A solid stealth-based adventure set in an incredibly dark and hostile world but one that can also be beautiful. A Plague Tale: Requiem is a stunning game.

I think Adventure of Samsara's brand of search action is well tuned. The combat feels deliberate but takes a backseat to the exploration. Once the movement suite is unlocked, the pacing livens up and discovery can feel very rewarding. I'm not enamoured with the pixel art but the cutscenes have an enchanting level of animation to them. Despite the tenuous links to the old game, this feels like a solid addition to Atari's catalogue.

At its best Mortal Kombat 11 is everything we want. It's enjoyable, deep, violent and funny and it has enough content to keep players entertained for way longer than the usual fighting game. When it's doing what it should, this is the best Mortal Kombat yet and up there with Mortal Kombat X as the best fighter of this generation. Unfortunately, the other stuff the game does is an issue. The customisation is locked behind a lot of random grinding and the multiple in-game currencies complicate the experience enough to spoil the party a little.

The Spyro Reignited Trilogy offers three enjoyable 3D platformers in one package. As someone who didn't play the original games I had a lot of fun, the minor tweaks to gameplay and the huge graphical overhaul bringing the games up to a modern standard and the desire to get 100% level completion being as powerful as ever.

Control is a very enjoyable game but not without flaws. The technical issues are a shame but the combat and exploration are certainly entertaining enough to keep you playing through to its conclusion.

The additions to the Master League don't carry much of an impact but the representation of the sport has a more methodical change of pace. The new camera angles make a difference and inclusion of every European nation does dramatically bolster the player and team counts. I'm enjoying this a lot more with the opposition more willing to chase lost causes, misplace passes and generally feel a touch more human. I really, really like how this plays.

After twenty-six years in the dark, it is amazing to see Streets of Rage 4 finally come to fruition. Dotemu, Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games have delivered a great entry to the series, incorporating a fresh art style, brilliantly simple gameplay that fans will slip straight into and a soundtrack that authentically harks back to the classic soundtrack that made the series so memorable. It captures everything that made Streets of Rage great in the first place and doesn't mess with that formula, for the better.

Two Point Hospital is a fantastic and funny management sim that you'll lose hours at a time to as you attempt to build the perfect hospital and unlock those three stars.

This War of Mine: Final Cut offers more content than previous versions and creates some powerful narratives. Runs tend to play out in a similar fashion despite the variables on offer but it's certainly worth experiencing.

WRC9 is a great example of a crossplatform port. Kylotonn should be applauded for their sterling efforts here, especially with regard to using Dualsense. Yes, rallying might not be for all, but this is a fine driving game which utilises the WRC licence to great effect.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is more of the same and that's not a bad thing. People who have yet to sample the delights of the series should start at the beginning but fans of the series, and JRPG genre, are sure to be drawn back in to Rean's tale before eagerly awaiting part four.

Do you like baseball? MLB The Show 23 is your one stop shop for all things baseball. It’s great with tons of game modes and extras, including the returning March to October mode and the fantastic Negro Leagues presentation. That it’s not on PS+ as yet is a bit of an eyebrow raiser given its Game Pass day one inclusion, so it’s a shame that Sony didn’t see fit to include it as yet. If you’re curious, take a chance and you’ll be rewarded with a fascinating insight into the wider world of baseball.

The story of Tetris might actually be more engaging than the game itself but this interactive documentary gives you plenty of both.

Turbo Overkill feels surprisingly dense. The shooting feels visceral and the movement at your disposal is very swift. Platforming can be a pain, especially on controller but the moments of frustration are worth toughing through. Pacing does take a hit when the enemy counts balloon in the third episode but I still enjoy this gory ascent into a dumb, cyberpunk world.

Soulstone Survivors is one of the better auto-shooting rogue-lite games on PSN but it is let down by just having a lot going on with various upgrade options and it can be a bit of a grind.

Mega Man 11 updates the old formula ever so slightly and is a decent addition to the series. The Double Gear System is incredibly useful and the more modern graphics look great but the levels feel overly long. The music merely being okay is the biggest sin however.

WWE 2K23 doesn't move the needle much from last year but it does at least stay the course. With a massive roster of talent and a wealth of modes, fans should be happy enough. The presentation remains top notch with Showcase and MyRise being enjoyable modes to plough through. Problems do persist with pacing and multi-person scraps can descend into chaos. Compared to other fighting games, it's a clunky experience but, within the realm of wrestling games, this is an acceptable step forward.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is why Burnout is still the best.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a step up from the 360-era Complete Saga in that it now covers all nine films in the Skywalker story arc. There's so much to do and so many excellent little refinements that you'll be well catered for even if you've played all the other Lego Star Wars games. Splitscreen multiplayer makes this ideal for siblings to play too.

Against some odds, Marathon is a compelling extraction shooter that offers some really satisfying combat. I do think having only one contract at a time slows progression down but there's plenty of other meters to work towards. Solo play has a tension to it which I really enjoy, although the game seems to be built more around squads. With just a few maps available at launch, I only hope that the game evolves and grows over time. I love the aesthetic and, generally speaking, it's doing quite a few things right.

Pixel Ripped 1995 is a great idea with you playing a game within a game. It's a little over reliant on gimmicks and references and the games themselves are a little on the weak side but there are some excellent set pieces and the three hour story is worth a look.

Mr. Run and Jump is a lot of fun in the right circumstances but if you’re longer in the tooth like us you might struggle. Though if you’re a veteran of VVVVVV and other challenge gauntlet type games, this is right in your wheelhouse. We liked it but our kid did more as he has the patience to replay a level over and again.

For those wanting an Everest to climb, Slime-san delivers plenty of challenge and complexity to master. It lacks some charm, character and the format of the levels seems to stifle any fluency. There's enough here to differentiate itself from the obvious influences but it hosts an aesthetic which I just don't find appealing.

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is another great addition to the visual novel series. The characters are well written and despite the formula changing little there are some unique scenarios to figure out.

Songbird Symphony is a sickeningly sweet platformer with tons of personality, fun and music. Joysteak Studios have done an amazing job of creating such a unique blend of platforming and rhythm action that will surely have players coming back for more after the credits roll.

While the remaster brings little new to the table other than a fresh coat of paint, cross play and remade cutscenes. Diablo II and its expansion feel as exciting, threatening and as ruthless as ever. The lions share of the quality-of-life improvements are found in the console version, with an excellent use of the controller, added hotkeys and general accessibility. Yet, the remaster does nothing to dumb down or meddle with the overall experience. Instead, for returning players, this is Diablo II as you remember it to be. For new players, while missing a lot of features that most ARPGS have today, there is a lot to love about this aging gem and it is still worth experiencing even decades later.

From tense standoff gameplay to the 19th century Louisana meets survival horror PVE elements. Hunt Showdown is a tense, tactical multiplayer experience that circumvents the tired battle-royale genre by being something unique. Excellent sound design and atmospheric visuals round off the package, with only a few infrequent bugs that get in the way.

Heroes of Hammerwatch is a clever and compelling rogue-lite with a steep learning curve and crack-like addictiveness but it is one of the least beginner-friendly games we've ever seen. As ever, basic playtesting should pick up things like that but, if you can stick with it, prepare to lose days, weeks and probably months.