Judgment on the new generation of consoles might not be a must-play for anyone who already enjoyed it on the PS4, but it's absolutely the best way to play the game and still represents a fantastic jumping off point for anyone keen to dip their toes into the Yakuza franchise. Playing as Yagami feels better than ever at 60FPS, and Kamurocho and its many faces come alive with improved detail and a fantastic new lighting treatment. There's no argument here: Judgment is a winner, case closed.

Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster does a tremendous job of balancing the original game's identity with the expectations of a modern audience without sacrificing depth or complexity. It's a genuinely fantastic remaster, with great quality-of-life improvements that only make the experience better for players. It's easily the best way to play Dead Rising and the perfect distillation of what made the series so compelling.

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.

By making Solar Ash radically different from Hyper Light Drifter, Heart Machine has avoided boxing themselves into a niche while being able to continue and build a universe they clearly care for. It wears its influences on its sleeve and comes together as a cosmic mix of a few games held dear by many, and as long as they continue to do this, I’ll eat it up until I am far beyond full.

Guacamelee! 2 is a fantastic, almost flawlessly designed and well-paced action platformer, complete with charm, humour and heart. It builds upon the first game brilliantly, making Juan's latest adventure just as thrilling and hilarious as I'd have hoped.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond isn't a reinvention, but instead a pleasant reminder of all the things that made Metroid Prime back over the last few decades. It's a satisfying return to the formula that made Prime so strong many years ago - including some great boss encounters, rewarding and satisfying exploration and presentation that is quite frankly Nintendo's best. While the story doesn't quite land, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a stellar sc-fi adventure for Samus and more than worthy of the Prime name.

Hogwarts Legacy is the Wizarding World game that fans have dreamt of for years. It offers a dense and rich open-world to explore complemented perfectly by a surprisingly robust and engaging combat system unlike anything else. While the story does live in the shadow of its predecessors, and managing gear can be repetitive, Hogwarts Legacy is a truly magical experience and utterly bewitching from beginning to end.

Dragon's Dogma II embodies the essence of what the original should have been. With its expansive open world teeming with dangerous but delightful encounters, enjoyable combat, and versatile vocations, it's an enchanting experience from beginning to end.

It's not often that a game grabs me in quite the way Citizen Sleeper has. By stripping a video game adventure to its barest components and then manipulating those components to create just the right balance of hope and despair it successfully conveys the drama and danger of its small slice of sci-fi storytelling. Top-notch writing, impeccable narrative design and inviting tabletop mechanics accompanied by gorgeous art and music serve only to elevate it even more. Play this bloody game.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla blends old and new to create a unique experience and one of the best Assassin's Creed experiences yet. It combines series-best combat, a compelling story, and mesmerising locales to dually offer a definitive Viking and assassin experience.

God Of War is a cinematic masterpiece that manages to reinvent and push an already fantastic series to new heights. Barring some pacing issues in its narrative, Sony Santa Monica has breathed new life into Kratos and the God of War series, and I can't wait to see what's next.

Fantastic. A unique ARPG packed with a brilliant story, fun gameplay, and a fascinating premise, everything about it screams instant classic. Don’t sit out on this one, especially if you can get around the initially jarring control options.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon manages to successfully bring back and cultivate an experience reminiscent of the old games for newer audiences without losing sight of what made the previous games so good. While it's still relentlessly challenging and the story can be a bit drab, Fires of Rubicon is yet another success for FromSoftware with its satisfying and fast paced combat.

Detroit: Become Human is, without a shadow of a doubt, David Cage's best work. After almost a handful of failings, Detroit: Become Human showcases what David Cage is capable of as both a writer and a director. He isn't shy about tackling taboo topics, regardless of the backlash, and it pays off here in what is a tour de force story of overcoming oppression.

Silent Hill f resoundingly demonstrates a clear grasp of what makes Silent Hill work. Its storytelling is equal parts sinister and restrained, bolstered by a combat system that’s simple but satisfying. Throw in some challenging boss battles, and you’ve got a Silent Hill experience that meaningfully expands on the original games. It’s a subtly scary adventure that dares to be different, while at the same time retaining the core that makes Silent Hill so special. While some elements and the difficulty might be grating for people and the skill system is bizarrely undercooked, Silent Hill f is an enjoyable and chilling experience from beginning to end, and unlike anything you've ever played.

El Paso, Elsewhere takes a solid shooter foundation and elevates it with a compelling and raw look at humanity as told through a story of monsters and mythology. Outstanding performances, sharp writing, and some kick-arse combat collide to make a unique and memorable experience.

The Drifter is not only one of the best games of the year, so far, I’d consider it one of the best adventure games period. Not only does it buck the genre’s conventions through new, bold ideas, its story is a start-to-finish thriller that blends mystery, horror, and science-fiction while effortlessly dripping cool.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a wonderfully intricate, amazing piece of game design. It's intimidating and challenging, but it rewards all the effort you put into it. One of the best games of 2024 so far.

Bayonetta 3 successfully reinvents itself in many ways to offer an experience that feels worthy of the title of sequel. It successfully shakes up the combat from the previous games by implementing new abilities that help keep things familiar but fresh. Some of the gimmicky battles bring the pacing down and dreaded, but ubiquitous Switch-related performance issues remain. As a whole, Bayonetta 3 eclipses its predecessor and is truly one of the most bombastic and enjoyable action games you can play.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an immense and expansive middle chapter of this ambitious remake trilogy. A reimagined and redefined behemoth of a game that simultaneously plays on nostalgia and forces you to question your memories of the original. While it suffers from some rote open world elements and a few technical issues, Rebirth is another magnificent entry into the gilded halls of Final Fantasy.

Battlefield V retains heart in its single player War Stories mode and variety in its multiplayer modes. New & improved personalisation within 'Your Company' gives each of the classes a fresh, personal feel to your soldiers, while remaining authentic to the era. A solid road map of content is set to deliver new maps, modes and seasonal events to keep gamers coming back, which is a good thing as no other game does raw gun play and bullet physics quite like Battlefield. It just feels right and Battlefield V is no exception.

WarioWare: Move It! is a return to form (pun intended) for the WarioWare series that feels long overdue. It cleverly utilises the unique capabilities of the Joy-Con in ways that haven’t been done before, all while remaining both endearing and funny. While the simplicity of Party Mode is both its greatest strength and weakness, WarioWare: Move It! is easily WarioWare at its best and the most fun you’ll have looking goofy.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor sharpens combat and exploration to a fine point while delivering a story that goes all in on its characters and human drama. Some minor pacing issues can’t stop the game from achieving exciting new heights for the series, if you’re willing to let it take you there.

Mario Tennis Fever feels like a perfect honing of everything Nintendo and Camelot have tried to do with the Mario Tennis games. While the Adventure mode feels like a bit of an afterthought, everything else in this otherwise robust package makes up for it. Whether you're playing solo or with friends, Mario Tennis Fever is relentless fun.

It's Civilzation on Nintendo Switch in all its glory. It's full featured, plays great with the Switch control schemes and is addictive as ever.

Immortals of Aveum is a steadfast debut that will assuredly put its creators on the map. It combines strong combat mechanics with an engaging story set in an even more engrossing world to offer up a satisfying and complete experience. While the gear system and some console resolution issues might be off-putting for some, Immortals of Aveum is one of the most pleasant surprises in an already burgeoning year and a spellbinding adventure that's well worth your time.

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.

Far Cry 5 is an absolute blast from beginning to end, chock full of things to do and involve yourself in. The narrative is interesting, and everything you do in Hope County feels meaningful in some way or another — making for an experience that feels as rewarding as it does enjoyable.