CD Projekt Red completes its redemption arc with an essential, meaty, and ultra-fine-tuned DLC expansion that elevates every aspect of Cyberpunk 2077.

NetherRealm Studios has scooped up all of its favourite toys and re-distributed them across the playroom in a way that has revivified the Mortal Kombat experience, birthing perhaps the most solid and enjoyable fighting game I have ever encountered.

Despite its undeniable use of core FromSoftware mainstays in building its foundations, Lies of P emerges as so much more than a simple imitation. The game’s origin points, both expected and strange, belie the clarity of vision that is found throughout almost every aspect, whether borrowed, adapted, improved upon, or wholly original. Round8 proves itself more than capable of pulling the strings, which makes the game’s absolutely fucking wild post-credits tease all the more exciting and hilarious. A delightfully mean world inhabited by equally spiteful creatures and a bevy of sharpened tools with which to go hunting, Lies of P is a tremendously fun surprise.

A fast and fun action platformer that effectively utilises its core gimmick in inventive ways, Gunbrella is the noir punk indie that you should be looking to play when the weather calls for a coat and a brolly.

If you’ve been waiting for another lifestyle game to sink countless hours into, Fae Farm should be on your list. It’s fun for all, allows for plenty of customisation and sprinkles plenty of magic over the top for good measure.

Enchanted Portals copies almost everything about Cuphead, except for the precision of its mechanics, the tightness of its design and the enjoyment gleaned by mastering it. All the good bits really…

Taking inspiration from the Tower of Babel mythology, Chants of Sennaar provides an intriguing puzzling experience with a striking visual style that stumbles slightly with unnecessary stealth sections and oversized environments.

If you’re someone who enjoys third-person survival horror action titles such as Resident Evil and are looking for something to play over a weekend, then Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle’s 10ish-hour campaign may scratch that itch. There are some good ideas here, such as the Frost Grip, but the lack of execution and polish, and some poor core mechanics, means that this is best saved for a bargain price and a rainy day.

Verne: The Shape of Fantasy isn’t a bad game by any stretch. There are some neat moments and ideas, and the pixel art style is a delight, but the overall experience does little to stand out among the crowd in a genre teeming with creativity.

As the lyrics from the song Reunion asks, was it worth it all? I can happily say, yes. Despite its problems, Goodbye Volcano High is every bit worth it, and I’d happily spend more time with Worm Drama if I could.

Firewall Ultra sticks to what works and is very satisfying, but missed opportunities hold it back from truly being the ultra tactical VR shooter.

While A Fisherman’s Tale is shorter than many people’s daily commute to work, its abundance of charm and clever use of the core puzzling mechanic make it a VR title worth cozying up with on weekend afternoon.

Starfield is a magical, if a little clumsy, first journey to the stars for Bethesda, the RPG maker reminding us of the power of player freedom, engaging writing, and just a little jank.

Sea of Stars is a breathtaking ride through familiarity and originality, engaging in its mechanics and colourful in its story, culminating in some of the best twists and turns of any RPG I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying.

While the fear factor may not go all that far, the gameplay experience in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is smooth as butter and flows like claret from a freshly opened artery.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon emerges ablaze with FromSoftware’s best impulses. Demanding and rewarding combat is bolstered by series signature customisation and player-driven storytelling to form a masterclass in design philosophy and raw fun.

Through this occult management simulator l was challenged like never before, navigating magic, zany challenges and the offbeat humour that aims to thrill and vex it’s players. Call me a masochist, but I had fun.

Putting wrestling and turn-based RPGs in a can they co-exist tag team style was an excitingly bold move that unfortunately ends in a heel turn and a crowd leaving early to beat the traffic.

Immortals of Aveum is an enchanting battlemage adventure and a satisfying spell-shooter in a breathtaking world filled with annoying personalities.

Simply put, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece. Larian Studios has done such a phenomenal job at bringing back an IP that has laid dormant since 2000 (2013 if you count the Baldur’s Gate 2 remaster – I, do not) and inadvertently put out a game that spits in the face of contemporary, predatory game design. While I don’t think it will be the new standard of RPGs, I think it stands as an example for aspiring RPG developers that, when given the appropriate amount of time, an RPG does not have to conform to the lifeless norms that the AAA industry has fed us for so many years. Larian, you have truly outdone yourselves, and your work will more than likely stand as one of the greatest achievements in gaming.

This is a game where you play with cards – but it is not a ‘card game’. This is a narrative adventure where your outcomes and relationships manifest by way of interactions, and the cards will absolutely influence such a thing. It is divination by its very definition – seeking knowledge of the future by supernatural means. That future is yours to mold by the choices you make and the connections you shape.

En Garde! is a fun, humorous and stylish frolic through a colourful 17th century Spain that pays homage to Zorro and the golden age of swashbuckling adventures.

This spooky age of piracy has charming supernatural characters and visuals, but the hardcore stealth action on offer is an uncompromising, often unwieldy beast.

Rarely can you say that moving house is fun, but SMG Studio’s co-op party sequel manages to introduce more than enough new ideas and added content to have you pushing aside your weekend plans to pack and stack.

While this sandy action RPG is somewhat lacking in technical and visual polish, Atlas Fallen is still a strong outing from Deck13, with the outfit continuing to prove it's got the chops when it comes to crafting interesting mechanics and fun combat.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical has a sharp eye for aesthetics and a kind heart but its ambitious concept buckles under uneven implementation and a lacklustre sound.

The Master’s Pupil gives players an inside view into the artistic eye of Claude Monet. Expect to be delighted by hand painted scenery and challenged in your colour and physics knowledge, as you move through this artist's aesthetic through time.

Not a mere reboot or refresh, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons delivers a fiendishly familiar beat ‘em up that will have you hooked on its charming retro styles and clever modern trappings.

It never fully challenged me personally and isn’t an overly long experience, but with a few friends or Disney diehards, Disney Illusion Island is a worthy adventure and one of the better licensed titles to venture out from the Magic Kingdom of late.

Positively overflowing with meaty, tactical combat and terrific character writing, Trails of Reverie is held back by its dated presentation and sky-high barrier to entry.

Just when you think Nintendo has drained the well of creativity, it once more releases a sequel that refines an already quality experience to another level. Pikmin remains one of its best franchises that deserves more time in the spotlight, and Pikmin 4 is no exception.

Dros wears its heart and 80s influences on its sleeve, combining elements of past 3D puzzle platform adventure games to craft a unique but familiar experience.

Combining smooth gunplay and god-like telekinetic abilities, Synapse is a stylish roguelite shooter that more than deserves to be labelled as a PSVR 2 must-buy.

Aliens: Dark Descent successfully adapts a real-time combat system to a genre of games that are traditionally turn-based. Tindalos Interactive has clearly put in a lot of love and care, and it shows.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals spends a little too much time washed out in white noise to truly deliver on its promise but when tuned just right, it sounds like little else. A coming-of-age story for people who should have already come of age is a beautiful and poignant launching pad and despite getting bogged down in hard rules and lore, Night School Studios still display a grasp on horror aesthetics and storytelling worth the price of admission. The signal is a little fuzzy, this is a game still worth listening out for.

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE could have used its inventiveness more concisely, but what’s here is still an enjoyable first entry for a new IP that holds plenty of promise now and hopefully into the future.

Hearkening back to the good old days of arcade wrestling games, Fight Forever is an accessibly fun and awesomely faithful title that’s sure to entertain from bell to bell, despite its numerous shortcomings.

The highest praise I can muster is that it’s functional, while slow to load it is at least a steady performer. Roping mates into matches with you will undoubtedly inject some life into the thing too, and the aesthetics of Crash and co. do a lot of heavy lifting to give this very basic experience the appearance of fun at least. On its own merits, it’s aggressively fine, but considered as a shelved product, Crash Team Rumble feels a little like it’s taking the fruit right out of your pocket.

Dordogne’s strengths lie within its storytelling, making it very easy to empathise and resonate with the protagonist’s journey. I definitely recommend this to any gamer out there wanting a relaxing but intriguing game experience.

While Final Fantasy XVI didn’t meet this fan’s expectations for a new series entry, newcomers to epic fantasy and action games will be swept away by the eye-melting combat and enormous-yet-approachable scale.

Repella Fella embraces its Australian foundations to deliver an adventure game that is violent, funny and mad as a cut snake.

Layers of Fear is an admirable remaster that uses the fresh coat of paint to bring the series’ art direction up to modern standards but the bones of the experience remain fractured. Tedious and exhausting gameplay loops and tasteless writing make even this package a nice frame on an ugly painting.

With plenty to explore, mechanics that are mostly tight and engaging, and loads of of retro-infused elements, there’s a little gem here within the chronicles of two cunning heroes.

The magic of manual map drawing is curbed with the handy auto-map feature, yet pulling off risky expeditions into Etrian Odyssey's dangerous labyrinths remains unmatched.

Street Fighter 6 is a remarkably satisfying, stylish and approachable fighter that not only redefines a legacy fighting series but an entire genre.

Diablo IV is a must-play for fans of the series and newcomers alike. It invites you to lose yourself in a world of darkness and embark on a thrilling journey filled with relentless battles, captivating storytelling, and a hauntingly beautiful audio-visual symphony. Just ignore the extraneous limb reaching for your wallet.

The atmospheric visual overhaul marks the best part of this exhausting and dated remake, while the villainous AI SHODAN remains a timeless antagonist.

With dated design, LotR: Gollum is a slow and tedious slog through Middle Earth that even the staunchest LotR fans will struggle to enjoy.

Unreliable performance and some underdeveloped mechanics do hurt the impact and atmosphere of After Us, but its intriguing post-apocalyptic world and satisfying movement still make for a worthy adventure.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun successfully captures the dark and expansive lore of the Warhammer universe, immersing the player in a grim and pixelated future that will appeal to both fans of the franchise and FPS enthusiasts.

There are more polished, quality roguelites out there that will engage you for a longer period than Death or Treat, but that says less about its own achievements and more about the incredibly high bar set by its predecessors.

Gorgeous visuals and a spectacular score elevate an already entertaining puzzle platformer to the same level as some of the genre greats.

Outer Terror is a daring and defiant ode to the beauty of retro horror, delivering an arcade experience that is familiar but unique enough to keep you digging further.

LEGO 2K Drive rips up the tarmac with its confident self-identity and gorgeous worlds, delivering one of the most outright enjoyable arcade racers in modern history.

When AFL 23 delivers on its on-field vision it’s the best Aussie Rules video game out there, but the lack of execution and content means that it's not quite the contender it could have been.

Adol Christin's most agile adventure excels but its PS5 port can only be recommended to first-time players

Tears of the Kingdom will overawe you with its scale and its imagination. It will demand your creativity and ingenuity in a way that few games would dare demand. It pays tribute to the things that have made this series so timeless, while also innovating so relentlessly that it will be the better part of a decade before any game is able to follow in its wake. Nearly four decades after The Legend of Zelda series made its debut, its latest instalment is a breathtaking high-point for the Zelda franchise, for Nintendo and for video games.

A disappointing take on open-world first-person shooters, Redfall has none of the flavour or mechanical finesse that we’ve come to expect from Arkane Studios.

Burning Shores may not feel essential in the grand scheme of things, but a solid self-contained story and dedication to character depth make this the perfect excuse to return to this brilliant action-adventure RPG.

Bramble: The Mountain King is a beautiful, charming and disturbing interactive dark fairy tale that is undone slightly by some dated gameplay moments.

Challenging combat, rewarding platforming, engaging exploration and a surprisingly unique story has Survivor in the conversation for the best Star Wars game ever released.

With writing this outstanding and characters this endearing, Zero fans get a satisfying conclusion to the Crossbell saga minus the sense of déjà vu.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly may not do much to differentiate itself from its predecessor, however it still delivers a quality visual novel experience packed with plenty of hot drinks and lo-fi beats to brew them to.

The recipe wasn’t played with too much, resulting in a solid compilation of two titles that remain infinitely enjoyable, if a touch complicated by reality.

Dead Island 2 is every bit the gory zombie slasher it wants to be. But as enjoyable and solid as it is, issues with repetition and the gameplay loop stop it from being the game it perhaps could have been.

Though it can be a relatively shallow and imperfect game, Minecraft Legends offers a fun and unique experience that feels befitting of a Minecraft spinoff.

Aping great co-op shooters like Left 4 Dead but in the VR space, After the Fall provides a fun yet fleeting experience that could do with more to do.

Frogwares’ remake of Sherlock Holmes The Awakened successfully blends the otherworldly with the logical in a compelling and well-written adventure that shows a different side of the iconic detective.

Feeling every bit like a AAA game set in the Horizon universe, Call of the Mountain is an immersive and visually impressive experience that falters somewhat in the combat department.

The Library of Babel takes its short story inspirations and runs, crafting a compelling, strange sci-fi world that isn’t always as fun to explore as it is to read about, or just simply vibe in.

Those that love Mahokenshi will adore the fully realised blend of deck-building and digital board game, but will forget the threadbare mythological Southeast Asian theming.

From bizarre difficulty balancing to a poorly written story, Lightfall has a lot of misses. However, it also makes a lot of good changes that enhance the general gameplay like with Strand subclass and the accessibility of buildcrafting. It isn't the worst Destiny 2 expansion, not even close, but it is also far from being great.

Curse of the Sea Rats’ charmingly nostalgic art direction can only partially hide a Metroidvania whose mechanical shortcomings are numerous, and whose substandard technical stability is irredeemable in its launch state.

Dredge blends cosmic horror and local fishing economies into a robust but expertly paced adventure that rewards your investment with a strange tale, engaging mechanics and a unique, wonderful vibe.

Refining, tweaking and improving on every aspect of last year's iteration while introducing a number of worthwhile new features, WWE 2K23 continues to build series momentum, managing to be the best wrestling game in years.

Tchia’s ambitious ideas and brightly textured open world come together in harmony. Despite an air of familiarity, there’s simply nothing else like Tchia, and I have no doubt it will be high on my game of the year list.

Serving as both a clever and adoring return to a classic and an imaginative, mechanically perfected look to the future, Resident Evil 4 is Capcom’s best work and a new crown jewel for the long-running franchise.

A smart, compelling, and deeply warm examination of memory and identity, The Wreck gives players the tools to turn tragedy into catharsis.

Not at all what any Bayonetta fan might have expected, but when freed from the expectations of the franchise, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon stands on its own two feet as a charming, worthwhile, indie-inspired puzzle adventure game.

An intense atmosphere and intriguing story which is unfortunately marred by the age the game was created in. Looking past the clumsiness of the movement, it is still one of the most accessible and fun Project Zero games.

Wo Long is another solid entry into the hardcore hack and slash RPG genre, but some wonky difficulty and questionable enemy AI spoil some of the design nuances and mean it doesn't quite hit the heights of Team Ninja's previous efforts.

Scars Above is an enjoyable, if simple, entry into the sci-fi shooter genre. Although elements of the game feel a bit rushed or unpolished, none of that will detract from the overall experience. If you have a few hours to spare and you like mysterious adventures on far-flung planets, I recommend giving this one a go.

As a follow-up to the highly successful Forgotten Land, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe may tread on old ground, but it does so with confidence and colour aplenty.

Elderand feels like a game that would have thrived in a previous generation of gaming. It holds onto some mechanics that just don’t feel that great compared to what the Metroidvania genre offers in the modern day. It’s not all bad, but there are better games in the genre that you can play.

Atomic Heart has an impressive command of aesthetics and occasionally gives you the tools to enjoy its world, but an unstable console build, unsatisfying systems and complete misfire of a script prevent these atoms from achieving the necessary fusion.

Like A Dragon: Ishin! does exactly what it says on the box. It takes the recognisable characters that have appeared throughout the series and transformed them into 19th-century analogs. The super dramatic storyline, backstabs and betrayals remain pleasingly offset with the eccentric substories that feature memorable characters in the wildest of circumstances. Kiryu-Ryōma-Saito remains the ever-loveable stone-faced uncle driven by honour, stoically seeking the goodness in hearts everywhere before curb stomping a handsy mugger.

Wild Hearts is packed with creative mechanics and delightful flourishes that make it a welcome and exciting addition to the monster hunting genre.

Blanc is a wonderful journey, whether played solo or with a friend, that will have you cooing in delight at its black and white cuteness.

The gameplay of A Space for the Unbound isn’t overly deep, but its simplicity is more than made up for by its exceedingly entertaining and emotional storytelling.

Hogwarts Legacy is the most definitively accurate and exciting wizarding world adventure people could hope to experience, short of getting a real-life invitation to Hogwarts. With hours of content and a wealth of wizarding wonderment, you’d be hard pressed not to enjoy yourself to an impressive capacity.

Despite some moments of genuine enjoyment, with a combat system that does its best to entertain, Forspoken never makes the most of its potential. Ultimately, there are bigger, bolder and more inventive action games both already out there and soon to be upon us in an already stacked 2023 release schedule.

ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree sets out to do a lot in a short space of time and manages to pull it off impressively, even though I wanted to spend even more time within its take on Midgard compared to what it holds.

Dead Space is a remarkable achievement in design on all fronts. A loving and intelligent remake that reminds players of what has been lost in AAA games and what can be found again if you just know where to look.

A stunning One Piece game great for fans and JRPG newbies, but one that won't satisfy hardened min-maxers.

Kynseed is a shockingly robust and fully realised fantasy farming-sim that may overwhelm at first but rewards patience with its countless interlocking systems.

Even after all this time, there remains very few RPGs as creative, colourful and enjoyable as Persona 4 Golden. Though these new console additions don’t add too much to the experience, it was a journey already at a high level of quality and now more fans can experience and enjoy the murder mystery mayhem.

P3P is still a terrific remake from a bygone era and a gold standard in handheld JRPGs on the Switch.

Fire Emblem Engage is enjoyable but leaves little impression. If the narrative was more compelling, if the character relationships were deeper and more interesting or if combat was more varied, there’s every chance that Engage would have felt more robust and impactful. In the absence of those things, Engage just feels…fine.