Solar Crown is a perfectly enjoyable open-world racing game with solid handling and plenty to do, but its world map is too large to maintain a consistent level of detail and it loses some personality as a result. This, combined with occasional frame rate issues even in Performance mode give the game an unpolished feel. If you're looking for a new open-world racer we'd still recommend it, as long as you don't expect anything particularly innovative.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is a solid way to round off the series' remasters on modern platforms. The point-and-click style exploration gives the game a slightly different feel to the rest of the series but both games are still legnthy, engaging affairs with plenty of fun twists and enjoyable dialogue.

As the third game in the Famicom Detective Club series, Emio: The Smiling Man is a faithful entry that fits perfectly alongside the 2021 remakes of the first two titles. It fits in a little too well, however, because its gameplay hasn't changed much from the 1980s originals, meaning its 'choose every option until you move on' dialogue system ends up feeling like a boring box-ticking exercise rather than an intuitive investigative process. The story is great but it's strictly for those who love visual novels, no matter how linear.

Star Wars Outlaws is a pulpy, Uncharted-style adventure that doesn't quite fulfill its potential. Kay and Nix lead a great cast through a well-paced, punchy story, but the game's Reputation system, and syndacite storyline in general feels undercooked.

Concord is an enjoyable shooter, kneecapped by a $40 price tag and a bland cast of characters. When it arrives on PlayStation Plus, which feels almost certain at this point, its worth picking up, but only with the enthusiasm you'd treat any other free-to-play fare.

Cygni is an exceptional evolution of the shoot 'em up genre, one that relentlessly pummels the player with enemies and explosions. Its combat is extremely satisfying and its lengthy stages and customisable elements make it the sort of game you'll play through numerous times. We'd be recommending it as a full-price game, but at £25 / $30 it's a no-brainer.

Steamworld Heist 2 is a charming, generous and surprisingly challenging seafaring romp. From its fun filled real time sailing to its refreshingly tactile twist on turn-based gunplay, Image and Form’s pirate romp breathes a welcome breeze into an often stuffy genre.

Thank Goodness You're Here is the new high watermark for a comedy game. Constantly hilarious, inventive and creative, it's a complete joy. A brisk 3 hour jaunt through the fictional north of England, Thank Goodness You're Here sets out its ambitions from the beginning, and confidently exceeds them.

It will take time, but if the teams at Hardball Games can add some variety to the formula, Outrage: Fight Fest has all the makings of a champion. For now though, despite a strong idea, the experience is pulling its punches.

As a whole, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is a stronger start to the next ten years of the game than we expected. But that doesn't make it immune to key criticisms. The game has come a long way, and there's only so much you can expect to change again without a full-blown sequel. Even still, the highs and lows felt too much like a literal rollercoaster over the 2+ weeks of evenings it took to power through its story content.

For retro enthusiasts with access to likeminded friends and family, this Switch challenge collection is a genuine local multiplayer hit. For solo players and those looking to compete with others online, however, it’s a far less impressive package.

Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is another strong Nintendo remaster which doesn't mess around with the original too much, but delivers enough improvements (particularly in terms of visual detail) to make it a worthwhile release. The controls still aren't perfect and Luigi's Mansion 3 is the better game but the sheer charm crammed into every crevice means it's still absolutely worth a look.

As the first entirely new Monkey Ball game in 12 years, fans of the series will at least be happy to have a selection of new stages to play through. Performance issues and a relatively sparse multiplayer offering prevent it from being considered among the best the series has to offer, however.

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.

Still Wakes the Deep is a short but effective game with brilliant performances, a deeply atmospheric setting and fun creature effects. Critics of the hand-holding found in the 'walking sim' genre likely won't be converted, but those looking for an engaging story they can play through in a night or two will strike oil with this one.

XDefiant is a confident shooter that's far more than a Call of Duty knockoff. The Tom Clancyverse crossovers are somewhat cringey, but if Ubisoft doubles down on the great gameplay, and the weird faction warfare, we'll keep coming back for months to come.

20 years after its original release, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remains a treasure. With a refreshingly un-Mario-like script, a memorable and lovable cast, engaging turn-based gameplay, and more variety than your average Taylor Swift concert, the GameCube title is regarded by many as a classic entry in the plumber’s RPG lineage.

Hellblade 2 is a mechanically dated game carried along by its incredible presentational flair. For a game shown alongside the debut of Series X, it's not reflective of the story Xbox is trying to tell with its first party. As a result, it's disappointing.

Charming yet challenging, Paper Trail is a beautifully designed game that will have you perplexed by its page-folding puzzles. A generous hint system ensures players won't get so stuck that they get frustrated, while collecting all the origami is a task that will likely turn even the most ardent puzzle fan's brain to pulp.

Endless Ocean's procedural generation keeps its exploration engaging enough for a while, but its Story mode is extremely poor. As long as you're willing to forgo plot (and any meaningful interaction with the species you encounter) in favour of exploring random underwater environments, there's still a good deal of fun to be had here.

For those who wished that God of War Ragnarok offered a bit more challenge or that Bayonetta had a bit more weight to its combat, this slick sci-fi slasher is the perfect tonic, offering both the perfect entry point into the Souls-like genre and a refreshing refinement of the well-worn character action formula. It may lack the naval gazing intelligence of the excellent Nier Automata, but when you’re having this much fun, it’s hard to care.

TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is a perfectly servicable beat 'em up that hardly redefines the genre but is solid enough, particularly if you can find some like-minded TMNT fans to play local co-op with you. Given its arcade origins it's extremely brief, so players will need to be pwilling to replay it multiple times to get their money's worth.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU feels like a studio stretching its legs for the first time. Visually inventive, and full of great platforming, average combat and exploration lets it down.

Top Spin 2K25 is the best 'serious' tennis game we've played since, frankly, the last one was released 13 years ago. Its characters look a bit off, its career mode is dry and the typical 2K microtransaction nonsense is in there (to a less intrusive extent than usual), but when it comes to the gameplay on the court it's far superior to anything else out there.

Snow Day is a fun enough co-op action game while it lasts, but its repetitive nature (both in terms of its environments and its low number of stages) means you'll tire of it eventually. Dialogue is typically fantastic and the art style works better than we expected, but its low price is a key indicator of how relatively light it is on content at launch.

Full of personality and variety, Princess Peach Showtime delivers a performance that’s better than the sum of its parts, with some shallow mechanics lost in the glitz of its cabaret show. The challenge is definitely geared towards youngsters, but even experienced players will find it difficult not to be charmed.

Rise of the Ronin is a fine open world adventure that never elevates itself to greatness. Fun Team Ninja combat will drag you through, but pointless open world fluff and questionable visuals sadly result in 'just another' open world game.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is one of the best RPGs of the last decade. Capcom's incredible run has reached unfathomable heights with a game that's destined to be beloved by players and revered by developers in turn. It's a game that refuses to hold your hand, but will give you all the tools to experience an adventure that's one for the ages.