It’s Drinkbox’s best game so far (and I was a big fan of Mutant Blobs Attack on Vita) and it’s the best combo-brawler on PSN. It’s also one of the best platform puzzlers and one of the best Metroid-vania style games. Not content with that list of “bests”, Guacamelee! is also one of the best games for your Vita.

Clever, emotional and raw, Sea of Solitude is a personal journey that at times you feel like you’re intruding on. It is resolutely truthful and, just as Kay turns aspects of herself inward and outward, you can’t help but consider your own place, both amongst the people around you and inside your own head.

Fire Emblem Engage balances the series' past and its future, offering a renewed focus on the tactical gameplay, an endearing cast of old and new faces, and the best visuals the franchise has ever seen.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land makes Kirby's jump to 3D feel effortless, but it's much more than that, with the vibrantly styled decaying world to explore and the Mouthful Modes that will have you laughing with each new one that's discovered.

Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is an absolute gift. Sophie is just as charming and inspiring as ever, and even though the story tacks on more dimensional time-travel drama than I would've cared for, it's just as touching and cozy of an experience as the first Atelier Sophie. Gathering, crafting, and battling are all plenty of fun too, and flooded with enough layers of mechanics that it's easy to pick an area you want to focus on and purely master that one element of the game. By looking to the past, this surprise sequel has delivered a promising vision of the future of the Atelier series.

With creative freedom, Kratos's latest adventure is staggering in scale, superbly visualised and, for the most part, an absolute joy to play through. And most importantly, where it counts – the action sequences – God of War III is utterly unmatched and unequaled, and therefore absolutely essential for action fans.

Code Vein II is a haunting, thrilling, and unforgettable action adventure. It's so much more than the sum of its parts or the games that have clearly inspired it. It has a personality of its own that shoots beyond the soulslike genre tag, and never compromises on that unique vision.

Tomb Raider fan or not, Lara Croft GO is a must-have and will hopefully continue to expand in the months to come.

Firewall: Zero Hour is essential for PlayStation VR owners. Despite this being First Contact’s debut game, it flawlessly executes on what the studio set out to do: to create PSVR’s first must-have multiplayer shooter. It may even sway some of those yet to purchase one of Sony’s high-tech headsets.

Fat Princess offers some of the most addictive and rewarding gameplay in recent times and can be a fantastic joy to play with friends online. Over time, it wouldn’t be at all surprising for Fat Princess to get better and better as players settle down into their roles and really engage with the teamwork – much like has happened in Killzone 2’s multiplayer.

An engrossing and compelling piece of interactive fiction whether you just follow one character’s thread or read every available node, Closed Hands handles its difficult subject with real nuance and maturity thanks to excellent writing that gets you inside the head of each character.

Vultures: Scavengers of Death masterfully brings together the survival horror and turn-based action genres, losing none of the foreboding feeling while dialling up the tension significantly. A handful of bugs do little to detract from the experience, so Vultures remains a triumph. A bloodied, tense, and foreboding one, but a triumph nonetheless.

AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiative is a gripping blend of murder mystery and goofball antics. The game perfectly blends absurd humor with gripping sci-fi storytelling, and the way it breaks up dialogue-heavy moments with bits of investigative gameplay or exciting fight scenes keeps things fresh right up until the credits roll.

We Are OFK is a musical narrative experience that perfectly justifies its genre-defying position; the music is hot, the cast are hotter, and not only will you care about them, you’ll care about hearing the next thing they do. It’s exceptional.

You should absolutely get Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. It’s easy to be critical and nitpick, but it’s worth remembering we’re looking at the DLC for one of the best and most-loved games of the PS4. The PS5 upgrade for Intergrade looks and feels incredible, and the chance to play as Yuffie is warmly received, especially when she completely changes the tone to something more light-hearted. However, the DLC isn’t quite perfect and, despite the filler, it feels very short for its price, especially if you’re not interested in the side missions.

Strange Antiquities is a fantastic sequel, taking all the cosy charms of Strange Horticulture and improving on the game's presentation, puzzle design, and more. If you loved the first game, you'll love this too, and will eagerly await whatever occult theme Bad Viking can concoct for their next title.

For those who only want to extend their singleplayer experience, at £7.99, The Da Vinci Disappearance is a hard sell, despite how brilliantly crafted the new missions are. However, for those who also enjoy the online multiplayer, it's an absolute no-brainer, adding hours of additional replay value.

Mediterranea Inferno is an achievement in storytelling - not only through it's uniquely direct tackling of the effects of COVID-19 on young adults, but in how it uses the most outlandish, awe-inspiring visuals and sounds to tell that story.

Following on from Max and Chloe’s time-twisting adventure was always going to be a tricky task, but Dontnod have pulled it off with aplomb in Life Is Strange 2’s first episode. Sean and Daniel’s relationship, the tragedy that sends them on the run, the contrasting people that they meet and the supernatural twists on a modern day drama all come together in wonderful fashion.

Tethered is a delightful experience that shows the immense range of genres that can benefit from being brought to virtual reality. It boasts a playful and thoughtful approach to strategic god games whilst bringing you wholly into its world. For PSVR owners looking for something a little different, Tethered is utterly essential.

As a VR experience designed from the ground up for the technology, Doom VFR is probably the best example of this to date. There are some improvements to be made with the movement, but it is otherwise a fantastic bit of the ol’ ultra violence that shouldn’t be missed. Bethesda have definitely shown they understand the potential of VR, so hopefully we’ll see more dedicated VR experiences in the future.

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

Yuki's Wish and Zagan's Ritual are two good pieces of DLC that adds to the overall lore and gameplay of Shadow Gambit. Both provide quite a few additional hours of content, with six missions each, plus their badges to earn too. If I were to pick one of the two to go with first it would be Yuki's Wish.

Ghostrunner answers the age old question of “What if the combat was actually good in Mirror’s Edge?” It perfectly pairs parkour style free-running with frantic, but precise combat to create movie-like action sequences. This is all backed up by a fun narrative that drives the gameplay forward at a blistering pace. Ghostrunner is honestly a must-have for PC players and the most fun I’ve had reviewing a game this year.

Monster Hunter Rise on PC is the best place to play this incredible creature battler. If the series was looking for a permanent home, PC players would be more than happy to see it moving in.

GigaSword is a monumental achievement, proving that a one-person studio, with the support of a passionate fanbase, can deliver one of the best metroidvanias of 2025.

SSHD is a great package - it's complete, timely, expertly produced and at just £4.99 it's absolutely essential for any shooter fan.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a fantastic return for the series that brought the twin-stick shooter to modern consoles. Damningly hard, visually and aurally distinctive, there are few games that can match it for both immersion and addictiveness.