Silent Hill 2 is a visually stunning remake that captures much of the original's ambiance, but it could be more delicate with its difficult themes and pacing.

It may not be set in the titular town, but Silent Hill f undoubtedly encompasses the essence of the series with a dark, twisted, and emotionally weighty tale of psychological horror. It also takes plenty of imaginative and creative risks that are fantastic and flawed in equal measure. It would be an even more special game if only it weren't plagued by an inconsistent atmosphere and some of the most miserable combat I've ever experienced.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 is a behemoth park management sim. It offers an engaging campaign, the opportunity to revive, breed, and genetically upgrade dinosaurs, and the ability to build your own scenery from scratch. But I’d still like more scope to flex my creative muscles, and certain mechanics like managing dinosaurs’ comfort become a bit of a chore. A satisfying evolution, but it’ll require some tweaks to become truly great.

Marathon looks great and benefits from some excellent moment-to-moment action, especially if you’re playing with friends. Even so, the clear lack of content, terrible cosmetics, and abundance of repetitive fetch quests give you few compelling reasons to keep coming back for more once the initial burst of excitement wears off.

This top-tier strategy game loses points for the slurs and racial stereotyping in the writing. The best urban combat in a tactical game in years, but the world feels paper-thin even as the fights impress.

If you can look beyond some janky fights and want to experience a unique setting, there’s fun to be had in Black Myth: Wukong.

There’s a lot of fun to be had in F1 25, largely thanks to the excellent Braking Point 3 campaign and a very welcome upgrade to the My Team career mode. That said, most modes remain practically unchanged from last year’s entry, leaving the series feeling like it's spinning its wheels somewhat. Here’s hoping Codemasters has some big changes planned for next year’s game in line with the sport’s real-world regulation changes.

Just like real-life golf, PGA Tour 2K25 is a hearty mix of satisfaction and frustration. The former comes from its excellent shot crafting and wonderful shot-to-shot golf play which is moreish and multifaceted. The latter comes in the form of disappointing commentary and audio, a dizzying amount of transition screens, some missteps in skills, and the glaring absence of the most famous courses and tournaments which still keep it firmly in EA Sports PGA Tour’s shadow.

A handful of ill-conceived alterations prevent Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake from being quite as compelling as its legendary predecessor, but it’s still a strong survival horror game elevated by a memorable narrative and impressive production values.

An obtuse yet pleasing adventure, Remnant 2’s post-apocalyptic dimension hopping is hobbled by wonky and imprecise combat. That said, fans of bleakly beautiful environments, immersive settings, or the prospect of battling Soulsborne bosses with friends may find themselves enjoying this genre-melding third-person shooter.

Every night in Hinterberg ends with a Stardew Valley-esque recap of your day that encapsulates the game’s innovative blend of dungeon crawling and social simulation. You’re reminded of the undead Miner’s Widow you conquered, alongside the HP you gained from meditation. Staring down the barrel of another day of dungeoneering can be offputting, especially with the prospect of an over-familiar puzzle or frustrating fight on the horizon. Still, Dungeons of Hinterberg’s personable cast and stunning environments provided the necessary pockets of reprieve that kept me wanting to wake up and face the day every next morning.

Fast Fusion is a very impressive showcase of the Switch 2’s graphical capabilities. A decent range of tracks and the awesome fusion mechanic definitely make it worth checking out (especially at its unbelievably low price tag), though some frustrations with progression and borderline unfair AI rubber-banding hamper the overall experience.

Dicefolk is a fun turn-based roguelike with a decent variety of environments and characters to stay entertaining, but the content itself becomes repetitive. Although excitement is added through boss encounters and the gamble of random rolls, the repetition holds Dicefolk back from excelling.

Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer is another excellent addition to developer Hamster’s collection of preserved arcade classics. Having the arcade version of the original Ridge Racer on Switch 2 is a real blessing, and its support for online leaderboards allow for quickfire, moreish handheld play. It’s certainly not the most feature-rich game in the series, but a handful of modes and satisfyingly simple gameplay have kept me coming back.

The First Berserker: Khazan is one of the toughest action games and soulslikes in recent years. It's relentlessly punishing, with challenging spectacle fights and bosses to overcome. However, each challenge you do topple leads a sense of satisfaction that harkens back to the genre’s origins when everyone was less experienced at these games. That combat is only let down by a somewhat overwhelming story for newcomers to the Dungeon & Fighter (DNF) universe, a lack of accessibility options besides an easy difficulty, and a gear crafting system that feels unnecessary.

Oxenfree 2 is a smart, stylish but ultimately safe sequel to a modern cult classic. It unfortunately repeats many of the mistakes of its predecessor, and perhaps that’s the point, but there’s still plenty here for those looking for another dose of small town mystery drowned in spectral radio static.

Days Gone Remastered looks and feels better than the original, offering welcome accessibility features, more challenge, and enhanced visuals. But the old issues, primarily poor pacing, underwhelming story, and repetition, plague this open-world adventure. If you're looking for a decent zombie-slaying survival game, you'll be satisfied with this but don't expect a bump-free ride.

El Paso, Elsewhere is a creative and thoughtful project that expertly mixes nostalgic graphics with clean controls. It’s a thrilling fight from start to finish. However, sometimes, the protagonist's monologues can feel like a pizza cutter: all edge with no point.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an audacious love letter to Games Workshop’s dystopian sci-fi setting, offering a bleak yet compelling portrait of the iconic universe. However, engaging combat and gripping decision points are let down by abundant bugs and a mechanical depth that can be off-putting at times.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 builds on the engrossing flight model of its 2020 predecessor and finds substantial new ways to turn the impressive 1:1 Earth replica into a structured experience. But even after its disastrous launch, the streaming tech powering it seems determined to keep you from the good bits.

This series has been veering towards an increasingly hardcore audience lately, so the addition of arcade handling is a welcome option in Moto GP 25. There are tweaks to be made in post-release patches, most notably AI difficulty in arcade mode, and the flat track, but the handling, visuals and authentic touches keep this essential for MotoGP fans and well worth a look for a broader audience of racing gamers.

WWE 2K26 once again sees 2K improve on its yearly release, but like with other years, there's always a downside to go along with it. This year's MyRise feels undercooked, and the Ringside Pass locks paid DLC behind progression that takes an age to move forward. It's still a top-of-the-line grappler, but frustrating choices hold it back.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is finally a definitive way to play Retro Studios first Donkey Kong adventure that’s untethered from forced motion controls of the Nintendo Wii or the performance of the Nintendo 3DS. However, outside of that, it brings nothing new to what is probably the weakest entry in the series, apart from a high price point.

Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is a no-frills port of the 3DS game with some minor visual upgrades. It won’t win over those who disliked the original, but it’s a solid experience for everyone else.

Synapse is a substantial, somewhat interesting FPS adventure and a compelling PSVR 2 exclusive that lets you become a mind-trawling mayhem merchant with psychic powers.

Persona 5 Tactica preserves the style and sophistication of its predecessor, offering a slick and sharp tactical experience that continues to reward after hours of play. Full of familiar Persona 5 hallmarks, fans of the series are in for a treat, but newcomers may find themselves left out in the cold.

Much like the game’s creatures that assemble from the bits and bobs of the deceased on their path, Cronos: The New Dawn also amalgamates the prime cuts of Resident Evil 4, Dead Space, The Last of Us, Alan Wake, and more survival horror classics. At least the result isn't a hulking monstrosity that I want to kill with fire. However, despite traces of genuinely inventive ideas, it's a flawed patchwork that just about gets away with competently imitating all of its absorbed parts.

Mario Tennis Fever builds on its predecessor's solid presentation and arcade tennis action with more content than before and a new mechanic that's a recipe for Mario Kart-style courtside mayhem. Although the underwhelming Adventure mode doesn't last long, it doesn't mean you won't have fun during a match.