For years, fans have begged Game Freak for deeper storytelling and Pokemon Legends Arceus absolutely delivers that. Players who have stuck with the series from the beginning will be blown away by how many lore-specific elements are tackled…Unlike previous titles, the game is packed with side quests, exploration, and an emotionally rich narrative. While technically a Diamond & Pearl origin story, it is a love letter to the overall franchise that fans will not want to miss out on. This is the most exciting that the Nintendo RPG has been in years and a blueprint for how the series can move forward in the future.

After a strong couple of years, Destiny 2 has hit a new high in The Witch Queen. It’s undeniably the best expansion for the MMO shooter yet, with narrative payoffs both surprising and earned, a fantastic campaign, and fun new gear to chase and build. Destiny 2 Year 5 is off to an excellent start, and the future has never been brighter for the franchise.

Two Point Campus is the kind of moreish strategy experience that can occupy players for a matter of hours or a matter of months. It constantly builds upon itself and its predecessor without feeling overbearing and is the most fun you can have in education. A certain A-grade for fans of its predecessor.

Kynseed is the obvious product of hard work and dedicated development. PixelCount Studios has taken every standard mechanic from other farming games and looked at it from a new angle, offering fans of the slice-of-life genre something that is not only refreshing, but utterly and delightfully unique. The game is a perfect example of how farming sims can create a magical experience from the mundane, and it is a must have for any cozy gamer’s library.

Outside of some minor issues, it's hard to find fault with Hardspace: Shipbreaker. It's not a game for everyone, but it does a fantastic job at what it's attempting to be, and could be all-consuming for the right player. It's an engaging sandbox with a compelling narrative and addicting gameplay. They say if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. Players will easily fall in love with the blue-collar spaceship salvager lifestyle making every shift in the yard feel less like work and more like a dream come true.

Everything about Bayonetta 3 is ridiculous – from the dimension-hopping storyline to the devastating finishing moves and the Infernal Demons you can possess. But that’s exactly what fans have come to expect from the franchise, and it makes for an exhilarating experience that only Bayonetta can deliver. It’s hard to see how anyone could leave disappointed; just remember to take a breather every now and then.

Taking both single and multiplayer as a whole, Halo Infinite marks a return to form for a franchise that is in desperate need of one. Its open-world may feel a tad formulaic, but it also houses plenty of emergent gameplay opportunities while continuing to offer huge set-pieces…Multiplayer battle pass progression aside, playing with friends in Halo Infinite feels closer to the glory days of Halo 3 than ever. If you'd been concerned based on prior showings, you can put those concerns to rest – Halo is back, and it might just be better than ever.

Life is Strange True Colors has everything that fans of rich storytelling will love: a varied cast of characters, an intriguing setting to explore, and the chance the affect the overall outcome of what happens, putting the storytelling right into the player’s hands. While at times the game does feel slightly more linear than previous titles and plot points can feel rehashed, it’ll keep you coming back to the town of Haven Springs time and time again. It’s a game about walking to the beat of your own drum — we’re all on a journey of self-discovery and emotion, and Life is Strange True Colors reflects that to its core.

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is a delectable meal of polished excellence that I only wish had a tiny bit more substance. But what you do have is faultless and flavorsome and is a palatable plate of exquisite art and game design. No matter how long it takes, any future Cuphead content will be welcomed with open arms.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker saga is a graphically beautiful, sprawling sandbox game that blends humor together with more serious moments of the saga's lore, all while providing a dizzying amount of content to chew through. The game may not reinvent the wheel, but every gameplay feature from platforming to collectibles, classes and the open-world style of play is done masterfully. Without a doubt, this is a franchise-defining game for LEGO video games, and I personally cannot wait to see what the developers do next.

After taking time to debate whether or not the game's very minor, and few, shortcomings are enough to make the game fall short, ultimately, they don't. Not only is this a return to form for an elite racing game series, but Gran Turismo 7 is as close as you'll get to the perfect driving game. Its sea of gameplay modes, beyond outstanding visuals, crisp sounds, and immersive use of PlayStation tech has given players an endlessly playable game that never gets dull. Polyphony Digital have crafted a must-play, must-own, masterpiece.

Make no mistake, Elden Ring is to the Souls subgenre what Breath of the Wild was to the Zelda franchise; it took a classic dungeon-diving formula and opened it up, adding more choice, nuance, and combat flexibility in the process. It feels destined to kickstart a wave of "did you know you could do this?" YouTube videos, and a deeper discussion of build-crafting. Elden Ring isn’t Dark Souls 4 or just ‘Big Souls’, but it’s damn close, and represents the evolution the series needed and manages to be everything else we wanted it to be.

The Last Of Us is as brutal, challenging, and enjoyable as it always has been. With hugely improved visuals, small but meaningful gameplay changes, and a great range of accessibility options, this Part 1 Remake is without a doubt the definitive version for both newcomers and longtime fans.

As far as remasters go, Deck Nine has very nearly hit the nail on the head. With refreshed visuals and animations that bring this immersive world to life even more than the original games did, it’s easy to get lost in the stories and world of our two protagonists. Life is Strange has the most notable visual differences due to its age, but both games feel refreshed enough that they feel shiny and new. Visual bugs, the occasional unblinking stare, and ambient NPCs with fewer model changes can break immersion, but whether you’re returning to Arcadia Bay or visiting it for the first time, this remaster truly is the definitive way to play.

Nintendo Switch Sports does the impossible — it builds on Wii Sports in clever ways, creating a new version for a new generation while also breathing life into dormant rivalries over a decade on. It’s a great showpiece for the Switch, and is easily one of the platform’s finest games — if you have friends to play it with.

Hooked On You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim is something that, as a long-term Dead by Daylight fan, I never knew that I needed until now. This alternate universe version of these Killers and Survivors turns what we know about them on its head while we try to stay alive, uncover the mystery of Murderer’s Island, and axe any unfavorable possible romances from the running in slick, self-aware, and completely over the top reality-show style gameplay.

PGA Tour 2K23 is more than just the standard annual sports release with minor changes here and there. It's a two-year project that has added a ton of star power and new features. HB Studios clearly went back to the drawing board on this one and found new ways to make 2K's golf franchise even more competitive and invigorating...Its realism and immersive qualities easily overshadow some of its weaker moments and make this one of the best sports games, period, and will have you eager to board the birdie train.

Despite its lack of cooperative or PVP gameplay, I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that this is an essential game for 2022. Blending two opposing styles into an expertly executed bullet ballet, Rollerdrome's future is anything but dystopian.

Even when stripping away the glossy licenses and arenas, Multiversus remains an excellent fighter that feels like a great barometer of how to do free-to-play right. That low barrier to entry makes it a great way to spend an evening with friends, and with more characters to come, it could grow into a true “Smash killer” over time.

Overall, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a must-play. Despite the chibi-style graphics feeling wacky in places, the gameplay overall is fantastic. The changes to the Grand Underground are incredible, offering up a wider selection of Pokemon early on, and Exp. Share really isn’t an issue. Even if you played the original games, BDSP offers many new features to the point where it feels like a new experience. And we won’t spoil it, but the post-game is something all veteran fans will absolutely love, especially if you like battles…and Platinum.

Overall, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a must-play. Despite the chibi-style graphics feeling wacky in places, the gameplay overall is fantastic. The changes to the Grand Underground are incredible, offering up a wider selection of Pokemon early on, and Exp. Share really isn’t an issue. Even if you played the original games, BDSP offers many new features to the point where it feels like a new experience. And we won’t spoil it, but the post-game is something all veteran fans will absolutely love, especially if you like battles…and Platinum.

Ghostwire Tokyo is another great addition to the PS5's growing library and we'd definitely recommend experiencing it. It's not perfect, but there's more than enough to keep you engrossed as the city slowly expands and offers more to explore. Between a gallery of ghouls, exciting combat, and a stunning recreation of Tokyo to wander through, it stands alone as something unique. Plus, you can pet dogs - what more could you ask for?

While House of Ashes lacks polish thanks to an off-putting 360-degree camera and inconsistent visuals, these are likely to be fixed in the future – it’s just a shame poor Ashley has been done a little bit dirty in the process (and that’s not because she’s covered in blood half the time). All in all, House of Ashes is the standout of the series so far, and if the increase in quality is anything to go by, Devil In Me is likely to be the best entry yet.

If you’re looking for a multiplayer shooter to fill your days with color this winter, then Splatoon 3 will keep you octopied (sorry). Its changes are small and easy to miss, but there really is nothing else like it at all. A lot of the game’s continued success will come down to Nintendo’s own support of the game and its community, but after seeing the support for Super Smash Bros Ultimate and the recent Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC, Splatoon 3 is swimming in the right direction.

Spider-Man Remastered perfectly blends open-world action and stealth mechanics with complex fighting controls to create a superhero experience that will stick with you. A few patches and bug fixes and this game will be truly spectacular.

Reaching that flow-state where the game's many interlocking systems are firing on all cylinders is well worth putting up with any hardships along the way. With proper support moving forward, Cult of the Lamb has all the potential to grow into something truly special from this foundation, much like you can on the journey contained within.

As Dusk Falls is a stellar first attempt from Interior Night and a must-play for those who enjoy interactive narrative games like The Quarry, Heavy Rain, and Detroit: Become Human. In many ways, the game feels like a playable season of Fargo and even channels other gritty crime dramas like Breaking Bad at times. Essentially, it's a playable binge drama, but one that can be enjoyed time and time again, with different endings and twists, depending on your choices...As Dusk Falls will make you hurt, and it will make you cry, but it won't let you down.

Small foibles aside, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 might just be the Switch’s prettiest and grandest game of 2022. With a deep combat system and surprisingly effective story, along with quality of life improvements over the prior game, it’s a true spectacle whether you’re playing in handheld mode or docked. It really is a must-buy for JRPG fans.