VGC

Gears of War E-Day's campaign offers balls-to-the-wall action and rarely lets up, but that means the story takes more of a back seat than I'd like. It's good that time is given to the backstories of new protagonists Mags and Lucas, but given that the game is literally the playable Marcus and Dom backstory fans have been waiting decades to see, more time could have been spent on their relationship. In terms of pure gunplay, however, very little beats it this year.

Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition is a perfect excuse to return to Atsu's story. Most Wanted is engaging and challenging, and the new story expansion is some of the best content across both the base game and DLC. It's a shame it isn't longer, but what is here is a vital new chapter in the Ghost's story.

Silent Hill Townfall provides players with one of the most hauntingly atmospheric and meticulously detailed settings in the series' history, and delivers an engaging storyline to go with it. Where the game disappoints, however, is in the actual 'game' itself, specifically the stealth sections near the middle and end of the game which completely ruin the momentum and descend into frustration. Without these sections Townfall would be an absolute must-have, but their presence means it has to settle for being a flawed masterpiece.

Control Resonant gambles on a new genre and it pays off. A stellar cast and some of the strongest art direction you'll find in a game this year make for a sequel that builds on the promise of the original, and delivers even more special moments. Make time for Control Resonant this year. You won't regret it.

While most of its existing modes are generally improved without incorporating anything truly mind-blowing, it's the addition of The Grounds that gives EA Sports FC 27 a new flavour that differentiates itself from its predecessors. It's still early days for the mode and it remains to be seen how it'll evolve, but regardless of how it pans out there's still enough entertaining gameplay to be found in all the other modes to ensure that EA FC remains the best football series out there.

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is an essential game for fans of Fire Emblem and SRPGs, and if you’re new to the series or genre, there’s no better place to get started. The stories of Dietrich, Theodora, Cai, and Leda are all brilliant, worthy of their own Fire Emblem game, and the fact that we get them all in one is just a bonus. It’s still early days, but I’m confident that Fortune’s Weave will be considered one of the best RPGs in the Switch 2’s library even a decade from now.

Marvel’s Wolverine is fine, but it fails to capture the spirit of the legendary character in the same way Insomniac did with Spider-Man. It's a game out of time, full of dated quest design and combat that excels in spectacle but not much else. Best-in-class visuals pull up the overall package, but this isn't the definitive Wolverine game I'd hoped for.

Halloween has clearly been made with reverence for the source material, and Illfonic has done a great job recreating the locations from the 1978 movie. If you're strictly interested in the single-player mode, while it's a fun B-movie romp, you have to be the sort of player who's fine with repeating stages to tick off challenges and go for a high score, because if your sole intent is to reach the credits, you're going to manage that in two hours. [Single-Player Review]

The Blood of Dawnwalker is a fantastic first outing from Rebel Wolves and the clear start of a franchise. It's full of smart ideas that have the making of another classic RPG franchise.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is worth playing for the combat alone, but the game around it doesn't live up to the standards that it sets from a pure gameplay perspective. Full of filler, overlong and focussed on the wrong things, there is a much better game in Onimusha: Way of the Sword if some of the pieces were arranged differently.