Super Mario Bros Wonder is a masterclass in 2D platforming, refreshing a long running series in a tremendous way, with inventive new ways to play.
One of the best character action games of the last generation is now on the new consoles, in 1080/60, with all the available content and fan suggestions included. Essential.
It's magnificent, it's crazy, and it's for everyone to enjoy. Truly inclusive, Super Mario Maker is the game you'll smile the most at this year, and worth every penny.
A fitting finale for what might just be the best series Telltale have ever made.
A gorgeous, spellbinding game that plays with your thoughts and delivers a narrative throughline that you never see coming. An absolute must for fans of storytelling in games.
Ultra Sun and Moon feel like the definitive version of an already fantastic game. With plenty to do after the credits have rolled, and new content sprinkled across the story, this is a fitting swansong for Pokemon on the DS family.
Bluepoint has brought one of the best games to ever grace a Sony console back to life on the PS4, and has done so with tenderness and care.
An incredible, best-in-class achievement that could only be done in VR, with excellent voice acting, sublime visuals and audio and, yes, a truly Half-Life story.
Streets of Rage 4 on Switch is still the perfect sequel, and perhaps dedicated servers is just too big of an ask for a game like this one, so really, the Switch is the ideal way to play the game. Fantastic.
Horizon Zero Dawn is that rare gem of a game: it's the one you make an exception for, it's the one you just have to keep going back to, no matter how much you've seen of it before, and now, we have the ultimate version of the game on PC.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales manages to improve on the fantastic game that came before it. Insomniac Games continue to be on fire with perhaps their best game ever.
Skyward Sword HD has made a fool of me, and really, I am just so happy I gave it another chance. This is the best version of a truly landmark game.
If this is the future of the series, I'll be incredibly happy, because this just might be the best Pokemon game ever made.
A fully complete, accessible version of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered that will run on most systems, is at home on the portable Steam Deck, and feels fresh and brilliant even four years after release.
Overwatch 2 plays brilliantly. It's a wonderful shooter full of depth, with unique heroes to master, maps to learn, and hours of your life to lose all over again.
Yet again, Miles Morales on Steam Deck and PC is another PlayStation triumph, with the only real negative the fact that it has longer loading times than on PS5.
Fire Emblem Engage is a masterpiece of tactical gameplay design, with a gorgeous look, and depth most games can only dream of.
Pikmin 4 is the culmination of all that's come before it, modernised in a truly magical way. There is so much to do, it's hard to think anyone wouldn't find fun here.
Alien: Isolation is a phenomenal title marred by only one major issue that some will overlook, and others will find a deal-breaker. It's comfortably the best Alien game ever made, and delivers authenticity along with a new story that is worth seeing, experiencing, and fleeing from into the darkness. Never once allowing the immersion to be broken, Creative Assembly have done it. They have actually done it.
Although it's a bit too easy, and doesn't offer very much post-game content, this is a surprisingly brilliant game that tries something new and succeeds way more often than it fails. Child of Light is full of character and personality, and is probably one of the best looking games you'll play this year, relying on design instead of power. Give it a go, you'll find it very hard not to fall in love with Aurora's tale, and the land of Lemuria.