Like Ashes Cricket before it, Cricket 19 takes a good thing and touches it up. Its strength is definitely when bat meets ball, which is largely the same as Ashes Cricket, but its focus has been on enhancing everything around that. While there’s still room for improvement, once again it has topped itself to become the best cricket game on the market. The fully licensed Ashes mode is fantastic, the quasi World Cup delivers a faithful alternative to the real deal, and the Career mode will keep you invested long term.

Controls move from the Vita to the PS4 easily, though gameplay itself seems better suited for a portable console. Gameplay is incredibly taxing at times — especially courtroom scenes — so it’s one you’ll likely play for short bursts rather than a marathon. Still, this is a great package for those without a PS Vita — Danganronpa is a must-play.

Like last year’s offering, Just Dance 2019 is an inoffensive, exercise conducive title fun alone or in pairs. If you want to boogie, consider it.

Samus Returns has been designed for hardcore Metroid fans and rightly so, as I don’t see many newcomers playing a monochrome Game Boy remake on 3DS as their first Metroid game.

Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV is a clever way to add fresh content to a recent multiplayer favourite, without coercing anyone to buy the more expensive edition just because they’re playing on Switch 2. For most players, I’d recommend buying the cheaper base game first. It includes some of the best Mario Party boards and mini-games in years and it runs well on Switch 2 without the upgrade. When you’re ready for more – and have enough Joy-Con 2s for four players – kick-on with Jamboree TV as DLC for a more precise afterparty.

While it definitely departs from the usual formula for the series, Like A Dragon Ishin is undoubtedly worth your time. While this isn’t a story of true history, the game is happy to educate you on Japanese culture of the time – a helpful Glossary option will pop up for many terms unfamiliar to an English-speaking audience, so you’ll be able to tell your joshi from your goshi and shishi – and suddenly, Final Fantasy XIII’s naming conventions make a lot more sense. Becoming a badass, unstoppable samurai seems only right for someone who looks like Kiryu, and the story will keep you guessing to the end. Also those cucumbers are almost ready to harvest, so don’t forget to stop by the villa soon.

If the clunkiness of Monster Hunter has held you back in the past, Rise could be a good jumping-on point to give the franchise another try.

The strategic polish of two decades is on display in Age of Empires 4, both in the history of this series and the pedigree of the developer. Relic has wrapped an interesting if slightly flawed single player experience around what is a superb strategy game. You’ll probably know if you want to play this one, but if you just think medieval warfare is pretty cool and you really like the centuries where England and France just kept invading each other, I recommend you put aside any fears of fast clicking and micromanagement and just jumping in, just avoid that multiplayer menu until you are absolutely ready.

Thumbleweek Park is a stellar mix of mystery and humour, letting players delve into a case that requires plenty of thought… and, sadly, a lot of backtracking. A fast-travel map mitigates the latter issue quite a bit, but one elevator will make you rip your hair out, forcing you to take characters up and down one person at a time.

If you’re the kind of gamer who typically needs explicit direction or a heavily mechanics-focused game experience, you may think that ABZÛ isn’t for you. Move beyond that and give it a try. Between the rich visuals, orchestral soundtrack and chill playing experience, you’ll find something to like.

It’s a no-brainer for those with a PlayStation Plus account and one to consider for those with a bunch of friends and worn out copies of Jackbox’s finest. You’ll definitely have to invest in a portable charger for your phone or tablet, though.

There is so much more I could say about Civilization 7, but this review would run 7,000 words, and I think you already get the idea. Civ 7 isn’t just good, it’s the real deal. It’s a sequel that thinks like one of the matches it contains – a lot of small but significant strategic decisions that, when added up, create a winner. It feels different enough from previous iterations to justify the 7 in the title, and it thoughtfully builds on what came before. Civilization 7 is one of 2025’s first must-play titles.

If the Forza Horizon games are the festival of speed, then surely DiRT 5 is the festival of fun.

This is an unofficial celebration of (nearly) 20 years of Phoenix Wright, and it’s a damn good one at that, even with its failings.

Despite its flaws, Carrion is immensely enjoyable, though I would imagine its grotesque nature will turn some away. If you can stomach the gore, it’s well, well worth the play.

Ashes Cricket is the best cricket game ever made, enhancing the foundations of the Don Bradman Cricket series, rather than starting afresh. Player licensing takes it up a notch, as does an improved batting system and motion capture. While there are still too many glitches and commentary remains a mess, it delivers on the pitch with more accessible options for new players and improvements for veterans.

Despite those occasionals falter — and a somewhat polarising, disappointing ending — I was desperate to complete Observation to get to the bottom of its mystery. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately went out to acquire No Code’s last game, Stories Untold.

Alone or with a co-op partner, it’s hard to go wrong with Resident Evil 5. It is perfect for franchise fans or those looking to get into the series ahead of Resident Evil 7 and the Resident Evil 2 remake. At the time of writing, it’s a perfect time to delve in as well — this, and other Resident Evil games, are heavily discounted. Just avoid RE6 unless you know what you’re in for.

While telling its tale, 11-11 does a tremendous job of showing players what the world was like in 1916; news travels extremely slowly without the likes of smartphones, and even Harry’s photography is impacted – it’s too expensive to be able to take and process more than 16 photos per day.

The Forgotten City expands upon the original concept of a small mod and has been developed into a rich and well-balanced experience. While its gameplay is simple, its narrative and atmosphere shine through. A great game from start to end, The Forgotten City is a perfect gem for gamers who love a mystery. More than that though, it’s a fantastic game that explores the complexity of morality and challenges players to do the same long after its completion.

Sony Santa Monica has turned its established formula on its head and created a core loop and setting with tremendous potential.

Fans of the Monster Hunter series – even the main games – will have a real hit on their hands here, with a pleasant change of pace from the usual Monster Hunter antics. That doesn’t mean that there’s not plenty here for the layman too, and if you’re looking for a fun, if a bit easy, title to run you through to that huge release window in October than this is definitely worthy of your consideration.

PUBG keeps it simple but is riddled with performance issues and is too slow; Fortnite works well, but is too busy for me and takes too long to get to the real action; Blackout is just right, and the best battle royale game on the market.

These slight changes improve upon an already unbelievable base, stylised and polished.

For those that played Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is available separately and delivers a greater challenge. The original Galaxy was so good in part because it was something we’d never played before; all these years later, its sequel feels just as fresh and extends the experience to craft the best platformer ever made. Let’s just hope that when Super Mario 3D All-Stars Deluxe arrives for the 50th anniversary on Switch 3, it combines all of these games and more with the proper remastering they may not actually need, but definitely deserve.

I’m not an avid snowboarder by any means, but I’ve found Shredders to be a delight, a quick and rewarding, pick-up-and-play title that I can jump into for some quick runs after bashing my head against Elden Ring for far too long. It’s full of fun, humour and generally a delight to play.

Ultimately, Super Mario Maker is paired down on 3DS, but not to ridiculous levels.

Resident Evil: Revelations is perfect for fans of the franchise who don’t own a 3DS or didn’t take advantage of the last-gen release. Equally suited are die-hard fans who want the chance to experience the game again (or even again), this time with Trophy and Achievement support. It was a great return to the elements that made Resident Evil great, and helped Capcom to realise how we wanted Resident Evil 7. Get back on that ship.