A twin-stick shooter in which the gameplay and visuals are influenced by the current music track, Beat Hazard Arcade is an assault on the senses, but in the best possible way. You'll have hours of fun blasting away as the music blares out, unlocking and upgrading a wealth of ships to fuel yet more action. And the ability to play along to your own tracks is *chef's kiss*.

Including both the original and a new enhanced version of the classic tactical RPG, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is fantastic for fans and newcomers alike. The enhanced version is the real draw here, though, mostly because of its revised story and full voice acting, which really adds to the experience.

Nicktoons & the Dice of Destiny feels a little like Baby's First Diablo at times, but it's a surprisingly good take on the ARPG genre, suitable for kids and adults alike. Filled with familiar Nickelodeon characters, and packed with humour (and loot!), there's a lot to like.

Its title may be a mouthful, but Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is an excellent entry into the long-running Atelier series. Series fans will love the wealth of familiar faces that pop up, and JRPG fans will love its tight story, its fun combat and its varied gameplay.

This flat-screen version of Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part One isn't as tense as its VR counterpart, and its gameplay isn't as exciting as a result, but it remains a solid experience for Alien fans. Just be prepared to backtrack a lot in the latter half and perhaps be disappointed by its unsatisfactory ending.

An adorable Survivors-like that casts you as a capybara, Extremely Powerful Capybaras is fast-paced, frantic and downright fun. A few performance issues hold it back a little, but this is still a moreish roguelike you'll find yourself being drawn back to time and time again.

You won't find any major changes or new additions to modes in EA Sports FC 26, but what you will find is gameplay that's improved across the board. On top of that, you have presets which allow you to choose between a more competitive or authentic experience, though the latter's unfortunately not available in online modes.

A true love letter to classic samurai films, Ghost of Yotei is wonderfully presented and an absolute joy to play. Its stunningly-realised world will have you immersed from the outset, spurring you to explore and discover its secrets in order to develop Atsu into a fearsome ghost. And its combat remains thrilling throughout.

Thanks to its abundance of playable characters, large selection of vehicles and neat Gadget Plate system, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is one of the best kart racing games currently available.

An excellent game for young children, Gabby's Dollhouse: Ready to Party perfectly recreates the popular Netflix series. It looks great, it offers up a wonderful variety of gameplay and minigames, and it's easy to play – even for kids who are playing a video game for the first time. A rare win in the kids' franchise videogame space.

For detective game fans, Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile is a must-play. Excellent presentation and a varied mix of puzzles make this Poirot-led adventure a joy, whether or not you're familiar with the original novel. Poor lip syncing lets the experience down a bit, but it's a small gripe in an otherwise easy-to-recommend adventure.

Challenging you to make your way up a mountain, Baby Steps is likely to be one of the most divisive games of the year. With its hands-off approach, you're left to find your own fun as you ascend, and struggle with the simple act of walking. Ultimately, it just feels a little too aimless and punishing for its own good.

For a game set in a jail, Back to the Dawn offers an impressive amount of freedom. Coupled with a conspiracy-minded story, and more side-quests you can shake a shiv at, you'll be hooked.

An oppressive atmosphere. An unsettling story that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. Engaging combat. Stunning visuals. A fantastic soundtrack. Silent Hill f has all of these, making it one of the best entries in the series yet.

Designed for 16-bit hardware, Earthion looks and plays like a blast from the past. That's not a bad thing, though, and had Earthion released 30 years or so ago it would have blown my tiny mind. In the modern day it's still extremely impressive, but it's somewhat let down by a lack of modes.

Techland made the right choice turning Dying Light: The Beast into a standalone entry in the series as it might just be the best in the series yet. Taking control of Kyle Crane again is fantastic, especially now that he can tap into the power of his inner beast. But despite this, it remains mostly a tense experience, with a fantastic open world that begs to be explored.

Being a Bad Cat is fun while it lasts in this little sandbox of mischief. There are far better games that let you step into the four paws of a cat, though, so unless you're hungry for some easy trophies, maybe play something else instead.

There's nothing all that special about the gameplay of Platypus Reclayed, but shoot 'em up fans will likely be won over by its wonderful claymation visuals and often amusing weapons.

Henry Halfhead is a novel idea, putting you in control of a half-headed man who can possess the items around him. It's both a sandbox and a narrative experience, although some sections can be as dull as the parts of our life they're supposed to represent.

Don't let its disarming visuals fool you – Formula Legends is a pretty serious racing game at its core. The problem is, the racing on offer isn't all that fun. Add in a lack of game modes, and you're better off picking up any of the recent official Formula One games – they're more accessible and have features such as multiplayer, after all.

If you played Strange Horticulture, you'll know exactly what to expect from Strange Antiquities, and you're in for quite the treat. Revisiting the macabre town of Undermere is a joy, and puzzling through as you help its residents find weird and wonderful antiques imbued with mysterious powers is almost (almost!) as fun as it was with plants.

A co-op only game in the vein of It Takes Two, LEGO Voyagers challenges players to navigate a wonderfully designed world as a couple of small bricks, rolling around while navigating platforms, building structures and solving puzzles. Its controls can be a bit fiddly at times, but overall it's a pleasure to play from beginning to end.

The Devil is in the Details is easily the most ambitious anomaly-hunting game yet, with traps, enemies and entities for you to avoid as you go around watching out for anomalous items. Some of these don't always make the experience better, though, but you can at least enable and disable them as you please.

A macabre adventure about a zombie boy and his human friend, Gloomy Eyes is a single-player game that requires players to switch between two characters. It can be frustrating at times, but its wonderfully creepy art style and some enjoyable puzzles make it a decent way to spend a few hours.

Inspired by Super Punch-Out!!, Baki Hanma: Blood Arena is a fighting game that even devout fans of the franchise may struggle to love. The combat here is dull and frustrating, requiring you to simply mash buttons and dodge or block incoming attacks that are frequently hard to read. And there's little in the way of content and features.

One of the best anomaly games out there, Captured is genuinely unsettling thanks to its onimous atmosphere and the terrifying 'entities' that can pop out at you at any time. A loop doesn't take long to complete, but as long as you're brave enough, you'll be keen to jump into this one again and again.

Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection bundles up four games that are all varying degrees of bad, with Bubsy 3D being the worst of the lot. It is cheap, however, and has extras that fans of the bobcat will no doubt appreciate. Make of that what you will.

One of the best FMV games out there, Dead Reset blends body horror, timeloops and foreign entities to create a sci-fi narrative that's as entertaining as it is ridiculous. More player choice and input would be nice, but thanks to great acting and high-quality production values, you likely won't mind too much.