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Though fault can be found with its meaningless side quests and examples of knuckleheaded dialogue, Gears of War: E-Day gets so much of its core loop right. It’s hard to recall a game nailing the desperate, helpless feeling of invasion quite like this, and E-Day sets a new benchmark for Gears’ iconic gunplay. More than anything, E-Day is a technical crown jewel that delivers an audiovisual experience that, on Xbox, is unrivalled. [Campaign Review Score = 90]

The core gameplay of EA Sports FC 27 is as good as it’s ever been, while a range of new additions to Career Mode and Ultimate Team show promise. However, The Grounds is a slog, and the game itself is marred by badly designed menus and technical issues.

Ultimately, when it came time for me to eject from AC8, I was left with the impression of something fun but not flawless. Target-selection nonsense, overcooked dialogue and some not-so-novel decisions that decelerate the pacing keep it from being a perfect sortie. But when Wings of Theve is firing on all afterburners, it delivers exactly the kind of high-speed, high-altitude blockbuster nonsense I wanted from it.

Silent Hill Townfall blends stealth, action and tense horror into another compelling take on the Silent Hill formula. Its monster designs and scares disappoint, but strong combat, excellent puzzles and a well-written story make up for those shortcomings. It may not reach the series' greatest heights, but Townfall comfortably earns its place in Silent Hill's ongoing revival.

Well Dweller’s simplistic approach to the metroidvania genre creates a neutral void that the Kyle Thompson adventure ultimately lingers in. On one hand, it’s beginner friendly and won’t deter gamers not hungry for a Soulslike challenge, while on the other, it’s simply not bold enough to break new ground within the genre. Well Dweller remains an enjoyable folk tale romp that, for anyone looking to take a chance on a metroidvania, is safe as houses.

Control Resonant continues the Remedy tradition of offering an ambitious experience filled with incredible ideas. The game controls beautifully, the combat is fun and flexible, the side stories are strong and the presenation is, of course, excellent. But repetitive encounters, beautiful but underwhelming boss battles and an uneven open-world structure all make Resonant feel uneven. Regardless of its flaws, Control Resonant is both bold and enjoyable, though it doesn't reach the usual heady heights established by the illustrious Remedy canon.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is another slam-dunk for the Nintendo Switch 2. A bona fide evolution of what came before it, combining the best elements of its recent entries with spectacular results. Perhaps most impressive, is just how well paced this enormous adventure is despite its lengthy runtime.

Marvel’s Wolverine is an explosive, fiery comic book video game that wears its gratuitous violence as a refreshing badge of honour. Sadly, the violence’s vehicle, the game’s combat, amounts to little more than mindless slashing, waning a while before the game’s credits roll. Its narrative, which does peak in the final act, shows flashes of heart in an otherwise predictable, paint-by-numbers arc. I can confidently say that Insomniac’s Spider-Man is hands-down the best Spider-Man game ever created—I can’t say the same for their Logan here.

It might be far and away bigger than any Hot Wheels game that has come before, but a certain dash of magic has been sacrificed at the open-world altar. Milestone’s care and reverence for these die-cast 1:64 scale miniatures is utterly unmatched, and their ability to deliver a brand of fun in keeping with the Hot Wheels name is commendable.

Orbitals is a brisk, enjoyable interstellar romp that will perhaps, at the end of the day, be more fondly remembered for its authentic approach to vintage Japanese animation than its ability to bring friends together. That’s not to say it doesn’t succeed as a co-op puzzler—it does—although I think it falls a hair short of its contemporaries in terms of chaotic creativity and scope.