Whether you’re returning to Raccoon City after a number of years, or, this is your first trip to the ill-fated locale, there’s no better way to experience Resident Evil 2 than this remake. While remaining true to the overall arc of the original game, everything here has been tweaked, updated, and twisted into a truly brilliant survival horror. One that proves that no one does it quite like Capcom. Make no mistake about it, this, is a must-have.

While I’m sad that this will be the last we see of Sam & Max, The Devil’s Playhouse does an amazing job of wrapping up the story of my favorite duo. The remaster has been done with care and looks terrific. It’s important that if you want to jump into the playhouse, you need to play the other two games first to understand some of the topics being discussed. You won’t be disappointed. Saddle up little buddy and get ready to ride with the Freelance Police for one last time.

I absolutely adore Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It’s the first game in some time that I’ve found myself utterly lost in, so much so that I genuinely did not want to put the controller down. Any minor gripes there might be to have (some areas can get a little confusing to navigate at times, though none are so big that it remains a problem for long) are easily outnumbered by the sheer brilliance of the full product from start to finish. Combat, presentation, exploration, story; it’s all so damn good that I cannot recommend highly enough that you go play this game. We’ve still got a long way to go this year, and a few big hitters to come, but man, it’ll take something special to give Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a run for its money.

Cairn is thoughtful in its mechanical exploration of being a climber and it also delivers a story that pushes back on the mythology of the sport and the people that reach the highest levels. This is an essential game.

Hypercharge: Unboxed for its price is definitely a title many should consider picking up. It’s cute, charming, and most importantly it’s nostalgia bait done right. Everything from the gameplay elements and the scenery feels like it was done with care. Being able to relieve a piece of my childhood has been a treat and I’m always itching to put toys back into their boxes.

FromSoftware has combined everything they learned while designing their past games and created something that will stand as a benchmark for years to come. Elden Ring is probably the most accessible game in their Soulsborne series, but it is very difficult. This difficulty and the esoteric nature of their design isn’t for everyone, but if you like fantasy RPGs there is no question as to whether you should give this a try. The amount of enjoyment, excitement, wonder, and reward I have felt while playing this game is unmatched. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it before. Elden Ring is easily the best game I’ve played so far this year, and I know it’s early but it should be in the discussion when talking about the greatest games of all time.

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy is an incredible amalgamation of everything the series has done so far, and produces not only the best Trine game yet, but also one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year. The freedom we’re granted with the tools on offer is excellent, and combined with stunning presentation, this make Trine 5 utterly essential playing in my eyes.

Fantastic level design and brutally hard challenges remind us of what made the base Art of Vengeance title so good. Add in plenty of love for iconic Sega series and we have an absolute winner on our hands.

Virtually perfect in its storytelling, performances, presentation, authenticity, fun factor, and respect for its unfathomably important and historic entertainment licence, Jedi: Fallen Order stands not only as the greatest Star Wars game of all time, but as one of the greatest games ever made. This is the Star Wars game we were looking for.

As I stated before Formula Retro Racing is a straightforward game. Coming into this game I twas expecting a better, newer version of Virtua Racing – and I was right. It doesn’t need to have a bunch of new features to top the older game. All it needed to do was visually enhance it and to keep the same charm that the game had in the ’90s. If you haven’t played Virtua Racing, or just want to play a fast-paced arcade racing game for a reasonable price, then Formula Retro Racing is the game for you.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is a title that more or less has impacted me as a gamer and shown me to not be afraid to try something new. As off-putting as visual novels are to some people I highly recommend giving DDLC Plus a try as you can tell that the hearts and souls of everyone on the team went into this project. Maybe it’ll become a part of your reality as I let it become a part of mine.

Monster Hunter: World effortlessly meets its high expectations and delivers what may well be the best RPG of this generation. The world is as fascinating as it is beautiful, jam-packed with wonders and dangers of equal measure. Each and every system within has been carefully crafted and seamlessly feed into one another magnificently well. The game remains in-depth yet surprisingly accessible throughout the entirety of play, welcoming and uniting newcomers and returning fans alike. It’s a truly breathtaking adventure. Simply put, and I don’t say this lightly, Monster Hunter: World is a masterpiece.

Deep, complex, but easy to get into. Roguebook is a phenomenally good game.

Tekken 8 is a game in which I can’t find any glaring flaws in terms of gameplay or online matchmaking. Sure it’s a pain when playing against an opponent at 200 ping, but those are rare for me. With its amazing story mode, graphics, and improved gameplay mechanics, I find myself always coming back for more. No other fighting game has a chokehold on me as Tekken does. Whether you are new or a veteran to the franchise do yourself a favor and enter the ring. You won’t regret it.

Mutant Year Zero’s robust gameplay elements blend together magnificently well, collectively sitting on a story backdrop that’s intriguingly desperate, yet oddly comedic at just the right times. The game’s openness encourages experimentation and daring, with no shortage of lore and rewards dished out to keep its pace at a steady flow. The end result makes for one of the best tactical adventures of the gen.

Warhorse have developed a game that’s not only massively in-depth, but equally as intriguing and captivating. Their care and attention to detail pulls through in each and every sequence within. This level of realism isn’t going to be for everyone, but for those that want the authentic experience, Deliverance delivers, and then some. It’s engaging, it’s deep, and it’s thoroughly entertaining.

Streets of Rage 4 was already fantastic, and the Mr.X Nightmare DLC just improves it immensely. New characters Max, Estele and Shiva are great, while the Survival mode offers endless options for replayability as well as new unlocks to use throughout the game. It’s an utterly brilliant DLC all round, now excuse me while I head back to get working on those unlocks…

As Dusk Falls is a stellar example of the narrative adventure genre. A fantastic cast of characters are used brilliantly throughout, with twists and turns galore. The sheer breadth of choice and consequence mean there is scope for several playthroughs, and even when we’re bouncing between characters there’s cohesiveness to the story rarely found in gaming. Top it off with a stunning art style and soundtrack and we have not only one of the best examples of the genre, but one of the best titles of the year so far.

After Streets of Rage 4, I wasn’t sure bringing back another of the 16-bit classics would have quite the same impact, but I was wrong. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an incredibly fun action platformer, with fantastic combat design, enemy encounters, optional challenges, and the audio visual presentation to really make it sing. I’m done with the story but am already itching to get back and play the unlocked Arcade and Boss Rush modes, and whether you have nostalgia for the old days or not, this is quite simply one of the best games of the year, so get it played.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Is everything I expected from the game and more. I can totally see why it won awards as just for pure content alone it’s top tier. For storytelling, it is top tier and the gameplay is as complex as you want to make it to appease the long-term fans and the newcomers. It is very involved and not some you can play in short bursts. You need to clear your schedule to lose yourself in the game properly.

Overall, I loved my time with Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE Plus. I never got the time to play it when RAIN CODE first dropped on the Nintendo Switch and now it got me craving for more. One thing to note is that the Xbox Series S version was giving me performance trouble with frames constantly dropping. I’ve played the Steam version as well and didn’t encounter it at all so keep that in mind. All in all at the end of the day, I felt like a master detective.

Celebrating the 90’s, excellent music and how it impacts and marks our lives, and the joy of growing up with a few close friends, Mixtape is a stellar experience from start to finish.

Easily the best Resident Evil game in many years, with inspirations from both RE2’s survival horror and RE4’s more action horror. Paced perfectly, and with plenty of surprises to discover, I can’t recommend Resident Evil Requiem highly enough.

Rockstar knows quality like no other. Developers across the world will be learning from Red Dead Redemption 2 for a great many years to come. The care and attention to detail within is second to none, and the depth throughout the entirety of the game’s stunning open world, as well as every component that it encompasses, is unrivaled. Simply put, Red Dead Redemption 2 is not just ambitious and revolutionary, it’s a masterpiece.

Alan Wake 2 masters the art of storytelling, and how that can reshape reality around us and push the boundary of lighting in videogames. The game is physically dark as it is thematically. The story is a lot to grasp, but simple enough with how many times things are repeated, so playing the other connected titles is not required. The developers have already fixed 200+ issues with update 1.0.0.8, most being minor things but some more rare crashes or progression issues. The creators of this game have immense passion for what they do, and it clearly shows in a variety of ways. Onward to the DLC.

Promenade is as charming and colourful as it is clever and challenging. It manages to keep the surprises coming throughout, offering more to the player than it has any real right to do.

Whether you’re a fan of the originals or not, Streets of Rage 4 is a blast from start to finish. Satisfying combat, incredible music and visuals and tons to unlock mean this should be sticking around on your hard drive for some time yet. A lack of 4 player online is a disappointment, but otherwise what’s here more than makes up for the long wait.

Without wanting to sound preachy, just know that you’ve never played anything like The Stanley Parable, and this Ultra Deluxe edition just expands on that in ways I couldn’t have foreseen. There are a lot of titles that gain short term notoriety thanks to the memes or streamers reacting, but this will outlast anything else that has come before and deserves to be considered one of the very best game experiences of all time.