The best Fire Emblem game of the modern era and a staggering achievement in terms of the volume of content and the variety of gameplay – with even the plot taking some unexpected detours.
A fantastically self-assured reboot of Onimusha, which is significantly better than any of the previous games, with excellent combat, plenty to see and do, and some engaging storytelling.
The best Star Wars strategy game ever, with a surprisingly effective mix of open-ended tactics and linear storytelling, that creates a far more palatable combination than you’d expect.
An excellent slice of DLC that, just like the parent game, manages to comfortably exceed expectations, with a large new map and an impressive array of new pokémon, objects, and features.
Salmon Run remains one of the great co-op experiences of the modern age but only a minimal effort has been expended in turning it into a single-player game, as Splatoon Raiders struggles to justify its existence.
The best Doom game since the 90s, that successful marries the best parts of Eternal and The Dark Ages to make a ferociously entertaining first person shooter that is one of the year’s best gaming experiences.
The best Doom game since the 90s, that successful marries the best parts of Eternal and The Dark Ages to make a ferociously entertaining first person shooter that is one of the year’s best gaming experiences.
An excellent remake that retains everything that was great about the N64 original and adds just the right amount of quality of life improvement to keep it fun for modern audiences – even if it still leaves the franchise with an uncertain future.
Not only an extremely authentic Bond adaptation but a masterful action adventure in its own right, that manages an impressive balance of storytelling and cinematic spectacle.
The closest thing to a new Batman: Arkham game there’ll be for many years and a great co-op adventure in its own right, that somehow manages to be unpredictable all the way through.
A surprisingly conservative follow-up to Returnal but the transcendent third person action is so well orchestrated that qualms about the storytelling and lack of innovation seem like only minor concerns in comparison.
A fun mix of PS1 era horror nostalgia and Life Is Strange style emotional drama, that goes a little too light on the scares but is still a compelling mix of influences.
A bizarre, absurdist comedy only occasionally masquerading as a video game, but the lack of interactivity doesn't make it any less entertaining.
Another disappointing Silent Hill revival, that gets some of the visuals and tone right but is let down by a hackneyed script and frustrating chase sequences.
A fantastic 2D platformer that immediately takes its place amongst the pantheon of Nintendo's very best titles, with such a constant stream of new and surreal ideas you want to stand up and applaud it by the end of it.
The best Spider-Man game ever and probably the best use of Venom in any medium outside of comics, with the stunning visuals and slick gameplay overcoming a certain overfamiliarity.
A disappointingly low-tech space exploration game that relies too much on the legacy of Skyrim and Fallout and lacks the innovation and imagination to do its concept justice.
An excellent remake of one of the best strategy games of all time, that is as accessible and versatile as an action game but has some of the most deceptively deep tactical combat ever seen in a console release.
More a reimagining than a straight remake but despite the difficulty of recapturing lighting in a bottle, this is both a loving tribute to the original Resident Evil 4 and a great game in its own right.
A peculiarly pitched spin-off that has almost nothing to interest Bayonetta fans and instead offers an Ōkami Lite experience that is so undemanding it almost seems to run on autopilot.