REVIEW: YAR: Forgotten Throne (2026 Video Game) - on PS5

Review by Jon Donnis

YAR: Forgotten Throne is an open-world RPG that feels like a throwback to the early 2000s, when sprawling fantasy adventures were a familiar sight on PC. Set in the lands of Borea, the game follows a journey to uncover what is poisoning the forests and wildlife with darkness. With over 100 quests, three character classes and a range of crafting and progression systems, there is plenty to get involved in. Unfortunately, some frustrating design choices and a lack of polish hold it back.

Players can choose between a Warrior, Mage or Archer, each offering a different approach to the adventure. There are two factions, three large settlements and a variety of biomes to explore, alongside secrets to discover and character attributes to develop. Crafting also features heavily, with alchemy, cooking, blacksmithing, enchanting, fishing and jewellery making among the available activities. Multiple difficulty settings cater for different preferences, ranging from a story-focused experience to hardcore challenges with limited saving.

Visually, YAR: Forgotten Throne makes a decent impression for a relatively low-budget indie game. The graphics have a distinctive style, and the presentation is good enough to make exploring Borea worthwhile. It does not need cutting-edge visuals to work, and there is a certain charm to its straightforward approach.

The biggest problem is how the game feels to play. The controls are stiff, making movement less responsive than it should be. Jumping has a floaty quality that feels out of place, while various bugs further undermine the experience. These issues make it harder to settle into the adventure, particularly when the basic controls should be the least of your concerns.

Navigation is another frustration. There is no on-screen map while playing, which makes finding your way around more awkward than necessary. In an open-world RPG with so many quests and locations, I would have appreciated a map that was readily available during exploration.

Combat can also be poorly balanced, especially in the early stages. Some enemies are far too difficult, capable of killing you with just a couple of shots. Challenging encounters are part of the RPG experience, but these fights can feel unfair when you are still finding your feet.

These problems are disappointing because the foundations are there. The range of quests, character classes and crafting options gives the game plenty of scope, while its visual style and old-school design have genuine appeal. However, content alone cannot make up for controls that feel awkward, frustrating encounters and technical issues that interrupt the experience.

Perhaps I have been spoiled by modern RPGs, with their more refined controls and smoother gameplay. There is nothing wrong with returning to an older style of adventure, but nostalgia only goes so far when the mechanics feel dated for the wrong reasons.

YAR: Forgotten Throne is a mixed bag on PS5. It looks decent, has plenty to offer and captures something of the old-school RPG experience, but it lacks the polish and refinement needed to make the most of its potential. Fans of traditional role-playing games may find enough here to enjoy, although the stiff controls, uneven difficulty and bugs make it difficult to recommend without reservations.

I score YAR: Forgotten Throne 7 out of 10.

Out Now on PS5

https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10019397

REVIEW: Sledders (2026 Video Game) - on PS5

Review by Jon Donnis

Sledders is a snowmobile simulator that drops you into a vast, snow-covered mountain range and leaves you to find your own entertainment. There are no races, checkpoints or objectives. You simply climb aboard a snowmobile and head out into the wilderness, tackling steep slopes and trying to navigate the deep snow without ending up on your side.

The idea has some appeal, and my first few minutes were reasonably entertaining. Getting up to speed, tearing across the snow and inevitably crashing provided a few laughs. Unfortunately, that initial enjoyment soon disappeared, and I was left wondering what I was supposed to do next.

Visually, Sledders is decent enough. The snowy landscapes provide a convincing setting for backcountry riding, and the open areas give you plenty of room to explore. The graphics might not be particularly impressive, but they do the job. The problem is that there is very little to discover beyond more snow and mountains.

The game puts considerable emphasis on realistic handling. Every movement matters, with throttle control, leaning and steering all affecting how your snowmobile behaves. The intention is clearly to recreate the challenges of real snowmobiling, but I found the controls frustrating rather than rewarding. Even relatively minor movements can send you face-first into the snow, and getting stuck becomes a regular occurrence.

You will spend a fair amount of time resetting your snowmobile and trying again. While mastering difficult terrain might appeal to simulation enthusiasts, I struggled to find much enjoyment in repeatedly falling over or becoming bogged down. There is no proper tutorial to explain the controls or help newcomers understand how to handle the machines, leaving you to work things out through trial and error.

That might be acceptable if there were other activities to break things up, but there aren't. Sledders is essentially an open-world sandbox with no races, challenges, objectives or alternative game modes. You choose a direction, ride around and decide what you want to attempt. Once the novelty of speeding across the snow wears off, there is very little to encourage you to keep playing.

I understand the appeal of a game that lets you create your own adventures, but the underlying riding needs to be enjoyable enough to support that freedom. Here, the awkward controls and constant crashes make even simple journeys more frustrating than they should be. Getting to the top of a difficult climb might provide a sense of achievement for some players, but I wanted something more substantial to work towards.

There are features that could make the experience more appealing to the right audience. Licensed snowmobiles from Lynx, Polaris and Ski-Doo give enthusiasts familiar machines to choose from, while multiplayer lets you explore with friends. Proximity voice chat allows players to talk while riding together, and replay features, including ghost rides, offer a way to revisit your best runs.

Mod support is another welcome addition, with custom wraps and community-made maps available to download from within the game. These features provide options for players who want to spend time experimenting and exploring, although they do little to address the lack of structured gameplay.

The engine sounds are another disappointment. I found them unpleasant enough to turn the volume down almost immediately, which is hardly ideal for a simulator built around the experience of riding a snowmobile.

Ultimately, Sledders feels like a game made for people who love snowmobiling and want to recreate the experience as closely as possible. If you enjoy exploring mountains, attempting difficult climbs and messing around with friends without needing a particular goal, you may get plenty out of it.

Personally, I came away disappointed. After a few minutes of speeding around, crashing and repeatedly getting stuck, I had little reason to carry on. The realistic approach is understandable, but realism alone cannot make up for a lack of enjoyable activities.

Sledders has a decent foundation, and the open environments look perfectly acceptable, but I wanted more from it. Without races, challenges or meaningful objectives, the experience quickly becomes repetitive. If you want a snowmobile simulator, this might be worth considering. If you want a video game with things to do, you will probably get bored very quickly.

I score Sledders a disappointing 6 out of 10.

Out on PS5 Now

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10010642

REVIEW: NASCAR 26! (2026 Video Game) - On PlayStation 5

Review by Jon Donnis

NASCAR 26! does not completely reinvent the series, but it makes some worthwhile improvements to the driving, presentation and overall racing experience. After spending time with it on PS5, I am really enjoying what it has to offer. There are still a few problems that need attention, but when the racing comes together, this is a very enjoyable NASCAR game.

The driving physics and handling are a major strength. The cars feel responsive while retaining a convincing sense of weight and grip, making the racing feel more authentic. The new tyre and braking model also add to that feeling, giving the cars a more believable response as you push them around each track.

The new dynamic track technology is another particularly good addition. Track conditions and grip can change over the course of a race weekend, which means you cannot always rely on the surface behaving in exactly the same way. It adds another consideration to races and makes adapting to the changing conditions part of the experience.

The AI is also capable of providing some strong competition. Races feel less predictable, with the field behaving in a more natural way rather than simply following identical lines. That makes a difference during longer races, where the changing conditions and behaviour of the other cars can keep things interesting.

Visually, NASCAR 26! is an improvement over NASCAR 25. The cars and tracks look better, while the improved skies, lighting and cloud effects give the game a more convincing presentation. The new particle system also adds more smoke, debris and other effects to the action.

It is not completely polished, though. There are still some graphical glitches, including occasional problems with shadows and trackside details. Some races can also suffer from performance issues when there is a lot happening on screen. These problems do not ruin the experience, but they stand out more because the rest of the game can look so good.

Career Mode is less impressive. It has been expanded with weekly strategic decisions, Facility Upgrades and performance coaching from NASCAR greats Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray, but it still feels fairly familiar. The additions are welcome, although they do not make the career experience feel as deep or engaging as I would have liked.

That sense of familiarity is probably the biggest criticism I have of NASCAR 26!. While there are plenty of additions and improvements, much of the game still feels like an evolution of NASCAR 25 rather than a major new chapter for the series. For some players that will not be a problem, particularly given how much has been improved on track, but it does limit the impact of the sequel.

The Chase is a useful new standalone mode, allowing you to fight for a championship over the final ten races of a season with a customisable field. Peak Performance is another sensible addition, giving players a dedicated way to work on their abilities across the different tracks.

There is also plenty of content outside those additions. The game covers the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series, while new tracks include the Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Base Coronado, Chicagoland and St. Petersburg. There is also a new spotter, Freddie Kraft, the new Ram truck, burnout celebrations, an enhanced paint kit, a trophy room and fully customisable driver ratings for 2026.

Cross-platform multiplayer is another welcome addition on PS5, allowing you to race against players on other platforms. Unfortunately, the online experience can also be frustrating. There are limited systems for dealing with poor or deliberately aggressive driving, so a clean race can quickly be ruined by somebody else.

Despite those issues, the actual racing is where NASCAR 26! succeeds. The improved handling, changing track conditions, competitive AI and better presentation combine to create races that are enjoyable to drive and capable of keeping you on your toes.

It will need some updates and patches to address the graphical and performance problems, and I would have liked Career Mode to offer more meaningful progression. It is also difficult to ignore how familiar much of the overall experience feels after NASCAR 25.

Even so, I am having a lot of fun with NASCAR 26!. It looks good, it drives well and the new features improve the racing without getting in the way of what makes NASCAR enjoyable.

For me, NASCAR 26! is easily the best NASCAR game yet released, which is exactly what it should be.

I score NASCAR 26! A solid 8 out of 10.

Out Now on PS5 - https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10018405

REVIEW: Sanshui: Poker Puzzle 三水 (2026 Video Game)

By Jon Donnis

Sanshui: Poker Puzzle is a neat little logic game that takes the familiar rules of poker hands and turns them into a series of card-based puzzles. Despite the poker theme, there are no gambling mechanics here. This is purely about using logic, planning your moves and finding the solution to each challenge.

You start with three rows of cards, with three on the top row and five on each of the other two. Each puzzle gives you a target poker hand to create, such as a Flush, and you need to work out how to arrange the available cards to achieve it.

The interesting thing is that Sanshui does not explain everything to you. There is no traditional tutorial walking you through the controls and mechanics. Instead, you are placed straight into the first puzzles and expected to experiment. Fortunately, the basic system is easy enough to understand, particularly if you already have a basic knowledge of poker hands.

You can move cards around and swap their positions, but the most important part of the game is the token system. Tokens give you different ways to manipulate the cards, including changing the layout, replacing a card or changing its suit. Knowing when and where to use these abilities becomes increasingly important as the puzzles become more demanding.

Progression introduces additional tokens, which means the game gradually expands the number of possible solutions available to you. Early puzzles can be solved fairly quickly once you understand the fundamentals, but later challenges require more consideration. You need to look at the cards available, identify what is missing from the required hand and decide which ability will get you closer to the solution.

This gives the game a satisfying balance between understanding the rules and actually applying them. It is not simply a case of making the strongest poker hand possible. You have a specific objective and a limited set of tools, so working out the correct sequence of actions is where the real puzzle lies.

The presentation also works in the game's favour. Everything is laid out clearly, with the cards and available actions easy to see. There is no unnecessary clutter competing for your attention, which is exactly what you want from a game based around studying a card layout and spotting possible combinations.

Being thrown into the first puzzle without much explanation could initially be confusing, particularly for players who are unfamiliar with poker terminology. However, it is not a complicated system, and it does not take long to understand what the game wants from you. Once the basic mechanics click, the lack of hand holding becomes less of an issue.

A basic understanding of poker hands is certainly useful, but this should not put off anyone who does not normally play poker. You only need to know what the different combinations mean, rather than understand poker strategy. If you come across a hand you do not recognise, it is easy enough to check its definition and continue.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about Sanshui: Poker Puzzle is that it manages to make poker feel like a puzzle mechanic rather than a gambling theme. There are no bets or money involved. The cards are simply tools that you manipulate in order to satisfy the objective in front of you.

That also makes it an accessible concept. Anyone who enjoys logic puzzles should be able to understand the appeal, while players familiar with poker will have the advantage of already knowing the different hands. As the game introduces more tokens and increasingly complicated layouts, there is plenty of room for the puzzles to become more demanding without abandoning the straightforward foundation.

Overall, Sanshui: Poker Puzzle is a simple concept that works surprisingly well. The lack of a tutorial is its biggest weakness, but the mechanics are straightforward enough to discover without too much frustration. Once you understand how the tokens work, the focus shifts towards planning your moves and finding increasingly clever ways to create the required poker hands. It is a clean, accessible logic puzzle with an unusual card-based approach.

Sanshui: Poker Puzzle 三水 is currently in closed testing, with a free browser version available to play. The first 5000 sign-ups get a promo code for the full game unlock when it launches on December 23, 2026, at 19:00 EST. 

It is a straightforward concept that becomes increasingly engaging as new mechanics are introduced.

Play the free demo and watch for in-game messages.

Check it out at https://fourstreetplo.com/

REVIEW: Murders & Mistresses (2026 Video Game) - on PC Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

Murders & Mistresses is an unusual adult visual novel because there is considerably more going on here than the adult content. Beneath the adult material is a surprisingly detailed detective game, with five cases covering murders, kidnappings and hostage situations.

You play an ex-conman turned police consultant, with the freedom to investigate cases while making plenty of questionable personal choices along the way. The story gives your decisions genuine consequences, affecting relationships and the fate of the people around you. It helps that the protagonist has enough personality to make these choices feel like part of the story rather than simple dialogue options.

The investigative gameplay is the real surprise. Story Mode provides a more straightforward experience, while Detective Mode asks you to properly piece together evidence, deductions and theories. You are not simply handed the correct answer at the end. You decide who you believe is guilty, sometimes without having absolute proof, and the game remembers your decisions.

There is a good variety to the cases, too. The game moves between different types of investigations, including double homicides, locked-room mysteries and hostage negotiations. This keeps the detective side from becoming repetitive, while the branching structure gives you plenty of reason to revisit earlier chapters.

The adult content is extensive, with more than 40 scenes and 145 animations, while the relationship system includes three different marriage paths. There are also dates, hangouts and other activities away from the main investigations. The chapter flowcharts are a particularly useful addition, showing the choices and scenes you missed and making it easy to replay individual sections.

Graphically, Murders & Mistresses is well made. The character presentation is good and the animated scenes are of a high quality. It also helps that this is a complete game, offering around eight to twelve hours for a single playthrough rather than making players wait for future episodes.

The main drawback is that the adult content will naturally limit its audience. It would have been interesting to see a non-adult version using the same detective gameplay and story, particularly because the investigation mechanics are strong enough to appeal beyond the game's intended adult audience.

We do not cover many games of this type, but Murders & Mistresses has clearly made an effort to offer more than the usual adult visual novel experience. The detective mechanics give it some genuine substance, the branching choices encourage replaying the cases, and the complete release means there is plenty to play from the outset.

Murders & Mistresses is not going to appeal to everyone, but for those comfortable with its adult content, it is a surprisingly well-rounded investigative game with more depth than its premise initially suggests.

I score Murders & Mistresses a surprising 8 out of 10

Out Now https://store.steampowered.com/app/3740030/Murders__Mistresses/