Returning to where this review started, I obviously raised some questions about Platinum’s ability deliver a game faithful to the Ninja Gaiden series, and for the most part, this new entry starring Yakumo is just as badass as any of Ryu’s past adventures. It retains the spirit and traditions of the previous games, expands on combat in new and stylish ways, and if you’re a fan of this type of game – it’s a bloody excellent fight from start to finish. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got some more fiends to slay.

Keeper is a tough game to score, and I think certain aspects deserve a 7/10 and others deserve an 8/10. I'm going with the latter because, taken as a whole, Keeper is a very charming, well-designed and memorable game with stunning visuals, and it's clearly had a lot of love poured into it by the development team. Some people will inevitibly be turned off by its slow and subtle story, as well as its overall lack of challenge and a first half that isn't as good as the second half, but I still think it deserves to be classed as a "Great" game, and it's well worth a download on Xbox Game Pass for sure.

Battlefield 6 is a fantastic first-person shooter, and the team at Battlefield Studios — now led by FPS veteran Vince Zampella — has done an amazing job at building this new foundation, especially after the dip in form with Battlefield 2042. The gunplay feels ace, the game looks and runs beautifully, and all of the core ingredients that make a proper Battlefield game are here. Some of those ingredients do need some extra seasoning though; the campaign is fun but bland and I want to see more large scale, Conquest-focused maps in future - but all-in-all, this is a great effort. In this day and age, the day one multiplayer experience is simply a base to be built upon, and that base is rock solid. I can't wait to see where Battlefield 6 ends up in a few years' time.

All in all, while EA Sports FC 26 isn't perfect by any means, I commend the development team for providing a more "authentic" style of gameplay compared to what Ultimate Team offers. Combine that with the fantastic suite of modes and excellent presentation as always, and we've got a great and memorable entry in the series this year.

Silent Hill F is a great survival horror title, and a true return to the classic series from Konami. It mixes things up well throughout its roughly 10-hour runtime, and I enjoyed both what the more grounded and the more hellish areas of the game had to offer. As a relative newbie to Silent Hill I can't wait to see where things go from here, and I really think developer NeoBards has what it takes to learn from F and improve on it for what's next. Silent Hill is finally back on Xbox, and it was worth the wait.

Gears of War: Reloaded is an excellent game. Sure, it's quite basic compared to modern Gears games and sure, the core of the experience is very similar to Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - but I still think this release was a worthwhile endeavour, and then some. PS5 players joining the party means that Gears 1 multiplayer will remain alive and thriving, and those quality-of-life improvements to online play are also a massive win in my eyes. Campaign perhaps doesn't benefit quite as much, but boosts to resolution, performance and that lighting upgrade are definitely noticeable - and welcome for those of us who will probably play this campaign another handful of times over the years. Gears of War: Reloaded is a great reintroduction to one of Xbox's most famous franchises, and I'm going to soak it all in as I wait with baited breath for the next Gears installment in 2026.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is another great entry in the series that's bound to prove popular on Xbox Game Pass and beyond. Developer Iron Galaxy has done an excellent job bringing these legendary maps into the modern era, and the gameplay feels just as good as it did in THPS 1+2. The structural changes to the fourth game along with the significantly altered soundtrack may irk some people, but there's still a ton of fun to be had overall - and now we're just hoping Tony Hawk's Underground 1+2 becomes a reality.

Rematch is an addictive blend of Rocket League and real football that's sure to prove a hit on Xbox Game Pass and beyond. The difficult controls might put some people off in the early hours, but its "just one more game" feel should keep most people playing beyond the teething period - and that's when it really comes into its own. The developers have done a fantastic job with this one, and I can't wait to see how it evolves in the weeks, months and years to come.

Revenge of the Planet successfully shifts the series to a third person perspective in order to bring us a sequel that's a slicker and more confident affair all round. This is a colourful, clever and creative romp at every turn - one that's enhanced significantly when played in co-op - and a game that gives you a cool world stuffed full of silly creatures, crazy weapons, and a ton of possibilities to get lost in exploring. Come for the co-op, stay for the Grob, we always say.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is another absolutely stellar offering from id Software. It may bring far more narrative aspects to the table, whilst also slowing the flow down with larger levels, but in action it's the same old pulse-pounding core combat; highly strategic, hugely challenging (at higher difficulties) and as clever, colourful and cool a shooter as you'll likely play this year. DOOM asked you to sweat your bullet count. Eternal made movement more meaningful. For this latest lesson, the Slayer brings defensive options, more space and time, and the perspective of a god-killer as he drops into battle. A slightly different death-dance, then, but still a gloriously great one.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 brings a sumptuously stylish world, intricately woven narrative and top-notch combat to the table, and it's a winner on every level. The additions to combat make for fights that feel proactive, engaging and exciting at all times. The world is a constant revelation of incredible new regions and vistas, and the story will keep you hooked in until its emotional resolution. Sandfall Interactive's debut is a masterpiece, really, an odyssey that'll stick in your mind long after you're done, and one of the most enjoyable and fresh RPGs we've played in aeons.

For me, South of Midnight is a bit of a triumph, and exactly the sort of thing I want to see more of from Xbox Game Studios. It's not perfect, and its combat mechanics are a bit lacking, but the game has so much soul, personality and charm that it's hard not to fall in love with it. I was engrossed with the storybook visuals, the well-delivered narrative and the satisfying traversal from start to finish, and I really can't recommend this one enough on Xbox Game Pass. Those of you that are more combat-first may not take a shining to this game quite as much as I have, but if you're looking for an engaging adventure that delivers soulful stories in spades, South of Midnight shouldn't be missed.

Split Fiction raises the bar for co-op adventure games and will surely be in the 'Game of the Year' conversation come the end of 2025. Its increased difficulty will put some players off, but those who relish the challenge will discover a magnificently varied, inventive and ambitious gameplay journey that's bound to stick long in the memory. My wife's already asking when the next one's coming out.

Avowed is a fantastic action-RPG that focuses on its combat and exploration first and foremost, which you'll either love the sound of, or not so much. Yes, Pillars fans looking for the sort of depth that comes with that series will need to adjust expectations accordingly, as this is a breezy, spunky, fight-fuelled affair that's more about creating cool loadouts and finding treasure than it is falling in love with an NPC or spending ten hours in your inventory at a time. Come for the fast-paced fights, colourful environs and excellent exploration, and you'll have a great time.

Xbox might not necessarily be the go-to system for fighting game fans, but it’s great to see Capcom showing its support for Microsoft’s platform with this amazing tribute to the Marvel series. It’s not only a history lesson in Capcom’s fighting game spin-offs, but also a hell of a collection (or should we say ride) bundling games that many fans feared might not ever see the light of day again due to licensing. In all honesty, just having Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes return is already a massive win, and the rest is a bonus – even if there are some oversights. Now, if you don’t mind, we’re going to get back to reliving the arcade glory days.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an epic RPG in every sense. This is a big, brutal world that works according to deep rules and mechanics that it's never shy about enforcing. Combat is tough, there's a heft and realism to everything, and you'll need to work hard for the things you achieve, but if you're up to the challenge, if you can spare a whole lot of time, this almost obtusely tough RPG will reward your persistence in spades. With top-notch writing and voice acting, one of the most convincingly real worlds we've ever roleplayed in, and an absolutely filthy line in humour, violence (and foul language), this is every bit the sequel fans of Henry's first outing will have been hoping for.

If you enjoy a solid action game, do not pass this up. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a must-play and some of the most fun you can have as the legendary Ryu Hayabusa – even if certain aspects of the design feel dated and select content is missing. This is a great way to kick off the 30th anniversary celebrations of developer Team Ninja. Now, bring on Ninja Gaiden 4!

Sniper Elite: Resistance is a super solid return to slo-mo sniping duties. It may lack the overall wow-factor and technical upgrades of its predecessor, and it treads a lot of very familiar ground, but this new entry has still got it where it matters most. A procession of nine outstanding maps provide sandboxes galore for the usual tricks, traps and fancy long-range shots, the new Propaganda missions are a fun diversion, and protagonist Harry Hawker is as close to Sniper Elite: Danny Dyer as we're likely to get. Add in co-op and Axis Invasions and you've got yourself another great big sniper celebration that's hard to resist.

Rita’s Rewind is well worth checking out if you’re a fan of Power Rangers or retro-style tributes to the beat ‘em up genre. It also offers up some great fan service and nostalgia, with its super scaler segments mixing up the gameplay with all sorts of blockbuster arcade scenes that do a respectable job honouring the source material. And hey, if you’re a lapsed Power Rangers fan, the memories should come flooding back in no time! This truly is a great way to mark the series’ 30th anniversary and goes to show just how much fun this franchise can still offer after all these years. So go, go Power Rangers!

Square Enix has successfully revived Dragon Quest 3 once again with this HD-2D Remake – making it more accessible than ever for newcomers with an array of quality-of-life updates and offering up more than enough new content for veterans to make it worthwhile revisiting. Even if it has aged, this is another great addition to the company’s HD-2D line and well worth playing if you’re a fan of old-school JRPGs.

Death Stranding Director's Cut is a phenomenal experience that, five years on, is still as incredible, mechanically, narratively and graphically, as ever. A top-notch cast do their best with what is an admittedly bonkers story (bonkers in all the best Kojima ways, you understand), whilst this incredibly haunting world, this emotional tale and its incredible characters, absolutely hook you in for one of the most memorable journeys of the past few console cycles. It's so good to see this masterpiece finally arrive on Xbox.

Overall, then, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a massive success for Xbox. This year's COD is packed with content across its three main modes, and Game Pass players will be able to enjoy this one for months - especially when additional seasonal content starts to release. Raven Software's campaign mode is a blast, multiplayer is the best it's been in years, and while Zombies isn't what it once was in our book, it's still a fun third mode to mess around with. If Call of Duty can continue to remain this high-quality each year, Microsoft has a winner on its hands, but for now let's just enjoy Black Ops 6 for what it is - a cracking COD game and a fine example of a console FPS.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a triumphant return to form for BioWare. This is a top-class action-RPG that lives up to the Dragon-Age name whilst laying to rest the ghosts of Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. With a roster of amazing companions to recruit, a mind-bending world full of exquisite regions to explore, and combat that raises the bar in every possible way for the franchise, this is the good stuff, thank you very much. We were worried, for sure — it's been a long time since the glory of Inquisition — but we've been served a follow-up here that improves on 2014's game in every way - and that's really saying something. How very exciting.

Shadow's latest chapter is arguably his best video game outing yet and easily the definitive experience in Sonic X Shadow Generations. The remaster of Sonic's existing campaign tops it all off, even if it has aged a bit in 2024. Fans of the ultimate lifeform (and the blue blur) should have a blast with this one.

Alan Wake 2: The Lake House is another brilliant slice of Remedy goodness. This expansion certainly veers more into Control territory, so if that's your Remedy jam, you're going to have a great time with this one. For us, we'd have liked the game's final DLC to feel a bit more like Alan Wake in its concept and execution, so The Lake House doesn't feel quite as accomplished as the base game or its previous Night Springs expansion. At just $20 / £15 for both DLC packs though, you really can't go wrong in opening up your wallet for some fresh Alan Wake action.

Aaero was a fun surprise on Xbox Games With Gold a few years ago, but it definitely still had room for improvement. The sequel takes all the best bits of the original title while also enhancing the weak areas, delivering improved combat, another fantastic soundtrack, the debut of local and online multiplayer, and various other quality-of-life tweaks. If you're a fan of rhythm games, we think you're going to have a great time with Aaero 2.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the team behind the best of the Persona series at the very top of their game. We were a little concerned we were in for a quick reskin of Joker's past glories, if we're being fully honest (we'd probably still have gobbled that up, let's face it), but what we've actually ended up with is a monumental JRPG. This is a coming together of everything that's been learned, honed and perfected over the years, presented through a phenomenal core narrative that's full of emotion and hope, amazing characters, some of the most warped enemy designs we've ever seen, and enough slick combat and style to do us until they make the next one. They better be making the next one already.

It’s been an incredibly long wait, but this series is arguably more super than ever on the current generation of hardware. Goku’s 3D battles with his friends (and enemies) look stunning, the roster is stacked with an updated cast, there are seemingly limitless match-ups, and the combat feels great, even if it might be a bit simple for some players. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero may just be the ‘ultra instinct’ entry fans have always wished for.