Unfortunately, it ended up feeling like it was trying too hard. Begging me to laugh at jokes, to remember references to old characters, and to find that Scottish accent charming. While the game has its moments, it just isn’t the retro gold that I was hoping it would be.

For what it offers, the price is right for Garden Warfare. The price reflects the rather meager content, but Garden Warfare is fun. I love the new direction Popcap is taking with PVZ, and if I wasn’t a fan before, I certainly am now.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest is a disappointingly brief and unengaging role-playing game in a format that doesn’t lend itself to engaging gameplay or deliver on a satisfying narrative. While there is potential under the hood, I can’t say I enjoyed playing very much at all.

While it fails at being a game, Attentat 1942 succeeds at being an experience. It sacrifices all aspects of player choice and interactivity at the expense of delivering a compelling and interesting story. It can be praised for exploring an aspect and setting of a famous conflict that most games wouldn’t touch on.

It's most certainly a launch title racer and it's not doing much to rectify that. I'm reminded of the limited scope of Motorstorm as a launch racer for PS3. Like Motorstorm, however, the core Gameplay is solid enough to earn a recommendation to NFS fans.

Its world is magnificently detailed, the story is fascinating and while the bones may not have much meat on them for now, Hunt: Showdown is showing some promising signs of fattening up as it doubles down on adding to its creepy world.

Jydge is superb in its approach to a niche genre. It’s violent, it bends to your particular whims thanks to an onslaught of constantly available upgrades and it never takes itself too seriously as you dispense instant jystice.

The minimalist art design is beautiful, and its characters are wonderfully expressive and emotive despite their simplicity. There’s an elegance to Pode, that belies its imperfect platforming and frequent frustrations.

While it shows moments of brilliance when played with the right group, Evolve simply can't consistently promise that level of experience. Play with good friends or play as the monster - but anything else will leave you feeling irritated and unsatisfied.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War is exactly what you expect it to be, but there is a massive amount of content on offer here and it's still impressive. Maybe the magic is starting to slip now, but if you've not picked up a Call of Duty recently then grab this one, there's still some fun to be had.

Hyrule Warriors is at its core a Dynasty Warriors game, but it injects enough of that Legend of Zelda pizzazz to feel fresh and fun in its own right. This game won’t convert you into Dynasty Warriors fan and it has its fair share of problems, but after all is said and done I can say this; Hyrule Warriors is fun, and I guess sometimes that’s all that matters.

Watch Dogs: Legion is a fascinating game, massively ambitious and crawling with technology that isn’t just on the bleeding edge of what’s possible, it’s pure magic to see unfold. All of that may sound impressive but slick software and a bustling metropolis of people power can’t hide the dull gameplay and shallow approach to the sandbox shenanigans of Watch Dogs: Legion. It’s still a fascinating game to experience in short bursts, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how Ubisoft evolves London to make it vox pop as a next-gen headliner.

Seriously fun if only for all the Mario jokes and impressive use of music. Clever level design is great, although irritating combat and lackluster RPG elements might alienate fans.

Buggy, tired and rushed are just some of the examples why Arkham Origins is the weakest title in the Batman trilogy. This isn't the game that Gotham deserves, nor the one that it needs right now.

The Necromancer adds mechanical depth to a game which has hidden the obvious for quite some years. It's an incredible class that's fun to play but extremely overpowered at the moment. [Provisional Score = 80]

As a metaphor for the ties that bind a family together, Yarny and Unravel are exceptional; beautiful, and invoking a quiet contemplation, It's just hard not to wish it was a better game.

Kyloton’s approach to speed in TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 is one that still carries with it absolute love and reverence for one of the greatest races on the planet, mixing a passion for performance and geography into a thrilling spectacle.

I often get frustrated, often spit fire at other players, or the game itself for doing something as simple as moving a Palace Guard onto the village I wanted to move into, delaying me and causing me to lose any time I had to win. But I’m always happy to start the game up again and give it another go, because it’s a type of frustration that’s damned good fun.

WWE 2K14 is a history lesson for the ages, but the excellence of execution is lacking. 2K Games has a solid franchise to work on though, provided that they manage to get some new blood in to help the franchise regain the ruthless aggression that made it a champion in the first place so many years ago.

The Escapists 2 is an ingenious and sometimes frustrating romp with a rewarding experience that’s often just out of reach. A follow-up to 2015’s deliciously popular prison-escape simulator, The Escapists 2 stays true to fans with more freedom and level variety but fails to endear detractors.

A Borderlands game that feels revitalised thanks to the new gameplay mechanics, enemies, humour and weapons. It plays out like a massive expansion pack, one filled to the brim with more secrets, ideas and a familiar gear-grind for better loot. And more Borderlands is actually a fun idea after all.

Lara Croft’s final adventure in her revival trilogy is easily her weakest yet. Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s story fails to critique the heroine in the many ways it attempts, while aging gameplay mechanics and troublesome new additions undercut deeply satisfying exploration and an exquisite visual presentation.

Inherited PSVR hardware issues aside, Superhot VR is to date one of the best games you could possibly play on the platform. Its expert pairing of challenge and empowerment make for an exhilarating shooter experience, that has you thinking and reacting in equal measure to feel like a lighting fast action hero.

The Surge 2 does enough to tweak the formula of the original to iron out some of the creases that plagued the original game, these improvements overshadowing the game's hit-or-miss writing and occasionally recycled content.

Hindered or enhanced by your imagination, Nintendo’s latest mad project is still a well-designed and madly charming new entry in its beloved karting franchise.

Though it doesn't have the emotional weight of The Walking Dead or the witty humour of Tales from the Borderlands, Minecraft: Story Mode's best episode yet shows the series fulfill its promise.

Mario Tennis Aces gives the arcade tennis series a massive injection of depth, turning this family friendly sports title into a tactical, fast-paced chess game that is a thrill to play against other people. Its depth is well explained in a limited story mode that has some interesting ideas, but it’s a tougher sell if you’re not looking to lose yourself in hours and hours of online play.

We. The Revolution is a gorgeous, high stakes, intense exploration of politics during the Reign of Terror and combines interesting mechanics and storytelling to fully immerse the player in a story of corruption and desperate survival.

Unruly heroes is a beautiful and delightfully charming game, with everything in it looking hand-painted, brought to life by magical animation. It's a pity that imprecise controls make its difficulty curve more frustrating than it should be though. A lacking bit of spit and polish prevent Unruly Heroes from being an outstanding action platformer.

It might be the adrenaline talking, but I seriously got into Just Dance 2018. It’s a silly amount of fun combined with a serious workout and guaranteed to have you grinning along when you pull off a sick move.

EA Sports UFC 3 is definitely fun to play and does an amazing job at recreating several aspects of competing in MMA's biggest organization. But despite the knockouts it delivers in some places, it's unforgiving submission system, uneven AI, and a few silly UI and gameplay choices means it's still susceptible to a few knocks itself.

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.

It’s difficult to adequately explain or describe Hohokum. It’ll fill you with a child-like sense of wonderment with its abstract exploration, but as a game, its definitely a case of style over substance.

Old-school dungeon crawling with a few modern-day touches, Vaporum attention to detail is wrapped around a tale of steampunk mystery and some fresh ideas.

Void Bastards is many things when you get your hands on it, but the most important influences that it draws from all combine to form a game that feels uniquely witty, addictively compelling and satisfyingly deep to explore thanks to tight gameplay, a colourful comic book visuals and a style all of its own.

Tesla vs Lovecraft doesn’t reinvent the twin-stick shooter wheel, but it does refine and perfect the formula of what makes that genre tick thanks to its suitably meaty action, vibrant visuals and a perk system that is deeper than the sunken city of R’Lyeh.

Though its brevity's become it's biggest talking point, there's much more to Ground Zeroes than meets the eye. Beyond that it's accessible, featuring the most fluid stealth the series has shown - and delivers a promising glimpse at the future of Metal Gear Solid.

It may not hit the same high notes that Sapienza did, but the third Hitman episode is still a high level game of infiltration and assassination that is peppered with plenty of memorable moments.

Cattails doesn’t quite reach the heights of the titans it attempts to mimic. Despite its flaws and shortcomings, it remains a compelling enough adventure survival simulator - one that cat lovers in particular will find plenty of joy playing.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is as deep as it is gorgeous. I can’t wait to jump back in for some more action this week.

GT Sport isn't for people who want to take racing seriously; it's for people who want to take GT Sport seriously. Superb driving mechanics and pretty graphics do little to hide just how little there is on offer. It asks too much and gives too little.

I mean…it’s Worms. If you feel like paying full price for this latest entry because you happen to have a filthy love for watching the little fellas massacre each other then you’re sorted. If you’re wondering if you should stick to any of the other 20-odd Worms games that you already own, then Worms W.M.D isn’t going to change your mind easily.

Life is Strange’s debut episode starts off strong, showing just enough of what it has to offer while cementing its characters and story firmly in its world. Though the journey only lasted 2-3 hours, it did enough during that time to make me excited for the episodes to come and it left me guessing what the consequences of my actions will be.

Airscape is the platformer of the 90s with a ton of 2015 thrown in to shake things up. It does a great job of adding enough that’s new (or downright weird) to interest platforming purists or those just looking to avoid red lasers of death a few levels at a time when they have an hour to spare here or there.

If Guardian of Gotham tense atmosphere and hard choices are anything to by in this penultimate episode, then Telltale is on the verge of delivering the definitive Batman story in video game form.

Gorgeous, horrifying game with a unique protagonist. A bit too confusing at times, especially when you have to slowly retrace your steps. Excellently built to help you decide if you want to jump into the STASIS universe.

Onrush is the perfect game to play after a long day at work. It’s fast, it’s fun and somewhat cathartic as well. Unfortunately the lack of content and a cooperative multiplayer focus that’s never fully realized will leave you rushing to play something else after a few sessions.

There’s a banging soundtrack, the visuals look sharp across the Switch’s multiple playable formats and the action still feels as deliciously old school as ever. Everything you could possibly want from a white-knuckle schmup ride with Syder Reloaded.

Literally straddling the line between supernatural and real-world horror, The Medium is satisfying, sleek, and sophisticated in every department. While it makes only limited use of its signature simultaneous reality mechanic, and features some of the same gameplay frustrations as earlier Bloober Team games, it’s easy to overlook such stumbles. The Medium sidesteps scare gimmicks to deliver a masterclass in mature horror, one rooted in atmosphere, all-round restraint, and an enthralling region-specific story.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a short and sweet expansion of new stories, characters and gruesome action that gives fans more of what they love.

Patapon 2 Remastered suffers from the same poor quality video as other PSP remasters, but maintains the delightfully charming gameplay. The original wasn't the most ambitious sequel and while it lacks the freshness of the first game, it makes up for that with both increased width and depth.

When the game works, it is fantastic. Unfortunately, the rest of it feels average and frustratingly built to make players fail. While obsessive collectors might see replay value in New Game+, the story and gameplay simply aren't compelling enough to warrant more than the original 20 hours for completion.

Fantastic movement mechanics complement the brutal combat beautifully, and the game on a mechanical level is incredibly engrossing and fun to play. Sadly, there's little else above that to sell.

Concrete Genie is a short, deeply moving expression of creativity and life. Despite embracing some generic mechanics towards the end, Concrete Genie is a bold, passionate game that bears one of the most stunning aesthetics I’ve seen all year.

Not A Hero is an unforgiving and relentless dive into the world of politics, bullets and ballots. Silly, violent and nostalgic in all the right ways, it’s strangely weird and gleeful attempt at winning votes with swift deaths and top notch level design.

Valentino Rossi: The Game knows everything there is to know about the man behind the number 46. I just wish it knew a little bit more about crafting an exciting MotoGP game.

Brushing its hilariously goofy teamwork aside, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a shallow, repetitive experience that even the most optimistic Star Trek fans will struggle to sink their teeth into. It’s a missed chance at making piloting your own craft a pleasure, and a sore disappointment.

A perfect nostalgic nod to a bygone era of gaming. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will keep fans of Sly happy, while also introducing newcomers to one of the best (yet surprisingly underrated) platform characters of the early noughties. I didn't even mention the top-notch voice acting, and awesome one-liners.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is still a great game a decade later, but it’s even better now with the addition of modern multiplayer sensibilities, improved visuals, and an expansive single-player campaign.

Sweet and leisurely delivered, Lost Words: Beyond the Page sneaks up on the player to deliver a powerful emotional punch. It’s strikingly stylish, it’s heartfelt, and it has a lot to say about the grief that accompanies losing a loved one, reflecting its complexities with honesty and tenderness. While lacking in puzzle challenge, the game is a rarity that offers a memorable experience for players of all ages.

If you’ve ever wondered what poetry in motion looks like, then Ode’s imaginative mix of music and exploration will leave you with a smile on your face.

Tell Me Why is a moody and mature-minded mystery focused on family secrets, while touching sensitively on themes like mental health, gender, and indigenous cultural practices. It’s slow going but compelling. Less successful is a supernatural gameplay component that’s never fully explored, and feels superficially integrated with the storyline.

Fireproof Games' The Room remains an engaging, clever puzzle game. It's a delight to uncover the secrets hidden within the mechanical boxes, but the Switch version just isn't a good value proposition.

While maybe straying a bit too close to older games in the series, Doraemon Story of Seasons still delivers a charming role-playing farm experience with a gorgeous aesthetic and satisfying gameplay loop.

Like all board games, Gremlins Inc is designed to be played with friends. If you're going to play this on your own, it's hard to recommend, but if you want to destroy your friendships by cheating over everyone on your path to victory, this might be a digital board game that's worth your while.

The Stretchers is a deceptively simple co-op game that manages to be fun for every second of it’s brief run time, delivering interesting levels and hilarious chaos as your shout at your partner (or left hand) to just pick up the damn stretcher.

Cryptark is unforgiving and merciless in its approach to balancing roguelike elements with a deeper sense of exploration and survival. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, but anyone looking to salvage a lengthy dungeon-crawler in space that is heavy on action and challenge will find plenty to love here. And scream about, when a perfect run is cocked up by the ship teleporting in a few heavy reinforcements right on top of you.

The roguelike elements didn’t quite work out for me, but I’m sure Sundered will find its audience. Though I learned not to hate them, I would have preferred if the game stuck closer to tradition. It becomes a good game, but until you really become acquainted with how it works, it can be a frustrating and monotonous slog.

Boring on your own and offering nothing particularly memorable for gameplay, but if you're looking for a fun game for couch co-op that can be completed in an afternoon, this is an easy purchase.

It’s a perfect showcase for the potential of VR to deliver powerful experience, even if it is criminally lacking in content. Rocksteady’s previous Arkham games let you understand what it might be like to be the Dark Knight, this really makes you feel like you are Batman.

Lego DC Super-Villains is a light-hearted and surprisingly lengthy romp for the whole family. Gameplay doesn't break from the established Lego formula, and the controls can actually be frustrating at times. You'll soldier on, though, thanks to an entertaining story and lovingly-recreated DC universe – especially if you're a comics fan.

There's a stark lack of content on offer here, but that shouldn't detract from what's one of the best digital recreations of Golf available. There's not a lot of it, but what there is, is a joy to play.

If you are a golfing fan then you are going to thoroughly enjoy this title and you should buy it. However being told I can't be a season ticket holder every time I load the game is very frustrating and has knocked the score.

Semblance is a frequently delightful, innovative platformer that's all about breaking the rules. When it’s at its best, it’s devilishly clever, but it has a curiously stilted pacing and flow. Its subversive take on mouldable platforming is fun to play, but ultimately its underutilised core concepts will leave you wanting more.

Just Cause 3 is genuinely fun most of the time, but it’s the periods where its not that hurt it most. Add to that some mystifying design decisions around progression and upgrades, and you’ve got a game that attempts to go bigger than its predecessors while forgetting some of the elements that made them so good in the first pace. A fun, albeit flawed game.

When it all comes together, Rainbow Six Siege offers some of the best multiplayer action you'll experience this generation, but the anaemic content and lack of a cohesive single player campaign mar what should be one of this year's best shooters.

Make no mistake about Paper Monsters Recut. This game will not push your platforming skills to the limit, it is a simple platformer that is aimed at a much younger audience, but if you give in to your casual side and give it a go, you might just end up enjoying it.

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind are well-told and compelling mystery games presented in a loving remake that improves on the original titles while sometimes remaining a little too faithful to outdated designs.

With a nostalgic vibe and excellent value, Mighty Switch Force 2 is worth a download if you're in the mood for a quick and fun puzzle platformer. It won't be your game of the year, but it might entertain you for a couple hours.

While the franchise still needs to overcome some inherent flaws, Assassin's Creed Syndicate feels refreshingly different and a joy to play. With believable characters and fluid gameplay that feels trimmed of its excess fat, it is the best Assassin's Creed game to come out in years.

An elegant game of art mixed with problem-solving, One-Line Coloring is a fun distraction with a laidback attitude that’s perfect for a less stressful afternoon when you want to give your brain a quick warm-up.

Disney Infinity aims high, but a prohibitive cost barrier and a few bugs prevent the game from really soaring. Still, compared to previous Disney attempts at breaking into the video game market, this is their best effort to date.

For long time fans of Super Stardust, this is probably a disappointment. There's not much that's new, save for a new mode or two. If you've never played the game before though, this is as complete a package as you'll get.

Maintaining all the trademarks that distinguished it from other arcade racers, Grid has returned boasting driving just as engaging as before. Limits are reached in some core areas of gameplay such as though such as the number of locations, and the formula may prove stale for those looking for a road less traveled.

So that’s it! you'll get 4 great maps and while I definitely have my preference I can honestly say I’m never disappointed with which map is picked in the rotation. They are all good in their own way, just like the kid at school who licked the chalkboard when no one was looking.

Star Fox Guard is as unbearably tense, and frighteningly stressful as it is fun. It may look like a simple, throwaway digital game, but it could be better than the game its packaged with.

A vertical shoot-em-up that does its best to modernise the genre with an upgrade and progression system. It successfully captures the spirit of older games of its ilk, but the perpetual grind may dissuade many players.

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.

Distance is a racing game which benefits from conventional arcade mechanics, mixed with a beautiful visual style, ambient yet archaic music, and a vast collection of user-generated content. Where it starts to choke is its repeat play value, and a multiplayer that is only as good as the number of players and maps you have.

Fire Emblem Warriors does a better job of blending two disparate series than Hyrule Warriors did. Fire Emblem’s ethos remains intact, perfectly accentuating, and enhancing Warrior’s’ patented hack-and-slash gameplay.

Cat Quest’s combat can get stale and the lacklustre dungeon design definitely hampers exploration, but the surprisingly entertaining story and cool loot system is enough to keep you engaged to see it through to the end, if, you’re playing in short bursts.

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.

The game is minimalist and doesn’t add enough to justify the cost. Despite the lustre of the event, the game is badly put together. I cannot recommend this for anything other than a shelf adornment.

Episode 4 has some truly engaging moments, but the issues that have plagued earlier episodes persist. By now, it’s likely that only the diehards – those who forked out for a season pass – will see this through to the end.

Project Warlock has its moments, but the retro good comes with some nostalgic bad. If you’re able to look past its flaws, there’s a chunky and satisfying first-person shooter that still manages to be a blast from the past when you get to grips with it.

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind are well-told and compelling mystery games presented in a loving remake that improves on the original titles while sometimes remaining a little too faithful to outdated designs.

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

With clever puzzles and a dash of modern sensibilities inspired by the BBC show, Crimes and Punishments is an easy recommendation to armchair detectives - and the first to let players really experience being Sherlock Holmes.