It's got all the hallmarks of a bullet-hell standout and the simplicity of its gameplay design had me staying up far too late going for just one more attempt at a boss. Like Balatro before it, it's another indie hit this year where I can feel it ever so easily taking hours of time in the blink of an eye.

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.

I've been thoroughly enjoying the skirmishes and I'm looking forward to playing more when the multiplayer servers open. For those who loved the original, Age of Mythology: Retold is a must-play, offering upgraded graphics, the innovative reuse of god powers, and subtle gameplay tweaks that enhance the overall experience. And even for entirely new players, this will be one of the most fun and well-crafted strategy games you can play right now. Unfortunately, the 'Retold' bit in the title doesn't mean a novel take on the game's campaigns, as these are exactly the same ones as in 2002 and 2014.

To cut to the chase, the technical performance is just not good enough. However, this can all be forgiven, because with fairly simple means Odd Meter manages to build a seamless gaming experience that entertains along the way and leaves you with food for thought.

The Great Circle on Nintendo Switch 2 continues to offer a pure Indiana Jones experience, where its successes in adapting to a less powerful system outweigh the limitations it faces. With a few launch tweaks to improve those platform-specific features, MachineGames still has plenty of treasures to bring to players with the game.

All in all, I think Stellar Blade is actually a pleasant surprise and a pretty exciting game. It doesn't follow the usual templates for how action games should be put together and that means some strange and sudden changes in style along the way - but in the end, it's actually very refreshing.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 is exactly what you'd expect: Frontier taking note of fan feedback (longer and deeper story mode, deeper management options, introduction of full customisation of buildings and terrains) and surprising us with baby dinosaurs, which is a very cute and well thought-out addition, even if it doesn't change much about the way we play the game. Naturally, it lacks the element of surprise and innovation, and some would argue that this is little more than an update on what was before, which is also what we said about Evolution 2.

Ubisoft really succeeded with Assassin's Creed Mirage. Slimming down the experience was a good move to prevent the fatiguing nature that was oh-so apparent in the bigger RPGs.

Robobeat is an outright euphoric experience, especially a number of hours in with many weapons and abilities unlocked. Because there and then, as you bounce around the rooms, delivering viciously quick deaths to the beat of the lush soundtrack, the outside world disappears completely.

WayForward have done great work in restoring a tactical cartoonish classic to make it incredibly fitting to the Nintendo Switch as a platform, both on TV and in handheld.

F1 24 builds on the tradition and offers the most complete and bold representation of the sport you can find on console or PC. Both online and offline, there's plenty to do and the racing is just as absorbing as ever.

The story is strong, the characters are good, and the atmosphere gets better the longer you play. The two games are very similar. The first was messy but beloved, and the same can be said about the sequel. It has its flaws, especially in the combat system, but it also has soul and charm. If you can look past the technical flaws and focus on the story and the abilities instead, this is a refreshing breath of fresh air in the genre.

After all these years of development and polishing, there is no doubt that Natural Motion has produced one of the most well-made mobile games I have tried in years.

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.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a very powerful story - and the ending really took me by surprise. You had the feeling that "something was up" - just not that! It's a powerful story about people, about insecurity, about love, about hate, about being a teenager in the 90s and it's especially a poignant story about friendship and some human qualities that would make the world a much better place if more of us had them. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a game that sticks in your head for a while after you've finished playing it. Not many games can do that.

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.

From the return with WWE 2K22, year after year they have improved the series and WWE 2K25 is probably the best game in the history of the series. The matches are as phenomenal as AJ Styles and all game modes have received some type of update. The completely unnecessary addition of The Island, which is a worse The City copy from NBA 2K, and which is more a shopping centre with a little wrestling than the other way around, unfortunately pulls down the overall impression.

Its unique idea is a logical extension of Saber's previous productions, and serves as an excellent motivation for building roads and repairing infrastructure. Games tend to encourage unmitigated destruction, so repairing that destruction is a refreshing change of pace.

It's nothing we haven't seen before, but what it is is a well thought-out and complete experience with plenty of depth, and one that fans of this sub-genre will no doubt fall in love with very quickly.

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.

WWE 2K26 is the best the series has to offer in the ring, and most game modes have been improved from last year, but the introduction of this new season pass may scare many away.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road has its problems: certain aspects are too repetitive and monotonous, and all the many point systems can be difficult to understand, but overall it is a really good game.

After an almost seven-year hiatus, The Outlast Trials makes for a bold return for the series, one that takes it in a surprising new direction, but doesn't compromise on what made the previous two titles so compelling for horror fans.

I've spent the past few days completely hooked on Do Not Feed the Monkeys 2099, and I think part of the reason is that, much like the game's protagonist, we all spend most of our day glued to a screen and working remotely.

I have hopes that perhaps we, the gamers, are more open-minded than 20 years ago, and we are more eager to accept different proposals, that defy our genre expectations, that feel unique. Will that still be enough to convince my non-Nintendo-hardcore friends to try this game for game nights instead of the classic Mario Kart (or even Smash Bros.)? I doubt it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't bother trying.

Mortal Kombat is back with a vengeance, and the developers have really dared to modify both gameplay and overall framing and present everything with great graphics.

The best words I can possibly use to describe The Operator is that never once during my playthrough of this game did I wish I was on the other end of the phone call, in the heat of the action in the field, ducking under gunshots and evading danger. Bureau 81 has somehow made being Alfred more exciting than being Batman.

It is very easy for me to recommend Simon the Sorcerer Origins to all fans of adventure games and of course this series in particular. Its story, humour, and puzzles are worthy of its name, and although I miss certain shortcomings in the final product, it will give you a few hours of fun and nostalgia.