Planet Coaster: Console Edition brings this already phenomenal game to a new audience on console. Controls are very well translated over to the controller, and the game runs smoothly on PS5 with really fast load times. It is presented in a very accessible way, but there is also an insane amount of depth for the hardcore players.

Mascot horror dominates the video game industry, but this game takes the cake with its unique use of the trend. The game effectively uses its strong points to its advantage to bring fear into players. Instead of using jumpscares to create fear, it builds tension to spook the player. It creates an illusion of being safe when in reality, the danger is still lurking within. As this is the first chapter, it is relatively short, only ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the player. Even with its short time frame, it packs an impressive punch into what's to come into future chapters. Poppy Playtime could easily be one of the best indie games released this year from its production quality and effective use of scares.

Overall, I was very impressed with Collector's Cove and had a great time spending several hours with it. For those who enjoy collecting in video games, this is definitely one to consider. Even if you're not a big farming or fishing gamer, you'll find yourself absorbed in the addictive gameplay that Collector's Cove has to offer. Each of the four regions are wonderful to explore and totally unique, and ultimately discovering a new species of plant or fish makes everything completely worthwhile. It does have that grindy-type gameplay, but if you enjoy all the activities available in Collector's Cove, you'll find it difficult to complain, plus the rewards you get for all your efforts make everything worth it.

Alan Wake Remastered is the definitive version of Alan's story in Bright Falls. It is the exact same game that acquired quiet respect amongst fans and critics following its 2010 release. Only now it boasts 4K visuals and 60FPS gameplay. Along with some welcome bonus features, and packaged-in DLC, the remaster is a must for superfans, and a fantastic starting point for curious newcomers, with only a few small annoyances that stop it just short of reaching perfection.

Batman: Arkham Shadow succeeds in being an actual game where a lot of other VR experiences are just that: experiences. Arkham Shadow allows you to embody the Dark Knight and have a proper good time fighting and sneaking your way around enemies in a way no other VR title I played has so far. While not a quintessential title in the overall Arkham experience, it is a must play for Quest 3 owners that are also Batman fans. Each gaming session will present you with a good challenge with a decent story and great immersion, leaving wanting more.

The whole point of The Sims 4 High School Years Expansion is to expand your teen Sims' lives - and it does not fail in that mission at all. Before this Expansion came along, teen Sims felt a little overlooked, but High School Years ensures that will never happen again. It's not perfect, there's always room for improvement, but this is certainly an Expansion worth investing in if you want to expand your gameplay, plus the new clothes, objects and world are a great addition.

Spiritfarer was a pleasantly surprising and joyful experience. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in other management games, or anyone with a Switch. Apart from not finding enough challenging platforming, there's hardly much to say that I didn't enjoy. Everything from the characters and world, to the mechanics and story was wonderfully crafted. Spiritfarer is a highly underrated indie that I'll never forget.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 forgets all about the past to create a new path for itself, which was risky, but it paid off. Kirin is the best protagonist the series ever had, with a playstyle that encourages proactively setting up defenses while attacking relentlessly. Even if the story left a bit to be desired, Gunvolt 3 is a step up from an already strong franchise.

Out of the Park Baseball 24 is truly a joy to play. With its deep mechanics and realistic simulation, baseball fans will love it. Perfect Team may not be something to recommend, but it's only a small part of the overall package. With the level of customization available to you, OOTP 24 is almost like a playground for creating different leagues. This is easily worth the price of admission, even if you aren't a fan of baseball.

Stick to the Plan is an incredibly fun and powerfully adorable game. With a look and feel that makes it a joy to play and a wonderful experience from start to finish. The art style is incredibly charming. It features brilliant looking worlds and levels. And a soothing soundtrack. And the puzzles are fair and aren't overly difficult. Even if some do take a lot of time to figure out. As a whole Stick to the Plan is one of my most favourite games to come out this year.

I loved I Was a Teenage Exocolonist. I assumed it would be something you could play in small bursts to completion, like Growing Up, but each lifetime requires significant time investment. But with how good the story and characters are, I actually like it better this way. The challenges are tough, but fair, the characters are engaging and relatable, and despite being set on an alien planet with a literal dog-boy as one of your potential friends, I can’t help but be dragged back to my high school days as I play. For better or for worse.

Scott Pilgrim EX could have relied entirely on nostalgia but instead, it experiments. Not every experiment feels perfectly tuned. The segmented mission flow may divide purists, and the narrative plays within comfortable boundaries rather than pushing emotional stakes further. Yet these are measured risks in pursuit of evolution rather than stagnation. Scott Pilgrim EX stands as a confident sequel. It respects its legacy, sharpens its mechanics, and dares to expand its scope. For fans of cooperative brawlers and character-driven action games, it represents one of the more compelling genre entries in recent years.

When picking up Super Mario 3D All-Stars, I expected authenticity as well as enhancements worthy of a modern remaster. This collection manages to meet those marks, but not without some unfortunate limitations. The All-Stars collection provides three content-packed Mario games for the price of one, a dream for fans of this series. For those who love challenging platformers, like Celeste or Super Mario Maker 2, I recommend picking this collection up. However, those on the fence might be better off looking elsewhere, as the All-Stars collection is a remaster with few bells and whistles. Though Nintendo could have done more to enhance these titles, they are still fantastic games on their own and definitely worth the purchase.

Pieced Together is a fantastic game. You really feel as if you've been taken on this wonderful journey with these two sparky girls, following their lives and adventures, watching them grow before your eyes, curious to know where their lives will ultimately take them, and whether they'll stay friends forever. I had a great time playing this game. It was honestly much better than I was ever expecting it to be. I thought it would just be a simple scrapbook game, and it is, but it's much more that this. It's just brilliantly creative, and I loved the incorporation of puzzle-solving that avoided being too frustrating so it remained cozy and relaxing. I'm very glad I got to play this and can't wait to play it again sometime near in the future.

Botany Manor is an excellent game and I am very glad I chose to play this title, especially as I've been waiting for its release for a while, hoping it wouldn't disappoint, and it most certainly didn't. The manor and gardens were beautifully designed, the puzzles were fun to solve and well thought-out, Arabella's character was well developed, and the game on a whole was very charming and relaxing. Even though it only took me 4-5 hours to complete this game, it felt long enough and I enjoyed every minute of it. I don't have anything negative to say about it, except one fleeting glitch that thankfully sorted itself out, but otherwise I had a wonderful time playing this.

As far as it goes as a photography game, OPUS: Prism Peak is probably one of the best I've played. In fact, this game is probably up there as one of my favorites so far in 2026. I had a great time playing OPUS: Prism Peak. Even though I missed some information and couldn't get 100% completion in my first playthrough, this didn't really matter as I had fun playing anyway. The level of detail that's gone into making this game is just impressive. I can definitely see myself playing this title again sometime soon in the future, so I can grab those photos and field notes that I missed or got wrong. I'm surprised actually that OPUS: Prism Peak hasn't received more attention, as this is definitely one to consider adding to your collection.

Bayonetta 3 is a fantastically stylish game with invigorating gameplay, empowering music and a narrative that reaches deep to pull on the heart's strings. Despite its understandable graphical affordances and its slightly rushed story, it makes for a show-stopping, action-packed experience that can be enjoyed countless times over.

On the whole, this is an excellent game. It's good when there's a game you've had interest in for a while and then when you finally get to play it, it's not a disappointment. Mythwrecked is one of those games you should think about playing if you want something a little easier going, whisking you away to another world entirely. Although the main character was technically shipwrecked, it felt more like a holiday than a chore trying to find a way off the island. I also really enjoyed getting to know Alex and all the gods on the island, learning about their backstories. It's one of those situations that makes you reflect on yourself, and I like it when a video game does this. Mythwrecked gets a big thumbs-up from me.

PowerWash Simulator 2 doesn’t pretend to be epic — and that is its greatest strength. It recognizes that there is a quiet joy in the repetitive, in the ritual of cleaning. By polishing its tools, refining its pacing, and offering cooperative progression, it builds a cozy, rewarding sandbox for anyone who appreciates calm, tactile satisfaction over high-octane thrills.

Insomniac hits another homerun with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Another epic adventure with the Lombax and his trusty robot as they go to save the universe. Full of beautiful colors, incredible designs, and tremendously fun gameplay, it is something that cannot be ignored for both newcomers and longtime fans.

With further updates that introduce more maps and equipment, The Finals has the potential to be a juggernaut in the FPS scene, influencing other companies to follow. Because of maps you can almost completely destroy, builds that introduce new ways of strategizing, and an engaging gameplay loop, The Finals absolutely soars.

Mortal Kombat 1 takes the original formula of a tournament between realms and enriches every step. As a hard reset to the universe, the game goes back to the beginning and re-establishes the beloved story and pieces of lore in exciting new ways. With only a few flaws, the gameplay is intuitive and enjoyable. All of this is further heightened with masterful graphics and audio design.

Anuchard, a 2D retro-inspired RPG, immerses players in a high-resolution world filled with charm and whimsy. The game's pixel art aesthetic beautifully merges nostalgia with modern visuals, creating a unique immersive experience. Featuring an engaging story, clever dialogue, and perfect blend of old-school charm and modern gameplay mechanics, Anuchard offers a captivating single player journey.

As the fourth game in a series, We Were Here Forever is a title that knows what it’s about. The gameplay isn’t particularly flashy, and the story doesn’t feature a series of dramatic set pieces to get your adrenaline up. Instead, the developers have stuck to what they know: building unique and interesting puzzles that demand a kind of teamwork very rarely seen in other games. The game improves on its predecessors in every way, without losing the magic that made the series unique in the first place. If you’re not interested in puzzle solving, then this game is going to be an extremely dull experience; alternatively, if you are, then I cannot recommend it highly enough.

V Rising is an incredibly solid RPG that is set within a gothic world where we must battle through against mankind and the sunlight through the lenses of a vampire, trying to restore the glory that once was theirs. The combat and environment within V Rising are highly addicting and satisfying that roaming around the map will always yield positive results. V Rising has almost everything that I want within an RPG game, and those who seek a game to spend their summer this year might want to take a look at V Rising.

Jusant is a welcome and new experience: an action/adventure game without combat and a platformer without death-inducing falls. Still, Jusant captures the intensity of high-elevation rock climbing and the wonder of exploring a strange world. The gameplay, sound design, and aesthetic will capture you for the brisk 6 hour runtime and will leave you wanting more.

Sail Forth is a game that knows what it wants to do and does it incredibly well. Its world is charming, its mechanics are well thought out and most importantly its gameplay is fun. From battling pirates to delivering packages, Sail Forth can be as relaxing or intense as you want it to be thanks to the free sailing mode. There's not much else like it on the Switch and even on other platforms where you have more options, it's one of the best.

I must say that Black Skylands is a rather fantastic indie-game. Whilst I do have some issues with aspects of the gameplay I do feel that the core of it is a ton of fun. The ground sections are great and offer a decent challenge. And when the ship combat works it can be a really unique experience. And with a memorable and well written story there is much to enjoy. Even I do feel the ship controls could be better.