A post-apocalyptic open-world filled with rat...rodent...abominations, where you run around slashing creatures and executing gun-fu awesomeness. Tribes battling it out for total domination, or persuading each other to bring peace in unison (fully equipped with a redundant conscience mechanic). A looter shooter with so much promise, that it becomes eternally frustrating when the whole production is marred with an absurd amount of unpolished mediocrity.

The combat is clunky, the story is trite, the open-world tasks are repetitive, the movement is choppy and even the locations are so obviously copy-and-pasted that it leaves a biohazardous taste in one's mouth. The narration needs to die. The Dr. Seuss-esque language is hilariously dumb. The crafting is menial, as is the basic skill system. Everything about Biomutant is screaming for help from its awry development...

...and yet I didn't hate it, and I physically can't explain why. After the first rough hour, it just clicked with me where I was scaling the world not enjoying myself but not detesting the experience either. It's quick, weirdly fluid and very "pick up and play" friendly, but this unique open-world has too much lost potential to recommend.

Growing up sucks, but unfortunately it is inevitable. Wouldn't we all rather be playing outside with our friends, creating an imaginative role-playing experience populated with plywood monsters instead of being inundated with coursework? I know I would. And that is what is so smart and charming about Lil Gator Game, it knows adulthood looms so why not just enjoy our free-spirited childhoods while we still have it! Take a break from assignments and use that imagination. Embracing fantasy but never shying away from eventual adult responsibilities.

Super engaging writing with genuinely humorous and meta dialogue. Incredibly relaxing exploration as you complete purposefully menial quests while cutting through hordes of plywood enemies. Lots of different outfits to craft, including weapons, shields and hats. Memorable friends to recruit for your playground town. Just the whole vibe is pleasantly chill, and sometimes we need that in a game.

It is short, only really taking three hours to fully complete. But that's kinda the point, perfect for a tranquil Sunday afternoon.

A poignant story on loss and reflecting on the appeasing of spirits. It's short, sweet and beautifully realised with gorgeous pixel art. The characters of Arietta and her parents were well-rounded, with her mum mourning the loss of her own mother and the father doing his best to lift everyone's spirits. Spirit weasel...thing...Arco feels less than substantial. Aside from a predictable yet emotional ending, he basically guides the player and lists plenty of exposition every ten minutes.

Combat is somewhat basic, swinging a sword in one strike and eventually the use of a magic shield. Yet the varied enemies keep the combat fresh for the 2-3 hour playtime. Collectibles are introduced near the beginning, though really have no pivotal rewards to incentivise the collecting.

Really you're here for the charming story, picturesque pixel art and short playtime that makes it a great Sunday afternoon experience.

Oh, the moon is so bright and polygonal! Literally plays like a classic Sonic game with its two acts per themed stage, just in 3D and with a surprising amount of polish. The platforming is tight, the soundtrack slaps and the homage to the fifth generation era of console gaming is pretty charming! Unlockable characters, collectibles on each stage per character and replay value for besting your high scores and times.

Problem is the latter half of the game is so intricate with its platforming, that speed running them is just not fun. One misstep and BAM, a reset which then prevents the "S" rank. Would've loved some boss acts per stage as well to really emulate those classic platformers and add that little bit more content. Ultimately the game can be completed in just over an hour, but it's a fun linear platformer!

Wrath of the White Witch? Wrath of the Boss Battle Difficulty Spikes, more like. This game's sequel remains one of my favourite JRPGs, and games in general, of all-time (and I'm fully aware that's a hot-take or whatever). So it took me some time to mentally prepare myself for the original, considering that the battle system is completely different. What I got was an incredibly polished, beautifully rich and abundantly cute Pokemon-like JRPG powered by the illustrious imagination and gorgeous animation of Studio Ghibli. Seriously, the typical "end of a world" story mixed in which with alternate realities where souls are linked and its inhabitants remain heart-broken is deceptively simple. But the characters are charming, the world is colourful and the wild familiars roaming the expansive map are incredibly varied.

Errands, bounties, hidden treasures, alchemy crafting, multiple characters, hundred of familiars, casino minigames, an arena (known as the Solosseum), spells that alter the overworld, ingredient collecting...the list goes on. The game is huge, as to be expected. Beating the story alone on "normal" difficulty (I'll get to that in a minute) takes hours upon hours of exploration, grinding and collecting. And yet whenever the game got challenging - and believe me, it did - grinding never felt boring.

And that's because of the combat system. Very peculiar in a refreshing way. You control one character at a time with their unique abilities, such as casting spells or using trickshots from a gun. Then, each character can summon one of three familiars attached to them, each with their own moves and elemental types. The catch though is that the familiars' souls are linked to the caster, so if the familiar takes damage...so does the caster. It certainly produces moments of strategy, and while the combat generally is brisk and entertaining, it's definitely flawed. The fellow characters controlled by AI frequently ignore your tactics and really just do their own thing. That's the only big downside, and it's noticeable during the multi-phase boss battles which turn the challenge up to an astronomical amount. "Normal" mode? Seriously! That three-phase final boss battle - not the only three-phase boss battle by the way... - tested my limits to an extreme amount.

It's typical of JRPGs to have tough bosses to suggest to the player that they need to grind to level up, but sometimes Ni no Kuni really pushes your patience on that. And yet, for the forty-plus hours, I had an absolute blast. The charm of its colourful refinement and extensive amount of content really sets this game up for the more streamlined albeit just as expansive sequel.

This was bahhhh-fflingly good. (Wait, that's more a sheep sound). This was kinda AHHHHH-some! (Better!). Who would've thought a sequel to the meme-experimental-tech demo that took the Internet by storm would actually be an incredibly polished game? Genuinely fun, with so many details hidden within every nook and cranny of this sizeable island filled with stupid quests, hilarious references and enough collectibles to fund a goat army. The way completing quests adds related items/themes to your goat castle. The altering of the world map when a quest is completed, such as detonating a nuclear bomb in the middle of a town. The sheer amount of costumes with unique abilities, including an angry granny riding the goat armed with a yarn ball cannon(?). Just so much content for a well-priced game.

Sure, the core essence of the Goat Simulator hasn't changed. There are some unrefined bugs/glitches that can make for some frustrating moments of platforming between buildings. The driving is clunky. And once you've found the vast majority of collectibles, trying to find those last few can be absurdly frustrating. But the whole experience is SO much better, to the point where this sequel actually feels like a game rather than a demo.

Well, I can confidently say that Tchia is the first game I've played set in New Caledonia. And for what it's worth, the level of authenticity to Kanak culture (despite the game itself being fictional) is incredibly refreshing. The indigenous talent, ranging from Awaceb's directors' personable upbringing to the native instrumental score, is Tchia's biggest accomplishment. The picturesque sun rays beating down on you as you dip your toes into the crystalline blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Relaxing, relaxing, relaxing...

You climb mountains, ride the waves and even "soul-jump" into different creatures and inanimate objects. Yes that's right, you can become a poopin' pigeon, a dainty ukulele or even a boring big rock. Unfortunately, the only animal you'll want to be is a bird because it's the fastest way to traverse these two sizeable islands filled with jumbled collectibles that really do not incentivise the core aspect of exploration. Stamina fruits are great, but collecting pearls and braided trinkets (two currency forms) to trade for cosmetics? It just doesn't motivate. And with no combat or skills to evolve, there's nothing to develop. Would've loved some enhanced manoeuvrability or agility, because Tchia is damn slow bless her!

The story is surprisingly dark but really you're here for the beautiful views and casual gliding, and for that the game succeeds...just...

They took everything that made 'Breath of the Wild' a gaming masterpiece and made it bigger, better and staggeringly behemothic. Hyrule, sky islands, caves, wells, The Depths, five times the amount of side quests, more varied shrines, dungeons, memorable boss battles, a final boss that rivals the very best in the franchise and new abilities that makes hours upon hours of sandbox experimentation just so damn fun - just like a direct sequel should be.

If you're saying this is "$70 DLC", you clearly should apply that sentiment to near-enough every sequel ever created. Nintendo just made another masterpiece, deal with it.