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.