Megan

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is everything a spin off title for a franchise should be. The story of this game was incredible which was made even better by the amazing cast of characters I met.

Building up my villages in between quests and bonding with these characters has made Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma probably my favourite cosy game of the year

While I will probably never play it online with many other players. V Rising has been an incredible experience with a friend as we work together, levelling up our gear to take on the various bosses across the map.

Building my very own Vampire castle with prisoners and thralls galore has made V Rising one of the best vampire titles I have ever played, even if some mobs added don't feel as balanced as others.

Nightreign is oddly addictive. I am loving the variety of characters and the teamwork aspect of this phenomenal title. Although it isn't without its issues. The game needs a better way of communicating with teammates such as prompts to get allies to avoid dangerous fights, but overall my experience with others has been rather positive.

Another incredibly touching story. Every co-op game from Hazelight Studios just keeps getting better and better, with many of the side stories of Split Fiction being incredibly memorable. I loved absolutely every second of this game, and it's a MUST for anyone looking for a title to play with a friend.

Overall I really enjoyed the campaign of Monster Hunter Wilds, the monsters I met were diverse and fun to fight and the armour I could get were also rewarding.

However, I must admit I was disappointed by the length of the campaign, it felt like it was rushing through the different areas of the game as well as there being little challenge. Though being easy isn’t always a bad thing.

Guardians of the Galaxy was a great experience that surprised me every step of the way. The story felt true to the Guardians as well as keeping me hooked with every chapter. Even with a great story there was some downfalls to it, I encountered quite a few bugs that forced me to reload sections of the game, as well as the combat not really being my thing (other than the team-up mechanic, that was great!)

Hogwarts Legacy surprised me. I enjoyed the story though I wish there was more exploration of this Ancient Magic, flinging spells was also amazing. The only main issues I had with it were the lack of Hogwarts itself, the lessons didn’t equate to much, I wish I was actually taking part in them regularly with actual things to do in them. My other gripe was the open-world, though there were activities to do it became very boring at the end to do them.

Coral Island feels unlike any other cozy farming and life simulator I have ever played. It has a great art style, an incredible variety of characters to fall in love with, and an incredible location to call home. Coral island is also still receiving plenty of updates to add even more content to an already remarkable game.

Truly a one-of-a-kind RPG that players need to play to fully understand and experience. With a cast of phenomenal characters and plenty of ways to build your character, it's a game a player will likely be playing repeatedly to truly see everything it has to offer. Since the game is now fully voice acted, it gives even more of a reason to pick it up as that means much less reading!

Being little beans and taking on various courses is sure to entertain some players for quite a few hours, especially when playing with friends. While plenty of new content has been added to Fall Guys since release, it can become quite boring quickly when playing alone.

Warning! This game will make you cry! Venba is a short yet sweet narrative cooking game that I am glad to have experienced. Its art style makes every dish made look utterly delicious, while also revealing a story of family and culture that is sure to hit a nerve with some.

Addictive gun play that I will never forget. It might be one of the few PvP titles that I have ever enjoyed and have played more than 4 hours. It's such a shame what happened to it, when it had so much potential staying as Overwatch instead of being closed to push everyone to Overwatch 2.

Being able to have your main Pokemon follow behind you in Pokemon Heartgold and SoulSilver is something I demand that more modern Pokemon titles would allow us to do. This game has some of my favorite starter Pokemon as well as an incredible world to explore that brings back plenty of childhood memories.

Borderlands 2 will forever be the best Borderlands game in the franchise, with me even considering it better than the first one. One of the main reasons this game is one of the best is ho it gave players the villain of Handsome Jack, who was equal parts evil as he was hilarious, making for some great moments that I wish we had gotten again in Borderlands 3.

While the base game of The Sims 4 is incredibly boring, purchasing a few expansion packs really allows the player to create their own dream life, or simply ruin the life of a poor sim. Admittedly, there has been better Sims games in the past, but the Sims 4 has still managed to hold its own.

As the only Fallout title that I have managed to complete (sorry Fallout fans) Fallout 4 had an interesting main story that I once again found myself forgetting about to instead explore the expansive apocalyptic world. If I wasn't completing one of hundreds of side quests, then I found myself simply enjoying walking around the commonwealth, getting into places, and learning about the past lives of the people that once lived there. Plus Diamond City Radio has some of the best music ever.

While Monster Hunter World was an incredible title to play with friends, it was arguably one of the hardest games I have ever picked up that wasn't a souls-like title. The challenge of foes could sometimes be incredibly frustrating, and this was only made harder through a multiplayer that was always a hassle to set up.

The fact that this is an MMO always amazes me, as it's such a great experience to play alone. The classes are great, the romances are incredible, and the abundance of stories that make each class even more unique, leads hardly anything to grumble at for this extraordinary title.

As someone who adores Ancient Greece, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey was a dream come true and fullfilled my wishes greatly. I enjoyed how both protagonists were used within the story, to allow either Kassandra or Alexios to become Deimos if they aren't selected to be the one that is controlled. While some fans of the franchise may have not enjoyed this further push into the RPG genre, I personally loved having more choice and the comedic reprecussions of them.

Although I have enjoyed countless games from the Far Cry franchise, Far Cry 5 appealed to me the most due to its interesting narrative that focused on multiple 'family' members of a Cult. Exploring the different regions controlled by these leaders led to many memorable experiences, where I feel that I too have been conditioned by Jacob Seed. Far Cry 5 is only made better due to how the entire story can also be experienced with a friend, leading to plenty of hilarious moments.