Sitting somewhere between remake and remaster, the asking price is steep, but The Last of Us Part 1 is a beautiful version of one of PlayStation’s best ever games.

On PC, Madden 23 makes a couple of decent changes to the established formula, but not enough to truly move the chains for the series.

Cult of the Lamb is a masterpiece of an action roguelike game. It's fun, engaging, has a beautiful but brutal aesthetic, and is absolutely worth a playthrough. It's missing some replayability in my eyes, but it's overall a stellar title.

Saints Row 2022 is a time capsule of a game and era many have moved past. Instead of building on the legacy of Saints Row, it feels like a tired retread of a game we already have.

Much like OlliOlli World, Rollerdrome strikes the perfect balance between engaging gameplay, score-chasing, and challenging progression, this time with an ingenious shooting/skating premise. It’s so much fun and I couldn’t put it down.

With bugs, crashes and far too much waiting around, Arcade Paradise really tries to capture some of the highs of old arcades but never really manages to understand the joy that comes from it.

Two Point Campus is a delightful treat. Consistently funny, enormously satisfying, and challenging to boot, it'll take you right back to the best years of your life, or make the worst years of your life better.

The hefty price tag and two-dimensional gameplay may keep some away, but the pack goes a long way for Sims 4 players that want every kind of world, career, and experience - and the extra aesthetics in High School Years.

Bear and Breakfast offers players a pleasant collection of activities, interlaced with a wholesome story and loveable characters in a whimsical nature-filled world.

Stray is a wonderful exercise in organic worldbuilding with enough heart to hold its own against the best of this year. Despite having no people in it, Stray is one of the most human games I've played this year.

Live a Live puts together many of the things that put people off from playing JRPGs but makes it surprisingly accessible. It gives you several lives worth living and rewards you for really exploring every one of them.

While As Dusk Falls’ story is full of thriller cliches and tropes, if you can look past the unique animation style, playing around with the well-written characters’ lives can be a lot of fun.

Ever wanted to try escape rooms but never got around to it? Well, Escape Academy is a real treat to tease your brain, especially in co-op. It's approachable with a great hint system, whilst providing a decent challenge for more seasoned puzzlers.

It's a shame, but Matchpoint Tennis Championships just didn't quite get there on most aspects of its tennis simulation. A lack of licenced players and UI bugs only compound the core issues with the controls being far too simplistic and repetition setting in extremely quickly.

While the core racing and range of vehicles in MX vs ATV Legends are undeniably fun, the overall lack of polish and utterly disappointing online modes make it tough to recommend over its rivals.

Taking after fairy tales, Witch Strandings manages to tell a predictable story in unpredictable ways. It can often be painful to play but the experience is one I won't forget soon. Witch Strandings is a game I'm glad exists, even if I'm not sure I enjoyed it all that much.

Dread Delusion has launched into early access and this shows. There are some bugs, only a handful of central areas and some of the game's mechanics could do with a little more depth. This being said, it is a great blueprint for what could be an excellent game. With some good community feedback and an attentive ear, it has the potential to capture an audience as weird as the game itself. [Early Access Review]

The core gameplay and design of Itadaki Smash make for a zippy beat 'em up, but the lack of extra servings may leave you wanting a bit more.

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course strips away some of the less interesting scenarios and polishes what made it a standout success. It’s a little on the short side given the long wait time, but it’s justified by its bargain price and immediately obvious love and attention for its addictive and fair gameplay loop.

Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel may not reinvent the wheel when it comes to survival horror, but it's an engrossing thrill ride nonetheless.

Playing in VR for the first time is a thrill, but the other new features haven’t been implemented well.

OlliOlli World’s Void Riders Expansion isn’t long, but the new mechanic is implemented seamlessly. Who doesn’t want more levels, anyway?

Although Neon White goes by in a blur, that fast pace is only made greater with excellent level design, fun characterisation, and so many little secrets to find. Though I was expecting to be entertained by Neon White's gameplay for a few hours, its likeable cast and surprisingly sincere geekiness has managed to stay in my mind long after the credits have rolled. It's hard to really grasp its long-term staying power but Neon White has secured its place on many lists for the end of the year.

With endlessly stylish and deceptively simple skirmishes at its core, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a surprisingly well-rounded power trip that, needlessly deep systems and sluggish opening chapters aside, should easily captivate franchise fans and anyone looking to finally meet its popular cast of characters. It’s the most genuine fun I’ve had with a story-driven game in ages, and one that’s a great entryway into a beloved franchise.

The Quarry is the Supermassive game I've been looking for since Until Dawn. It is well-paced, well-told, and - most importantly - genuinely spooky. Some odd characterisations and inconsistent graphics let it down slightly, but this is the most fun I've had with a game like this in some time.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a welcome return for the sub-series, with engaging gameplay that papers over the thin variety of modes.

With its unique hook, surprisingly in-depth gameplay, and fascinating mystery, Card Shark is an absolute delight.

The sniping in Sniper Elite 5 is still as gruesomely satisfying as in previous games, but various aspects of the game’s design actively take the spotlight away from it, making for a clunky and frustrating shooter.