It’s not for the faint of heart, and takes the post-apocalyptic formula to new brutality heights, but you’ll have dreaded fun while plotting your course both through the game, and for revenge. After all, it’s a dish best served cold, and more often than not you’ll be shivering outside in the rain-drenched black of night, bruised, bloodied and battered. Staring at the last two rounds in your weapon, wishing you had a fuse for your near-completed molotov while hearing the echo-location clicks of the poor bastards swaying in the corner, the pandemic turned into living purple 1-Down mushrooms.

Handheld gaming doesn’t get much better than this.

An epic experience that haunts you between play sessions, enticing you to come back for more. It may not hit the lofty heights of Skyrim, but it comes bloody close and, unlike its most obvious comparison, boasts consistently fantastic characters, a memorable and compelling storyline, and breathtaking visual fidelity out of the box.

It screams replayability and I just can't wait to get back to it.

Borderlands 2 is a FPS/RPG fusion the rest of the videogame development world should stand up and pay attention to, because Gearbox has backed a real winner in this IP. A must-buy.

Breath of the Wild can’t be compared to the likes of The Witcher 3 or Skyrim because it’s not trying to be those games -- it’s a Nintendo game -- and series -- all grown up. It has a lot to offer and will keep you engaged for lengthy periods of time. If you’re playing on Switch as you absolutely should be, then you can also Zelda wherever you go. It’s arguably not the best Zelda game, but damn, it might be the most polished, and the most ambitious.

Ruiner is momentum. The art drives the story, the story drives the setting, the setting drives the music, and the music drives the combat. Which in and of itself, needs none of the above. There are other very cool elements to be found from the versatile progression system to the way in which the boss battles evolve and really put your skills to the sent. And there are stretches where the momentum lags and cues are repeated. But with the sound turned up, the lights drawn, and your eyes firmly watching each enemy movement and background detail come to life there’s nothing better. Ruiner gets it. And I love it.

What Watch Dogs 2 has done for the newly-minted Ubisoft IP, and for the hacking culture they so enthusiastically embrace, is prove above and beyond that the concept and foundation are sound. They’ve injected more fun and diversity this time around, and they’ve done so with a city backdrop that is truly alive, and is utterly inviting.

I’ve avoided as many spoilers as possible and barely scratched the surface of what’s in store for those willing to reward the hard-working developers of Hogwarts Legacy. The game-world is HUGE, and not nearly as checklisty as many other games of this nature. And certainly doesn’t suffer so-called bloat. Rather it’s rich and rewarding and inviting to a fault.

With various difficulties to tackle and work through, secrets items to find that affect loot quality while offering additional challenge, in addition to the large and mostly accommodating community - Warhammer: Vermintide II is a must for fans of co-op. Or, anyone still holding out for Left 4 Dead 3.

And that’s what GT7 reminds you of throughout your journey -- that this series has always held car and automobile culture as its anchor point, and in return has become a part of that culture itself. To some, there may be aspects of GT7 that feel static or sterile, but Polyphony Digital isn’t the fun uncle, it’s always been the serious one. And in Gran Turismo 7, what we get is a serious dose of incredible, be it from an historical and cultured perspective, or in learning how to just drive.

Its nuances are deep, the layered gameplay is incredibly satisfying and there really is nothing quite like it out there. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got another 350 or so hours to knock out.

Whether playing by yourself or against others, Trials Evolution is an addictive blast that should not be missed.

It has a sneaky depth to it, a crafty addiction about it, where you'll start out just playing a game a day and then suddenly you're browsing the forums on your phone during the intervention your wife is holding because your addiction to Heroes of the Storm has affected her in the following ways...

Skylanders will be an influential series in years to come and successfully combines real world collectables with a fantastic platformer to deliver a rich and engaging experience.

With a far more approachable career mode (as well as the title modes and awesome title defense mode which plays out like it sounds), robust and deep combat system, great atmosphere, sexy graphics bolstered by entertaining and spot-on commentary by Rogan and Goldberg, UFC Undisputed 3 is easily the best iteration of the series.

It’s a rarity when a title delivers engrossing, compelling, varied and highly replayable gameplay in both its single and multiplayer elements. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is such a manner of beast and other than a few graphical inconsistencies it remains one of the most solid all-around combat experiences I’ve snuck around behind and embedded my knife into.

This is what Diablo III should have been at launch, a beautifully constructed, tightly honed experience designed to capture players and not let them go until it's 2am and they have work in the morning. With couch co-op, randomised dungeons, randomised enemies and a loot system worth actually using Diablo III: RoS: UEE on PS4 is the best way to play Diablo III.

An incredibly great looking game that is just as much fun to play.

Halo 4 stands as a particularly polished piece of fan fiction that not only deserves to be released, it carves its own way in an established universe, carefully paying homage to the tropes of what has come before, while boldly establishing its own mythology and gameplay lore.

While the inclusion of paratroopers and para-dropped items—that can be deployed anywhere on the map—are the most obvious new feature via specific US Commanders, there’s also a balanced emphasis on regular infantry and armour, too.

It is densely layered in a brilliant way and will keep you pushing through, without pulling you away from the large amount of activities this playspace offers.

Lessons were learnt and learnt well. The looming Darkness has not consumed Bungie at this point in time. Quite the contrary. Destiny 2 is the glorious self-rez fans have been praying for. Stop orbiting it and dive in, today.

There's so much depth and scope to Monster Hunter World that some aspects I've only lightly touched on, or haven't even mentioned; the Canteen and its bizarre cat-chef, the Special Arena, Investigations and Bounties, the Hub's numerous activities. NPCs and provisioners, the marvelous Palico gadgets and so on. After 60+ hours and having just recently finished the bulk of the main story and hitting High Rank, there's still so much more I've yet to see. For the sake of getting this review out before Christmas 2142 all you need to know is that Monster Hunter World is an amazing, complex, and beautifully realised evolution of the franchise. It's been made extremely accessible to new hunters, whilst also being an enjoyable and thoroughly rewarding game for existing fans.

Thanks to Wadjet Eye’s now decade-long commitment to creating narrative driven point-and-click adventures that look and sound like products from a bygone era, it has seemingly done the impossible with Unavowed. Created a modern-day pixel-art driven, point-and-click classic. An adventure to savour, and one to revisit in the years to come.

Yes, it’s another Call of Duty, but it’s a Call of Duty by a rock-solid team who care about quality and stamping themselves as a premier Triple-A developer in a very crowded space. Another great Holiday release to add to your (likely) growing pile.

Darksiders Genesis is a fantastic new direction for the series, and while I love the third-person 3D entries, I’d be fine with the Genesis blueprint running the show moving forwards. This is one of my favourite games I’ve played this year. Put it on your Festivus wishlist, if you haven’t picked it up yet.

Phantom Covert Ops isn’t a simple VR experiment, proof-of-concept, or a short VR title that’s over before you realise it’s a cool theme park ride - it’s a full, feature-packed game. And a damn good one at that. The missions are varied, the pacing is spot-on and it has all the cinematic tension and thrills of a Mission: Impossible film.

If you're a fan of online shooters on PC, then Natural Selection 2 not only comes highly recommended, but essential, and should sit right alongside other classic entries into the genre.

Diablo II: Resurrected presents the very best version of an all-timer, and benefits from all of the patches and updates it received from Blizzard in the early part of this century. Stuff that helped fine tune an already great game, turning it into something that stands the test of time.

Link’s Awakening remade and rebuilt for the Nintendo Switch is downright delightful. A memorable return to the stunning Koholint Island, and for newcomers to experience a journey they’ll savour for years to come. The Switch just got its second must-play Zelda.

While we bitched and moaned about the angles attempted (and often failed) in Far Cry 3, Blood Dragon very skillfully promises very little and delivers quite a lot. It’s more than Far Cry 3 reskinned, and the effort gone into the soundtrack, voice-acting, scripting and all that unfortunate research the team probably had to do to get their references just right, is top-notch.

At its core, Darkest Dungeon is a turn-based RPG, governed by a brutal RNG/dice roll system where everything has a cost, one such example is Occultist class which can heal but also has a chance to cause the healed character to bleed, so much of the game falls under this Risk Vs Reward system.

Trials Rising is infinitely better than Trials Fusion and feels like the proper sequel to Evolution. You’re going to get exactly what you expect from Rising, if you’re a Trials fan: crazy course design, a sense of RedLynx just trolling you, some reward, mostly despair but now with added loot boxes for you to open and basically be disappointed with, or not even remotely caring of, their contents. What matters here is that Trials Rising is a game with longevity and challenge.

Full of memorable moments, fast-paced action, moody set pieces and surprising narrative twists and turns - Dusk may look like a long-lost gem from 1998, when it’s actually one of 2018’s best.

It's a sure sign of a solid platformer when deceptively simple core mechanics and basic controls result in hours of gameplay without feeling stale or repetitious. N++ achieves this splendidly. The triumph and accomplishment as you solve just ‘one more level’ of deadly physics and diabolical design is sublime and a heady swirl of emotion. Reinforcing the obsessive gameplay are instant restarts after death and virtually instantaneous level loading. Like a true platformer.

The pacing has been strong so far, and if the second half of the season starts to set in motion a potential end to the conflict – or at least make the success of the Forrester clan look like a realistic possible outcome – this could end up being one of Telltale’s very best seasons.

If you have a spare 100 hours or so, you could do a lot worse than this. If you don’t, its ever-long pacing means it’s not at all hard to pick and play in increments. Absolutely recommended.

Its accessibility over previous entries may be its biggest strength as for those who’ve always been curious about StarCraft multiplayer but may have felt too intimidated to give it a try will find that learning has never been easier, and is still a hell of a lot of fun, even if you’re not in it to climb ladders and make a name for yourself.

The beauty of F1 2021 is that it makes you want to learn about that, it makes racing on a track more rewarding on Lap 3 than it was on Lap 2. More fun the second time versus that first-run. It’s not perfect, seeing racers celebrate is always weird (they always do the exact same ‘Champagne Robot Dance’) and certain locations have that clinical sim-look that lacks warmth. With a little bit of extra personality and detail found in the seemingly incidental, then the F1 series has potential to be even better. As it stands, Codemasters has delivered a gem -- a fast and exhilarating racer for casual racing fans and F1 aficionados alike.

The RPG side of the game is handled very well, and its challenge is really very good in the larger modern gaming landscape. Combat still needs tweaking from a design perspective, but is more than passable while the checklisty mission system does need a major overhaul, but when stacked against the game-world created here, and how much content it’s filled with, it can be forgiven.

Going in with as little knowledge of the mechanics and choices and scenario structure is the best way to experience Frostpunk. One of the most intense, beautiful, and emotionally resonant games that features arranging housing and streets ever made.

Torchlight II succeeds in being a truly viable alternative to Diablo III. The action is faster and thicker and rewards are set to a quickened treadmill pace, resulting in an experience that is immediately rewarding and increasingly addictive. Its seamless co-op (which includes player trading) openly gives Blizzard the middle finger as it allows players to decide whether to play a solo game offline or open it up for drop-ins.

The most fun new feature has to go to the new Skill Games, these fun little games will have you trying to master skills such as free kicks and dribbling via a series of mini games like kicking the ball into a bucket.

I'm rather enamoured by the unique flavour of online combat presented by Chivalry. It's fresh and fun, and like the very best games is easy to get into yet incredibly hard to master. I've honestly not had this much competitive online joy since Battlefield 3, and to think a $25 indie title can provide a level of enjoyment up there with a $100 million game like Battlefield is testimony to the skill of the developer.

Tomb Raider reaffirms the importance and value of having strong, realistic female protagonists in games, while also successfully transposing much of what people loved about the original titles into an adventure that feels superbly modern. It’s a better Uncharted game than Uncharted 3 was.

The game’s various biomes are connected, which means your hunts are no longer bound by the old timey restraint known as ‘the loading screen’. This is a major improvement for the handheld side of the franchise, adding an open-world sheen and sense of realism to the biodiversity that is flora, fauna, and big bad monsters.

Whether you’re in it for the story, the world, the resources, the crafting or all of the above, Subnautica: Below Zero is a rich vein of fun and engagement you won’t want to escape from anytime soon.

Those who don't like the vehicular action in Battlefield should probably go and play Call of Duty instead of even considering Armored Kill, but for the rest of us this expansion pack is as good as Battlefield 3 gets. But please, if you do end up buying the pack, for the love of all things holy, when you get in a vehicle, wait for your fricking team mates before you put your pedal to the metal...

An incredibly deep and expanding story and much of the Dead Space feel returning, albeit turned down a little, as well as all the new systems and elements will definitely divide fans, but may be more accessible to newcomers, which is always welcomed with such a rich franchise. Even with the familiarity this delivers a monstrous amount of satisfaction.

Quantum Conundrum isn't of the same calibre as its inspirational predecessor at Valve, but if you're looking for a new first-person game that doesn't involve violence, weapons or adult themes of any kind, the low entry price seals it as a worthy addition to a genre that we hope will continue to blossom.

It's not that Wylde Flowers is a wild departure from the genre's norms. But it has thoroughly impressed me – and utterly rejuvenated my wife's interest in virtual chores – in the way it delivers on every standard genre tropes with a high degree of polish, generous design and considerable charm. It's very much one of these games, if you know what I mean. It's just a really good one of these games.

Saying Deathloop plays with the form isn’t mere hyperbole. In much the same way great films defy comparison, or push their respective artform forward, Deathloop does so for the first-person shooter. By pairing the idea of ‘where to go’ and ‘how to approach’ with that of a deep underlying mystery, Deathloop is as dense a puzzle to solve as it is a combat playground to conquer.

Bungie has delivered a helluva final act to what's been a very surprising, highly purchasable rethink of this wayward franchise.

It is the perfect open world fix in the lead up to GTA V and full credit to United Front Games and Square Enix London for crafting this entertaining, engrossing and deeply impressive title.

There have been obvious comparisons made to WoW, with some even going as far as calling it a clone. But what makes Rift so special is that it goes out of its way to avoid falling into the same traps as the many that have fallen before it. It avoids the painful, mindnumbing grind, makes incremental patches everyday and listens intently to its rapidly growing community.

Interacting with this bright and soulful world is a deeply involving experience, and you'll find yourself continually finding excuses to play for just a few more minutes.

One of the best shooters to come out in recent years.

And so what looks like a fun, cartoony jaunt on a skateboard, that can actually be played as such, early on, can also very quickly turn into a deep and unforgiving monster wrought with indomitable challenge and pedestal moments brought on by death-defying triumphs. It’s the sort of slowburn game communities build around, in league with titles like Super Meat Boy, the Trials series or Cuphead, to name a few. Games where challenge is key, but bragging rights are better.

The Quarry delivers on its interactive horror movie premise, the characters are all wonderfully realised, the violence, terror and scares are all here. Meaningful choices, multiple endings and memorial set-pieces sit alongside stellar performances, excellent cinematography and cutting-edge visuals. A summer camp experience you won’t soon forget.

Even the most stalwart, traditionalist series fan should be able to appreciate A Link Between Worlds for what it is: the most interesting new Zelda game since Wind Waker.

Moonlighter, like many classic action-RPGs or fantasy blends like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, is a grower. With masterful touches.

The game on both PS4 and Xbox One is gorgeous, though it appears the PS4 comes out ahead in a few areas, such as all cut-scenes being rendered at 1080p, while some on Xbox One are capped at 900p.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a pleasant surprise. While it’s lacking in any major offering for those wanting a campaign to play through, everything else is refined and iterated on in meaningful ways. Blackout is a blast, traditional multiplayer is as good as it’s been in years, and Zombies is insanity in all the right ways. Minor concerns aside, this is the best Call of Duty package I’ve played in a long, long time, and think the trade off of a campaign for Blackout — something I was more than surprised by — has been well worth it.

Perhaps the biggest problem with a game that is simply this gorgeous to look at, is that even the slightest of frame-rate hitches feels like a betrayal. A betrayal to the expectation of perfection you get as soon as the adventure begins. Ori and the Will of the Wisps isn’t perfect, but its issues are mere momentary lapses in an otherwise stellar action-adventure. An experience that feels monumental in both scope and presentation.

At its core though, RAGE is a triumph for id Software. The game's strengths far outweigh its shortcomings and for shooter fans looking for a challenging, visceral experience that isn't akin to shooting fish in a barrel, you're going to find it here.

There’s no cash-in on the overall success of the MCU here, or on the Guardians of the Galaxy movies in a standalone sense. This is a pure videogame born from the paper and ink flesh of the comics before it, imagined as an interactive slice of the IP’s universe. And it absolutely works. The action-RPG lite approach was conclusively the right decision to make, which allows the game’s absolute strength: its story and characterisation, to truly stand out. This is a surprise hit for me, and one of the most enjoyable games from a written and performed perspective you’ll play this year.

At just $20-odd dollars on consoles and Steam, and with so much replayability with friends, it’s hard to go past this charming little indie title. It’s as simple as they come in terms of what you need to do, but actually doing it is an entirely other thing and you’ll find yourself wanting to wave your cleaver at your teammates in pure, ecstatic frustration, such is the sum of its basic ingredients.

Diablo III adds just enough to the console experience to separate it from its older PC sibling without stripping away the core action RPG base.

Star Wars Battlefront might not be terribly considerate of solo players and its by-design accessibility might deter DICE’s hardcore Battlefield fans, but there’s no denying the multiplayer is a hell of a lot of fun, and as far as creating the feeling of being part of a Star Wars movie, it doesn’t get any better than this.

For a downloadable game this offers amazing depth and replay value – almost as much as a full-priced title. If you love stealth games and have a competitive streak, Mark of the Ninja is a must buy.

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is a lot more than a retro game collection. Like its namesake, it's more of a celebration, but also an engaging interactive slice of history that adds real context to the act of firing up an ancient “1-bit” Atari 2600 game.

This is a moving postcard to the 70s and 80s as far as influence goes -- as if David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Genesis found each other on a moving platform designed by Terry Gilliam rapidly coasting through the far reaches of space, powered entirely by solar sails and positive thought, and decided to jam.

Fez is engrossing, but it is not perfect. The puzzles are quite difficult, and more vexing still is the map screen, and the obtuse way the game world has been slotted together. No doubt after five or so years weaving the labyrinthine maps of the Fez multiverse, Phil Fish has an instinctive grasp of precisely where all the games warp gates will take you. A newcomer greeted by a 3D lattice of cryptically annotated cubes my find things a tad heavier going.

Plus, it’s still one of the most intricately designed, fast-paced, and skill-centric multiplayer games ever created. One that can be enjoyed by players of all skill level.

Whether it's letting China succumb to public panic as you divert resources to cover the American continent, or sending in a rookie to soak up damage on a suicide run so that your veterans don't die, XCOM will give you a scary appreciation of the harsh realities of being a leader in a time of crisis.

It's an amazing game - technically outstanding, showing all of Valve's usual polish and attention to detail, especially in the all-important multiplayer aspects. The continual balance tweaks and new heroes combined with the vast amount of content in the game offer countless hours of enjoyment. It's hard to master but good wins with your teammates are incredibly satisfying. It took me a long time to warm up to, but I'm helplessly addicted and every day look forward to getting home to fire this up with my friends. If you can spare the time - play it.

Wolfenstein II is packed full of great and memorable moments, not only in the story it tells but also the combat it presents. From walking the streets of Roswell, New Mexico and seeing KKK members walking together with Nazis to sneaking up on an unexpected soldier only to gruesomely amputate and decapitate them before they could recite their favourite verse from Mein Kampf. It’s provocative and intense in equal measure. And in the year 2017, when real Nazis are trying to make a comeback the world over, also cathartic. And necessary.

DiRT 2 sacrificed a lot of its soul in the hunt for a wider, more youthful audience. DiRT 3 has halted this 'fun at the expense of realism' devolution, picks the perfect line between core and arcade, and ends up setting the pace for my favourite driving game of 2011.

It’s a compelling experience unlike anything else out in the market, despite borrowing heavily from a couple of other big guns. Thoroughly recommend.

For many people out there, StarCraft represents one of the greatest PC games of all time. StarCraft: Remastered does little to dissuade that line of thought. With the new and impressive visuals and great new lighting effects, it’s an experience that is not only well worth revisiting. It’s recommended.

The art is something the videogaming landscape has never seen before and is, arguably, worth the price of admission alone. But we come for the art, and stay for the challenge. And boy, does Cuphead have challenge in spades. If you’re used to modern gaming, this is going to take you to absolute breaking point and might even push you away, but if you grew up on the more arcade-centric 8 and 16-bit games of the past, and love the challenges those games served up, then Cuphead is absolutely for you. Art and design combine, but with the sole purpose of crushing you -- what’s not to love?

In the end, Observation resonates primarily because of how it uses its interactivity and presentation. Playing a role and being there as a part of it all even elevates even some of the weaker narrative moments. From the visual effects to the detailed space station to the ambient music and even the animation of Emma herself, Observation is a triumph in both design and calculated execution.

Forza Horizon 5 is so stacked it’s hard not to feel a little overwhelmed with options. But there’s never really a sense that you need to do any of it, or progress through a series of checklists before moving on to the next thing. And in the end this might be the genius at the heart of Horizon, you’ll want to keep moving, keep driving, simply because you want to. Because it feels right. And in creating a vast, beautiful open-world in which you can do that very thing, Playground Games lives up to its namesake.

Warlords of Draenor will remind you just why World of Warcraft is still on top after 10 years of service, even with its architectural problems that the Garrison feature holds.

In the end, Total War: Three Kingdoms is essential for fans of Chinese history, the romantic depiction of the era, and all-round history buffs. The steep learning curve is well worth the time investment as the enhanced and expanded diplomacy and management side moves the series forward in meaningful ways.

The best part of the experience is just how much you feel connected to the story and becoming Spider-Man. Even when you factor in open-world design which is a mostly by-the-numbers checklist of things to collect and discover, the world-building and presentation are next-level.

Minor quality-of-life missteps aside, Final Fantasy VII Remake is still an absolute gem, polished to a high sheen and worthy of slotting into any serious gamer's collection. Granted, if you've been keeping up with the Final Fantasy franchise recently, it won't feel like Square Enix has reinvented the gameplay wheel. However, it sure did reinvent the wheel of time. Without saying too much, what we have here is a divergent “defy destiny” tale that's sure to wrong-foot veterans.

Xenoblade Chronicles is as grand and all-encompassing as Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and this Definitive Edition presents a wonderful remaster of an already excellent RPG. From the expansive and gorgeous worlds to explore to the memorable story and the stellar soundtrack.

Swiping, tilting and touching your way through this gorgeous world (the story scenes in particular showcase physical awareness and interactivity) is pleasurable and deep in a way that will easily draw you away from your main home console(s).

Deep, complex, and approachable, Total War Warhammer III is an intense, engaging triumph.

It's a game with few real weaknesses, is accessible to players of any calibre, and provides hours of entertainment for those who like to go solo or play with friends. Considering its price, it's almost a steal for the amount of enjoyment that can be had from it.

By far the best wrestling game I've played in the past few years. The lack of depth in match types and singleplayer mode is unfortunate, but the game is seriously fun and a joy to play. Add in the nostalgia factor with the old school wrestlers, and this game is a must for all WWE fans.

The level of Warhammer-specific detail that has been translated into Total War mechanics is remarkable, ranging from the way in which different types of units compact each other to the way it’s incredibly risky and costly to venture too far into Vampire or Chaos territory.

The story takes bigger risks, and is all the better for it. By no means is it perfect, but the negatives are so slight they don’t really warrant full disclosure. This is a bigger, meatier sequel, one that improves on an already great game. And again, it gets the balance right. The balance between survival, in terms of facing off against an army of foes as well as giant killer snow bears, and exploration, in the form of archaeology-by-the-way-of Lara being genuinely excited when she comes across an ancient trinket or mural. And story.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is marred only by its ease-of-play and its controls (or lack of variant control options), but is still more-than-playable. It is easily the most progressively designed game Nintendo has made from a tech perspective, while its visual design, comedic writing and overall charm scream “classic Nintendo”. Multiplayer and co-op add value, but the true goo here is in the game’s ever-enjoyable single-player campaign that will keep you checking, checking and checking again under that bed, for that hidden ghost, or that hidden treasure.

Like all great over-the-top art, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is grounded in humanity. Humanity that is personified in the new and wonderful protagonist Ichiban Kasuga.

If you’re a Battlefield fan who didn’t like the times when DICE has played it safe in the past, Battlefield V is for you. I’m one of those people, and I cannot wait to jump into epic play sessions of what could quickly become my favourite Battlefield game, more so now that the community won’t be divided with future content.