Bloodborne: The Old Hunters is much more of the same from what is already an outstanding game.

Persona 3 Reload is a brilliant remake. In terms of gameplay, it's easily the best incarnation of a classic RPG, boasting countless quality of life and mechanical adjustments that place it alongside the outstanding Persona 5 Royal. Storytelling enhancements make the plot even more impactful, and the remade visuals are a joy to behold. Reload is borderline essential if you're yet to experience Persona 3, while also providing a near perfect way for existing fans to relive a seminal release.

While the occasional technical issues might hamper the experience somewhat, XCOM 2 remains a superb strategy game that expertly weaves stellar mechanics and emotional story-telling into an engrossing campaign in which every choice that you make feels genuinely important. It can be both brutally difficult and depressingly ruthless, but the scant moments of joy that you'll experience in your attempts to overthrow the alien regime should provide more than enough incentive to keep fighting the good fight.

For those of you which fantasied about your favorite DC characters fighting by bumping your action figures together, Injustice 2 extends that fantasy into an impressively executed video game. There’s a lot to offer, and it will take you hundreds of hours to unlock everything, let alone attain the Platinum Trophy. The game’s depth in fighting, story, and customisation options make it a worthy addition to not only any fighting gamer’s library – but demands to be tried by people of all tastes.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut amplifies an already excellent open world game. The Iki Island expansion is worth the price of admission alone, providing another chunk of stunning Japanese landscape for Jin to explore, while also digging into the protagonist's past. A fantastic range of story missions and side quests make for a memorable offshore excursion, and put alongside the main campaign, Ghost of Tsushima now stands as a PS4 and PS5 must-buy.

The Witness is an intelligent, expertly crafted puzzle game with ceaselessly satisfying gameplay. It becomes bafflingly complex, yet the free-roaming nature of the island means that you'll never be stuck for long. In addition, the way in which it communicates new elements is nothing short of masterful. All in all, Jonathan Blow's latest is an enormous triumph.

Dead Cells has raised the bar for the rogue-lite genre going forward. A combination of astounding combat mechanics, an unfathomable amount of weapon variety, and a spectacular art style had us coming back for second helpings, while an array of enemies made sure we always had something new to dispose of. Dead Cells has delivered in every way imaginable, making it one of the PS4’s very best.

The Nioh Collection crams two great games and six story expansions into one complete, content-stuffed package. Despite its extensiveness, the lack of exclusive content or noteworthy new features make it a hard sell in its entirety. It gives Ninja Theory a good excuse to try and grab some more attention for some legitimately great games, but calling these remasters is perhaps a bit of an embellishment.

Civilization VI is an excellent strategy game that offers numerous ways to play, and all of them are viable options. You can lead a peaceful nation or a war-mongering empire and still have an engrossing and rewarding experience like few others on PS4. Excessive load times, grating music, and some occasionally irksome controls are the only real downsides to what is otherwise the system's best strategy game, and a title that strategy fans can scarcely afford to skip.

Measured against the immense expectations that surround it, Final Fantasy VII Remake is a great game that will inevitably disappoint some fans. That said, playing through the Midgar storyline 23 years later is giddily surreal, and the game does a fantastic job of expanding the existing plot, while also pushing a surprising amount of fresh ideas. Some frustratingly poor level design hampers the fun at times, and visually the game is all over the place, but when it's at its best, Remake is brilliant, and it's elevated to even greater heights by an excellent combat system. It may not be the perfect remake that we've all been dreaming of these past five years, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable, nostalgia-driven ride that understands the magic of Final Fantasy VII.

It's taken close to two years, but Street Fighter V finally resembles the game that it should have been from the start thanks to Arcade Edition. Newcomers can rest assured that there's now enough single player content to keep casual players happy, and at its core, the actual fighting remains top class. There's a cynical part of us that says Arcade Edition is little more than a glorified season three update, but the simple truth is that there's never been a better time to jump in.

A truly magnificent adventure game. An eclectic array of different gameplay mechanics play off of a small American town vibe incredibly well. While the gameplay is fun and varied, the main attraction is the absolutely incredible writing.

Guilty Gear Strive is a different kind of Guilty Gear. Veteran players may not appreciate some of the changes, but there's no denying that this is still an exceptional fighting game. On a mechanical level, Strive is immensely satisfying and hugely rewarding. On a visual level, it's quite simply unmatched in its genre, and the same can be said of its outstanding online netcode. Where it matters, Strive is a borderline masterpiece.

With an intriguing editing style and story, rock-solid performances and eye candy galore, Max Payne 3's campaign hits hard where most games whiff. While the gunplay is gorgeous and Superman-ing around the room doesn't really get old, sadly the core combat doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights of the wrapper - faithful to the series, but a bit arrested.

We were largely enthralled during our dozen or so hours with Pentiment. The mystery at the heart of the narrative remains compelling throughout, but it was the smaller moments that warmed our hearts; breaking bread with friends, sharing in their joy and heartbreak, watching lives play out, and generations pass, in a world on the cusp of dramatic change.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is the definitive way to play Atlus' devilish game of demon fusion, with a new suite of bells and whistles to smooth over what can, at times, still be an abrasive gameplay experience. It's incredibly combat-heavy, which can become oppressive, but working towards raising that perfect demon remains as engaging as ever.

The finale to The Walking Dead’s second season retains Telltale’s crown as the king of interactive storytelling. While this is a dark and frantic romp, ‘No Going Back’ also includes some light-hearted moments, which makes those closing scenes even more impactful.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is hard to fault. We can take or leave the story, the platforming is occasionally frustrating, and levels can outstay their welcome sometimes — but that's basically it. This is otherwise a brilliant 2D action platformer that looks gorgeous and plays even better thanks to kinetic, satisfying combat that feels superb when you get in the flow. If this is any indicator of SEGA's other upcoming franchise revivals, we're in for some good times ahead.

At its best, Final Fantasy 16 is a jaw-dropping epic of rarely seen proportions. It's pretty much the pinnacle of cinematic spectacle in modern games, and its often gripping, emotional story is only matched by its fantastic combat system. While its overall quality does dip outside of the main plot, this is still a must-play action RPG, and the best single-player Final Fantasy in over a decade.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection bundles together two of the PS4's greatest games. Both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy remain brilliantly crafted thrill rides, and their blend of cinematic action is still best-in-class. Throw in improved performance on PS5, and you've got a remarkably high quality package that's incredibly easy to recommend. If it's been a few years since you played either of these titles, the upgrade is probably worth the £10 / $10 asking price. If you're brand new, you're in for a treat — but you might want to start with Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.

Gran Turismo 7 is a game for everyone: the racing enthusiasts, the novices, and anyone in between. It celebrates car culture and history within the confines of a driving experience, explaining how the automobiles you race past the chequered flag fit into the wider world. There's never been a game quite like it before: Gran Turismo 7 means more than just racing. It's something that matters; something that warrants appreciation and respect just as much as it hands it out itself.

Enemies are visually grotesque, and their blinding-rage aggression makes for an experience that, even if you’ve played previously, is a challenging experience. You have to make the most of all your weapons, although the classic strategy of “use your shotgun as often as possible” remains viable. Ditto for the rocket launcher, the weapon most closely associated with the game.

Overall, Sea of Stars is immensely enjoyable from start to finish. While it's been inspired by various classic RPGs, it sets itself apart with an engaging story, some brilliant characters, and surprisingly deep lore. On top of that, the combat is great fun thanks to its involving, strategic mechanics, and exploring the gorgeous pixelated world is rewarding. It isn't perfect, but it overcomes any flaws with its charming presentation, a world ripe with things to see and do, and no shortage of personality.

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.

Utterly stunning in motion and effortlessly capturing the essence of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a masterful video game adaptation. Its combat system is relentlessly entertaining, fusing anime sensibilities with traditional, competitive fighting game mechanics, and its accessible controls allow anyone to get in on the action. Meanwhile, the online portion of the release is robust, and really sets the bar for social interaction when it comes to fighting games. Dragon Ball FighterZ is pretty much the best anime fighting game ever made.

Saros is a brilliant third-person shooter that takes what worked in Returnal and streamlines it for an even smoother game without diluting the fun. The core gameplay is the star attraction; complex yet intuitive, and a perfectly judged challenge that's so satisfying to overcome. With compelling permanent progression, flexible ways to modify your experience, and an intriguing story to follow, this is another step towards Housemarque's planetary takeover.

It's a superior game that plays brilliantly, and certainly stands in a league of its own in the Arkham line-up for the most part, but it simply doesn't leave your jaw agape like Arkham City seemed to manage with such ease and finesse.

Ultimately, Marvel's Spider-Man is a must-buy, because no matter how you feel about our webbed superhero, this is just an insanely fun game to play, and it's so well put together. Just like the Arkham games did for Batman, this pretty much provides the definitive version of the Spider-Man universe outside of the comics, and leaves us begging to explore more of it in the inevitable sequel. Webslinging is bliss, combat is fantastic fun, and the extra content and collectibles are varied and infrequent enough not to overwhelm. What's more, the plot and characters are an unexpected surprise, with some fantastic performances that are genuinely touching. Marvel's Spider-Man is one of the best games of 2018 so far, and every PS4 owner will feel proud to own it as part of their library.