Resident Evil Requiem is the most cinematic, bloody, surprisingly emotional moment for the franchise to-date. Its two protagonists complement one another for a balanced experience that feels more narrativized than ever before, with bombastic combat and strong set pieces amping up the nostalgia without feeling gimmicky. Requiem sees Capcom drawing from 30 years of terror to expand its lore, chart a path forward, and pay homage to a gilded survival horror legacy – one with plenty of life left in it.

For people who loved "Gladiator," fans of top-shelf strategy games and history aficionados of any stripe - all roads lead to Rome.

Stick of Truth is South Park's Arkham Asylum--a triumph of a licensed game that manages to fit in line with the franchise while paving new ground in gaming. In this case, the new ground is dick jokes, but--still--innovation is innovation.

Our best sports game of last year remains the one to beat in 2025, too. College Football 26 is the most detailed, authentic, and fun sim on consoles right now, and will keep you playing – and recruiting! – right through to next summer.

Until you've cleared route A in under four minutes you can never truly say that you've lived.

Round 3's meaty punching action delivers more bone-crunching thrills than just about any other fighter out there. It won't go easy on you, but once you've risen to its punishing standards, this is pure, addictive, long-haul fun.

Dirt 2 plunders the best bits from two great racing series to create what is essentially Colin McRae: GRID. The quality is so high, you'll wonder how your console is doing this at all, let alone so seamlessly. A racing classic that does Colin McRae's memory justice.

A stunning open world, brutal combat, and deep customization combine to bring Ghost Recon roaring back from the dead.

With the story complete, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is dazzling. Teen rage, girl power, sapphic love – it's all explored with care and consideration. It's rough around the edges in parts, but Don't Nod has created a wonderful supernatural coming-of-age story that ends with teen defiance and queer rage.

Skin Deep is a genuinely stellar immersive sim, replete with chaos and countless combat options to fend off space pirates. Always funny, never dull, and full of felicitous felines, annoying bugs and an irritating save system don't spoil what is one of this year's must-play indie games.

Endwalker rounds out a decade of swirling story developments and character arcs with a triumphant finale, ensuring Final Fantasy 14's legacy as one of the best MMOs ever made.

If not for the annoying, checkpoint-based, save-game system, it would be difficult to find fault with the single player campaign at all. Multiplayer could use some work, but it will get the job done for deathmatch fans.

TowerFall Ascension’s blend of competitiveness and customization provides you with endless ways to have an incredible time. Just remember to bring some friends along for the ride.

The ability to share this joy with people around you and then play them from anywhere in the world serves to make this one of the better buys you can make for the DS.

Brutal Legend won us over with its complete package: the aspects that are decidedly outside “gaminess” are its strongest and most lovable. The dialogue made us laugh, and not just a little. We cared about the characters enough to feel sad to say goodbye to them. We never got bored of exploring its world and continued to do so after completing the main story.

Tack onto all this a robust soundtrack, a comprehensive level editor and a war room filled with new maps and unlockable features and you’ve found one of the longest, most rewarding DS games out there. Put this online and it'd be damn near perfect.

A pleasant bastion of everything that drew so many to this genre long ago. Amusing characters, a rich setting and great mechanics all smoothly coalesce to create a surprising and thoroughly enjoyable tale, prompting us to speculate that our little PSPs are far from retirement. We're ready for part 2.

Ghost of Yotei is a vast, sprawling adventure with one of the greatest protagonists in gaming. While some dated climbing segments and a nagging sense of artificiality prevent it from reaching perfection, Sucker Punch's historical RPG is a must-play revenge fantasy.

A varied and charming platformer, only blighted when it lets players get a little overpowered.

A beautifully crafted and entertaining reimagining of a classic that brings renewed life to its story and characters.

Hitman's second Sapienza level is a beautiful continuation for the episodic murder sim.

Veterans of Splinter Cell Chaos Theory may be disappointed with Double Agent's multiplayer. Yet, while some may call this game stripped down, we thought the lack of gadgets streamlined the multiplayer experience and sped up matches online.

An excellent way to experience Death's adventure. There haven't been any significant changes from the Xbox and PS3 versions. The combat is still thrilling, the dungeons are lengthy and challenging, and the loot hoarding is addictive.

While the turntable may never be as ubiquitous as a guitar, DJ Hero 2 continues to push the boundaries of music gaming and improves upon the original with features that make the game more lifelike than before. Beyond that, the music is what will draw you in and keep you playing, even if you aren't familiar with turntables or DJ culture.

Shift 2 has finally created a racing sim that gives car geeks like myself numbers to tweak, but puts the real focus where it belongs, on the visceral joy of actually racing the car.

Mankind Divided is full of great moments, from the lengthy journey across The Throat of Golem City, to the simple pleasure of crouching in a Prague bank, wondering how next to proceed.

Scribblenauts Unlimited is easily the best entry in the series to date, thanks to its family-friendly nature coupled with creative, wide-open gameplay.

While the turntable may never be as ubiquitous as a guitar, DJ Hero 2 continues to push the boundaries of music gaming and improves upon the original with features that make the game more lifelike than before. Beyond that, the music is what will draw you in and keep you playing, even if you aren't familiar with turntables or DJ culture.