You won’t play a game like it this year, or even from the past few years lest you dabble in the narrative adventure field, and even then Obsidian’s new opus is pretty distinct. Its writing is among the best I’ve experienced for this style of game, while the cadence of its unfurling mystery is such that the game draws you into its world ever so slightly, you’ll barely realise how deep you are into it before it snags you in its binding. Just go into it with an open mind and the desire to sink yourself into a good book, then let the game do the talking for you and strap yourself in for one of the year’s most unique offerings, and one of its best.

Those diehards mentioned in the opener above will be happy to know that the level grading system is back, and locked to the higher difficulty setting, which ties into those that want to learn the intricate and subtly deep nature of things. For everyone else who’ll still be scratching their heads at the ludicrousness of it all, from go to whoa, at least you can rest easy on the idea that it’s okay to mash your way through here, and that for Bayonetta, this is all pretty standard stuff -- OTT served with a side of sass, sexuality and style.

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.

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

Back under the creative control of Toys For Bob, Trap Team delivers an experience with enough depth and variation to warrant a fourth buy-in to new toys and a new gimmick.

A richly detailed world that has been unmistakably crafted with love and is well worth its 1200 MP price tag. It exudes all the addictive familiarity of an every-man action-RPG, but it's presented in such a clever, charming and original way as to raise it to must-play material.

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.

The Arcade mode and multiplayer alone add enough to the single-player campaign to keep you coming back for more, but for me the selling point of the game came in its presentation.

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.

The year’s not over yet, but this is the best game I’ve played in 2014 so far, and I’m not even a huge car person. Well, I wasn’t before...An absolute must-own.

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.

Titanfall 2 is worth playing, but it's not a must-play game right now. The two levels that I think will influence game design for years to come--they'll still be there next year. But therein lies the rub--with a playerbase split over multiple pointless variants of team deathmatch and a handful of other standard multiplayer modes, the population might not be there next year when you get it.

This is the level of ‘DLC’ other publishers and developers should be offering post-release.

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

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...

In some ways, the whole Lovecraft angle plays out here -- too big to conjure, fathom or even understand, Returnal is difficult to want to wrap your head around, and that’s largely because it hangs its space hat on that death loop (again, different game, same platform). If you’re a glutton for punishment, don’t mind a grind and will happily deal with unfathomable RNG forces at cosmic play, you will absolutely get something out of Returnal, but if like me, every time you die, a little piece of the part of you that wants to play more, dies too, then you might find yourself not return(al)ing to this in a hurry.

There is a ridiculous amount of cars to collect in Forza 7, including a host of never before seen vehicles. Each of which can be hurled around the truly impressive variety of tracks brought to life by stunning weather and time of day lighting effects. Plus, even if you’ve seen some of these cars and tracks before they’ve never looked or felt this good. Racing is exciting in Forza 7 and accessible at any skill level. If you were to strip away the visuals and leave behind the core mechanics of racing hundreds of cars across numerous tracks, Forza 7 is still one of the most well rounded and solid racers ever created.

Each major story adds to the world, the setting, the mystery. Throw in PC visuals that are easily some of the most impressive you’re likely to see this year or next, it’s the one part of the experience that lives up to the futuristic setting and promise seen in the many pre-release gameplay slices and trailers. But again, there’s a disconnect that creeps up every now and then. Immersion that breaks whenever you come across a bug or you can see the seams due to missing AI or missing features. No doubt Cyberpunk 2077 will be a better game on all platforms in three months time, and then three months after that. For now, it’s breathtaking on PC - for all the right, and wrong, reasons.

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.

Spot rusting aside, Chivalry II's got heart, humour and has polished those combat fundamentals to a high sheen. Providing the devs can hammer out some of the launch day dents quickly, this knight's tale could become the surprise hit of 2021. Give it a shot. Because it's the attacks you don't see coming that'll bowl you over the hardest.

What you get in the end with Sparks of Hope is a lengthy Switch outing full of challenge and the ability to craft a game style that suits you. There’s lots of room to experiment with all of the micro on offer, but it’s conversely not a requirement you do. It does take itself a bit too seriously (to wit: Edge, the emo Rabbid once bad now turned good), but you can skip a lot of this and just get on with business, which is fun, engaging, modular and deep when you want it to be, and stunningly presented. If you’re a Nintendo Switch owner, this is a no-brainer and will hold you in good stead for the rest of the year, and then some. For everyone else, this isn’t quite go out and grab a Switch for, though if you were to package it up with the first two games, the recommendation quickly switches. Either way this is a fun romp in the Mario universe with Rabbids again, I just wish they never learned to talk.

A game that reveals its depth gradually, and one that is also set to spark some fantastic community support in the coming weeks and months thanks to the available mod tools and support.

If you've grown sick of JRPGs, as many people have, Ni No Kuni isn't going to change your mind. It's traditional, steadfast in its adherence to certain genre rules, and only stays away from a few of the genre's bad habits. But it's also a beautiful game, solidly built and full of whimsy, with some fun features and the sort of breadth you don't often find in game adventures these days.

An RPG story-driven game unlike anything else out there. One that features one of the best interactive bits of fiction this side of The Witcher III – with a flawed, interesting and awe-inspiring protagonist in the form of Meve. No doubt, we can’t wait to check out the next Witcher Tale.

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.

Star War Jedi: Survivor is slightly outlier in its foundational universe and in its pedigree and influences. It’s a mish-mash that somehow makes a whole, but for anyone keen on what that means, I can only say saddle up and enjoy the ride, because for its shortcomings and intimidation in size, scope and IP density, Survivor is one heck of a frontier game.

Even with its faults, from the weird two-halves of the story to the often poorly designed and uninteresting side-quests, Final Fantasy XV feels like a triumph. Discovering a new location or seeing a giant monster for the first time, Final Fantasy XV constantly surprises. And thanks to its likeable cast of heroes, provides as memorable an animated adventure of a boy band in a world filled with monsters could possibly be.

The characters are not only memorable, but the questions they and the overall story raise go beyond plot twists for the sake of plot twists. There’s care and an attention to detail worth celebrating here. Roman culture isn’t simply a cool historical backdrop, customs, behaviours, what we now know of the times can be found and felt in every corner of the world. And in many of the conversations you’ll have.