I’m a firm believer in there being too much of a good thing. So in my first few hours of Astro Bot, I kept thinking, “Can this really be sustained through to the credits without losing its charm?” The answer is a bonafide yes. The reason is nothing ever felt half-baked. Team Asobi brought so much creativity and thoughtfulness to their game, that you can’t help but want to spend more time playing. From the intricate ways, Astro Bot pays its respect to the nearly 30-year-old brand to the music. There wasn’t a minute across my 12-hour playthrough to gain the Platinum Trophy that I wasn’t smiling, humming, or laughing.

As disenchanted as I was with both the source material and general output of publisher Ubisoft, Developer Massive has convinced me that there is still magic to be found in a galaxy far, far away. By unleashing itself from the restrictive canon and need to reference the core trilogy at every turn, Outlaws is afforded the freedom to tell a story at a more relatable scale. Combat pulls its weight thanks to the solid feel of your main blaster, and each additional layer you add on top opens up more ways to turn each encounter into a sandbox. You may just have to suffer through a few early stealth sections before you get there.

Cat Quest 3 wastes no time letting you board your ship and set sail on a lighthearted pirate adventure. Despite being mostly water, the world here is packed to the brim with charm and vigor. If it weren't for a forgettable main story and reused dungeon designs, this might've been the perfect answer for the current trend of RPG bloat. Even with those flaws, Cat Quest 3 kept me smiling through my entire playthrough. That's not something many games have done.

EA brought back Ben Haumiller who worked on the original NCAA series for a decade. To help build the game, they hired a team of guys who helped create NCAA Revamped, a modded-out version of NCAA Football 2014 that helped to keep the aging game alive. They worked with 134 teams to get every important facet of college football programs into the new game, including rebuilding every stadium for the new game. And they nailed every single detail.

Animal Well is a must-play if there has ever been one. The game should offer a great experience for fans of the Metroidvania genre and total newcomers to the genre alike. While it has many of the familiar trappings that have made the genre stick around for so long, it also adds something interesting and new with its setting and game mechanics.

Senua's Saga is a thoughtful and honest portrayal of living with psychosis. It highlights the good and the bad without talking down to the audience or miscasting mental health as something that needs to be "fixed." The narrative is no longer than it needs to be but is broken up by puzzles that don't challenge the player or reveal more about the character. Combat, while initially striking in its brutality, never evolves and cannot remain impactful for the entire duration. This is a game with a message I believe everyone could benefit from experiencing, but the path through it is not as smooth as it could be.

If you weren’t a fan of WWE 2K23, probably not enough has changed to win you over. If you thought WWE 2K23 was already perfect, the minor additions in 2K24 might not be enough to warrant the cost of a new wrestling game this year.

If you dive into Dragon's Dogma 2 and accept its quirks, you'll discover an experience unlike anything else on the market.

I'm blown away by the feel of the game and just how much fun it is to play online by myself and with my brothers. The leveling up system, replayability, variety of the missions, and the story have made it worth dusting off my DualSense controller.

Super Mario RPG is a really direct and loving update of an old classic - with lovely battles and some really funny little twists. It's not exactly a deep story, of course, but there's a reason it still has so many fans. This is now the best way to play it.

Alan Wake 2 presents a thrilling narrative journey, experienced through two different characters' perspectives and with some wild moments to get through. It looks simply jaw-dropping, even if its combat isn't necessarily the best.

Wonder is a beautiful thing, a game that totally and confidently carries off its new ideas, while remaining immediately and clearly faithful to its heritage. It's a must-play for Mario fans and Switch owners.

Spider-Man 2 is a joy to play, even if it doesn't break that much new ground in gameplay terms. It's just so polished, and tells its heartfelt tale nicely, punctuated by incredibly impressive set pieces that ooze with detail.

Mirage is an accessible throwback to when Assassin's Creed games didn't demand 100-hour commitments, and it's a brisk fun adventure, too. Its story didn't blow us away, but its gameplay loop is simple and satisfying.

Forza Motorsport is terrific, an enviable sim racer that looks and sounds incredibly impressive and has loads of cars to master. It has some foibles but there's real depth to be explored here, and its time-of-day wizardry is a superb asset.

Mortal Kombat 1 is a brilliant time, albeit one that might not quite have the staying power it could have, thanks to thinner modes than you'd expect. Its story is a barrel of fun, though, and it looks about as good as any fighting game I've played, so fans of the series should absolutely pick it up.

A simply huge game, Starfield is wonderful at times but also confoundingly awkward and janky. Its storylines are brilliant, and its characters memorable, but there are gameplay frustrations that linger.If you want a massive set of worlds to explore and sink into, though, it's still a cracking choice.

A superb mech game that has loads to offer, centred around fast-paced and explosive combat. You'll figure out builds and refine your style through a sprightly set of missions, with simply oodles of customisation options.

This is a must-play for fans of games like Hollow Knight and the Castlevanias of yore, with challenging bosses and a superb sense of personality. It one-ups the first game in most meaningful ways.

Baldur's Gate 3 is an immediate pick as one of the best RPGs ever made, a ridiculously reactive and freeing narrative adventure.

Pikmin 4 is a lovely slice of zen management, giving you a frantic gang of little guys to corral and a host of moreish hubs to explore while you do so. Its extra modes are welcome, even if none of it feels radically new.

The Witcher 3 was already regarded as an RPG all-timer, but this update means that the PS5 and Xbox Series X become incredible places to enjoy it, while PC players get an even more gorgeous game than before. If you've never played it, you're missing out on one of the best games ever.

Fire Emblem Engage is a superb strategy game that has taken a major technical leap forward, graphically superior to its predecessor in every meaningful way.It tells a well-meaning story that still manages to pack in a few surprisng twists, and while its social features are a little extraneous this time, it's still super relaxing to fall into its world.Multiplayer expands things even further, leaving us confident that the future is very, very bright for this excellent series.

This stunning remake renews a brilliant horror adventure and manages to feel like one of the freshest games we've played in ages.

It's been a decade since we've had a full Potterverse game, but the wait has been well worth it. Hogwarts Legacy gets just about everything right, with its involving storyline and myriad of main and side quests. Perhaps its finest feature though is Hogwarts itself, providing as much joy in just exploring the halls as performing set tasks. We doubt a single Harry Potter fan will be disappointed. We certainly weren't.

Octopath Traveler 2 offers up another impressive, if safe adventure, with loads of twists to uncover. It looks and sounds absolutely ravishing, and the battle system is as impressive as ever.

This is an excellent remaster that preserves a classic game and makes it highly playable by modern standards. It also confirms that Metroid Prime remains as special a title as ever.

Bringing back the once seemingly moribund RTS in spectacular style, Company of Heroes 3 is intense, tactical, authentic, meaty and innovative - but not for the faint-hearted or those seeking instant gratification.