Aaero2 is a sci-fi slice of synaesthesia, mixing music, pattern recognition and blasting into an enveloping high-score-chasing experience.

Paradise is a wonderful game: it's inventive, confident and brilliantly produced and just shows what's possible when developers make the PS3 the lead console. If you're even remotely into racing games, this is one you can't afford to miss out on.

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.

If Total War Warhammer 3 is the beginning of the end for Creative Assembly's fantasy series, then it's going out on a high note. The game takes several steps forward in how the campaign works, how it builds toward climactic battles and then how those battles take place, and there's plenty of quality of life improvements for the Total War series as a whole.

A triumph of a game. It has depth and scale which will keep you interested for many, many hours.

In a series that is synonymous with incremental improvements, FIFA 15 manages to feel like more of an evolutionary leap.

The Switch 2’s fighting game line-up is all the better for having Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O World Stage in it. In my humble opinion, this remains one of the best fighting games of all time, and the Switch 2 version looks and feels exactly as you’d hope, letting you take your one-on-one brawling on the go.

There’s a brilliant approach to the narrative, while Ellie and Riley’s charm shines throughout, their wonder and imagination matching exactly how you’ll feel as you return to this world.

Every Atelier Ryza entry has been the best Atelier game yet, and Atelier Ryza 3 is no exception. It's the perfect final chapter for fans of Ryza and her story, but it's also the most polished and expansive exploration of the core ideals of the franchise we've seen yet – alchemy feels natural, exploration feels natural, and combat is a delightful adrenaline rush. It's sad to see my favourite tomboy alchemist go away, but if this game is any indication, the Atelier series will only get even better from here.

If you’re a fan of strong narrative experiences, Final Fantasy lore, breath-taking graphics and a particularly sassy Moogle, and you don’t mind a sprinkling of The Witcher, The Handmaid's Tale and the many accents of Old Blighty, then Final Fantasy XVI is the game for you. Heck, it might just be the best Final Fantasy yet.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a perfect entry in the series that makes for a great entry point and a standout experience in its own right. Smooth controls, fantastic level design and some perfectly judged boss battles make for one of the best 2D action-platformers you’ll find. With the extra layer of replaying levels for better ranks and the unlockable hard mode for the bravest ninjas, Ragebound provides plenty of enjoyment and challenge for those who want it, while also being approachable for newcomers.

AI: The Somnium Files has to be easily one of the best visual novels I’ve ever had the joy of playing, maybe even ranks as one of the best games I’ve played this year. With superb visuals, engaging gameplay, likeable characters, and a twist-filled story to rival that of M. Night Shyamalan, this is definitely not a visual novel to be slept on (sorry).

Tragic, powerful and thought-provoking, but also intelligent, witty and beautiful - Giant Sparrow's debut is begging to be played.

Hyper Light Drifter is a jaw-dropping experience no matter the platform you play it on. What started as an engaging masterpiece in 2016 continues to be just as rewarding and worthwhile of a video game in 2018. With the Nintendo Switch you get the valuable bonus of being able to take this journey with you anywhere you want and believe me when I say this is a journey you will not want to step away from once you start it.

More PSP exclusive content would have sealed the deal, but as it stands this is wonderful stuff.

The creation is as deep or as automatic as you want it, the online as time sapping or as casual as your heart desires – MNR is a game for everyone without ever making anyone feel left out, and in the days of hardcore first person shooters and single player epics, surely that's exactly what we all need just now?

TerraTech Legion is an excellent entry into the world of Survivors-likes, and I'm so happy that it's actually adding something new to the genre, instead of just rehashing what we've already seen. Combat and driving feel good, building feels fantastic, and there's plenty of reasons to just keep mucking around with it, even if you do manage to complete all of the missions. It's just a joy, and one you shouldn't miss out on.

A tale of high stakes con artistry in the early 1700s, Card Shark never lets up as it teaches you card trick after card trick, has you run con after con while immersing you in a conspiracy that'd make a royal blush.

Smooth combat, seamless exploration and a set of well-executed mechanics makes Lies of P an excellent Soulslike. When you add in the gorgeous visuals, desolate world design, stark sound design and engrossing story, it raises the experience above a lot of its contemporaries. All in all, although Lies of P is essentially Bloodborne featuring Timothée Chalamet, it does more than enough to mark itself out as a unique title worth your time – and I’m not lying.

If interactive narrative adventures are your thing, then you won’t find a better experience than Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! This is a glorious achievement, epic in scope, crammed full of meaningful choices, and tremendous fun to play. Highly recommended.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder puts a fresh new spin on the classic Mario side-scroller with wild and trippy level transformations. It's still Mario at its core, but it's fun not knowing what to expect from each level. This could be the start of a bright new era for 2D Mario games.

The arrival of Marvel’s Spider-Man on PC brings one of PlayStation’s signature stars to a new platform. It looks fantastic, plays well across a variety of setups, and is one of the best games of the last five years. It is, in other words, essential, though you might want to wait for it to go on sale.

It might not be an extremely lengthy affair, but when it comes to art direction, well paced gameplay, and a brilliant sense of exploration, SteamWorld remains king.

The fact that Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection gives players a thorough insight into Street Fighter II, III and the Alpha series is recommendation enough, but when they’re so well presented it makes this more or less essential for fight game fans. Add in the Switch’s portability, and on-the-go multiplayer opportunities (if you’re both willing to forgive the limitations of the Joy-Con) and this is everything a Street Fighter fan could hope for.

Since the release of Yakuza Kiwami, I’ve been dreaming of a remaster of Yakuza 2 to give what is easily my favourite game in the franchise the same level of modern day polish. Sega has delivered on that dream with Yakuza Kiwami 2, creating an incredible package that takes the best game in an incredible series, and makes it even better. You were already doing a disservice to yourself before by not playing Yakuza 2, but now there are no excuses. This is a must play.

Bugsnax is a unique and wonderful experience, and a must-play for anyone who can get their hands on it. If you’re lucky enough to have secured a PS5, make sure you make the most of PlayStation Plus and pick up your free copy while it lasts. If not, this game is still well worth your hard-earned cash.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is a sports drama, a JRPG, a town builder, an Ultimate Team-like, and even (occasionally) a football game. It’s also brilliant, charming, and thoroughly good-natured, and a fantastic game to head into 2026 with.

Mind Scanners is perfectly paced, creative and engaging, striking a skilful balance between satisfying play and storytelling. I finished in a couple of evenings, but they were some of the most consistent and enjoyable evenings I’ve spent gaming this year.