1000xResist is different to anything else I’ve played and mostly because it’s a narrative-based game that tries as hard as possible to obscure the story from the player. But just like those fans who see the goodness in Iris despite what she shows us, interpreting what you are shown – and what you aren’t – is part of the gameplay. I can’t tell you what 1000xResist is. You’ll just have to see for yourself.

Indika isn’t a game you will enjoy playing, but you should do it anyway. Whether you agree with it or not, it will ask you to question the status quo, who has the right to judge others or decide right from wrong. Video games can be a form of escapism, a power fantasy, or mindless fun. Indika isn’t that. It’s something you won’t understand right away. It’s one you’ll want to discuss with others after you finish. It’s one that could change your worldview.

Ultimately, diving into big battles over and over again still gets tiring, but Dynasty Warriors: Origins executes those battles so well that I don’t mind. Seeing hundreds of enemy soldiers fly back from my swings is still wonderfully satisfying, and Origins does it better than almost any other game in the series. The seven years spent developing a bunch of successful spin-offs has allowed Omega Force to experiment, and now Dynasty Warriors: Origins feels like a fantastic reboot and second wind for the mainline series. Dynasty Warriors is back.

Freedom Wars is the best game that was never ported from the Vita, and the remaster makes all of the quality-of-life changes we could reasonably expect it to. It looks more beautiful than ever, with some flashy cutscenes, and though it pains me to say, the remaster is the best way to play. My only worry is that it isn’t enough. While it surpasses the 150GB games of today in terms of innovative gameplay mechanics, fast, fluid movement options, and fourth wall breaks, it lacks the accessibility and variety modern gamers have come to expect.

Omens of Destruction puts three of the most destructive factions in Total War: Warhammer 3 in the best place they’ve ever been on top of offering two of the most unique campaign experiences available in the game – and that, I think, is the theme for this DLC, aside from the obvious angle of smashing armies and empires to pieces. Omens of Destruction is a mechanically innovative reminder of the beauty and wonder of Total War: Warhammer 3.

Pokémon TCG Pocket is a truly fantastic mobile game that will keep you opening the app daily — and as long as it stops at once a day, you’ll probably love the experience. If you’re going back for more and more, like me, you’re inevitably going to run out of things to do. Pace yourself, enjoy the experience, and I promise you that Pokémon TCG Pocket is one of the best card games a casual TCG fan can play. At the very least, it’s better than Twitter.

Nightdive has simply made it look nicer on modern screens, run at approximately a bajillion frames per second, and updated the controls so they don’t make the modern player’s brain fall out of their head. Lovely stuff. I hope Nightdive keeps wearing other game studios’ skins.

None of those issues take away from the fact that Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 is an incredible game. It’s packed with gorgeous pixel art, charming character design, great audio design, and some of the best puzzles in gaming. It’s a fantastic sequel, a wonderful standalone game, and everything I could have asked for.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is the first true triple-A adventure game we’ve had in ages and one of the best games of 2024. People jumping in expecting it to be Wolfenstein in everything but name might be disappointed, but settle into its pace and you’ll be treated to a whirlwind world tour that only video games can deliver. Actually, cancel that. This is a fash-bashing experience only MachineGames could deliver – an unforgettable adventure that easily outdoes the most recent movies it’s based on.

A few months on, and Star Wars Outlaws plays better than ever thanks to patch 1.4, and the Wild Card DLC might be the best example of everything this game can be. It certainly isn’t a masterpiece, but when compared to other recent Star Wars or Ubisoft games, I’d much rather be cruising around the Outer Rim in the Trailblazer than be anywhere or anyone else in the galaxy far, far away.

Void Crew is some of the most fun I’ve had in co-op. The structure of a roguelite really lends itself to a Sea of Thieves-style co-op game. I wish there were more ship types, performance gets a bit choppy when you’re using the in-game computers, and I’m not a huge fan of how piloting works, but I’ve already put 40 hours into Void Crew and I reckon I have another 40 in me. Now give me some more ships to play with (please). And let me crash them (please, for non-scamp reasons).

Götterdämmerung is German for “twilight of the gods” – the Ragnarök of Norse mythology. Far from being the end, however, this DLC breathes a lot of new life into Hearts of Iron 4 after some more disappointing expansions. Though it comes at a steep price – $24.99 USD – this is very much a return to form for Paradox, providing massive replayability and detail to one of the most pivotal nations in the setting and some of its close neighbors. Both special projects and raids are neat systems that can be expanded in the future and they more tightly connect the map with the research and army screens we look at so often.

Mind Over Magnet is the exact kind of puzzler I love the most. It picks one idea and makes it the focus, constantly finding new ways to make you think about it from new perspectives and combing those ideas to make challenging puzzles, rather than relying on constantly introducing new mechanics. It doesn’t break the mold or revolutionize the genre, but it accomplishes what it set out to do, making me scratch my head just the right amount to make each puzzle satisfying to solve while keeping up a good pace that never let the experience drag.

With management games, there’s always a worry that a sequel just feels like the same game again, but prettier (hello Cities Skylines 2), however, I can say with confidence that Planet Coaster 2 avoids falling into that trap. The changes made to the game’s core systems, the additions to the management side of the game, and the new attractions like pools and flumes – which I have no doubt will be expanded upon in DLC – make this game an ideal sequel that improves on the original in almost every area.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a great Call of Duty game when those are growing fewer and further between. It’s the best Call of Duty game on the latest generation of consoles, and it’s available to play on Xbox and PC via Xbox Game Pass. Last year’s COD might’ve been the biggest rip off of 2023, but Black Ops 6 stands as the most robust FPS release of 2024. Enjoy it while it lasts, because there’s no guarantee the series will reach these highs ever again.

A unique genre mix, Empire of the Ants positively surprised me with its beauty, story, and smooth controls. Tower Five and Microids didn’t deliver perfection, but something thoroughly enjoyable.

Stellaris: Grand Archive neatly builds on already existing gameplay systems without adding any unnecessary busywork for the player and does so overflowing with flavor – it’s a strong addition to the space strategy game, though quite pricey for what it offers on paper.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered updates the original game with mixed results from an artistic perspective, but its abundance of accessibility options, improved performance, and technically improved asset quality make it an unnecessary but worthwhile upgrade.

The Pristine Cut has made one of the best “choices matter” games of all time even better. The new routes weave into the overall narrative perfectly and add more depth to an already excellent game. Black Tabby Games is going back to finish Scarlet Hollow before working on a new game, and I’ve never been so excited to see what’s in the kitchen.

Yakuza Kiwami is the best starting place for the Yakuza series, and the Switch is a great way to experience the start of Kiryu’s journey. While minor problems persist – both in terms of the game itself and its presentation on Switch – there’s not a whole lot holding it back. It’s Yakuza Kiwami, and it’s on Switch, and that’s all it needs to be.

If you love Against the Storm and simply want to add some more spice to your runs, because you already know every cornerstone and event like the back of your hand, then Keepers of the Stone is a no-brainer for you – it brings a variety of new content, a slight increase in challenge, and minimal mechanical add-ons that will feel impactful to someone who plays the game a lot. If you’re new to the game anyway, then you’ll be completely fine without the added investment into the DLC for a long, long while.

Impressive writing, a wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack, and meaningful gameplay additions all come together to form what is possibly the strongest DLC offering Owlcat has ever published. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader – Void Shadows should put this great CRPG onto your radar, in case you somehow held off on it so far.

Taking the Persona formula and putting it in a different setting could’ve crashed and burned, but the team behind Metaphor: ReFantazio understood exactly what needed to change to make it work. The result is a game that has a sense of familiarity in its mechanics, yet innovates in ways that make it a distinct experience. On top of that, it pulls you into this brand-new world which is expertly crafted with larger-than-life personalities that pop off the screen and make for a thrilling adventure. I don’t know if Metaphor is planned to be a one-off or the start of a new series, but either way, it’s something special.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero isn’t a competitive fighter or a story-driven adventure; it’s a toybox. It’s a place for you to play and experiment with the Dragon Ball universe, toying with its timeline, characters, settings, music, and more. It’s not the sort of thing that manages to charm me, it’s a bit “10 hours of jingling keys,” but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a big smile on my face when I finished off Perfect Cell with an Instant Transmission Kamehameha before Gohan even got a turn. Wish the lads from the playground could see that now.

With its story, new class, and the permanent changes it brings, Vessel of Hatred improves on an already very good base game that has been refined over the last five seasons since launch. Striking a delicate balance, it succeeds at tweaking the systems and gameplay to please both casual and hardcore players.

It might not have you sold in the first few hours, but stick it out until Brookhaven Hospital and you’re in for a white-knuckle ride straight into Hell.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a lovely way to return to Hyrule, and the echo system revitalizes the experience of exploring this world. From combat to exploration, your approaches will be wildly different from any Zelda game before, and that’s what makes Echoes of Wisdom worth playing. While it’s not quite a Zelda masterpiece, it’s definitely an essential Nintendo Switch game.

When you engage with it on a deeper level Shadows of Doubt really sings, and that wouldn’t be possible if they sacrificed that complexity just to widen the appeal. It knows exactly the kind of experience it wants to be and doesn’t compromise its ideas to make sure that’s what players get. The result is one of the best mystery games ever made, and I hope they continue to develop these systems even after this 1.0 launch.

Ara: History Untold feels really fresh, immersive, and innovative with its deep city-builder influences being the standout feature. It doesn’t nail the landing in all aspects, but provides the most exciting foundation for further expansion we’ve had in this genre for a long time.

Ultimately, Frostpunk 2 is something very rare: A sequel that manages to substantially reinvent itself and innovate on the foundation of its predecessor without losing what made it great in the first place – in itself, this boldness is deserving of applause.

The Plucky Squire gives you simple combat and clever puzzles, all wrapped up in two gorgeously colorful art styles that stand out from anything I’ve played in a long time, with a story that made me smile at every turn.

Dead Rising is a silly game that’s secretly very smart. The boss battles might’ve aged, but the decisions you’re forced to make under a 72-hour time limit feel as impactful as a well-timed flying wall kick. You’ll be alerted that survivors have died when you were never even aware of them, and new ones pop up all the time. It’s just as tense and sometimes overwhelming as making that crossing through the packed shopping center on Saturday, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is one of the hardest games I’ve ever had to review, and not only because I spent 40 hours playing it and felt I had only just scratched the surface. It’s a game that’s meant to be discussed. The mystery of games like Mooncat, Divers and the curious Terminal continues to confound me, and I can’t wait to see people inevitably figure it all out hours after launch. However, the way that the collection spans so many genres while still feeling cohesively linked is impressive, and I cannot wait for launch to uncover all the parts I couldn’t possibly figure out for myself.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is an intensely unwieldy name, but it’s a hearty collection of some of the best arcade games Capcom ever made. If you’re a fighting game fan or an arcade nostalgic, you owe it to yourself to play Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection.

I still haven’t learned to play Seal’s Kiss From A Rose, by the way. It’s a fair bit tougher than I expected, but I’m not giving up yet. Rocksmith+ has taken my money for another month – and on the laggier PS5, whether I like it or not – and I’m going to make the most of it. I’ll at least clear through the Intermediate piano lessons, and play bass to a few Mobb Deep tracks. This arrogant fool has been humbled through this whole process, but it’s been great to drop the ego and go back to basics. Nothing quite makes you appreciate how far you’ve come like going back to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

It makes Demon’s Mirror a harmony of interlocking systems that all shine brightest when you’re forced to bounce between each one to make the most efficient turn. The cards may be more simplistic than Slay the Spire, but that’s only because having the board involved adds so much innate complexity. If you try to always have a game like this on hand to kill some time, then Demon’s Mirror is a great addition to your rotation, offering you something familiar while bringing ideas to the table that no one else in the genre has.

Astro Bot has set a new benchmark that all 3D platformers now have to reach, and I’ll be waiting excitedly while they try.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a bombastic celebration of the setting, a must-play for its fans, and a bloodlust-inducing third-person shooter experience for everyone, though anyone looking to engage with single-player content only will find themselves chewing on bone a little too soon.

It comes with a lot of fun extras too. It’s nothing game-changing, but if you’re a long-time fan you’ll appreciate the galleries, character profiles, and music selection. Plus, there are a bunch of fun achievements involving little easter eggs of fan in-jokes that all made me smile when I found them.

Age of Mythology: Retold truly teleports the RTS classic into the modern era: It’s the definitive way for fans of old to relive childhood memories and dive deep into the nostalgia of it all, but it’s ready to welcome a new audience thanks to its gold-standard approachability measures – a good myth may undergo changes along the way, but it never dies.

I can’t help but love this game. Star Wars Outlaws looks, sounds, and feels like what a Star Wars game should be, without ever invoking the feeling of “Star Wars”, the multi-billion-dollar Disney-owned franchise. It forges its own path through the galaxy, determined never to step in somebody else’s footsteps, and it does so with magnificent confidence. It’s that confidence that pulls it all together, taking the best parts of Star Wars, combining them with the best parts of Ubisoft, and casting everything else aside.

Tactical Breach Wizards is a wonderfully refined turn-based tactics game with fantastic humor and clever combat design that offers challenges for casual and hardcore players – and a lot of defenestrations.

Black Myth: Wukong is one of the best non-FromSoftware games in this genre, joining the likes of Lies of P in the pantheon of excellent Soulslikes. Instead of copying Dark Souls’ homework, it carries you through this journey with plenty of ideas and charm of its own.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is the most interesting and innovative game I’ve played this year, featuring ideas and absurdist humor I have never seen in the thousand-something games I’ve completed. It’s a true slice of British culture, and a great insight into the things we find funny. It doesn’t have the mass appeal of triple-A games, but it is exactly the type of game that makes me excited that indies exist. People need to buy this entertaining curio so more developers will take a chance on games like these in the future.

The narrative and character writing carried me along from dungeon to dungeon, where the clever puzzle design kept me entertained from start to finish. There’s room for improvement as far as the platforming controls and combat are concerned, but the more I played the less those complaints mattered to me as I became enamored with everything else it had to offer.

While it needs some finessing, the base of Flock is extremely solid, and hits its aims of being fun, cozy, and relaxing. The rarity of some creatures and minor bugs might make you stressed, which is my only complaint in an otherwise compelling and unique gaming experience.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is one of the oddest games we’ve seen from Capcom in a while. It feels like an indie idea, given a reasonable budget, the kind of game we haven’t really seen since the PS2 era. Because of that, it almost feels hard to recommend. I can’t say, ‘if you liked X, you’ll love Kunitsu-Gami’, because there’s nothing else quite like Kunitsu-Gami. And that’s probably why you should play it anyway. If you’re not an action nut or strategy master, that might be even better, as it doesn’t fit neatly into either of those genres either. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s well worth your time.

I’ve always loved Super Monkey Ball, and for a while I thought Banana Mania was the best we were ever going to get. Banana Rumble is everything a new Super Monkey Ball should be, and if you’re able to discern which game is which, then you should pick this up for one of the best puzzle platformers money can buy.

Dawntrail is a strong foundation for Square Enix to build on, one with more opportunities for different kinds of characters and narratives and a better balance between its two often-conflicting pillars of storytelling and action. Sure, a few rough edges could benefit from polish in the upcoming patches, and I hope more opportunities for interactive quests show up as well. If Dawntrail represents the future of FFXIV, then it’s a promising future.

Zenless Zone Zero is the best base game HoYoverse has released to date: It’s a step up from its predecessors in terms of presentation, tech, systems, and starting content – and since previous titles have all massively improved over the course of their strict and impressive update cycle, I feel confident that this is going to repeat for this one...Combining charm and spectacle, mechanical satisfaction and approachability, rapid intensity, and immaculate cool vibes, Zenless Zone Zero is HoYoverse’s hat-trick.

Trails through Daybreak might not have the wow factor of modern, big-budget RPGs or the nostalgic pull of a retro Final Fantasy, but that works in its favor. Sure, there's room for more polish and meaningful evolution. But instead of chasing trends, Daybreak is just confidently itself, and it's much stronger for it.

Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t do anything particularly surprising for Elden Ring players, but it’s worth the price of admission just to see FromSoftware flex its world design expertise in a more compact playspace. It also fits perfectly into the middle of the main game, which means you can step into the Land of Shadow and return to the main world armed to the teeth with an arsenal of fun and unique new weapons, from hulking katanas to reverse grip swords, beast claws, and poison bottles. Whether you’re here for the lore, the swords, or the vibes, Shadow of the Erdtree bolsters what’s already one of the best games ever made.

Just as the first Alan Wake DLCs were imperative to understanding the nature of the Dark Place, Alan Wake 2’s expansions are a must-play for anyone interested in the RCU. Don't forget to play Alan Wake 2, the base game, before diving into it. Before that though, another Alan Wake expansion, The Lake House, releases later this year and if that’s remotely as entertaining as this one, then we’re all in for a good time.

And after hours upon hours of playing Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for the first time since the original GameCube release, that’s really the only flaw I could find. It’s brilliant, but a little slow-paced at times. The characters and areas are memorable, the combat is simple but satisfying, and this Nintendo Switch remake looks like a true papercraft world. This is the best Paper Mario game, and the best Mario RPG ever made.

Imagine Earth’s console bugs are an annoying hurdle to get over, but they’re likely something Serious Bros. will patch out in the coming months. Underneath the little issues is a smart and thoughtful strategy game that makes good use of the medium as a teaching tool without making it feel like a gimmick.

I enjoyed my time with Ghost of Tsushima on PC and I’m excited to see where Sucker Punch takes the series next. If it goes to mainland Japan, increases the political intrigue (shows us that hidden heart), works on creating unique side activities, and improves on quest design, it could be one of the best games ever made. For now, though, Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful but flawed distraction, sharper than it’s ever been.

Lorelei moves into your brain and gets comfortable. I found myself mentally rifling through my collection of documents with as-yet unsolved riddles in the middle of the day or thinking about a puzzle that stumped me while working on another project. I also expected a letdown in the end. With that level of absorption and hours of narrative setup, it’d be easy to fumble the finale and disappoint expectation, leaving you with little more than the sad feeling you get from seeing unfulfilled potential.

Animal Well brings unique ideas to a genre that doesn’t often get them, with a firm grasp on how to design a world that constantly pushes you to explore deeper. All of its tools are things the genre hasn’t seen before, and that novelty makes you feel incredibly smart solving puzzles the likes of which you’ve never seen in any other game before.

If Crow Country were just styled like an old Resident Evil game I probably would’ve dropped it, but it manages to get everything perfect. If Capcom had released this as a non-canon RE side-story, it would probably be getting a thunderous reception right now. I don’t like nostalgia bait, but Crow Country is so much more. Whether you’re a ‘90s kid or not, all Resident Evil and survival horror fans should absolutely play Crow Country.

Paper Trail quickly became my go-to puzzler after a stressful day, a charming and inventive way to stimulate my little mushy brain without ever being too taxing. Newfangled Games deserves praise for turning such a basic idea into something so clever and enjoyable, and I hope it’s not the last puzzle game we see from the studio.

It’s exactly what it says on the tin, a top-down Zelda-inspired twin stick shooter, and it’s polished to a mirror finish. It’s hard to imagine any game that could do this concept better.

Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay is Creative Assembly’s most thematic, detailed, and passion-filled expansion yet, using years’ worth of knowhow to bring some of the coolest Warhammer characters from the page onto the screen in a faithful and fun way. Best of all, the ability to purchase each faction separately means that players will get exactly what they want without having to pay for something they don’t feel as passionate about. Thrones of Decay is exactly what Total War: Warhammer 3 needed – it makes you excited to be a fan again.

Despite those minor gripes, Nexus 5X is a fantastic turn-based strategy game to play on a game night: It’s easy to get into, has strategic depth, and an important social element that will make you hate your friends – at least for the duration of the game.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau breaks a lot of conventions of the metroidvania genre, focusing more on story than exploration and outfitting you with most of your abilities from the get-go. It’s a short experience that tries, both subtly and more obtusely, to weave a tale of loss, grief, and acceptance. In both regards, the result is a resounding success, with only a few small nitpicks to be found throughout. In a crowded metroidvania landscape, Tales of Kenzera: Zau stands out as one of the best in recent years.

As a fan of Suikoden, I couldn’t be much happier with how this turned out. I’ve been waiting for something like Suikoden to come along again since childhood, but I never dreamed I’d have to wait for the original creator to come back to see it happen. I just wish Yoshitaka Murayama were here to read the praise he deserves for carving out such a unique, inimitable identity in the genre.

It was one of the best games of 2023, and the new update has made it even better. It’s a game that everyone needs to play for themselves as each journey is unique, even though you will likely want to dive in for another unique journey straight afterwards.

Stacklands is an excellent little survival card game that’s quite unlike anything else on the market. It’s cute, deeply addictive, and has the potential to take away hours of your life, although its implementation on Switch leaves a lot of room for improvement. Still, if I can spend 40 hours stacking chickens on top of each other to make eggs, then it can’t really be that bad, can it?

Not only does Unicorn Overlord have a deep story, but each member plays so differently that I was excited to learn just what they could do. Maybe I would have better understood all the strategy behind it if I sank an additional 60 hours into the game, but I left feeling satisfied and I’m more strategy game curious than I ever thought I would be.

Berserk Boy isn’t Mega Man Zero, but it tries its hardest to capture those vibes, and mostly pulls it off. It’s a bit repetitive, and the story isn’t really worth paying attention to, but its fast, fluid, and fun movement and combat make it worth playing for anyone who’s a fan of Sonic, Mega Man, or Azure Striker Gunvolt.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 starts out with the same level of mystique and overwhelming scope that Elden Ring hits you with, but once you understand how this world functions, you become a master of it. It’s daunting, sure, but after you overcome that initial hurdle, it’s incredible. I adored tearing through goblins, shooting ballistae at drakes, clinging to flying dragons, and changing the very fate of the world as the Arisen. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is easily the best action RPG of 2024 so far – and is very unlikely to be dethroned – and manages to go toe-to-toe with FromSoftware’s magnum opus in terms of how impactful and absorbing exploring the world feels. This is what Dragon’s Dogma was always meant to be, and it’s a masterpiece.

Hi-Fi Rush runs incredibly well on PS5, with a rock-solid 60fps output, fast loading times, and a resolution target that looks close to native 4K. It looks excellent on a 4K display. The 3D audio integration is also noteworthy, although the DualSense integration leaves a little to be desired. The same is true for no cross-save support.

Goblin Stone is a wholesome version of Darkest Dungeon, ticking all the same boxes without being a blind copycat – meaningful additions like the breeding system and its narrative ensure that it’s a unique experience that can stand on its own. Though the restrictions of its budget do show here and there, it’s clearly a labor of much love and craftsmanship that will keep you entertained for many hours.

As far as wrestling games go, this series is still the best there is at capturing the spectacle of these larger-than-life personas and turning the crazy, dangerous, and sometimes downright silly action we see on TV into a playable format. It ticks all the boxes you’d want for an annual sports series and comes with those loving touches that wrestling fans will appreciate.

The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island doesn’t do anything particularly fresh or new for the series, but it looks good, plays well, and has refined the series’ signature gameplay to near perfection. It’s brutal, difficult, and likely tough to adapt to for total newcomers, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’re hooked for good.

Penny’s Big Breakaway is the closest somebody that isn’t Nintendo has gotten to making 3D platforming feel perfect, and that’s a huge achievement in itself. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s hard not to love something that’s made with such passion for retro 3D platforming.

The setup is frustrating and can even feel like a waste of time, but I also appreciate how it forced me to change my expectations. Pacific Drive expects you to approach it on its own terms, and if you’re willing to do that, you’re in for quite a ride.

Despite all of the playable cards being the standard 52-card pack, the extra systems surrounding it create a gameplay loop just as – if not more – complex, addictive, and downright joyous as Slay the Spire, and I don’t say that lightly.

Even after 15 hours and finishing the main story I didn’t feel like I fully understood Ultros, and that is what was most exciting about it. With pathways undiscovered and new upgrades as yet unused, the main game feels like a long tutorial for how to explore the world at your own pace afterward. Ultros is definitely a step forward for the genre, and I hope it encourages others to push boundaries and expectations in the future.

Classified: France ‘44 offers a strong package for turn-based tactics enthusiasts, delivering fun, thrilling battles and some strategic freedom inside a grounded, authentic World War 2 narrative.

The Brothers remake doesn’t have all of the changes we would hope for, but it is still a remake of an incredible game. It’s clear that deep thought has gone into each of the small interactions that fill the world, with the personality of each brother shining strongly. Without saying a word, Brothers tells you so much, and that beautiful story is still intact. People may want to pick this one up if only for the two-player mode and commentary from creator Josef Fares himself, but it’s hard to call it the definitive version.

Though the visual style of Solium Infernum’s characters may not be to everyone’s liking, the title is chock-full of brilliant artwork that decorates the cards of events, items, and units. Overall, the graphics and the soundtrack create a good atmosphere and background for the backstabbing. Another strong point is the character writing – every Archfiend has a strong personality and the diplomatic dialog is quite witty at times.

In almost every way you can look at it, Rebirth is a huge improvement over Remake. It constantly surprises you with how far it’s willing to go to recreate the moments you love, and even a poor ending can’t undermine the incredible 100 hours it took me to get there. Some of the open-world stuff starts to drag toward the end – especially in regions where the topography is more complex and hoofing it around is like trying to find your way out of the backrooms – but most of that’s optional anyway. I did it because I felt rewarded with special character moments that expanded upon the original game’s relationships in meaningful ways. I don’t know where Square Enix will take things from here, but I’ll be ready to mosey.

Once the ongoing server issues are finally dealt with for good, Helldivers 2 will be one of the easiest multiplayer shooters to recommend. When it all works as intended, finding a game with friends or random players is simple, and the co-op-only nature of the game has fostered a broadly very positive and welcoming community. Helldivers 2 will – eventually – be an essential multiplayer game, and I can’t wait for it to just work.

It may just be that the Demonologist’s playstyle is a great fit for me, but I’ve had a lot more fun with the DLC than just the base game, which itself has been polished and fleshed out since launch. Coming with a ton of exciting content, SpellForce: Conquest of Eo – Demon Scourge offers fantastic bang for your buck and should give anyone who bounced off the base game a reason to come by for a second look – you might accidentally team up with the Demonlord to conquer the world and get hooked to play another campaign. Devious!

As with any good roguelite, there are new pilots and ships to unlock, as well as card sets and modifiers to change what you’re capable of. It’s also injected with some of that Hades magic, with your pilots dropping new hints to the story with each successful run. The story and characters aren’t quite as in-depth as Hades, but it makes up for that by being funny and charming in a way few games can manage.

You have your destination, but there are dozens of ways to arrive and plenty of secrets to find along the way. It’s a game that understands the journey is the entire point.

It’s already a greatly improved game than what came before it, and it won’t be long until the amount of content is there to match, so this is an easy upgrade for anyone who liked the original game.

The issue that most Persona 3 fans will have is that Persona 3 Reload is another incomplete version for them to play. However, if all you know of the Persona series is Persona 5, then this is the version you will want to play, with all the modern conveniences thrown in. One day, we dream of the extra episode from FES, the dual protagonists of Portable, and the updated battle system of Reload all in one package, but until then, I think Portable remains the best version.

I’ve been playing Phantom Abyss since it first entered early access and I will not be stopping anytime soon now it’s officially launched. The adrenaline-fuelled gameplay gives me so much joy every time I do a run, whether I’m playing it casually or seriously trying to challenge myself. It is a game that will join the likes of FTL and Spulunky as games that are forever in my regular rotation, and for a game like this, I can offer no higher praise.

This is a game designed primarily to appease an existing audience, not court a new one. While that’s definitely good for die-hard Tekken players, it also means that Tekken 8 just feels like another one. Another Tekken game, without anything more to say. It’s Tekken, it’s great, but I wish it were more.

Immortality on PS5 is hampered by the console’s controls – the way you interact with Immortality is of paramount importance – but the game itself, the experience, the acting, the immersion: it’s best-in-class. Immortality is a truly unique game, and even if this isn’t necessarily the best way to play it, I’m glad that more people get to experience it. There’s nothing quite as glamorous and haunting as Immortality.

If you’ve never played a Like a Dragon game before, Infinite Wealth is not the place to start, but only because you will get the most out of the game if you know the history behind it. However, if you have been following Kiryu and Kasuga’s journey for all these years, then it is absolute perfection. It’s everything we’ve ever wanted and so much more.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is undoubtedly the best way to play Arc System Works’ Granblue fighter – the original can be uninstalled now – but if you fell off the original game, this probably won’t bring you back. However if all you wanted was some netcode improvements to keep you in the game, then Rising is essential. As long as you don’t buy it for Grand Bruise Legends, you’ll adore Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising.

It’s safe to say that this DLC will please just about any Pokémon fan. There’s so much to do, and all of it is way more engaging than usual, packaged in all of the best aspects of the main game. It may not fix the game’s biggest flaws, but it’s clear that the team at Game Freak knows what the fans want. If they can just get their technology in order and stick to the ideas pushed in this DLC, the next mainline Pokémon game could be something truly incredible.

Against the Storm is a perfect storm: It’s a unique blend of genres that executes its ideas without any great flaws. Instead of motivating you to play ‘just one more turn,’ it tempts you into building ‘just one more city,’ condensing the thrilling allure of exploration and mechanical intricacy of a city-builder into runs that will fly by as fast as raindrops in a hurricane.

It’s this fantastic interweaving of the strategic and tactical layers that makes Last Train Home such an enjoyable ride in combination with the loving eye for authenticity and immersion.

Even after more than two decades of RPGs featuring Mario since, Super Mario RPG is still up there with the best of them, and this remake solidifies that. It’s simple, sure, but it’s great fun, and set the stage for every turn-based Mario game since. It’s been a brilliant year for Nintendo fans, and Super Mario RPG is the perfect send-off for the Switch in 2023.

I had no idea what to expect after my first 10 minutes or so with Little Goody Two Shoes. A slick, '90s-style anime opening leads into what seems like a cutesy adventure game about a snotty kid living in the forest. Then it turns into a deduction game, a management sim, and a social game, with bits of horror and some retro-style arcade games sprinkled in for good measure. It sounds like a lot on paper, but one of Little Goody Two Shoes’ most impressive achievements is how well it manages to balance its moving parts.