While the pacing did pull the momentum to a halt on occasion, Pirate Yakuza is a fantastic action-adventure game and a worthy addition to this iconic franchise...The bond between Majima and Noah gives it a surprising amount of heart, and the time you spend with the Goro Pirates is utterly joyous. Whether you’ve played every Yakuza entry or are just looking for something a little different, this over-the-top adventure is certainly a success.

It may not be groundbreaking, but Avowed certainly leaves one hell of a mark on the RPG genre. The game's fun, challenging, and extremely enjoyable to play from start to finish, even when you're being hounded by giant mechanical undead creatures.

It’s obvious a lot of love has been poured into every facet of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. If you found combat in the first game too difficult or the survival mechanics tedious, then the sequel’s streamlined gameplay might not be enough to change your mind. However, if you were a fan of the first game, there’s so much to enjoy here. It’s clearly the game Warhorse wanted to make back in 2018, and it’s been improved in so many small ways. Bigger and better, it’s a must-play. Aside from some clunkiness and the odd tedious mission, it’s hard to find another game that so expertly combines realism and fun, with tough but satisfying combat, a morally ambiguous but grand story, and a faithfully recreated medieval world brimming with stuff to do. It’s the sequel fans wanted, and I feel quite hungry for more.

Sniper Elite: Resistance doesn’t rip up the rule book, it sticks to what it does best and delivers another set of stunning sandboxes to poke around in. The sniping and hilariously detailed X-ray kills are just as satisfying as ever, and the new Propaganda missions are perfect for those looking to test their mettle away from the campaign.

Sure, massed enemies can be a little glitchy and the story can err towards the convoluted at times, but it’s nothing that keeps the game from being enjoyable. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the series or tempted to jump in for the first time, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a very early contender for hack-and-slash game of the year, and you could do far worse than spending your time working through its epic tale.

Although Alien: Rogue Incursion does little to push the Virtual Reality space beyond what we’ve already grown familiar with, it’s another well-rounded experience that all owners should strongly consider, especially if you’re a lifelong fan of the IP.

While let down by some performance issues, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle captures the essence of its titular hero, nailing the story, characters, and visuals. For action-adventure lovers or Indiana Jones enthusiasts, this game is a must-play.

Stalker 2 is brutal, unforgiving, and not for the faint-hearted. While its storyline is poised for new players, its gameplay feels the opposite, providing a hardcore experience for anyone looking to dive into the Zone. Nevertheless, Stalker 2 is the kind of game that ages like a fine wine, getting better, richer, and slightly bolder as you push through its 35-hour campaign. That being said, the performance issues and missing features do leave a somewhat bitter taste.

Now having attained the Platinum, I can say with certainty the game is in no way, shape or form worth the price of a new AAA release. From its technical issues to the confounding game-design choices, it’s a bizarre spinoff that won’t leave Horizon fans overjoyed and won’t do much to turn fresh heads to the mainline entries.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure struggles to deliver the touching narrative and direction of its predecessors, feeling more like a side story than a worthy sequel for Max Caulfield's second outing.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a stellar achievement that ends a decade-long dry spell. It tells one of the best stories in the series fuelled by some of its most memorable characters. It’s not a flawless journey but the minor imperfections don’t detract from one of 2024’s best RPGs.

The game’s held back by a poor selection of maps, which are some of the worst launch maps we’ve seen to date, but overall, this is a fantastic return to form, especially through the Zombies mode and campaign. Black Ops 6 gives players exactly what they want, while also laying the groundwork for the future.

Despite the pressure, Bandai Namco has delivered once again, with Sparking Zero striking the perfect balance between paying homage to the elements of the franchise that made it so popular. In addition, Sparking Zero is also filled with new features, mechanics, game modes and more that will even have the most dedicated Bukoai Tenkaichi fans on their toes and blown away.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the ultimate culmination of everything Atlus has learned from its best games and is a huge step forward for the future of its JRPGs. The delightful combat, incredible cast of characters, and intricate fantasy setting all make for a brilliant experience that no Shin Megami Tensei or Persona fan should miss out on. It’s certainly a game-of-the-year-worthy title and a smash hit for Atlus to end the year with.

Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion offers a compelling new narrative for fans looking to continue the base game’s story. The new Spiritborn class is a joy to behold, and new features like Mercenaries and Runewords are a welcome addition, adding elements from older games that fans have missed.

EA FC 25 might not be the giant leap forward that many fans were hoping for, but its best-in-class visuals and realistic matches still comfortably make it the best football sim on the market. While it’s disappointing that some of its biggest and best additions haven’t been fully capitalized on, it still sets a strong foundation for EA SPORTS to build on in the coming years.

While Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom successfully brought exciting new concepts to Nintendo's iconic series and helped revolutionize open-world games – Echoes of Wisdom feels like a big step forward for classic Zelda. The game is a punchy cocktail of old school Zelda, expertly blended with modern mechanics from the series’ two open-world giants. As a result, Nintendo has created something that feels both nostalgic and uniquely fresh…It may have taken 38 years for the series's titular princess to finally get her own game, but boy was it worth waiting for. Echoes of Wisdom not only demonstrates that Nintendo is capable of wowing Zelda fans, but it can breathe new life into its legendary series. Echoes of Wisdom is a resounding success, a masterclass in creativity, and a worthy debut title for the series’ legendary princess.

While it doesn’t always nail pacing, it makes up for it with false security, tricky choices, and enough elements to keep you fully invested in the storyline or the well-being of the city’s patrons. Ultimately, whether you’re a Frostpunk veteran or new to the chilly city-builder, this sequel will prove how ill-equipped we actually are if a winter like this one comes along.

The Plucky Squire is an absolute blast from start to finish and one of the more well-rounded indie games we’ve seen in some time. While we have our nitpicks, it’s a worthwhile adventure for fans of all ages.

Dead Rising’s gameplay was revolutionary back in 2006 and Deluxe Remaster proves that two generations later, the series still has a leg to stand on. With some modest improvements and an overhaul to the visuals, Capcom has effortlessly revived a cult classic in a way that feels like it never left. It just feels so damn good to be back in Willamette.

From start to finish, from top to bottom, no matter how you look at it, Astro Bot is simply sublime. A genuine treat the likes of which we haven’t seen from any first-party PlayStation studio in far too long. Not only has Sony found a new franchise that absolutely needs to continue with new iterations every few years, but in Astro Bot, the company now has a new icon it can rely on for generations to come.

For Warhammer 40K fans, this truly is the game they’ve been waiting for, the issue is that it can feel slightly too similar to Gears of War in terms of gameplay, and Halo in terms of setting. Obviously, 40K has existed a lot longer than either of those two franchises, but that’s not going to stop some players from feeling a sense of déjà vu or that they’ve seen it all before. 40K may have inspired those sci-fi settings in part, but there’s no denying the opposite is true here. While we have concerns that Space Marine 2 could eventually become a fans-only game after its initial hype has died down, there’s no denying that this is the 40K game that many of us have spent decades waiting for. Those who’ve ever felt like a modern multiplayer game set in this universe would be a blast, were not only right, they owe it to themselves to check it out.

Similar to how I felt with the Age of Empires remasters, the quality-of-life changes to Age of Mythology Retold are welcome and help refresh it for modern gamers, even if it still does feel like a game stuck in 2002. In reality, I’d love to see a new Mythology game that builds upon the original in the same way Age of Empires 4 did. For now, the new 4k visuals, enhanced sounds, and improved AI make for an incredible reimagining of an old classic.

While Star Wars: Outlaws soars thanks to its spectacular open-world design, letting you loose across multiple gargantuan planets all brought to life with immense attention to detail, a safe and rather by-the-books narrative brings the package down from being an all-time great.

Black Myth: Wukong isn’t quite Games Science’s masterpiece. But it’s easy to see how it could be a strong foundation to get there.

Shadow of the Erdtree is a fitting tribute to Elden Ring and a stunning finale that manages to surprise and shock us all over again. Those who enjoyed the base game will find much more to get their teeth into. This signs off the Elden Ring chapter of FromSoftware’s journey so conclusively and impressively, that it invokes questions about how they will ever top it again.

For fans of horror video games, Still Wakes the Deep is one of 2024’s safer bets. It doesn’t have the perpetual terror of a game like Outlast, but that isn’t what it’s going for either. The peaks and troughs between genuine fear and relief turn the game into a rollercoaster of anxiety, but one that lets the player breathe. Though it isn’t hugely long or particularly demanding, it’s a welcome break from the formula of so many mechanics-focused games, making this a welcome return from The Chinese Room. This puts you in the shoes of a protagonist in a movie, with a curated story. Just be aware that what starts as a Ken Loach film quickly turns into something John Carpenter would be proud of.

It should come as no surprise that Vengeance is still, at its core, Shin Megami Tensei V. Its new storyline, characters, and quality-of-life improvements will be refreshing for returning players, though likely not enough to sway anyone who didn’t care for the original release. For those who weren’t able to play the initial Nintendo Switch release, though, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a step up and the ideal way to experience the Nahobino’s story.