Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers both high calibre adventure, story and performance in spades, to the point it feels as though it’s wading into “uncharted territory” for its publisher. The decision to bop a Nazi should be a foregone conclusion, however the lack of balance in stealth and combat systems kept me in limbo, and left Indiana Jones and the Great Circle just a stone stele’s throw from true greatness.

Mixtape, through its expertly curated catalogue of songs, pulls together a genuinely heartfelt and nostalgic story about all of the friends we make, and invariably lose, in our formative years. As a cross-section between music and wasted youth, Beethoven and Dinosaur’s sophomore title is undeniably special. It’s an ode to the importance of music, how it shapes us and reminds us of who we are, all wrapped up in a bow and delivered through playable vignettes that are all killer, no filler, and a stark reminder of how fucking fun it was to be a kid.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PC performs admirably. While it doesn’t quite offer the slew of visual options in the Spider-man Remastered PC port, there’s still enough here to tinker with to get the best balance between performance and visual fidelity. Ultimately, this is the best way to play both A Thief’s End and The Lost Legacy.

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its past with multiple modes for every player and strong battle systems like no other. It invites new players into the fold with well implemented, simpler control schemes, without losing sight of the hardcore player. The World Tour mode won’t be for everyone, but Street Fighter 6 stands tall as one of the best fighters Capcom has made.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a strong return for the series, bringing together incredible art direction, strong level design, and a combat loop that's both endlessly satisfying and addictive. Sprinkle in some light Metroid-inspired backtracking and some incredibly challenging optional content, and you've got an experience that goes above and beyond anything offered by previous Shinobi games. And while the original soundtrack is average, the voice work is sterile and the story even more so, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an incredibly entertaining and satisfying action platformer that's well worth your time.

Devil May Cry 5 rights all the wrongs of its predecessors with style and gusto, whilst being incredibly welcoming to series newcomers. The three playable characters bring great combat variety against the games huge slew of enemies and bosses. There are a few little niggles that stop the game from being the best it could be, but Devil May Cry 5 is undoubtedly one of the best in the series.

Persona 3 Reload is a confident remake of a truly seminal RPG that cements itself as the definitive way to play Persona 3. It's clear that careful thought and deliberation has gone into every aspect of Reload to respect the legacy of Persona 3 while preserving its timeless charm and atmosphere. An absolute must play for any fan of the franchise, and a great point to jump in for those looking to take the plunge into Persona.

Despite having to wait almost six years, PRAGMATA is another win for CAPCOM. It's unique, experimental, and there's nothing quite like it in the medium right now. It does feel like there's some missed potential in the narrative department, but I suspect many will enjoy PRAGMATA for how experimental it is and for how it succeeds in ways you wouldn't expect.

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, and in particular its core offering of the Iki Island expansion, does a great job at giving players more of what made the game's original release special. The brisk new adventure takes Jin Sakai on a journey of reflection and reconciliation that contains plenty of beautiful, memorable moments and some very cool new gear to play with. The updates made for its native PS5 release do feel a touch slim given that they come at an added cost, but they do go a long way to refining and enhancing the experience. A great game made better, then, and a fantastic excuse to spend dozens more hours in Photo Mode.

At the end of it all, even under immense scrutiny and in spite of some disappointing shortcomings, there's no getting around the fact that I had a giant grin on my face for just about the entirety of Final Fantasy VII Remake. It's an enjoyable enough game if you're a casual fan of Final Fantasy or action RPGs, but if you're in it for the fandom you may just have your mind blown. It's not a perfect game, but it absolutely exceeded my expectations of what a remake of Final Fantasy VII could be. All that's left now is to (not so) patiently wait for the next part…

Sea of Stars is simultaneously a love letter and modernisation of the legendary turn-based RPGs of old. It retains everything that made them such a core part of the industry so many years ago, while poking fun at tropes and conventions in an entertainingly self-aware manner. Much like The Messenger, Sea of Stars is another smash hit from Sabotage Studio, and is undoubtedly one of the best games of this year.

Astral Chain is a unique experience from beginning to end, but some strange choices in the way it tells its story and major pacing issues in the third act bring it down. Regardless, Astral Chain fits right in amongst the Platinum greats, offering a fun and unique battle system that does a fantastic job at differentiating itself from its contemporaries.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a tremendous remake. It gives the original game a visual overhaul that is simultaneously modern and nostalgic. But it doesn't stop there. It breaks open the mechanics to offer much more depth without destroying the spirit of the original. It's far and away the best way to experience one of the best Star Ocean games and one of the best RPGs ever made. If you're a fan of the genre, you owe it to yourself to check out The Second Story R. It's an absolute gem of a game that's endlessly playable and effortlessly stylish.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance doesn't just feel like the definitive version of Shin Megami Tensei V, it also feels like a new potential template for ATLUS's future re-releases. Between a much improved narrative, the same addicting gameplay loop, heightened visuals and a smorgasbord of content, it's hard to find a lot to dislike in this package.

Cyberpunk 2077’s long-awaited next-gen console update is here, and the extended wait looks to have been worth it. The Performance Mode corrects all of the poor frame-rate issues in one fell swoop, not to mention the several thousand bug fixes that 14-months and change can bring. There’s even some new stuff to discover, from the ability to purchase/rent apartments to an overhaul of enemy AI. As a reboot of sorts it’s by no means perfect, but it’s now a great foundation on which to deliver more Night City stories.

Pikmin 4 brings together engaging cave exploration and a charming world to explore to offer up the most complete Pikmin experience so far. While the multiplayer offerings feel like a step back from Pikmin 3 and the game is too easy to begin with, Pikmin 4 more than makes up for these shortcomings with its adorable canine companion, vast sandboxes and gripping strategic combat.

Final Fantasy XVI is an epic in every sense of the word. Consistently sharp writing, a captivating cast of characters, exhilarating combat, and a timeless soundtrack coalesce into an experience that showcases what the PlayStation 5 is capable of at the highest level. It constantly finds ways to top its own scale in remarkable fashion, but never loses sight of the intimate journey it's built around.

Whilst the price is a little steep, I can't deny the fact that the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection provides the best way to play two of PlayStation's best games. Naughty Dog's finest shine on the PS5 hardware and if you haven't played these games, you're in for an absolute treat, and if you're returning to these games, you can expect to be blown away all over again, if not for the enhanced visuals alone.

Gran Turismo 7 is a car-lover’s dream. Whether you love cars already or have just started your journey into being a car person, GT7 wants to welcome you to the community with open arms, get you up to speed and give you everything it can to help you enjoy cars in whatever ways it’s able. It has a wealth of car history to share, incredible feeling driving and some of the best visuals I’ve seen in a driving game. There are some cars I wish were included (Mount Panorama and no Aussie V8 Supercars? Come on, mate!) and the always online requirement might be a deal breaker for some, but even with all that Gran Turismo 7 is the friendliest, most approachable driving simulation I’ve played with all the depth of options you’d expect for seasoned car enthusiasts.

Saros is an utterly sizzling romp through a sci-fi cosmic horror show that showcases Housemarque’s pedigree for spectacular, arcade action. Not only is Saros a user-friendly evolution of Returnal's core systems, which were already near-perfection, but it’s an exceptional, technical showpiece for a console that makes faultless performance seem magical. If Returnal was a reason to invest in next-gen, Saros pays that belief off again in what is currently a one-horse race for Game of the Year.

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a straightforward compilation that brings two of the most celebrated platformers to modern hardware. Together, they form one of the strongest adventures in the Mario canon. But with some barebones upgrades and inconsistent visual improvements, these are hardly the definitive versions of either Galaxy or Galaxy 2. Regardless, despite the visual presentation, it's hard to deny the strength of the core at this compilation. Both games boast inventive and engaging level design that, with (mostly) improved controls, are easy to enjoy today.

Unsurprisingly, Spin Rhythm XD is as good on PlayStation as it has been on other platforms. It's a top-tier arcade rhythm title that's remained sorely underappreciated, a fact that will hopefully change with this release. With novel mechanics, a banging playlist, fantastic options for gameplay customisation and a fun (if strange) VR mode, there's never been a better spin on this experience.

Just like Rocksteady did for Batman, Arc System Works has carried Dragon Ball to the upper echelon, crafting a tag-fighting game that captures not only the series' distinctive style but its spirit. FighterZ stands alongside other versatile, yet accessible, games like Marvel vs. Capcom with ease in what is the best fighting game in recent memory.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is another must-play Nintendo Switch game. It still stands the test of time and in no way feels outdated, which is impressive for a 20 year old game. Don't let performance issues and a high price point stop you from playing this absolute classic.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey successfully builds upon the already strong foundation that Origins set to provide yet another Assassin’s Creed experience that still feels fresh and, more importantly, fun to explore and dive into. Even better, it does all this without the typical bloat you’d expect, although Conquest Battles do feel like a missed opportunity. Despite this minor letdown, Odyssey eclipses Origins in practically every way, and is easily the best Assassin’s Creed yet.

It’s hard to fault Marvel’s Spider-Man in a lot of areas as Insomniac has taken their game to the next level. As a developer, they have gone from strength to strength and Spider-Man is a culmination of their past hits. There’s a stunning verticality that compliments the game’s watertight mechanics and, despite the literal boundaries, still makes the city seem boundless. If you’re a Marvel die-hard, there’s enough fanfare here to sink a ship as Spider-Man emerges as the new gold standard. Spider-Man is, without question, the best superhero game ever.

Final Bar Line is another fantastic entry in a great rhythm series, propped up by an enormous catalog of essential video game music and a variety of fun and engaging (if slightly superfluous) systems. Whether you enjoyed the 3DS entries or you're a Final Fantasy fan ready to dive in for the first time, there's a lot to love here even with some minor frustrations.

Psychonauts 2 brings together classic platforming, an engaging story and well realised combat in a package that feels reminiscent of the best platformers of decades past. Even better, it does this with a visual flair that’s unmatched by its contemporaries. It might be more of the same, but given how unique it is, that’s hardly a bad thing.