• Top Performers: Nioh 3, Reanimal, Mewgenics, and Pathologic 3 all secured 8s, marking them as the month’s must-plays.
  • The "Switch 2" Factor: Titles like Reanimal and Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined are officially listed for Nintendo’s successor hardware.
  • Underperformers: Highguard (5) and I Hate This Place (4) fail to find their footing in a crowded market.
  • Riot’s Fighter: 2XKO earns a respectable 7, though questions remain about its ability to convert fighting game skeptics.

The Heavy Hitters: Team Ninja and Tarsier Lead the Pack

In the latest edition of the UK’s most stingy—and respected—gaming mag, we’re seeing a solid crop of 8s that suggest 2026 is starting strong. Nioh 3 lands an 8, and while our take aligns with the review that it’s "less of a leap" than Elden Ring was for FromSoftware, Team Ninja’s "customarily slick production values" keep it at the top of the food chain. It’s a broader canvas for a familiar, lethal formula.

Reanimal is the real standout here. Scoring an 8, Tarsier’s latest is described as pushing "choreographed horror to its limit." For those of us who felt Little Nightmares was just the beginning, hearing that this game "transcends the confines of another sequel" is exactly what we wanted to hear. Only Playdead’s Inside supposedly remains the superior benchmark in this specific sub-genre.

The Cult Classics: Pathologic and Mewgenics

We’re thrilled to see Pathologic 3 secure an 8. EDGE notes it’s a game of "relatively shallow systems" used intentionally to create a "remarkable clarity of vision." It’s a character study wrapped in worldbuilding that doesn't hold your hand. Similarly, Edmund McMillen’s Mewgenics (8) continues the Isaac legacy of "grotesque aesthetics" and shocking the player into gratitude. If you like your games weird and punishing, the PC-exclusive cat-sim is hitting the mark.

Mid-Tier Experiments and Fighting Luck

The "7" category is crowded this month, featuring 2XKO and Romeo Is A Dead Man. Riot’s 2XKO is praised for its "friendly onboarding," but there’s a catch: it might not do enough to "convert those who already harbour scepticism" toward the League of Legends IP or the fighting genre in general. It’s a service game, so we expect Riot to iterate, but the launch version isn't a total knockout yet.

Grasshopper’s Romeo Is A Dead Man is classic Suda51—combat that "begins to petrify through repetition" but saved by pure, unadulterated weirdness. A mid-game music video sequence reminds us why we play these games: "the joy of not knowing what’s coming next."

Technical Climbing and Space Exploration

  • Cairn (7): A climbing sim that "captures the thrill and torment" of the sport, though its intricate systems occasionally grind together with unpredictable results.
  • MIO: Memories In Orbit (8): Despite a clunky equipment system, it uses familiar tools to achieve something "profound." A sleeper hit to watch on all consoles, including Switch 2.
  • Crisol: Theater of Idols (7): A grisly FPS/Horror hybrid that rewards those who can endure "short spells of tedium."

The Disappointments: Highguard and Dragon Quest

It’s not all gold stars. Highguard (5) is the biggest letdown. Wildlight has a 12-month roadmap, but as we always say, "a year is a long time in the arena of free-to-play shooters." Right now, the pacing and structure are suffocating the core design. It’s a "wait and see" situation.

Square Enix fans might be crushed to see Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined sitting at a 6. The "repetitive, fragmented narrative" and "blandly heroic cast" make it feel more like a series of short fairytales than a sweeping epic. It’s charming, but it clearly "never quite satisfies our wanderlust." Finally, I Hate This Place bottoms out with a 4, described as a "slasher with no blood" and a "zombie with no teeth." Functional, but utterly forgettable.

Full Score Summary:

  • Nioh 3: 8
  • Cairn: 7
  • Romeo Is A Dead Man: 7
  • Reanimal: 8
  • 2XKO: 7
  • Highguard: 5
  • Mewgenics: 8
  • Crisol: Theater of Idols: 7
  • Pathologic 3: 8
  • Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined: 6
  • MIO: Memories In Orbit: 8
  • I Hate This Place: 4
  • Ratcheteer DX: 7