Lightfall is a deeply uneven experience that makes a terrible first impression. An excellent new subclass and raid can only carry it so far, especially when new and exacerbated issues run this deep.

Bayonetta Origins shows a great new side of the Umbral Witch, in a tale that's heartwarming as it is enjoyable. Combat and puzzles are a great one-two punch, but Cereza's restricted role and Cheshire's unfaltering nature undermine a little of the former.

Enjoyable in almost every department, WWE 2K23 serves up joy for wrestling fans young and old, dedicated or casual. There really is so much to love here.

Ultimately, though, no matter how many times you stare into the eye of the tiger, what counts most here is, well, the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of your rivals. When you meet the largest or most fearsome foe head on, remain steadfast then push aside their best combo like a martial arts master, before spearing them through the gut, it's irresistibly exhilarating. Wo Long's cocktail of measured inputs and furious blows alone should keep the focused warrior going to the end. Keep calm and parry on.

Atomic Heart has a lot of big ideas, but it doesn't do a good enough job with the basics. With an incomprehensible storyline, weightless combat, and frustrating first-person platforming, Atomic Heart is left to stand in the shadow of the video games that so clearly inspired it.

The long-awaited remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin delivers an exciting and frequently gorgeous new setting to explore, a more rewarding combat system, and some of the best side quests and minigames in the series to date. Don't let the katanas fool you, this is the Yakuza you know and love at its very best.

Wild Hearts is a worthy competitor to Monster Hunter, boasting brilliantly creative weapons and fearsome beasts to match, scuppered only by an infuriating camera. Omega Force deftly avoids delving into colonist themes, and Wild Hearts is all the better for it .

Horizon Call of the Mountain is a touch of magic, bringing the Horizon world to life in first person on PSVR 2. It's stunning, captivating, and never loses sight of what made Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West so special.

It's not often that the promotion campaign might be more enjoyable than the final product, but Wanted: Dead may have to grin and bear this ignominy. Despite some effort to subvert genre norms with its characters and amusing mini-games, the core action is bogged down by low production values, imbalance, and repetition. For every moment it hits its stride, there's another where it stubs its toe, and some slick execution animations are as imaginative as it gets.

While some elements of its design feel antiquated, stunning changes made to Metroid Prime's visual design, performance, and controls are enough to breathe new life into one of the greatest video games of all-time. Whether this is your first journey to Talon IV or a return trip, Metroid Prime Remastered is well worth your time and attention.

Hogwarts Legacy is a solid first attempt. If Avalanche can be accused of anything, it's that the studio has tried to do too much all at once. Something was always going to give – between the massive open world, the messy RPG economy, exciting action combat, and adventure story that wants to cast you as a hero with homework due on Monday. But you can see a world in which a sequel sands down some of the rougher edges, and settles into a finer balance between the demands of an interactive experience and the lore of the wizarding world.

Tango Gameworks breaks from expectation to release a bold rhythm-action game where combat isn't set to the sound of music but driven by it entirely. With its awesome battles, vivid visual design, and unwavering commitment to comedy, Hi-Fi Rush is an undeniably wild ride that shouldn't be ignored.

Season's ability to tell small human stories is admirable amidst its calming gameplay, even if it doesn't fully explore its big talking points.

Again, it feels like we're well-served for horror game remakes at the moment, but Motive Studio's Dead Space is a horror remake done right. It really is a sublime mix of fresh and familiar, and it's freaking terrifying in its loud and quieter moments. Its reworked visuals and stunning dynamic lighting totally transform certain areas, while the remake's new dismemberment animations mean hacking off enemy limbs with the Plasma Cutter, uncovering bone and muscle tissue as you do, is now gorier than ever. I know this first hand, because I was too scared to run.

Forspoken shines brightest when its protagonist is dipping, ducking, and diving along the generally striking world of Athia while casting a variety of spells, but the standard fish-out-of-water fantasy story of Frey only subtracts from the experience.

Fire Emblem Engage resurrects the weapon triangle to great effect, making the turn-based combat feel like a game of death and dares, while an unmemorable cast of characters and an unexplored world sadly drag behind it.

High on Life is a confident and capable Metroidvania that takes real pleasure in being as weird and outlandish as is reasonably possible. In presenting combat underpinned by chatting weapons and worlds wrought with endless distraction, Squanch Games has created something that is well worth your time, even if some of its elements lack refinement.

Crisis Core Reunion is a fascinating look into the Square Enix of the past, meshed with Final Fantasy 7's current trajectory in the Remake saga. Zack might be a dunce, and the early '00s-era script fails him miserably, but he's utterly loveable by the game's end, far outshining Final Fantasy 7 stalwarts like Aerith, who mostly seem present for their cameo impact. The retooled combat system is Crisis Core Reunion's most impressive upgrade, an elegant and electrifying system that'll always keep you on your toes with smooth Digital Mind Wave implementation. Given Zack’s inevitable role in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Crisis Core Reunion is an essential part of the overarching Remake saga, even if the writing does hold it back.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide delivers an action-packed cooperative multiplayer experience with deeply satisfying combat and a spellbinding depiction of the 40k universe. But the game currently feels more foundational than comprehensive, with the emphasis on repetition and lackluster progression systems undermining its grisly joys.

Need for Speed Unbound is a great showcase for a new generation of hardware. Criterion has delivered a high quality, breathtakingly fast open-world street racer that is both technically superb and strangely familiar.

A fantastic looking game that builds a great sci-fi world only to trash it with an unenjoyable combat challenge.

Marvel's Midnight Suns works wonders to freshen up familiar Marvel characters, producing lively battles from focused turn-based systems, then diving into their personalities and histories to reveal their intimate concerns. The combat missions can feel a little side-lined by the sheer wealth of resource management tasks and relationship building, but all the pieces serve a purpose within the richly detailed whole. Marvellous? Pretty much.

Regardless of how you choose to play it, Evil West feels like the best version of the AAA "B-tier game" that we don't see as often as we used to. It's not technically polished and I wouldn't call it innovative, but it's mechanically solid and comes equipped with a lot of fun ideas that mostly pan out. Sometimes you just need a game to punch out some bad guys; it can feel familiar and straightforward, just as long as the punching feels good. Evil West fills that specific, but very relatable need quite well.

Floodland is a city builder that triumphs because it focuses on its citizens as much as the city. A strong narrative both in its story and in your interactions with the clans means constant decision-making that'll always make you think in a way that city builders rarely do.

Warzone 2 makes a good first impression. While it shares some similarities with its predecessor, Infinity Ward has delivered a more tactical battle royale that smartly subverts expectations. [Review in Progress]

The basic mechanics of Pokemon remain largely untouched – it's still catching, battling, and training as you remember it – and while that may be enough for many devotees, Generation 9 is a tougher sell for those who need more of a reason to engage with the series, impacted as it is by technical issues, mechanical oversights, and a lack of vision. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should have been a bright and bold entry that sets the series up for future expansion, but an attempt to modernize while staying loyal to the past hasn't really succeeded in doing either one – and the headache doesn't help, to boot.

The basic mechanics of Pokemon remain largely untouched – it's still catching, battling, and training as you remember it – and while that may be enough for many devotees, Generation 9 is a tougher sell for those who need more of a reason to engage with the series, impacted as it is by technical issues, mechanical oversights, and a lack of vision. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should have been a bright and bold entry that sets the series up for future expansion, but an attempt to modernize while staying loyal to the past hasn't really succeeded in doing either one – and the headache doesn't help, to boot.

Coffee Stain goes big but remains shallow for Goat Simulator 3. A more ambitious sandbox and impressive customisation options aside, this is still the same gag about a weak-kneed farm animal, with a punchline that ultimately outstays its welcome.