Avowed fills a first-person void within the fantasy RPG genre, but it also stands as an immersive spin on Pillars of Eternity without losing any of the stellar storytelling and worldbuilding that Obsidian Entertainment is known for. Overlooking its forgettable party combat system and some minor quality-of-life misses, Avowed deserves to be remembered as one of this year's best games.

Building upon and refining its predecessor's commitment to historical realism, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an absorbing RPG that fully immerses you in medieval life. If you have the patience to endure a wilfully slow progression system, you'll be richly rewarded with heaps to do in 15th century Bohemia.

Civilization 7 is a revolutionary strategy game for newcomers and long-time fans alike. Though some tweaks around diplomacy and Ages fall short, a host of small reinventions – along with Firaxis' biggest gamble in tackling the tedium of long-running campaigns – pays off superbly.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a smart sequel in that it takes everything that worked from the stellar first and expands, but the novelty of the original – which was quietly transformative for anyone interested in the genre – is a difficult lightning to capture in a bottle twice. It works, and works well, but the success of Citizen Sleeper also set the bar impossibly high.

Look past the tedious story and Eternal Strands features some brilliant massive monster battles, especially when you unlock some great magic to use on them. The problem comes in getting to those bits, bogged down in plenty of bloat and repetition that results in its best moments being fewer and far between. Flawed but fun behemoth battling makes this an interesting if imperfect mix of its superior influences.

A case of evolution rather than revolution, Sniper Elite: Resistance uses what came before to create something that's familiar, but consistently fun and occasionally tense. Plentiful collectibles and unlocks throughout the campaign, and a fantastic invasion mode, ensure this will last long past the final mission.

Right now, Hyper Light Breaker feels like a mash-up of ideas from disparate console generations, very PS2-feeling combat coming up against modern live service sensibilities, with flashes of visual stylings from everything in between. Mobs and environmental features repeat way too quickly, and the loot and perks aren't as interesting as they could be. [Early Access Review]

More than getting the series back in the saddle after the disappointing Dynasty Warriors 9, Dynasty Warriors: Origins evolves the genre and injects fresh excitement. A stripped back approach champions the explosive combat's focus on visceral clashes and tactile battlefields, with charming characters and a more immersive story mode.

Path of Exile 2 is a thrilling and sprawling action-RPG with fantastic combat and impressive character customization options, but will require some patience to fully appreciate. Even in early access with a fraction of the planned content, it offers a robust package for players who want to dive into buildcrafting and master their own way to tear through dungeons. [Early Access Review]

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the best adventure this character has embarked on in over 30 years. Developer MachineGames has leveraged its expertise in the FPS space to deliver an immersive, authentic first-person adventure that is quite unlike anything you’ve played before.

Marvel Rivals wants to reinvent the hero shooter genre with its complex characters and special synergies, but it's so preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths. Its oversized roster also needs more balancing – and more differentiation from Blizzard's stable of heroes.

Antonblast explosively reinvents the destructive energy of Wario Land, delivering high-energy action that has you demolishing levels at speed while also rewarding precise play with a serious sense of momentum. Boss fights slow the pace a bit, but this is a front-to-back thrillride that you'll keep coming back to master.

For fans of hardcore shooters or punishing post-apocalypse games, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is truly incomparable. Unfortunately, due to a litany of bugs, it's the greatest game you shouldn't play right now. Give it some time, and this will be one of the best survival experiences you'll ever play – but until then, only the series' biggest fans should take the plunge.

Exploration is a joy thanks to gorgeous visuals and a varied landscape. So too is the eco-friendly job of returning the land to fertility, even if the incredible trailer scenes are not actually what you'll be playing for tens of hours. The heavy emphasis on crafting and perishable tools isn't fun, but the devs' roadmap looks promising and the rewards are certainly there if you persevere. [Early Access Review]

Slathered with infectious energy, its innovative alternate-reality heartbreak shooting mechanics are thrilling to play with, and it's a world you won't want to say farewell to after you get your first ending. Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill can't match this neon-soaked survival horror for its sheer inventiveness.

A surprisingly charming Lego-ified version of a PlayStation icon, this action adventure has superb combat and sumptuous, entirely Lego-built environments. Mix in some nice village cosmetic tinkering, great vocal delivery from the returning Ashly Burch, and the fact it's also on Switch and it's a very welcome offering. Sadly it runs out of steam after some 10 hours, so it's short but very sweet.

Great God Grove's system that has you sucking up speech bubbles remains novel throughout, with plenty of quirky characters and stories to uncover. With some fantastic highpoints, some more straightforward areas will have you yearning for a bit more depth.

The Rise of the Golden Idol wonderfully evolves on the original with some truly devious cases that empower you to feel like a genius as you piece everything together and read between the lines. Loads of details make this best played with a notebook to hand, each case stretching you to think in genuinely fresh directions.

There's a good VR game in Metro Awakening at times, but it feels pulled between its pleasing core combat and narrative ambitions it lacks the gameplay vocabulary to fully articulate. The lack of overall variety, and increased leaning on expositional filling over time, means that while it starts strong its impact fades with continued play.

A fun and refreshingly light-on-its-feet tactics game successfully translates a lot of Metal Slug's charms into the turn-based genre. But it's not as natural a fit as Gears Tactics was, and an obtuse UI combined with abundant glitches hold it back.

Despite a few lurches here and there and some so-so exploration, Mario & Luigi Brothership offers an enjoyable voyage with smooth sailing, and a punderful script that brings the laughs. It has a new developer and an extra dimension, but the same dedication to humor and brotherly love.

Part sci-fi body horror, part thrilling detective yarn, Slitterhead is a story of humanity versus monstrosity in a city where both are plentiful. Bokeh's debut release bravely takes strides to manipulate, challenge, and evolve how we play horror games, and while some of these risks do not pay off as well as others, Slitterhead's sheer creative ambition is impossible to ignore.

Planet Coaster 2 is an ambitious sequel that expands sideways upon the foundation laid by its predecessor. The graphics are stunning, the water slide additions are fun, and the creative potential is immense, but it comes at a cost. The complexity of infrastructure systems interrupts the creative flow, making the impressively customizable experience feel unnecessarily convoluted at times.

With the best Call of Duty campaign in years, and a tweaked movement system that comes to life in multiplayer, Black Ops 6 is both a return to form and a great entry point for new or lapsed players. Just don't expect it to do anything interesting with the Gulf War setting.

Life is Strange Double Exposure draws you into a mystery full of intriguing twists and turns in a fresh university setting. The new shifting ability that allows for parallel timeline hopping works well in the context of a murder investigation, but can make it harder to feel like you're truly connecting with the characters. Overall, Max's return feels like it finds its feet towards the end, and is building towards something bigger.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an approachable, expansive action-oriented RPG and feels like a true end to whatever the franchise was before. The book's not finished, but a significant chapter has closed. While Dragon Age: The Veilguard is undoubtedly different in many ways from its predecessors and takes lessons learned from Mass Effect to heart, there's a lot to love – mechanically and narratively – about the new normal and what is hopefully a foundation for what's to come.

Nailing its low-poly aesthetic, smart visual and audio choices combine to create luxurious moments of tension. While a lack of friction makes action a bit straightforward, the well-crafted vibes make for an experience you won’t forget anytime soon.

Part of a mixed media web, Unknown 9: Awakening isn't strong enough to pull us further into its universe. Anya Chalotra's Haroona is a great protagonist, and causing havoc with supernatural powers can be a delight. But, lacking in polish, Unknown 9: Awakening feels torn between what it wants to be, ultimately undermining its areas of promise to deliver a janky experience. Despite it all, it can still charm – but takes work to love.