Lego Horizon Adventures won't top any game of the year lists, but it's an enjoyable retelling of Aloy's first story, mixed with witty, Lego Movie style writing, and gameplay that will entertain the whole family.
Slitterhead isn't very good, but it is very interesting. In an age of remakes, sequels and safe bets, it's heart-warming to see something that's so clearly such a singular vision. We're disappointed that vision is sold short by basic combat and a focus on the game's ugly characters, but we're glad it exists and would welcome more attempts like it.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels like BioWare playing it too safe. While it nails what it does best, like the excellent cast and interpersonal relationships, from a gameplay perspective it feels out of date.
Metaphor: ReFantazio could have so easily been Persona with the names filed off, but it's so, so much more than that. It matches fun, expansive combat with an excellent cast of characters that make the near 100-hour journey an unforgettable one.
EA Sports FC 25 makes smart choices so that the time you're spending in the game feels much more worthwhile. Rush is the best addition in years, and hopefully indicative of the future of the franchise.
Dead Rising is still heaps of daft, gory fun, and the Deluxe Remaster is an excellent excuse to catch up with Frank. Almost every change that's been made to the new release is for the better, and while it won't blow your socks off like Capcom's other revisited classic, we're more than happy to spend another 72 hours with Mr West. He's covered wars, you know.
Astro Bot isn't simply an enjoyable platformer with some nostalgia tying it together; it's a generationally impressive entry in the genre that understands PlayStation at an atomic level. The sheer level of joy the game produces makes it impossible to compare it to anything other than Mario's very best adventure. Astro is no longer a vector through which to reference PlayStation icons; he is a PlayStation icon.
Star Wars Outlaws is a pulpy, Uncharted-style adventure that doesn't quite fulfil its potential. Kay and Nix lead a great cast through a well-paced, punchy story, but the game's Reputation system, and syndacite storyline in general feels undercooked.
XDefiant is a confident shooter that's far more than a Call of Duty knockoff. The Tom Clancyverse crossovers are somewhat cringey, but if Ubisoft doubles down on the great gameplay, and the weird faction warfare, we'll keep coming back for months to come.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU feels like a studio stretching its legs for the first time. Visually inventive, and full of great platforming, average combat and exploration lets it down
Rise of the Ronin is a fine open world adventure that never elevates itself to greatness. Fun Team Ninja combat will drag you through, but pointless open world fluff and questionable visuals sadly result in just another open world game.
Balatro is an astonishingly addictive take on Poker that's utterly impossible to put down. Occasional difficulty spikes aside; it's a piece of simplistic genius that we'll keep on our Steam Deck forever.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an excellent RPG with some of the best characters in the gaming canon. While some open-world content skirts the edges, and the game's main narrative is left somewhat deflated, the time spent with Aerith, Tifa, and the gang makes this a hugely enjoyable road trip you'll be playing for hundreds of hours.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is one of the best RPGs we've played in years. Excellent combat, a wonderful cast of characters, and a willingness to be incredibly weird make it absolutely unmissable. Not only that, but it's so full to the brim with things to do, we could have probably spent another three weeks with it and not finished everything.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is the best way to play one of the best games ever made. Excellent bonus content and visual bells and whistles make this $10 more than worth it, and the exact excuse you need to revisit this modern masterpiece.
Prince of Persia was long in need of a resurrection, and in The Lost Crown, it's found it. Excellent platforming, clever puzzles and a huge map make one of the best Metroidvania's in years, and kicks off 2024 in style.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a serviceable open world game elevated by a stunning presentation. While the visuals will utterly wow you, it's a shame it doesn't introduce more original ideas.
A Call of Duty game of this low quality released a decade ago would have been a scandal. Now, it's emblematic of an approach to a franchise that's in desperate need of a reality check.
Massively confident, often groundbreaking, and full of surprises, Alan Wake 2 is Remedy at its very best. The shooting isn't stellar, but Alan Wake 2 is otherwise a horror thriller that shouldn't be missed.
Marvel Spider-Man 2 is an incredibly confident sequel and one of 2023's best games. Incredibly fun to play, fast-paced and full of heart, it takes the best of the Spider-Man lore, and the best of Insomniac's penchant for excellent gameplay sequences, and combines them for arguably the best Marvel game ever.