The sense of wonder and magic as you make your way around this mysterious and grimly beautiful world is truly extraordinary and while that does taper off somewhat by the time you reach the endgame and have seen more or less everything the game has to offer — several times over, in a lot of cases — but that doesn't detract too much from what will have otherwise been a truly remarkable adventure. Souls haters shouldn't fall for the rebrand as they'll just get burned again — Elden Ring is very much 'just' From doing what From does best, this time performing its greatest hits on the biggest stage to date. And what a wonderful thing that is to witness.

The frustration of dying for the thousandth time finds its counterweight in the gorgeously fluid ballet of a perfect run. With a wonderfully evocative soundtrack and a whole host of creative ideas and plenty of additional challenges beyond the main campaign, Celeste manages to cram in a whole lot of goodness without ever missing a step. Fans of tricky platformers will find much to love in the game's design, but it's also a perfect starting point for anyone new to the genre — perhaps even those actively averse to it. In short, it's a bit of a masterpiece.

There's no shortage of great action roguelikes on Xbox, but the arrival of Hades sets a new benchmark for the genre, and sets it high. Artistically gorgeous, narratively captivating, and always a delight to play, Hades goes above and beyond what you'd expect from a game like this, resulting in a unique experience that you'll likely still find yourself diving back into long after the completion is wrapped up. Supergiant has an incredible track record, but with Hades, the studio takes its throne alongside the gods of the indie scene. Cheers, mates.

Inside is a game that has to be experienced first-hand to be understood and I’d urge everyone to play it. At three to four hours it is on the short side, but thanks to the thought provoking and surprising story, tight gameplay and exceptional sound and visual design, Inside will leave a long lasting impression that will more than make it worth its price tag.

By this stage, it should come as no surprise that Playground Games finds a way to raise the bar for each release in the Horizon series, and they've once again found another gear in Forza Horizon 4 that leaves its competitors trailing in the dust. The roster of cars is bigger than ever, the setting of Britain is stunningly recreated down to the finest detail, the shared online world is a resounding success, and the addition of seasons adds something completely new and unique to the series both in terms of the gameplay and the aesthetics of the world. I don't know how they do it, but Playground Games has once again set the standard for other racing games to strive for.

The world of Divinity is exceedingly vast, but it's full to the brim with meaningful content that you'll enjoy exploring through for dozens or even hundreds of hours. There are few RPGs I'd dare to call essential, but Divinity: Original Sin 2 stands out among all others as deserving of that accolade. It's undoubtedly one of the best tactical and role-playing experiences you'll ever have on any platform.

Beautiful, vast, creative, varied, and exciting, Forza Horizon 5 is an incredible game that will have you hooning around Mexico for months. There's an amazing sense of variety to everything about this game, and the smart Accolades system should have many achievement hunters hooked as they explore the full extent of what this remarkable racer has to offer. Fantastic handling, interesting events, and a wonderful history-spanning selection of cars makes for an amazing experience — arguably the best game in the series to date, and inarguably the best game in the series to DOOT. See you in Mexico, amigos...

The exceptional story and inventive gameplay design makes Giant Sparrow's title a memorable trailblazer for walking sims. It sets a new bar for what the genre is capable of in its interactivity, and all narrative adventure games that arrive after Edith Finch may now have to consider challenging players with more than diary reading and tape playing. It's said that, in their infancy, each new medium copies the one it's following. In some ways, games are the successor to movies and we've seen plenty of cinematic games that crib the format of feature films. To take nothing away from such games, What Remains of Edith Finch is a shining example of what video games do uniquely well.

Forza Horizon 6 is the series at its best, combining meaningful progression with the franchise's strongest open world yet. Japan is stunning and filled with interesting things, and it's an absolute joy to explore. The Wristband system makes progression feel rewarding again, and the approachable arcade racing remains as satisfying and compelling as ever. Playground Games has delivered its best Forza Horizon experience to date.

The expansive roster of cars are all beautifully designed right down to the smallest detail. The setting is stunning with very few walls and boundaries to inhibit your freedom, and now you can experience all of the fun in four-player co-op with the added bonus of being able to customise almost every aspect of each race to your choosing. Quite simply put, Forza Horizon 3 is the pinnacle of open-world racers available on the Xbox One.

Dead Cells is an excellent game that will challenge and delight seasoned roguelike addicts, yet Motion Twin has also made it accessible to newcomers. The combination of roguelite and metroidvania genres wraps the bitter pill of permadeath in a sweet coating of exploration, with a solid progression system and plenty of reward loops to help inexperienced players get into the game. Meanwhile expert players can speed run, ramp up the difficulty level and equip the gear and mutations designed for skilled users. Dying repeatedly has never felt this good.

"Resident Evil 4 is brilliant" is a statement that rings as true today as it did almost 20 years ago, with Capcom turning in yet another fantastic remake that revives and, to a degree, reinvents a classic for a new generation. Fans familiar with the original will likely appreciate a lot of the tweaks and improvements (even if they may lament a few of the changes, based on personal preference), while newcomers get to experience a stunning modern version of an all-time classic. What are you waiting for? It's game time!

The story has impact on both a base level and philosophically, and will no doubt leave you with questions to consider for days after you finish if you enjoy that kind of thing. I wish I could have more games like NieR: Automata, but I'll probably be waiting a while — it's only so often a game this excellent comes around.

Monster Hunter: World captures that feel of hunting, and despite its technical quirks and poor design decisions, if you've got a group of friends to play with it comes highly recommended. If you're running solo, you might be better waiting for a sale.

The wait for Ori and the Will of the Wisps will most definitely prove worthwhile: Moon Studios has created a masterpiece. The sequel manages to be more beautiful, heartfelt, and challenging than Ori and the Blind Forest. Some of the new changes feel a little superfluous to Ori's world, but only in comparison to everything which the game already offers. Will of the Wisps offers a real challenge and comes with its own share of frustration, but in doubling down on everything players loved in Blind Forest and going beyond it, Moon Studios has achieved a superb sequel.

While the game isn't perfect -- side activities can be dull and there are a few frustrating bugs -- Stardew Valley will no doubt remain a staple in my rotation for months to come. It's a game that fully succeeds in its premise and for that it is worthy of your time.

Is this the big shift that will win over people who bounced off Cyberpunk 2077 at launch? No. Instead what Phantom Liberty represents is a small slice of the best that Cyberpunk 2077 and CD Projekt Red has to offer.

NetherRealm has completely knocked it out of the park with Injustice 2 once again.

The game's music is perfectly set for the different situations you find yourself in. It's suitably dramatic in the big fight scenes and similarly soft when you get to a more emotional part. Whilst not at the forefront of your attention, the music is always there and sometimes you won't even notice it until it goes silent. Your heart might be in your mouth as you hack a computer or lockpick a door with enemies nearby, and the music will do a great job to reflect exactly how you are feeling.

The detailed missions, versatile powers, and atmospheric storytelling will keep you coming back for multiple playthroughs if only to learn more about the world, play with the powers, and find every last thing to either steal or kill/subdue. Simply put, Dishonored 2 is a must play for stealth fans and an easy recommendation for most gamers.

It's true that from an innovation standpoint, The Banner Saga 3 doesn't do a lot different than its predecessors, but that also means the same great tactical RPG system that has been in place since the beginning makes one final push for the endgame. That endgame is what really makes the game so worthwhile. With heavy decisions to be made and fantastic character closure, The Banner Saga 3 is the most riveting and remarkable the series has ever been, and it establishes the trilogy as one of the greats in gaming.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a shining example of how to do a remake properly, and sits in stark contrast to the last woeful effort to revisit these classics, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Vicarious Visions demonstrates a wonderful understanding of what needs updating and what should be held sacred, even to the point that the team has bitten the bullet and let the lesser stages (yes, of course we mean you, Downhill Jam) stay bad just so the classics can stay superb without laying a finger on any of the layouts.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Beacon Pines. Its eye-catching storybook art style catches your attention which is then held by the game's fast-moving and suspenseful plot. There were times when this story felt too convoluted in some areas whilst a little lacking in explanation in others, but it's still an easy recommendation. Just don't trust its cutesy appearance too much — Beacon Pines might start out at the beginning of Summer, but that eerie undertone makes it a great contender to play in the run-up to Halloween.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is an outstanding single-player shooter with a plot that is full of twists and turns and a cast of well written and believable characters, each with their own flaws and motivations. The action is wonderfully violent and the gunplay is about as satisfying as you can get from a shooter. There are a few sound issues and small instances of flickering textures, but overall Wolfenstein II delivers a first-class experience full of pulse-pounding action and unforgettable story moments that should not be missed.

This is a team game, and it's hard to recommend if you'll be only playing alone as even things like magazine size caters to its team-centric gameplay. Even the innovative ping system can't change that. But as a team battle royale, Apex Legends is excellent.

Legacy concerns still plague this game like they have been doing for the last half-decade. However, dialogue options feel the most cohesive they've ever been and the combat adds a few new wrinkles while fixing what didn't work before.

Senua is fierce and imperfect in a way that will have you rooting for her like few characters ever garner. Her journey is pretty much unceasingly filthy, violent, tragic and horrific, yet it's not a story of suffering, but rather one of perseverance. Senua is a remarkable character who instills all of her energies into the player in such a way that will never be forgotten.

Devil May Cry 5 is so successful because it is impeccably designed from top to bottom with one goal in mind: be awesome. It knocks that goal out of the park in nearly every element of the game. Nero and Dante each bring something unique to the combat while still maintaining the trademark feel of the series, with plenty of depth to ensure they feel awesome to play. The enemies follow suit, ensuring every battle has plenty of challenge, and the boss battles are almost all excellent. The story is backed up by flashy set pieces that are fun to watch, though I’ll admit the story itself is not particularly good in any way. The only major negatives are that the new character V seems unbalanced and doesn’t control well and that the Bloody Palace mode has been left off the feature list. Devil May Cry 5 is excellent and you won’t be disappointed.