WipeOut at its best has always been gorgeous on the eyes and smooth on the ears with a soundtrack that matches the beat of the game. WipEout: Omega Collection is that sensation wrapped up in striking 4K visuals that helps define it as the definitive WipEout experience.

John Wick Hex is a sharp-dressed, tactical, dog eat dog shooter that offers an unforgiving challenge with smart action and an authentic layer of style.

As the sum of its parts, LEGO Dimensions is something special. It’s witty, it’s fun outside of the box and it boasts enough talent to get you hooked on a gateway drug to acquiring a collection of plastic blocks in the future. It’s more than just toys to life, but a combination of physical and digital experiences that blurs the line between the two to create an experience which clicks brilliantly with its concept.

FIFA 19 shows that sometimes it’s not all about reinventing the game so much as it is about making improvements to what already works so well. FIFA 19 is probably the best FIFA to date, but EA will not want to repeat the tweak-performance next time out.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game that manages to be wholeheartedly cathartic, relaxing and adorable for every second you play despite some legacy flaws and clunky menus that may vex just a little too much.

Faithfully adapted, bristling with depth, beautifully written and gorgeous to look at, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a fantastic role-playing game that’s hampered by a frustrating and tedious combat system that is sure to turn many players away in the early goings.

A brilliant adventure packed with some of the best dialogue gaming has even been medium to, Firewatch manages to engross you from the moment it begins and throughout its fittingly brief tale. Even if the journey is far more captivating than the eventual destination, Firewatch is more than worth the price of admission. Wyoming and its mysteries await.

Blood Dragon is everything that you loved about action movies from a forgotten era, mixed with a healthy does of cheese, Michael Bien, punchlines and some superb music. It's not just worth the buy. It should be an essential part of any game library.

Hitman 3 is full of surprises beneath its familiar systems. It manages to break out of its own sandbox without disrupting its formula too much, ending on a subtle note that brings the world of assassination saga to a satisfying end.

Overcooked 2 is a lot more of the same, but it’s a well-rounded sequel that improves on its established gameplay with small, clever refinements across the board. Add to that new online multiplayer support, a quick-fix Arcade mode and more devious kitchens to conquer, and Overcooked 2 is a perfect choice for your next co-operative craving.

While there's still a bit of a steep learning curve for newcomers, NBA 2K17 offers up everything an NBA fan could ever want in a single package.

One of the core debates within Observer: System Redux is whether augmentation makes recipients more or less. In the case of this enhanced edition of the acclaimed, dark cyberpunk tale, it’s definitely a case of more. Barring a few graphic and gameplay niggles, the developers have taken a cult indie classic and improved it further, providing a better balance of mystery thriller and psychological horror to accompany the brain-spearing next-gen visuals.

A slight downgrade in some visual effects and audio quality do little to hold back what is otherwise a great and smooth port of Dark Souls.

As we got with Crash Bandicoot and Spyro's recent remakes, Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled is a loving remake of the Playstation's best kart racer. It's still as fun to play today as it was twenty years ago.

If you don’t mind the lower resolution and slightly less crisp visuals, then the Switch version is incredibly easy to recommend, especially as it gains portability. It’s a cracking port of one of the best remasters around. It's odd to say, but it almost feels like this should be Crash's new home.

Don Bradman 17 is an improvement on Don Bradman 14 but it's no giant leap for cricketing kind. If you're a cricket fan and want to experience your sport in a video game this is by far your best option.

Dynamic and dangerous, there’s no other fighting game like Samurai Shodown on the market. After a decade away, this latest chapter proves that idea once again with the sharpest swordsmanship combat around that manages to unleash a barrage of modern cuts while still retaining the magic of the original game.

More than twenty years after the manic marsupial first graced the PlayStation, the return of Crash Bandicoot isn’t just welcome…it just feels right. A throwback to a more positive time, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a testament to timeless game design and an example of a remaster done right by two studios split across two eras.

Assassin's Creed: Rogue is a great ending to the American saga of the franchise, and a great game in its own right. Ubisoft has also done a fine job with the PC port, making it an easy recommendation to any fan.

Story pacing issues aside, World of Final Fantasy is an absolute joy to play through. The game may look tiny, but it has a massive heart.

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX is the definitive collection of 4 classic JRPGs. The story might be the weapon to surpass Metal Gear in terms of convoluted storylines, but its cast of endearing and human characters more than makes up for this.

If you love those old-school games that rewards practice and patience through trial and error, Cuphead will likely delight. Yes, Cuphead is brutal and death is a regular occurrence, but it packs in that old-schoool arcade ethos that makes you want to keep trying.

An enjoyable romp, a ludicrous explosion of colour, fun and ideas wrapped up in some tight visuals and acting. If you’re stupid enough to dismiss this as a bad DMC game because it’s too shallow for your tastes or not Japanese enough, then you’re also being ignorant and too dismissive to appreciate a damn good action game at least.

The original Super Mario Maker is an enduring bit of software, but this makes up for just about every one of the original’s transgressions and adds a full-fat campaign to boot. It’s lovely stuff, offering a world of infinite Mario that has a little something for everyone.

Ireland is beautiful beyond words, the hidden secrets make exploring the Emerald Isle more fascinating than the paint by numbers main campaign, and if you're looking for plenty of familiar bang for your Hiberno-Norse coinage, Wrath of the Druids certainly has all that and more.

It's your typical Battlefield experience, filled with vehicle and infantry warfare as well as large, destructible environments. If you're a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed. If you're not a fan, this might just make you one.

Subnautica: Below Zero presents the player not only with a harsh tundra to live in but the icy depths underneath it all. It’s tense, challenging, and always engaging, pushed on by a surprisingly in-depth narrative and characters that make eventually leaving behind all those magnificent alien animals all the more challenging when you eventually roll credits.

Destiny 2: Forsaken returns the story that Bungie began back to its roots: A power fantasy with a more sombre story, that retools the sequel to once again feel like a hobby that’s well worth investing in, even if some rough edges do still show in this adventure to enact some old school justice on some new school enemies. Exciting, mysterious and always engaging, it’s good to see Destiny 2 back on track.

Dragon Quest 11 falters in the pacing of its story and features an unimpressive OST but at the end of the day, this game is like getting together with an old friend and hanging out on a cool summer’s day; it’s familiar and oh so comforting.

A stacked package of single-player and multiplayer offerings, Call of Duty Modern Warfare may not hit every mark that it fires but this ballsy reinvention of the franchise is still the blockbuster benchmark that is thrilling, thoughtful and terrific.

Fallout 4 carries over a number of problems from the past, and some of the more streamlined changes end up hampering the experience - but despite all of that, it’s a fantastic game that delivers one of the most compelling and addictive worlds this year.

Despite some minor technical quibbles and uneven voice acting, Observer is a nightmarish gem. Drawing heavily on seminal sci-fi film Blade Runner for its overall cyberpunk aesthetic, this new game from Bloober Team adds fantastic game design and an engaging narrative to keep you coming back despite the terror it induces.

More of the things that made Watch Dogs 2 great, Human Conditions is a whole lot of fun even while tackling some important issues. Just don't expect this DLC to drastically change things, as the minor gripes from the core game persist in the extra content.

Whether you’re a long-time Yakuza fan or just coming to this series, Judgment is well worth the investment. Boasting a cracking story, oodles of content and a fantastic fighting system, this spin-off can keep you glued for days… possibly months.

It’s also the work of a studio that’s obviously comfortable and confident with VR, who knows what works and what doesn’t in a medium that’s not completely opened its wings. It lets you tinker and play around, gesticulating and gesturing (even letting you flip the bird), with the realisation that immersion’s at its best when that sort of irreverence can be embraced. The whole affair’s buoyed by incredible performance capture, great voice acting and facial animation – plus a Grime soundtrack that captures the essence of London’s dirtier underground.

Not Tonight is a bold puzzle game that’s unafraid to shy away from very serious issues while delivering a strong narrative, cathartic gameplay loop and consistently pretty presentation.

A calm and restrictive level on first glance, episode six of Hitman is teeming with poetic kills, intricacy and intrigue as it sets up a subtle tease of things to come in future seasons for Agent 47.

Every bit the genre-defining, captivating adventure that it was 13 years ago, Shadow of the Colossus reminds you yet again just how masterful design and keenly focused art direction never age. But it’s Bluepoint’s respect of these elements and the smart decisions to tweak and improve them that make this the most definitive version of the Team Ico classic you’re likely to ever get.

An excellent addition to the 3DS library, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright offers the best of both franchises in fantastic bite sized portions.

Nier Replicant gets a new lease on life complete with a combat system and graphical overhaul resulting in a game that’s actually fun to play. More importantly, it allows the emotional and amazing story-telling to shine even more. Backtracking complaints aside, this is one game you have to experience for yourself.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a buffet of gameplay, ideas and diversions. It is a game that makes no bones at who it has in its crosshairs, aimed squarely at the fans who have made Dragon Ball Z the global phenomenon that it is. Much like its source material, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot isn’t without faults but its enduring spirit of facing overwhelming odds head-on and conquering them, is one lesson that it has succeeded in learning.

Outriders is old school action that stands tall as a satisfying and vulgar display of power that’s fast, frantic, and pure fun.

F1 2016 is a return to form that delivers what fans have wanted while finally feeling at home on this generation of consoles. If you’ve been holding out for a year or two, this is a great time to jump back on the incredibly fast wagon. Even if they did promise realism but still show Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton smiling on the podium at the same time.

Hitman is back on track with yet another solid episode so far, that swaps the size and scope of previous maps for a more intimate and gorgeous setting where you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave.

Dirt 5 doesn’t come screaming around the corner as a definitive next-gen spectacle, but it’s still pure racing junk food with a confident swagger that I’m happy to gorge on any day of the week. It’s a V8 hooligan with a devil may care attitude, familiar to wrap your thumbs around, and a fantastic distraction when you’re looking to get some mud on your face.

Control is an intriguing, fascinating experience. The third-person action, while slick and elegant, is perhaps a little pedestrian - but the completely bonkers story and the rewarding sense of exploration and discovery help cement Control as one of Remedy's best games.

A grand return to form for a fighting game series that’s been overstuffed for decades. It’s simple to play, tough to master, and incredibly fun. The best the series has been since SoulCalibur2, the game doesn’t do much new. Instead, it adeptly refines something we’ve played before to deliver one of the most enjoyable fighting games in years.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a tightly compacted Uncharted experience that leans heavily on the established structures and mechanics from the past. But its new choice in cast and creative, emotional tale that really makes the brief journey shine - from one massive action spectacle to the next.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a fiendishly difficult platformer that carries on Crash’s legacy with aplomb. Though it sometimes feels like it hews a little too closely to the established formula, what it adds makes it more than just a worthwhile sequel. It’s just a damn good game.

Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is gloriously silly in the best way possible and excels at a grass-roots level thanks to some of the tightest gameplay around.

Alienation is an ambitious twin-stick shooter that goes beyond Housemarque doing what they do best. It's gorgeous it's addictive, and its's some of the best fun you'll have on your PlayStation this year - especially if you're the get caught up in the grind for better loot.

Remarkably flexible, frantic, fun and funny, Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! serves up a cooking sim that’s great value for money, and entirely what you make of it. All the ingredients are there, whether you want to stick to comfort food with very little mental nourishment, or dial up your ambitions with complex culinary masterpieces that must be served to the second. Micro-management skills aside, you're given the freedom to determine how engrossing your experience is.

Satellite Reign is a must-have for those of you who fondly remember the original Syndicate. For those of you looking for a real time tactical Cyberpunk title where you control four agents on the field of battle wielding all manner of awesome, then this is really worth a look.

Visually charming, deliciously deep and packed with extra content, Wargroove is a strategy experience that works comfortably at home or on the move.

Hitman's purest stealth episode so far is a white-knuckle ride of espionage and action amidst the backdrop of enemy territory, as Agent 47 finally begins to uncover the threads of a season-long conspiracy.

TrackMania Turbo is damn near perfect for an arcade racer. Its difficulty and progression system may chase away some, but those who stick around for the long run are in for some truly rewarding speeding.

Dying Light: The Following Enhanced Edition is an excellent package from Techland. It’s filled with content, and will keep any enthusiast of the zombie genre hooked for a good, long time.

Where Resogun may have been a spiritual successor to Defender in many ways, Nex Machina finds its roots in games like Smash TV and Robotron. Nex Machina is the sort of game that Housemarque does best. Accessible, hopelessly addictive arcade gaming. And they’ve nailed it – again.

It’s rare that a game allows me to use my failures within itself to build a unique narrative, and that in itself allowed me to approach Torment: Tides of Numenara from a new light. Ironically, the lack of a Game Over led me to be more cautious as I know the world has evolved, even if just by a tiny bit, as a result of my failures.

With everything you could want in a JRPG, Bravely Default is a must play for fans of the genre.

Nidhogg 2 is a brutally bizarre tug of war with swords, an attractive grim spectacle of steel and blood that just so happens to be one of the most addictive experiences of the year. It’s a bigger take on the magnificent original game, while avoiding feature bloat as it retains its simple charm with its ghastly and delightful new art direction.

Slight frustrations aside, I’ve really enjoyed Battlefleet Gothic: Armada. It’s a fantastic micromanagement heavy “naval” skirmish game that drips with the Warhammer 40k flavor. It’s always great to see a genuinely good Warhammer game, particularly a 40k one, that’s not something of a throwaway these days.

They Are Billions is a game based on just a single trick that’s up its undead sleeve. But it’s a hell of a trick, one that’ll keep you ensnared in its tangled web of survival for dozens and dozens of hours as the undead march upon your best base-building efforts.

Pokémon Sun and Moon may take its sweet time getting you hooked on its battle monster formula, but once they’re in they’re never coming back out again. Even after twenty years of Pokémon games, Game Freak still has a few surprises and tricks up their sleeve with their most vibrant Pokémon game to date.

Pokémon Sun and Moon may take its sweet time getting you hooked on its battle monster formula, but once they’re in they’re never coming back out again. Even after twenty years of Pokémon games, Game Freak still has a few surprises and tricks up their sleeve with their most vibrant Pokémon game to date.

Gloriously gory, rich in kontent and featuring a robust selection of characters to choose from. Mortal Kombat X is back, and ready to duke it out as one of the finest fighting games of 2015.

Blasphemous is a twisted take on religion and Metroidvanias, providing great combat, fantastic visuals and a world that’s soaked in both blood and well-written lore.

It's the same old Pokemon that you know and love, but shinier than ever thanks to the graphics. X and Y doesn't shake the age-old formula up when you examine it closely, but it really doesn't need to as it shifts the franchise into a more modern age.

Whether you’re a long-time fan wanting to revel in the nostalgia, or somebody who missed it the first time round – pick up Grim Fandango and delight in this prime example of adventure games at their peak. Its got a lot of heart – and it deserves yours.

John Wick Hex is a sharp-dressed, tactical, dog eat dog shooter that offers an unforgiving challenge with smart action and an authentic layer of style.

Pokemon games have always taken dozens of hours to complete. And X and Y is no different, as you'll have your head focused on your 3DS for weeks to come.

It’s a middle of the road RPG in a sense, because it skimps out on some of the deeper mechanics that the genre is known for while double dipping on others. In a sense it’s the best type of RPG for a mobile device such as the 3DS then – offering bite sized worlds to have fun in for a short time and a combat system that links up with this design perfectly. But it’s deep and long enough to be considered a wholesome adventure, and one that never loses its way in terms of writing, challenge or intrigue along the way.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a fantastic Homeworld game, and a fantastic RTS game in its own right. It’s a great middle point between the classic formula and the rather intimidating full three dimension movement of the franchise, as well as just being a damned good RTS in a time when games in the genre are an increasingly rare sight.

Indivisible is one of the more memorable Metroidvanias that I’ve played in recent years with its unique and addictive combat system. Story issues aside I enjoyed every minute I spent with this game.

More than just a faithful adaptation of a cult TV series. It's a benchmark for translating a favourite property into a video game format, something that other licensed properties could learn from. And it's also the funniest game on the market.

Occasionally obtuse and slow, Disco Elysium excels at delivering one of the best role-playing game experiences in a very long time with exceptional writing, world building and mechanical immersion.

The huge amount of work that went into modernising and reinterpreting the many visuals, from the ships to the wonderfully abstract nebulous backdrops feel like a massive love letter to both the original game, and to the fans who love it.

Rhythm action at its finest, Avicii Invector celebrates the life of a musical genius with an adventure across the stars that is challenging, enjoyable and euphoric in its celebration of an icon’s legacy.

Tacoma is a captivating tale that messes with established tropes in a way that Fullbright might become known for. Although it spins its wheels at the start, this slow and methodical journey through the lives of a small group survivors is one with some fantastic twists and turns, and one that should stick with you long after its conclusion.

There’s nothing here (save the 3D) that couldn’t have been done better on the 3DS’ bigger brother.

Broforce is, simply put, a love letter to every action movie ever made. Free Lives have taken the heroes we’ve all seen on the silver screen, thrown them into a 2D pixel environment, and created an insanely addictive, if not a little-too-difficult action game that can be enjoyed alone, or with friends. If you’ve ever enjoyed the likes of Contra, or even Metal Slug, you really shouldn’t miss out on this game.

Effortlessly charming, fun for any age and an imaginatively designed spectacle of origami originality. Yoshi’s Crafted World is fine art fun on the run or at home.

Dragon Quest Builders is a superb game, appealing to both fans of the series and newcomers alike. Don’t think of this as a Minecraft clone, but rather as a good Dragon Quest game with crafting and building elements.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War is the kind of game designed to allow you to switch off and engage your trigger fingers, mowing down entire armies of the undead and cracking a smile when you see a bullet explode through a Nazi’s skull. Hitting the sweet spot between catharsis and challenge, Zombie Army 4: Dead War is an absolute thrill.

A staggering amount of content, variety and tactical depth makes Monster Train a must-play for fans of the deck-building genre, despite it struggling to explain its dense collection of mechanics and often lacklustre presentation.

The areas in which Total War: Warhammer 2 improves on its formula are plentiful, resulting in one best put together Total War games to be released. While the fantastical Warhammer setting won’t appeal to some, particularly a few of those who’ve enjoyed Total War’s previous historical releases and were expecting more, it’s wonderful to see the wonderful world of Warhammer come to love so expertly and vividly. If you’ve played and enjoyed Total War: Warhammer 1, then it’s a near given that you’ll love what’s on offer here.

Halo Wars 2 is a ballroom blitz with dangerously addictive levels of fun. It may be lacking in the length department when it comes to its tragically short campaign, but it’s a shining second chance example at proving that strategy games can work on console.

Massive, complete and nostalgic, Halo: The Master Chief Collection isn’t just a greatest hits collection. It’s a legacy that paves the way for what’s still to come.

With a wicked sense of humour, loads of visual flair, and a surprising amount of cerebral satisfaction packed into its deceit-filled race against the clock, Overboard! is a delight. It’s one to keep within arm’s reach when you’re in the mood for short bursts of frantic, but low-effort, fun.

World of Warcraft Legion makes up for Warlords of Draenor’s transgressions by fulfilling its promises; rewarding end game content and a compelling, inclusive story.

The experience of Transistor is lush and enjoyable. It is a beautiful game with some truly excellent mechanics. Unfortunately, its story and lack of character development through gameplay brings the rest of the game down - but not by much.

Though the first game’s starting to show its age as far as visuals go, the relentless action remains timeless. Fast, frantic and frivolously fun, it’s still worth playing. The sequel, however, improves upon everything; deliver a more focused, more nuanced and more refined. It’s a glorious masterclass in design and flow.

Death of the Outsider is smaller, more focused standalone expansion that eschews some of the series’ superfluous mainstays to deliver a core, action-stealth experience. If this is the end for Dishonored, then it’s gone out in style.

Child of Light's water-colour fantasy is beautiful to behold - but it's the constantly rewarding, explorative gameplay that's keeps it enchanting.

Whether you’re new to the series, or a returning veteran, there is almost no excuse to not pick up BioShock: The Collection. It contains some of the very best games ever made in the past decade, and they’re all still well worth playing today.

A beautiful twist on the city-building genre, Airborne Kingdom is a fascinating journey with innovative gameplay mechanics, a stirring soundtrack, and a sense of exploration that flies high.

If you are competitive and have a fast internet connection you will have a great time. Just be prepared to pour hours in learning how to do everything.