Despite some minor issues, Hollow Knight: Silksong is a brilliant game, but it won’t hesitate to punish poor preparation or lazy mistakes severely. The wait was long, but it was worth it to have such a polished final product.

There may not be enough here to get people to jump into the origins of the Tekken franchise, but it has to be said that there is still something satisfying about a fighting game that is devoid of flashy effects, super meters and ridiculous combos that require intense thumb movements and memorisation to pull off. Just know that the content most will be used to seeing in the PS1 version isn’t present here.

A suitably epic next step for the Digimon games, Digimon Story: Time Stranger is an amazing JRPG that suffers only from some lack of flare. More animated battles would be good; however, the exploration and story are entertaining enough to make that a tiny gripe rather than a huge issue. Definitely a must-have for fans of Digimon or even just fans of monster collecting JRPGs.

Runt is a real roller coaster in terms of quality. At first it seems like the storytelling will be poorly written, preachy, and indulging itself in violence. However, after the first twenty minutes, those fears disappear and reveal a very engaging story with characters who are impossible to ignore. On the other hand, the minigames are at times painful, and the lack of very basic QoL features for the genre, such as an auto feature for the text, makes replaying painful. This is damning for a game that seems to expect the player to replay it multiple times and pursue the mystery.

Panic Panda’s creation delivers a charmingly weird simulation that values atmosphere and personality over depth. Its satisfying cooking mechanics, memorable PS1-inspired aesthetic and horrifyingly ridiculous premise make it a worthwhile curiosity for those looking for something different. That said, those expecting genuine horror, meaningful exploration or deeper mechanical experimentation may leave disappointed, making Meat Grinder a neat novelty that, while recommended, ultimately falls short of its deliciously twisted potential.

Whichever version of MDK is played, expect to have a wildly good time. It's a surreal audio/visual tour de force, and the action still holds up. Shiny’s flair for console action platformer shooters like Earthworm Jim carried over seamlessly into 3D run-and-gun platforming, delivering sweat-dripping, edge-of-your-seat, sniping-on-the-fly thrills. There may never be a proverbial MDK3, but maybe it's for the best since this could only have happened during the 3D craze, when mad artists and bold programmers could ever dream of such a thing.

Uppercut Games’ first foray into the post-apocalypse exhibits two rare qualities: a vibrant world and strict adherence to non-combative exploration. What that – unfortunately – translates to is pretty vistas lacking substance and intrigue. Rather ironic for a title named Submerged to have the depth of a wading pool.

Denshattack! is an effortlessly quirky, blisteringly fast adventure that fully embraces its arcade influences. Colourful, quirky, high on energy from start to finish, prioritising fun over frustration. It can take a little while to get used to the setup, but once locked in, Denshattack! is difficult to put down.

MagSafe power banks have become a common travel companion, but most still add more bulk than they should.