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.

Battlefield 6 isn’t the most exciting or innovative entry in the series so far, but it still delivers one of the strongest multiplayer offerings yet. Well-designed maps and the returning class system elevate matches, which especially shine in the new Escalation mode. It’s just a shame that the quality of the online play does not extend to the single-player campaign.

Split Fiction, on paper, is the perfect companion for the Switch 2. In some ways, it is, with its Friend's Pass allowing for online crossplay and the GameChat feature letting you see and hear your online friends as you play. But there's no getting around the fact that this is a serious downgrade from the versions on other platforms. And, while the Switch 2's versatility means you can technically play on the go, the experience is less than optimal. That's not to say this fun-filled co-op game looks or performs badly, but the drop in quality is disappointing. If you don't care about performance or visuals, however, and simply want a thrilling co-adventure to jump into with a friend, you can't go wrong with Split Fiction.

Fortnite is the biggest battle royale for a reason. Epic Games has created an ecosystem that you can get dozens of hours of play from without even touching the main Battle Royale mode. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a massive step up from the original Switch, thanks to its enhanced performance, and I can’t think of a better way to play the game on a handheld.

Ultros is a stunningly beautiful metroidvania that manages to excel at tying together a meaningful story about environmentalism and a game that's delightful to play.

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.

Arizona Sunshine 2 offers up satisfyingly tactile gunplay, a brilliantly well-paced campaign that’s filled to bursting with wonderful environmental design, huge hordes of zombies to slay, and some of the most impressive set pieces I've seen in a VR title.

Judge it solely on its throwback shooter credentials and you’ll find Slayers X is slightly more functional than fun, instead the real joy is in its examination of protagonist and developer Zane Lofton.

Beneath all of the enhancements, Gears of War: Reloaded is the same ultra-violent adventure starring everyone's favorite group of gruff, foul-mouthed soldiers and their chainsaw-sporting guns. The fact that this previously Xbox-exclusive game is now available on PlayStation for the first time is a clear sign of changing times, but one thing hasn't changed a bit: it's still just as fun mowing through grubs now as it was in 2006.

One of the weakest (but still entertaining) games in the franchise coupled with one of the best, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is an inconsistent pairing that remains thrilling throughout.

This PSVR 2 exclusive rendition of Hitman is an absolute delight, and a prime example of the games the system desperately needs. If you own the PlayStation headset, you won't regret playing this superb VR sandbox.

Dynasty Warriors Origins is an incredibly confident and successful revamp of a series that desperately needed it, offering up the most absurdly satisfying ‘1 vs 1,000’ gameplay backed up by surprisingly nice visuals, rock-solid performance on console, and a belter of a soundtrack. The core Warriors identity remains intact, but the change to a sole playable protagonist does end up feeling like quite a strange choice in the end.

Tom Clancy's The Division Resurgence is a supreme example of a major console series making the jump to mobile and sticking the landing. Gripes like level-gating and the need for powerful hardware to get the most out of the game do hold it back a little, but translating the core Division experience to the small screen with a wonderful recreation of post-apocalyptic New York, a moreish loot-to-improve loop, and satisfying cover-shooter action means that long-time fans of the series and newcomers are very well served.

Wargroove 2 is a successful sequel as well as an impressively moreish game of strategic challenges in its own right. Whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran of the genre, the tailored difficulty settings and roguelike Conquest mode provide plenty of avenues into its compelling battles.

Football Manager 2024 is a competent and polished strategy game that plays it a bit too safe to be essential. Like a venerated striker, this is worth a play but unlikely to offer up anything truly surprising.

MIO: Memories in Orbit doesn't quite hit the highs of the genre greats, but developer Douze Dixièmes clearly understands what makes a Metroidvania sing, with a stylish, thoughtful, and enjoyable adventure. It starts slowly, and a few elements aren't fully realised, but this is a fabulous game for newcomers and fans of the genre who will feel right at home.

Super Mario Party Jamboree doesn’t break new ground but takes the best of the series’ past and present to make a big celebratory package, best experienced at get-togethers where the real magic (and carnage) happens.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is another great entry into a relatively overlooked stealth franchise. While the game feels a little more like an expansion pack to Sniper Elite 5 rather than a full-fledged sequel, it still hits the highs of the previous entry with great level design and satisfying sniping. Meanwhile, the new Propaganda Challenge mode offers a nice arcade-style distraction.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a mightily impressive return to the fantasy series offering engaging combat and a charming cast of supporting characters - but it never quite escapes the orbit of its predecessors.

Mortal Kombat 1 takes the series back to its roots but also innovates with exciting new aerial combat, a game-changing Kameo system, and a thoughtfully designed roster to be the most mechanically deep and engaging entry in the franchise yet.

Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition is a decent port of an incredible stealth game, bringing hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of entertainment to Nintendo Switch 2 in a very well-rounded package. Performance could be better, and there are a few bugs in need of patches, but it's nevertheless a joy to pick up and play and almost impossible to put down.

Like stumbling upon a haunted floppy disk next to the old Mac computer gathering dust in your parent’s attic, World of Horror is constantly surprising, genuinely unsettling, and truly unlike anything you’ve played.

Deltarune is a charming pixelated adventure that's not afraid to lean into the weird and wacky. This indie RPG flips the genre on its head, encouraging kindness over combat and delivering laughs in spades across its four chapters thanks to its witty writing, bizarre characters, and memorable worlds.

Keeper is a refreshingly creative game out of Xbox-owned studio Double Fine Productions, where you take control of a sentient lighthouse to journey to the top of a mountain with the company of a bird friend. Simple puzzles, tight camera angles, and varied traversal keep the game ticking along, but a lack of extra depth to the world or the story made Keeper feel a little one-note and not as weird as it might think it is.

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.

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.

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.

Endless Ocean Luminous provides an immersive and moreish deep sea diving experience with an impressive variety of biomes, over 500 species of sea creatures to catalog, treasures to collect, and mysteries to solve. And it’s all backed up by a staunch pro-environmental message.