Etrian Odyssey has an easygoing nature that blends beautifully into the background, making it a perfect summer game for nights in the garden or while you’re watching TV. The map building is surprisingly satisfying, the visuals are stunningly rebuilt for Switch and the soundtrack transports you to wonderful retro eras past, while being a fulfilling, rewarding game in the modern era.
Street Fighter 6 is the best, most welcoming fighter I’ve ever played. From the presentation to the content, to the way it prepares you to fight in ranked and the stability of the online component, it’s easily the best and most complete Street Fighter game Capcom have ever made. With an enjoyable, World Tour mode that can sink hours of your time, to a thriving community-driven Battle Hub and all the prerequisites you expect from the genre, this stands alongside the best games released this year and is set up to be played and enjoyed for years into the future.
In Tanta We Trust is a short, sweet DLC that has a good flow and energy. It paints a picture an intriguing, compelling picture of the wider world, and sets the scene for a future, despite the fact it remains uncertain. Content size, occasionally clunky dialogue and no major changes in content from the base game may be offputting for some, but what is here makes for a solid, well-rounded addition to Forspoken, whether it serves as a continuation for a player or an entry point.
Puzzle Bobble: Everybubble! does what the series does very well, smartly adding new ways to play, keeping the campaign fresh, but also providing enough content away from that to keep you invested and engaged. Accuracy is a little bit off using the aim at times but this is as close to a definitive Puzzle Bobble experience as you’ll find, with an exciting looking global ranking mode and a multiplayer inclusion which, when it works, it does surprisingly well.
LEGO 2K Drive takes the best bits of Mario Kart and Forza Horizon then fuses them together in a distinct, everything is awesome kinda way. Whether you’re looking for a fun party game you can play with your mates across formats, an exciting creative tool to exercise your imagination or something to keep you busy for weeks and months ahead, this surprise package is an absolute delight. Slight balance and terrain issues aside, the potential for this is massive and might just be the best ever use of the LEGO license in a video game to date.
Burning Shores is one of the best DLCs I’ve ever played and is up there with Left Behind in a way it develops its character, progresses its story in a smart way but equally raises the bar for everything to follow. A fitting send off for Forbidden West and a tantalising taster for the future of the Horizon franchise.
Dead Island 2 brings blood, brutality and bloody good fun. It is a thrill-ride from the opening credits with its use of hard-hitting weapons, good characterisation and stunning backdrops. A limited plot and constraining development options aside, this is the Dead Island you remember and one we’ll likely never forget again.
Minecraft Legends is a welcome introduction to the world of real-time strategy but equally adds its own distinct spin on things with its iconic style of building and creating. While the game’s campaign is dynamic, robust and generous, and there is a long-term setup for regular content additions, this is a game that lives, breathes, and thrives on multiplayer. Thankfully, with its inclusion in GamePass, brand recognition and synchronization across all formats, community is something it will never have to worry about and will encourage for years to come.
Resident Evil 4 is more brutal, intimidating, unsettling and intriguing than ever. By far, the best of the Resident Evil remakes in a way that it honors the foundations of the source material, logically expands upon them in interesting ways, and manages to make everything look, feel and play better. Regardless of where Capcom go from here, this is peak Resident Evil – it just does not get much better than this.
Octopath Traveler 2 is wonderful, from the choices it gives you right at the start, to the stories it tells, the ways they’re presented, and the mechanics that drive them. This is Square Enix at their RPG making best, the types of games they were renowned for years past and are at the very core of their DNA. One of the most enjoyable, refreshing retro-modernistic adventures I have ever had the pleasure of playing and one RPG fans simply must add to their collection.
Lightfall is a step down in quality from the excellent Witch Queen, even though it is still a very entertaining expansion. The Strand system is one of the most interesting gameplay mechanics Bungie have added to the game with incredibly satisfying grappling and explosive power moves, but they overcomplicate things just slightly in later missions and lather it with a wafer-thin story that’s definitely holding back its big moments for the next year.
To put it simply, if you’ve ever been waiting or wanting to find a reason to play Dead Cells, there has definitely never been a better time. And the absolute best outcome from this content? Konami agree to let Motion Twin make a full new Castlevania game. Because this is definitely something we need in the world, like, yesterday. Even if that never comes to pass, we’ll always have this DLC to remind us how good it could have been and just how at the top of their game these developers truly are.
Dead Space is a world class remake that thrives on next-gen and remains absolutely horrifyingly brilliant. The gameplay hasn’t aged a day, it looks, feels, and plays better than ever, and the new content make this a must-buy, whether you’re new to Dead Space or you’re back for another trip to the Ishimura. I always thought Isaac Clarke deserved better and thankfully Motive’s efforts have given him a well-deserved lifeline and hope for a very promising future indeed.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is full of joy and an enjoyable experience whether you dip into it for ten minutes or ten hours. It reminds us how many incredible moments the Final Fantasy franchise has given us over the years and it encapsulates them beautifully in one package. Mechanically sound with wonderful content, this may yet prove to be among my favourite games this year.
Metroid Prime Remastered is exactly everything I’d hoped it would be and more. The game is jaw-droppingly beautiful on Switch OLED, the Remaster has made the game feel as if it was always made for dual-stick support, and it plays so smoothly that it’ll be hard to ever look back at it on old hardware again. Without question, this is Nintendo treating their legacy products with the highest amount of love and respect. While we’ve seen them do some fantastic upgrades, this is up there with Mario All-Stars in terms of the effort put in and the quality put out.
One Piece Odyssey is the best One Piece game to date. It’s full of depth, substance, style, and even offers something different to the genre. Everything comes together in a well presented and structured end product that is surprisingly enjoyable from start to finish. 2023 has started with a big surprise and one that’s a perfect fit for this enduring world.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a refreshing delight. One you know went through rigorous stages of pitching and proposal and, at one point, may have been left on the cutting room floor. I am so glad this game has been made as it offers a fascinating insight into characters you know and some you may not. It tells a compelling tale that has room for humor and typical Marvel fun. Most of all, it has intriguing gameplay mechanics that evolve over time and individually suit one of the most impressive rosters we’ve seen in any Marvel title before. Midnight Suns is simply brilliant and a must play whether you love the franchise or just fancy a bit of strategic action.
Syberia – The World Before is a wonderfully directed, well-flowing story that keeps you guessing and invested through developing mechanics, varied puzzle solving and well written characters. There are some minor performance issues but nothing that holds the adventure back from being a fitting, apt conclusion and the best installment in a series that began nearly 20 years ago.
Pentiment has unexpectedly shot towards the top of my favourite games of the year. It’s yet further proof of the amazing talent and creativity bubbling away in the Obsidian studios and is one of the best examples of a game that dares to be different by not trying to do everything, instead focusing its approach. Smartly written, beautifully drawn, and masterfully designed, Pentiment is an intelligent, humorous adventure that is as enriching as it is enjoyable.
Sonic Frontiers takes the Hedgehog in an exciting, fulfilling direction. The controls feel cohesive and coherent, the open zone concept is a smart game-changer, with the freedom of exploration coupled with a genuine feeling of enjoyment. It doesn’t always get its choices right, it doesn’t look as crisp as it could and there’s a few things holding it back from being the game it should be. Ultimately, though, the future of the franchise is looking less blurry and more bright!