@Scottie - let me know how Wolfenstein Young Blood plays these days. I mostly enjoyed it at launch for the setting and some of the battles (and some story nods to what I assume is The Man in the High Castle), but they released post-launch patches to better balance mission difficulty and tone down the ammunition-vs-armour system.

As for FEAR 3, I replayed it back-compat on the Xbox Series as they've been discounting it again and wish I hadn't. FEAR 2 already drifted closer to a COD-like left-trigger-right-trigger-repeat experience with the importance of reflex time diminished, and FEAR 3 went even further while also mangling the plot so badly the levels barely feel connected and coherent. Still think the best approach for new players is to get FEAR 1, the expansions, and leave it at that.

Blades of Fire (PS5) -

Played through the demo that includes the opening sequence and first major area of the game. The combat is snappy and feels more like Darksiders/Lords of Shadow, rather than a classic, sluggish 'Souls-like. There is also a well-integrated but complex combo system that forces you to consider enemy armour and posture vs. weapon type, slashing/stabbing attacks, and left/right/high/low strike assigned to the face buttons.

The complexity I could get behind in a Souls-like form - especially as there are three difficulties to moderate the challenge - but the forging, weapon drop, and weapon durability system feel like they exist to take that classic Souls-like grind to another level. Even after getting a grip on the combat system and shifting it down to "Bronze" difficulty, weapon durability ensure you can never explore freely (and maybe this is just early on) as you've only got two weapon slots and will have to return to anvils to repair or reforge new ones. This means you're gonna be grinding through basic foes repeatedly, even if you master the combat, as you'll inevitably degrade your weapons to the point they're ineffectual against even a basic foe.

The demo might not be representative of how the system evolves but it's not the sort of bonus frustration I enjoy in an already challenging genre.

@Lurch - I think a case can be made for at least parts of FEAR 2 but FEAR 3. Beyond woeful. Now it's out the way I'm going to restart Youngblood.

Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2, so far it looks and runs well in handheld mode, hasn't quite captured me in terms of the game yet .

Enjoying Youngblood despite every change they made being for the worse. The greatest crime being turning the sturmgewehr into a gun that shoots popcorn instead of armour piercing rounds.

Still I'm having fun even with the go back there and bug a phone stuff.

Ninja Gaiden Ragebound - Enjoying it, game runs smooth and is responsive, I'm not the biggest fan of this style of game as there isn't much depth to them when it's not a metroidvania and much prefer Ninja Gaiden as an action game but as a taster before NG2 this is good. Annoyed that the Switch version is only 30fps but 60fps on everything else, would have been perfect for switch but ended up getting it on Ps5.

STALKER 2 (PS5) - Another example of why 1-year exclusivity periods can end up benefitting those who wait. I already thought it was great at launch for fans of the STALKER IP despite flaws but, a year on, it know feels far more polished, stable, and the world feels way more dynamic with more animal and mutant life coupled with warring factions vying for areas (which I think you can now influence as you play).

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (the Nintendo Switch port)

Aspyr sticking to low-hanging fruit when it comes to remasters/ports but I'm glad I can play it on the go. On the Switch 1, it's 30fps and looks somewhere between the PS3/X360 versions the X1/PS4 release (great in handheld, but rough edges when docked). Playing on handheld is a great fit for those who like 100% maps as you can do a little bit here and there and just leave it suspended between session.

Just disappointed we've not seen a proper remastered trilogy of Legends/Anniversary/Underworld? The Xbox back-compat versions are a good option but the PS2-for-PS4/5 classics versions are rubbish. That trilogy could do with new life on all platforms (and the Xbox 360 exclusive DLC that wrapped up Underworld's story should be included).

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Distinctly average and repetitive by the halfway point. It is a great way to introduce new/younger players to turn-based strategy as it's quite accessible and you've got co-op team battles (though the difficulty is tied to how far you've progressed in the campaign, not how far you've upgraded all the characters).

Destiny 2 - yes still..

Expedition 33 - Just started, so far so good..

Backlog:
Black Myth Wukong
Wuchang Fallen Feathers
Assassins Creed Shadows
Ghost of Yotei