If you like a calmer and more strategic approach, small bugs don't bother you, and you have enough patience when handling a lot of stuff, the console version of Baldur's Gate 3 is worth of every penny.

In its open world, narrative, combat, and traversal, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom proves itself to be a triumph, a game that will be remembered not only as a phenomenal sandbox experience but an outstanding achievement as a game.

Astro Bot is an exceptionally successful game in its own right, injecting pure happiness into your body over its 10-15 hours. It's exactly what Sony's console needs right now with its brightly coloured exterior, sharp controls and simple yet varied gameplay. The course for the stars is set, and I'm sure Astro will make it to the top.

FromSoftware hasn't reinvented itself with the expansion, but I think they've created their best piece of content yet, both from an aesthetic and, more importantly, a design standpoint.

After playing the first Early Access period, I was almost certain Hades II had not lived up to its predecessor, despite still being an all-timer of a roguelike. I soon learned after playing the 1.0 version that I could be wrong. Once you're past the inch-high hurdle of the tonal shift and gameplay differences, it becomes clear that you couldn't ask for more out of a Hades sequel than what you get with Hades II. Bigger in scope and scale, with genuine surprises, a gripping story, and characters you'll check in on every time you get the chance, Hades II is as good as if not better than Supergiant's original roguelike champion, accomplishing a feat equal to stopping Time himself.

Metroid Prime is still one of the best games in the world, and you really owe it to yourself to experience it at its very best in Metroid Prime Remastered.

All in all, this is a very, very complete remake in a lot of senses, and shows that Capcom has really nailed this process of bringing back its beloved titles in a faithful yet meaningfully improved way.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth does justice to its origins by beautifully updating it for a contemporary audience, while daring to tinker with some of the things that some fans might consider sacrilege.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the 2D platforming Super Mario Bros. game we have been waiting for, for years.

Forza Horizon 5 is beautiful. It's varied, it's well put together, it's deeply rewarding and overflowing with content to engage with. It's not even as confusing as it has been. That, in my book, makes it one of the best games of the year, but if you are expecting even an ounce of creative reimagining of the core formula, you might feel different.

Metaphor: Refantazio has managed to meet and defend itself against the high level of expectations that have been growing among gamers over the last few months. With a rich and expansive story and world, memorable characters, a timeless soundtrack and game design praised by some of the best developers in the genre today, I can only recommend jumping into this fantasy.

Horizon 6 disappointed me. Me, who has played all six instalments in the series. I feel some of the progress Horizon 5 introduced is missing; I don't think Playground are willing enough to experiment with everything from progression to UI design; and I don't think Japan comes across well as a setting here. But conversely, this, along with the last handful of Horizon games, is one of the best arcade racers you can find, based on everything this game predictably executes so masterfully. I therefore take the liberty of recommending Horizon 6 solely on the basis that it works as well as it does, although I must once again recommend that Playground Games really take their time to be more ambitious in the future.

I could go on and on praising Split Fiction and pulling out unique moments that will undoubtedly become fond gaming memories in the future, but I don't want to take the joy of discovery away from you readers. Because there really is a lot to discover and fall in love with along the way. We should all be happy that Hazelight exists and thrives in the gaming industry, and I'm crossing my fingers that Split Fiction will be a gigantic success so we can enjoy more great experiences from one of today's most exciting developers. Split Fiction is a co-op masterpiece. It's as simple as that.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a tremendous game that has set a new standard for RPGs, the ambitions of smaller teams, and AAA experiences in general. It's an easy game of the year candidate if I've ever seen one. A masterful story born from an exceptional concept.

Donkey Kong Bananza is hectic, chaotic, barrels of fun, and overflowing with charisma, but it also has clear areas where it could be streamlined and improved, and that's mostly the story of this game.

If you're playing with a controller and have a reasonably good PC, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the ultimate version right now. If you want to experience this classic and have the opportunity, this is definitely the version I'd recommend. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a masterpiece and as close to art as a game can get.

After a few hours it really starts to be felt that this game would benefit from more atmospheric music, for longer periods. Minus that, I have no complaints about this lovely indie gem.

In my nearly ten years here at Gamereactor, I have so far managed to award three perfect scores, and now it's time again. Hollow Knight: Silksong is a masterpiece, simply put. No question about it. Expectations were sky-high in advance, but with a lot of patience and even more skill, Team Cherry has managed to rise above the competition and cement its place in the starry sky as one of the brightest shining celestial bodies. If you like challenging video games in general and well-made Metroidvania titles in particular, I cannot recommend Hollow Knight: Silksong enough, because it's a game that enchants and challenges, dazzles and delights. And finally, for those of you who are wondering: Yes, it was definitely worth the wait.

Amazing, spectacular, superior, ultimate. All words that have been used to describe Spider-Man in his comic run and adjectives I could use to describe Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

The PC version of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a powerful experience that really shows what modern hardware can do for gaming. If you love the game's story and have been waiting for the PC version, you won't be disappointed. Square Enix has delivered a solid port that allows even more players to experience this epic adventure. The game's strong technical foundation, combined with an already fantastic story and gameplay, makes it a release worth considering even if you already know the story from previous versions.

I highly recommend Resident Evil Requiem for anyone who only has a Switch 2 or who particularly enjoys switching from TV to handheld mode (with headphones, of course). If you're not looking for maximum fidelity and visual luxuries above all else, this is a very serious port that knows where to make sacrifices and therefore retains the shock value and immersion of the lead version, a great job by Capcom and automatically one of the best games in the Nintendo Switch 2's young catalogue.

Even with a fair chunk of the extra content feeling lacklustre, the core content, AKA the base game that launched back in 2020, is so good that it elevates The Last of Us: Part II Remastered out of middling waters.

Dave the Diver knows from the very first scene what it wants to be, and from the get-go it's firing on all its available cylinders. You get a fantastically complex gaming experience here, with a self-awareness that would suit many major studios.

The final product is excellent, and my unpopular opinions about game length do not change the fact that this remains - still - one of the greatest video game releases of all-time.

Balatro really is a fantastic, ingenious, and genuinely unique game. It features the perfect blend of simplistic and accessible game mechanics matched up with broad, deep, and complex mathematical systems that will entertain and challenge seasoned card players.

Once the single player is done and you get used to the awkward presentation, we still have a very solid fighting game and a phenomenal foundation to build on. And at the end of the day, that's by far the most important thing in a game like this. As long as it's genuinely fun to punch your friends in the face, there's no way I'm going to get bored.

Final Fantasy VII: Remake seamlessly and wonderfully slots onto the Nintendo Switch 2. This is a fantastic and memorable remake of such high-quality that it's something everyone should at least try once, and if that's through the Switch 2 edition, you're in store for a pretty strong version that can hold its own.

It's a more concentrated and slightly simpler game than its brilliant second instalment, which really expanded every part and is better in my opinion. But if you scale it all down, it's still the same concept. You're treated to fantastic puzzles and a really nice facelift that makes it definitely worth experiencing. Even if it was then followed by something more grand and even better.

I have had a very pleasant time in Pokopia, which never ceases to feed me with new things to do. Pokémon's living conditions must be improved, items must be built, and properties must be planned. We've probably all experienced the kind of game where you repeat the mantra "I'll just do this too" over and over again until you finally look up and realise that it's five in the morning and you haven't slept a wink. That's my experience of Pokopia in a nutshell, and I already feel the urge to dive back in.

If Coal Supper had ended up with a gameplay model that was as interesting to engage with mechanically as it is downright magnificent to look at, experience and listen to, then this would have been one of the best games of the year.

Fighting simply doesn't get much better than this, and the utterly furious and hyper-excited Tekken 8 will be my main fighting game for years to come.

Dead Space Remake is one of the best remakes we've ever received. The technological, audio, and graphical improvements all do wonders for the level of immersion that this game relies on, and the quality and polish is so welcome when considering some of the other 'finished' games that we've seen as of late.

Full 4K/120Hz support, crossplay, co-op, split screen multiplayer as well as online multiplayer, N64 maps, restored midi music... Everything is included here in a package that feels polished and clean in a way that today's games very rarely do.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape is not for everyone, it's for the veterans and the players who have stuck by this game year-after-year-after-year, and it's precisely this that makes it such a brilliant end product. It's crammed to the brim with content, has hugely impactful and important story developments, takes risks that pay off with mechanics and gameplay, and all in a new location that is dripping with nostalgia while being effortlessly gorgeous.

On the one hand, there are several things I miss about the game. The weather could play a bigger role, the pacing sometimes loses its footing, I would like the world to be more exciting from an architectural point of view, and I wish my mission givers weren't so boring to listen to. On the other hand, it feels great to play, has more character and personality in its little finger than Ubisoft's entire game library from the last 10 years can muster, and it manages to tell a decidedly excellent story that will stay with me for a long time.

The game is overall an excellent conversion of the PlayStation game. The main story is super cool and the graphics are gorgeous. There are a few niggles here and there, but Horizon Forbidden West is an excellent game that should be experienced by as many people as possible.

Ryu Ga Gotoku have managed to expand and progress not only the JRPG system of the current series, but its narrative, character development and extra content. Besides being better in almost everything, and offering a gaming experience that no other can match, it can boast of being an unrivalled graphical portent.

Resident Evil Requiem is a fantastic example of why this series continues to thrive, it's a truly great experience that will have you smiling with glee, quivering with fear, and pumping a fist in the air out of thrill.

Remedy deserves all the praise I can muster for being brave enough to make some exciting design choices that limit Alan Wake 2's mass appeal, but increase the enjoyment for those of us who remain. They deserve for me to call this game what I think it is - a masterpiece.

If Warhorse has truly achieved its original vision with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, then what an ambitious vision this was. A title that combines the best of RPGs we've loved, with its own unique niche of its historical setting, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II has set the bar high for the rest of 2025.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is a great conversion of the PlayStation game and should be experienced for its magical atmosphere and combat system. Although the story and missions have been seen before, the game is filled with innovative design choices that I highly recommend.

I can only recommend that you give Monster Hunter: Wilds a try, it will give you a very enjoyable action adventure on your own, and a game of enormous scope to continue playing for many, many more hours after the credits roll. Happy hunting!

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is an aesthetically pleasing, cognitively challenging and narratively stimulating experience of the kind we rarely get to enjoy, and I already miss the obsession of unravelling all its secrets.

Cabernet is a completely unique vampire story and it's really unlike anything else I've ever played. Party For Introverts has somewhat out of nowhere delivered perhaps the most original title of the year and has also executed it all with brilliance.

Few games have fascinated me the way Cocoon does with its metre-thick atmosphere and reality-distorting challenges. It's an alien among its earthly peers, and even when it draws on a classic series like The Legend of Zelda, it twists the concepts we know so well, such as requiring you to diligently travel between worlds in a split-second. Some games mesmerise you with their breadth and almost hubristic level of ambition. Cocoon does this by perfectly executing its tight focus - just as its role model Portal did twice more than a decade ago.

For a multitude of reasons this game is an absolute blast. But just because it has its strengths doesn't mean that The Lost Crown is a home run. There is room for improvement for this game and the way it is fundamentally designed, specifically in how the tale is weaved together in a narrative sense.

The style, writing, and visuals are pure McMillen and if you've been hankering for more of that gritty and sometimes puerile 2010s humour from The Binding of Isaac, Mewgenics delivers in spades.

I don't think anyone can disagree that Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is the perfect place to start if you want to try one of the best tactical role-playing games of our time, as it is somewhat more accessible than the original. It still requires a lot of time and dedication from the player, but the time spent with the game will be less frustrating than it was 28 years ago.

It took me about four hours to play through Mullet Mad Jack and after about half of my playing time, I felt pretty fed up with the monotonous environments and the corridors that everything takes place in.

Megabonk is a smash hit. It's raw, addictive, and dangerously easy to lose yourself in. A game that steals your time and does so with such obvious arrogance that you almost thank and bow for being devoured by its machinery.

The sum of my opinions with The Talos Principle II is that you can buy it without the slightest concern. It is a clear improvement on one of my favourite games of 2014 in exactly every way.

Sword of the Sea is an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoyed Journey, Rime, Abzû, and other related titles. Carried by its visuals, which are beautifully accompanied by Austin Wintory's background music, it offers plenty of gameplay enjoyment and hits all the right emotional high points. However, this easy recommendation also comes with an inherent criticism, because it's also a little too predictable and familiar. We are now familiar with the tried and tested journey towards the monolith story and the crises and setbacks it brings before the ultimate triumph. Giant Squid also has new ideas - particularly the way you move through the world - but at times it feels as if they are remixing elements from other titles a little too much. On the other hand, they do so with great flair and unmistakable talent, which ultimately makes Sword of the Sea one of the best games in the subgenre.

It's at its best when it lets the yo-yo mechanics and puzzling take centre stage, which is perhaps a little ironic too as the game is at its most frustrating when the yo-yo mechanics fail and struggle in their precision. Typically speaking though, for an indie game and a very reasonably priced one at that, there's much more to celebrate than there is to bash.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is a fantastic RPG that stands out as a unique gem of the genre. It's not afraid to be whimsical and strange, nor does it compromise on making the theme of a Paper Mario game come to life with its interesting abilities and mechanics.

Externally, the PlayStation 5 version looks very good. The main characters, familiar from the movies, do not look exactly identical to their predecessors, but they still make their point, complementing the plot parts of the story during the dialogue sections. In terms of voice acting, the main attention is naturally focused on Indiana Jones, and Troy Baker succeeds in this area excellently, raising the atmosphere across the board. However, the supporting characters are not always up to the task, as the more open adventuring can sometimes cause unintentional repetition in dialogue or activation at the wrong moments.

Add to this the fact that the game includes local wireless combat, or that you can do the same with your avatar from World Tour mode, and you have an extremely versatile and functional version of what is one of the best fighting games of the moment.

You have to hand it to Sabotage, Sea of Stars is an immensely precise gaming experience from start to finish, whether it's progression, challenge, combat or the surprisingly fun Wheels minigame. It's all polished, honed and checked to make sure it all works together.

Pikmin 4 is simply a delight to play. Its world is effortlessly charming and its core gameplay is more than enough to keep you invested for hours on end. Combine that with the extras such as the Night Expeditions, and Nintendo has crafted another big winner in what is already an incredible 2023 for the company.

Just as The Legend of Zelda and God of War have recently done, Final Fantasy wins by throwing the rulebook out the window and rethinking what the series can be in a modern age. Where both XIII and XV felt trapped between worlds, Final Fantasy XVI definitely goes down the action game path. But it doesn't forget the essence of the series. Yes, the tone is dark and sombre and the style more realistic, but the sense of community and epic journey is fully present.

Saros is a fantastic example of just how much good can come from giving a razor-sharp developer the time and freedom to create the game they want from a clear vision. For whilst Saros is, in scope, Housemarque's biggest game to date, it still feels laser-focused in its desire to bring bullet hell into a 3D space and equip the whole thing with an engaging sci-fi story set in a fantastic world.

Nintendo has certainly done a decent job of updating two masterful adventures, but they could definitely have added more content or held back a little when it came to pricing. As it stands, it's impossible to ignore that this package feels a little greedy based on what you get in exchange for your hard-earned money. Sure, if you've never played Super Mario Galaxy or its eminent sequel, I can, without hesitation, recommend that you purchase both games. In terms of overall gaming enjoyment, you won't be disappointed, as these are two awesome platform titles that still hold up, and then some. However, if, like me, you're old school and have already rescued Princess Peach in both of Mario's galactic adventures, you can skip this new version with a clear conscience, or alternatively dig out your Wii console and experience the nostalgia that way. The games are still as phenomenally good as you remember, and the improved graphics may add some much-needed polish, but not much more than that.

If you can shrug off the many archetypes, dry dialogue and a handful of sexist character designs, then there are many, many hours of deeply engaging strategy to be had here.

Minishoot's Adventures has nothing new to say about twin-stick shooters, shmups, or the typical Zelda formula. It's the things you know, just remixed in an innovative way, and perhaps that's enough. It doesn't change your relationship with these respective genre frameworks, apart from convincing you that these frameworks are flexible enough for this sort of thing to be entirely feasible, and that's probably a victory in itself.

Botany Manor is an ideal Game Pass game. It's easy, charming, vibrant, and sweet. This is a puzzler that has just the right balance of challenge and simplicity, and the first-person setup and the wonderful presentation make for an immersive experience in a world you want to explore. It doesn't quite have the narrative depth of Call of the Sea, the ingenuity of Viewfinder, or the mechanical excellence of Maquette, but looking at the overall package, as far as immersive sim puzzlers go, this is a fine addition to the collection.

Phantom Liberty and the 2.0 update give CD Projekt RED's title a second life. And while many may already consider their time in Night City to be over, this new story may give you more than a few surprises.

Dispatch takes a great leap above Telltale's former experiences, keeping the strong writing while elevating a sense of player agency and pushing out an incredibly addictive gameplay loop. Dispatch is simply one of the best pure narrative experiences we've had in gaming in years, and it's another game among many that deserves a 2025 GOTY nomination.

Neva is an exceptionally successful example of how games can be aesthetically stunning, speak to the emotions and at the same time function as games in the traditional sense. In fact, it is perhaps Neva's greatest masterpiece, proving that you can take the experiential feeling of games of the 10s and equip them with a mechanical core that makes them also satisfying and detached from the audiovisual and emotional core that defined titles like Journey and Abzu. And satisfying, that's Neva. Simple, yes. And inventive, sharp and well-functioning. But it's the visuals that remain the star, because it's what elevates the narrative, the gameplay, indeed the whole package to excellence. In fact, to a real stronghold of emotional indie escapism.

I simply have to salute Bethesda and Microsoft, and first and foremost the developer Tango Gameworks for a blockbuster release and a game that I'd probably call one of the best platformers I've played during my almost 50 years on planet Earth.

Monolith Soft. has once again delivered for its fans, offering an expanded version that refreshes the classic and will live on alongside the rest of the series on Nintendo Switch. Let's just hope that this little gift that is Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition hasn't taken them too long to show us the next instalment of the series in the near future.

If you're looking for a puzzle game that does things differently by mixing deep puzzle gameplay with a hard-pumping soundtrack and wild visual effects, Lumines Arise is a really good direction to look in. I love the combination.

Armored Core VI is stunning and entertaining mecha action. Those familiar with FromSoftware know to expect a hard level of difficulty, but still the uneven difficulty curve becomes the worst part of the game. If you can live with it, it's hard to resist the charm of big robots.

What really sets Arco apart from the indie clutter is the resonant narrative, that the game manages to get the player invested in these ephemeral characters living in a world of infinite natural beauty that is then repeatedly ruined by greed, by revenge, and even though the dialogue exchanges are relatively short, it is believable throughout.

Diablo IV is a great, truly enjoyable game every fan should play. The core story, highlighted by the superb cinematics and excellent voice acting, leads you through a highly detailed and fascinating world.

There is some interactivity missing here and sometimes the dialogue sequences get so long that it feels like the game is standing still but if you are prepared for this and if you are looking for a story-heavy, thematically brilliant text adventure that is dripping with social criticism and naturally written dialogue, it is undoubtedly the surprise of the summer.

Overall, it's a charming adventure and a good port of a couple of years old PlayStation 5 game. It fits well into the PC market and delivers brilliant technical graphics on the format.

There is no way to explain exactly how magnificent it is no matter how many superlatives I use. It's the biggest VR game to date with 60 glorious hours of main story and at least double that if you want to do everything and you will. In fact, as soon as I was forced back into the real world, I just wanted to go back.

It's been a great pleasure for me personally to experience one of the modern classics that are considered seminal to the conventions of the genre, and I have to applaud much of Bloober Team's work here. That doesn't change the fact that there are aspects of Silent Hill 2's foundation that appear slightly shaky to me, and your immersion and enjoyment will be dictated by how forgiving you are of a story that becomes a little too thin as the game progresses.

I'm not the most dedicated Survivor player, and admittedly I've only played Deep Rock Galactic a couple of times just to hang out with friends, but with Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor I was surprised several times to find when I looked up from my PC that it was already dark, and I had to go to bed (work to do). I think there are few better compliments for a title like this.

It is with great pleasure that I dare to say that Nintendo has done it again. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is today a full potter for me, containing two DLC packs from the Wii U version and four DLC packs from Switch. Mario Kart World already matches it content-wise and feels like a perfect platform to build on, and is itself a wonderful racing game for both happy amateurs who just want to go karting with the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom and professionals who like to optimise their tracks and quickly learn to spend as much time driving on walls as on the ground. A better killer app for Switch 2 is simply hard to imagine, and the mere thought that this is a game that will get even better with more content in the future makes it a game not to be missed.

Nioh 3 is simply a good game because it's more of Nioh and Nioh 2 with a few extra dashes of different playstyles, a few new enemies, bigger environments, and some tiny gameplay tweaks. Those of you just looking for more Nioh/Rise of the Ronin/Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty are getting exactly that. Everyone else will forget this even came out by the time Game of the Year awards start in December, because I'll exaggerate a bit by saying this is what AI would have made if you asked it to develop Nioh 3.

If you're coming from Persona 5, you'll have to be prepared for Reload to take its time getting started. Otherwise, we're dealing with a sublime remake that makes an 18-year-old game feel brand new.

The game is not for everyone, but you have to take your hat off to a developer who doesn't compromise on their game design. There is a logic that you have to catch and you have to have the patience to let the game unfold. If you don't, Riven is not for you. If you have the patience, Riven is a fantastic adventure where the puzzles and the world are the star.

It requires patience and multiple runs before everything truly clicks. If you jump in solely because everyone is praising it, you might bounce off it entirely and end up wondering what all the fuss is about. Ball X Pit is best enjoyed at your own pace, by understanding and embracing its roguelite nature. Do that, and you'll eventually find yourself immersed in the addictive chaos it brings to your console or PC.

Sucker Punch may be playing it safe, but the fantastic world and effective revenge plot still give Ghost of Yotei its own identity. It's still a series with clear limitations, exemplified by the monotonous mission design and old-fashioned stealth, and it's disappointing that Sucker Punch has not done more to rectify these issues, especially since they also plagued the first game. But it certainly has its qualities: from epic duels to exploration built on curiosity, it serves up both the fantasy of being a vengeful spirit and a flesh-and-blood person with dreams of a better life in an excellent way.

All the practicalities: the combat system, the enemies' actual attack patterns and manoeuvres, progression, and upgrades, and the game's item economy. All of this seems less polished, less precisely defined, and for that reason it is easy to recommend Silent Hill f as an experience, but somewhat more difficult as a gaming experience.

Returnal isn't for everyone and if the game's distinctive blend of psychological horror, heavy atmosphere and nerve-wracking die-and-start-again gameplay doesn't hook you during the first few hours, then the game doesn't do much during the subsequent rounds to convince you either.

This really is a success story, a story of a studio that could have gone a different route, but chose to use a different, more daring structural genre framework with unexpected sources of inspiration, giving us something that we really need in general. Respect to MachineGames for going all in, because this is a no-brainer for me to recommend.

Whether Shinobi: Art of Vengeance will be the reboot of the series that Sega hopes for when it goes on sale, only time will tell, but in terms of quality, it's a pure success. It's phenomenally visually designed and the combat system is great for both button-mashing noobs and precise veterans. Shinobi has never been better, it's a true victory for Lizardcube and Sega.

DeadToast is a developer that knows how to do simple things but very, very well. Shotgun Cop Man, like My Friend Pedro, is a thoroughly entertaining action platformer that doesn't require much of your time and yet feels effortlessly replayable and fun. The thumping metal soundtrack and the simplistic art direction work wonderfully in the game's favour (even if the bullet hell is sometimes a bit much to track, but when isn't that the case for bullet hell games?), and the way it constantly manages to build and introduce new systems, traps, enemies, and weapons means that you never become bored or tired of the formula. This is another fabulous indie action game from a developer that I truly wish we could see games from on a more frequent basis than once every five-to-six years.

All in all, I think Dragon's Dogma 2 is a great proposition for the RPG genre and a title that delivers on many of its promises of great adventures for players. But despite its many good things, its interesting story and the wonderful feeling of exploration and living a truly unusual adventure, the game has those technical issues that fail to deliver a product as well rounded as it could be.

Core Keeper is a gem in the sandbox genre that offers a rich and varied experience in a fascinating underground setting. Despite some drawbacks, such as excessive grinding and a somewhat flat skill system, the game excels in its ability to deliver an immersive and fun experience.

This is a game, which while not particularly mechanically complex, has been crafted with such a clear creative vision that it's hard to fault. Every part of Mixtape feels as though it belongs, be it the stop-motion-like animated characters, the picturesque and colourful artistic direction, the straightforward but refined narrative premise, the incredible use of music that has been expertly curated. Mixtape is a movie brought to life in a way few can rival and while it may be over in a flash, what Beethoven & Dinosaur has presented with this game will leave a noticeable impression on you long after the credits roll. Seriously, go and play Mixtape. You won't be disappointed.

The War Within offers more of the same, although the setting is different. But it's hard not to get invested in helping these stone dwarves, who are fully aware of their limited lifespan.

I wish there was just 10% more though, just a little extra dimension that could give the game a little more depth, but at the same time it's pretty clear that Buckshot Roulette is exactly what the creator wanted, and that's something to admire.

Bioware is back, and while they're not reinventing the wheel here, they've made exactly the game we wanted them to make. An exclusively single-player RPG that is narratively anchored, far more linear, with all the content tailored and organised by skilled designers and without all the "bloat" that many have criticised Starfield for consisting of. What you have here is lean and mean, and it puts Bioware on an exciting trajectory where it's finally possible to see light at the end of the very dark tunnel they've been in for a long, long while. It's not a perfect RPG, but it's... pretty damn good, to say the least.

I'm delighted with this simpler and, at the same time, more focused and precise approach that is Haneda Girl within Studio Koba's oeuvre. A game that has completely grabbed me and that I'm still replaying, improving my scores and discovering those hidden levels that are still unreachable.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is still one of the finest 2D platformers in recent memory, so there's still that going for this upgrade and pack, but at the same time, if you can save yourself close to £20 and simply buy the base game and leave it at that, I wouldn't discourage doing so, as Meetup in Bellabel Park and the Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade is simply not must-have content.

Is Echoes of Wisdom the perfect blend of old and new? Not quite, because despite the great freedom, some echoes are simply more reliable than others, which makes you wonder if the great freedom is really necessary? Nevertheless, the Princess' debut game is the best example yet of a Zelda game where two very different design philosophies are allowed to compliment and not trump each other, which is why it can be recommended to all fans, new and old.