Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault's early access launch offers entertaining dungeon-crawling and smart inventory and management minigames, even if the devs are still figuring out exactly how those systems all combine. [Early Access Review]

Some of Where Winds Meet's many minigames and stealth systems could use a polish, but it doesn't Suck-iro – this martial arts action-RPG is well worth your time. If future updates focus on its strengths and reign in the gimmicks, this joyous open world will be a pleasure to fight your way through.

Dispatch might be the best superhero TV show of the year, even though it's a game. Incredible acting talent pulled from Hollywood, Critical Role, and beyond bring this hopeful yet deep world of heroics to life, filled with enough interaction to really help you feel like a part of the narrative yourself. Each episode is smartly pitched to be TV-length, making it impossible not to binge with how wonderfully focused each story beat feels.

Possessor(s) takes a good story idea and builds its world well, then stretches it far too thinly over a mundane, buggy, and depressing Metroidvania template that just isn't fun for far too many hours. The story's decent, but so many similar games are demonstrably better.

Lumines Arise is just as effective as Tetris Effect, block matching to a beat becomes a transcendent experience with a radically different ruleset. This is an excellent evolution of the PSP original that uses a wide game board and a musical wipe to create a constant sense of teetering on the edge, daring you to build big combos even when they take you close to wiping out. Lumines Arise's brilliant visuals and synesthetic grooves wonderfully fit this already musically minded puzzle ruleset.

While not particularly revolutionary, there's a lot to like about Anno 117. If you get your teeth into the game's complexity, you'll find yourself investing a lot of time into spreading Roman ways across your islands and growing your settlements from tiny villages to grand cities.

Battlefield Redsec very clearly copies Call of Duty: Warzone's homework, offering a familiar and safe Battle Royale experience that, admittedly, does feel streamlined in places but is largely uninventive. Paired with the exhilarating Gauntlet mode, this free-to-play experience is a sound framework for further developments, but it strays from Battlefield's core identity and its ambitions for the future fill me more with dread than excitement.

By sanding down some of the roughest edges of the genre, Arc Raiders delivers an extraction experience that manages to be approachable while still being palpably tense, incredibly dramatic, and occasionally kinda heartwarming. If you're new to the genre, this is the place to start.

The Séance of Blake Manor is an incredibly detailed supernatural mystery where every guest is laden with secrets to unravel. Set across a weekend where every minute of every hour matters – each magical attendee having their own schedule – few detective games feel this immersive and rewarding to pick at. Weaving together mythology, magic, and historical detail, each case you solve fairly sticks to the rules, no matter how supernatural. This is a hotel worth checking into.

Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs is a fairy tale mystery packed with character and a gorgeous sense of aesthetics. Magical card-based conversations make unravelling what happened satisfying, and though this is a short but sweet vignette it'll stick with you.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment manages to find exciting stories to tell as a Tears of the Kingdom prequel, with Princess Zelda taking the lead to spend plenty of time with some all-timer characters old and new. But, while action and performance is an upgrade from the last Hyrule Warriors, strangled battlefield and mission designs become dull, holding this back from true magic.

The Outer Worlds 2 is bigger and better than the first game in every respect, with deep, rich role-playing and plenty of freedom to tailor your experience. Every world feels curated, and exploration is always purposeful and rewarding. Topped off with a vast range of weapons, brilliant writing, and a story and character that's yours to shape, this is Obsidian doing what it does best to deliver an engrossing RPG you'll want to replay again and again.

Evolving arcadey mechanics that have already been perfected is a tough challenge that Once Upon a Katamari rises to meet. Time travel and set pieces across Edo Japan, cowboy escapades, and more make this the most inventive evolution of the series yet. Katamari is on a roll.

A strong park builder whose charm is generally enough to make you see past its issues. Jurassic World Evolution 3 could have been even better without the busywork and bugs, which hold it back just enough to stop it from being an instant classic.

Ninja Gaiden 4 takes the torch from the second game, runs with it, and impales the nearest hulking demon. This is a genre triumph that delivers slick, over-the-top action that rewards patience and mastery, and a blood power system that adds a combat layer that allows you to push yourself beyond your limits. A deadly delight, action doesn't get much better than this.

Keeper is one of those rare birds that the less you know about it, the better. It's a stunning, bizarre, and totally unanticipated game that isn't afraid to subvert your expectations at every turn. It's so good I wish I could wipe my memory and play it again.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is the definition of a crying shame. Clumsy writing and flat, repetitive world design expose a handful of good ideas that never take root, while its poor technical quality and unstable performance will render it unplayable for some. The result is a half-baked, blunt-toothed action-mystery hybrid that disappoints at almost every turn, struggling to leave even the ghost of a good impression.

True to its central idea, Ball x Pit is a great blend of Breakout-style combat and frantic, Vampire Survivors-esque progression. At its height, it's a flow state-inducing assault on the senses that makes great work of its Evolution mechanic to craft deeply stylish builds, but it eventually grinds to a halt thanks to a bloated progression system.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A offers a true slice-of-life Pokemon experience thanks to its anime-style real-time combat system and wholesome worldbuilding elements. While its single-city setting can sometimes feel a bit samey, Lumiose is densely packed with things to do and discover. This is a world worth getting lost in.

'Little Nightmares 3 nails the mood and atmosphere series fans are expecting, but in most other respects it's a let down with clunky pacing and awkward puzzles. Co-op, rather than breathe new life into the series, ends up feeling more like a burden than anything. A little nightmare indeed.

Battlefield 6 offers a carefully-crafted and layered multiplayer that strives to be its least threatening self, with innovation and creativity played down in favor of refining all the proven successes from the military genre. What's there will surprise nobody, but thrives when all those components come together – even if the single player can feel fairly threadbare as part of the package.

Not just a thrilling throwback, but a thoroughly modern spin on a classic genre, Absolum proves the arcade beat 'em up and the run-based game are a perfect pairing. Combat is fast, fun, and deliciously flexible, and with new discoveries on almost every run, there's more than enough to keep you playing.

With its smooth and charming anime visuals, solid story, and deep monster battling and raising, Digimon Story: Time Stranger feels like an excellent evolution that stands alongside greats like Pokemon, Persona, and Final Fantasy. If the Digimon games keep going in this direction, the series may finally get its rightful recognition and a firm place on the monster-collecting genre map.

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.

Hades 2 is a hugely ambitious sequel that occasionally stretches itself too thin in an attempt to make up for its increased scope, but that only distracts temporarily from a game that's intricately crafted in every facet of its existence. Impeccable combat and flawless characterization across a huge roster make for a follow-up that surpasses even its excellent predecessor.

Two distinct gameplay styles see EA instil genuine change. Manager mode is great, and many areas of Ultimate Team are improved too, with attacking gamers rewarded in particular. EA Sports FC 26 serves up all the teams, all the kits, all the players – and all the goals, all the time.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a lovingly touched up classic full of plot twists and betrayals that can hold its own against modern RPGs. Minor elements are starting to show the game’s age, but it’s still a standout tactical RPG that genre enthusiasts will love with fantastic enhancements that elevate the original. There's never been a better time to experience this legend.

If you like the idea of QWOP and Getting Over It but bounced off the difficulty, Baby Steps is perfect for you – most of the time. But, if you relished the frustration of those games, then this is absolutely the game for you. With a similar hiking allure to Death Stranding, Baby Steps is all about putting your best foot forward which, more often than not, the game does just as well.