When you buy a Call of Duty, you have some idea of what to expect. Rest assured that Black Ops 6 lies at the better end of the series' spectrum, boasting a varied campaign that's well worth playing, a pair of robust and endlessly replayable Zombies maps, and multiplayer that remains immediate and immensely entertaining.

A sweet tactical twist on a beloved series, Leikir has paid homage in the best possible way: by doing something new.

You ought to play Slitterhead if for no other reason than its mood. It’s one of this year’s strangest and most striking games.

A horror game that delivers stripped down, no frills scares, Phasmophobia is unrelentingly creepy, the mundanity of its suburban residences, with its picket fences and immaculate front lawns, harbouring ghostly nastiness that's not to be taken lightly. Not for the faint-hearted.

A game of two halves, with a gleaming remaster of Sonic Generations and an all-new, practically full-sized Shadow Generations portion, Sonic x Shadow Generations is a killer dose of the blue blur and his brooding counterpart, which still ranks among the best that Sonic's modern era has mustered in recent years.

Original Life is Strange protagonist Max Caulfield makes a welcome return in what is an immensely compelling and enjoyable sequel to her 2015 introduction. Unravelling Life is Strange: Double Exposure's murder mystery, using its timeline-hopping mechanic, is remarkably good fun.

As an opening gambit and statement of intent from Blumhouse Games, Fear the Spotlight gets things off to a strong start, delivering a 3D retro horror experience that, while in thrall to its '90s influences, also manages to carve out an identity of its own.

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered resurrects an unquestionably nutty experience, warts and all, but this is the most rudimentary of remaster jobs. It is, in essence, the very same game you might have already played thirteen years ago, but if you missed Shadows of the Damned the first time around then Hella Remastered is worth delving into, especially if you enjoy unending cacophonous mayhem, silly one-liners like “I just love killing fucking demons” and “I'm a Mexican, not a Mexican't” (lifted from 2003’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Mexico), as well as slightly ropey shooter mechanics. It may not have dated all that gracefully, but we'll be damned if it isn't still fun, despite its fair share of frustrations and shortcomings – an unlikely sequel that irons out the wrinkles would be very welcome indeed.

Animal Well is one of those works that seem to have been scooped out of a single skull: a chilly clump of sweet dreams and obsessions, pleasures and manias.

I went into Unknown 9: Awakening really wanting to like it; to see its transmedia experiment succeed. But it's such a horrible-looking game, featuring game mechanics from fifteen-odd years ago and a story that will put you to sleep, it's hard to offer any sort of a recommendation. Play it if you want a renewed appreciation for how great other games can be.

Despite some glaring roster omissions and little in the way of meaningful evolution over the boxing sims of old, Undisputed enters the ring as a lean and mean contender that's fighting fit. Just don't go expecting any seismic shifts when it comes to the boxing formula.

A sensational-looking game that looks just like the anime, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO marks a robust return for the dormant Budokai Tenkaichi series, even if the nuts and bolts of the game's fighting mechanics can wear quite thin pretty quickly.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a wonderful new IP from previous Persona stalwarts. Sure, a few of the similarities are a little on the nose, but Studio Zero has executed enough tweaks for it to fly its own flag... and boy does it do that! It's a charming fantasy RPG with a lot of heart.

This is about as close to a slam dunk the series has been in recent years. NBA 2K25 delivers on the court where it counts, while bringing meaningful changes to the staple MyCareer and MyTeam modes, in particular. MyNBA Eras remains a major highlight, too, sure to please ardent NBA fans and nostalgics alike.

This is a handsome remaster that will hopefully win over new players, but for those already in love with Broken Sword, something is missing.

Epic Mickey Rebrushed is a lovely remaster of one of yesteryear’s surprise cult hits, and the best thing is, the gameplay actually holds up pretty well, thanks to a few new quality-of-life additions that go a long way towards making this a better game.

In spite of its knowing fan service and array of plastic characters, Funko Fusion is hamstrung by a smattering of technical issues, repetitive gameplay, and poor boss battles. Sadly, nostalgia and fan service alone just isn’t enough.

While FC IQ has elevated the on-pitch experience somewhat, off the pitch FC 25 hasn't really changed at al since last yearl. It's all a bit stagnant, in truth. If EA Sports FC 25 were a football stadium, it'd be Old Trafford - a once majestic beast that’s now in need of some serious work.

The Karate Kid: Street Rumble is a good, solid, retro-style scrolling beat 'em up that demonstrates not only a clear love for its source material, but for the heyday of the genre itself. Nonetheless, once you've dispensed with its twelve levels, you might struggle to find a compelling reason to go back for more.

There is enough pleasant fun here to divert you, and there are flutters of real invention. You just wish that it ran a little further.

Capcom has expertly breathed new life into a fantastic game, sanding down some of the rough edges, without compromising the spirit of the original. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is the perfect excuse to revisit Willamette Parkview Mall for some retail therapy. And indulge in some excessive zombie slaughter while you’re there.

Despite a robust handling model, some fairly impressive visuals, and a few nice ideas, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown fails to deliver on its open-world racing remit, with a dearth of things to do, broken online servers, and a tacked-on story that does little to draw you in. This one's stalled at the starting line.

A neat anime-style metroidvania with some well-realised ideas, Yars Rising is a smart homage to an '80s Atari arcade classic, and a perfectly fine way to while away a good few hours.

After thirteen years, Space Marine is finally back, and it delivers on almost every front – more grisly gore, huge swarms of enemies, and, crucially, incredibly robust combat mechanics. It doesn't do much that's new, but who cares? Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a very good thing indeed.

Two of the best Ace Attorney games are given their due with another beautifully remastered collection that's every bit as essential as the rest of the series. Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is simply fantastic. There's no arguing with that.

A choose-your-own horror without any fright, The Casting of Frank Stone has an intriguing plot that doesn’t end up delivering.

Star Wars Outlaws is a wonderful, albeit slightly rough around the edges, galactic space adventure that will appeal to both Star Wars and non-Star Wars fans alike. With a great story, a handful of really iconic locations and a whole host of variety running through its veins, Outlaws is a fantastic new world of adventure for Ubisoft Massive. Plus, it’s incredibly fun.

While I may not have extensive experience with monster truck racing games, I'm pretty confident that Monster Jam Showdown is a good one, delivering knockabout physics and pleasing Unreal Engine 5 visuals, as well as accessible and immediate gameplay that places the onus squarely on fun.