Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is just good old fashioned fun. Its simplistic gameplay lets it down a little, but with vibrant environments brought to life with stunning detail, excellent writing and performances across the board, and a fun globe-trotting Indy adventure that nails the tone and feel of the film series, we had a blast from start to finish. If you’ve been holding off from playing The Great Circle, then now is the time. The PS5 takes an already brilliant adventure and makes it even better.

Rusty Rabbit is a standard Metroidvania that doesn't stray far from the formula, but surprises with lots of customisation and light social sim elements. It's worth playing for its protagonist alone (in the Japanese dub at least), a cute rabbit with the stern vocals of Kazama Kiryu.

There's something to be taken from almost every run, though, whether that's knowledge, some sort of permanent progress, or just discovering a room you hadn't seen before. So dense with puzzles, secrets, and lore is Blue Prince that it rarely leaves you empty-handed, even if it can feel that way sometimes. Again, if you have the drive to see the game through on its terms, you'll be handsomely rewarded, but the journey getting to that point may be too inconsistent for some.

MLB The Show 25’s refinements to Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty make this another superb baseball sim. The on-field gameplay may feel largely familiar, but it’s already so well executed that it staves off any feeling of samey-ness. Some great new modes and another enjoyable set of documentary-esque storylines round out a package that’s still quite comfortably at the top of its game.

Despite its disparate elements you've probably seen before, you've never played a game quite like Promise Mascot Agency, a game that smashes together a crime drama story, management sim mechanics, and open world exploration. While there are some rough edges and repetitive aspects, this hangs together thanks to an engrossing story, compelling progression, and unusual but likeable characters. Greater than the sum of its parts, this unique game has cult hit written all over it.

While the game itself inevitably shows its age with its simplistic design, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remains an adorable and fun platformer in this remaster. The revamped visuals pop while staying true to its old school look, and the analog control provides a much smoother way to play. The Crocipedia fleshes things out, providing lots of detail about the making of this pioneering 3D title.

A visual novel that cares more about its presentation than its writing, Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme is about as shallow as a reality television show – but it never pretends to be anything else. Irrespective of your personal appetite for underdressed 18-year-olds, this is an impressive looking game, with vivid oversaturated visuals and some brilliant animations. It’s a lot tamer than its screenshots may imply, but without the minigame hooks of its predecessors, it feels a little lightweight as a consequence.

There's something really compelling at the core of Bleach: Rebirth of Souls, but it struggles to emerge amidst half-baked mechanics and a general lack of depth. The game wows over the first few hours with slick visuals and a varied character roster, but it just doesn't have the content to keep anyone but the most hardcore Bleach fans hooked. While it's great to see Tite Kubo's edgy blockbuster back in action, Rebirth of Souls will go down as a flashy fighter that never realised its potential.

Ultimately, The First Berserker: Khazan is a good time. Its aesthetic differentiates it from the plethora of ARPG Souls-likes we've become used to, and its brilliant boss fights are engaging enough to entice you through levels that start to feel boring around the mid-way point of the game. But its lacklustre story and bloated, inconsistent mechanics hinder what could have been a better game if it were more refined.

Atomfall commits to embodying everything it means to be British, and it comes out the other side all the better for it. The mystery at the heart of the alternate 1960s setting is gripping, forever teasing clues and solutions to a way out of its rural quarantine zone. Its combat systems and mechanics let the experience down, but Rebellion’s latest peaks when it makes you the countryside’s Inspector Gadget with a bunch of Leads to pursue and villagefolk to suspect.

While Assassin's Creed Shadows is unlikely to win over those who struggled to push through Odyssey or Valhalla, this is still one of the strongest overall entries in the series — and arguably the best of the open world RPG bunch. The storytelling is largely fantastic, the main characters are deeply likeable, and the open world itself is a thing of beauty.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is a wonderfully charming addition to the long-running JRPG series. It's a fantastic jumping in point to the franchise for new players, and has enough tweaks to the established formula to provide a breath of fresh air for existing fans. The story is a little slight, but the appealing characters, streamlined yet robust crafting system, and rewarding exploration make this a recipe for a good time.

There are a few downsides, of course. Learning how to implement all the above involves some trial and error. While there are tutorials that teach players the specifics of how each faction works, we feel like one specifically for console controllers would have been useful. It took us about a half dozen hours to really become comfortable and competent, which might be asking a bit much for a casual player. This next one is more for hardened veterans, and even then your mileage may vary; nearly a quarter of a century on, strategy games have come a pretty long way, and there's no denying that Age of Mythology’s gameplay can feel simplistic, which is ironic, considering how influential the series has been. Having played a bunch back in the day, the missed campaigns are appreciated, but we can’t see ourselves regularly returning to the well.

Dungeons of Hinterberg presents itself as a virtual vacation, and it can really feel like one at times. Its chill concoction of combat, conversations, and puzzle-solving is always entertaining without being too challenging or obtuse. Come for the dungeons and you end up staying for the people.

For the fourth year running, 2K and Visual Concepts have produced a high quality wrestling game that's absolutely overflowing with content. While not every change sticks the landing and The Island is a potentially worrying omen for the future of the series, it's the inclusion of intergender wrestling, other new features and match types, and strong Showcase and MyRISE modes that cement WWE 2K25 as a must-play for any wrestling fan.

It's a clever mix of genre and story, because it provides a cosy space to immerse yourself in while also highlighting the reasons why people play things like this in the first place — to unwind, to take a break with something relaxing. Alta is forced to slow down and reflect on her issues, and through conversations and moments of introspection, the game delivers a thoughtful, emotive tale that may well hit home for many.

Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars combine two incredible JRPGs from the genre’s golden age on PS1, lovingly remastered and improved for PS5 and PS4. They suffer from the same issues many games did back in the day: unwieldy, occasionally grindy, and sometimes obtuse. Still, the package offers fans the chance to experience these lesser-known gems, and both deserve a place in the collection of any fan, even the least bit interested.

Split Fiction is Hazelight Studios' best game yet, and stands out as one of the most accomplished and fun co-op titles on PS5 to date. Its peerless variety means there's never a dull moment, and all of its different mechanics are consistently well-executed. There are one or two minor complaints you can throw at this, but they all fade into the background when the game is constantly showing you new ideas and almost never pausing for breath. This is proof, if more was needed, that Josef Fares and his team has found a really special formula, one that allows them to explore an incredible range of gameplay that's only enhanced by its singular co-op vision.

Two Point Museum successfully transposes an effective gameplay formula to another theme, with this game in particular packing some serious variety due to the different types of institutions you can build. It’s laugh out loud funny, moreish, and there’s an enjoyable difficulty curve. But if you’ve never been particularly fond of this type of tycoon title, don’t expect to find anything here that will change your mind.

Few games can match the satisfaction of Monster Hunter — and Monster Hunter Wilds might just be the most satisfying instalment yet. Capcom has fine tuned the act of felling colossal foes, creating one of the most rewarding games of the generation in the process. While the overall package is held back by a stalling story campaign and questionable performance, Wilds is an outstanding action RPG at its core, and a worthy successor to the almighty World.

Truthfully, Warriors: Abyss feels like Koei Tecmo tried to cook up its own budget Hades from the leftovers of last night's Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. That's not to say it fails to sate the appetite, though. Despite being a bit rough around the edges, Abyss is a solid and successfully addictive foray into the roguelike genre, and the series' signature hack-and-slash ingredients blend right in.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 is an intriguing introduction to a mysterious new world. With its characters and setting at the forefront, this rose-tinted view of the mid-90s is welcoming, nostalgic, and perfectly blends this tale’s more enigmatic side. It is incredibly slow at times and it doesn’t answer an awful lot, but truth be told, we’re dying to have those questions addressed in the latter part of the story. Tape 1 has teed it up, so it’s down to Tape 2 to secure the home run.

A thoroughly enjoyable side game that looks to offer familiar Like a Dragon action with a swashbuckling twist, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a flamboyant distraction between mainline entries. The story doesn’t compare favourably to the mainline entries and the new island areas quickly become repetitive, but the novelty of Goro Majima at the helm of a pirate ship never quite wears off. Stay for its frenzied action and jolly pirate ship battles and you’ll have a good time.

Despite its UI issues and missing features, Civ VII is still an enjoyable and addictive experience. Its new mechanics provide a fresh foundation which will no doubt be expanded on over the coming years with more content. If they can get over the substantial formula changes, hardcore fans of the series are more likely to be forgiving of the game’s shortcomings and probably won’t regret their purchase, but more casual players may want to sit tight until the title has been patched and padded out with more content for a more complete experience.

The game ultimately has strong, important messages about loss and mental health. Add in some great music and wonderful navigation, and it becomes difficult not to recommend Afterlove EP despite its rough edges.

With another generous set of remasters, we finally have the complete inaugural generation of a Playstation icon. The ports aren't perfect, but a generous selection of modern options balance out the imperfections of Tomb Raider: Last Revelation and its sequel Chronicles. Having The Angel Of Darkness in a good enough state to revisit might be worth the price alone.

Trails through Daybreak 2 is a surprisingly experimental instalment in Falcom's long-running RPG series. Gameplay-wise, it improves upon its predecessor with tighter combat systems, and a greater degree of interactivity during side quests. However, its epilogue-like storytelling is very hit and miss. Some fantastic character development is contrasted by padded narrative beats and a plot device that grows tediously predictable as you progress. Still, with the right expectations, this is another enjoyable romp with Van and the gang.

While there's nothing in the game we haven't seen before, it's the delivery that makes it novel. The writing is genuinely amusing, the story rather sweet, and the slapstick physics plenty of fun to engage with. Only some minor technical hiccups interrupt the otherwise smooth gameplay, and while finding the last remaining collectibles can be difficult (even aided by a special Junk-detecting hat), the game succeeds due to its brevity and playful tone.