While there is a lot of craziness in the world of Bayonetta 3, at its core the game provides solid combat that I’m sure will keep fans entertained for hours.

Ghost Of Yotei is a triumph of all artistic disciplines in the video game medium. A devastating narrative hook will quickly lead to 50+ hours of riveting adventure.

An example of games as art with the polish and sheen to achieve mainstream acceptance, Mixtape is a pitch-perfect slice of nostalgia that remembers that maybe it's not the time we miss, so much as our ability to appreciate a part of what could make said time special.

The best version of an already great game, Returnal on PC is a fantastic rogue-like experience if you have the hardware to handle it. It also serves as proof that Sony is really starting to understand the PC platform as a whole.

Free, great DLC for an incredible game is a no-brainer recommendation from me.

Desperados 3 is a sensational game that boasts challenging game design that is as equally rewarding as it is frustrating. With an engaging story, interesting characters, and a great setting, it’s easy to recommend this game to just about everyone.

A beautiful and exciting action platformer that will test your skill as it stuns you with its looks. Welcome back, Shinobi, welcome back.

Only the mildest inconveniences dampen the experience. Make no elder dragon bones about it, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is the best in the sub-franchise, and one of the best JRPGs on the market at present.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade allows you to relive your youth in this collection of fantastic arcade games that works as it should and looks great to boot.

Successfully blending genres is a tough task, but Monster Train makes it look easy. Addictive rouge-like card-based gameplay with a presentation that is second-to-none.

A mash-up of everything that makes video games great, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is probably better than real life.

Octopath Traveler II expands and improves upon the established formula of the original game in incredible new ways that will appeal to JRPG fans old and new.

Though a much harder game to pitch than many other exclusive titles that come from PlayStation Studios, Returnal has every right to belong in the same conversation that titles from the likes of Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch, Guerilla, and Santa Monica do. It’s a wonderful point of difference within the PS5 portfolio of titles, but in its own right, it shines too. It might feel like you’re beating your head against a very smart wall, but persist, because as you learn to play by the game’s very specific set of rules, mastery will reward you with one of the finest titles you’re likely to play in 2021.

A hauntingly beautiful-in-motion Metroidvania seeped in death.

Inscryption is full of charm, humour, and a healthy dose of mystery. Forget what you think you know about this game, it’s so much more.

At the end of the day, the entire concept of this game still feels incredibly strange and deeply unhinged. But maybe in a good way? It certainly brings a unique angle and some fresh mechanics to both Mario games and now to strategy games with the inclusion of these open world mechanics. I think it’ll struggle to find an audience with die hard fans from either side, but it will go down well with those looking to dip their toe into the strategy genre, or who are introducing their kids to those games for the first time. While at times it was frustrating, I had a lot of fun with it, and plan to spend some more time wandering around the overworlds finishing up those side quests even though the main story is done. To me, that’s the ultimate sign of a good game – even if it is a game that has me constantly questioning whether or not it’s trying to reference that cursed time we all used words like ‘smexy’ on the internet.

Judgment is still a fantastic title on the next-gen systems and while existing owners may not see a reason to upgrade to the newer version, there is no reason anyone else should hesitate in diving into this addictive crime soap-opera.

With a focus on freedom of choice that is second-to-none, Wasteland 3 has set the benchmark for CRPG narratives, all the while being supported by wonderfully engaging gameplay and roleplaying mechanics.

I must admit that I was of the mind that this Switch 2 version of the original release was simply going to be a bit of lip service. A title with a small sprinkling of new content to justify the decision to re-release the game and sell another few million units. Thankfully, I can report that Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park is even better than it was before. It is loaded with fantastic additions to both the core game as well as to its previously quite limited multiplayer suite, and for players both experienced and inexperienced, there is an abundance of additional content to chew on.

The perfect evolution for the Zelda series. It feels, in every way, like this is Zelda’s story, and this game does a great job of proving that there are many different ways to be a hero.

Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered is a superb remaster of an incredible title, but the question must still be asked... was it a necessary upgrade?

Not much in the way of additions or quality-of-life updates, but when the original release is so good, who cares? Yakuza 0 is still a fantastic experience 10 years after its release and the perfect launch title for the Switch 2.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is bigger, better, and more bombastic than its predecessor, while it also challenges you in ways that few other Star Wars works have done to date. It’s beautiful and begging to be played.

A bold technical marvel that celebrates science and exploration, propelling you into the unknown and letting you forge your own path among the stars. Starfield is Bethesda at its best.

Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition is a sensational product, a love letter to some of the most iconic encounters in history, and a wonderful playing experience. The game has continued to improve and expand with each DLC, and the newest slice of content to come with the Anniversary Edition makes this Age of Empires IV package even more enticing to explore.

Those who are fortunate to have a next-gen console will be able to experience Control at its best, but even those who are playing on the last generation still have the benefit of an awesome game that has had the annoying issues fixed from the original release. If you haven’t yet experienced Control, now is a perfect time.

A power fantasy in the purest sense, The Dark Ages gives players the Slayer at his peak and all of hell should tremble at his arrival.

The Forgotten City offers a story which has much to reflect on, in an environment filled with compelling characters, and intriguing mysteries to solve. It makes for a fresh experience, being accessible for both veterans of adventuring and role playing.

As a remake, it can be mildly jarring as the new clashes with the old, but if you’re able to transport yourself back to 2004, and appreciate an iconic title with a stunning coat of new paint, Snake Eater is undoubtedly worth checking out.

Though only an evolution and not a further revolution to the Spider-Man formula, Miles’ journey is full of heart, is riveting to play through and a joy to just kick back and immerse yourself in.

A Hellish turn-based management simulator with moments of fun that ultimately hasn’t evolved the 4X formula.

Tunic is a great game, plain and simple. It feels like so much love, so much passion has been poured into it, and the final product is something truly beautiful and joyful to experience. Don’t let this be a sleeper hit, go take it for a spin and see for yourself. For me, I imagine this will be one of my games of the year.

It is difficult to grade Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector. There are moments where you feel you have control of how you want to play the game and what you want to do, but so too are there moments where you feel you are just following along on a predetermined story, where the choices don’t matter, and the free agency you have as the Sleeper is just an illusion.

Two Point Hospital on the Switch is an absolute delight. The Humour is spot on and will keep you smiling, while the mounting challenge of each new hospital will keep you glued to this enjoyable simulator for hours on end.

An inferior version for sure, but not a bad one. Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2 makes some necessary sacrifices, but still retains everything that makes this a great game.

A darkly charming adventure that poses a challenge and encourages persistence. Both whimsical and reverent, this tale of one brave crow draws inspiration from some greats to carve out its own niche.

Somehow, what looks like a vibes-rich self-indulgent arthouse piece turns out to be a game than not only nails the vibes it is chasing, but also manages to keep pretty well balanced on its actual mechanics. Skate Story may appeal to a very specific audience, but they will likely devour it like a cookie in the night sky.

It’s Pikmin 3, a pretty great game from 2013 with pretty minimal additions, but that won’t matter as it’s now on a system that a lot of people actually own.

Kirby and the Forgotten land is the beacon of joy we all need in these wild times. It’s pure, wholesome fun that can (and should) be enjoyed by all ages.

A Plague Tale: Requiem expands on every aspect of the original. It is a tight, single player experience the like of which feels rare these days. Full of tension, enjoyable puzzles and violent flurries of combat, it serves as a strong sequel and engaging narrative experience in its own right.

A joyous blend of stealth tactics, swashbuckling adventure and whimsical humour, Shadow Gambit is Mimimi Games at their very best and considering their history, that is saying something.

I went into Death Strand Directors Cut, ready to embrace the weird and enjoy the experience. The story, visuals and world are all quite good and up to a great standard. But before too long the monotonous nature of its core gameplay had me feeling I was doing a job that I had little interest in.

The amazing blend of solid combat mechanics, Interesting time powers, various beautiful locales to explore, interesting characters to meet, and a slew of awesome boss fights leaves me wanting to explore the mountain more and more.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is a wonderfully engaging, deep and satisfying strategy experience that will keep players, both new and old, engaged for dozens, if not hundreds of hours as they become a Governor in Ancient Rome.

An enthralling and multi-layered narrative, excellently realised with incredible acting is only held back by lacklustre UI which breaks the immersion

Two Point Museum takes everything from the series and makes it better. It’s still lacking a bit in the management metrics side, but everything else is exceptional.

The additions made to the franchise’s core, spliced in with Champions Of The Content and the changes made to its DNA, make Octopath Traveler 0 an incredibly engaging and constantly enticing prospect. The Path Of Restoration begins now, and I hope you’re along for the ride.

Endlessly creative and never one to outstay its welcome, What the Golf? will have you grinning as you move from putt to putt on an exploration of just how many different variations of thing-meets-objective can be put before you.

Forza Motorsport is not only a world class racing sim, but it is a welcoming, encouraging experience for racers of all abilities. Its desire to help and improve racers is perhaps only surpassed by the technology the game is built on. Pure racing at its best.

A hearty slice of Viking pie, goes great with a new console and a flagon of mead. Ubisoft have taken the Creed to a new level with their trip to the Nordic settlement of merry old England.

Spooky vibes and believable characters make Oxenfree II an atmospheric and immersive mystery from start to finish.

Some tired writing tropes of the 1980s stick out in sometimes frustrating ways, but Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a masterful reworking of two genre pioneers. It’s amazing to have them back.

There is a reason the Trails series is held in such high regard by a large portion of the JRPG audience – their worldbuilding is second to none, the scope admirable for such a small development team. Trails of Cold Steel III is no different, continuing the legacy of the prior games despite being a little too similar to Cold Steel I in some regards. The battle system stands out as one of the more engaging and flexible I’ve ever experienced in the genre, and I simply cannot wait to get my hands on Cold Steel IV later this year. That said, I do feel for Switch owners keen to dip their toe into the world of Trails, as this is not the most ideal place to start.

If you are fan of the retro, slower, turn-based JRPG systems of yesteryear, then you’re going to love Dragon Quest III HD-2D, but if not, then this game is probably going to test your patience pretty quickly and probably won’t be the game to change your feelings towards the classic way to play.

While FFXVI is a fully functioning PC Port without any glaring technical issues, it is a very basic one that misses a lot of the features that PC gamers have come to expect. It is hard not to be disappointed with what could have been a technical showpiece but is instead just acceptable.

Eriksholm is a puzzle game first, stealth game second, and the sooner a player cottons on to this, the more enjoyment they are likely to eek from its rigid sneaking puzzles and character swapping system.

Trails Through Daybreak both refines and expands the series’ formula to produce one of the years best JRPG’s, providing a sorely needed entry point after concluding the Crossbell/Cold Steel heptalogy.

Venba’s story will draw heightened emotion from players no matter their background, while the cooking systems are fantastically fresh.

With a solid Showcase mode, plenty of content to engage with and tons of wrestlers to unlock and play with, WWE 2K25 may not be a technical jump forward, but an instalment that will be well worth your time if you are a fan of the WWE.

The Drifter is a great entry in a genre that doesn’t really see too many of them these days. What it lacks in obtuse puzzle difficulty it makes up for with a smart, pulpy narrative that kept me engaged the entire time, with characters endearing enough that many players will likely return for a second or third lap.

Jusant is a bewitching experience; a meditative ascent which conveys its themes of hope, inevitability and perseverance effectively alongside puzzling gameplay that pushes players forward with just the right amount of challenge.

Super Mario RPG is a delightful remake of an underappreciated classic that will thrill new and old fans alike. It’s filled with wonder, whimsy, and wit, and respects its origins while easily carving a new place in Nintendo’s current line-up

The world is enormous, filled to the brim with rich content to explore. It can be a bit much sometimes with the number of artefacts you can find or haikus to sit and devise bloating things a little bit, but players will be blown away by the deep storytelling and unbelievable style and personality that Ghost of Tsushima brings to the table.

A massive return-to-form and a huge step forward for the annual series, Black Ops 6 is the best that COD has been this generation by quite some way.

As well as being an excellent demonstration of the future ahead for owners of the PS5, Astro’s Playroom serves as an excellent, albeit brief platformer. You’ll find that just as the game really begins to come into its own, it ends, and that’s an almighty shame, but will likely you leaving salivating at the prospect of what is to come for Astro Bot and friends.

Persona 5 Strikers is one of the best spin-off titles I’ve ever played and gave me everything I wanted from a Persona 5 follow-up; a chance to revisit these characters in a much less bloated fashion and further modernising its combat system to complement the shift from randomised dungeon layouts to bespoke creations that P5 was praised for.

If you haven’t player either Bayonetta or Vanquish, now’s the best time. Despite the visuals showing their age at times, both games play brilliantly on an Xbox One X. Most importantly, the action is just as thrilling now as it was back in 2010.

While the single player is a bit flaky, the core online tilt of Splatoon 3 is strong and refined, offering simple, addictive, and enjoyable matches for casual players and pros alike. With promised support for years to come, we forward to enjoying what Nintendo brings to expand and round out the experience.

This is the best version of an amazing game but the asking price considering its age is something that may put buyers off. But if you do lash out, know that Red Dead is as good as it ever was, if not better.

A sedate yet engaging experience, Wayward Strand weaves serious subjects with threads of respect and care. While time marches on, you never feel pushed to worry about it, with a short length and plenty of concurrent events creating a welcome environment to re-experience if you so wish.

In general, Two Point Campus is a fun game. It’s quite relaxing on the whole for a management game, but there is a good bit of challenge to be found later in career levels and three starring levels if you’re itching to really flex your management muscles.

All in all, Forgive me Father 2 was a welcome surprise that tested my very rusty skills with fast-paced action sequences and a very cool Lovecraftian vibe. Even after finishing it once, I’m very keen to check out the other story paths, and to try and 100% all the levels. If you like fast FPS games then put this on your radar, because much like Cthulu, you should not sleep when there’s mayhem to be had.

MIO: Memories In Orbit is abstract, quirky, brutally hard, and stunning all at once, and outside of those awful tremors, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A near purrfect throwback to a beloved gaming era, Stray tugs on heartstrings, whilst it also delivers an enjoyable playing experience lined with superb production value.

For the most part, Star-Crossed World is just more Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but with a slightly different aesthetic. Given it’s been three years since the initial release, it mostly gave me an excuse to jump back into a game I loved so much and experience some of that joy again – something I wouldn’t have necessarily expected after all this time.

Little Nightmares II is a masterclass in suspense and audio design that feeds on your childhood fears. This unsettling mix of whimsy and the macabre will urge you to push past your fears and a few frustrating mechanics in order to discover the secrets hidden in its grotesque world.

This all leaves me with the feeling that while WWE 2K24 is a solid outing, it is hard not to feel a little disappointed with its current state. It is a very safe sequel with some new features and a few gameplay tweaks, but there is nothing that screams “must-play” in regard to any of the additions.

A stone cold classic has returned looking and playing better than ever before. Age of Mythology is a must play for all strategy fans and the perfect example of how to re-release a 20+ year old game.

This year’s edition of NBA 2K has been polished, refined and improved in both subtle and important ways, making it the best edition of the franchise in recent memory.

If the story doesn’t get you, the decision making will, and if that doesn’t get you, the gameplay will. There could be more balance to the world-building V combat ratio, but each element remains superb.

In the immortalised words of a fellow reviewer, “Too much water”, but beyond that, Steamworld Heist II delivers in all the places that count the most.

Road to Empress was a surprise. Despite having no vested interest in the genre or period going into the game, I came out a massive fan. Is it enough to make me want to watch a bunch of palace dramas? No. I like the interactive nature of this game, and it does make me want to play me want to play more. If you’re after a dramatic, sometimes silly and overall great fun FMV experience, this should be at the top of your list.

Story Of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is like a warm hug, but it's also a reminder of a series that needs to adapt and change in order to keep up with the genre it was so foundational in building.

Be curious about the new looks, be reassured by the care taken to bring Advance Wars to a new generation, and look forward to precious minutes or expansive hours honing your tactical mind within a morning cartoon aesthetic.

Disc Room might look like a simple game, but there’s some serious depth with its mechanics and old-school style challenge. The addition of accessibility options goes a long way to making it playable everyone, not just those that revel in the challenge.

Look Outside is truly exceptional in places, is full of creepy character and mostly juggles multiple plates with success. It’s wild just how much missing some basic features slowly drags it underwater.

There is a lot greatness to be found in Neva, it’s just that the game isn’t paced well enough to enjoy the ride to its fullest.

Lies Of P is a love letter to the genre. Neowiz really gets what is excellent about the genre, and it’s a fun take on an old classic. There’s hints of more classic tale spin-offs in the future, and I’ll be there at Day One to try them.

Ultimately, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Ready or Not. The gameplay is satisfying, the focus on teamwork and realism is appreciated, and the satisfaction of nailing a difficult mission is something lots of games could learn from.

Firaxis, in its first new IP since taking on Xcom 10 years ago, have only further cemented its position as perhaps the best strategy game developer on the planet. Midnight Suns, simply put is a must-play, even for those not used to turn-based tactics.

Surrealist art is so often overlooked for the superficial layer we may bounce off of. Don’t let the very human tales at the core of Off-Peak City be ones you ignore.

Crown Trick is a melting pot full of great ideas and is a solid performer, but never quite rises above the sea to fully shine.

When it comes to chronicling gaming history, there tends to be a focus away from the days of home computing to focus more on arcade and console gaming, and for me that’s the main draw with Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story. It’s a chance to show those curious about gaming history a side that’s rarely explored.

What all of this boils down to is that Command and Conquer and Red Alert were both great games upon their original release and that holds true to this day. Sure there could have been a few quality of life improvements made but there is no denying that EA has done a great job of breathing life into the classic property and reminding old fans why they fell in love with the franchise in the first place.

SFV: CE is a game we could recommend to a wide range of gamers out there. There’s a tone of content under one price and overall, the game feels very well refined and balanced. The unreliable net code and few minor issues like load times may be a deal breaker for some.

Whether this is a first trip to Kamurocho or simply the latest of many, Lost Judgment is an engaging experience and hopefully not the last we see of Yagami Takayuki.

Expelled! is a rapid roleplaying experience built on experimentation and manipulation that shouldn’t be missed.

The storytelling, art and music masterfully connect to create a real sense of the world that the Eastward characters inhabit.