Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles has pleasantly survived times with this remaster. While it doesn’t alter too much from the original game it does enough to make sure it's not showing its age too much. To port a game as old as this and allow it to feel and look how nostalgia paints it in our minds is something very impressive. Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles may not rock your socks off if you don't have fond memories of the game, but if it was something you enjoyed in your youth, then it's definitely worth a punt.

Tactical RPGs are always a hit and miss with gamers but Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a fun and accessible title for anyone looking to get into the genre and those who already enjoy it. With a fun cast of characters and entertaining, if somewhat simplistic combat, I found myself addicted and had a hard time putting it down.

Tales of Graces f Remastered maximizes its own potential by utilizing many options that already existed in the game. By adding boosts to practically everything, players can customize their experience to cater to their wanted playthrough. Throw in nearly all the DLC seen in the PS3 original, and this remaster is essentially the perfect version of Tales of Graces f to experience.

Dynasty Warriors Origins is easily the best title in the franchise yet. Its responsive gameplay and deep levelling systems are complemented by a compelling story with twists, turns and interesting characters.

While Freedom Wars Remastered doesn’t offer many updates to the original game, the updates it does make enhance the experience for the better. A full English voice cast combined with updated controls and an improved upgrading system make this game a gear hunter’s delight. While the resolution increase to 4K helps a bit, the 60 frames-per-second refresh rate completely changes the game. For what it’s worth, you still play the same mission types over and over in the same handful of maps, leaving the original repetitive formula untouched. As long as you know what to expect from Freedom Wars Remastered, you will find a compelling IP “monster hunting” RPG that begs for a sequel.

Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana might not light the world on fire in a modern landscape, but still stands as a formidable remaster of a classic action-RPG that would have otherwise been lost to the sands of time. This entry cuts a lot of the complexities that have become synonymous with the genre and offers an easily understood romp that is a great palette cleanser after a glut of dense RPGs in the last year. While I found this to be a bit too simple in the long run, others may find this to be a compelling return to one of Ys' lesser recognised shores.

Alien: Rogue Incursion has a lot for Alien fans to love and appreciate, with surprises that'll truly delight fans the way they delighted me. But repetitive gameplay that doesn't really evolve dulls down the tension and scare-factor significantly by the time you're wrapping up this initial part of the story, and far too much jank pulls you out of the atmosphere that is working overtime to immerse you in the Alien universe. And yet, for Alien fans, it's one of the better games to come since Isolation, but it's not the new number one.

If you were hoping that The Thing Remastered would fix many of the issues of the original 2002 game, you will be semi-satisfied. The Thing Remastered preserves the twenty-year old PS2 game without tarnishing it, and improving some presentation aspects, as well as tidying up the formerly broken Infection System. However, if you expected refinements to game's shooting mechanics or many of its old foibles then you'll be disappointed.

Farewell North is a wonderfully introspective experience that truly feels like it nails the concept it sets out to achieve. Not once did I feel like being a dog was a gimmick or made for the sake of standing out - this truly feels like one of the first games to capture that unspoken and ironclad bond between a dog and its owner. As well as that, Farewell North is an incredibly beautiful game about saying goodbye and that's a universal problem that feels articulated smartly here. Up there with the very best of the genre, without any shadow of a doubt.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind leans heavily into the arcade era of video games with its look, sound and gameplay. It's a tonne of fun especially in co-op, but its short runtime will leave you wanting for more. If you're a fan of the MMPR series then this will definitely put a smile on your face.

Skydance's Behemoth offers a huge amount of spectacle with the four giant creatures you'll take down over the course of your time with it, but spectacle is the majority of what's on offer. It's a shallow game with a combat system that never challenges you to evolve your tactics (even when/if it's working properly), a repetitive gameplay-loop, runtime bloating encounters and box-pushing puzzles, and a story that does nothing new with uninteresting characters. Traversing around with a grapple hook and climbing the giant beasts at least proved both consistently fun and an interesting gameplay experience in VR, and it has its fair share of visually striking moments, but that isn't enough to recommend it.

With only two major games in the franchise starting at the end of the Fairy Tail story, Fairy Tail 2 seems like an odd choice. While it's perfect for franchise fans, people looking to jump in for the first time will lose out on many stories and content. The game features an intense combat system, even though it's a tad on the easy side and has plenty of worlds to explore. Overall, it's just a shame that almost all of Fairy Tail 2 feels rushed and budgeted compared to developer Gusts' more recent titles.

Among Ashes is a breath of fresh air in a packed genre of first-person survival horror titles. A game within a game with an interwoven story hits a lot more than it misses with great puzzles and fantastic sound design. It's just a shame the combat isn't up to par with the rest of the experience.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered holds the franchise and its potential future on its back. Its exceptional writing, story, and sound design continue to remain some of the best on there. It's just a shame that more love wasn't put into the quality of life changes it so dearly needs as Aspyr's other remasters.

The Thaumaturge does so much right. From the voice work to the narrative to the customizability of combat, your time with Wiktor will be time well spent. Still, combat can feel like more work than it should in the first couple hours, and short-lived performance glitches tend to appear after most cutscenes. Finally, in some areas, the isometric angle of the game does not compensate for tall buildings in certain areas, making it hard to navigate in those places. Regardless, none of these things bring down the experience. Wiktor makes for a fantastic lead character in a strong combination of narrative and concepts. The Thaumaturge is a more-than-worthy purchase, even for non-fans of isometric RPGs.

Fantasian Neo Dimension may suffer from a hefty grind, a control oddity, and a rather tropey story, but it also shines in ways that made the now-retro RPGs so special. Combine the dioramic backdrops with engaging combat and just enough modernization without going too far away from its retro inspirations, and Fantasian practically demands that all RPG fans give it a chance.

There is plenty to love about Darktide, and all the improvements made to the game in the two years since its release have solidified it as one of the better co-op exclusive shooters. It's not without issues, particularly the long missions and the lack of a single-player experience. But if you love playing with random mutuals or even your friends, you'll have a blast in Darktide. Just make sure you have the time to finish some of these missions.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a truly singular game that demonstrates a distilled ambition for what the medium can achieve. It skillfully takes the foundation from its survival horror ancestry and manages to transition into something that transcends the screen and even the controller, to engage a player in a totally unique way. While this ambition to immerse isn't without wrinkles, I can't help but be staggered with how much is achieved here and the boundaries that are crossed in the process. In some ways, Lorelei demonstrates just how far the medium can be stretched and pushed to draw a player in, beyond the act alone of picking up a controller. You're invited to live this story, and that's precisely what you should do.

SPRAWL has a few solid core features that work well, letting you string along enough good moments that you're actually having fun. But its shortcomings ultimately reveal how shallow it is, and the truth is that SPRAWL doesn't present a compelling case for why you should play it over other recently released boomer-shooters that are doing more interesting things in the genre. Also my version is currently broken, so that doesn't help - but at least that's something fixable without re-making the whole game.

Ravenswatch has the hard stuff nailed down - the combat is sophisticated, the roguelike mechanics are spot-on and there is no shortage of progression avenues and opportunities; it just needs more content than it currently has to really shine. As it is, Ravenswatch is a roguelike overflowing with innovation and potential, it just needs a bit more content to turn a very good experience into a great one.

A charming presentation and solid foundation do precious little in light of a control scheme that's beyond frustrating for console players. The real challenge of a management simulator should always stem from having a clear hold of your surroundings and the ways that you can influence them, not the mere act of checking numbers and your progress. If you're a connoisseur of this particular brand of clunkiness, you might find something to enjoy in this new release, otherwise I would sincerely recommend checking out the game with a keyboard and mouse, if you're able.

Sure enough, while it doesn’t seek to reinvent the roguelike wheel or provide an especially captivating story or cast of characters as Hades does, [REDACTED] nonetheless provides enough clever adjustments to the formula while embracing some incredible combat fundamentals to come out of seemingly nowhere and secure its spot as one of my favourite roguelikes of the year.

Smurfs Dreams deserve respect for favouring approach-ability over punishment, and should be a worthwhile present to any child who loves upbeat platformers. Any adult should give this a shot as well because it's a wonderfully designed game that really deserves attention. So with all that said, go blue because these Smurfs dreams have come true.

Kill Knight is one for the purists. A distilled isometric, arcade, shooter boasting thrilling, smooth gameplay that will keep you coming back for just one more run. What might quietly be one of the best this year, is loudly apparent once you start playing.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is something magical. Not only does it provide a grand experience for long-time fans, but it also has enough quality-of-life improvements for those looking to start their Dragon Quest adventuring. This is quite possibly the gold standard of classic RPG remake.

Though Lego Horizon Adventures is the best looking Lego game ever made by a wide margin, it does still suffer somewhat from the repetition which has afflicted previous Lego tie-in titles. Nonetheless, with its snappy 15-20 minute missions, breezy co-op play and relentlessly lighter, grin-inducing tone, Lego Horizon Adventures also represents both a new direction for the Horizon franchise at large, as well as a great way to get newbies and younger folk involved with the adventures of PlayStation’s marquee flame-haired heroine.

Tetris Forever is far more of a historical exhibit than video game and that's all it needs to be to be a vital pick up for anybody even curious in the origins of the puzzler. The history of Tetris is laid out in an engaging and approachable way that balances information and engagement, as well as allowing people to share in that history with the exhaustive catalogue of games on offer here. The commitment to preserving the old is commendable, and this is a landmark in what has become quite a saturated market for publishers. All compilations should strive to be as comprehensive as this.

Metro Awakening VR is one of the best survival horror game experiences available on any VR headset, with thrilling scares and strong survival mechanics all tied together with an immersive and rich atmosphere. Even though the story loses steam before the end and stealth combat fails to impress, the rest of its best parts make for an unmissable game for any horror fans with a VR headset laying around.