This is a great showcase for the PS5 and well worth a look for those seeking a sci-fi epic packed full of challenge.

Overall, Pragmata is a well balanced dual combat/puzzle solving space game that strikes the right tone between emotional connection and outright fighting challenge. It looks great on console and borrows design elements from past sci-fi space epics to deliver a well-rounded gamer’s game with a distinct style of its own.

Generally speaking we get a very well crafted and well rounded story-driven video game here that’s a fitting end to the Max and Chloe arc. If you love this kind of narrative game then it’s well worth a look.

Overall, for those new to the Wonder game this is a brilliant package, full of gaming content for both the solo player and groups of friends and family. If you’ve already got the original, I’m not sure it justifies another look, especially if you already own other Mario mini game titles like the excellent Mario Party series.

Well worth a look if you fancy trying a different looking and feeling race game.

It’s beautifully told and has a lovely medium pacing to it, rarely too frantic and mostly set just right to give you thinking time about the big themes at play. For £15 this is well worth a look if you’re keen on an emotional rollercoaster, rather than an all-out blockbuster action by-the-second one.

I'm giving this a 95/100, but if the few little bugs are ironed out then it's as close to perfection as a wrestling game has ever been.

Resident Evil Requiem is a wonderful modern gaming take on a classic series that both honours the gameplay wins of the past with more current storytelling and visual fidelity techniques. The monsters are horrors, the boss fights brutal and there’s more blood than you can shake a stick at. Perfect for survival horror gaming fans.

As tennis games go, it’s a smash.

This is an excellent Souls-like title with a unique battle system to mix up the usual formulas. The setting looks immense and gameplay is addictive despite many a death at the hands of gruesome monsters...It's as good a Souls-like game as Elden Ring.

While it’s not a new game, the love put in to this version of the first third of Final Fantasy 7 here makes it a brilliant addition to the slowly growing Switch 2 library. Gamers will be as addicted as ever and for £40-odd this feels like quite the bargain compared to some of the more meh full price titles nowadays.

Overall, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a much-needed bold and beautiful shooter game for the new Switch console. It’s familiar to players of the past titles in the series while also more modern thanks to the extra power under the hood of our fancy new machine. While there are better FPS titles out there on other consoles, this is among the best on any iteration of the Switch.

Plenty of modes, plenty of unlocks, this is a full and fun package of wild racing.

Overall, you get a lot of bang for your buck in this year’s Black Ops. While the campaign is a bit meh, it’s got a couple of really neat ideas and an unusual theme for a Call of Duty title. The multiplayer is fast, frantic and as good as ever and the real selling point of this title. And the addition of meaty zombies and dead ops modes means there’s plenty of gaming to be had in the overall package.

It’s a brutal game and one that’s fully sat within the oddball Japanese manga-style of near nonsense storytelling. There can be too much lore when all you want ultimately is the addictive gore of the gameplay. Difficult, frustrating, face-flushing - this game is all of them. But it’s also fantastic in its fluidity when you get things right and rewarding when a chosen baddie is finally slain after the umpteenth attempt. Overall, another strong title on the Xbox and PS5 consoles.

While its story could be fresher, the multiplayer suite is awesome and will be played by millions across the rest of this year and next for far too many hours. War gaming is rarely this wild and fun.

The games play well in the new-look controllers and they’re as addictive and as fun as they ever were.

The graphics are gorgeous and the world fully realised, making for a breathtaking title to enjoy.

Overall, this is one hell of a football package that now tries to satisfy both classic arcade-loving football gamers and the diehard players who strive for an ever more realistic title to enjoy. By giving you the option now for both, FC 26 elevates its gameplay offering on last year and makes this a must-buy for football fans. Although don’t expect giant changes anywhere else in the title, more small tweaks.

It’s lots of fun, particularly with pals by your side, and offers plenty of tracks and modes to keep gamers coming back for more.

With 4K resolution, 120FPS multiplayer, cross-play action from Xbox to PS5 Dolby Atmos music and Spatial Audio sound effects, this is the best version I’ve ever played of this game.

All in all, it’s a worthwhile update if you liked the original game – and perfect for families with kids.

It’s great fun and the punching and smashing never gets dull. The difficulty ramps up nicely for all levels of gamer and there’s tons of secret areas to come back for once completed. The Switch 2 is now very much on its way to greatness software-wise.

While it pays great homage to the originals it makes a few tweaks to give the title a more modern style and impressive visual upgrade.

It’s possibly Hideo Kojima’s magnum opus, and it’ll be a long, long time before I stop thinking about it.

For now, this is a funky, odd and cooperative multiplayer ride that gets quite tense at points. One that could do with more under the bonnet. But it works well and has some lovely ideas for baddies and challenges.

Against all odds, Elden Ring Nightreign keeps FromSoft’s streak alive despite a very, very surprising left turn into multiplayer. What could have felt like a game chasing trends or designed by committee has maintained so much of what’s special about the core franchise.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is the perfect antidote to anyone that felt Eternal was getting away what made the reboot so special. It’s as metal as they come, endlessly playable, and with memorable moments scattered throughout – whether it’s the ones you create moment to moment or those id has laid out.

All in, a cracking remaster of what was originally a troubled game. One that’s finely polished and looks fantastic on PS5. It plays great and really does give returning fans and those seeking out Deacon’s story for the first time a definitive zombie battler to enjoy.

Different, fun to play, with loads of collectibles to find and a deep story that pulls at the heart, South of Midnight is THE video gaming gem of the year so far.

It’s not quite up there with the Fallout series but delivers a unique and highly challenging first-person action experience.

I could write about Split Fiction for another few thousand words and still not cover everything that made me smile. As with 2024's Astro Bot, it's bursting at the seams with a Nintendo-like playfulness, an excited child opening a toybox to show you everything it can, and yet with a more measured pacing that stops it running out of breath...It's a poignant and timely reminder that for all of technology's advances, art is still made my artists, and that might just make it one of 2025's most important games — as well as one of its best.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii may not be what anyone expected, but it's a fitting entry in a series that delights in surprising long-term fans and casual admirers alike. Whether you're interested in building your perfect pirate crew for hours on end, or just want to see the story through, there's a ton of things to do and with Majima around, it's a riot. It trades in some of its sentimentality for the bizarre and the brash, but finally having Majima playable again after so long feels like a breath of fresh sea air.

And while leaks suggest the Nintendo Switch 2 is imminently on the horizon, it’s brilliant to know at such a late stage in this console’s life that the firm can still deliver nice little surprises like this for gamers...Fun, playable, challenging and packed full of replay value.

It’s a warm nostalgic hug of a game for fans of Indy and well worthy of being the last big hit game to see out the year.

Lego Horizon Adventures is a lovely looking title that will be instantly familiar to Lego game fans while different enough to offer a new challenge to Horizon fans.

The game plays well enough, just like the Paper Marios before, with a near top-down viewpoint for the puzzle sections. And the visual style is a little different, more cartoony than many of the recent Mario efforts. The brothers are as cute together as ever and their joint fighting is a highlight.

The overall package is extensive and both games play well, top drawn speedster stuff for platform gaming fans.

If you’re new to the Horizon franchise, or if you’re so into it that you’re dying to play the first game again at its very very best, then it is worth a revisit.

This reworking of a PC hit makes it a highly approachable, massive role-play action title that is as welcoming to new players as it is MMO experts hell-bent on sinking hundreds of hours of gameplay in. The fighting is fun and the world building is extensive. Well worth a look.

This is an excellent first-person shooter with best-in-class multiplayer, a stunning story mode and over-the-top, enjoyable zombie smashing. Gaming gun action has never felt so good.

It’s all light hearted fun aimed at connecting people both in local co-op and online.

You’ll find yourself quickly and expertly tossing pots to distract baddies, stacking boxes and tables for extra height and firing out little green critters to fight for you, while you run around enemies to escape. It’s a joy to play, looks great and an excellently crafted mashup of gaming ideas to deliver a fresh-feeling new Zelda.

There are some lovely 2D side-scrolling moments too, which helps to break up the gameplay. You can even replay your faves in a new option.

The result is a fully fledged puzzle platforming game, packed with collectibles, funny boss battles and amazing little gimmicks that realise the full destiny of the PS5’s unique playability as well as giving Super Mario a run for his money.

This is an excellent start by the Ubisoft bods and I suspect the inevitable follow-up will fare better once more varied gameplay is added into the mix.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is very much a revamped version of a classic game. It’s nicely brought up to modern gaming visuals by the Nintendo bods but remains at its heart a very strong video game in the Mario franchise.

If you are seeking an interactive, heavy themed, intense movie this is your game. If you’re after a hands-on player, maybe wait until it drops in price. Unless of course you have already got the Game Pass subscription, in which case it’s yours to try now.

This is the racing equivalent of EA Sport’s not-Fifa football franchise FC24...It now delivers all the same realism, audio and visual fidelity while also never losing sight that it’s a good video game that will keep players coming back for more.

Rogueport is packed with fun and danger in equal parts and tons of personality, almost a character itself. And Mario of course holds it all together with some wonderful gameplay, comedy and an interesting storyline.

While this type of game has obviously been done better and bigger in the decades since, old school gamers will love stepping back into this world. Modern players may find it interesting but not vital.

By pulling on the strings of many a modern classic they’ve been able to deliver a fun, tough, playable title that’s addictive and enjoyable. But it can be improved on in both image style and gameplay if there is a sequel.

A strong and much-wanted tennis game that helps to fill a gap in the sporting gaming market.

The graphics are truly standout and the audio plays a nice role in enhancing the overall feel of the game. An absolute bargain for the price.

The story unfolds at a nice pace that allows you to dip out and into side quests throughout the map to become a part of a wider nation-shaping arc. Rise of the Ronin is another cracking PS5 exclusive.

With that lovely Nintendo animation and colourful visuals it looks amazing on both the Switch screen and the bigger docked TV. A solid but not outstanding effort by the Nintendo peeps.

Well worth a look if you’re seeking the comfort of nostalgia with some quality acting talent.

Overall, a fun, fast and busy VR game that combines two differing play elements to deliver an addictive shooter/swinger action title.

Overall, this a deep and wonderful game packed full of exploration, juicy combat and a strong story - if you can follow all the lore it pumps out. Square Enix have done a great job again of delivering a unique Final Fantasy world, in this case revamped for the modern gamer from an old classic.

Perfection is hard to achieve, especially in the world of video games – but WWE 2K24 comes as close to that as any previous game has so far.

There’s enough here to warrant both a return for gamers long in the tooth enough to remember the original and newcomers who have never seen a Mario Vs Donkey Kong before...Cute, fun, head-scratching stuff.

All in, this is great fun, albeit slightly limited in its longevity. While there are unlocks to push for, the core game remains largely the same from the off. However it delivers a good engagement and stress-factor when playing due to the overwhelming odds. And Helldivers 2 is at its best when played with other real-life players in a team situation. Not bad for £35.

There is plenty of wild action and adventure to be had in Suicide Squad. And it is certainly worth a look if you like the idea of a decent mix between games like Guardians of the Galaxy, Gotham Knights and Sunset Overdrive.

Well worth revisiting if you’ve played before and a must-buy at £45 for those new to Part II.

But generally Prince of Persia plays simply and well, like an old school arcade button basher.

An epic game with tons of content.

Avatar is a good game that could have been a must-buy had it doubled down on offering very different missions and experiences. That said, if you want to experience a lush world and really dig the movies, you should definitely give this a go.

A great introduction to RPG games and offers a challenge as you push through the title. It’s got a lovely modern Switch sheen to it but still keeps all the core values of the original, classic game.

Enjoyable but difficult and always unravelling a deeper tale. One of the most unique and lovely games of the year.

Overall, another fantastic Mario game and a real fun standout for the Switch console.

What a game. Web-crawlingly brilliant at every turn. Top marks Spidey, top marks.

This is an ideal way back into the franchise if you’ve lapsed from it recently. And a much-needed step backwards to, ultimately, take a step forwards.

It’s beautiful, brilliant to play and packed full of cars worth tinkering with. All in one easy-to-access package. This title tops the podium.

FC24 doesn’t miss the Fifa branding at all and there’s endless enjoyment to be had here, both solo or with pals either on the couch or online.

The story powers along at a gentle pace and can be a bit annoying, meaning a lot of dialogue skipping for me. But the gameplay itself is great - easy to get while complicated to conquer - and that 3rd person visual across a gloriously designed cartoon world can be beautiful. Its urge for exploration is everywhere and really helps to distinguish this away from other Switch titles.

It plays really well, you almost feel that bat in your hand as the ball does what you want it to, and the intensity of the competition is as real as any squash court. Add in a cool throbbing soundtrack and you’ve got a very nice VR title here for the new headset. And probably our favourite VR multiplayer so far. The only downside is that it is a bit of a one-trick pony and I came away a little headachy at times from, my fault, overplaying.

The combat, visuals and audio all work so well together in delivering a frantic action role-player that’ll give you tons of fun.

It plays well and is ideal for gamers who want to grind through a title and put in many hours. You’ll kill a lot of demons, beat a few bosses and enjoy going off on side quests to delve further into the lore of the series.

Full of content for all different types of gamer, whether that’s the one-vs-computer classic Street Fighter type or the player who loves to live online, making new pals. But underneath it all is an excellent fighting game that is as addictive as it ever was and a joy to play.

Jedi Survivor is a true triple-A game in that sense - a lovingly developed Star Wars game that’s improved on its predecessor and packed full of jaw-dropping moments visually and in the joypad. It’s Hollywood popcorn fun at its best, all controllable and with a real edge of difficulty that - rather than frustrates - pulls you back for more, like a good book.

Dead Island 2 is a first-person action RPG that’s packed with as much dark humour as it is body parts.

Minecraft Legends is gaming at its best - fun, welcoming, evolving, easy to play but endlessly difficult to master. And best played with friends. You’ll be continuously tested by this game and it takes its forebears’ core mechanics and adds them neatly into a new-but-familiar mix of action and strategy.

It established the third person run-and-gun gameplay you’ll recognise in many a game nowadays and totally reinvented the series. Subtle tweaks have been made to boss fights and streamline the pacing in this revamp. It makes this a must-buy for Resident Evil fans. And well worth a look for those seeking an incredibly challenging, stressful horror game where you never feel like you’ve got enough ammo to survive.

Overall, a lovely little game. Not what we were expecting at all, and that’s a good thing. It’s wonderful to look at, tricky with its puzzles and helps to build out the Bayonetta franchise.

Overall, I love this game and – apart from Wargames – I can see myself playing this for hours upon hours without getting bored of it. The days of button-bashing your way through a WWE game are definitely over.

It’s beautifully written, has a subtle but evocative soundtrack and really a groundbreaking gaming effort, particularly for players who have never seen Before Your Eyes. It’s a bit of a one-and-done game, so burns bright but dies fast. That said, for £12, this is a wonderful example of the interesting places VR gaming can go in future.

It’s all a bit trippy, intense in gameplay, musically brilliant and highly enjoyable. This is exactly what VR is there for.

The multiplayer element adds replayability, as does the mini-games section, and there are enough collectibles and hidden sections to want you coming back for more.

Horizon: Call of the Mountain is the single best VR game I’ve played and shows exactly what the PSVR2 is capable of. It has its glitches, some of the climbing can go a bit wonky at points and the general gist of the game never wavers too far from climb, shoot arrows at baddie, craft a bit, climb, etc. But as developers get used to the tech things should only improve. And for now we have a wow game at launch for the new device.

While the premise remains the same throughout, the battles each offer unique enough enemies to ensure your tactics have to change per fight and progress is a must to move on. Well worth a look if you’re into lengthy epic boss battles.

This is a must-buy for Potter fanatics and a very good game for those less fussed by the lore of the much-loved kids books. It’s got strong combat, depth to its open world, plenty of character and a decent storyline.

Ideal for kids, its a great game to bond over between parents and children with a bit of old-fashioned gamepad swapping.

It’s atmospheric, scary and adrenaline-inducing space fun.

It continues to plunder that wonderful rich vein they’ve been tapping of a brilliant single-player story combined with first-rate gameplay and graphics.

It is bombastic, dude-bro all-in fighting from start to finish and there’s months of replayability with the online multiplayer. It’ll get gun game fans not only through Christmas but most of 2023 too because it’s so damn moreish. For that reason it’s not only a top-tier game but one with huge value-for-money.

It’s a huge gaming bundle and everything you want from a football game. Fans will be sad to see this console icon go, but with a new look next year there is the potential for EA to freshen things up and deliver something even better.

The game is great and well worth buying if you’re looking for some multiplayer online shooting fun without the overt violence.

The work here should be used as a showcase for how to redevelop legacy products for a new generation. I would have liked to have seen it priced slightly lower, as I fear some gamers may be put off paying full-whack for a nine-year-old storyline. That said, if you really want to see what the PS5 is capable of when pushed, this is your game. And if you’re new to this series, this must be your next purchase.