Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Tape 2 meaningfully explores friendship, queer romance and tragedy. DON’T NOD’s compassionate writing style is consistently bolstered by stellar performances from its small but mighty cast. And, if you take the time to look, there’s detail in every nook and cranny of this inimitable 90s world. While the snappier runtime does mean the supporting characters don’t get as much screen time as they deserve, the heartwarming finale feels like a fitting end to this rebellious and often-brilliant bildungsroman.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves provides a refreshingly old-school fighting game experience, dialing back on the complicated meter systems and overly aggressive play seen in other modern entries in the genre. However, the game’s REV system provides plenty of risk-versus-reward decision making, while the brake and feint functions allow for much combo and playstyle creativity. You’ll certainly get the most out of it by hopping online, though, as its single-player offerings at launch aren’t overly compelling.

Blue Prince’s fantastic puzzle design, roguelike room-laying mechanics, and intriguing mysteries create an experience that’s utterly captivating. You’re encouraged to ponder every clue and remember every detail, all while striving to find the next big discovery.

South of Midnight has razor-sharp controls and a stunningly unique audio/visual presentation that stands out as one of the most memorable in gaming this year, despite having some predictable combat and exploration.

Fragpunk isn’t perfect, but it’s still a lot of fun. The game-changing Shard Cards and unbalanced Lancer abilities are a blast in a casual setting, but its poor side modes and lack of competitive appeal mean that it might be a short-lived thrill.

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.

Atomfall reimagines a jolly trip to the Lake District as a fight for survival, a unique idea that leaves a lasting impression. Not every decision you make feels like life and death but its British sensibilities and stunning visual design make up for those weaker points, delivering an engaging jaunt in the countryside… with guns.

Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer gets a lot right, and it’s an addictive, well-thought-out boxing experience with a virtual workout planner that's perfect for beginners. At its best, you can tailor it to create an engaging daily workout, and even I struggled to keep up with its harder difficulty levels. However, it suffers from the same issues as many movement-based games that came before it: it’s easy to cheat yourself out of the experience based on shoddy movement controls.

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.

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.

WWE 2K25 is the best wrestling game of the modern era, with the improvements made to the gameplay and the 2K Showcase mode being fantastic additions and My Rise featuring the best storyline yet. But it’s let down by modes like The Island and MyFaction that feel tailor-made to get players to open up their wallets and purchase VC.

Atelier Yumia is a must-play RPG. Its open-world exploration is incredibly moreish and the battle system is quick and responsive. Best of all is the ingenious alchemy system which makes crafting feel rich, rewarding, and accessible - even for someone who typically hates crafting in games.

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.

Split Fiction is the third co-op game from Hazelight Studios and arguably its largest and most imaginative to date. It packs an array of captivating mini-games into a linear, yet highly rewarding platformer, laced with Hazelight’s trademark storytelling to keep you on your moral toes. Players will have fun recognizing the vast pop culture references that have been peppered throughout Split Fiction, which deliver a unique twist whilst nostalgically returning us to the early days of gaming.

Two Point Museum is a fantastic addition to a cozy weekend or long-haul flight. The combination of wacky customer animations, tongue-in-cheek exhibits, and well-written narration brilliantly complements the approachable management systems, keeping me entertained as I focused on making my business a success.

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.

Don’t be put off by its absurd name or ridiculous premise; Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii provides a sincere and heartfelt adventure that successfully marries the series’ penchant for engaging power struggles with high-octane swashbuckling action. For existing fans, it’s a superb follow-up to Infinite Wealth. And for newcomers, it’s an excellent onboarding experience thanks to its myriad of fun and accessible gameplay systems.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 might only be the first half of the story, yet even as I rolled credits, tears streaming down my cheeks, I felt satisfied and deeply curious about the chaos its cliffhanger ending had wrought. I’m keen to dig in and unlock the missing pieces of Swann and Co.'s past, one aberrated camcorder clip at a time.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered delivers a welcome visual overhaul to The Last Revelation, Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness with excellent character models, detailed textures and revamped lighting working together to wonderful effect. The modern control schemes across the collection are frustratingly cumbersome but some great quality-of-life improvements and the excellent photo mode features make this remaster a must for longtime fans.

Avowed is an excellent first-person fantasy RPG that features slick combat feel and moreish exploration. Its setting of the Living Lands is rich in atmosphere and has an ethereal quality that made me want to uncover every nook and cranny. Obsidian’s writing is as sharp as ever, and the cast of party members is both charming and highly memorable.

More like Bizarro to Superhot's Kal-El, Cold VR's flip to slowing down time while in motion offers some incredibly fun gameplay moments that are also enhanced by great presentation. It's too bad that the game often lacks the polish of its biggest inspiration through bugs and occasionally wonky design.

Despite the glossy Unreal 5 sheen, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is unapologetic in its 360-era game design that is as frustrating as it is refreshingly no-nonsense. While modern audiences might bounce off some of its old-school quirks, when its blood-gushing, limb-severing action clicks you'll understand why it deserves to be as highly regarded as Bayonetta or Devil May Cry. For the definitive experience, purists may still want to stick with the original (which is backwards compatible on Xbox) but this is still a superior remaster to the last-gen collection that offers the best of both versions.

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.

Sid Meier's Civilization 7 successfully evolves the long-running strategy series with a wealth of engaging new systems. Swapping Civs is smartly implemented and the focus on distinct ages prevents matches from dragging on, though the samey Legacy Path system and basic diplomacy mean that it’s not quite the best entry yet.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector tells a radical science fiction tale through an impeccably designed system and a moving narrative rife with themes that are acutely attuned to our times. This is bolstered by a crew of companions who are not only well-fleshed out but offer genuine support during crises - a predicament you’ll find yourself in frequently. The soothing atmospheric soundtrack doesn’t hurt, either.

Eternal Strands is a light and breezy fantasy action RPG that's elevated by its innovative use of physics-based magic that makes even minor combat encounters feel novel. It's also thrilling to take on the larger foes, though this is more short-lived than the likes of Monster Hunter.

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.

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.