Pragmata is a truly unique and wonderful third-person shooter. It’s a throwback to linear action games of old, and thankfully its undercooked story isn't enough to diminish the quality of the brilliant hacking focused action.

Marathon is a feast for the senses - vibrant sci-fi visuals and world building, amazing sound design, and a brilliant combat experience are the main things elevating it above its extraction shooter competitors. Its endgame map, Cryo Archive, also creates the same intimidating yet jaw-dropping atmosphere of some of Bungie’s finest Destiny raids. However, issues such as clunky inventory management and dull faction quests hold it back from true greatness right now.

Resident Evil Requiem stuffs three decades of fan service into a single package, all while maintaining its place as a mainline entry to the series. While it’s not without its tedium, and the new protagonist takes a minute to find her feet, Requiem finally strikes the balance between action and horror that Capcom’s wrestled with for all these years.

Mewgenics offers more depth and ingenuity than any strategy game I've played in years. It is also terminally unfunny, with an aesthetic, theme, and cast of characters that consistently miss the mark. If you can square yourself with the humor, there is a genuinely great game waiting here.

By building on the original’s foundations with more impactful decision-making and gameplay refinements, The Outer Worlds 2 feels like the Obsidian game that Fallout: New Vegas fans have craved for over a decade.

Skate Story takes the familiar and flips it, elevating itself beyond a skateboarding game. Its ethereal, thumping soundtrack propels when it wants to, with each new chapter surprising with its visual inventiveness and off-the-wall, abstract ideas. It's like peeling off a bit of wallpaper and finding a whole new world behind it.

What Routine lacks in quantity, it makes up for in staggering quality. It’s cassette futurism at its most tactile, with an aesthetic direction that’s only matched by the novelty of its CAT tool. Lunar Software raises the bar in sound design to deliver a singular experience for sci-fi horror fans.

Ninja Gaiden 4 revives a legacy that’s languished for far too long. Its technical achievements in camera and combat movement eclipse its limited enemy and level diversity. Sure, the story is a glorified stepping stone for the future, but I’m too busy reducing enemies to a shower of limbs and bloody pulp to care.

A host of minor and major improvements add up to make Battlefield 6 the smoothest, most bombastically entertaining entry in the series to date. A lacklustre campaign aside, this is a triumphant return and a must-play for both BF veterans and newcomers alike.

Team Cherry has done the impossible. In the face of colossal expectation, it has bottled lightning twice. Silksong is a masterpiece, not because it’s bigger and better than what came before, but because it doesn’t lose itself in trying to escape Hollow Knight’s shadow. Its massive scope extends beyond Team Cherry’s initial influences to become a definitive Metroidvania epic that challenges players to rise to the occasion.

Silent Hill f skillfully reinterprets the iconic horror series for a modern audience, acting as both a stirring homage and a strong vision for Silent Hill’s future.

Dying Light: The Beast is a serious gore-fest that, when you dig a little deeper, turns out to be a rather silly playground teeming with ingenius ways of dispatching the undead. The fun, for me, was finding them all, and while it may not stick with me for long, this is still the best that Dying Light has ever been.

Konami has taken great care with the remake of Metal Gear Solid 3, bringing this legendary spy thriller to a new audience with a modernized play style and thoughtful QoL tweaks to suit today’s gamers. If you haven’t played Snake Eater or any of the MGS series before, this is the perfect entry point into Hideo Kojima’s magnum opus.

Mafia: The Old Country looks backward, both in its setting and design ethos. Combining gorgeous visuals, strong character work, and scrappy action set pieces, the outcome is a confident, understated crime game that does exactly what it's supposed to.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers exceeds all expectations as this year's GOTY-level soulslike. Leenzee finds new remedies for the chronic pains endemic in the genre, and its semi-open world is enriched by Chinese culture and masterful level design. However, framerate drops and familiar UE5 optimization problems can't be ignored.

Quality of life and balancing changes set the stage for the next ten years of Rainbow Six Siege X, forging strong foundations that bring the FPS game roaring into 2025, but retreading old ground with map and operator remasters feels like it’s running out of mileage. Fortunately, the 6v6 Dual Front mode breaks the mold with something new, and a reworked sound system will have you relearning the game as if it were Year One all over again.

F1 25 offers a stronger driving experience and greater attention to detail than its predecessors, with major changes to My Team breathing new life into the mode. It's not a revolution, but it's undoubtedly Codemasters' best F1 game in years.

Easily better than Snowrunner or Expeditions, Roadcraft is one of 2025’s best, and a convincing argument that even the most esoteric subject matter can be translated into compelling videogames.

Oblivion Remastered proves that The Elder Scrolls 4 has withstood the test of time. It’s the perfect opportunity for new audiences to discover why it’s so beloved, and a nostalgic throwback to Bethesda’s golden years for older fans. However, its extensive quality-of-life features aren’t enough to excuse the endemic performance woes of Unreal Engine 5.

Doom: The Dark Ages is a heavyweight shooter that, at its core, is lighter on its feet than its predecessor. However, id has at times gone too wide with its half-baked new features and open level design. Rip and tear, until it is done. But please, Slayer, get out of the damn robot.

Despite its occasionally confounding UI and weak level design, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an essential turn-based RPG that is both a love letter to its inspirations and a potential vision of the genre's future.

Though on the surface it’s a simple tribute to Command and Conquer, Tempest Rising breaks free of its influences with a visual style and mechanical flourishes all of its own. Its core ideas may work better in a smaller-scale tactics game rather than an RTS, but there are several missions where everything fits together.

Wildly inventive, tantalisingly mysterious, and ethereally beautiful, Blue Prince is easily one of the best puzzle games I've ever played.

Promise Mascot Agency's Kaso-Machi is an unforgettable setting packed with mysteries, mascots, and chaos. It somehow crams together almost any genre you might care to mention, from management sim to open-world RPG, and it does it all with style and heart.

Atomfall is a diamond in the rough for survival RPG fans. While it doesn’t hit the emergent heights of its genre contemporaries, Rebellion’s beautifully crafted quarantine zone is a joy to explore, with enough pulp and mystery to propel the player through to the end. If you’re looking for a cozy throwback to classic science fiction, it’s hard to go wrong with this very British sandbox.

Hazelight Studios has outdone itself with Split Fiction by innovating and expanding upon its earlier work. Mio and Zoe’s worlds are fully realized locales that pay loving homage to their real-life inspirations, and the optional Side Stories prompt many a smile. It's an impactful look at the creative writing process and an essential co-op adventure.

Two Point Museum is more of the same we’ve come to expect from Two Point Studios, but its imaginative approach to heritage ensures plenty of museum magic. Boasting a broad thematic range, endless exploration, and more decorative options than you can shake a dinosaur’s femur at, you’ll end up being the one getting excavated after sinking countless hours of your life into this addictive management sim.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the successor that Capcom’s best-selling game deserves. It improves on almost every aspect of World to deliver a tremendous adventure that, if you can make it over the steep initial learning curve, remains the most rewarding action RPG around.

Taking lessons learned from previous games, trimming out anything less effective, and scoring home runs with its fresh additions, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the new gold standard for the series and an absolute treat for RPG and action game fans.

A memorable core cast, often hilarious side quests, and a gripping main narrative make Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 a must-play medieval RPG, despite its late-game progression woes and rough edges.

Citizen Sleeper 2 is everything you could want from a sequel, building on its predecessor's strengths in storytelling and character design while also bringing new complexity to the dice and clocks that govern its capitalist dystopia.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an RPG unlike any other, reaching through time, space, and the screen to leave a mark on you in a way few other games can. Some of its open-world design is outdated and uninspired, and it can be irritatingly stop-start at points, but the emotional highs help it to overcome these flaws. You owe it to yourself to play Rebirth, and this new PC version is the best way to do it.

Dynasty Warriors Origins takes the series' crowd combat and visuals to the next level while plumbing new narrative depths. I'd have liked to put my own stamp on its dull protagonist, but this is still an essential ARPG for fresh-faced players and grizzled veterans alike.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a marvel for fans of the series and newcomers alike, combining brain-teasing puzzles and scrappy action in the way only Indy can. A majestic use of the license, this is the gold standard for movie-adjacent videogames going forward.

Infinity Nikki takes all the best bits of Genshin Impact to deliver the definitive dress-up game for girls. With a vast wardrobe of exquisite outfits to collect, its whimsical open world is a treasure trove of activities that distract from the gacha grind.

Stalker 2 is a punishing survival FPS that can be extremely rewarding for those who take the time to get comfortable in its playground. A few technical issues aside, there's not much else out there like this.

Metro Awakening is a wholly new and unique Metro game that nails its predecessors' atmosphere, narrative elements, and tense combat. It's one of the strongest VR games out there, and I'd go so far as to say it's the optimal way to experience the Metro universe in videogame form, even if performance woes and bugs hold it back on Meta Quest 3.

Sparking Zero takes the Budokai Tenkaichi series to new heights, successfully recreating the grand spectacle of an epic Dragon Ball fight. With plenty of single-player content to get through, a custom battle mode bursting with potential, and online multiplayer to challenge players around the world, Dragon Ball fans have never had it better than this.

Neva is a poignant platformer that's a worthy successor to the award-winning Gris. Its intricate and stunning Ghibliesque world is a visual marvel, and while its combat isn't wholly free from frustration, its stirring narrative ensures no dry eye in the room.

Metaphor ReFantazio is the culmination of everything that makes Atlus’ turn-based RPGs so special. Sporting a fantastic cast of instantly lovable characters, a gripping tale that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, and a robust evolution of its combat systems, Metaphor ReFantazio is a must-play for anyone with even a passing interest in JRPGs.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred takes everything that made Diablo 2 and 3 great, and modernizes for it the present day. Blending stunning visuals, musical majesty, and slick, gory combat, it surpasses the base game in every way, even if some may walk away from its story a little perplexed.

Ara: History Untold makes meaningful contributions to the well-worn grand strategy genre at every turn, even if the absurdities of its mix-and-match approach to history can be hard to swallow.

Frostpunk 2 makes clever reconsiderations of, and expansions on, the first game’s design, offering a better rounded, even harsher follow-up to the original’s concept.

The Dead Rising remaster fixes every small problem from the original, in turn allowing the spirit of Capcom's open-world to exist more freely. That increased polish however robs Dead Rising of some of its crucial character.

Despite its shockingly short story, World of Warcraft: The War Within is the most confident and slick Blizzard's MMO has been in years.

Age of Mythology: Retold is up there with the best RTS remakes thanks to its faithfulness to the original, myriad UI and aesthetic updates, and smart decision to leave AoM's enjoyable idiosyncrasies intact.

Black Myth Wukong is the Journey to the West adaptation I've always wanted – an ambitious action RPG with stunning visuals, spectacular boss designs, and snappy combat. However, sluggish camera tracking, restrictive exploration, and early-game difficulty spikes might be a dealbreaker for some.

Nobody Wants to Die is a stunning homage to noir royalty that provides a fascinating retrofuturistic murder mystery experience. Though it’s brought down by more hand-holding than I’d like, and a few frayed narrative edges, Critical Hit Games has seriously impressed with its ambitious debut.

Dungeons of Hinterberg is a wonderfully captivating trek through the gorgeous lands of its magical alpine setting, where a world of adventure, challenges, and intrigue stands at odds with the political machinations of a greedy government.

OutRage: Fight Fest is frenetic fighting fun, taking everything we love about fighting games and combining them with quick-fire party chaos.

Characterized by stunning visuals rooted in Japanese folklore, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess' tower defense and hack-and-slash action is like nothing I've ever played before. While there are a few minor frustrations, Capcom's new adventure is a must-play and a ready-made cult classic.

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail introduces some of the game’s best dungeons and trials yet alongside a compelling story that, while slow to ramp up, delivers resoundingly in its second act, setting a promising precedent for the future of the MMORPG on all counts.

Zenless Zone Zero sets slick, responsive combat against a backdrop of cassette futurism and ‘90s nostalgia, but it strains against the yoke of HoYoverse’s built-in gacha system.

Riven's remake somehow achieves the impossible - all at once rewarding the nostalgia and support of long-time fans, embracing wild creativity, and fully realizing the needs of a modern audience. The 1997 classic is reborn as one of the year's best puzzle games.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree sits proudly among the best videogame expansions of all time thanks to its sense of adventure, epic boss battles, and ambitious new additions.

Still Wakes the Deep dredges up The Chinese Room’s greatest strengths at immersive storytelling, but a low fear factor leaves this oil rig horror in the churning waters of authentic Scottish drama.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape ties up a decade's worth of story, conflict, and relationships in the most engaging and emotionally satisfying way possible. Bungie's best-in-class narrative team has outdone itself, the combat and gunplay sit at the pinnacle of the FPS genre, and I've ultimately never played anything like it.

A masterclass in open-world game design and a thrilling samurai epic in its own right, Ghost of Tsushima is a must-play on PC.

Offering a stunning visual upgrade, a great new story, and a hugely rewarding combat system, Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is officially the best and only way to play Atlus' beloved JRPG.

For fans of asymmetrical multiplayer games, Killer Klowns from Outer Space does what many others before have not, almost perfecting the likes of balance, down time, and match length, and it deserves to be considered among the best in the genre. Illfonic’s game fills the gap left by Friday the 13th and checks every box in style, but its lesser-known IP may prevent well-deserved longevity.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a short but very sweet adventure that works your brain and warms your soul.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is an impeccable story of coming to terms with trauma and making difficult decisions, punctuated by moments of outstanding beauty and strength.

Homeworld 3 is a welcome return for one of strategy gaming's most revered series, although the sometimes-clunky interface can make it feel older than it is.

Despite its confusing fast travel system and misbehaving yo-yo, Animal Well is a bizarre yet brilliant neon-bathed adventure, characterized by tricky puzzles, intense platforming, and a host of cute animals - almost all of which are out to kill you.

Nexus 5X is a fun, breezy, and surprisingly nuanced spin on Stellaris that's perfect for an evening's gaming session with friends.

Never before has a game felt more at home on VR when compared to its PC counterpart. PowerWash Sim VR sets a new standard for the care and attention to detail that devs must now meet when porting their games into virtual reality. [Meta Quest 3]

Solium Infernum regards strategy as a game of intellect, patience, and observation. Put into those terms, it might sound dry, but its visual flair combined with the ingenious ways it turns abstract ideas into tangible, comprehensible, and thrilling game mechanics make it irresistibly playable.

Pacific Drive offers a road trip like no other, boasting immaculate sound design and a classic '90s conspiracy delivered through a compact survival-crafting roguelike loop.

Last Epoch is an ARPG that puts mechanics first, and does so with a resounding sense of class identity. Its player-friendly design ensures you have all the tools you need for the job, and rivals such as Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 would do well to pay attention to some of its smartest innovations.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a hauntingly beautiful tale of two lovers embarking on a treacherous journey that tests their relationship through tragedy. With a world and combat that emulate the God of War reboot, and side quests similar to The Witcher 3, this is one of 2024's early must-plays, even if its moral decisions are restrictive.

Whether you’re a new player experiencing it for the first time or a veteran on your latest playthrough, Persona 3 Reload is the best way to play the classic JRPG, even if it’s missing some key content.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the end result of two decades of iteration from Ryu Ga Gotoku and the studio's best game yet. Sprawling but never bloated, it remains captivating from beginning to end across both its main narrative and bountiful side adventures, almost never missing a beat.

Tekken 8 improves on its predecessor with a complete graphics overhaul, drastically improved netcode, and a robust base game package featuring 32 characters and 16 stages. With DLC fighters already in the pipeline, there’s more than enough content to keep fighting game fans packing punches for the foreseeable future.

Assassin’s Creed Nexus is an outstanding VR game that shows AAA developers how to bring their properties into a new platform the right way. Some minor buggy moments aside, Nexus is deserving of praise for the way it has stayed faithful and only added to the long-lasting legacy of the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

Against the Storm is a prime example of what can happen when a small team has clear inspiration, passion, and a willingness to collaborate with its players. It’s a brilliant mix of roguelike, strategy, and small-scale city building that will hook you from the jump.

Valve has improved the Counter-Strike formula with the release of CS2, even if there’s still a lot of work to be done before it’s feature complete. While we’re in the dark on specific timelines, the developer’s work rate has been promising since launch, and if it continues at this pace, we’re in for an exciting 2024 as Valve ushers in a new era of Counter-Strike.

Football Manager 2024 brings added finesse to the ultimate sports management simulator. There are frustrations for seasoned players, and a heavy learning curve for rookies, but this is still the best single-player sports game on the market.

Alan Wake 2 is a marvel, serving up intense gameplay, a twisty, dark story, and more secrets and surprises than you could possibly imagine. Remedy has outdone itself here, delivering a truly remarkable experience.

Ghostrunner 2 improves upon everything that made its predecessor great. Framed by a stunning, neon-bathed city with a soundtrack that’s to die for, One More Level’s latest is a high-octane parkour adventure that you really don’t want to miss.

Old issues return and some of its new ideas are less effective than others, but Total War: Pharaoh remains a strong and exciting addition to the series’ historical catalog.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage delivers a renewed focus that trims the fat from its predecessors to commemorate the very best bits of the series, but familiar parkour problems and anemic combat hold it back from true greatness.

Mortal Kombat 1 offers smart changes to the series’ gameplay, an entertaining story that still threatens to baffle newcomers and veterans alike, an online mode that works well on PC, and tons of gore. While the seasonal Invasions mode is a fascinating idea, it’s unclear whether it’ll be enough to retain long-term interest. However, this is still a fantastic, horribly gruesome Mortal Kombat game that’s well worth your time.

Payday 3 takes its beloved predecessor’s multiplayer heist formula and elevates it across the board, making for a thrilling experience, provided you’ve got a crew to play with.

Phantom Liberty is a fitting send off for V, Night City, and Cyberpunk 2077 as a whole. After a rocky launch, CD Projekt Red has delivered with an incredibly dense and impactful expansion to one of the medium's best cityscapes, even if the narrative choices on offer hold it back a smidge.

Sea of Stars is a worthy pseudo-spiritual successor to some of the greatest JRPGs ever made. It improves on what made those games so special by modernizing their magic through balanced and engaging turn-based combat wrapped up in an enthralling world to explore.

Armored Core 6 is easily one of the best mech games around, with blisteringly fast combat and a big focus on customization, even if its difficulty is lacking and repetition sets in before the end.

En Garde is a tantalizing first outing from new studio Fireplace Games, thanks to its slick combat and wonderful sense of humor. It’s in some ways so strong that it leaves you wondering what this team could do with more time and money behind them.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a killer game for fans of the asymmetrical horror genre, thanks to its beautiful maps, varied gameplay, and unique 4v3 balance. Faithful to the 1974 movie, this one is a pleasure for horror fans, but whether it can stand the test of time like the film itself remains to be seen.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s world is beautiful, layered, and complex, and challenges you to attack it how you want. The story is compelling, giving your decisions a weight rarely seen in games of this scope. It is a marvel, and easily one of the best RPGs ever made.

Atlas Fallen’s superb combat, intruiging world, and fluid traversal make up for a play-by-numbers narrative. Thankfully, simple things like surfing the sands of a ginormous desert wasteland and taking on behemoth beasts mean I can enjoy the game for what it is instead of what it could have been.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series brings one of the best storytellers in videogames back to the forefront, producing a prequel that will delight fans as well as open up the universe to newcomers.

The Sims 4 Horse Ranch has given me the equestrian content of my dreams, with a wide variety of horse breeds to choose from and beautiful riding animations. From adorable little farm animals to artisan wine making, there is a lot to love in Horse Ranch. I am only left wishing it was all a bit less Western.

Remnant 2 marries Matryoshka level design and sublime set pieces with memorable bosses, all while polishing the combat system and build customization of its genre-bending predecessor to a spit shine.

Oxenfree 2 casts off adolescence in a bid to explore the trials and tribulations of adulthood, featuring authentic dialogue that packs an emotional punch.

Diablo 4 embodies the essence of what makes Diablo so great, taking the best elements of its predecessors and sewing them together to create an ever-changing, ever-evolving chimera that we can’t wait to play for years to come.

This is the first Street Fighter game in a long time where it feels like players of all skill levels are welcome. While World Tour mode is disappointing, the sheer scope of SF6 means you don’t need to wait for the inevitable Ultra Edition before jumping in.

Honkai Star Rail is a highly polished turn-based RPG that builds off the Hoyoverse gacha machine, and while it certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, its colourful cast of characters and mercurial tone sets it on the right track.

This is undoubtedly the best 4X game I’ve played in years, delivering top-notch exploration, combat, and diplomacy alongside a rewarding and dynamic customisation system.