SteamWorld Heist 2 does everything the name implies. It has the copious amounts of charm and strong world-building found in the wider series, while building and improving on the excellent gameplay foundation introduced in the original SteamWorld Heist. This seafaring adventure isn't one you should miss if you're after some top-tier tactics, and the improvements over the original make the almost-10-year wait more than worth it.

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter missed an opportunity to add much-needed polish, but if you want to revisit a childhood classic, you’ll be happy with this faithful remaster.

All those puzzles weave together to create a satisfying conclusion to Dei's journey that lands with impact, even if the pacing in the middle of the tale dips a little. Marrying the puzzles with the story is a gorgeous art style and stunning animation that consistently looks incredible, and has made the game stick in our mind. The Star Named EOS is a lovely, bitesized, personal tale that's easy to connect with and enjoy if you're a fan of similar narrative-led experiences and hidden object puzzle games.

Deadlink is a blast. At its pulse-pounding best, it's a breakneck shooter that rewards skill and tactical thinking, and keeps you hooked with a range of run-altering unlocks. A must for fans of relentless and often brutal action.

While the presentation isn't much to write home about, Monster Train's moreish gameplay and nigh-endless replay value more than make up for it. If you've played and enjoyed other deckbuilders, this is another solid example to add to the collection.

Despite some very minor drawbacks and a potentially short-lived novelty factor, Thank Goodness You're Here! delivers exactly what it sets out to — a brilliantly twisted, unabashedly English comedy curio. If you've an appetite for this brand of off-the-wall nonsense, we can't think of a game that does it better.

Exhausted Man is not really a game that'll wake you up at all. It begins feeling very samey fast and, outside of planning where to place items before a level each time, there's not much of a strategy to be had. While it has a unique play style, there are plenty of other everyday-life indie games we think should be played before this.

The ten-year wait for EA Sports College Football 25 has been worth it, with its all-encompassing Dynasty mode likely to prove an obsession for some football fans. Great gameplay paired with a deep spreadsheet simulator makes this one of the most fun and fresh sports games in eons, and it’s backed up by some stellar presentation, too. Ultimate Team feels superfluous, and Road to Glory could do with more time in the oven, but as far as comebacks go, this is one for the ages – even if it’s mere existence is likely to bemuse practically everyone outside of America.

Earth Defense Force 6 brings the series back and better than ever. It offers the same bug-smashing action with a time travel twist in the tale. Classes remain as satisfying as ever and multiplayer spreads the joy. Don’t go in expecting a graphical powerhouse, though.

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is a weird curiosity in the history of fighting games. While it did have the monumental task of following up on one of the best fighters ever made, it’s hard to deny that it's a bit of a letdown. It does have bright spots like some unique character choices and a range of fantastic sprites, but it doesn’t stand up with Capcom or SNK’s best. Meanwhile, the PS4 port itself is as okay as okay can be. It won’t blow you away with extra content or features — it’s simply a solid way to play SVC Chaos.

Even after nearly two decades, Jeanne d'Arc remains a classic strategy RPG, now available to a broader audience than ever before, thanks to its release on PS5 and PS4. Of course, it looks a little dated and controls a bit stiffly, but innovative tactical mechanics and a compelling narrative make history come to life.

Arranger is a delightful puzzle adventure game that we thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. Its tile-sliding puzzles are simple but well designed, and new ideas are introduced at a steady rate, adding variety without overcomplicating things. On top of that is a lovely, positive tale that gets its message across with a good dose of humour. There are some narrative loose ends we'd like to have seen addressed, but really there's very little to pick at here. It's a charming, well presented game well worth sliding into your schedule.

Let's School is a moderately okay management sim, which will definitely help you wile away a few hours. A lack of humanity lets it down and makes what could have been a very personable experience into another cog in the machine, taking away any individuality and losing the benefit of having the setting in a school environment by treating school life as purely transactional.

Nobody Wants To Die is a thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi detective thriller. The gameplay during investigations can feel a little perfunctory, but the narrative unfolds at a brisk pace, and the developer makes smart use of visual trickery to convince you that the game is much bigger than it actually is, presenting you with unforgettable future cityscapes that are perpetually out of reach. It's all an illusion, but a beautiful one.

The monetisation will put plenty of players off, but the free-to-play format means anyone can jump in and enjoy the sheer absurdity of some of its track designs. This is a bite-sized game, intended to be played in short bursts, so if you’ve been pining for something silly, simple, and completely over-the-top, there really aren’t many better options on PS5. Sometimes all a game needs to be is fun, and Asphalt Legends Unite is exactly that.

As long as you can put up with some repetitive enemy design and the story not being all that, then Flintlock is worth a punt. It all comes together for a consistently good experience that never tries to break the bank to become something more. It does nothing insultingly bad; neither does it set a new benchmark for anything specific. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a good video game — nothing more, nothing less.

Even with these small nitpicks, Flock offers a wonderfully serene excursion into a strange but beautiful world. Gliding around in itself is fun and relaxing, and tracking down all the critters feels rewarding without becoming too demanding. Those seeking out a unique, soothing game should flock to this.

It might not feel quite as new as its billing, but Kunitsu-Gami is still a lovely little game, with a seriously engrossing hook that'll have you wishing it was longer than it actually is. The plates it keeps spinning are impressive, even if it's actually a little slight in the final weighing.

Darkest Dungeon 2 is quite a departure from its predecessor, so much so that fans of that game might not gel with its more streamlined systems and mechanics. However, Red Hook has managed to retain that same dark spirit, and if you can get on board with it, it'll keep you coming back for more until the very last.

Schim is a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. It’s not the kind of experience that’ll change your world, but if you’re looking for something a bit more laid-back and low-stress, you won’t go far wrong with this one.

Zenless Zone Zero has the swagger of a game that knows it’s going to be a big success, and judging by its 50 million downloads at the time of publication, that confidence is not misplaced. In some ways this is a strange beast: artistically it’s all over the place, pulling from a litany of different sources and somehow stringing them all together into a cohesive, compelling whole. But at its heart it’s a character action game with a massive emphasis on team-building, and it’s a bloody good one at that.

Destiny is grindy, but it has an immensely satisfying gameplay loop and a rich story. Outriders doesn’t have the best plot or visuals, but each class has a wide variety of powers that synergise brilliantly, meaning each build is unique to how you want to play and combat is worthwhile for its own sake. The First Descendant has the stand-out Colossi battles, but everything leading up to them is so mind-numbingly tedious that they don’t justify the time or monetary investment you’d need to spend to enjoy them. It’s the gaming equivalent of playing with a fidget spinner while on a Discord call — something to keep your hands occupied while you catch up. It’s a game designed to get you to pay to skip it, not play it, so what’s the point of it?

Dawntrail is another excellent expansion for Final Fantasy 14. The story takes a while to get going, but once it's finished setting the scene it takes some pretty big swings in the second half that left us captivated. The dungeons are the best the game has ever had, the new Pictomancer class is an absolute joy to play, it's got incredible art design, and a soundtrack that's gorgeous. Here's to another 10 years of Final Fantasy 14.

The new mechanics rolled out in higher difficulties will keep dedicated players engaged for a long time. The fundamental gameplay is enjoyable enough to carry Spin Rhythm XD through its limited range. This is an energetic and moreish arcade rhythm game that puts a neat new spin on the genre.

NeoSprint is a decent refresh of an aged formula, with simple but fun racing and some neat new features. Unfortunately, the presentation is a little underwhelming, and one or two issues appear in the rear view mirror just a little too often.

Trails through Daybreak is one of the series' best games, and its most impressive in terms of scope. It's a robust, engrossing RPG that often demands patience, but it's hard to turn your back on such a strong cast of characters and a story that's stuffed with memorable moments. Throw a fantastic combat system into the equation, and Daybreak is right up there with Falcom's finest releases.

#BLUD's not without its drawbacks. Quest objectives can seem vague, the combat takes a while to really get going, and its dungeon design teeters into tedious territory at times. But fun boss fights, a good sense of humour, and an absolutely killer art style can make you forget all about the missteps.

A bona fide classic remastered with love and care. This edition brings smooth visuals, a beautifully recreated musical score, and well-presented supplemental materials. It certainly shows its age, but like all great art, Beyond Good & Evil weathers the test of time with grace.