Thank Goodness You’re Here! establishes itself as one of those games that will always prompt the question of, “Have you played Thank Goodness You’re Here!”? when encountering people of a positive nature – where you will then delight in their own telling of their experiences or feel the giddy warmth of recommending it. It’s razor sharp, densely packed and firing on all cylinders for the entirety of the afternoon you will spend playing it – all for the price you’d pay for a disappointing fast food dinner. And by the time you encounter the ending and drink in all the madness THAT has to offer, I’d challenge you to not feel well cared for.

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

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.

Bungie has been promising the world to us with Destiny 2: The Final Shape and has proven that competent and cohesive story writing is something that is no longer on the cards for Destiny 2. While the story is quite disappointing, there are at least steps in the right direction in a game design sense to make the game feel better to play.

Immensely self-assured in the quality of its foundation, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach masterfully iterates and refines, while introducing considered additions that complement the experience, not complicate it.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth wears its title on its sleeve, a seemingly endless amount of content to explore wrapped in an emotional and entertaining story. It’s Like A Dragon at its very, unique best.

Resident Evil Requiem is an intoxicating mix of the series’ DNA, blending exhilarating action and palpable horror to make not only one of the best Resident Evil games, but one of the best modern survival horror experiences.

Synth Riders isn’t going to set the world on fire for being novel or daring, but what it does do it does as well as any other VR rhythm game on the market.

Persona 3 Reload successfully captures the wonder of Persona 3 and injects the contemporary stylings earned through Persona 5 into the star child of the series. The story holds up well, the remade music and visuals are fantastic, and the systems are as engaging as ever. Against the backdrop of Persona 5 and its various releases and iterations, Persona 3 Reload stands as a wonderfully sensible, well-structured experience that will have you hooked for all 80 hours of its runtime.

Creating a sequel to a 13-year-old cult favourite that moves into a new genre, creates connections to a shared universe and introduces a new protagonist is a significant gamble. If Alan Wake II was released and managed to be ‘good,’ many would see that as a win for Remedy, but this game is so much more than that. Unashamedly strange and wonderfully unique, Alan Wake II is one of the finest survival horror games I’ve played, and it’s one of the best games I’ve played in recent memory. An insane narrative, told from the perspective of two equally intriguing characters that are brought to life with convincing performances, accompanied by tense, engaging gameplay that evolves over the course of the game. Without hesitation, I can say that the 13-year wait was worth it in every way.

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut is the definitive version of an incredible point-and-click RPG, mixing the darkest of humour with genuine insight in a surreal setting begging to be explored.

Warhorse has been quietly cooking up the greatest first-person roleplaying series of the last however many years. It overhauls little from the first game, instead improving on everything that made it such an ambitious, unwieldy beast. The fact this sequel builds upon everything I loved, means it’s a sequel that improves more than innovates. Make no mistake, there are glimmers of a masterclass, action-packed role-playing game here that has me thrilled for whatever Warhorse has in store next. Kingdom Come: Deliverance should now be regarded alongside greats like Oblivion and New Vegas.

While the original will always have its place in the hearts of many players, The Last of Us Part I is the definitive way to experience the beginning of Joel and Ellie’s journey, even if the price is a little steep.

David Lynch would be proud of Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. It’s wild, clever and compelling in the best of ways, absurd in its visual style and challenging in its puzzles. Do not let this one pass you by.

A fun, gorgeous platforming romp that makes great use of its split screen-only twist in both gameplay and narrative. Hazelight proves that co-op lightning can definitely strike twice.

Monster Hunter Wilds manages to deliver on every expectation one would have for a new Monster Hunter game, before dropping the throttle and blasting through every expectation you didn’t even know you had. With gameplay shake ups, weapon tweaks and a brilliant range of monsters strewn across a score of incredible landscapes, Wilds is a different beast that establishes itself as well worth the hunt.

Easily the best Ratchet & Clank game in the series, Rift Apart also manages to be the most technically and graphically impressive game of the current generation so far.

Progress is hard fought in Final Fantasy Tactics, arguably the hardest of this isometric strategy sub-franchise. At the same time, it wastes none of the player’s attention, rewarding us with an incredibly un-Final Fantasy setting and characters. Its story is the biggest winner from this pseudo-remaster, with the professional voice cast offering their dramatic best. The themes hit so much harder this time around. Its main players are far more sincere and tragic for the emotion well voiced through the often overwhelming, but nevertheless compelling, writing.

An expansive, beautiful and engrossing new adventure that deepens the series' lore while doubling down on what made the original such a classic. A masterclass in meaningful open-world design, where exploration and curiosity is encouraged and rewarded.

Proving there's almost nothing that can't be painted with the roguelite brush, Ball x Pit manages a dangerously intoxicating blend of arcade brick-breaking, ball-based alchemy and town planning that I haven't been able to put down.

Deathloop takes Arkane's well known brand of first-person action stealth and artfully melds it into a time-bending multi-assassination power fantasy.

An intoxicating power climb, top-notch level design and a fear-inducing hook make this an incredibly compelling and long overdue side-scrolling Metroid sequel. It struggles with sticking too closely to the roots of its decades-old predecessors and could definitely learn a thing or two from contemporary Metroidvanias, but it's a blast all the same.

Monster Hunter Rise shows a tremendous amount of progress in terms of game design and accessibility, even after the great strides that Monster Hunter World made in those fields, and continues to improve upon itself with interesting ideas like the new monsters and the Wirebug – this game is a must buy.

Where most Mario games will leave a smiling impression between bouts of frustration, this Paper Mario entry wants you to be laughing out loud as well. I’m just worried that the humour might not carry everyone to the finish line in light of repetition, laborious backtracking and uninteresting combat. But there’s no denying that this remake is polished to the smoothest presentable sheen, leaving a first impression I still love, even though it burned me out long before the credits.

Over a 12 month period, Mortal Kombat 11 elevated itself from a good game, to a great game – and finally settled on being an excellent game. The next-gen upgrade has provided extra gravy to an already generous feast, cementing the title as an exceptionally well made fighting game with a plethora of enjoyable extra content.

The lack of chatty treasure chests continues to be a missed opportunity in this otherwise immaculate remake of the Trails saga debut. Falcom is on fire.

Refinements made to the core game make Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut feel fresh, but the additions within the truly excellent Iki Island expansion elevate the game to completely new heights.

Two fantastic games from the last generation get a makeover, leaning into the substantial muscle of the PS5 to deliver a stunning new experience at the dawn of a new console generation