The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo Switch
In its long-awaited follow-up to Breath of the Wild, Nintendo has created a world that feels endless, and empowers players to tinker and experiment to their heart’s content. Nintendo gives players the power and freedom to author their own adventure, inviting them to have faith in their own bravery and ingenuity, and they are rewarded with a thousand tiny moments of joy.
What we said: “It is easy to forget how to find the fun in adult life. Games such as Zelda help to remind you that if you look at things the right way, it’s everywhere.”
Humanity
Xbox, PlayStation 4/5, PC
A luminescent shiba inu dog guides ambling crowds of people towards the light in this visually fascinating set of spatial puzzles, which serves up complex and interesting brain-teasers while gently inviting questions about human nature and the afterlife. Imagine a very arthouse, existential take on Lemmings.
What we said: “Yes, it stretches your grey matter in ways that will make you feel like an idiot and then a genius, but its hundreds, sometimes thousands of people moving in unison are capable of stirring up surprising emotions: delight, awe, even fear.”
Terra Nil
PC, smartphones
Your job in this environmentalist puzzle game is to restore parched landscapes to teeming ecological richness, and then leave no trace of your presence. Deploy networks of machines to purify water and air, organise your toxin-scrubbing contraptions, and watch as greenery and furtive wildlife make their return. A hopeful vision of a future where the full force of technology is applied towards undoing our mistakes.
What we said: “Everything from its simple interface to an easily understood tutorial and a fantastically beautiful in-game guidebook makes environmental restoration go smoothly.”
Dredge
PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation 4/5
All seems peaceful in the archipelago where you’ve been shipwrecked, as you venture forth with a chugging little boat and some old fishing equipment to make a living. That is, until you start pulling horrible, nameless things out of the sea alongside your catch. Dredge is an artfully subtle horror game that’s also a fun, absorbing seafaring adventure. It will have you in deep.
What we said: “The way that its mood can turn so quickly and the intrigue of its sparingly told story kept me hooked.”
Hi-Fi Rush
Xbox Series S/X, PC
This year’s most cheerful gaming dystopia sees wannabe rockstar loser Chai find himself fused with his futuristic iPod and get tangled up in the fight against a corporate megapower. All the stylish fighting and leaping around is done to the beat of the music, as the world pulses along to your rhythmic button-presses. An ebullient comic-book mashup of a game.
What we said: “This game is as brazenly colourful as a Jet Set Radio fever dream, and even as plastic Guitar Hero instruments clog up the nation’s cupboards, it’s refreshing to play a game that is so unashamedly music-centred.”
Street Fighter 6
Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 4/5, PC
The first fighting game to really make new players feel as welcome as old hands, Street Fighter 6’s peerless flair, stylish roster and newly simplified controls make it irresistibly tempting to jump in and start throwing fists. In a flamboyantly weird new single-player adventure mode, you can create your own fighter and explore a vibrant miniature city, getting to know Street Fighter fundamentals (and characters) better.
What we said: “It’s bursting at the seams with things to do, assured in its gameplay, and wrapped in a stylish, colourful, confident swagger that the game can absolutely back up.”
A Space for the Unbound
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC
A magical-realist game set in rural Indonesia, this is the story of a couple of high-school students growing up in the late 90s, dealing with other people’s problems as well as their own by using a talismanic notebook to dive into their minds and understand their feelings. The supernatural elements here turn a coming-of-age story into a strange, compelling mystery.
What we said: “Characters are memorable and well drawn, literally and figuratively, and the game ably tackles thorny issues.”
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, PC
Developer Respawn has pulled off an amazing thing here, making a Star Wars game that’s as cinematic and visually impressive as you could possibly hope for, while also offering you the freedom to explore planets and the galaxy as the mood takes you, carving through countless Imperial troops with a lightsaber as you go. Maverick Jedi protagonist Cal Kestis is exceptionally likable, too.
What we said: “The best Star Wars game in 20 years, as compelling in the hands as it is magnificent on the screen.”
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
PC, Mac
Released on April fool’s day as a free Steam download, Sega’s visual novel adventure game is an unexpected delight, set aboard a steam train filled with Sonic’s pals – and one hedgehog murderer. Your job is to discover the culprit through interrogations and room explorations – and the ride is witty, weird and compelling.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
The game that changed the survival horror genre for ever gets a thrilling update with cop turned special agent Leon Kennedy battling his way into a weird European village to rescue the president’s daughter. New monsters, traps and twists abound, and the camera and controls are perfect. A revelation.
What we said: “It is resplendent, delicious and decadent, like an incredibly rich banquet served amid the detritus of some horrible battle. Believe me, you will feast on it.”
