Crimson Desert is by no means a perfect game. It’s an amalgamation of perhaps slightly too many ideas, and that makes for a weirdly paced experience that demands a lot of the player without offering much in the way of help. And yet, it left me in awe more times than anything else I’ve played in recent memory with its dazzling open-world. Crimson Desert may not be the best game you'll ever play, but it’ll certainly be up there as perhaps the most memorable.

After Us succeeds in what it sets out to do. The world that Gaia is trying to save may be a grave warning to us all, but After Us never feels heavy or oppressive. Your platforming efforts are rewarded by reassurances that maybe everything isn’t doomed after all. Gameplay is perfectly synced with the narrative to create an experience that is both enlightening, interesting, and - despite the doom and gloom - enjoyable. It is a game that makes you feel like you’re making a difference all while reminding you just how to do so in the real world. After Us seeks to better players, not just entertain them. To put it simply, it’s impactful and a must-play.

I’ve never played anything quite like Leximan, and I’m not sure I ever will again. But I am hugely grateful a game this unashamedly silly exists, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of a giggle.

For the most part Solar Ash's impeccable style more than makes up for its weaknesses. The Ultravoid is a stunning prog-rock album cover come to life, and skating through it to uncovering its many secrets is rarely anything other than a complete joy. If it were a little longer, I fear its flaws would have become too much to ignore. But at a brisk seven-hours, Solar Ash is a perfectly paced adventure that's well worth your time.

Dying Light: The Beast is a must-play game if you’re a fan of the series, and gives a hero’s welcome to the protagonist that started it all. The new beast powers are a great addition to your arsenal and make combat more interesting, and the parkour is as fun now as it was all the way back in 2015. The game is only held back by a map with too much open space, and janky parkour that halts your momentum at the worst possible moments.

EA Sports FC 25 is Electronic Arts’ best football game to date. The game has clearly progressed, and it’s now got to the stage where there is little room for improvement which could become an issue. That may seem like an odd criticism, but if EA wants to make additional improvements in next year's inevitable release, it’s going to have to pull something really special out of the hat. Something that even Lionel Messi would be proud of, but that’s a potential concern for another day. For now, the football action on the pitch doesn't get much better than EA Sports FC 25.

Being able to watch my character nestled in a beanbag by a crackling fire, the static softly hissing from a vinyl spinning in the background while they knit is *chef’s kiss*. That will always be a winning combination for my cosy-at-heart soul. The life that’s depicted in Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is the one I want, and right now, the game is the only way I can (momentarily) realise that wish.

With this Dead Space, the developer welcomes not only faithful players but fresh-faced recruits and stunningly enough, neither of them know what they’re in for. They will love the ride though. Scream if you want to go faster, and all that.

At a time where a 'Britain divided', in the near-future and distant past respectively, is the setting of at least two new AAA games - namely Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla - it's refreshing and comforting to play through a game where this place I call home isn't, well, a load of sh*t. The bucolic, pastoral Britishness of I Am Dead is weaved throughout its gentle humour and its heart-squeezing moments of emotional lurch, likewise its old-time seaside quaintness and whimsical soundtrack. It's a nice game to spend time with, in the same way that Detectorists (for example) was a nice TV show to spend time with; and for a title that's ostensibly about preventing a cataclysmic eruption, it's incredibly relaxed. It's definitely not for everyone, but to return to that Annapurna catalogue of paragraph one: if those games do it for you, I Am Dead will scratch the same itches with all the agreeable satisfaction of a Morris Lupton bellyrub. Woof.

Horror games are difficult to sum up, fear is, after all, subjective. And to spoil a scary story based on suspense and tension is a crime. And so, here I will end my review by saying that Fear the Spotlight is perhaps the first game to scare me in a while and while it is a little trapped in the past, it does a wonderful job of unsettling the player enough that you’ll be thinking about it for some time to come.

The Callisto Protocol is a lucid dream of a game. You want to escape the terrors flickering before you but once the game gets hold with both tentacles, you’re trapped in the hostile environment of the best horror game of the year.

Horizon Forbidden West is a clear step up from the first game. With the addition of new biomes, extra tools, an extremely compelling story, and a ton of content to keep you busy, this is another single-player action-adventure hit for PlayStation. It’s amazingly fun to play, consistently incredible to look at, and even while writing these words, all I’ve wanted to do is jump back into the Forbidden West.

If there’s anything about cosy gaming that appeals to you, Hello Kitty Island Adventure should undoubtedly be high on your to-play list. Developer Sunblink, in partnership with Sanrio, may have built a game on the foundations of those that have come before in the genre, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the end result is a sunshine-filled tonic that’s sure to delight every single player who consumes it.

Despite being better for having experienced it, like when I finish any good book, I pine for its narrative long after reading.

As a Zelda fan of nearly 30 years, it’s not easy to find a game that comes close to scratching that itch in a truly authentic way, but Dungeons Of Hinterberg is the real deal. This is a real gem of a game that has managed to find a genuinely fresh new way to approach a well-worn genre. Like any holiday worth taking, there are some hiccups along the way, but you’ll find yourself thinking about going back to Hinterberg almost as soon as you leave.

Rewarding those who are restrained as well as those who are reckless, The Quarry is nerve-shredding as a single-player game - so who knows what chaos will ensue with its multiplayer modes? For fans of schlocky yet satirical horror games and films, The Quarry is not one to miss.

Forgive Me Father 2 is an unforgettable assault on the senses that’s a must for horror fans who want bombastic action throughout.

All in all, combined with its snazzy visuals that look delightful in handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch and the surprisingly good performances of actors for every character, this game is a treat. While it doesn't do much to evolve the genre, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is a blast the moment you fire up the game and you’ll be a lean, mean fighting machine in no time.

It’s hard to deny Dragon Quest III HD-2D is anything other than the perfect remake. It’s a faithful recreation that does an admirable job of fixing up the creakier aspects of a nearly 40 year old game while keeping the original’s spirit very much intact. While it may be a little tough to recommend to anyone new to Dragon Quest (or RPGs in general), longtime fans of the series will find a lot to love.

KARMA: The Dark World is one hell of an enjoyable experience thanks to its stunning graphics, meaningful visuals, and gripping narrative. You will never know what’s coming next or where the story will take you but you are guaranteed to be in for a wild ride with a few jumps along the way.

Ultros is a game that, I suspect, not everyone will “get”. It’s unashamedly bizarre, and isn’t afraid to make players work to dig through its squelchy layers to find its shimmering, beating heart. But if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, Ultros is a breath of fresh air for an increasingly crowded genre, and one of 2024’s strangest surprises.

While the mechanics at times can be frustrating, Guardians of the Galaxy is a really enjoyable experience that I would recommend to a wide audience: for fans of all things Marvel, action games, and stories that dare to go that step further in relating a compelling fantasy to hugely relevant real-world matters.

What should be championed here is Bungie being Bungie and them leaning into what made Destiny so special in the first place. Throughout the story beats of The Final Shape there’s a greater sense of community as we meet characters and journey along with them. These are NPCs we’ve been with for many years and we’re seeing them at their very best. I’m not ashamed to say I cheered at points, I got choked up several times, and a couple of moments had me grinning from ear to ear. Bungie has saved the best for last.

Tetris Forever isn’t just for historians and archivists who want to know more about the franchise. It’s a treasure trove of joy that rolls back the years and shows that with a simple formula, games can last forever. If you enjoy the classic game, this is the definitive way to play it. Sure, there might not be a lot in rewatching the historical segments over and over, but they’re simply extra flavouring in a banquet of gaming that is already delectable in every form.

Given its relatively small scope but simple and fun premise, I can’t find much to fault about Kill the Brickman. If you’re aching for a new roguelike to play, and you’re on board with Poncle’s whole shtick by now, it’s a genuinely fun time that can easily fill the time you spend on your afternoon breaks.

All in all, It Takes Two is a wonderful two-player experience, with plenty to immerse you and your co-op partner in for hours on end, whether that be at home or online. Hazelight have worked wonders in the co-op genre yet again here - but with that said, there are still a few moments of annoyance along the way. But if you fall in love with Cody and May early on, you'll quite easily see past this. It Takes Two welcomes both non-gamers and gamers to join in the fun together, and ultimately learn the relatable reality behind that title.

The Capcom Fighting Collection is a great partner for and follow-up to the Beat ‘Em Up Bundle , and if you’re a player who used to love pumping their shrapnel into coin-ops to smack the everloving stuffing out of a friend, who may or may not have remained your friend afterwards, it makes for an easy recommendation, especially with the flexibility the Switch version can offer via its small but totally useable Joy-Cons.

It doesn’t do much to reinvent the wheel, there’s nothing massive here that separates it from a game like Hollow Knight, but it doesn’t need to, either. I liked that it kept its features and ideas down to the simple fundamentals of the Metroidvania genre, where its appeal rides by on vibes alone. Even after reaching the end of the game, I’m excited to go back and see what I’ve missed, because I’ll bet there’s quite a lot of content I’ve still not seen yet.