Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 elevates the franchise with immersive storytelling, an expansive world, and stunning realism. A sequel that surpasses the original, delivering a richly detailed and thrilling RPG. A must-play for fans of the genre.

Forza Horizon 6 takes the series to Japan and delivers the most polished Horizon experience yet. The massive open world mixes Tokyo-inspired streets, mountain roads and countryside areas with a stronger progression system that makes the game feel closer to an RPG than ever before. Driving remains incredibly fun, the events are varied, and exploration constantly feels rewarding. On PC, the visuals are stunning with excellent performance overall, while the soundtrack and atmosphere perfectly capture the spirit of Japanese car culture. More importantly, the game launched in a remarkably polished state, making it hard to stop playing once the festival opens up. Forza Horizon 6 is easily one of the best racing games of this generation.

After years of tired formulas and disappointing attempts within the genre, Dispatch arrives as a genuine breath of fresh air. It is captivating, tense, and surprisingly sharp in how it tells a story about heroes. Every character is written with clear motivation and emotional weight, and the narrative shines thanks to a gameplay structure that is simple on the surface yet deeply effective. The balance between watching cinematic moments, making meaningful choices, and remaining actively engaged is the best the genre has offered in a long time. In short, Dispatch is one of the strongest hero-focused experiences I have played in years and one of the most pleasant surprises of 2025.

Resident Evil Requiem is a confident evolution of the franchise, balancing legacy and innovation with impressive precision. The dual-protagonist structure works beautifully, with Grace delivering tense, resource-driven survival horror, while Leon brings technical, high-impact action. The atmosphere, sound design and level construction reinforce the series’ identity, and performance on the PS5 base remains solid throughout. Though one narrative thread leaves room for debate and a late-game boss encounter could have added even more weight, Requiem stands as one of Capcom’s strongest recent entries. It respects the past while clearly pushing forward.

Planet of Lana 2 successfully expands the universe of its predecessor with deeper puzzles, richer environments and meaningful narrative answers. The journey of Lana and Mui remains visually stunning, supported once again by a beautiful soundtrack that strengthens the game’s emotional atmosphere. New abilities and environmental interactions make the puzzle design more complex and rewarding. While frequent cinematic interruptions occasionally break immersion, the overall experience remains captivating. It may not have the same surprise factor as the original, but it stands as a worthy and creative continuation.

The PlayStation 5 version of Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle is a paragon of excellence. It’s visually impressive, offers solid technical performance, and provides genuine fun. It also maintains everything that was brilliant about the original release and stands out for its careful porting. A memorable game, now available to almost everyone. All that’s missing now is the Switch 2 version.

Shinobi Art of Vengeance brings Joe Musashi back with stunning art, a punchy soundtrack, and a clever Metroidvania-by-stages structure that rewards exploration and mastery. Combat is fluid and expressive, platforming flows with smart tools like the hook and glide, and optional Rift challenges push your skills while steady upgrades keep progression satisfying. A few map bugs and occasional level dips hold it back, but this is a triumphant return that honors the series and delivers modern momentum.

Ghost of Yotei delivers a cinematic samurai tale anchored by Atsu’s compelling revenge arc, a stunning world, and a revamped combat system that swaps stances for distinct weapon sets with clear color-cue reads. Smart touches like filmic presentation filters, musical abilities that summon a wolf ally, and a faster, less repetitive open world keep the pace high, while strong audio work elevates both drama and action. NPC faces can look weak, the lack of hard lock-on leads to occasional whiffs, and a couple of minor bugs popped up, but the fluid weapon switching, satisfying duels, and memorable finale make this a standout evolution from Tsushima’s template.

Hades II refines and expands everything that made the first game a phenomenon. Melinoë’s journey against Chronos blends sharp roguelike design, impactful narrative, and layered progression that makes every run rewarding. Deep build variety, stellar voice acting, and an outstanding soundtrack keep the experience fresh, even after countless defeats. Visual improvements are modest, but the atmosphere and combat shine. Supergiant delivers one of the most polished and captivating roguelikes to date.

Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 is the beginning of a historic change in the gaming world. What we have is the same incredible game with a complete package and a perfect conversion on Sony's console. One of the best racing games ever made, with a new audience on the horizon.

Split Fiction is the clear evolution of a genre that has been little explored and that became memorable in It Takes Two. Hazelight once again proves that they master cooperative games and their mechanics, and see you, the consumer, as the core of their work. And so another classic is born.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a modern RPG masterpiece. Despite coming from a new studio, it combines strong storytelling, captivating ambiance, engaging combat, and a creative progression system. Sandfall Studio surprises by delivering such an ambitious, deep, and artistically consistent project. With a spectacular soundtrack, memorable performances, charming visuals, and refined mechanics, the game easily makes it onto the list of the best of the year. If you enjoy RPGs and are open to experiences that challenge the traditional, Clair Obscur is a must-play.

Hell is Us revives old-school exploration by removing maps and handholding, rewarding observation, note-taking, and genuine discovery across a haunting, war-torn Hadea. Striking UE5 visuals, a tense soundscape, and stable performance support a Souls-inspired combat system where timing restores health and stamina, creating real momentum. Limited enemy variety and scarce boss encounters soften the difficulty, yet the world’s mysteries and powerful side stories carry the journey. A bold, content-rich adventure that stands out as one of 2025’s most memorable surprises.

MIO: Memories in Orbit stands out as a visually stunning metroidvania, delivering one of the most striking art directions in recent years. Its watercolor-like aesthetic, paired with strong sound design, creates a memorable and atmospheric journey. While clearly inspired by Hollow Knight, MIO carves its own identity by being more accessible, though some combat and checkpoint design choices can frustrate. The narrative is intentionally cryptic and may not resonate with everyone, but it complements the game’s melancholic tone. Even with its flaws, MIO emerges as a confident, creative, and impressive early highlight of 2026.

The Midnight Walk is art in the form of a game. Its intriguing narrative and claymation aesthetics, guided by a presentation that is very reminiscent of miniature theaters, as well as its entire cast, make this fantastical and macabre story something special and unique. Moon Hood has once again created interactive art.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds is a fast, stylish kart racer that shines with addictive drift mechanics, a flexible build system, and portal segments that remix tracks mid-lap to keep races unpredictable. Clean visuals, energetic remixes from across Sonic’s history, crossplay, and stable 60 fps support a fun Grand Prix loop with a clear rival-driven goal. Item boxes are too sparse, collisions lack impact, the rival can feel overly aggressive, and online still needs ranked playlists, but the core handling and customization make this an easy recommendation for kart fans.

Pragmata delivers a refreshing sci-fi experience by blending emotional storytelling with a gameplay loop focused on hacking and adaptive combat. What starts as a familiar premise evolves with strong twists, driven mainly by the relationship between Hug and Diana, which becomes the heart of the journey. Its mechanics stand out by forcing constant adaptation, with breakable weapons and an evolving hacking system that keeps combat dynamic. Progression and exploration also work well, maintaining a steady and engaging flow. It’s not perfect, but Pragmata succeeds by taking risks and delivering something different, resulting in a memorable and solid experience.

Tormented Souls 2 refines the formula of its predecessor while keeping its essence intact. The sequel enhances practicality and flexibility in exploration, featuring more intuitive mechanics and smoother controls without losing the weight and tension of classic survival horror. Its puzzles are cleverly designed, combining logic and atmosphere to sustain a constant sense of unease. While the visuals remain modest, the lighting and sound design effectively build dread and immersion. By balancing tradition with subtle modernization, Tormented Souls 2 stands as a confident continuation that deepens the fear and reinforces the series’ identity.

Cairn is a demanding and unconventional experience that will either frustrate you or completely win you over. Beneath its brutal climbing mechanics lies a surprisingly emotional and intimate narrative about obsession, sacrifice, and perseverance. The gameplay delivers constant tension and genuine catharsis, even when its imprecise movement physics push difficulty beyond what feels fair. Visually striking and atmospherically powerful, Cairn stands out as one of the most daring and memorable games of 2026.

Saros is Housemarque at its best, delivering an intense sci-fi roguelike with stunning visuals, strong storytelling and exceptional use of the DualSense. Its fast, tactical combat evolves the Returnal formula with color-based mechanics, high-risk encounters and rewarding permanent progression. Despite some frustrating progression bugs, Saros stands out as one of the most polished and challenging experiences on PlayStation 5.

Monster Hunter Wilds delivers a highly fun experience. Unique monster designs with jaw-dropping behaviors and reactions to the environment, excellent art direction, and a fantastic soundtrack. The good old hunting mechanics to craft weapons and armor remain the most addictive element of the game, but there are caveats in the texture of the game and elements such as the menus, which could be more intuitive.

Doom the Dark Ages evolves everything we've seen so far in the new era of Doom and adds the shield, which easily becomes a player's favorite gameplay feature very quickly. Even with some graphical glitches and repetition here and there, the gameplay remains very fun and ID Tech's performance is a big highlight. A must-play game.

Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV feels like more than just an expansion to a familiar game. It’s proof that Nintendo builds its consoles with features others may have already explored, yet only Nintendo dares to use them in ways that inspire. More than any technical detail, this experience delivers the pure joy of gaming, no matter your level of experience. Jamboree TV left me thinking about the future and smiling the entire time.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition enhances an already brilliant platformer with sharp 4K visuals, smoother performance and extra content that makes the experience feel fresh again. The core gameplay remains excellent, with creative level design, clever Badge mechanics and the charm that defines Nintendo’s best work. The new Belabel Park expansion and Rosalina’s addition bring fun new ways to play, especially in multiplayer, though some reused content makes the expansion feel less essential for returning players. Even so, for newcomers this is easily the definitive version of one of the best modern platformers.

Reanimal is a bold evolution of the Little Nightmares formula, delivering a darker, more ambitious and more memorable experience. Its unsettling atmosphere, strong art direction and clever use of co-op mechanics elevate tension and immersion from start to finish. The narrative is deliberately cryptic, encouraging interpretation, multiple endings and post-credits discussion. While its runtime is relatively short, the impact it leaves is lasting. Reanimal feels like the creative freedom the team was building toward, and it absolutely pays off.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection elevates the spin-off series to a new level with a richer narrative, deeper world exploration and a combat system that successfully translates the spirit of Monster Hunter into a turn-based JRPG. The story brings more emotional weight and political tension than expected, while the vibrant art direction and strong soundtrack reinforce the sense of adventure. Exploration remains rewarding thanks to large interconnected regions, monster abilities that influence traversal and the constant thrill of discovering rare eggs. The battle system shines through its strategic layers and monster behavior patterns, maintaining engagement across long play sessions. Although the PC version suffers from stability issues with frequent crashes, the overall experience remains highly compelling. Monster Hunter Stories 3 proves that this branch of the franchise has matured into something truly special.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a game that understands the essence of Souls-like games, but brings its own identity. Its combat system is deep, the pace of evolution is well balanced, and the narrative manages to be engaging without giving up the freedom of interpretation. With some performance adjustments and refinements in graphic details, it would be a milestone, but it easily enters the list of greats of the genre.

Assassin's Creed Shadows features two characters who are opposite in essence, but complementary in their objectivity. Naoe, the Shinobi, Yasuke, the Samurai. Stealth vs. Brute force, both working together for Revenge and Order of a new Japan. Historical characters help to illustrate and brighten this narrative. Good combat gameplay and new mechanics contribute to an excellent game, which like every Ubi game, has some bugs.