Many contenders have tried to take the asymmetrical crown from Dead by Daylight, and while Killer Klowns from Outer Space might not necessarily be better than DBD, it's a fun alternative that can stand on its own two (Klown) feet.
TopSpin 2K25 is a great return to form and rewards those who stick with it while learning the ropes, becoming a true tennis god in the process. It's not perfect, but if you have any passing interest in tennis, this is well worth your time.
After the successes of both Stick of Truth and The Fractured But Whole, South Park: Snow Day! is a big change of pace that left me with mixed feelings. It's an enjoyable game with some nice ideas, but at the same time, you'll be left wondering was this it?
Tekken 8 has started 2024 off with a bang, proving once again why this fighting series is great! It's maybe not quite as newcomer friendly as Street Fighter 6, but has a bevy of modes and new tweaks that means it's going in the right direction to be a game for all players, old and new, and will only get better over time.
Just as it gives equal screen time to its two protagonists, Alan Wake 2 is a fine blend of equal parts narrative and survival horror. Both aspects are brought together in brilliant fashion to create a game that is going to mess with your head, scare the hell out of you and make you grin about it as you plunge forward once more, eager to see what's next.
Star Trek: Infinite gives us a damn solid 4X experience doused in the rich history of the Star Trek universe, and with plenty of space to include more Deep Space Nine, Voyager and other quadrants of the galaxy through expansions. Even if you're not a fan of the source material, it can still stand alone as a good experience which will only improve over time.
Mortal Kombat 1 serves as a love letter to fans of this thirty-one-year-old franchise and as a pseudo-reboot it also has potential appeal to newcomers alike. There's still room to grow and I'm sure it will just keep getting better, but Mortal Kombat 1 is already definitely worth your time.
Fort Solis aims for big-budget horror but fails to deliver on all fronts. I don't mind short games in the slightest, in fact, I welcome them, but Fort Solis felt like four hours of my life I will not get back. Unless you have money to throw away, you should probably give this one a miss.
Street Fighter 6 doesn't need recommending to hardcore fighting fans – you all already know how incredible it is – but do I recommend it for more casual players? Street Fighter 6 has a real sense of community, welcoming all players old and new, teaching new tricks and providing something for those that just want a bit of fun. This is truly a fighting game for everyone.
In its looks and execution, Showgunners does what it set out to do and creates a turn-based love letter to the 90s, updating those themes for a modern audience, while still somehow not managing to lose authenticity. It's a job well done and I'd much like to explore this universe further in the future.
I really wanted to like Crime Boss: Rockay City, but it just feels like it was haphazardly thrown together, and the result is a game that feels like a bad copy of a popular franchise, with the tired actors, awful dialogue and repetitive gameplay really putting the boot in.
If Blood Bowl 3 does one thing right, it's that it really makes me appreciate that Blood Bowl 2 exists, which right now is a far superior game in all aspects. For now, save your money and wait to see if this one gets any better.
EA Motive have done incredible work with the Dead Space remake to bring a horror classic up to date, injecting true horror back into the genre alongside considered changes and expansions to the original story. It's hands down one of the best remakes ever made, and it's like playing Dead Space for the first time all over again. Welcome back, Isaac.
Marvel's Midnight Suns exceeded my expectations to be one of my favourite games of the year. With a good Marvel story and the ability to make friends on top of excellent turn-based tactical combat systems, Marvel's Midnight Suns is a super experience.
There's some rough edges to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II that keep it from hitting the heights of the 2019 Modern Warfare, though most of its flaws can and will be fixed or improved through patches. Still, there's an action-packed story to play through, plenty of multiplayer and a light co-op mode, and the promise of more in future. With Warzone 2.0 just around the corner, the future is certainly bright for Modern Warfare 2.
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has potential, but game balance, a lack of content and some uninspired gameplay makes me want to come back to it after a few updates. Busting ain’t making me so feel good right now.
Overwatch 2 has a lot of common ground with the original, but it's managed to take what we know and breathe a new life into a landmark hero shooter. The fact that it's now free-to-play means more people can enjoy this truly wonderful shooter, though the monetisation feels heavy handed compared to other games.
PGA Tour 2K23 is a good improvement over its last iteration, making things more accessible with the 3-Click system and the Topgolf mode. There's still areas for improvement, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.
No Place For Bravery has some real strong points and I really enjoyed the story in particular, but they're counterbalanced by weaker elements within the combat that meant I wasn't really excited by the whole package. It's a decent effort that will kill a few hours, but not much more than that.
Hard West 2 comes with an enjoyably aggressive twist on XCOM-like turn-based combat, and with a fun way of upgrading your characters alongside, but it's wrapped up in world exploration and characterisation that just leaves me wanting to get back in the fight. There's a lot of fun to be had in Hard West 2, even if it's not blowing minds as a complete package.