There's a little bit of polish left to apply, but given the sheer increase in scope between Hades 2 and its predecessor, that's more than understandable. A hugely ambitious roguelike, with an improved progression loop and grander narrative, but the same ruthlessness in play and charm in worldbuilding as the original, makes this an astounding early access success.
Building on the excellent cyberpunk parkour of its predecessor, Ghostrunner 2 is the best freerunning game available, despite some ill-advised attempts to push the boundaries of its world.
"The ability to swap between characters at will means that it's easy to get the most from the Action Point system"
Baldur's Gate 3 is the most successful and authentic take on D&D in the tabletop franchise's 50-year history. Its complexity and size might be daunting for novices, but the breadth and depth of Baldur's Gate 3's world make this a once-in-a-generation achievement.
An intricate, playful Metroidvania set in the worst that League of Legends' universe has to offer, Convergence brings its dystopia to life by knitting weighty platforming together with excellent time-winding combat, and is only held back by its slightly cartoonish take on its source material.
Jedi: Survivor sets itself up as a benchmark for what new Star Wars stories can look like
Dredge makes sure to weave in gentle horrors that ensure you can never fully relax
Life is Strange 2 promises a classic roadtrip, but fails to put you in the driving seat.
Struggles to do justice to what should be its show-stopper moments, but breathes much-needed life into the Khajiit and their homeland.Ali Jones
Respawn's game elevates its entire genre, doing away with its failings while innovating upon its strengths. From out of nowhere, it's become the prodigious new face of a worldwide phenomenon.Ali Jones
An intricate and highly replayable game that shines across both of its genres, MegaCrit's debut combines a simple premise with near-flawless mechanical execution.Ali Jones
Rules maintains the series' dual coming-of-age narrative, but often undermines its central pillar of choice.
Thronebreaker struggles as a card game but excels as a Witcher game due to its rich narrative and excellent, if simple, worldbuilding.
Life is Strange 2's first episode goes in a bold new direction that points the series towards current political issues as much as it does human drama. It's promising but a little slow to get going after a thrilling opening scene.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a masterful prequel, then. Easter eggs and fan service exist peacefully alongside a fantastic new narrative filled with characters I wish I could spend even more time with. Its story fills all the gaps it needs to while never feeling as though it steps on the toes of what is yet to come, and still manages to carve out its own space. In some ways, Before the Storm is only the start of the Life is Strange journey, but in many others it is a joyous adventure in its own right.
Life is Strange: Chaos Theory continues the good work that the two previous instalments have set up, taking the story and gameplay to new places without forgetting the ideas that have become central to the series, even in such a short space of time. The balance of gameplay and story is arguably improving, and it no longer feels as if the narrative is the one thing subject to change.
With an interesting rhythm-based gameplay mechanic and innovative gameplay that works perfectly with the brilliantly-engineered soundtrack, Crypt of the Necrodancer is the best roguelike I've played so far this year.
Titan Souls makes great use of its detailed pixel-art style, atmospheric soundtrack and an intricate and complex gameplay mechanic to create an experience that is often a lot of fun. It does occasionally suffer from a lack of narrative to push the player along, but the battles with the Titans more than make up for the slower passages of play.
Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Dies Today doesn't have particularly innovative gameplay, but it does have a compelling story and interesting characters. Some slightly odd design choices mean it's probably not for everyone, but point-and-click fans should definitely enjoy it.
The Homeworld Remastered Collection is an excellent example of how to bring classic RTS gameplay into modern gaming. While there are a few issues with pacing at the beginning of games, the fluid combat, three-dimensional strategy and excellent attention to detail makes this a hugely unique and immersive gameplay experience.