Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a behemoth of a sequel that mostly outshines Remake with its extremely strong character writing, massive scale and weighty amount of content, though some story elements are still divisive.
If you’re a fan of Borderlands, there’s a lot of love in doses here. It’s fulfilling from both a gameplay and fan-service perspective, with tons to see and do for hours on end.
Pokémon Ultra Sun does cover familiar ground, but the new changes and additions ensure a refreshing experience for both fans of the original and newcomers looking to be wowed by the sheer density of things to do in the Alola region.
Mafia: Definitive Edition, despite some technical hiccups, is still one of the best and most faithful remakes I had the pleasure of playing this generation. The story is engaging and thoroughly entertaining, the voice acting is terrific, the writing and characters are phenomenal, and the visuals are spectacular for modern hardware.
DIRT 5 delivers Codemasters' most refined and downright entertaining arcade rally racer yet. It boasts gorgeous visuals, solid gameplay with tight controls, a terrific dynamic weather system, and some lively commentary from Baker and North.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is easily one of the most charming and delightful games of the year, and another knockout launch title for the PlayStation 5 - and that's saying something considering it has to compete with Astro's Playroom. The levels are all creatively designed and endearing, the customizable choices for Sackboy is reminiscent of LittleBigPlanet, and the music is top-notch.
Ghostrunner on PS5 is probably the best way to experience developer One More Level's rage-inducingly difficult but absolutely addictive and enjoyable cyberpunk assassin game.
It may not scale the ambitious heights of Until Dawn and House of Ashes - or really give you complete agency like those either - but it serves as another winning entry in the developer's growing list of solid horror gaming experiences that shouldn't be missed.
Santa Monica Studio has brought the Norse chapter of Kratos' life to a close... We've finally reached the destination - for some, it may not be an ideal one - but all things considered, it's still a journey worth taking.
The foundation is strong enough for the game to flourish into something truly special and I can't wait to see how it evolves over time. That said, Wild Hearts is a visual stunner with smooth and stylish gameplay, incredibly designed Kemono and beautiful landscapes despite its few shortcomings.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a bigger but not necessarily better sequel to Fallen Order. However, it excels in key areas including slightly improved combat, locations that are larger in scope, more nuanced and introspective character writing, and a terrific, gripping narrative.
Mortal Kombat 1 takes a back-to-basics approach to its combat, characters and story that rewards both newcomers and long-time fans in equal measures. It's a narratively satisfying, fresh restart that the series desperately needed after nearly three decades.
Call of Duty: WWII is a superb return to form for the series, and the best addition to the line-up of Call of Duty games since World At War.
Far Cry 5 succeeds on the strengths of its extraordinary batch of villains, wildly fun gameplay, and solid world-building that’s expected with Ubisoft games.
Minecraft Dungeons: Hero Edition isn't going to take your breath away, but it does provide a charming spin on the dungeon crawler/hack-and-slash formula that warrants some attention for fans of the genre. The core Minecraft experience is kept well in tact while re-balancing most of its mechanics to be better suited to its genre shift.
Star Wars: Squadrons doesn't bring anything particularly new or inventive to the table that we haven't seen before in dogfighters, but it nails almost everything it embraces. The first-person perspective greatly benefits the immersive nature of the space battles, the sound design and music is about as perfect as they could ever be, and the story flips between the Imperials and Rebels to show us the ugly and beautiful sides of war.
Astro's Playroom isn't just a wonderful little platformer, but a celebration of PlayStation in general. It's short length may only be good for a lovely night or weekend, but there's enough here for die-hard PlayStation fans to embrace.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a grand-scaled, unique and unforgettable RPG, but sometimes for all the wrong reasons. It never quite scales the narrative heights of The Witcher 3, nor does it wholeheartedly lean into its role-playing elements all the time. Yet, it offers something truly special in the gaming world that few developers could pull off to this ambitious length.
Tango Gameworks deliver a highly original concept with an eerie setting, well-written main characters in KK and Akito and spell-based gameplay that bursts with vibrant colours and energy.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga crams a plethora of content into one almost definitive LEGO Star Wars package that's perfect for gamers and fans of all ages. The comedy is once again top-notch, the gameplay improvements make a huge difference, and the attention to detail in recreating Star Wars' most iconic locations, moments and characters is commendable.