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.

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.

Replaced is spectacular in so many respects. It’s an audiovisual triumph, with best-in-class pixel art, animation, and cinematography, while its America, hardly a land of the free, feels real, dangerous, and all too familiar against today’s landscape, is a hotbed of fascinating history and complex characters. Disappointingly, combat and exploration don’t quite live up to what the game achieves in story and presentation.

With an atmospheric world underpinned by a lively, thumping soundtrack, Nullstar: Solus is a tight, frenetic, precision-focused platformer that brings a few new tricks, however imperfectly executed, to the genre. With one hundred levels, including a particularly punishing set of master levels that beg for your blood, sweat, and tears, Nullstar: Solus is a homegrown indie gem.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, won't be for everyone, but the people that it is for, will adore it. It's squarely and solely focused on putting power into the hands of the player through customisation and the ability to manipulate the lives of these little Miis. You can always count on it for a laugh, and if you enjoy sims, I have zero doubts you will sink hours into this game.

Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a tremendous, modern take on the boomer shooter. It has wonderful level design and gives you the right tools to explore it without restriction, mostly. Despite serving up meaty cases that have enormous ramifications within Mouseburg’s social and political landscape, the player is given zero agency to work them and, as such, Mouse falls agonisingly short of being a true detective fantasy.

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.

From what I’ve been able to experience, Forza Horizon 6, much like each game in the franchise that precedes it, seemingly achieves exactly what it sets out to do. It’s clearly a big celebration of car culture; in fact, it’s a rev head’s dream. But it’s also yet another beautiful encapsulation of a country outside of our own that we’re able to drink up from the comfort of our living rooms. As someone who perhaps didn’t get to see a lot of Japan on a recent whirlwind trip, I feel almost fortunate to be able to visit again through Playground’s latest entry in its car racing phenomenon. [Hands-On Impressions]

Life is Strange: Reunion is excellent. It’s a beautiful love letter to Max and Chloe’s story that provides closure in a way that makes sense. Technical issues aside, this is Deck Nine’s best Life is Strange game by some margin.

Although it maintains the spirit of the original Super Meat Boy, Super Meat Boy 3D, as a reimagining, doesn’t quite evolve on its ideas enough to strike a chord. Rather, it reframes them, and it’s these new perspectives and angles on Meat Boy’s frenetic platforming that prove to be the biggest bother of all. It’s still fun enough for the most part; however, I struggle to look beyond the compounded frustration and needless death—in a game about dying, no less.

Meetup In Bellabel Park doesn't reinvent Super Mario Bros. Wonder, but it goes to great lengths to remind you of why it was so special in the first place. The Koopaling battles add some welcome boss variety to the adventure, the Training Camp offers a much sharper challenge and Attraction Central is strong enough to earn a permanent spot in your party game rotation. While it remixes more than it transforms, Meetup In Bellabel Park is an easy recommendation whether you play it solo or with mates.

Although it doesn’t quite have the heft to go bumper-to-bumper with games like Forza Horizon or Burnout, Screamer is an incredibly sound arcade racer that, unfortunately, cocoons so much of its exhilarating, challenging gameplay in a bloated campaign that claws for any semblance of focus.

Though I’ll call it imperfect but patchable, Crimson Desert is still impressive enough to be within striking distance of the juggernauts of this genre. At the very least, this represents one of the first few must-plays of the year. Perhaps contradictorily, Crimson Desert is a lush and generously-sized oasis of awesome that needs to be seen to be believed on PC. Here's hoping the console versions are up to snuff as well.

Marathon is a special game that, like Destiny before it, is firmly rooted in the team’s focus on shared communal experiences, immaculate gun feel, and just straight-up vibes. I hope it finds enough of a foothold to exist in the live-service space longer than some of its contemporaries, because if death is the first step in Marathon, I can’t wait to see what the next one is.

WWE 2K26 delivers in spades. While some questionable decisions around progression hamper the overall experience, alongside a litany of microtransactions invading some modes, there’s so much to sink your teeth into - whether it’s the excellent CM Punk Showcase or the ever-brilliant Universe mode. It’s a game for every type of wrestling fan, and continues to be one of the best annualised sports titles out there.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a strong reimagining of a horror classic, smartly expanding on both combat and exploration from the original in clever ways. Despite such a strong and positive change in the fundamentals of the game, the locked and stuttering 30fps mode on consoles is a baffling choice for an otherwise stellar remake. Even so, this is Fatal Frame at its best and well worth any self-respecting horror fan's time.

Defiance Remastered makes earnest effort to present Defiance in the best light it could possibly be in, while also catering to both side of the often-divided remaster camp. The original experience as it was originally shown is still here, but those who want something a bit more tweaked will appreciate the little mod cons that the remaster provides. For that, it’s praises are worth singing. this is easily the best version of Legacy of Kain: Defiance that you can play. Warts and all.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is the crown jewel of this spin-off series. It builds on the best elements of Stories that make all of its core systems even more appealing, creating more depth and complexity that'll keep you coming back till the credits roll, and perhaps even beyond.

Despite not overhauling the companion-led gameplay at the core of Planet of Lana, this sequel does a tremendous job at expanding its universe, giving greater depth to its characters, and delivering another gorgeous, cinematic adventure that tugs at the heartstrings.

Simply put, Pokémon Pokopia is one of Pokémon's best spin-offs yet. It effortlessly combines the charm of Animal Crossing and Minecraft while imbuing the end result with all the best elements of monster catching. Regardless of whether you're a fan of Animal Crossing, Pokémon, Dragon Quest Builders, or are just looking to jump into something new, Pokopia will hook you in and keep you coming back for weeks.

Resident Evil Requiem is inarguably a brilliant game with an awkward identity. At its best, especially as Grace, it nails the dense, atmospheric survival horror experience that defined the series, pairing smart level design with tense decision-making and combat that feels weighty and brutal. But as the story shifts the focus to Leon and pivots towards action, it becomes a weaker echo of Resident Evil 4. Ultimately, while Resident Evil Requiem is a blast from beginning to end, it also can't decide what it wants to be, and that is bound to be divisive.

High on Life 2, which is both helped along and hindered by the double-edged sword that is its new skateboarding mechanic, is a big, boisterous, and profoundly vulgar video game. Like the original, it’s another for the Adult Swim crowd, delivering the same boorish brand of humour as before. Luckily, I am that crowd and laughed plenty, while finding great joy in the game’s irrepressible need to move from gag to gag, and from moment-to-moment, while never being able to predict what it’d throw at me next.

Romeo Is A Dead Man is a strong adventure filled with great and kooky action. And while it has some rough edges, especially with its performance, it makes up for that with a whole lot of heart. The result is a game that’s entertaining from beginning to end, if not a little nonsensical.

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.

While I wish I could recommend Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, there's too many odd choices and caveats here to list. While it's always been a black sheep, the identity that feeds its reputation feels lost in this remaking, and it's new content additions feel out of place and in some cases, undermine what came before it.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is the best way to play one of the most unique entries in this franchise. Many of its shortcomings won't be felt by first timers, and its countless improvements make it all too easy to revisit this adventure. It's still an unbelievably huge JRPG, but one that retains its unrivalled sense of cosiness and charm.

Code Vein II is exactly what you'd expect – yet another Soulslike derivative with a fresh(ish) coat of anime-style paint. While the combat system's flexibility and improved exploration are a huge step forward, the lack of multiplayer and derivative story beats feels like a step back. The result is just okay, though fans of the original will still appreciate it nonetheless.

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…