Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds isn’t just the best racing game of the year; it brings a confidence and energy that the genre has rarely seen over the past decade and a half. Especially as arcade-like experiences have largely given way to more straight-faced sim racing affairs. CrossWorlds offers a metric ton of things to do, with loads of tracks, characters, vehicles, and unlockables. The racing itself is also plenty addicting, thrilling, and - most importantly - blazingly fast. Some side modes feel a little underbaked, but this is an incredibly strong package where you absolutely get what you pay for.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance triumphs at what it sets out to achieve. A side-scrolling action game, it brings intense, fast-flowing combat and some very light metroidvania elements for brief bouts of exploration. If you’ve played developer Lizardcube’s previous game, Streets of Rage 4, expect a similarly stunning hand-drawn art style here, as well as an excellent soundtrack that keeps the action feeling suitably engaging. Make no mistake, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a game of the year contender and essential play for action game fans.

It’s easy to dismiss EA Sports FC 25 as a glorified reskin of EA Sports FC 24 – and in many respects, it is – but the customarily small tweaks made to graphics and gameplay add up to a near-perfect sports game experience. This is total football.

Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition is an incredible port that delivers smooth performance in addition to a formidable level of detail and impressive ray-tracing effects. With all the game’s significant downloadable content included at a fantastic value price, this is a must-have experience for any Nintendo Switch 2 owner.

Monster Hunter Wilds is a bold and bustling continuation of its predecessor’s approach to streamlining the once-niche series. By stripping away some of the more frustrating elements of the past, and focusing on getting players into hunts as quickly as possible, Monster Hunter Wilds has the potential to launch the series to new heights. Aside from some head-scratching omissions, Monster Hunter Wilds is a collection of the greatest hits from past games, one that finally delivers on the promise of a truly vibrant and living open world.

EA Sports FC 26 is a veritable smorgasbord of well-refined modes, improved gameplay mechanics, and never-better player likenesses. No single upgrade defines the experience, but offline players will feel particularly grateful for this year's litany of realism-focused changes.

People often say you can't reinvent the wheel. Pokémon Legends: Z-A proves that sometimes you can improve on perfection, and while some changes need some fine-tuning, the experience it delivers is one I hope I'll see again from this franchise.

Batman: Arkham Shadow is a full-on AAA VR experience that everyone with a Meta Quest 3 or 3S should try, and people who don't have either headset need to get one to play this game.

Lego 2K Drive is a tectonic shift for the kart racing genre, Featuring tight driving controls, energetic races, and an expansive open world, it speeds into pole position past its Mascot-dominated contemporaries.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a fantastic version of an absolute masterpiece, and one I’d wholly recommend to anyone. As a remake, it’s incredibly beholden to the original, to a point that is almost too faithful outside of minor tweaks to gameplay and a visual overhaul. That isn’t inherently a bad thing, but does mean it won’t have too much fresh to offer those returning to it.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaps forward on what was offered in 2017’s Breath of the Wild, filling out the world’s sandbox with innovative new tools and abilities, letting you approach challenges in inventive new ways.

Easily the definitive version of the game, and the one I craved for since playing it the first time around, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced on PS5 is a triumph. Senua’s bleak, miserable, and absorbing Icelandic tale gets some excellent graphical upgrades and is a staggeringly beautiful with incredible levels of immersion, thanks to its audio-visual execution and exquisite performance and quality on PS5 and PS5 Pro.

Astro Bot combines engrossing platforming mechanics across masterfully designed levels that are filled with fun obstacles and collectibles. It stands up to gaming’s biggest giants like Mario and Sonic as a result and is a joyous Game of the Year contender.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door’s Nintendo Switch remake demonstrates that the 20-year-old Gamecube role-playing game has aged like a fine wine, barely touching its gameplay elements while offering a stunning glow-up in the visual department. Some may lament the 30fps cap and some rather antiquated backtracking, but it remains a thoroughly charming and engaging experience from start to finish.

While Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster will feel incredibly familiar to returning players, this is the perfect way to play an RPG great. One of the best Nintendo 3DS games is back for a new audience to discover, and sometimes knowing when not to change something is an important part of re-releasing an older title. At times, it feels like a lost relic, but I’m glad it’s here again.

The definitive way to play two of the best Mario adventures of all time. If you've never experienced either Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Galaxy 2, now is the time to do so: Two magical adventures with addictive level design and an incredible soundtrack. Both games could be on any Mount Rushmore of Nintendo titles.

Donkey Kong Bananza is the greatest Nintendo Switch 2 title to date, delivering an incredible destruction system that showcases the power of the new system. It’s visually impressive and, while the story isn’t anything to write home about, benefits from charming and expressive voice acting and animations. Throw in a seemingly endless stream of collectibles and secrets, and you have a meaty adventure that’s a delight to explore.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is by far the best and most well-rounded compilation of fighting games the studio has put out so far. There’s truly something for everyone here, from the ocean-deep mechanics of Capcom vs. SNK 2 to the madcap party fun of the Power Stone games. Capcom Fighting Evolution is still a dud and could’ve been replaced with literally anything else, but this is an otherwise unmissable collection for both local and online play.

In truth, I wasn’t all that sure Mewgenics could win my heart the way its predecessor, The Binding of Isaac, did, but I’m glad to have been proved sorely wrong by this inventive and complex turn-based roguelike. Beneath the veil of crassness and feline fornication lives a well-paced and content-packed adventure that demands strategic thinking. Yes, its humor feels dated in places, but it stands as a testament to the enduring charm of whimsical, tongue-in-cheek indie games.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has single-handedly restored my faith in remakes and remasters, allowing me to experience a true classic for the first time that I’d simply have never played otherwise. Tweaking the original game slightly but leaving many of the quirks fans have grown to love strikes a near-perfect balance between old and new.

Alan Wake 2 stands out as a champion among modern survival horror games. Its beautifully woven story encompasses everything you could want from a blockbuster horror title. Expertly crafted cutscenes meld together reality and video games while thrilling combat and frightening chases keep things interesting as you dig into a gripping narrative.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 leverages emergent gameplay to put forward an action-adventure that’s challenging, thrilling, and constantly unpredictable. Rich in well-thought-out systems and mechanics that feed into one another seamlessly, it’s a game that sinks its claws into you and doesn’t let go.

Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club might not reinvent the visual novel genre, but it still offers a fantastic mystery elevated by brilliant writing, a memorable cast of characters, some truly excellent visuals, and a phenomenal final chapter.

Developer Housemarque picks up where it left off with Returnal in Saros, a similarly fast-paced third-person shooter with roguelite progression wrapped in a deviously cozy cosmic horror blanket. If you loved Returnal as much as I did, you’ll feel right at home in Saros’s horrifying alien world, even if its overall difficulty feels just a notch or two lower here. Still, its permanent progression systems make for a compelling gameplay loop, and the narrative’s sci-fi take on horror classic The King in Yellow makes for a real virtual page-turner.

You could tell me Dragon Quest VII Reimagined was an entirely new game released for the first time in 2026 and I’d believe you. At the same time it stays undeniably true to the original, with still enough tweaks to feel more approachable than many other RPGs.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a massive success and a winning combination of stealth and steel. It’s a fantastic entry in the open-world RPG line of games in the stealth series and the most refined version of that style yet, with satisfying and rewarding exploration, brilliant combat, and a dual protagonist system that really works. Even a few minor quibbles can’t hold it back.

Ghost of Yotei feels a little like the PS5 exclusive we’ve been waiting for, and a truly great sequel - though not quite a perfect one. Its visceral, bloody combat, wonderful world and map, sense of exploration, and gripping epic tale are true highlights. And while there are a few imperfections, and it really does wear the influence of its predecessor boldly on its sleeve, it's an adventure and landscape to sink hours and hours of enjoyment into.

Lies of P: Overture is an expansion that exudes confidence on the part of developer Round8 Studio, which looks to have already mastered its particular brand of the soulslike format. Overture successfully enriches the entire Lies of P package, with stunning and creative level design and some of the best boss fights in the subgenre as a whole. It’s simply an unmissable experience for fans of the base game.