Stellar Blade is an exceptionally well-crafted game that has learned from its influences and honed their teachings to a highly polished standard that can only be commended.

While some of its looting mechanics feel a little stale in comparison to how it evolves other areas of the genre this likely won’t deter most players from seeing this intriguing story through to the end...Instead, Pacific Drive is one of the most intriguing games I’ve played in 2024 so far. It borrows concepts from the likes of STALKER and Firewatch, and combines them to create an accessible survival rogue-lite that’s a joy to engage with. Seeing your car gradually transform from a heap of junk to essentially a life support system is a satisfying experience, and only enhanced by the weird and wonderful world you get to drive it about in.

A fun tactical RPG for newcomers and veterans to the genre, Persona 5 Tactica is a must-play for any Persona 5 fan thanks to its wonderful cast of new and returning characters, alongside an approachable yet deep combat system. Whilst the story and gameplay aren’t as gripping as its source material, Tactica is still the best Persona 5 spin-off by far. If you’re starting to feel the itch waiting for Persona 6, this latest stint with the Phantom Thieves will help make the holdup a little bit easier and will have you come away smiling.

The Castle Estate and Goth Galore Kits are great little content offerings for Simmers, but for them to be truly worth it, you'll need to want to build to ye olde heart's content or be a fan of chunky boots (and lots of leather).

The Castle Estate and Goth Galore Kits are great little content offerings for Simmers, but for them to be truly worth it, you'll need to want to build to ye olde heart's content or be a fan of chunky boots (and lots of leather).

Pine Hearts is a breath of fresh air, encouraging you to slow down and tend to your emotional roots. It doesn’t just simulate an adventure; it simulates peace, creativity, and community. Whether you’re revisiting childhood memories or simply seeking a tranquil escape, Pine Hearts offers a slice of serenity with no stress involved.

The Lamplighters League is a fun turn-based strategy game that keeps things fresh with its pulpy aesthetic and characters, boasting a solid gameplay loop that's not afraid to dish out the consequences of your actions. While the decision to add a real-time element to missions doesn't fully pan out, it's not enough to diminish the game's best qualities.

It would have been great to see some sort of career mode implemented where you can take control of real-world players, but for a revival from the dead, TopSpin 2K25 is pretty TopNotch.

It's fitting that after six years of being a haven for turn-based strategy titles, the Nintendo Switch is finally getting an Advance Wars game with Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp. The lack of online matchmaking is a shame, but there's so much else on offer here that it's tough to say the package isn't tremendous value regardless.

With a stunning art style, unique puzzles, and a one-of-a-kind concept, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a puzzle game. While not without its frustrations, it’s a journey to the afterlife worth taking - and one you’ll be coming back to.

By offering a whole heap of challenging encounters, fun roguelite mechanics, and just another reason to jump into one of the Switch's best games, Splatoon 3: Side Order is a thrill. More boss fights would've been nice, but that doesn't take away an unshakeable desire to jump back in right now.

Hellblade 2 remains the most technically impressive experience I’ve ever played through. Through the chosen medium of games, Ninja Theory tells a compelling narrative that, if you can put up with some rather archaic gameplay, will leave you deeply satisfied - and maybe just a little traumatised.

If you're not someone who throws events very often, I'm not sure I can recommend Party Essentials as it is if you're solely more interested in the bar and turntable stereo (like I am - though they're both pretty fantastic), but Urban Homage is an instant favourite to me.

Crusader Kings 3 Roads to Power is the best expansion the game has had so far, purely because of its focus on new gameplay systems that let you approach how you play the game a little differently than before. The new Byzantine content is a breath of fresh air for the best aspects of CK's gameplay, while the Adventurer playstyle could do with a little more to make it fun beyond your first go.

XDefiant is a fantastic game. I haven't been this excited about a shooter game since Apex Legends, and we know how that turned out.

If you’re committed, RIDE 5 can be a helluva lot of fun. Its challenging yet rewarding racing mechanics are best in class for this genre of game, and the selection of tracks and bikes on offer are second to none. Despite being marketed as easy to learn and hard to master, Milestone still has a long road ahead if it truly wants to make the RIDE series properly accessible to the wider market. A lack of a training mode is a sore oversight for the fifth iteration of the series. However, if you’re deadset on becoming the best motorcycle racer you can possibly be, then you’ll find no better game to get your knee down in.

Galacticare will have you reaching for the stars as you build your cosmic hospital up and treat the denizens of the furthest reaches of space. While it may be a little on the slow side to start with, putting in enough time into creating your optimal medical facility is incredibly satisfying, with a cast of characters that help make each of your spaces feel alive. The game is an incredibly charming hospital sim that, while not breaking the boundaries of the genre, provides an assured and confident game that will have you curing the ailments of your extra-terrestrial clientele for hours on end.

Showtime embraces Peach's femininity and uses it to fuel her newfound heroics. Transforming into a graceful figure skater, a beautiful songstress or a cutesy chef is her way of saving those in need, and it's truly cathartic. On top of that, the levels are simply a whole lot of fun to play, despite how easy you might find them.

Legends of the Dead is a solid expansion in terms of the content on offer and the added difficulty that freshens up late-game playthroughs. Ultimately, it just gives you more stuff to play with in the political playground that is Crusader Kings 3, and as the game grows I find myself enjoying it even more...However, I'm still not convinced of the pricing of DLC in this game, and while Legends of the Dead is cheaper than both the major expansions, you're still spending the better part of £20 for what amounts to three new screens to look at when playing.

Darkest Dungeon 2 takes everything about the first game and amplifies it. It's darker, and more brooding, but oozes more personality. It's not easy, but the long exhale after a successful expedition is difficult to match.

This is quite easily one of the most gorgeous open worlds you’ll explore in a modern video game. With a stellar set of graphical customisation options and admirable performance on rigs that meet the recommended requirements, there’s currently no better place to experience Aloy’s journey.

As it stands, Meet Your Maker is a really fun game. It is a new and unique concept, one that is executed excellently. Invasion gameplay is fun, building gives plenty of room for creativity. There is a concerted effort here to make sure neither mode is ever frustrating, whether you are robbing or being robbed, you are never losing out. The game as it is pre-launch is more than interesting enough to have me excited to see what players will come up with.

If you’re looking for a new rogue-lite to sink your teeth into, Beat Slayer offers an excellent rendition of the genre, with the rhythm-based combat only elevating it further. I’d have liked to have seen a little more innovation in the game’s upgrade system, and the character work here falls a little sub-par of what I’d expect in a game like this.

MotoGP 23 is a completely competent motorbike racer that those who know and love the sport will likely get all the enjoyment out of it that they can hope for. A fabulous customisation system and best-in-class racing mechanics mean there is very little competition out there right now. However, a lack of beginner-friendly tutorials keeps this game from being enjoyable to the masses. It’s a sim racer by design, and as such, casual fans are better off looking elsewhere.

Total War: PHARAOH presents an interesting window into the time and place of a tumultuous historical period while handing you the reigns to make your own story out of it.

Endless Dungeon is generally a quality rogue-lite adventure. It’s constantly throwing hordes of enemies at you and feels genuinely challenging. With more variety and better weapons and upgrades it could’ve been an excellent sci-fi romp to replay. It's still a lot of fun at times, but some restrictions hold it back. Descending each floor of the dungeon and reaching the reactor will keep you hooked for a while, but at its core Endless Dungeon’s flaws hold it back from being a truly memorable advancement for the genre. It does more for tower defence than it does for rogue-lites, which certainly isn’t a bad thing, but it never quite makes the impact I was hoping it could.

Born of Bread is a lovely little RPG with gorgeous Paper Mario-inspired visuals and a great sense of humour that helps elevate its by-the-books gameplay. I had a lot of fun with it, but also quite a few frustrations with glitches and soft-locking, which is a shame as it’s a real gem outside of those problems.

Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, live service ambitions aside, is a fun shooter that feels like the closest you’ll get to a virtual DC Comics theme park; it looks great, and it’s full of recognisable characters. And, like a theme park, much of it feels hollow, designed by a committee for a focus group that may not even exist anymore to keep them engaged and coming back. Despite this, and like every time I've been to a theme park, I've come away feeling like I've had fun, as forgettable as the specifics may be.