No, we don’t know what the name means either, but we’re glad to see this sequel nonetheless. The first game held its own in the already overcrowded 2D fighting genre, and so we were excited to see what the developer would do with another entry. The a

The racing genre has felt like it’s lost its way over the past decade, and it’s taken a retro-styled indie racer to show the rest of the pack how it’s done. It turns out you don’t need an official licence, photorealistic graphics, or even online mult

Despite the fact that the original came out over a decade ago, there’s still nothing else like this on the market. Even so, at first glance it may seem that you’re looking at an entirely unnecessary remake; the upgraded PS4 version is still available

Citizen of Super Earth, it’s time to heed the call to Galactic War. You’ll fight for freedom! And for democracy! And you’ll do it alongside three of your closest friends, battling in the dirt and the dust of the eastern regions of the universe, prote

After living through the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re all due a holiday, and Mediterranea Inferno’s trio of protagonists agree. Claudio, Andrea, and Mida decide to reconnect in the blazing heat of southern Italy after years of forced isolation, but this

Telekinesis and guns make a wonderful combo in VR. With one mapped to your left hand and the other to your right, you feel like a conductor of chaos as you blast your way through a rogue colonel’s mind to uncover secrets. Eye-tracking is wonderfully

i FORMAT PS5 / ETA 2024 / PUB FELLOW TRAVELLER / DEV COPYCHASER GAMES / PLAYERS 1 Before you’ve even set foot inside the prestigious Times & Galaxy newsroom, you’re whisked away to the location of your very first assignment. There’s no time to waste

i FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 24 APR / PUB BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT / DEV ILCA / PLAYERS 1 There’s a bittersweet feeling to playing Sand Land following the news of the untimely passing of its creator, legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama. Yet it also fe

Distilling such a huge adventure into its best bits is a huge task. This list would have been at least 50 entries long, but we’ve only got ten pages so had to narrow it down to 14 of our absolute favourites (after a lot of arguing and wishing for mor

Every good character action game has rhythmic gameplay at its heart. Input slashes for Dante’s big sword in Devil May Cry with specific timings, for instance, and he’ll perform different combos. But what if the effects went beyond solo performances a

This brawler utilises balls in a manner best described as ‘unexpected’. Turn off Illegal Blow Disqualifications and it’s possible to ascend to the International Championship by repeatedly hammering haymakers into your opponent’s crotch. With slo-mo r

i FORMAT PS5 / ETA OUT NOW / PUB KOEI TECMO / DEV TEAM NINJA / PLAYERS 1 (OFFLINE), 2-3 (ONLINE) We only review finished games, so in Viewpoint we go hands-on with near-final code of a game that just missed our review deadline. After the first eight

Having put a stop to a dragon-phasing Mafia honcho and his pals in her previous outing, Lara was ready for action, as November 1998 saw Core Design go for the hat trick with Tomb Raider III: Adventures Of Lara Croft. Originally planned for a longer d

Based on fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons, developer Larian has apparently bottled the essence of only our most electric tabletop sessions to serve up an incredible RPG return. Offering a wealth of options for crafting your own adventurer – and ‘yes,

This takes XCOM’s brilliant formula of turn-based tactics and sets it during WW2 in Nazi-occupied France. Some game ideas are so good that the only worry is that the developer will screw them up. Luckily, Absolutely Games has triumphed. This is a ter

i FORMAT PS5 / ETA 26 APR / PUB SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT DEV SHIFT UP / PLAYERS 1 Earth is in ruins and has been taken over by mysterious hostile forces. We’d probably be more depressed about this if it weren’t the setup for one of the most pro

Now this is an interesting one, for several reasons. Even aside from the connection to the PS3 Resistance games, taken in isolation, Retribution is remarkable for its stunningly cheesy writing and acting. We’re talking immense Garth Marenghi vibes, t

Games that make you jump for joy, fall head over heels, or feel like you’re on top of the world are rare, and it’s even rarer that we get to write lines like these and mean every word – literally and metaphorically. Stilt has a retro feel, despite ru

i FORMAT PS5 / ETA 2024 / PUB HOYOVERSE DEV HOYOVERSE / PLAYERS 1 (WITH SOCIAL FEATURES) Another gacha live service game from HoYoverse. But put Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail out of your mind for a moment. This frenetic character action is less

Think classic Doom, only in a Star Wars setting so you’re shooting stormtroopers. Yep, big smile. Now make that old-school vision super-crisp and smooth. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? This offering is even the predecessor to all-time classic Jedi Knigh

Finally, it’s time to go and high-five that withered arm hanging out at Mohgwyn Palace and follow the eternally youthful Miquella into the Land Of Shadow. More than two years after Elden Ring’s erd-shattering debut, DLC will spin this fable further a

One moment you’re a roving toilet with a cannon, blasting through the neo-gothic Decker usernet and bathed in neon. The next you’re in the world’s most bizarre text adventure, in which you must make the ultimate sacrifice: a unicorn. All to bring dow

Konoehara Academy is haunted and it’s up to the returning protagonist from the first Death Mark to sort it out, because another guy from first game gave the headmaster a glowing reference for him, along the lines of ‘Yeah, he can sort that ghost for

Could this be the most rebooted series in gaming? We’ve had New Nightmare on PS2, a mess of a reboot on PS3, and the legendarily awful Alone In The Dark: Illumination that was thankfully confined solely to PC. Now we have this, the fourth attempt to

Form or function? Why not both? Harvey Randall’s Scarlet Scallywag outfit is a Glamour plate, one of several that can be put together to apply to armour sets so you keep your high-level stats while looking how you want. With ’fits aplenty, there’s a

Even though it’s in the genre’s name, for plenty of MMORPG players roleplaying exists as a kind of subculture within their games, a curiosity to gawk at from afar and occasionally poke fun at (sometimes deservedly – as you’ll know if you’ve seen the

Q Dawntrail looks really neat. Should I buy a story skip and get stuck in to that one straight away? A We’re not your dad, and you can do what you want – but no, probably not. Final Fantasy XIV’s main draw is its story. Skipping that to get to the ne

Videogames have always been a huge part of Abubakar Salim’s life; Kingdom Hearts was, for him, an early example of games being a powerful storytelling medium just like books, film, or television. But back then, popping a disc into a PlayStation felt