Monster Hunter Stories 3 has a very strong combat system, a visually appealing world, and the huge amount of monsters you can find and command in battle make up for some of its more uninspired elements and a rather dull story. Hardcore Monster Hunter fans, displeased by the "casualification" of the series in Wilds, may find a good excuse to return to the Monster Hunter universe here, but that will depend on how much they enjoy the turn-based JRPG genre, with all of its quirks and clichés.

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.

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.

If, like me, you enjoyed Scott Pilgrim as a kid, and always wanted more of this unserious, nerdy franchise, then Scott Pilgrim EX is a perfect dose of pixel graphics, evil exes, and enemies that burst into coins when they're defeated.

Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf does not set any new standards for the genre and continues in the footsteps of the first game, so if you liked Wishfully's debut game from 2023, this sequel is a no-brainer.

Esoteric Ebb is simply a lovely RPG that puts player agency front and centre. Its world is fantastically immersive, deep, and invites you to stay a while with charming visuals, characters, and lore so detailed I'd gladly take another game or two set in this world.

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.

The Disney Afternoon Collection has given us a proper Disney collection that we can carry with us on our Switch 1 and 2. If we had got a few more SNES titles and they had been given the same love as the NES titles, I would probably have been willing to raise the rating on this collection even more.

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.

Reigns: The Witcher is just more Reigns. If you still find this gameplay formula fun and entertaining, there's a lot to love, but if you think it could use a more significant overhaul, this instalment won't exactly impress you much more than the other highly similar chapters did.”

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.

"Cosy gaming" is a genre defined by a calm, cosy and relaxing atmosphere. These attributes can certainly be applied to Roach Post. It is cute, very peaceful and has a cartoon style that is both cheerful and pleasant. It is simply what it is - nothing advanced and nothing that will make your jaw drop in amazement. But as a mental palate cleanser? It fits perfectly.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is an underwhelming experience. I had expected more solid craftsmanship and a lot more flair from the first spinoff since 2010. But Mega Cat Studios, Barlog and Santa Monica shouldn't lose heart, because the idea is good enough. I just expected more from the execution.

If you are a PlayStation owner who has been eyeing Avowed on Xbox and PC, you now have the opportunity to jump into the adventure here, and you can do so with confidence. It's still an excellent fantasy role-playing game, and it has only been improved by the major Anniversary Update, which is included in the PlayStation 5 version at launch.

There are elements of Styx: Blades of Greed that hold it back from being incredible, but it is a very, very good time and just like Styx himself I'm willing to praise this old-school stealth title, warts and all.

Still, the combination of smooth graphics, detailed modeling, and authentic audio does make aerial combat feel electrifying, wind howling in your ears as your guns punch holes into enemy fighters under a clear sky. Experiences like this are rare enough that it's worth climbing into the cockpit, as long as your stomach can handle the turbulence.

In a perfect world, I would have liked some extra graphical options allowing this version to feel even closer to the PC one, such as being able to turn off the dreaded motion blur. I also would have loved anything that made this adventure feel entirely new no matter if you've played before or not, such as some aforementioned combat tweaks. However, the world isn't perfect. Nor is Warhorse's first go at recreating medieval Bohemia, but it is beautiful. Made even more so by this Next-Gen Edition, which is a fine reminder or fantastic introduction to Henry's debut.

If you remember the original Rayman and/or are interested in how the gaming industry worked 30 years ago, before it was actually an industry, but was instead driven by passion and enthusiasts who just wanted to make something cool, then Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition is a lovely little package that you can get for less than £18, which is a really good price.

My concerns about this game turned out to be unfounded, which, as a Roiland enthusiast, I'm very happy about. As I said, even though the Rick and Morty creator isn't involved in running Squanch Games, he left his DNA behind, and it clearly still permeates the game development over there. And that's something you either love or hate. I like it, and I like High on Life 2.

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.

Reanimal is another significant step forward for Tarsier, who, with their dirtiest creation to date, finds beauty in darkness and mark themselves as one of the great image makers of our time.

With such an affordable price (€17.49), replayability options with different difficulty levels, collectables and challenging achievements (such as completing the game in less than three hours), I can't help but recommend Crisol. It's a game that reimagines Spanish history and folklore, constantly reminding you of this with the names of the characters and visual information, as well as its aesthetic and sound design, but in terms of gameplay, it doesn't matter where you're from, because you'll find a first-person action title that's well worth considering.

For all its faults, the charm of Mario Tennis Fever did shine through in the end. In these sporty spinoffs, it's important to remember that fun is at the core of the experience, and while there were some detractors from that, I kept coming back time and time again to see if I could take on the latest Trial Tower, or just see if I could take my main man Diddy Kong to the heights of the Mario Tennis world.

If, like me, you are inexplicably drawn to Goichi "Suda51" Suda's crazy brain, then you should definitely play Romeo is a Dead Man, because there is simply nothing else like it when it comes to the overall gaming experience. The game can be completed in 12-15 hours, depending on how thorough you are and what difficulty level you play on. Romeo is a Dead Man is probably a good place to start if you want to get a taste of this man's twisted world - not because it isn't crazy and absurd, because it is - but because it's the most digestible and well-functioning game he has created.

Escape from Ever After is a nice little Paper Mario-inspired role-playing game. The game's strongest points are the well-written dialogues, the good humour, the nice puzzles - and half of the combat system. The other half, the defensive part, quickly becomes frustrating, which unfortunately affects the entire game. I had a hard time enjoying it when it sometimes felt like rolling a dice to determine whether or not I would be hit by the enemy's attack. It simply seems unfair and frustrating.

If you like Runequest, you might find something to appreciate in this turn-based strategy game. It offers a stable and proven game system with elements of magic. You upgrade your heroes and can tackle many of the missions in different ways. Despite this, there were no gameplay or story-driven surprises. What you see is what you get if you choose to try this game.

While Ride 6 doesn't take any huge steps forward compared to what we saw in the fifth instalment, all the additions are on the positive side. The Career has more options, you can now ride on gravel, there's a plethora of motorcycles and tracks, and overall it's a great motorcycle experience.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties finally does justice to the third instalment of the franchise, with graphics to match, a revamped and expanded combat system (setting a new standard for future Kiwami remakes), and new content, proof that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is more than happy to revisit its work and improve it, and we, for now, are delighted with the result.