Outer Wilds has more character in its handful of planetoids than No Man’s Sky had in 70 squinjillion. [RPS Bestest Bests]

The Lost Crown is an outstanding reinvention of what a Prince Of Persia game can be, as well as a top notch platforming-led Metroid-like in its own right. It brings so many welcome nips and tucks to the genre to make it friendly and accessible, all while giving players a meaty and uncompromising challenge to really test their mettle. It really is a proper belter, this one, and absolutely should not be missed if you've ever enjoyed a single second of the Ori games, Hollow Knight or SteamWorld Dig 2. After years of indie games dominating the Metroid space, it's heartening to see Ubisoft's Montpellier team find their feet again, leaving possibly only Silksong to steal back this otherwise crowning achievement. [RPS Bestest Bests]

If it’s your first time back since 1999, however, rest assured that it treats your memories well.

Most of all, Manifold Garden makes me break out in a cold sweat. I cannot help but imagine myself, trapped in an endless kaleidoscope. Running through corridor after identical corridor. Walking out of a room and finding myself on a pyramid of steps without end. Just running around the same strange building, and only seeing more of that building. Forever. I cannot imagine a worse horror. Argh. Good puzzles, though.

Propulsive, thrilling and breathless, DOOM is the triumph I never expected. I just can’t see there being a better shooter this year, I really can’t. [Single-Player review]

I can't help but compare Anno 117 to Anno 1800, which, after several years of chunky DLC, is one of the best and most complete city-builders of all time. Release-day Anno 117 was always going to feel slight by comparison. But I've already started four separate playthroughs focusing on different goods, and I've planned two more campaigns, including one where I'll build Rome's biggest ever naval fleet. That's a good sign. Anno 117 has solid bones to build on, and enough meat to go around.

So yes, there are flaws and niggles that come with it being almost 30 years old, but Tactics Ogre: Reborn remains one of the great strategy classics for good reason - and to finally see it come to PC and other modern platforms where everyone can enjoy its densely plotted tactical machinations is well worth celebrating. In another timeline, maybe, we might have seen this receive a more luscious HD-2D makeover (the game's 'Lawful' route, perhaps), but as it stands, this thoroughly 'Neutral' remaster still has plenty to admire and sink your teeth into - particularly if you're planning to play it on Steam Deck, where it works surprisingly well (bar a few touchscreen annoyances on the main map screen), despite not being fully verified yet.

I'm left impressed by Two Point Museum more than I actually enjoyed playing it. It's as thematically endearing as ever (sans the above), crammed with detail, and the new design customisation features are brilliant. But I also think it should have slammed the breaks on shoving in so many new, granular systems. It doesn't take long before you're pulled in too many directions and distracted from the stuff that's actually enjoyable. It makes the game feel sludgier and more calculated and tiresome than its novel and bright coating deserves.

If you're able to push past all the self-conscious cuteness, AR2's focus on crafting may just pull you in.

Not the most innovative game in the world by any means, but one of the best adventures you can go on inside a telly, and one of the most beautiful, too – especially now that telly is a PC. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Like Cities: Skylines, Planet Coaster gives new life to the management genre, and even if the launch version does little to improve what I’ve played during the beta, this would still be essential for anyone who dreams of packing in their old job and running a theme park.

I adore this. I am so frustrated that it’s very hard to convince people to pick up an RPGMaker game, so I’m also very relieved it has the To The Moon alumni tag that will hopefully convince people to grab it. Grab it you absolutely should. Yes, it’s maudlin in places, and yes, it’s undeniably a bit twee, but it earns the right to be by being just so good.

It does make me wonder, though, if this existentialist aesthetic was chosen for any particular reason or just because story mode necessitates the presence of a story and if you make the story’s theme “stuff sure is confusing” nothing really needs to make sense. As I said earlier, humanity’s puzzle mechanics are extremely strong, with each stage requiring a satisfying blend of intuition and experience to successfully complete. Its stage creation and sharing functions are similarly friendly and effective. The people could just as easily be water flowing through a zen garden or fish swimming through the sea, though, so why aren’t they? The fact that they are people and I am a shiba inu must mean something, right? Right?!

The Case Of The Golden Idol has more of a John Watson vibe – a few steps behind their resident super sleuth, but always in the same ball park, and that's what counts here, I think. This is certainly the closest I've seen another game try and emulate Obra Dinn's grisly murder sketches, and the fact it does them so well, and with such a keen eye for detail and visual flourish, is a credit to Color Gray Games' two-strong dev team. Its gurning cast of ne'er-do-wells may not be quite as nuanced as their nautical rivals, but they'll definitely stick just as long in your little grey cells. And if you've been very close attention, you'll now be able to fill out these blanks right here: The _____ Of The _____ _____ is _____ and I _____ it to bits.

Lost Records is bland, derivative, lacks momentum, does not reward player agency, and it twice made me cringe so hard I had to look away from the screen. I wish it was half as long as it is. I wish it had learned to let go of the ideas that have lost their power, like Sarah does in Labyrinth. I wish it had learned you can tell your coming-of-age story about a teenage girl with energy and originality... like Labyrinth. I am, despite all of that, looking forward to finding out whether any of it pays off when the second and final part releases on April 15th.

More than anything, the feeling that dominated throughout was one of magic. Its impossible logic made so much sense, its undimensional structure somehow coherent, so long as you allow yourself to float between the solving and the unsolving. It is that suspended place, between confusion and understanding, reality and impossibility, that makes Gorogoa so bewitching and enticing. [RPS Recommended]

You’ll lose lives, money, resolve and the marbles of your crew, before you’re back at the hamlet with nothing to show, no further forward, another four bodies resigned to the graveyard. You’ll incessantly tour a ragtag mob of reluctant rookies into foregone conclusions. You’ll laugh at the fact you’ve wound up with a nymphomaniac alcoholic who is barred from both the Tavern and the Brothel. You’ll cry. And cry and cry and cry. But I think you’ll love it.

80 Days is the most human game I’ve ever played. It is also, simply put, one of the best games I’ve ever played.

Nora is wonderful. [RPS Bestest Bests]

I’m not going to confess to you just how bad I am at Enter The Gungeon. But I think it’s testament to the superbly high quality of its construction that I’m not tiring of trying. This is the genre done right, although with an upbeat, uncruel approach that feels atmospherically more reminiscent of Rogue Legacy than, say, Nuclear Throne. It’s very silly in presentation, but very serious in pixel-perfect controls. Goodness knows if it’s good deeper in, but I’m having a brilliant time not finding out.

The Tomb Kings are ultimately a great addition to Warhammer’s perpetually pissed-off factions, but their poor integration into the Vortex campaign suggests that Creative Assembly haven’t quite figured out how to add factions who don’t share the core participants’ objectives. Consider this, then, a slightly more emphatic recommendation if you’ve got access to the Mortal Empires sandbox, where everyone is competing in the same race to conquer the world.

But these complaints are but drops of bumwater in an otherwise tranquil and deeply invigorating guzzle of videogame. Nine Sols simply would not stop delighting me every couple of screens with a new set piece, or some gorgeous background, or a brand new weirdo to chat with, or another revelation about its dark, enchanting world. Or, yes, a blisteringly difficult combat encounter that lets you feel every bit the skillful murder mox. ‘Taopunk’ is how the game describes itself. I’ve always loved such philosophy for how it never purports to have the answers, simply that it’s a toolset to find them yourself - to point the way to the moon without asking you to praise its pointing finger. Nine Sols pointed out the fun in a whole new genre for me, but I suspect I’ll still be thinking fondly of its weird mox paws for some time.

Frostpunk may be one of the most tense, exciting city building survival games on PC, but for a game with such an emphasis on innate justice, and heat, it leaves you surprisingly cold.

Upgrading your car is surprisingly varied. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Housemarque and Eugene Jarvis have created something very special, and I suspect, enduring. [RPS Recommended]

For anyone hoping it would bring a little modern fluidity to a long-stagnant genre, you might have to moonwalk upwards from this one. But for Ragers, it’s a sturdy score-attacking blowout to while away some hours, perfecting your flying knees and enflamed uppercuts, arguing over who deserves the trash salad.

I like the world and the writing, and I especially like how it can click its heels and conjure up a story – as long as you don’t get bogged down in overlong battles. It’s certainly worth keeping an eye on, and if any of this sounds interesting then an early access visit might well be worth your while. Just do your best to forget about how you could be playing Slay The Spire or Monster Train instead. [Early Access Review]

I’m so furious. I’ve ranted about boss fights SO many times, and argh, it’s happened again. A game I was absolutely adoring is now a game I can’t play at all, because of a wildly difficult boss fight.

I should also stress that none of this difficulty tweaking eventually fixed my disappointment about the loss of early levels' sense of fluency. In games like this, where a steady flow is gained by practice, I sometimes wonder: what is the least amount of practice I must invest before I feel that sense of flow? In early sequences, Ragebound asks very little investment: you quickly earn a basic understanding of all the dashing, dodging, slashing, and boinging required to bloodstomp through an average level with a speedrunner's abandon.

The star of the show is Sapienza itself though. It’s a beautiful maze of possibilities, flowing toward the sea with vantage and access points sprinkled throughout. Wherever and whenever you create a disturbance, the ripples spread, causing all of the systems that make the game tick to trigger, and creating thrills and farce as they combine. I’m excited to see new targets and contracts as both the developers and players explore every nook and cranny of the town.

It makes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge a fun - albeit short - romp that's perfect for a night lounging around on the sofa with mates, or in a Discord voice call from your bedrooms. It doesn’t make any big departures from what you might expect, but that simplicity lends itself to a more social gaming experience than I’m used to. I like to imagine it captures the feeling of crowding around the original arcade machine with your pals back in the 80s (even if, as a 00s baby, I’ve never actually done that). That said, Shredder's Revenge wasn't so fun alone, so I'd recommend waiting until you manage to get a group together. There's no rush to play this one, but it'll be a good couple of hours when you can convince friends to hop in.

It's a lavishly made and occasionally engrossing epic, definitely a game you'll relish more if, unlike the average reviewer, you can afford to take your time. But it doesn't have the wackiness and starpower of its most obvious rivals, the Final Fantasy 7 remakes. Its major characters would be bit-parts in Midgar, filling out the crowd at Seventh Heaven. Jill is the lady by the jukebox trying not to get mistaken for a mop. Cid makes for a captivating presence behind the bar, but he's clocking off early tonight. And Clive? Clive is that woebegone regular who's sort of a hit with the ladies but who insists on telling everybody about his domestic quarrels and who just won't sodding leave.

The important questions are whether it replicates the fun of the tabletop game – at least for the rank and file of casual players like me – and whether it’s a good PC game. The answer to both is a resounding yes.

It’s Size Five’s masterpiece. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Despite the tedious introduction of its two main characters, it's filled with strong character moments and ridiculous battles that remind us only nerds and squares bend to gravity's iron rules.

Ultimately, ElecHead is just an absolute treat from start to finish. It's clever, beautifully designed and it's all accompanied by a toe-tapping soundtrack by composer Tsuyomi. It's an essential purchase for puzzle platforming connoisseurs, and an excellent way to spend an evening for less than a tenner. It's not often I say this, but chucking your head against a brick wall has never been so much fun. [RPS Bestest Bests]

As it is, it’s the best way to play Valve’s original design if you haven’t done so before, and it’s a brilliant way to retread those old ventilation shafts, if you have.

And it is a very cool centipede. And next time I’m too burnt out to even exist outside of bed without the effortless structure this game is very good at lending to otherwise dead time, I’m sure I’ll be glad for the additions Vessel Of Hatred makes. It’s just very hard to get excited about, and some real excitement is what Diablo 4 needed. I might well book another ticket the next time a new destination gets added, but I’ll asking for podcast recommendations for the trip.

The gorgeous Mexiverse and hotheaded combat and puzzles are entertaining, but overall Guacamelee! 2 lacks the tightness that made its predecessor such a hoot from start to finish.

Viewfinder is a puzzle game like no other. A reality-warping, mind-bending hook keeps it constantly interesting, and it consistently wowed me with the directions it goes in. It’s a game that makes me wish I could erase my memory and play it for the first time all over again. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Suffice to say, I’m enjoying it more than its predecessor. It is chunky, it is moreish, and every time I come back to it in the evening it is like taking a big bite out of one of those mega Snickers you can only find in the cinema. All this praise might seem out of place moments after critiquing the game’s toothless practice of political commentary by obfuscation. But honestly, don’t worry about that. We humans are idiot creatures of contradiction, and we can thoroughly enjoy a rock solid shooter even as we recognise it as being vapid hogwash.

It’s rare to see such ambitious storytelling and open world roleplaying tied to such a stylish combat system, not to mention the (optional) Souls-like multiplayer elements, shooter tangents, mini-games that punctuate rather than interrupting, and that big ol’ world to explore. You don’t need to have played any of Yoko Taro’s previous games to appreciate Automata, even though it has links to both Drakengard and (of course) the original Nier, but it’ll probably make you keen to seek them out. Me? I’m hoping Platinum get a chance to work with these worlds and words again. A thousand ideas, delivered in rapid succession, backed by action that is the thread that stitches everything together rather than an interruption between one story beat and the next.

The masses of loot initially seem like the biggest difference between this and a From Software game, and could kid you into thinking Nioh is a game about raising stats above all else, but it’s not. That’s a small part of it. Really, it’s a game about raising your own level and mastering one of the finest combat systems ever put on a screen. It might be standing on the shoulders of Souls, but it’s got its eyes on a very different destination. [RPS Recommended]

Age Of Empires 2 is a much bigger game these days. And it’s been improved meaningfully enough that this is much more than just a bundle deal with increased resolution. But would I still recommend it to someone who never played an Age game back in the day, and has no nostalgia to buoy them? Well, yes. The RTS genre is a strangely empty thing these days, and there’s certainly not many games being made in the AoE2 mould.

Measured, thought out, detailed, kind. It has intent, from top to bottom. Even the weather feels like it has intent, the cycle of the day and night, the routines you get into. They way your friends leave you, sometimes in ways that will surprise you. Spiritfarer will probably make you very very sad, but it even does that in a kind way. In a way that makes you think about who you have lost, but also what they left behind with you, and the ways you are still close to them. [RPS Bestest Bests]

It’s a smart game though and a thoughtful one, even if it sometimes hides those qualities behind its clown makeup and a beaglepuss.

Vibrant and characterful as well as immense, Fallout 4 is the giant leap forwards Bethesda’s RPGs sorely needed in terms of presentation, though the unrelenting focus on routine, lightweight combat sees it fall just short of triumph status. (Recommended)

Between the emotional core centering around Mick and his family, the B-movie batshit tinfoil sci-fi stuff, and the eventual revelations that tie everything together in both theme and plot, there are a lot of elements jostling for space and time in The Drifter. It's impressive that it manages to wrap things coherently, nevermind the satisfying and touching way it does. Ultimately, it's a good story, well told, that knows when to lay on the head scratchers and when to ferry you along with simple tasks. I just hope Mick's actor remembered to combine honey and lemon with tea after recording.

Mostly, though, it's just the sheer brilliance of Patrick's puzzles that makes it stand out. There's just so much to admire and delight in here, and lemme tell you, the puzzles I can't talk about are just chefkiss.gif genius. Truly wonderful stuff. Just when you think you've got the measure of where this box shuffler's going, it pulls the recursive rug out from under you and captivates you all over again. Given what we're dealing with here, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this is an infinitely pleasing puzzle game. If I were Wilmot, I'd be green with envy. [RPS Bestest Bests]

A largely uninteresting original story and an otherwise bloated word count aside, Dynasty Warriors Origins is a joyous balancing act of tension and spectacle that's completely reignited my interest in the series.

It’s mostly a game of the same old problems – a Louis Van Gaal team in José Mourinho clothing. It falls down on the pitch and fails to execute well on its new ideas. I hope next year brings a better Journey and a better destination.

Telling Lies feels very much like Her Story 2, in the sense that a sequel is like the previous entry in a series but more: bigger, better, faster, stronger.

Project Cars 2 addresses most of the flaws of its predecessor while expanding its scope, and in doing so has carved out a new niche for the series. It’s not the absolute best sim for any given discipline – if you’re really into Rallycross, get Dirt 4, and if you’re really into open wheel cars, spring for iRacing (if it’s in the budget) – but if you just want to buy one game that allows you to keep coming back and mixing it up, the sheer variety of tracks, cars, race formats, and options means that this game will keep you happy.

I can’t talk about The End Is Nigh without comparing it to Super Meat Boy because in so many ways it feels like a conscious alternative to some of the defining properties of that rapid, colourful, classic game. But measured on its own qualities, The End Is Nigh is a good game, but not a memorable one.

So while it's a less difficult take on a Resident Evil-ish formula, I don't think it's less good. The emphasis is more on the puzzles than the survival, but the attention to detail in the sound design, the excellent planning of the map, and the creepy story and setting, are accompanied with a wink at the camera now and then that really put a shine on Crow Country. It's knowing as well as very good, and I had an excellent time at Crow Country (though would not give it a recommend on trip advisor if you're after a family holiday).

It’s hard to overstate how impossibly beautiful this game is! How good the animation! I couldn’t look away from it even when it was making me roll my eyes! Like whatever the opposite of a car crash is! Sorry for shouting! I’m sort of cross with it! But also want to play it again! Because it might be the most stunning game I have ever seen! Argh!

Is Grunn for you? Well, do you like the feeling of doing things that took you a long time before, again, but really fast? Do you like weird and delightful discoveries? Do you like going ‘ah!’ really loudly when a mystery clicks together? Do you like dying in various ways and unlocking new endings and knowing to do things a little differently next time around? Do you like knowing how many coins you’ve picked up? Actually, Grunn doesn’t tell you that unless you pick up another coin. That’s annoying, Grunn. Please sort that. Otherwise: Grunnderful stuff. Gnome notes. Dig in.

Origins handles its creative inheritance more elegantly than some open worlders, not least because unlike, say, the first game’s Altair, its protagonist actually feels like he is of this realm rather than merely in it. And if the levelling and to-do list grate, the series has never offered a society and a landscape so worthy of close attention. The next game needs to be transformative, but this is a fine place to spend time while it gestates. [RPS Recommended]

It may be obsessive and uncompromising, but it’s also the best to ever do it.

Yoku’s Island Express feels to me like a palate cleanser. I played it in short bursts at the end of long days and was refreshed by it each time. It’s not rich enough in terms of its ideas and set-pieces to get under your skin and I likely won’t remember much of the details of my time with it a year from now, but I will remember that it provided me with easy, simple pleasure. I could use a few more games like that in my life.

Berserk Boy is a cheery action platformer that makes Sonic’s high speeds readable and Mega Man’s unlockable powers genuinely exciting. There’s real fondness for those beloved games - even down to the occasional run ‘n’ gun vehicle sections - but more importantly, this never feels like a flat retread of what’s come before. None of the levels were challenging enough for my tastes, which might admittedly be a skill issue, although if my biggest critique boils down to simply wanting more, then I think that’s quite a promising sign.

Yep. It’s a good’un. Theme Hospital occupies a pretty special place in my gaming memories. The sense of relief and joy I got after my first hour with Two Point Hospital was palpable enough to turn into a pill, bottle, and then overcharge for. [RPS Bestest Bests]

It’ll keep you busy for a long damn time too, even if you only play it once – though, of course, for many there’ll be later playthroughs in co-op or at at unlockable higher difficulties. I think it’s the (admittedly presumed) desire to be the spiritual sequel to Diablo II which holds me back from heaping breathless praise on Grim Dawn, though.

When a sale comes along I will be the first to invite all ye completionist trope-soakers to partake, to wade around in this sweet trash heap one more time, listening to the guttural Scots-Cornish-Caribbean of my old friends, the Bangaa.

Despite a heavy dollop of Silent Hill, it’s a horror game unlike anything else I’ve played thanks to the smart use it makes of its historical setting. If you’re interested in thoughtful, fearsome games, don’t let this one slip by.

All in all then, I'd best sum up Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 like this: it's like Call Of Duty. A good one, I think. Not a bad one. If you like Call Of Duty, you will like this. If you don't like Call Of Duty, you will not like this. If you haven't played Call Of Duty in a while but did like Call Of Duty in the past, then you will probably like this. Now imagine me, as I step back into the fog with my M4A1 and disappear into a lobby filled with the wet squelches of a man passionately eating a lasagna too close to his mic. [Multiplayer Review]

I’m still not sure if Bloodstained has made a dyed in the wool Metroidvania fan out of me, but it’s certainly the most fun I’ve had playing one in a while. Even if I am still salty about that ending, and learning the super-specific requirements, I didn’t immediately throw up my hands. In fact, it feels more like an excuse to try out more attack combinations, zip around the lovely areas, and hopefully find a new hairstyle that makes Miriam look even more like an anime magical girl.

Like the original before it, this is an enthralling game that occupies a very specific niche – one certainly worth delving into, as long as you have the stomach for its niggling imperfections.

Hellblade is brave for tackling psychosis so directly, and braver still for pouring so much of its efforts into its narrative. It’s unlike anything else I’ve played this year, and for that reason it deserves a slice of your time.

It's perhaps unfair to slam it for its best parts apparently coming after many more weeks of experimenting and practicing (although I will slam its utterly tiresome ‘progression’ that has you unlock cosmetics and world generation options with points awarded after a campaign. It’s pointless time-wasting, but thankfully a great many worldgen options are available upfront, saving it from outright condemnation). I enjoy its city management, its freedom, and sometimes its battles. There's some solid, intricate design I can appreciate. but I never really connected with the factions, spells, or fighting of Age Of Wonders 4 the way the phrase "cursed toadlings" promised.

Perhaps that comes down to taste, as does Blasphemous 2’s mean and mysterious vibe in general. The cryptic parts will trip up some people more than others, but even as someone who fell flat on their face I can respect the deft weaving of systems into setting - which is, again, excellent. A few reveals made me say "Jesus Christ!" aloud, then chuckle at the appropriateness. I’d had my fill after the 12 hours it took to pay my penance, leaving a few areas unexplored and some mysteries that remain ravelled, but they’re there for those that want ‘em. By the hallowed murmuring of the sacred Archonfraternity: fill your boots.

I do find Black Ops 4’s tone genuinely disagreeable. Even so, I can see myself spending a few more evenings toying with this angry man’s guns.

If there's anything I want you to know about Kena: Bridge Of Spirits, it's that its simplicity is still beautifully expressive. In particular, Kena has a truly cinematic style, with some breathtaking cutscenes, and it deploys them with real expertise. Not only is the Kena aware of what it does well, it does those things very well indeed. And sure, the combat isn’t in-depth or complex, but it’s not trying to be. Kena: Bridge Of Spirits is a game about atmosphere, and it’s a breath of fresh air. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Despite knowing this moment is almost certainly in my future, and despite the slightly incredulous realisation that I’ll have spent another 80 hours playing almost exactly the same game I did four years ago, I've still had a good time with Octopath Traveler 2. There’s something innately enthralling about it, and while, deep down, there's still lots of things I dislike about it, cor, those battles are just the absolute business. It remains one of the most captivating combat systems in the entire JRPG genre, and it really does feel good to be back in its gorgeous HD-2D world again, reheated story leftovers and all (and I swear I’m not just saying that because we get another stonking Nishiki score to admire in the process, honest). It probably doesn’t need to exist, given how little it moves the dial forward, but I’m glad it does nevertheless – and hey, if you missed the boat the first time round, you may as well just start right here. One day, I’ll finally make good on my promise to give up this ludicrous, stubborn behemoth of a series, but for now at least, this is one mistake I’ll happily go another round on, grievances be damned.

Mankind Divided is a new version of one of my favourite games of all time and free from the execution problems that hampered that last iteration. The levels are bigger and prettier. There are no dumb boss fights. It gives you slightly more agency over its story. The new abilities are nice, even if they don’t dramatically alter the flow of the game. There still aren’t that many games like Deus Ex around and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an excellent game like Deus Ex.

What I can say is that it is delightful and non-threatening, and playing it has typically left me feeling pleasantly drowsy and contented, the way I might after wandering around a brightly-lit midway, munching a corn dog covered in mustard in a gauzy childhood memory of the carnival.

It’s been a long while since I’ve wanted to climb a leaderboard quite as much as I do right now.

It's a completely 2D game with hand-drawn art, and you're basically trapped in one room with a cat for the whole game. The setting is perhaps vaguely Edwardian but mostly unmoored by its strangeness. But it's so immersive! It's very easy to imagine how it feels to brush your hand over the cover of your encyclopedia of plants and flip through the pages. To experience the slight panic as a customer approaches and you sweep secret letters and tools back into the hidden drawer of your desk. The gentle animation of all the plants makes them feel so alive. The pattering of the rain on the windows. It gets cold in the shop, especially in the rain. If only I could persuade Hellebore to come and sit, purring, on my lap sometimes. Ah! Hello sir! Why yes, I have just the thing to help you sleep. Let me see now... Strange Horticulture is quiet, meticulous, delightful, dark, and beguiling. An utterly lovely game. [RPS Bestest Bests]

There’s much I wish it did better, but I can’t fail to be drawn in by the sheer substance of it.

The fact this is all the work of mostly two developers also just blows my mind a tiny bit, too. I don't think it will convert those who have never enjoyed a Pokémon game before, and I can also see its in-depth elemental system being a bit too much like a GSCE chemistry lesson to capture the attention of those Pikachu-loving ten-year-olds. But for those who have felt increasingly like the Pokésphere just doesn't cut it for them anymore, there's definitely a lot to like and admire here. Pokémon will always likely be the dominant force in the monster-catching genre, but Cassette Beasts is a smart, evolutionary offshoot from the Game Freak family tree that I hope has a long and happy life ahead of it.

The Forest remains a huge achievement, and a survival horror game that somehow manages to keep those two elements surprisingly separate and yet let each impose upon the other in very interesting ways. I do wish it had been tidied and bug-fixed by now, but I can’t stop wanting to play despite it.

You simply can't knock the game too hard for its chilled out nature, as it's the main reason you're able to approach the game however you want. You get to decide how challenging it is and the pace at which you'd like to chase those star ratings. And it's rare to find a game that's as much of a pleasure to soak in as this one. It has a jolly atmosphere, with fun radio stations and students who look like the spawn of Wallace from Wallace And Gromit. It doesn't take itself too seriously either, with wacky courses and surprising twists that aren’t just about hitting monetary goals. You'd be wise to enroll, I reckon.

There is care in every line of Unpacking, in the ancient mug that you come to know as The Mug You Always Keep Your Toothbrush In, the way this person's fashion changes a little bit over time, the sound design that sees cutlery jangle when you put it away, or the paper rustle whenever you pick out something new. Each new box, each new item you pull out, is a little surprise, a little exquisite treasure. Every room you complete in Unpacking is like tearing open a Kinder Egg and carefully constructing the toy inside. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Grit your teeth, accept the combat for what it is, and you've got a wonderful story here.

The biggest concern for anyone eagerly anticipating this sequel (hi, Graham) is that it can't keep up with the frenetic creativity of the original. And I can safely confirm that this is not a problem for Goo 2. If you were after another silly ride in a lazy river of black gunge, then jump on in. The goo's fine.

Little Nightmares II such is a splendid mix of cute and creepy, beautiful and awful, that it sort of defies categorisation. A childhood terror gothic, perhaps? [RPS Bestest Bests]

They show Destiny 2 game at both its best — as a frequently beautiful and consistently enjoyable shooter — and its worst, as a grinding loot box that ends up paying out in frustratingly small increments.

Sometimes working out how you feel about something is best done by imagining how you'll talk about it in the future if someone mentions it. "Oh yeah, S.p.l.i.t! F.cked up, that one," I'll say. "Play it for sure, though". I'll say that because there's more than despair here. There's an ailing sort of triumph, too.

All in all, it’s the usual fridge full of good and bad ingredients, making for a soup that tastes slightly different to last year’s - but not noticeably superior. As such, unless there's a specific change you like the sound of, 2K26 is probably a year to skip. It’s best summed up by its version of The City - the explorable hub where MyPlayers wander around and join impromptu street games. Rather than 2K25’s ridiculously extravagant urban sprawl, complete with pirate ship area, mech workshop and Michael Jordan-themed coliseum, this time, almost everything is tightly packed into a nondescript shopping centre and park.

If rushed through as a six-map story-led affair you’re perhaps going to feel a little short-changed, both in terms of length and in terms of dramatic satisfaction. I very strongly recommend playing it the way I did: it’s been so refreshing. Make each level the focus of a string of weeknights, exploring every corner and taking out every target, rather than ditch it the second you’ve played it once.

It's a smart roguelike for anyone who loves the core ingredients, but not everything lines up.

I already knew that Cosmo D could make games which tell fascinating and fun stories in a world I want to explore. I'm thrilled to now learn that Cosmo D can also make a game which makes me consider moves carefully as I enjoy mastering a system. I have no idea where he might go after this, and will be delighted to see. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has set Yakuza on a grand new course, and Like A Dragon’s RPG switch up is sure to delight long term fans, while remaining a perfect entry point for newcomers. If it slipped under your radar, take this as me pushing Ichiban Kasuga into your room and suggesting you install he and his friends as house guests for a while. This really isn’t a game you should miss out on. [RPS Bestest Bests]

So yes, while there are some bits of Crisis Core worth salvaging for a modern, overdue tune-up, Square Enix and co-developers Tose Co Ltd simply don't go far enough in bringing this up to date for a post-Remake audience.

What a thrill, to exist on the sidelines. To look longingly out towards the stars and wonder what’s going on beyond your little corner of this expansive universe. To understand a society purely through its waste products. Hardspace: Shipbreaker is a truly marvellous thing to spend time within. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Jusant is a very lovely game that asks you to meet it half way. It's worth the leap.

Launching into 1.0, V Rising is in a great spot. This is a survival game that doesn't faff around and is wonderfully streamlined, making your climb through the vampiric ranks a bounty hunting delight with little in the way of chores. To be honest, the game was worth getting in early access, and with 1.0, my thoughts remain the same. Get this if you're a survival fan who wants a good time by yourself or with pals, and especially if you love some MOBA combat.

Even if it doesn’t fully satisfy my desire for followable characters, it is still an excellent story-making game.