Under the Island is the perfect fit for gamers who long for the older days of dungeon exploration focused Zelda titles and is one of the most polished and enjoyable retro throwbacks you’ll find. The charming story and characters, and the high quality of the level design help this to really shine.

Resistance 3 isn't revolutionary, but it's better than Resistance 2 and, even though it's a much more singular, human tale, it feels enough like the first Resistance that hopefully fans that didn't like the second outing will give Insomniac another chance.

A solid story, an interesting cast of characters, and two games that make you panic in a good way. It’s worth the price of entry.

Octopath Traveler is a wonderful collection of adventures and stories, but the quirk of storytelling that lends it its name is both its greatest strength and weakness. While the turn-based combat and ‘breaking’ enemies makes practically every battle engaging, the eight tales this game tells don’t really feel like they need to be told together. It’s a little unbalanced because of this, but this remains a charming, beguiling JRPG.

Triangle Strategy is a beautiful and authentic tactical RPG. Fans of Fire Emblem in particular will love the involving narrative on top of the strategic action - just be prepared for a slow start as it sets its expansive story in motion.

Yes, fatigue does set in the further into the Trilogy you get, but it's hard to argue with a package that represents such good value with three quality games.

The unique cloning abilities of the mysterious Swapper device pave the way for some challenging puzzle designs and a gripping story, that sci-fi fans will no doubt love. However, you can’t help but feel that it’s all over far too soon.

An inventive blend of easy-going Tetris with roguelite deck building and strategy, Drop Duchy is another great puzzle game to sink into in 2025. You can feel like you've seen it all after a few successful runs, but there's depths and further challenges to take on for those who want to shoot for high scores.

A Space for the Unbound is a wonderful and intensely emotional experience. If you’re interested in dark psychological scenes mixed with day to day life and appealing anime inspired visuals, you’ll be extremely happy.

30 Birds is a very good narrative puzzler that is elevated by the lantern levels and Persian inspired design. Across its eight hours to complete, 30 Birds provides a number of engaging puzzles and a good story that contains a decent amount of humour.

Skyrim and Fallout 4 had a space baby and named it Starfield. As with every child, there’s the hope that it will better its parents as it grows into adulthood, and from the time spent with Starfield, I’d say it’s right up there with Bethesda’s best. I’ve certainly enjoyed what I’ve seen so far and the new setting, but there’s just no getting away from the fact that it has its mother’s eyes and its dad’s nose. [Review in Progress]

As much as OlliOlli Switch Stance brings back the greatness of these games, hopefully exposing them to a new audience on Switch, I hope it’s a gateway to seeing what Roll7 can come up with in a third game.

Mixtape is incredible. An indie narrative adventure that’s part game, part movie, part album, it captures the end of teenage life, of friendship and family, all while looking to the possibilities and unknowable potential of the future. It is, in a word, essential.

Yakuza Like a Dragon is an enjoyable new twist on the series, although it’s not hard to imagine that many long-time fans of the series will be put off by its slow pace. In a day and age where video game companies rarely take risks, Like a Dragon is a refreshing change of pace for a series that risked starting to feel stale. [Review in Progress]

Moss: Book 2 expands and improves on its predecessor in every way. Whether it's the emotional attachment you develop with Quill, the surprising twists the story goes through, or the inventiveness of the combat and puzzles, Moss: Book 2 is creative in a way that delights at every turn. If you've got PSVR, it's pretty much essential.

inFamous 2 takes the flawed brilliance of its predecessor and improves upon almost every aspect. Missions are slightly more varied and characters are much more rounded. It breeds empathy and it encourages experimentation in the ways supporting characters play off the protagonist and each other.

The Neon-powered rally sim finally gets its airing on its original platform (reportedly with a little bit of help from Sony) to become the definitive version despite its lengthy delay: DiRT is a great game with masses of options and modes, with stunning presentation, sharp sound effects and mostly impressive graphics throughout. For petrolheads it's a must-have.

This isn't just an amazing game; it's an 800 MSP warning shot across the bow of all £40 retail games currently in production. The downloadable titles are here, and getting better with each release.

Creaks is a nice and inventive puzzle game from Amanita Design. A handful of frustrating puzzles do little to detract from the world's stand out visual design and inventive use of music as a guide through the adventure. If you enjoy puzzle games then Creaks is well worth a go.

SWAP Force is in many ways a surprise. It remedies a raft of the series’ biggest issues whilst adding its own twists.

At the heart of Advanced Warfare is the exoskeleton and all of the possibilities it opens up, transforming the way that you get around amidst the futuristic setting. Yet it delivers on many more levels too, from a compelling story and cast of characters to the graphics and the vast array of options for multiplayer character and loadout customisation.

GRIS is a wonderful artistic achievement, with a simply sublime visual style and soundtrack that grows and evolves through the course of an emotional story.

Project CARS is an ambitious take on the racing simulator that brings a lot of fresh ideas and improvements to the genre. A number of patchable flaws hold it back, but with an innovative career structure and the challenging but rewarding car handling and racing, this is almost essential for racing fans.

V Rising is a delicious duo of survival-crafting and action-RPG fun that puts the best of both worlds together without making either side fall flat.

FIFA 19 feels like the culmination of the last few years of FIFA games, and not just from the conclusion of The Journey’s interwoven story. The Champions League gives EA the opportunity to show their presentation skills and bed in a new commentary partnership, a shakeup for the main online set up of Ultimate Team, and the surprisingly fun new Kick Off mode. Some new ideas don’t quite come together, but there’s a reason why FIFA is the biggest game in town.

Even if Prison Architect didn’t come with a thought provoking, if short, campaign, it’d be easy to recommend to anyone with an interest in management sims. That addition not only brings some depth to the game, but it also serves as one of the most enjoyable and comprehensive tutorials I’ve ever played in a game.

The combat is rock-solid, and offers a technicality that may surprise those with a low opinion of the series.

Overall, NBA 2K15 has come on leaps and bounds from the previous year’s game, really fleshing out all the game modes.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is a delightful farming sim that is more than capable of taking over your real life with its digital rendition of work, life and love.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a phenomenal RPG. It's a truly incredible piece of work that builds and expands on the series' staples, while turning into a unique and heartfelt adventure all of its own.

Madden 16 builds on last year’s fantastic entry in the franchise, and while there’s more refinement here than revolution the improvements are meaningful, with the addition of Draft Champions a huge success.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp takes a strategy classic and buffs it up for a modern audience – the fact that it is so faithful to the originals only reinforces how brilliant they were in the first place. Re-Boot Camp is essential for fans of tactical warfare, and a perfect companion for Nintendo Switch; hopefully its release will rekindle interest in the series, and bring us a long overdue new entry.

The Switch version of Dark Souls simply lacks the polish that the remaster brought with it, and even added in a few issues that aren’t present anywhere else. The ability to play the game on the go isn’t something that you can get anywhere else, and it is hard to quantify just how much that makes up for the issues. Souls Remastered is still a very worthwhile game, but it is hard to justify this version over any other given the weaknesses that are unique to it.

By combining this new content with the old, Gamefreak have created their most accessible remake yet.

The Frozen Wilds enhances an already excellent game. The improved dialogue for a number of the characters shows that Guerrilla have clearly taken onboard the criticism levelled at Zero Dawn, while the additional enemy creatures are welcome and make the game feel well rounded and complete. I really enjoyed returning to the world of Horizon Zero Dawn and simply can’t wait for the next game.

A crafty base concept and careful execution make Superhot one of the most intriguing games to come from the recent class of indie-developed shooters. Its bizarre setting and puzzle-like approach are refreshingly original and hopefully something the team will now expand upon following Superhot’s early success.

After spending many hours in the explosive world of Destiny 2, Detention’s simple but horrific tale has reminded me just how affecting video games can be. A game based on the oppressive regime of 1960’s Taiwain may not be for everyone, but if you fancy a break from head shots and kill streaks then this debut title from Red Candle games comes highly recommended.

The Last Clockwinder is a delightfully charming puzzle game suitable for all ages. With almost unlimited solutions to the puzzles and no time limits it's rather relaxing. It may not have the wow factor of some the other games in the PSVR 2 launch line up, but it's well worth a look.

Sleeping Dogs isn't original in most of its mechanics and narrative but the little things that differ from genre staples are enough to warrant your attention. The combat system is a joy and the focus on unarmed combat, rather than firepower, is quite refreshing.

Disc Room is a hell of floating discs, obscure puzzles and inevitable death. It's great.

Pokémon Legends Arceus is a must-play game for fans of the franchise. Not only is it the very best Pokémon game yet, but it elegantly takes the formula and flips it on its head, creating a unique new challenge that fans will love. With the nods to the anime and Pokémon games abound, Arceus feels very much like a love letter from Game Freak.

Gorogoa’s main problem lies with its outdated linear approach. It’s a fantastic, distinctive looking game with a solid hook for progression through its puzzles, but it ironically doesn’t take a lot of risks. If you want a good hour or so to play a unique puzzle game, Gorogoa will fill that void, but just don’t expect it to do much more than that.

Katana Zero is an incredibly stylish title, from the great looking pixel art to the fantastic soundtrack that accompanies the fast and brutal action. You really get to feel like you're a master swordsman as you overcome the challenges put before you, or die trying.

Mortal Kombat 1 serves as a love letter to fans of this thirty-one-year-old franchise and as a pseudo-reboot it also has potential appeal to newcomers alike. There's still room to grow and I'm sure it will just keep getting better, but Mortal Kombat 1 is already definitely worth your time.

A gorgeous cinematic puzzling adventure, Planet of Lana 2 features perfectly pitched puzzles, a moving narrative, charming characters and stunning visuals that will live long in your memory after finishing it.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a great action game that's not reinventing anything by any means, but is consistently fun to play. The visuals are lovely, the action is a lot of fun thanks to ever-evolving skill trees, and the boss designs are great too. If you're after a Soulslike challenge, it can fit that bill in some ways, but it should also have a broader appeal thanks to the easy mode and more.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a very, very impressive remake. 26 years after its original release, this modernised edition of the game is everything I want from an RPG, and I can imagine it landing very well with people who grew up partying with Kiefer and Maribel. It’s held back from a perfect score by only the smallest of gripes around pacing.

Killer Queen Black is just an insanely good party game. If you're looking for something to play solo, then this isn’t really for you. This is a game best enjoyed with friends where frantic communication and the lightning quick gameplay will have you all rolling around with laughter as you compete to see who has the best Hive.

Cairn is a unique, slow, and surprisingly relaxing game where you occasionally lose your grip and fall to your death. There's a heartfelt story running through the ascent to the top of the mountain, survival elements as you manage limited resources, and accurate feeling climbing, but soaking in the gorgeous environments, making discoveries and mastering the climbing are a joy. Cairn is a unique game that stands out from all the rest.

Carving your way through a level in Broforce is chock full of muscle flexing carnage, and it’s brilliant for it as explosions rock the screen and you tear through the scenery. Though inventive, some of the boss fights halt that fun, and the way co-op deals with lives is too unforgiving, but it’s always throwing out something new, whether it’s a different looking environment to blow up, a new type of enemy to blow up or another new bro to add to the team and blow things up with.

Neva is almost brilliant. This is a finely crafted game let down by too much empty time-wasting, untapped potential in its puzzling, and a rather onerous desire to make people cry.

A Highland Song is a very different kind of game visually to Inkle’s previous work but is very much in keeping with their narrative focus. Combined with satisfying mechanics and a beautiful aesthetic this is a real treat, all topped off with folk music that’ll have your feet gaily tapping and a central performance brimming with personality. All in all a perfect game to curl up with on a cold winter’s night with a glass of single malt, or, perhaps, an Irn Bru.

WitchSpring R is a cute, comforting, and delightful RPG packed full of charm, passion, and so much stuff to do. I'm excited to see what's next for the series.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns exceeded my expectations to be one of my favourite games of the year. With a good Marvel story and the ability to make friends on top of excellent turn-based tactical combat systems, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a super experience.

While there’s a distinct appeal to Steel Division: Normandy 44, this is a game that caters to a particular niche audience of hardcore strategy fans. Its depiction of the Second World War focuses on realism, with a reliance on ambushes and weight of fire in infantry combat and a surprising fragility to the tanks, but this difficult to master game won’t be for everyone. There’s some clever ideas in the shifting front lines, the fog of war and Battlegroups, but there’s problems with the presentation and some elements that feel unbalanced.

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition had to go through a lot of visual changes to be able to find a home on the Nintendo Switch. They aren’t pretty changes at all, but they’re changes that helped ensure the gameplay was unchanged and remains as smooth as ever. It’s tough to have to pick between sharp visuals or consistent performance, but when it comes to this kind of game, performance is key, and they nailed it with this port.

Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is exactly what you want from a remaster. It has been faithfully rebuilt, adding improvements and things that make sense, and tightening the things that were a little leaky. I loved stepping back into Sam’s (lack of) shoes and holding the world to rights as a newly psychic Max. If you don’t mind a bit of juvenile humour, this is still one of the funniest point-and-click adventures I’ve ever played, but a little prettier than I remember.

Yoku’s Island Express is a beauteous, aurally delightful treat that riffs off the Metroidvania template and pinball tables in a smart and playful manner. It’s somewhat tempered by the dual frustrations of the pinball mechanic’s need for constant precision and a lacklustre fast-travel system that leaves you having to cover the same ground over and over, ultimately taking what could have been an amazing game, and making it a good one.

It’s certainly not for the rhythmically challenged, but the games found within Rhythm Paradise Megamix are crazy enough to warrant a look. Crammed full of charm, it serves as an anthology of the franchise so far and a glimpse of its future. Some bits however don’t work, whether they affect the pacing or just don’t fit contextually. It’s worth a punt if you have a passing interest, but not exactly essential.

MIO: Memories In Orbit is an early contender for one of the most memorable games of 2026. It is an incredibly challenging game to play, with combat being a highlight, even if some platforming section can be frustrating. It looks fantastic, though, and the story is well told. MIO: Memories In Orbit draws you in, and does not let go easily. It is hard game but the journey is worth experiencing.

Perhaps Iconoclasts just tries to do a bit too much of everything, which is stunning considering it has come from a single person’s creative drive, which is so compellingly impressive. A decent edit of the script, fewer bosses and puzzle repetitions, and the rest could have been refined even more.

Sadly, there’s one control scheme for Worms WMD on the Switch does get a bit cumbersome, though really this isn’t the fault of the developers. Moving the camera if they’re using the Joy-Cons turned sideways requires players to adopt a rather interesting position with their hands, positioning one finger behind the controller as it were. It’s probably more convenient to have the game as a hot-seat experience if you’re running low on controllers.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey throws so much stuff at you, it's difficult to sift through it all. It's a beautiful game to look at and the story is intriguing, but it feels like a game that could have been a little more ambitious if given more time to develop. There's good ideas, from the branching story and character choice to the return of ship-based combat, but its ambitions also fray around the edges in a way that Origins didn’t.

It does take a while for the action to really heat up and draw in the player but if you stick with it you'll find 50 plus hours of fun and a truly original gaming experience.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend is a brilliant fighting game that will take an absolute age to master.

Beyond Sol is a very good blend of RTS and action game rolled into a package that has a rather unique approach to games taking place in space.

Digimon Survive is an exciting alternate take on the tone and style of the Digimon series. It doesn't execute things flawlessly - those opening chapters are a bit of a chore and the tactics gameplay is simple with a capital 'S'. Still, when things kick off and the story starts to come together, it's a suspenseful and gripping journey that I'm glad I got to experience.

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a delightful game, which will please long time Moomin fans, and could introduce the characters to a new audience and generation. The game is wholesome, one for all ages, and addresses the issue of environmentalism in a careful and constructive way. It is definitely worth playing.

Threshold is a game that deserves to find an audience that will truly appreciate its provocative and philosophical approach and represents another excellent title in Critical Reflex’s library. The opening credits claim that it is a true story and this detail in particular has lead me to speculate on possible metaphorical interpretations ranging from the highly personal to the global political. It is rare for a game to make you think quite this much and that is meant as high praise.

The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy is a must-play for fans of tactical RPGs, sci-fi thrillers, and just high-quality incredibly well written games in general. It's a wild ride from beginning to end, and I'm still not even truly sure if the ride has actually ended or not.

Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a hot chocolate of a game. Sweet, sumptuous and oh, so cosy. It offers an intriguing and fresh experience thanks to combining roguelite dungeon crawling with town-building, and it keeps you engaged from beginning to end. It's just a shame that, on PS5 at least, it’s a resolutely single-player experience rather than the multiplayer one that it’s intended to be.

Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack brings the best of the franchise to a brand new console. Atelier Sophie is an iconic piece of the series with a brand new lease on life, Atelier Firis has unique exploration gameplay that hasn't been attempted in any other entry, and the new story content in Atelier Lyde & Suelle is a delight for longtime fans. These games have never looked better, and are a must-play for anyone interested in the Atelier series.

There’s very little you haven’t played before in the campaign and the new cinematics and voiceovers do little to assist the bare story, but the gameplay is still great, it looks and sounds fantastic, and fans will no doubt enjoy playing the formerly PC-exclusive section they missed the first time.

Death Howl has a strong central theme to it, the cards are well made, and there's a decent variety to build out decks. But it is also a game that can require a lot of repetitive grinding to make small amounts of progress, and the quests could have been better designed.

A naked shower scene away from being an official Starship Troopers game, Helldivers 2 is gloriously daft fun when you can get a group of friends together to play. It's just a shame about the matchmaking and crash bugs at launch.

I truly believe that Ys: Memories Of Celceta could be one of the strongest Vita titles introduced since the console’s launch.

Laser League is phenomenal. It’s easy to pick up, thoroughly appealing in its style, and dangerously captivating.

It Takes Two on Nintendo Switch is a welcome and solid port of a modern co-op classic. The usual caveats around the game graphics apply – if you can play on a higher-powered console, then you should – and you’ll have to figure out your own voice chat solution if playing online, but this is the same great game that Hazelight released last year.

You owe it to yourself to play No More Heroes, and if you do, it needs to be on the Nintendo Switch.

Watch Dogs 2 is the perfect sequel. It takes everything that made the first game unique and original, and expands on all of it. Everything is better, from the hacking, to the story, the setting and the variety of content. Watch Dogs 2 is far from being just more of the same. An apt comparison could be the jump from the first Assassins Creed game to Assassins Creed 2. While the first was a promising yet clunky new idea, the sequel delivered on that idea and turned it into one of the most iconic series of the last decade. With Watch Dogs 2, Ubisoft is well on its way to recreating that same magic.

If the combat were just a touch more dynamic, Hand of Fate 2 would be essential. As it stands, it’s still a great sequel and perfect for anyone wanting the thrills of an RPG without feeling loss. Defiant constantly prod players into the unknown and the results are always fun and rewarding.

The opportunity to re-explore Hoenn is a thrilling one, and there’s more than enough new content and tweaks to the old to justify the return trip.

In the crowded roguelite genre, The Rogue Prince of Persia stands apart, thanks to super-smooth animation and deliriously fun free running. Whilst it never quite escapes the traps that occupants of its chosen genre often fall into, it still provides plenty of top-quality platforming fun.

I don't need games to be life-changing, but I do need a bit more mechanical depth than what Vampire Crawlers has, and while you can craft some incredibly entertaining combos as you play, and each new characters offers new cards, the core concept remains the same throughout. I think this is a solid dungeon crawler, if not fantastic.

Wreckfest is a surprising triumph in blending the best that sim and arcade racers have to offer in an explosive and visually gratifying package. A few visual issues and overly aggressive AI do little to spoil one of the best driving games of 2019.

Modern Warfare had a great run, but Black Ops is now back on top in their ongoing sibling rivalry. Fluid character movement, high-tempo multiplayer, evolved Zombies co-op, and an incredible campaign come together in 2024’s most irresistible first person shooter.

So, this marks the start of the PS3's entry into the casual gamer market, and we can't think for a minute why this won't be a roaring success.

Space will likely be the issue that prevents users from experiencing L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, but while it isn’t a perfectly controlled VR experience, it’s impressive that we’re seeing a VR game that utilises Room Scale VR in ways that make sense. To actually be part of this crime drama, investigating crime scenes and apprehending criminals, was more enjoyable in VR. Here’s hoping the next time we see something like this, it’s a dedicated experience.

The Banner Saga 2 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, it just makes the wheel bigger and keeps on rolling. Even with minor stumbles in the form of slow combat animation and initially overwhelming combat mechanics, it’s a game that excels at what it aims to accomplish.

Project Cars 2 is a game that doesn’t manage to capitalise on a lot of the enthusiasm that was generated for the original. Too buggy and not as accessible for newcomers as it should be, a lot of the genuine improvements are lost behind a veil of annoyance and frustration. Hopefully Slightly Mad Studios stick with it, because the wider range of racing disciplines, the refined career, and the improvements to LiveTrack and weather are all fantastic and deserve a better, more polished product to bring them to as many people as possible.

Building on the foundations of Rise of the Tomb Raider, there’s more depth to the actual tomb raiding, more flexibility in the combat, and the city of Paititi is a hub that you can easily get lost in as you explore it and the surrounding jungle. So, while Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s story lacks some of the meaning and impact that it sets out to, this is another action packed romp for fans of the series.

Lego Marvel isn’t the most polished game you’ve ever seen, but it doesn’t pretend to be. Instead what you get is a fun action-platformer for young and old that is filled to the brim with Marvel fan service, offers tons of content and entertainment, and is a great latest instalment in what continues to be one of the most enjoyable couch co-op series out there.

The visual fidelity is a big improvement, though perhaps not a big enough leap to tempt people to upgrade from PS3, and it’s thoroughly enjoyable to play such realistic replications. Table by table, it is becoming the definitive, one stop shop for die hard pinball fans.

There are no heavy plots to become embroiled in, each mission is essentially just a method of throwing you into another zany situation and then rewarding you for getting out of it. That's the strength of this game: that it just wants to make you smile.

It looks fantastic on that big bright screen and the new control systems are utilised without feeling too tacked on and gimmicky - at least in the main mode.

The story is a bit shallow, but missions are well written and exceptionally designed, leading to an endgame built around tons of content and a deep loot system.

This is another case of same-but-better for EA.

Madden 18 is yet another triumph for the series, and this year’s big success story is the game’s Longshot narrative. It seems incongruous to be talking about heartfelt, well-acted storytelling in a Madden game, yet it’s a perfect fit, hanging some drama off EA’s rock-solid mechanics and fantastic visuals.