Sword Of The Sea takes the vivid template drawn in previous titles Journey, Abzû, and The Pathless into boundlessly creative new territory. Across eight levels, you traverse landscapes ablaze with life and reawaken vibrant imagined worlds. It’s a majestic, immersive – and mostly convincing – celebration of extreme sports and a reflection on Earth’s disintegrating environment in an era of climate change.

Want to get into fighting games but are intimidated by obtuse mechanics and exhaustive move sets? Check out Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. This exceptional fighter is the definition of ‘easy to learn, hard to master,’ while offering a healthy amount of modes. There’s a free-to-play version, too.

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.

Mouthwashing is one of the shortest horror games I've played but it's going to stay with me for a very long time. Bleak, nasty, and downright scary, it has a lot to say and doesn't hold back.

2024's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was already one of the year's best games, delivering an incredibly immersive and engaging action-adventure that recaptured the magic of the iconic archaeologist's silver screen exploits. But thanks to noticeable visual and performance enhancements, including native 4K resolution, 60 frames-per-second performance, and advanced ray tracing – as well as some slick DualSense tricks – the PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro versions now offer the title's definitive experience.

It may have been late to the PlayStation party, but the incredible rhythm-based combat and fantastic art direction mean that Hi-Fi Rush is still a wonderful experience over a year since its original release.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a triumph, weaving complex systems together in an incredibly immersive medieval world that remains a joy to explore even after countless hours. The story is thoroughly enjoyable, despite some iffy voice acting, and the challenging combat is a blast to master, all making for one of the best RPGs in years.

Trials in the Sky 1st Chapter is a fantastic remake and a wonderful introduction into the wider series. Overhauled combat is executed with finesse, while quality of life and visual improvements make the world feel so much more immersive. There are some small localization issues and offbeat, partially voiced segments, but that doesn’t detract all too much from the engaging story and charismatic cast. This is a must-play for JRPG devotees, and one of my personal favorite releases of 2025.

Persona 3 Reload is a stunning remake of a must-play role-playing game, boasting fantastic improvements to the battle system and quality-of-life. However, it’s let down on the whole by a couple of missed opportunities.

A delightful indie gem, Sea of Stars takes you on a wholesome adventure full of laughs, danger, and twists. Borrowing mechanics from a wide range of genres, Sea of Stars is more than the sum of its parts, though it is slightly hampered by its relatively dull protagonists and lack of character customization.

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.

Pikmin 4 breathes new life into a franchise that was starting to feel lost to time, welcoming new players into a well-loved yet underrated Nintendo series, while simultaneously reminding older players as to exactly why they fell in love with the goofy world of Pikmin in the first place.

Final Fantasy 16 is a shining example of narrative-focused games at their best, boasting immersive storytelling and cinematic action that invites you into its richly detailed world. The expansive, deeply immersive setting and cast of lovable, fully realized characters sets a gold standard for Final Fantasy titles, offering something that is more than the sum of its parts.

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.

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.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a visually striking expansion of Capcom’s beloved series, artfully adapting its core combat principles while maintaining the gnarly monster designs. A pool of side quests muddies the pacing somewhat, made worse by inconsistent platforming across the open world. Still, warm writing and lively vocal performances more than make up for what it lacks. If you’re looking for a rich world to sink hours into, look no further.

Dispatch is no repeat of the tired, mature superhero story, but rather a heartfelt adventure about former villains looking for a second chance. With a cast of lovable characters voiced by an all-star cast, impressive interactive gameplay, and all wrapped in a gorgeous animated art style, AdHoc Studio's debut title is the underdog of the year that has reopened the door that I thought was long closed on the episodic, choice-based narrative genre.

The release of Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition means that the entire Xenoblade quadrilogy is now playable on Nintendo Switch. If you’re playing the enhanced Wii U title for the first time, you’ll undoubtedly be dazzled by its breathtaking open world and astonishingly deep battle system. Series veterans will also appreciate quality-of-life changes like an improved tutorial, better navigation as well as the overall cleaner visuals whether you’re playing in docked or handheld mode.

Armored Core 6 offers slick and well-polished mech battling fundamentals, diluted by the inclusion of ill-fitting soulsborne mechanics that don’t compliment the mech pilot fantasy. Though there’s much to enjoy for fans of the series, newcomers will be met with a lopsided experience that doesn’t quite capture the full potential of the Armored Core series.

For many, all Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics needs to be is a functioning, accessible way to play some of Capcom’s most beloved classic fighting games on modern hardware. The great news is that this seven-game compilation is just that, with feature-complete arcade versions of each game fitted with all-new training modes as well as casual and ranked online play. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is the clear star of the show, with quality varying between the other featured games, but all are worth checking out regardless.

Diablo 4 is a meticulously crafted action RPG and sets a new standard for isometric, open-world adventures.

Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 is a port that does Capcom’s latest fighting game justice. The game is feature complete here, with a combined 26 characters from the base roster and two years of DLC. The single player World Tour mode leaves much to be desired in terms of performance, but the game runs solidly where it counts - namely in Arcade mode, offline versus, and online matches.

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.

Mario Kart World is easily the standout launch title on Nintendo Switch 2. And while that may not be saying much, I anticipate it’s comfortably going to be the best-selling Switch 2 game for the entire console generation. Nintendo has created a visually stunning kart racer here, chock-full of its trademark charm and personality. But it’s not without its issues - like the daftly organized character select screen and a Grand Prix format that has a bit of an identity crisis - but what’s here is an undoubtedly impressive racing game that I hope Nintendo continues to build and improve upon.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown paints a picture of sustainable development as it infuses all the thrills of a modern AAA release into a smaller package. Heavy on ideas and experiments, this is top-notch.

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.

Arc Raiders is the first extraction shooter that truly feels built for everyone. It blends tension, atmosphere, and unexpected humanity into a world that begs you to risk it all for one more haul. Arc Raiders captures the magic that made us fall in love with multiplayer in the first place. It’s polished, accessible, and impossible to put down. This is truly one of the year’s absolute best.

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.