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.

Red Matter delivers an intriguing retro-future cold war story with confidence. In VR, setting is half the battle, and Red Matter nails its Soviet-era underground bunker with a realistic visual flair. With achievable puzzles that never slow down the story and a great control scheme, Red Matter sets a new standard for the VR adventure genre. This is a game that deserves to break free from the crowd.

OlliOlli World is an incredible reboot and the perfect evolution of the OlliOlli franchise. It's vivid and bright levels combined with the creativity in their design make for a deep gameplay meta that will keep you coming back for years. To put it simply, Roll7 did for OlliOlli in 2022 what Sony Santa Monica did for God Of War in 2018.

Immortality is a game that anyone interested in compelling narratives should check out. The story of Marissa Marcel and her journey from unknown model to rising star, and then her unexplained disappearance into pop-culture obscurity is one that will enthrall players and stick with you long after the credits have rolled.

Combining the transversal and exploration of Assassin's Creed and the combat of the Batman: Arkham franchise, Monolith Productions has created not only the best title in the Middle-earth franchise, but probably the best action title of the year.

Thank Goodness You're Here! is a game for a short time and not a long time, and that combo makes playing it a great time. I understand the humour in it might not be for everyone, but for those that do enjoy it you'll see just how wonderfully the comedy is woven into the gameplay. The charming visual style and absolutely amazing voice acting make it an absolutely hilarious game.

Octopath Traveler 0 is a great game in its broadest strokes, but manages to miss the high benchmark that the rest of the series has set for me. The bones of a mobile game are still very much here, candied with the presentation of a console experience. Despite this, I still largely enjoyed my time with Octopath Traveler 0, and very much want to see more from this now staple franchise.

A great fighting game. It has its issues, namely the online multiplayer component and the underwhelming menus, but there's still good fun to be had.

There might be some sensory overload at the start, but once you settle in, everything comes naturally. It is the ideal old-school arcade shmup that should appeal to nostalgic and contemporary gamers alike.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon is a bittersweet ending to a story that started over 20 years ago. Beyond the Horizon has mastered its combat system, offering a near-perfect balance between action and turn-based combat. Meanwhile, the story at times had me glued to the screen. It's just a shame some of the franchise's most glaring issues still haven't been addressed, and the game's pacing could have used a lot more work.

If you’ve grown tired of last year’s game then you can probably sit this iteration out; for first time players, or those returning after a couple of years' hiatus, Formula 1 games have never felt so authentic, so in-depth, yet so accessible. Slip on your race suit and climb into the cockpit.

Unpacking is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket as you gently watch the years roll away in front of you. Though much too short, the relatively brief experience that you'll have with deconstructing the emotional narrative of characters that you'll never see via its block fitting puzzles, cements the fact that Unpacking won't quickly be forgotten and will be an experience that you'll likely go back to time and again whenever you need a precious smidgen of soul affirmation.

Queasy Games revitalises the platforming genre with its melodical masterpiece.

With sharp graphics, easy to learn controls, and realistic gameplay, Fight Night Champion delivers a knockout blow to the competition. Unfortunately, it is a little lacking beyond the stellar Champion Mode.

Resident Evil 5 is an incredibly satisfying, non-stop action romp from start to finish. An essential purchase for fans and newcomers alike.

God of War: Origins Collection brings two of the best PSP games to a single Blu-ray disc for the PlayStation 3 in stunning HD graphics. This is a must buy for any fan of the God of War series.

Though the remastering effort is perhaps not as extensive as some might like, Dark Souls Remastered is without a doubt the best way to play one of the finest action RPGs ever and is nothing short of essential for newbies and stalwart Dark Souls fans alike.

An excellent remaster of an excellent game, Live A Live influence can be spotted in many titles to this day, and most people may have never even heard of it. After 30 years, consumers can finally enjoy one of the most unique and compelling JRPGS from the SNES area.

It's always great to see a sequel improve on the original while keeping the spirit of the original alive. I loved my time in the crazy world of Blasphemous 2, with plenty of secrets to find and great combat that keeps you on your toes. Though its story could be a little more cohesive, it doesn't take much away from the overall product. Blasphemous 2 is easily one of the best indie titles of the year.

Much like its predecessor, Steins;Gate 0 proves to be among the finest examples of creating a thoroughly engaging visual novel.

Honestly, it feels churlish to chide Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew for being too similar to Mimimi Games previous output, not least because this enormously talented studio has a track record of kicking out superb stealth strategy offerings and has once again fashioned a relentlessly engaging tactical stealth effort that is absolutely at the apex of the genre. With Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew however, I'm not sure the concept has ever been executed with this degree of charm and that's something Mimimi Games should be roundly congratulated for.