Challenging, frustrating, invigorating, and oh-so fulfilling, Silksong is simply a masterpiece in almost every way.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a faithful, gorgeous remake with modern polish, tighter gameplay, and fun extras.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is an excellent follow up to the base game. Shadow of the Erdtree's focus on great level design and fantastic boss fights makes it a must play for the fans of the genre.

Bloober Team and Konami’s remake of the 2001 classic is easily one of the best survival horror games out there. The new Silent Hill 2 easily stands amongst the likes of Resident Evil 2 and Dead Space, making it a must-play game for veterans and newcomers alike.

God of War Ragnarok surpasses its predecessor in every way.

Baldur's Gate 3 redefines what a role-playing game can offer in character-building, combat, and choice.

Black Myth: Wukong delivers breathtaking combat, stellar production quality, and unforgettable boss fights. Its few quirks don’t hold it back from being one of the genre’s best games in recent memory.

Final Fantasy XVI is a genre-defining character action game that combines an ambitious dark fantasy setting with a masterfully-crafted gameplay system that rewards experimentation and optimization, amplified by an incredible visual spectacle.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder lives up to the “Wonder” part of its name.

Dead Space is one of the best survival horror games ever made. It takes a masterpiece of the genre and allows its biggest strengths to shine brighter than they ever have, while also improving upon it in meaningful ways with smart changes and additions.

Blue Prince blends puzzles and roguelike exploration into something refreshingly original, clever, calm, and unlike anything else you’ve played.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is a landmark release for open world action RPGs. From its thoroughly immersive world and its stellar combat to the incredible emergent gameplay its bevy of systems enable, Capcom's long-anticipated sequel delivers spectacularly in more ways than one. By definition, it's going to turn some people off with its many eccentricities, but it's those eccentricities exactly that make it such an utterly unique and unforgettable experience.

Metroid Dread is a triumph.

Horizon Forbidden West's captivating story, gorgeous open world, and thrilling combat make for one of the most uniquely memorable games I've played in recent memory.

History repeats itself as Playground Games once again delivers one of the best open world racers you'll ever play.

As unfathomably vast and boundless as the subject matter it covers, Starfield raises the bar for its genre and for the medium as a whole in countless ways.

The promise of those old, grand, globe-trotting Final Fantasy epics from the series’ 16- and 32-bit heyday in AAA form has been fulfilled at last. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth finally realizes the series’ central, implicit potential, looking to the past to pave the way for hopefully the start of a new golden age for the series.

Final Fantasy 16 is an incredible journey and easily one of the best games ever made.

Baldur's Gate 3 is a landmark release in the RPG genre that has instantly cemented itself as one of the best games of its kind, and an absolute must-play for all PS5 owners.

Death Stranding 2 delivers stunning visuals, refined stealth-focused gameplay, and a richly detailed world brought to life by excellent audio and a memorable cast. It meaningfully evolves the original’s mechanics, though its unique style will still divide fans.

A staggering triumph of design, creativity, and expression, Donkey Kong Bananza may just be this generation's finest 3D platformer.

Tears of the Kingdom ups the ante on its predecessor, and follows up on one of the greatest games ever made by exceeding it in every possible regard to a thorough, comprehensive degree.

Resident Evil 4 Remake never misses a beat.

Persona 5 Royal was a masterpiece when it launched, and two years later, it is more resonant than ever. No matter what system you play it on, you are in for a treat, and one of the greatest games ever made.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach continues to be a phenomenal game that is easy to recommend to anyone regardless of their preferred platform.

Forza Horizon 5 instantly cements itself as one of the greatest racing games in PlayStation history.

The Lost Crown is a fantastic game. Not only does it capture the biggest strengths of Prince of Persia's earliest sidescrolling instalments, it also reinvigorates the series in spectacular fashion with its Metroidvania design structure. From level design to combat, from the platforming to its visual style, from the exploration to the soundtrack, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an impressive accomplishment in more ways than one, and one of Ubisoft's best games in years.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PC is a phenomenal way to play both Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

Minor flaws aside, Cyberpunk 2077 on PC is an exciting and enthralling open world experience. It doesn’t set a new industry standard, but it does most of the things it aims to do with great success.

Bold, ambitious, and stirringly unique, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is shockingly excellent, and a game that demands that you immerse yourself fully in it, in return for a rich experience quite unlike anything else on the market.

Like all releases in the Master Chief Collection, Halo 3: ODST isn’t a perfect port. It has flaws, particularly in Firefight and with regard to the game’s audio logs. That said, the fact that 343 continues to make these games run as well as they do on a platform they were never designed for so long after their original releases is nothing short of a minor miracle. The MCC continues to improve with each patch and I have no doubt that the problems here will eventually be fixed. In the meantime, we can enjoy ODST in all of its glory. It’s still the most stylish and unique Halo game and being able to play it, and its incredible version of Firefight again, is wonderful. I’m happy to return to New Mombasa, to wander its ruined streets and let the sounds of rain and smooth jazz wash over me. More than a decade later, there’s still nothing quite like it. You know the music. Time to dance.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a great trip to the past for franchise veterans while newcomers will certainly enjoy its current-gen take on the adventure that started it all.

Mario and Luigi: Brothership delivers yet another solid Mario RPG outing. Riding high on waves of clever writing, charming humour, engaging exploration, and addictive combat, this is an odyssey well worth undertaking.

This will probably be the standard that roguelite games will be following for years to come- or it should be, at any rate. If nothing else, Hades is easily the best game Supergiant have made to date.

For those who've never played Control before, Ultimate Edition is a must-buy.

By rebuilding and streamlining the classic adventure, Reimagined stands as one of the series’ strongest entries.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is an excellent enhancement of a great game, thanks to its technical improvements and a solid and meaty new chunk of content with Episode INTERmission.

Whether you appreciate the genre or loved its predecessor, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a must-play experience.

Monster Hunter Rise is mechanically the best game in the series yet, delivering a superlative experience to long time fans and newcomers alike, and also quite possibly the best game to have launched on the Switch since Breath of the Wild.

With a campaign that's only gotten better with time, a fantastic new roguelike mode, and a host of other new bonuses, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered serves as an excellent excuse to jump back into Naughty Dog's stellar magnum opus.

The Outer Worlds 2 is a more expansive, more choice-heavy, and more satisfying western RPG that stands above most of its recent peers.

Controversies surrounding PSN account linking on PC games aside, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut continues Sony’s tremendous record of fantastic PC ports.

Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 return in stunning 4K, proving that nearly two decades later, Mario’s greatest adventures remain unmatched.

Much of F1 2021 builds on the high-class foundation from previous games that make the series one of the best racing games out there, but new additions, especially Braking Point, are both great pieces of content on their own and optimistic foundational pieces for the future.

Little Nightmares III is definitely worth a try, bringing a unique brand of horror and platforming puzzle action to the table in an instalment that builds on the franchise's best features.

Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels is a worthy addendum to one of the best racing games ever made.

Metal: Hellsinger is an easy game to recommend—the music’s great, it feels really good to play, and it looks great. The only real caveat to all of this is that, if you’re not a fan of metal music, Metal: Hellsinger might not have much for you. While its combat is great, the music is what truly elevates it from being just another boomer shooter.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on Xbox is every bit as good as it was on PS5.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is exactly the sort of sequel you'd want it to be, and though it stumbles here and there, ultimately, it improves on its predecessors in almost every way that matters most.

Fans of the classic arena shooter genre will undoubtedly be thrilled with this bloody fever dream that recreates the experiences of a past era in gaming.

Resident Evil Village expertly combines tense horror, thrilling action, engaging exploration, and compelling storytelling in a single sublime experience, delivering one of the best games in the history of Capcom's beloved survival horror franchise.

Brutal action, mind-boggling scale, spectacular set-pieces, and a bevy of content come together in what is one of the best action games in recent memory. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is unmissable.

Paying homage to those that came before yet bursting with its own creativity, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a must-play title for RPG fans.

Night School Studio delivers a sequel that surpasses even its excellent predecessor.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl masterfully combines multiple genres to deliver an unmissable and entirely open world horror experience. Touting unparalleled emergent gameplay, stellar atmosphere, a captivating story, and gorgeous visuals, this is easily one of the best games available on Xbox Series X/S, even with the technical issues that hamper it.

A refined, feature-rich sequel that deepens park management while honoring Jurassic magic.

Great use of its setting along with the usual dose of charm, humor, smart writing, and a great cast of characters help The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles deliver an incredibly strong package, one that ends up being well worth the very long wait.

Absolum is absolutely recommended for beat 'em up fans thanks to the pedigree of its developers. It's also a surprisingly deep rogue-lite with a well-developed world, bolstered all the more by its incredible presentation.

We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie is an absolute blast to play. Its gameplay is addictive, the story is hilarious, and the soundtrack features music that will end up haunting you for days.

Retaining everything that made the original great while enhancing its presentation, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is well worth it for newcomers and longtime fans.

Planet of Lana is an incredible journey. It's a down-to-earth traipse through a unique but endearing off-world setting, with tight pacing and excellent presentation underscoring a tale of camaraderie and familial devotion. Whether it's the incredible visuals or the stellar gameplay, it's worth your time.

Shovel Knight Dig, while far from being the furthest departure from the franchise’s classic gameplay, still manages to be a unique experience thanks to the unique twist of having to use a platforming move set to make progress by traversing vertical space. The Shovel Knight gameplay is still as crisp as ever, and Shovel Knight Dig’s story and progression systems do a great job of staying out of the way, and ultimately encouraging you to try one more run.

Return to Monkey Island is well worth the wait. This is a quest for booty you don't want to miss.

It has been a long time coming, yes, but it’s fair to say that Pragmata is worth the wait.

Cliches and homages abound in MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, and it gleefully embraces them while offering a compelling detective mystery wrought with over-the-top violence and a cast that's having the time of their lives.

The Switch 2 upgrade for Tears of the Kingdom is a massive win: visually impressive, feature-rich, and finally running without compromise.

2XKO is a phenomenal free-to-play fighting game that balances impressive depth with accessible tutorials that ease newcomers in rather than overwhelm them.

Disco Elysium was already an excellent game when it first launched, and with The Final Cut, it's been made even better.

As a whole, this is pretty much exactly what fans have been asking for for so long- the entire Mass Effect trilogy brought together in a single package that, rather than just making the games better looking, helps their qualities stand out much more while ironing out the kinks.

Burning Shores builds upon Forbidden West's strong gameplay in smart ways, while also telling a story that series fans can't afford to miss.

DOOM turns back the clock for an incredible prequel that'll get your blood pumping.

Channeling everything that made the classics great while enhancing with new mechanics, stunning visuals, and sublime controls, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an incredible revival and stellar action side-scroller in its own right.

While the core gameplay behind Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is still as fun today as it was when it first came out on the PS5 two years ago, the fact that this is the first time a game in the franchise has been playable on PC is definitely worth noting.

Humanity delivers some excellent puzzle gameplay in a weird, unique setting, and constantly ups the complexity and challenge in new and creative ways that should be experienced by all fans of the genre.

FromSoftware returns with all of its traditional offerings in Elden Ring, but the real star of the show is its exceptional open world.

Housemarque strikes gold once more, building on Returnal's foundation to deliver a rogue-lite/bullet hell title unlike any other.

With an incredible arsenal of weapons, thrilling combat, a charming story full of loveable characters, and visuals to make your eyes pop, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart might just be the best game in the series to date.

The Last of Us Part 1 doesn’t take many risks and ends up being an excellent but ultimately conservative remake.

The PC release of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is the definitive version of the game.

Overhauled visuals, gameplay tweaks, and a bevy of quality-of-life improvements come together in a spectacular return to the land of the living for Dead Rising.

Despite its simplistic combat and clunky combat animations, Silent Hill f still delivers one of 2025’s quintessential horror experiences.

Clover Bite is back with a bang, and Grime 2 is a worthy sequel to the original title thanks to some great gameplay and excellent designs.

With its masterful mixing of cozy fishing gameplay and horror elements, Dredge is pretty much a slam dunk of a debut for Black Salt Games. The style in its presentation and gameplay shows competence and confidence, and I hope they follow Dredge up with something great very soon.

Assassin's Creed's third crack at the massive open world RPG formula is also its most confident, making for a streamlined yet sprawling adventure that ranks as one of the best the series has delivered since its inception over a decade ago.

WrestleQuest takes the classic idea of a video game based on pro-wrestling and flips it on its head, giving us an RPG instead of the typical fighting game.

Despite DiRT 5's boilerplate customization and being a tad too eager to punish its players at times, it exceeds as a true step forward for its genre in the ways that matter most.

Technical issues mar its appeal on PS5, but the eagerly awaited sequel delivers a strong story, great combat and spectacular exploration.

Resident Evil Village is an essential Switch 2 pick for anyone who wants survival horror tension with blockbuster action.

You would think that a Telltale-style episodic adventure game wouldn't take off in this day and age, but Dispatch will prove you wrong (and offer an incredibly endearing story to boot).

For survival horror fanatics who own a Nintendo Switch 2, Resident Evil 7 is incredibly easy to recommend.

The Avalanche crew heads to the Nintendo Switch 2 with excellent results.

Demon’s Souls manages to do everything it needs to do, and this remake is a testament to just how good of a game the original was, that all it needed was a fresh coat of paint and still be nothing less than fantastic.

Hitman 3 is an impressive accomplishment. Those who've played its two predecessors won’t be surprised in the slightest by how excellent this game is. The World of Assassination trilogy’s brand of emergent gameplay and social stealth in dense, masterfully designed maps has been taken to its zenith in its final instalment, to the extent that some of the locations here can easily be called the best locations this series has ever delivered.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PS5 combines hardware-specific features, sonic ambience, and enhanced NPC behaviour to create a gameworld laced with immersive, emergent brilliance.

Braid Anniversary Edition isn't just a celebration of the indie title that surprised the industry in 2008 - it's also the best version of an incredible platformer.

There are some games that are conceptually perfect, at which point, once they exist, the only thing standing in the way of them and impeccable perfection is their execution of their pitch. Pokopia is the rare game that has a perfect concept, and then nearly pitch-perfect execution and follow-through on that concept.

F1 23 improves upon the status quo while injecting updates to the cars, two new circuits, and a more complex story campaign for the 2023 season.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is one of the finest beat ’em ups in years, and that’s saying something, even with the pedigree of those involved. It may have some slight blemishes here and there, but if you’ve been looking for something to complement Absolum and deliver a more traditional retro arcade experience, this is it.