A compelling murder mystery plot, a cast of likeable characters, and key refinements to the original game make sure that your stay in the rural town of Inaba is a comfortable one in this 2023 version of Persona 4 Golden.

Genshin Impact is still one of the best and most accessible free to play titles on the PlayStation ecosystem. The PS5 upgrade is a technical achievement providing even better visuals at a silky 60 FPS, and 4K support. The game's load times are so fast you won't even have time to look away from the screen, allowing you to continue your journey without any stoppages. It's just a shame that the PlayStation 5's unique Activity Cards and DualSense controller didn't get much love, especially since the DualSense is one of the best pieces of next-generation hardware on the market.

Representing a T-Virus level shot in the arm for Capcom’s venerable survival horror franchise, Resident Evil 7 combines old and new alike to create the most essential entry in the series since its fourth core instalment.

The definitive guitar tutorial that teaches wannabe guitarists in a fun and engaging way.

A deeply thoughtful, eminently accessible and cleverly crafted bite-sized puzzler, Bonfire Peaks has more subtle emotion, charm and smile-cracking ingenuity than most of the games that have released this year. If you want to hone your logical senses and embolden your spirit concurrently then Bonfire Peaks is certainly one summit worth conquering.

Though a significant amount of time has passed since its original release resulting it not being quite as fresh as it was and its relatively brief five hour or so duration might frustrate those looking for a more substantial morsel, Moss nevertheless enthrals thanks to its extremely likeable heroine, superbly judged platforming adventure gameplay and sublime VR presentation. If you've yet to hop on the Moss train, now is the time to address that.

FIFA finally feels different. The pace on the pitch is slower and more deliberate, but greater player control makes for some exciting and realistic football.

A gorgeous, stirring, mechanically solid, feature-rich expansion to what is the best MMO in years.

Three years on from its original release on other platforms and there's still nothing like Cuphead. A delirious, LSD-infused trip through a prohibition-era styled cartoon hellscape, Cuphead underscores its utterly unique presentation with a rock solid and fundamentally excellent platform shooter that stands effortlessly shoulder to shoulder with the best in the genre. The wait has been worth it.

A Realm Reborn on PS4 is a visual and technical marvel of polished gameplay and a grand story true to the Final Fantasy tradition. Highly recommended and worth every penny.

A fantasy adventure for the ages. Dragon's Dogma 2 takes everything that made the first game good and expands on it in everyway. The combat is visceral and engaging l. With a massive world to explore you can loose yourself for days exploring and battling all your favorite fantasy monstrosities. Dragon's Dogma 2 is an incredible adventure no one should miss.

Fires of Rubicon offers a new frontier for the Armored Core series, demonstrating developer FromSoftware’s ability to weave its recent success and confidence back into familiar territory, while at the same time demonstrating that you can indeed teach an old hound new Tricks.

An incredible achievement, and even after 150 hours in we didn't want it to end. From an emotional story, simple yet engaging combat, and gorgeous visuals. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is simply remarkable and shouldn't be missed.

An outstanding achievement from start to finish. Octopath Traveler II takes what made the original such a success and builds on it. It may feel more of the same but why fix something if it isn't broken. The additions made to exploration and combat are all for the better. The only real issue is that not much effort went into making the game less grandy or addressing the various difficulty spikes Octopath Traveler II suffers from.

Returnal is a masterclass in how to create gripping, exhilarating arcade action and feels like the first game to truly realise the PS5's potential. It uses everything the system offers to craft an experience completely unlike anything else available today at this budget. Apart from narrative missteps, Housemarque's latest is flawless and a game that everyone who owns a PS5 and every gamer should experience at some point. I hope this is the start of a new, prosperous franchise for PlayStation and Housemaque.

No excuses can be made now, this is the best time to give Braid your attention and respect is right now, thanks to this commemorative upgrade known as Braid: Anniversary Edition. The cleverness and ingeniousness of Braid's design, puzzles, and the way every interconnected element weaves a thought-provoking tapestry is irresistible and deserving of your admiration. There's no better time to revisit this classic in its restored state, so go and pay respects to one of gaming's most groundbreaking titles.

A gorgeously content rich 2D brawler with style to spare, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 puts some extra shine on one of the best fighting games available. This is one utterly essential brawler.

While no ground-breaking alterations have been made to last year’s game, Olli Olli 2 still effortlessly proves itself as the finest skater in years.

A great cross-genre splash that gives gamers a new fun and competitive fighting game to sink their teeth into. However, it may not appeal to those unfamiliar with the series.

What begins as a charming, simple puzzler grows and evolves into something special. Humanity is one of the best puzzle games I've played in quite some time.

Whether you want more of Resogun's arcade satisfaction or something experimental, Heroes has it. But if you're not excited for both, the DLC is a harder sell.

Chivalry 2 prides itself on its chaotic, yet comedic world. It’s a glorious battle cry for gaming, with its spectacularly vicious combat, amazingly detailed maps and particularly awesome performance on PlayStation 5. An early contender for Game of the Year for sure.

DiRT Rally is hands down the best rally game I have ever played – stand aside Richard Burns Rally, in fact it’s the best Codemasters racing game I have ever played.

Though I still remain surprised that Return to Monkey Island even exists, I can't contest what Ron Gilbert and developer Terrible Toybox have wrought here. By masterfully combining the witty and thoughtful point and click escapades of the series past with a newfound warmth and charming aesthetic, Return to Monkey Island is by and large the series return that fans have long been waiting for and is a roaring success in the process.

If the dazzling production values don't win you over, the storyline, characters and engaging combat will.

Whether you're a Fables fan or not, you will love this superb adventure, which combines the best elements of film noir and the Brothers Grimm. Telltale Games has done it again.

A true next generation football experience unlike any other.

There is absolutely nothing like Crusader Kings III on console. By including such deeply embedded and emergent role-playing elements in Crusader Kings III and thus making it much more approachable than any of its more decidedly hardcore strategy predecessors as a result, Paradox have also created something of a gateway to bring traditionally non-strategy fans into the genre at large. Oh and it's basically a Game of Thrones simulator to boot. Which is nice.

An accomplished mixture of sophisticated story sci-fi story beats, off the wall absurdity and satisfying tactical battles, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a rare sort of genre crossover that ends up being far more than the sum of its parts. Vanillaware's latest is simply unmissable.

With a startlingly original new world to play in – combined with a warm feeling of familiarity – Obsidian has managed to deliver the one of the best first-person RPG's. This is the game that fans of this genre have been craving, and it is a pure joy to watch Obsidian plop the role-playing crown back squarely down on its head.

If by dumb luck or some other unique set of circumstances you have yet to play Horizon Zero Dawn, then this is arguably by far the best way to experience one of the best open world efforts out there that still holds up extremely well even today. Perhaps most encouragingly, Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster also heralds the fact that Nixxes is a force to be reckoned in the console porting space too, representing an added feather in the cap for Sony and its burgeoning PlayStation Studios portfolio as we barrel towards the fourth anniversary of PlayStation 5.

An epic adventure in absolutely every sense, Pillars of Eternity arrives on PS4 in highly impressive form and confidently stakes its claim as one of the best RPGs of the year.

Respawn Entertainment solidifies itself as the best Star Wars developer around. Crafting a big galaxy to explore with an epic story that borrows and explores past Star Wars lore. Jedi Survivor improves on its predecessor and surpasses it in every way.

A confident resurgence of one of the FPS genre’s pioneering efforts; DOOM not only manages to boast perhaps the finest single-player campaign in the genre but also a blissfully entertaining multiplayer suite and map editor to boot. Make no mistake, this is DOOM 2.0 and it’s one of the very best shooters you can buy on PS4 right now.

For all the shortcomings in the single-player, and the triumphs in the multiplayer and co-op, DICE deserves a fair amount of credit for creating worthy competition to that other modern-shooter.

Red Faction Guerrilla sets a new benchmark for destruction-based gameplay. An absolute blast!

Tribute Games and Dotemu have officially brought back the beat-'em-up genre into the spotlight. Shredder's Revenge channels the greatness of arcade beat-'em-ups from the 80s and 90s to create an exceptional experience. Teaming up with friends and taking on the Shredder and his ninja Foot army will definitely put a smile on your face. With plenty of quality-of-life additions like unlockable skills and mission-to-mission quick saves, the only thing holding the title back is the lack of any unlockables and only two game modes to play through.

Another great achievement from Image & Form. SteamWorld Dig 2 takes everything that made the first game good and ups the ante in every way. Easily a must-buy game.

Rocket League is one of the best multiplayer experiences of this generation. The single player pales in comparison, but with the joy-riddled social chaos Rocket League has on offer, any solo campaign would.

I'd rank the single player campaign 7/10, above average in my opinion, but nowhere near as good as I thought it would be. The multiplayer, however - for being one of the most robust and comprehensive online experiences on PS3 - deserves a solid 9/10. With single player and multiplayer in mind then, Crysis 2 scores a very good, but slightly lower than expected 8/10.

Control: Ultimate Edition is the definitive version of Remedy's adventure. Bringing together the worlds Remedy has created under one roof and looking stunning while doing so, Remedy has done a fantastic job of upgrading and improving the experience in meaningful, additive ways, such as the use of the DualSense controller and Ray-Tracing. There isn't a universe more worth exploring and losing yourself in than the one in Control.

Soul Calibur IV isn’t a revolution, but it’s one hell of an evolution. Although it does little to redefine the fighting genre, it manages to further advance the franchise with improvements across the board on an already fantastic foundation.

I feel confident that the new gameplay mechanics, quality-of-life improvements, and immense visual overhaul in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater far outweigh the issues that come along with the changes. This gives more players a new way to experience the beloved classic, complete with more modern controls and mechanics without taking away from the original feel of the game.

A stunning and must-have PlayStation 5 launch title, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a beautifully digestible superhero yarn that not only maintains the formula of its 2018 predecessor, but which also lays down an enticing blueprint for a full blown sequel to follow. This is essential stuff.

Assassin's Creed III builds strongly on the series but fails to take a giant leap of faith into any real new territory. A new plot, the Colonial America setting, and sheer volume of things to do outweigh the disappointing bugs and glitches.

Pragmata marks something truly special for Capcom; an experience that manages to marry action, conflict, and story into a cohesive whole that more than justifies the long wait for expectant fans. It juggles a variety of mechanics and miraculously blends them together. Every facet of this game is explored to its fullest, with still more room to grow. For all I can say in this review, Pragmata is very special.

One of the best shooters this year, Call of Duty: World At War is an explosive and powerful cinematic experience.

Square Enix's labor of love re-imagines two classic RPGs with stunning visual fidelity and enough content to yield hundreds of hours with some of the best role-playing in two generations.

If PES 2016 was the best entry in around a decade, then PES 2017 is arguably among the greatest in the series full stop. With extra care and attention paid to improving on many of its predecessor’s strengths, as well as tweaking and fixing adhered to its issues, PES 2017 comes out of it as a fantastic football game.

Fast, fluid and fun. Until You Fall came out of nowhere and blew me away. The combat system is so moreish and addictive, rewarding and well designed you will not want it to stop. While the story is lacking and the enemies can get repetative, everything else more than makes up for it. Great VR implementation, amazing music and super-fast load times create a really enjoyable VR experience and one of my favourites this year.

The Jackbox Party Pack 7 brings us a collection of five games that make for one of the better packs to release in recent memory. Talking Points and The Devil And The Details should be new mainstays for how frantic and fun they are, with Champ'd Up and Blather Round complementing them nicely. Quiplash 3 disappoints with its changes, but the package as a whole is a thrilling collection for any party or group gathering.

Warframe is made better by its release on PS5. The gorgeous glittery visuals jump off the screen and improved loading times get you into the action faster than ever. With a wealth of content to discover, unlock and find, Warframe on PS5 is a title everyone should check out and what was once one of the best looter-shooters on PS4 is now one of the best on PS5.

With new characters, items, game modes and customisation options, the Mr. X Nightmare has made Streets Of Rage 4 feel like a brand new game again. Survival mode is one hell of a random trip that you'll be going another round at again and again. The new characters are exactly what you would want them to be, but the options for customising move sets and aesthetics mean that you can tailor your fighting preferences even further. The randomness in survival mode can be hard to take at times, but it's never swallowed without a smile. The Mr.X Nightmare is outstanding fun all the way, and the best sidescrolling brawler in town just got even better.

Strange Scaffold has crafted another memorable shooter that knows how to get under your skin and pull you back in for just one more run. For players who love to push their skills to the limit, this one’s an easy recommendation.

VIII Lacrimosa of Dana is an addicting action JRPG that features great combat and a narrative worth exploring.

Masterfully crafted and executed, Nioh 2 sets the benchmark for action/adventure games that people just have to experience. Team Ninja's latest provides one of the most in-depth combat systems and an addictive loot system that may put all but the best dungeon crawlers to shame. It's quite simple, Nioh 2 has Game of the Year written all over it.

A great remastering of two of the previous generation's most legendary action titles, the Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle gives a whole new generation of PlayStation gamers an opportunity to experience these games in their definitive form.

A wondrous melting pot of Japanese cultural excess distilled into a relentlessly compelling synergy of RPG and action elements, Yakuza 0 arguably represents the consummate entry point for newcomers to the series. Without a doubt, Yakuza 0 is a masterpiece and the first must-have title of the year.

In a class by itself, San Diego Studios continues to wow audiences with an authentic baseball sim with its newly released MLB The Show 17. It’s visually astounding, and all games modes have that extra something to keep you playing long into the night with only a few significant things keeping it from statistical perfection.

Destiny 2 improves upon its predecessor in every conceivable area, resulting in a content-packed, enjoyable FPS that will keep you entertained for months on end.

NCAA Football 11 gives more legs to the college football season with an online component that will capture the affection of diehard fans. Despite some minor flaws, this is a great step in the right direction for the genre.

Assault Android Cactus manages to vault beyond its classical inspiration to manifest as a genre effort that expertly marries deep mastery with instantly accessible simplicity. Furthermore, here’s another bit of simplicity for you; Assault Android Cactus is simply one of the best twin-stick shooters ever made.

Utterly absorbing and rarely anything less than completely fascinating, The Forgotten City is an intoxicating microcosm of Ancient Roman society embedded in a dialogue heavy adventure and wrapped around one of the most smartly designed mysteries and sleuthing yarns to come along in a good long while. Occasional technical creakiness and issues aside, it's a deeply pleasant irony that The Forgotten City will remain long in your memory after the credits have completed their roll the first, second, third and fourth time.

For the myriad of things that Promise Mascot Agency sets out to do, I never felt like it was overreaching or losing its sense of self. Every aspect of this game feels tailored to a curated experience that feels equally inspired and trailblazing its own direction. Everything comes together in an almost flawless symphony that I can’t help but love.

Far Cry 2 meshes high-octane gunplay with open world gameplay, and it does a damn good job. There’s a lot of great games coming this holiday season, but don’t let this one go unnoticed.

Castlevania is reborn into a 3D action game that borrows heavily from some of the PS3's greatest hits. However, with so much to experience, thrilling boss battles, and plenty of replay value, it's well worth the investment.

An assuredly robust and spectacular remake of the PS2 original, Yakuza Kiwami 2 learns from the lessons of Yakuza 6 to create one of the best entries in the franchise to date.

Blue Prince is an exquisitely designed game that stays in your brain between play sessions. It is the video game equivalent of a Rubix Cube where every move you make can shape your path to success. Do not let this gem pass you by.

A side-splitting romp with all the sharp satirical humour we've come to expect from South Park. Strip away its wit and, despite a few flaws, you'll find a satisfyingly deep RPG.

A hugely triumphant take on the Metroidvania formula that delights with its fresh take on roguelike gameplay elements, Rogue Legacy empowers the player, rather than punishes them and is simply one of the finest games you can play on a PlayStation platform.

Brothers is a consistently fun and endearing fairy tale, but technical issues and a slow start keep it from legendary status.

The original Mass Effect has finally arrived on the PlayStation 3, which completes the trilogy without hopping consoles. Even though the game shows obvious and often obtrusive signs of age, the original shooter RPG still holds up and delivers an experience to fans who have wanted it for so long.

It's brilliant to see WipEout back. It looked great back in the day, but thanks to the power of PS4 it now looks incredible, and captures with style the adrenaline-pumping action that we so fondly remember.

As far as feature-complete packages go, Mortal Kombat XL is among the best examples of a plentiful bounty of playing options. It's not the greatest, nor the deepest, fighting game around, but it is gleefully gory fun for long stretches.

Not every part of the Ratchet & Clank formula still shines, but this PS4 reboot is gold. Updated controls are the perfect way to experience bombastic, addictive firefights with awesome weaponry.

San Diego Studio continues to show love for baseball with MLB 16 The Show, taking its historic limelight and bringing to it a multitude of new options, features, and enhancements. Every annual release should be better than the last year, but MLB 16 The Show expands on all fronts with dividends and adds even more reasons to crack the bat.

Gamers expect a perfect Mortal Kombat experience, and it's now available in portable form.

Even though its plotline fails to engage and grappling play gets repetitive and boring, Far Cry 4’s game-world and multitude of engaging missions and tasks draw you in. There’s so much fun stuff to do in Kryat that you could get lost here for some time. Oh, and you can ride an elephant and flip over vehicles with its trunk.

Old school fans and newcomers alike simply can’t go wrong by forking out for Ubisoft’s latest entry in this venerable franchise.

Moss is an irresistibly uplifting landmark experience that is simply essential for PSVR owners everywhere.

Everything that strategy gamers have been waiting for. While it may disappoint a small niche of hardcore Meier fans, it will definitely appeal to the masses looking for a nice change of pace from the average console game.

Though the additions to this newly reinvigorated version of Death Stranding might be considered to be superfluous by die-hard Kojima fans, there's no denying that Death Stranding Director's Cut is the definitive version to play Kojima's most recent opus on console, thanks to an opulent visual makeover and a wealth of quality of life improvements. Though still remaining divisive at its core, Death Stranding Director's Cut is absolutely the best way to see the hype surrounding Kojima's most esoteric work.

For newcomers though, this is an absolute must-have.

Forget all the controversy surrounding Dante's new-look. DmC is one of the most compelling action games you'll play this generation.

One of the most satisfying and fulfilling games i’ve played this year. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is a great game that makes you think three steps ahead. I was hooked from the very first kill to the very last.

Pyre’s world is full of dynamic characters with unique motivations, darkly vibrant backdrops that look like paintings, and a soundtrack that you’ll be humming for days, weeks, even months to come. It might be slow to start, but once it picks up it never looks back. The Rites are exciting and addictive, and you’ll always want to play “just one more round.” Even when the game is over, you’ll want to have at least one more round through the whole thing, just to see how things might turn out differently. Pyre is an admirable addition to both Supergiant’s repertoire and any gamer’s collection.

The addition of 'The Journey', the engine shift to Frostbite, and the strides towards a more unpredictable, methodical representation of The Beautiful Game render FIFA 17 a game certainly worth playing.

The shifting good vs. bad storyline provides a solid foundation that the gameplay builds upon, and therefore missions and side objectives feel genuinely refreshing. Empire City provides an excellent base for exploration and Cole's skills make the third person "shooting" feel fresh and exciting.

The latest in arguably Codemasters cornerstone racing franchise; rally racing on PS4 just doesn’t get better than Dirt 4. It simply doesn’t.

Crash Bandicoot 4 is a masterpiece in almost every aspect of the experience it offers. The excellent N.Verted mode, tough Flashback levels, extra characters, objectives to hunt down, collectibles to collect, and engaging campaign and bosses come together to provide one of the best platforming games on PS4 and an experience that rivals Nintendo's best 3D platformers. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is nothing short of an essential experience for everyone.

If you’re looking for a semi-realistic FPS that offers superb online play and a light-hearted single-player experience, Battlefield: Bad Company should be your #1 choice.

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is pure greatness. Everything it does it does at the highest level. RPG fans owe it to themselves to experience this gem. Easily one of the best games of this generation.

Valkyria Chronicles is a must-have for any tactical RPG fan,and even if you’re not a fan of the genre, the story is worth the purchase alone. Valkyria Chronicles is still one of the best tactical RPGs this century.

It is remarkable how far Codemasters have come with the F1 series and F1 2018 has proven that a move towards simulation can be done without alienating casual players. Finally a spectacular Formula 1 experience for simulation fans.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla on PS5 is the definitive version of Ubisoft's epic Viking title. With a sharper resolution, silky-smooth frame rate and a reduced number of bugs and glitches, Sony's new console offers a more seamless and enjoyable platform to experience this mammoth, engrossing open-world game on.

Kingdom Hearts gets a robust, satisfying collection, with the definitive versions of four great games on offer. It’s a perfect entry point and a welcome moment of cohesion for the series.

Ultimax takes the original and makes it better. There is something for everyone, from the solo player to the fighting enthusiast. Atlus also continues their Persona narrative, emphasizing that this is a series integral to the Persona brand as a whole and not an easy cash-in. A must buy for anyone who likes fighters and/or the series.

Hitman 3 closes out the World of Assassination trilogy with developer IO Interactive in a confident mood. Lessons learned from the past five or six years have worked their way into this splendid epitaph for a series that looked dead and buried more than once along the way. As with its predecessor’s there are some lows to go with the highs, but those highs? They are truly something special and make the future of IO Interactive an exciting prospect.