A magical and charming adventure into a Moominvalley transformed by the elements, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth puts Moomin at the fore in a whimsical story that always respects its source material. Subtle realignment of gameplay to suit Moomin and a continuation of every good aspect of its predecessor makes this wholesome treat of a game a wonderful cure for winter melancholy.

Firefly Studios continue to expand Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition's roster with two new strong additions in Baldwin & Bullseye. Baldwin has been a long sought after addition, while both provide engaging strategies to counter and account for. The new Trail of the Eagle is suitably grueling, once again proving there's plenty of life left in this desert yet.

Futurlab continues its trend of solid licensed DLC packs with Adventure Time. Five brand new levels to play offers real value, and the in jokes and easter eggs will have Adventure Time fans cleaning up.

Cthulu: The Cosmic Abyss falls prey to the greatest source of madness: boredom. Bogged down with its litany of technical issues and crashes, its fragile story and bland walking simulator gameplay fail to inspire even a modicum of intrigue. It's not Cthulu who'll cause your mental degradation, but the endless tedium of trying to reach the finale of this abyss.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits lands on Switch 2 in good condition, but the feeling can't be shaken that it could be much better. Whilst the heart, story and the fantastical wonder remains, technically we've seen far better on the hybrid system, and this port does a disservice to a game that should be treated with more care.

Still shiny, still enormous, still a Bethesda RPG, Starfield arrives on PS5 in style, allowing the game to flourish visually the way it was always supposed to. The game remains a vast, wild and at times enormously frustrating experience, but the starlight here tears through the blinds, and it's well worth staring back.

Dosa Divas isn't without some ingredients missing to create a robust RPG, but it's a well-seasoned narrative adventure that's exciting your senses. The story and characters are heartfelt and impressively written, the combat system although not expansive is fun to engage with; and the cooking minigames, whilst not perfect, are an excellent detour to round out the gameplay loop.

Pragmata is a much more reserved and grounded title than its premise may suggest, but that's for the better. Its central duo of Hugh and Diana form a likeable bond, its gameplay keeps itself tight and focused with some great-yet-cumbersome hacking mechanics. Even with some imprecise controls and visual mishaps, Pragmata makes a trip to the moon a sight to behold.

Emerging from the shadows of the Crossroads, Melinoë leads the charge for Supergiant's sequel that sits at the very top of the roguelike genre. The combat is exceptional, the visuals are divine, the story is mythical and its expansion as a sequel is first-class. Hades II safely resides in the hallowed halls of Olympus, worthy of its place amongst the immortals.

Rich gothic atmosphere and solid roguelike, inventory management puzzling give Fortune Seller a promising sales pitch. The ever-increasing payments and frustratingly imbalanced economy demands, however, mean its a hard sell thanks to overzealous haggling. Once this promising antique is better tuned and polished, it'll be ready for more bartering.

Easy Delivery Co. is a laid back low poly vibes based game, until it isn't. The core gameplay loop of delivering packages, whilst thinking about your resources, is a fun couple of hours. However, the gameplay becomes stagnant as no real progression is felt until you've almost beaten it. There's an iceberg to delve into post-game, probably found on message boards, but none of it is earned in-game.

Delivering on the promise to slay hundreds of dragon spawn with a sandbox of build diversity and compelling hacking and looting, Dragonkin: The Banished uses its Diablo inspirations to create a wonderfully addictive action game. It may not have the production values of the best in the genre, but this fledgling dragon spawn has spread its own wings and taken flight.

Bungie are once again at the forefront of sci-fi with their extraction shooter Marathon. Whilst none of the elements are purely unique individually, Bungie have cultivated a brutal ecosystem that gives you as much as you're willing to put in. The barrier to entry is high, and the player base are already daunting, but what is on offer is an FPS with exceptional gunplay and heightened encounters, wrapped in a brilliant setting.

A poor attempt at a Vanillaware style game, Ariana and the Elder Codex is not the dark academia tale I wanted. Instead its a sad and shallow mix of frustrating combat, dull narrative vignettes, and tiresome level design, that left me wishing I had borrowed it from the library and could take it back. Do not judge this book by its cover.

In fully committing to its themes of artistic inspiration, trauma and self-doubt, Project Songbird shows a willingness to be emotionally raw and vulnerable, creating a real space for reflection and empathy. The psychological horror elements have a depth that slowly expands over the game's runtime, outshining its relatively straightforward combat and occasional technical problems. A nightmare is always distressing, but maybe there's beauty nestled within the pain.

With three exciting missions, a new batch of weapons and customisation options, Ready or Not: Boiling Point is a fitting conclusion to the three-arc DLC packs. It adds a new offensive element, a new treat and new challenges to overcome. It may be a deep end to jump into, as I did, but I'm a newcomer and I'm paddling just fine. Boiling Point brings the heat, I'm ready for it.

Bearing the legacy of Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando lands with an almighty bang when it comes to gunplay and spectacle defence sequences against armies of undead numbering in the thousands. It's unfortunately saddled with lame writing and meagre fresh ideas, which can thankfully be ignored as you unleash armageddon with bullets and explosions with your friends.

A compelling and atmospheric story of twin girls exploring a haunted village is marred by its gameplay. Had Fatal Frame II Crimson Butterfly Remake been a more straight forward third person combat adventure I may have enjoyed it more, but I found the first person camera-based combat disorienting, cumbersome, frustrating and repetitive.

Continuing with the series' revival, Legacy of Kain: Defiance is again another spruce up of the old vampiric duo from 2003. Fans will appreciate the new look, quality of life improvements and better camera control. It may be a hard sell to newcomers, but it's still an accessible game in its own right. Paired with the Soul Reaver remasters, it's a good time to take a bite into it.

A sum of its parts indeed, Resident Evil Requiem silences any doubts about the previous entries it's mutated from. A mix of tense survival horror and action setpieces, Requiem is a welcome addition, perhaps even surpassing those you already hold high. It's beautiful, it's disgusting, it's over-the-top... it's Resident Evil, that's for sure.

Death Howl is an excellent and original soulslike deckbuilder, that's only mired by its pacing. Progression is sluggish, and the combat is so unforgiving that these challenges may dissuade some players. However, if players want that challenge and love turn-based card battlers, then it doesn't get better than this.

A decent offering from the weird mind of Goichi Suda, Romeo Is A Dead Man is a welcome return to the madness. Whilst fun to play, the inconsistent story beats, occasional jank and insanely bright and blinding fights can become too repetitive. Definitely one for the fans of Grasshopper, perhaps not so much for the unaware.

Reanimal is a whole beast of its own from Tarsier Studios, but only vaguely beyond the surface. It's a dark yet tasteful turn into more mature horror, with a striking art style, and a tremendous level of world building. However, its gameplay doesn't quite feel like the improved pivot every other aspect Reanimal has, as it's what we've come to expect from the studio. It's still an unnerving spectacle to trudge through, but it just feels a little too familiar to be impactful.

Nioh 3 expands the series from tight bitesized focus to expansive open world design over multiple time periods. And while the third samurai soulslike still plays incredibly, its structurally compromised by recycled enemies, easy difficulty, too much loot and a nonsense plot. Bigger is not always better.

Two new AI Lords that offer meaningful challenge in both defense and sieges makes The Sergeant & The Lioness a tantalising expansion. The Trail of The Cobra delivers yet another brutal yet brilliantly rewarding skirmish campaign to master, all wrapped up alongside a new editing tool that lets you create your own Trails and Lords. Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is quintessentially the ultimate way to experience this RTS all-time classic.

The Game Bakers have a good eye for art, with Cairn now successfully rubbing shoulders with its stablemates. The joy in climbing outweighs the rough moments, that which will hopefully iron out over time.

As the hours tick away and you find yourself forgetting what hour it is or how many runs you've done that day, Roots Devour will have sunk its roots as deep into you as you'll have done in its addicting hybrid of strategy and card-placement gameplay. The atmosphere reeks of Lovecraftian madness, complimenting a commitment to the depravity of bloodlust. Some minor imperfections spoil the purity of the blood, but this is nonetheless a feast for the Outer Gods, and players alike.

Overall, Visions of Four Heroes is a good quality expansion to Dynasty Warriors: Origins, but may feel too pricey for the lack of fresh material. The two new weapons and early prototype for strategy battles are interesting, while the core gameplay remains excellent. However, the storytelling continues to tread water and the expansion doesn't take much of a risk with its ideas, which may leave some feeling short-changed by its asking price.

Desolate but beautiful metroidvania MIO: Memories In Orbit nails the fundamentals of a lot of inspiration. Whether its precision platforming, finding shortcuts, soulslike bosses or wonderful evocative soundscapes, this one is well worth your time if you are a fan of the genre.

Rather than a jumping-in point, Trails Beyond the Horizon is third in a trilogy and not a good place to start this series. However, for those already neck deep in Zemuria, Horizon is a well-built conclusion to the Calvard arc, and a fun way to spend 80 hours and send off Van and his team in style.

Amidst the sea of rogues and Survivors, Devil Jam rocks up with its effort. With solid gameplay, colourful visuals and a neat beat mechanic, it can be fun. But it doesn't offer much in terms of substance, and is subsequently more for the hardcore genre fans only.

Two Point Museum's Switch 2 port retains the games gloriously entertaining mechanics, hilarious dialogue and addictive gameplay loop. It stutters in the visuals when the crowds pile up though, and the lack of mouse controls is a strange thing to miss for such a big port. As such, there are far better places to experience this terrific game.

UNBEATABLE is the quintessential breakout punk band that delivers a brilliant debut album, albeit flawed and lacking some polish. The rhythm gameplay is endlessly satisfying and replayable, the soundtrack is fantastic and the final third of the story strikes a serious emotional chord. There are plenty of bumps along the way, but this band goes much further than you'd initially expect.

Skate Story is a bold and convention breaking skating game that wears its love for the sport on its sleeve. With a satisfying control scheme to master, psychedelic environments to trick through and incredible music to bop your head to, Skate Story is an audio/visual sensation that's only mired by it's confusing gameplay turns near the end. It's a real one of a kind for a genre that's almost as old as the medium itself.

HORSES isn't a game for the faint of heart, nor those who struggle to be confronted with intensive imagery. It's a rudimentary video game that uses the medium as a vehicle for exploration of intensive themes, which creates an incredibly unsettling and disturbing atmosphere. There may be other horror games that you'd prefer to play, but very few will evoke the kind of disgust and repulsion that HORSES achieves, and evoking emotion is what art is all about.

Lara's 2013 adventure returns and remains a terrific action-adventure thrill ride, and runs fairly well on Nintendo Switch 2. The new additions don't really add anything to an already great game, so if you can ignore the dated visuals and the shoddy gyro/mouse controls, Lara's first journey into hell remains an essential experience.

An atmospheric detective mystery, The Last Case of John Morley is a compact tale with surprisingly high production values for a game of this size. Unfortunately, it undermines itself by telegraphing its twisting narrative and lacks those 'eureka' moments you'd find in other, similar titles. Still, if you're in the mood for a one-and-done 'whodunnit' that you can start and finish in a single sitting, this is still worth your attention.

If you’re a fan of Final Fight and its ilk, there’s enough here to entice you. Doubly so if you’re a Marvel fan, but as somewhat of an outlier, I still got most of it and it doesn’t belittle you for not knowing them all. Partner up, and tear up, heroes.

A.I.L.A is a game of two halves. The first promises an intriguing and mind-bending narrative with gameplay experiences pulling from various inspirations for an exciting, evolving horror experience. The second unfortunately drops much of what makes the game feel unique and special, with a dampened finale and some overly drawn out, familiar experiences. Despite this, it still shines with the glow of an enigmatic A.I machine ready to take the world by storm, even with some technical hiccups.

A whimsical, irreverent and eccentric adventure game centred on musical theatre and improvisation, Once Upon A Jester is a pleasurable game that doesn't outstay its welcome. It might be a bit too simplistic for some, but the light-hearted, fun loving vibe of the game is a refreshing change of pace in a market over-populated by grimdark soulslikes.

Mysteria Ecclesiae features a new stunningly rendered location for Henry to uncover, with a compelling mystery that relies more on wits and stealth than combat. While some are likely to lament the restrictions on freedom KC:D 2 most excels at, Mysteria Ecclesiae offers some heartwarming nods to Henry's previous adventures, and provides a gentle wave of a send off ahead of the next installment.

Another one for the homage pile, Neon Inferno fits neatly into the retro-inspired category with aplomb. Offering challenge to those that want it, as well as a story-focus for those that don't, there's enough here for both the old and new school. In a time of over-complication, this is a reminder of the inherent fun in the simple. With lovely visuals and a banging soundtrack too.

R-Type Delta HD Boosted offers tight gameplay and nostalgic strategy, but muddy visuals and collision bugs hold it back from greatness.

Sprinkling tower defence strategising on top of an addicting roguelike bullet-hell proves a stroke of genius for Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road. Fantastic persistent and in-game upgrades that keep the gameplay fresh, a vibrant and playful art style and excellent bullet hell mechanics make this an absolute blast, especially on Steam Deck. While it does struggle with some repetition in environments and a grinding bottleneck, it'll be hard not to spot this entertaining monster coming over the hill.

It fails to deliver a compelling group of characters or a plot with any interesting hook, and doesn’t live up to the games that it’s clearly inspired by. It is a lot like The World Ends with You, which I also felt failed to give its characters any real depth, but it is not Persona 3, for example, that delves deep into its characters and their motivations to the point you feel you know them. All I knew, even after many hours with Demonschool’s cast, was that they were snarky and annoying, and they couldn’t accept plainly obvious things for hours on end.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is a fun, familiar dip back into the world of Bikini Bottom packed with charm, ghostly goings on but a fair bit of repetition. It’s comfort food for the nostalgic, but if you’re looking for something fresh beneath the waves, you might not find much treasure here.

News Tower reaches the heady stressful heights of the Tycoon genre, challenging you to keep a newspaper in print and filled with stories every week, to manage a tower of reporters, cleaners, and typesetters, and to satisfy a town of opposing factions, all wrapped up with a lovingly vibrant 1930s golden age string ready to be hawked on a street corner.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl ventures into the uncharted territory of the PS5 in a much better technical state, though the odd bug is still common. Boasting a huge apocalyptic landscape to explore, impressively long main story and some great gunplay, its destructive charm is easily noticeable. Sadly, it feels caught between two parallel genres and is unable to commit to either, suffering from tedious survival mechanics and superfluous decision making. The mysteries of the Zone pale in comparison to the mystery of what could have been if it had had a unified vision.

Setting a new high bar for interactive storytelling games, Dispatch takes the Telltale formula, refines and matures it into an essential experience. With world class voice acting bringing a top quality script to life, this game is a surprise GOTY contender.

Winter Burrow is a charming, storybook survival adventure that swaps stress for serenity, wrapping its cozy world in warmth and heart. It’s a delight to explore, but without a map or fast travel, that long trudge home can start to feel frostier than it should.

With slick gun play, considered movement, an addictive risk vs reward game play loop and oodles of style, this is a high quality extraction shooter. It isn't perfect, but with a few patches and a heavily populated roadmap of future content, Arc Raiders has the potential to be the pinnacle of the genre.

With a brand new but convoluted UI, slowdown and framerate drops during match highlights and a severe lack of polish overall, Football Manager takes a huge swing and unfortunately doesn't hit the mark this year. The fundamentals of what makes this series great are present, but buried under the weight of everything that needs to be fixed.

LEGO Party proves that brick-based chaos can rival even Mario’s finest. A big personality has entered the room and while it's not wholly original, it's funny, and full of charm. This is a party game worth its weight in studs.

Whilst it's clear to see what games have inspired Wreckreation, the game itself pales in comparison to its forebears. A hollow attempt at both arcade fun and badly shoehorned in "live service", Wreckreation is a game as shallow as its unnecessarily large map.

Tattoo Tycoon is a tycoon game where you can run a tattoo shop and it's fine. Amongst what's currently being released there's every chance it will get a little lost in the shuffle and unfortunately, it's not doing an awful lot to make itself stand out from the crowd. Try it on PC where it's meant to be played.

Boasting an impressive commitment to a versatile sandbox of hack-and-slash and retro FPS action, Rebel Engine has the fundamentals for a fast-paced and exhilarating time with vibrant visuals. It breaks at the seams thanks to cumbersome controls, a flat story and lack of punch in feedback to the action, but stylish hunting thrill seekers should find something worth blasting through.

Plants Vs Zombies: Replanted is a remastered return to the garden, sharpening up the visuals and adding co-op and bonus modes, without losing any of the original charm. It’s faithful, nostalgic revival that balances fresh additions and original roots for the game that started it all.

Taking everything that made the first one enjoyable but clanky, Tormented Souls 2 is a refinement in every sense. A more cohesive narrative (when it gets rolling), better combat and a much nicer presentation, it's a great continuation for the retro-inspired series. A bit obtuse in places, it nonetheless will scratch that itch for the older Resident Evil and Silent Hill fans.

Ion Fury: Aftershock holds nothing back with its intention. It's as old school an expansion pack as you can get, with more of the same and a smattering of new features to justify the price tag. It won't appeal to anyone who hasn't played the first Ion Fury, but it's a solid continuation for those that have.

While it's impossible to recommend Extremely Powerful Capybaras over any of the giants in the genre, it could act as a competent "my first auto-roguelike-bullet heaven" game. It's light on content and the repetitive nature may grate on some, but the colourful art style and inclusion of co-op are a saving grace, and I could see if added to the rotation for family game night.

PowerWash Simulator 2 is an all you can eat buffet of power washing greatness. Whilst the sequel is essentially 'the same, but more of it' and adds incremental upgrades, what's here is more than enough to satiate any fan of the first game and, whilst big jobs can look and seem overwhelming, the sense of satisfaction of a job very much well done still gives you a feeling unlike any other series around.

Anomaly hunting in the style of Cabin In The Woods sounds like a great premise on paper, but The Cabin Factory falls foul of malfunction thanks to overly repetitive and bland gameplay, with too small an environment to maintain any form of tension. It does attempt some semblance of a story and it may do well as a quick experience for streamers, but there's little else beyond that to recommend it above established cult classics like Exit 8.

A sweet cosy automation game, Little Rocket Lab brings life back to a small little town with style. It may not be for everyone, but those that get a kick out of this kind of peaceful, stress-free experience will find plenty to enjoy.

Little Nightmares III still looks incredible, but clunky controls, an awkward camera, and a watered-down sense of dread stop it from fully reaching its potential. Co-op brings a fun new twist to this entry, but some of the fear and magic that made the series special seems to have slipped through the cracks.

An excellent return to form for the series, Battlefield 6 is a military shooter that perfectly balances being 'fun' while basing it in 'reality'. While the campaign narrative lacks real depth, it's an explosive joyride that's ripe for a sequel. It's the multiplayer that will keep players coming back however, setting players loose in an explosive playground and letting them shoot out their own stories of the front lines. This is an easy recommendation, and a strong contender for 'Shooter of the Year 2025'.

Twinkleby is a charming, whimsical take on the decorating sim, offering creativity without consequence. It’s light on challenge and sometimes drifts into slow territory, but for those who find joy in arranging, customising, and soaking in cosy vibes, it’s a floating-island daydream.

In reaching for the heights of the Silent Hill's of the world, EMOTIONLESS: The Last Ticket impresses with its atmosphere and engrossingly unnerving sense of place. Sadly, that all disintegrates away with a plot that's poorly voiced and lacking in substance, while the walking simulator gameplay will have you trying to overcome boredom more than terror.

Exploring the intrinsic link between creation and destruction, Dreams of Another hints at hidden depth, but fails to deliver it in a clear and understandable way. Repetition and disjointed storytelling undermines the narrative which is otherwise propped up by interesting art direction and a top quality soundtrack.

A fun 'all ages welcome' pick up and play NBA title, that does away with the excess and offers a light-hearted, enjoyable enough take on basketball. It's asking price leaves a lot to be desired, mind.

This desert revenge adventure loses its way in the heat and the bloodlust. Whiplash inducing story inconsistencies, mind-numbing combat and stealth, alongside a complete lack of real exploration cause Blood of Mehran to suffer a fate worse than death - exile into a barren and unending trial of tedium. At least the landmarks are nice.

It’s a sum of bland parts, from the vastly over-used story cliches, to the lacklustre gameplay.

Refining the formula that has brought it such success, Borderlands 4 is the definitive looter shooter of this generation. Some technical hiccups take the sheen off what is otherwise a very polished experience that delivers poignant story beats, hearty belly laughs and a smorgasbord of slick, violent action. Despite its technical issues, this is the incremental evolution that Borderlands needed and rewards long time players with callbacks we've waited years to see. A true delight.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is perhaps the biggest surprise of the year for us. Not because it's good, because it's genuinely great. Full of life, vibrancy, joy and celebrating the long history of the blue blur, this is a kart racer that's heavy value for its asking price. Unlike others.

Descending from a hillside house to a rural Japanese village, only for it to enveloped in fog and an evil haunting is just about as good as survival horror gets. Silent Hill f confidently lives up to the franchise name in quality and exceeds many of the later entries. Perhaps the f is meant to imply a spin off, rather than a numbered entry, so that the intense and satisfying reflexive combat can be accepted and praised rather than compared.

A shoddy life sim, with little to nothing of excitement to offer even the most ardent of genre fans.

Leagues ahead of last years iteration, FC 26 puts the power in the hands on the players and says 'just go have fun with it'. The difference is startling, and it's credit to EA Sports that they took as much as they did back to the drawing board to deliver an experience worthy of the Champions League. The additional monetisation is not welcome, though. And we can only hope that what's been added in that regard is rejected by the audience and removed for next year.

With intentionally difficult physics-based gameplay, Baby Steps can bring out the worst or best in you. If you're willing to gel with the QWOP-style controls for a sense of self-accomplishment, with an absurd but impactful story, then it may just be worth tripping over yourself for.

Though troubled and caught up in transition from expansion to a fully fledged game, Dying Light: The Beast still excels in the core fundamentals of combat and parkour. The story is forgettable, while the lack of night-time scenarios feels disappointing, but The Beast will give Dying Light fans more of what they most desire: decimating infected crowds and dashing across skylines with reckless abandon.

A brief, pacey and regularly unsettling pastiche of Steamboat Willie, Bad Cheese will unfortunately stop short of sending a shiver down your spine. For fans of teen-horror, it’s still worth a few hours of your time, but its rigid structure and lack of real depth will prevent it from joining the horror classics.

Short, shallow and a waste of an interesting setting, The Life of Buzludzha is difficult to recommend to anyone other than those obsessed with Bulgarian communist monuments. A niche indeed.

Whilst the market for something neon-soaked and high octane may be lacking, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights isn't going to be the game to reignite that spark. Shallow content, lacking multiplayer and just overall poor performance will see this one up on the blocks.

Flashy, inspired but flawed, Hotel Barcelona is a blood-drenched, frenetic but clunky action roguelite. Leaning towards style rather than substance, its creative story, breadth of replaybility and brilliant horror-inspired art direction make this one for the cultists.

Otherwar unsuccessfully pulls off being a tower defence game or bullet hell, and instead is just my hell. Slow waves of enemies, long periods of downtime, and a broken in-game economy that doesn't make working towards anything feel fulfilling.

The seemingly strong foundations of Arctic Awakening's opening give way like an icy lake with one too many cracks. Where the narrative struggles with inconsistent performances and an underwhelming concluding chapter, the music and visuals elevate and lift the experience far beyond its basic walking simulator beats. Even if you may take a freezing bath or two along the way, I'd still recommend daring the trip across the Arctic for the sights and sounds alone.

Legacy of The Forge lets players live out their blacksmithing reveries with a content-rich add-on. Coupled with a heartfelt if basic main quest and a slew of repeatable side activities with their own associated stories, it's a great addition to an already mammoth package. The fires burn hottest in its best moments, but do simmer down owing to the repetition and lack of further depth in customisation, but setting up Henry's very own forge is a welcome return to Bohemian life.

Henry Halfhead's unique concept and simple yet effective gameplay make it a great sandbox puzzler to cause mischief in. Despite wanting the game to go further with its concept and make the gameplay more ambitious, it settles for a heartfelt and relatable story instead, bringing more feeling into what you do as a result.

Charming, spooky and just the right amount of cosy for the autumn period, Gloomy Eyes is a fun self-coop puzzler with an even better sense of style. It isn't without its flaws, like its gameplay being a little buggy and puzzles staying the same throughout, but the worldbuilding, visuals and tone are so inviting that you can't help but get lost in the gloom.

NHL 26 is a terrific iteration of the series, bringing together immersive, in-depth gameplay thanks to the ICE-Q 2.0 AI system, terrific visuals and a huge roster of modes.. It's puckin' great.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle: The Order of Giants delivers more of what the base game so excelled at, albeit in a trimmed down fashion. The puzzles and tombs in this DLC deliver some of the best you'll find, but the new location being so sewer-orientated is a let down. Pulled up by the scruff of the neck by some fun storytelling and more excellent gameplay, this expansion does just enough to make you want to don the famous explorer's hat once more.

NBA 2K remains the most refined, content heavy and reliable sports gaming franchise out there, and 26 is no exception. With improved mechanics, gorgeous visuals and a cracking career mode, this is an essential purchase if you’ve ever picked up a basketball.

A real blast from the past, Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening is as classic an anime as it gets. Whilst it seems like a niche game for the fans, it's an accessible action platformer for old and newcomers a like. Interspersed with original animations and corny dialogue, it's a fun little romp through the golden era of anime and space adventuring.

Daemon X Machina Titanic Scion suffers from too many systems and not enough depth. Sure, there’s a lot to do and a lot of mech customisation, but it’s all set in an underwhelming and cliched story and a barren open world devoid of compelling content.

We don’t get enough science fiction survival horror games, so when one comes along it’s a real treat. Cronos: The New Dawn merges effective brutal combat and excellent charging gunplay, with a design, atmosphere and aesthetic that is next level memorable. If you felt the void after Dead Space, this will fill it. And then Merge with it, and make something new and spiky and horrible.

Metal Eden’s hyperkinetic and challenging gameplay that tested age-old strategies was appreciated, even if it’s science fiction city and story was too safe and generic to be memorable. It is not Metroid however much it might want to look like it on the shiny spherical surface.

Hirogami has a bright world to explore and some interesting gameplay ideas to fold over. However, the art of it all is a little lost when the developers' over ambition doesn't come to fruition in the game. It plays old, feels like it too, and despite being a throwback to the PS2 era, it doesn't have the tact and precision to pull off this nostalgia trip.

Hell Is Us succeeds in a fantastic throwback premise; to do away with modern quest markers and maps and just exist in the game and find your own way. Yet you are never lost, because its world breathes and lives and guides in far subtler, deeper ways. An incredible modern classic of both mystery and narrative structure that I hope inspires a whole new generation of game developers.

A slick and stylish revival that captures the spirit of classic Shinobi while adding modern polish. Tight combat, striking visuals, and smart level design make this a must-play for fans of ninja action.

Vlad Circus: The Curse of Asmodeus is the follow-up I wasn't expecting, and one I wish could have been better. The gameplay is lighter, the story less rich and the tone even more bleak than Descend Into Madness. If this wasn't attached to a good prequel, this would be overlooked.