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Philosophers have spent countless hours debating morality and the choices people might make in impossible situations. The Trolley Solution takes one of the most famous thought experiments and turns it into a collection of simple point-and-click minigames.
The premise is straightforward. You are presented with 20 variations of the trolley problem, plus the original, and must decide what you would do when faced with a moral dilemma. Each scenario is paired with its own minigame, giving the experience a little more variety than simply answering a series of questions.
The black and white presentation is simple but effective. It suits the stripped-back nature of the concept and keeps everything easy to understand. There is also some genuine fun to be found in the minigames. One has a Where's Wally-style approach, except you are searching for your trolley, while others provide similarly straightforward challenges.
The problem is that the concept wears thin very quickly. However many variations are added, the basic premise remains the same, and the minigames cannot completely disguise that repetition. Once the novelty disappears, there is little to keep you engaged.
The game is also extremely short. You can work through the main content in around ten minutes, leaving very little reason to return afterwards. The idea has potential, but there simply is not enough depth or variety to make it feel like a substantial game.
That becomes particularly noticeable at £8. The Trolley Solution feels far more suited to being a free or ad-supported title, perhaps as a quick browser or mobile game. At that level, its simplicity and brevity would be much easier to overlook.
There is nothing inherently wrong with what is here. The premise is clever, the presentation is clean and some of the minigames are entertaining. Unfortunately, the limited content means the experience is over almost as soon as it has begun.
The Trolley Solution is a decent idea that needed considerably more content to justify its asking price. It can provide a few minutes of amusement, but there is not enough here to keep you entertained beyond that.
Silent Hill: Townfall is an ambitious new chapter for the series, and for much of its running time it feels like a very confident one. Set on the fictional Scottish island of St. Amelia in 1996, it takes Silent Hill away from its traditional American surroundings and gives the series a distinctly British setting. It is a change that works remarkably well. Unfortunately, Townfall also makes some questionable decisions with its stealth and combat, and those weaknesses become increasingly difficult to ignore as the game progresses.
The first thing that stands out is just how well St. Amelia has been created. The fog, deserted streets, abandoned communities and forgotten corners give the island an oppressive sense of isolation, while the recreation of 1990s Britain is one of the game's strongest achievements. Estates and shopping centres in particular have a convincing period feel, making the setting feel tangible rather than simply designed as a generic horror backdrop.
Screen Burn has done an excellent job with the world itself. There is a constant feeling that something is not quite right, even when nothing particularly frightening is happening. Townfall understands the value of atmosphere and small details, allowing the environment to tell parts of its story without constantly pushing information in front of the player.
The decision to present the entire game from a first-person perspective also suits this approach. It makes exploration feel more immediate and places the player directly inside Simon Ordell's experience. The restricted visibility provided by the fog adds to that sense of vulnerability, while the close perspective makes strange noises and unexpected discoveries considerably more effective.
Townfall's story takes a similarly measured approach. Rather than immediately explaining Simon's connection to St. Amelia, the game gradually exposes fragments of the past and allows the player to speculate about what they mean. That patience works in its favour. There is enough information to encourage theories, but enough uncertainty to keep the mystery alive.
The use of three character perspectives gives the narrative another dimension. Seeing events through different viewpoints makes the story more psychologically complicated than it might initially appear. Themes of loss, consequence and introspection sit naturally within the setting, and the multiple endings give the player's actions additional significance.
The CRTV is perhaps the game's most distinctive idea. The portable television acts as a modern reinterpretation of the series' familiar radio, allowing Simon to pick up unstable signals containing clues, fragments of conversations and glimpses of events. It is more than an alternative way of delivering exposition. It becomes part of exploration, puzzle solving and dealing with threats, giving Townfall a mechanic that feels genuinely connected to its story, even if it feels a bit like the nonsense they use on Most Haunted, or Ghost Hunters.
The puzzles are generally effective for the same reason. Many are rooted in the narrative and the environment rather than feeling like arbitrary challenges placed between sections of the game. Discovering the answer can therefore feel like piecing together another part of St. Amelia's history. A few later puzzles are less successful, however, with unclear solutions occasionally pushing the player towards trial and error instead of deduction.
Audio is another area where Townfall deserves considerable credit. Environmental sounds constantly keep the player alert, while the soundtrack by Pilotpriest dynamically responds to events and helps shape the mood. The combination of music, distant noises and the unsettling sounds of the environment creates some genuinely uncomfortable moments without relying exclusively on conventional jump scares.
Unfortunately, the game's biggest weakness is also one of its most prominent features. Stealth is central to a large portion of Townfall, but the mechanics are not reliable enough to support it. Enemies can sometimes detect or grab Simon despite what appears to be a successful attempt to remain hidden, leaving the player unsure whether they made a mistake or whether the detection system simply behaved unpredictably.
That problem becomes more noticeable because there is relatively little enemy variety. Once the initial novelty has worn off, several encounters begin to follow familiar patterns, and the emphasis on avoiding rather than confronting threats can make certain sections feel considerably longer than they need to be.
The situation is worse in some of the later areas, where enemies that cannot be killed force the player to concentrate almost entirely on finding a route past them. This can produce moments of genuine tension, but the effect does not last indefinitely. Eventually, hiding and waiting for an opening becomes an exercise in patience rather than fear.
The CRTV introduces another problem when Townfall occasionally places enemies into encounters where they cannot be detected through the device. While this can initially seem like a clever way of keeping the player uncertain, it can also feel as though the game's established rules have suddenly changed. The result is an encounter that feels unfair rather than frightening.
Combat does not provide a particularly satisfying alternative. The melee system can feel clumsy, while firearms do little to make confronting enemies especially enjoyable. There are situations where abandoning stealth and simply fighting becomes the less frustrating option, which is not ideal in a game so heavily built around avoiding danger.
These issues are particularly disappointing because Townfall's other systems are considerably more successful. The CRTV gives the game its own identity, the narrative has enough mystery to keep the player interested, and the setting is among the most convincing new environments the series has produced. The multiple perspectives also add something meaningful to the story rather than simply providing another gimmick.
There are also moments when the different elements come together beautifully. Exploring St. Amelia while listening to an unsettling soundtrack, discovering another fragment through the CRTV and gradually understanding what happened there captures the essence of psychological horror far better than some of the more action-focused encounters.
That contrast ultimately defines Townfall. The game is at its best when it slows down and allows its setting, story and atmosphere to do the work. It is at its weakest when it demands prolonged stealth sequences or awkward confrontations with enemies. The former can be genuinely memorable, while the latter can feel like obstacles standing between the player and the parts of the game that are considerably more interesting.
Despite those shortcomings, Townfall does succeed in reimagining Silent Hill without losing the qualities that have made the franchise distinctive. Scotland in 1996 proves to be a surprisingly effective setting, and the game's commitment to atmosphere, psychological storytelling and environmental detail gives it a strong identity of its own.
The problem is that the encounter design is not on the same level as the rest of the game. By the later stages, the stealth-heavy structure has become a slog, and some of the tension created so effectively earlier has been replaced by frustration. There is too much time spent waiting for enemies to move, searching for safe routes and dealing with systems that do not always behave consistently.
Silent Hill: Townfall is therefore a game of considerable strengths and some equally obvious weaknesses. The atmosphere is exceptional, the setting is superbly realised, the story is compelling, the CRTV is an inspired addition and the three perspectives give the narrative genuine depth. Unfortunately, the stealth and combat prevent those strengths from carrying the experience all the way through.
Townfall hits more often than it misses, but when it misses, it can miss badly. There is an excellent psychological horror experience here, buried beneath some frustrating encounter design and an increasingly tedious final stretch.
I score Silent Hill: Townfall a disappointing 6.5 out of 10.
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.
Qliphah in Providence's Shadow is an unusual RPG that mixes visual novel storytelling with a tactical combat system built around predicting enemy attacks. Tokyo has fallen following the Collapse, reality is eroding, and grotesque Aberrations roam the ruined streets. After delivery boy Souma Hoshigami is attacked and left in a half-turned state, he is taken into custody by investigator Rena Hizuki. Together, they become caught up in a mystery involving the drug Tiny True, cursed Stigmas and a mysterious cult.
The most interesting part of the game is its combat. Rather than simply reacting to attacks, you can see incoming moves on a timeline and plan your actions around them. Skills can be chained together, enemy attacks can be interrupted and time can be slowed or paused while you work out your next move. Once the system clicks, successfully predicting an attack and responding with a perfectly timed counter can be extremely satisfying.
Unfortunately, the combat does not always have enough variety to maintain that excitement. There are too few genuinely different encounters, and fighting multiple enemies can become frustrating because the timeline only shows attacks from the enemy currently being targeted. The dodge mechanic can also occasionally fail to move the character correctly, while the camera struggles at times when several enemies are involved.
Visually, Qliphah in Providence's Shadow has a distinctive style, combining cel-shaded characters with grotesque Aberrations and unsettling shaders. The combat presentation is similarly impressive, with flashy effects making successful attacks and counters feel suitably powerful. The fully voiced story and strong soundtrack add further polish.
Away from combat, things are rather different. This is not an open-world or traditional linear RPG where you explore Tokyo on foot. It is much closer to a visual novel with RPG battles built into it. The investigation elements allow you to examine clues, illustrations and social media information to uncover passwords and other details, although the sheer amount of material can become overwhelming. Some of the mystery elements can feel too obvious, with the case information often giving you enough to work things out without much real deduction
Rena and Souma make a likeable central duo, with their contrasting personalities providing some enjoyable dialogue. However, the characters do not develop enough to create the emotional connection the story needs. The same applies to progression, which offers limited incentive to experiment with different skills and builds.
There is plenty to admire in Qliphah in Providence's Shadow. Its combat system is genuinely different, the presentation is stylish and the combination of supernatural horror, police investigation and visual novel storytelling gives it a distinctive identity. When everything comes together, the tactical battles can be excellent.
The problem is that the game cannot maintain that quality consistently. Repetitive encounters, limited progression, awkward multi-enemy battles and a story that can sometimes be predictable hold it back.
Qliphah in Providence's Shadow is an interesting and original-feeling game that has some genuinely satisfying ideas, but it just misses the mark for me.
I score Qliphah in Providence's Shadow a 6.5 out of 10.
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival takes the franchise into classic 2D side-scrolling beat-'em-up territory, with a style that will be instantly recognisable to anyone who grew up playing Streets of Rage. The formula is simple, but putting Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Michonne and Negan into it gives the game a distinct identity.
Rick, Daryl and Michonne are playable from the outset, while Negan can be unlocked. Each character has their own fighting style, statistics and signature abilities, with their familiar weapons adding further differences. Rick has his magnum, Michonne her katana and Daryl his crossbow, while Negan gets to bring Lucille into the fight.
The combat is straightforward, responsive and satisfying. You move through each area, dealing with groups of walkers and members of the Saviors, using melee attacks, ranged weapons and special abilities to clear a path. It does not take long to understand the basics, but there is enough variation between the characters to make trying them all worthwhile.
The Walking Dead setting is put to good use throughout the campaign. Based around the All Out War storyline, the game takes you through familiar locations including the Sanctuary, Hilltop and Alexandria. The story is supported by some decent cut scenes, while the combination of walkers, Saviors and recognisable locations gives the campaign more personality than a standard arcade brawler.
There is also some welcome variety in the encounters. Environmental hazards, larger groups of walkers and boss battles involving characters such as Negan and Simon provide breaks from the regular fighting. Fans will also recognise walkers including Winslow and the Well Walker.
The main limitation is the simplicity of the gameplay. Once the basic combat has been mastered, you can make fairly quick progress through the campaign. The survival elements add another consideration to the fighting, while multiple difficulty levels provide some additional challenge, but there is not a huge amount of depth underneath the arcade-style action.
That also makes the game's audience fairly easy to define. If you enjoy The Walking Dead and classic 2D beat-'em-ups, the combination works. If you have little interest in either, there is not enough here to make the game particularly compelling.
Price is another issue. At £17.99 for the standard version and £29.99 for the Deluxe Edition, Streets of Survival is expensive for such a focused experience. The story, cut scenes, character differences and use of the television series' locations show that more effort has gone into the game than a basic licensed brawler, but the relatively short and straightforward nature of the gameplay makes the pricing difficult to overlook.
What works best is the combination of the familiar characters and the uncomplicated arcade action. Playing as Rick, Daryl or Michonne, using their recognisable weapons and fighting through locations associated with The Walking Dead gives the game enough personality to stand apart from the many other beat-'em-ups available.
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival will not be for everyone, but it does not need to be. It delivers a straightforward arcade experience built around two very specific appeals: The Walking Dead and classic 2D beat-'em-ups. The combat is fun, the characters are well suited to the format and the campaign makes good use of the licence, although the limited depth and pricing hold it back.
Ignoring the cost, The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival scores a solid 7 out of 10.
