Tarsier's most ambitious and grand horror-adventure yet is a thrilling, baffling ride that will have you fully invested — for as long as it lasts.

The textbook definition of a rental game, Painkiller is a blast to play over a weekend, then never think about again.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 is a polished and enjoyable park builder which makes excellent use of the Jurassic World licence. It is also a game that plays it safe, and may not be deep enough for some tycoon fans.

Naff campaign and some potential balancing issues aside, Battlefield 6’s multiplayer is top notch large-scale chaos.

Falcom’s stunning retelling of the series’s origin is the new definitive starting point for your Trails journey, and an excellent RPG in its own right.

While the combat leaves something to be desired, particularly when it comes to variety, Hell Is Us’ exploration of the cycles of violence and combat carries the whole experience.

Like Streets Of Rage 4 before it, Lizardcube have taken a beloved classic and made it their own. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a triumphant return of a classic.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a gorgeous side-scroller that's hard to put down.

The jank and glitches present in RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business make it hard to give it a higher score, but this is about as fun as uncomplicated FPS games get. Buy it, blast through it over a weekend, smile the entire time.

Come for the alluring amenities, stay for the hilarious, thought-provoking and genuinely interesting writing.

A smart remaster that retains the core of the original while improving graphics and adding quality of life improvements, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is great for both fans and newcomers.

Blades Of Fire gets in its own way sometimes with busywork-heavy quest design, but the unique combat and enjoyable weapon crafting save it.

Combining some of the best (and worst — sorry, Capcom Fighting Evolution) of their back catalogue with smart updates and improvements, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is an easy recommendation.

What Despelote shows, in my opinion, is that it’s important to take a breath and focus on what’s in your control, and sometimes, that’s taking the time to find your own fun.

Intricate mechanics, accessible controls and amazing graphics help make Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves an easy fighting game to recommend.

Even with all that said, though, Pepper Grinder’s core gameplay is still ridiculous fun, and raising the flag at the end of each platforming level still feels triumphant, if only for short-term pleasure. Pepper Grinder is a short game, only four to six hours, so the lack of other compelling aspects feels disappointingly underwhelming. Still, the thrill of the precision-heavy chase is an oh-so-tempting one, even if you won’t remember the chase very well afterward.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a kitchen sink sequel to the original sleeper hit from 2012, building on what worked about the first game to create an RPG experience that’s still unlike any other.

While it has plenty of rough edges, Pieces Interactive's take on horror royalty is the best the series has been in decades.

Building upon its source board game in utterly delightful ways, Quilts and Cats of Calico is an absolute winner both as a digital adaptation of a board game and a new entry in the crowded cozy gaming genre.

Pacific Drive is a rare experience in the space of roguelikes that combines unique mechanics with a deep story that not very many games in the genre offer.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth sun-baked adventure expertly improves on the last game’s formula, while giving enough space for both of its leading Dragons to truly shine.

Tekken 8 appeals to both the casual and hardcore playerbase, with a great selection of modes, training tools and additional gameplay depth. 2024’s fighting games are off to an excellent start.

While the games themselves may vary in quality, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy still presents a pretty solid case for purchase.

Reigns: Three Kingdoms adds plenty of new ideas and frustrations, but anyone looking for a bit of regicide on their Steam Deck could do far worse.

While it has some novel ideas, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's extremely repetitive quest design, underwhelming progression, and wholly monotonous gear system make it one of the most forgettable open world games of 2023.

Football Manager 2024 refreshes the formula just enough ahead of its biggest overhaul to date next year, allowing players to become the digital Alan Curbishley with the most depth of any FM yet.

Like A Dragon Gaiden should tide fans over until Infinite Wealth drops as a shorter yet still enjoyable romp, but this is hardly a series highlight.

A brave, ridiculous survival horror game that oftentimes needs to be seen to be believed, Alan Wake 2 showcases a developer at the peak of their powers.