The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is an outstanding achievement, masterfully evolving upon nearly all of the major strengths and weaknesses of its predecessor to create one of the most inventive and exciting open world adventures ever. Matched with deep world-building and characters, it’s an adventure you don’t want to miss.

God of War Ragnarok is a clear GOTY contender, as the deserved sequel features an action-packed narrative, satisfying combat, a luscious Norse world, and some fantastic character development.

Resident Evil 4 is a masterfully crafted action game that is a perfect coalescence of everything that is great about the series. It is perfectly paced and a truly gripping ride that will keep you glued to your seat at all times.

The Horizon formula has been perfected in Forza Horizon 5. Playground Games has retained what fans loved in previous games, but also offers fine-tuned gameplay and a more diverse open world to explore. This is one of the most fun and polished games of the year, and with continued support and regular content, it has the potential to thrive well into the future.

Street Fighter 6 is one of the most polished games in years, offering a diverse range of fighting modes that all complement each other and an engaging, deep World Tour mode that brings the series into a new era.

Spider-Man 2 is hands-down the best game of the PS5 era so far. It’s visually stunning, narratively brilliant, and somehow manages to improve Insomniac’s already stellar traversal and combat from previous Spidey games. It’s a masterpiece.

From what I have played so far, it is clear that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has a pretty special narrative, which is why the series has captivated such a big audience over the years. The world-building, character-building, and the way the game follows through on its themes is mighty impressive so far and I am completely captivated by where the game is going. [Review in Progress]

The Dead Space remake delivers a truly exceptional horror game where Isaac Clarke is finally fully involved in his own adventure. This is a story-rich, gory, and more engaging experience than the original, and one you won’t want to miss.

Alan Wake 2 packages captivating investigations and spine-tingling horrors into Remedy Entertainment’s most ambitious game so far. It’s visually astounding, thematically potent, and an absolute must for newcomers and fans alike.

The Last of Us Part 1 is a truly stunning remake that significantly heightens the immersion of one of the best games ever made with denser environments, more realistic gameplay, and beautiful remastered visuals.

Horizon Forbidden West is a true next-gen experience and one of the best games available on the PS5 right now. With breath-taking graphics and fantastic character work, Guerrilla Games has raised the bar for open-world action adventure games. It's not perfect, but you can't help but want to play more.

Deathloop is Arkane at its best, combining its system-driven immersive-sim gameplay with a unique and fascinating story set-up. Excellent presentation and style, along with fantastic dialogue and character performances makes Deathloop one of the most innovative games in years and a valuable PS5 exclusive.

Blending brutal and flashy combat, a visually-impressive lore-filled world, and a story that offers intrigue and character-driven moments, Final Fantasy 16 is a completely fresh take on the series, despite having the heart of previous entries. It deserves every ounce of praise it will surely get, and in my view is a GOTY contender.

If we were scoring Gran Turismo 7 on its racing alone, we’d be looking at a five-star game that’s also packed with nostalgia and charm. However, the early hours will be sluggish for racing game fans, the car line-up could be more diverse, and the online experience currently tarnishes the amazing on-track gameplay.

Monster Hunter Rise’s fights are as enjoyable as ever with vastly expanded combat thanks to the new Wirebug. However, the removal of tutorials, and an overabundance of systems means the game isn’t as approachable as it could be.

Psychonauts 2 is a superb sequel that appeals to both long-time fans and newcomers. With a engaging story full of twists and turns, excellent witty dialogue, and a gorgeous visual palette, exploring people's minds has never been so fun and thrilling.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is one of the best uses of the spy thriller I’ve ever seen in video games, and the difference between this expansion and the base game circa 2020 is staggering. I certainly didn’t expect to be saying Cyberpunk 2077 is now one of the must-play experiences of 2023, a year already packed with dozens of incredible games.

Hi-Fi Rush is a great little rock-and-roll game and one that deserves every ounce of praise it gets. From the lovable cast, to the incredible gameplay, Hi-Fi Rush is the ultimate hack-and-slash-rhythm game that every Xbox owner must play.

Armored Core 6 carefully synthesizes wanton destruction with a neatly-woven narrative that offers plenty of food for thought, despite being under-explored at points. Boasting a simple-yet-effective control scheme, and an expansive level of customization that never feels like it’s too much, FromSoftware has crafted a balanced experience that will definitely appeal to players, regardless of their experience with the mecha game genre.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope takes the best bits of Kingdom Battle, distilling it into a winning strategy game recipe that’ll be played for years to come.

Star Wars Jedi Survivor cements itself as an essential action-adventure game. Full of heart, humour, and blisteringly great combat, Respawn's latest Star Wars game is a treat for newcomers and long-time franchise fans alike thanks to its blockbuster-level story.

Dredge manages to layer great exploration, a punishing and ominous gameplay loop, and an intriguing story on top of a very good fishing sim. It constantly and expertly switches between wholesome and haunting, and is definitely worth a play despite a few small issues.

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is the definitive version of the game, packaging everything in and adding a whole lot more. Kojima’s unique and captivating journey across America feels like it achieves what it couldn’t on PS4, due to excellent DualSense enhancement and some meaningful updates.

While exploring the confines of the iconic castle, Hogwarts Legacy is a marvel. Outside of it, things are a little less straightforward. While there is some excellent world-building and combat here, Hogwarts Legacy is let down by a questionable narrative and some unnecessary open world baggage.

Crusader Kings III's console edition still has some teething issues to sort out, but it manages to translate the drama and depth of the PC strategy game in an approachable format for console gamers.

While it has weak spots and doesn’t push many boundaries, Starfield is still an excellent RPG experience. Bethesda has once again mastered the things it built its reputation on – world building, quest design, and deep customization. However, it’s found new things to excel at too, with exciting combat and a novel implementation of New Game Plus.

Mortal Kombat 1 is a reboot with a big, bloody heart. It re-tools Mortal Kombat’s story and characters in creative ways, and for the most part, the combat is excellent. Unfortunately, there are some elements that feel rushed. It’s still a very good fighting game, but it should have been a great one.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns exceeds expectations. It delivers a wonderfully rewarding, XCOM-topping combat system and a world full of larger-than-life characters you'll be eager to learn more about.