The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom reinterprets Breath of the Wild for the better. Instead of removing all the aches and pains of that game, it completes the circle by adding gameplay-based solutions to annoyances and encourages you to let your imagination run free. Easily one of the very best games on Nintendo Switch.

As a sequel, Hades 2 is ambitious, and delivers one of the most satisfying roguelite experiences in years. Yet, it can’t escape the shadow of its predecessor, and in trying to add every idea possible to amplify its scale, the story ends up losing the trademark weight of the studio.

Astro Bot isn't simply an enjoyable platformer with some nostalgia tying it together; it's a generationally impressive entry in the genre that understands PlayStation at an atomic level. The sheer level of joy the game produces makes it impossible to compare it to anything other than Mario's very best adventure. Astro is no longer a vector through which to reference PlayStation icons; he is a PlayStation icon.

Two decades later, Metroid Prime feels just as fresh and modern in 2023 as it did back in the day. Whether you’re revisiting, or donning Samus’s visor for the first time, Prime deservedly sits among the Switch’s list of essentials.

While some cracks are beginning to form around the edges, the people who’ve played the game 10 times already won’t care, and will be thrilled to hear that the next-gen version of the game provides a definitive console experience and a great reason to head back out into the wilds.

Metaphor: ReFantazio could have so easily been Persona with the names filed off, but it's so much more than that. It matches incredibly fun, expansive combat with an excellent cast of characters that make the nearly 100-hour journey a memorable one.

God of War Ragnarok is an incredibly special game. It's vital in a way few releases are. With captivating performances that carry an amazing story to a jaw-dropping final act, it’s a game that achieves everything it sets out to do to the absolute highest standard.

Naughty Dog has taken everything to the limit to create The Last of Us 2 – the PS4, its design template, and its staff. In some respects, it’s gone too far, but the results are undeniably spectacular, and this is the studio’s best game yet.

A stunning return for Half-Life and an essential VR purchase - if you have the required equipment and space.

God of War on PC is the definitive way to play an absolutely essential game. It’s never looked better, bringing into sharp relief an art style that’s colourful, brutal and incredibly inventive with practically faultless performance, even on a machine that isn’t at the absolute bleeding edge of PC technology.

Resident Evil 4 is a careful restoration of what remains one of the most compelling action games ever made. The core elements which make the original such a compulsive hit all remain, reminding us that sometimes the secret for these big re-releases is knowing where to remake, and where to remaster.

Final Fantasy 7 is an excellent RPG with some of the best characters in the gaming canon. While some open-world content skirts the edges, and the game's main narrative is left somewhat deflated, the time spent with Aerith, Tifa, and the gang makes this a hugely enjoyable road trip you'll be playing for hundreds of hours.

Inventive and full of heart, with a tight design and striking presentation, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is undoubtedly the plumber’s most memorable 2D outing since the 1990s.

Forza Horizon 5 is the best game in the series and the best Xbox Series X/S game to date. Its flawless racing and wealth of activities are backed up by a gorgeous setting and a fantastic new progression system which encourages players to focus on the features they enjoy most. Utterly essential.

With the three titans of the fighting game space all releasing mainline entries this year, competition is going to be stiff, but Capcom is putting its best foot forward. The publisher’s incredible run continues with one of the most feature-rich, stylish, and enjoyable entries in franchise history.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is an incredible expansion and a worthy follow up to the generation's best game. In some ways, it's better than the original by providing an experience that's both tighter, but also more than double the length we expected. A sequel-sized sensation.

It’s hard to imagine a better version of this game. Bluepoint established itself as the master of the remake with Shadow Of The Colossus, but in Demon’s Souls, they’ve produced a launch game that’s going to be hard to beat for several years.

This stunningly gorgeous, remarkably detailed sim is a triumph for both expert players and flight rookies.

Sekiro is the fabulous culmination of From Software’s modus operandi, honed relentlessly since 2009. While it plays like its predecessors, it also feels different and fresh.

Split Fiction is visually streets ahead of its predecessor It Takes Two, but mechanically the two games are very similar. The game is occasionally in danger of verging into repetitive territory with its constant shifting between two main environments, but its healthy selection of varied side-stories and its constantly changing mechanics ensure its gameplay remains engaging and entertaining throughout, even if the same can't always be said for its story.

Falling slightly short of Odyssey’s genius, Donkey Kong Bananza is still a thoroughly entertaining Switch 2 platformer, with a heartfelt story, and DK’s most memorable adventure in years.

Balatro is an astonishingly addictive take on Poker that's utterly impossible to put down. Occasional difficulty spikes aside, it's a piece of simplistic genius that we'll keep on our Steam Deck forever.

Nintendo's comforting life sim is a tranquil haven at a time the world needs it most.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is caught in a web of trying to bind two conflicting genres together, with the expectations and norms of each half damaging the other. The beauty of its art design and precise, joyful feel of its movement are inarguable wonders, but the tiring and demotivating nature of its sadistic approach to challenge ripples throughout the entire experience of exploration and combat. It's more of what was good about Hollow Knight, but it failed to avoid some very clear pitfalls in design on its long path to release.

Its impact may be lessened these days – something that’s unavoidable given that the source material is a decade and a half old – but from its engaging intro crash sequence to its controversial (and slightly tweaked) ending, it’s still a thrilling journey through madness.

Spider-Man is an incredibly confident sequel and one of 2023's best. Incredibly fun to play, fast-paced and full of heart, it takes the best of the Spider-Man lore, and the best of Insomniac's penchant for excellent gameplay sequences, and combines them for arguably the best Marvel game ever.

A gorgeous platformer that builds on the original without ruining what made it so special. If you have Game Pass, there’s no reason not to play this.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is the best way to play one of the best games ever made. Excellent bonus content and visual bells and whistles make this $10 more than worth it, and the exact excuse you need to revisit this modern masterpiece.