Killzone: Shadow Fall offers up incredible presentation and a better-than-average campaign narrative that’s unfortunately more boring to play than it should be. The exciting multiplayer mode injects some greatness into an ultimately good game.

Alan Wake makes his official debut in Control in full force, delivering a very large helping of lore and storytelling that goes down great with the overall game experience. If only he had a brought a small side of new gameplay mechanics as well, because the formula remains pretty much the same.

It’s not a complicated or really in-depth title but it is an incredible amount of fun and something that is great for those 15 (45) minutes that you have spare while the wife or girlfriend is getting ready to go out.

Even if Just Dance 2017 isn't the greatest game, it's still a whole lot of fun. If you have previous iterations, I'm not sure the new modes or songs are a reason to upgrade, but if you don't have a home dance game, this is well worth picking up for kids or partying adults.

This new alternate history DLC for Assassin's Creed 3 is actually a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Unfortunately, it's a very short inhalation of gameplay and ideas.

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.

Despite these drawbacks though, Battlefield V offers some of the most rewarding, visceral WWII action in any game out there thanks to genius little tweaks to gameplay and immersion, all produced with an audio-visual technical mastery that is second to none. With its free live-service component as well, the future for the franchise looks very good.

Ignore the obvious Pokémon comparisons, and you’ll find that Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters is a charming RPG that manages to take a familiar idea and easily reinterpret it into something fresh and youthful. Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters is the sum total of that experience, a reset on a pair of established games that adds even more to its distinct formula of crossing through to the other side. All aboard the Hex Express for this one.

If you’re a fan of top down shooters but also enjoy a deeper gameplay experience, then I couldn’t recommend Livelock highly enough. The gameplay is delightfully hectic and destructive, while the RPG elements make for a more engaging experience. Despite the slightly bland environment design, Livelock is a game that straddles the line between casual and hardcore gameplay.

Honestly, the only way that I could recommend this game, would be if you happen to have just discovered the franchise or you’ve been practicing Sitting-Under-A-Rock-Jutsu for the last decade. Otherwise, save your cash for the upcoming Revolution.

A disappointing conclusion to an otherwise great game. There are some redeeming factors in episode 4 at least. Good gameplay and epic environments make up for the lacklustre story.

Cricket 19 won’t be winning any awards nor pioneering new things, but it is a fun game to pick up and play. It’s simple, intuitive and makes cricket accessible to just about anyone.

With memorable, meaningful levels that cleverly utilise the game’s simple dynamic with aplomb, it’s wonderful, joyous stuff; cute, clever and charming. And unlike other Kirby games, it’s actually challenging.

On the surface of it , Puzzle & Dragons Z and the Super Mario Bros. edition of the game are mindless match 3 puzzle games -but that casual, family-friendly aesthetic belies a pair of deep and complex strategy RPGs.

Batman: Return to Arkham is neither the game that Gotham fanboys deserve or need right now. Not even the dark knight can foil a plot to downgrade the visuals of two video games which defined his legend for a new medium several years ago.

Batman The Telltale Series Episode 3: New World Order may be a slow burner, but there’s a raging inferno of action and tragedy by the time it finishes as the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne face threats for all sides.

While there are issues regarding ease of use and the inane storyline, Fantasy Life is a ton of fun to play. Fantasy Life is an excellent choice for fans of the job-based JRPG looking for something light hearted, or for those who are looking for Animal Crossing with more action.

While its plot is intriguing, the characters themselves don’t do much to elevate it beyond being just a good story. I enjoyed my time with the game, and I’ll continue fighting for my Panopticon in the months to come.

Kirby's debut on the Switch is a vibrant and fun game that's best played with friends. It's cheerful, colourful and its blend of new and old mechanics works, but it's missing the inventive spark that separates good Kirby games from great ones.

Played alone it can be a chore, but with a group of friends or like-minded people, Tri Force heroes is inventive and fun; wonderfully distilled co-operative take on the Legend of Zelda.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse 2 makes some massive strides towards improving on some of the deep flaws of the original game. It’s just a super-shame that it also forgets to actually add anything to that foundation to help it feel like a true sequel. I’m just Saiyan’ that is.

It's a delightfully irreverent, casual tabletop warfare game that offers some surprisingly satisfying strategy gaming. There are a few fundamental flaws that are overshadowed by slick production values and some wonderfully witty writing.

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is a decent package, and while it does show its age in some mechanical instances, this slice of nostalgia is still a great appetiser for the next big chapter in Fairburne’s European safari.

At its best, Strange Brigade is a solid time-killer with plenty of class and brass to its name that is best enjoyed with a few fellow adventurers at your side as you tackle co-op conundrums. Hit or miss gunplay hobbles the experience, but at least Strange Brigade has plenty of charm and style to fall back on.

Bigger, bolder and brighter than ever, the LEGO formula remains unchanged in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2. While evolution isn’t a building block for this latest entry, fan service, gorgeous visuals and an absurd amount of content certainly is.

Rocket Arena is a blast with its unique take on explosive arena action, colourful cast and an ambitious game plan, albeit one that plays its payload cards a little too safely.

Easily the best cricket game of this console generation and possibly of any generation. Yes, this is very probably the finest cricket game ever made - though that's not really saying very much.

A bigger roster, more finely-tuned gameplay mechanics and a more versatile creation system help make WWE 2K16 the current-gen superstar that it wants to be, even if some inconsistent ideas and bugs do hold it back from time to time.

When it’s hitting the highs you expect from a PC Port, Gears of War Ultimate Edition is simply the best way to experience Delta Squad’s first mission. But its unavoidable lows keep it from being an easy recommendation.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 doesn’t really do anything new, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable if mindless whirlwind tour through Marvel’s hottest properties. An entertaining story, satisfying combat and over-the-top action are sure to delight Marvel fans.

The Surge is a flawed but ultimately enjoyable action RPG. While it can be incredibly frustrating at times, the fantastic combat and body part targeting system does enough to overshadow the bad parts.

At the cheaper price and all the updates, this is the definitive version of PES for the current-gen, and a great way to move into the next game.

My Time at Portia wears its influences on its sleeve but fails to build both a compelling world and charming inhabitants to engage with when reaching for the same lofty heights. Its loop of resource gathering and intricate building is implemented well, but it lacks the charm to make it all cohesive enough to be alluring.

Assetto Corsa may try to parade around on console as a video game, but it’s not fooling anyone. It’s a simulator made for those that want the most realistic driving experience possible. Even then, it’s fairly rough around the edges and is only in any way recommended to diehard racing fans who are willing to drop money on a decent wheel and pedal setup.

Flashy, brutal and deeper than you'd expect. Killer Instinct is back baby.

As Marvel games go, Iron Man VR doesn’t quite hit the high mark set by the superlative Spider-Man, but it’s an often engaging and exhilarating experience to step into shellhead’s signature armour. Long load times, overused padding and poor writing mar what would otherwise be the ultimate Iron Man adventure.

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.

Look beyond the kid-friendly exterior of the Skylanders image, and you'll find that Battlecast has a very competent and meaty system that fuses pricy but non-essential cards with RPG ideas.

Simple mechanically, yet sophisticated in its story, Draugen is a brief exploration of grief, trauma, and mental illness wrapped in a compelling mystery that only occasionally drops the ball.

With its unforgiving retro platforming nature, Cursed Castilla EX will undoubtedly be a divisive game. It has its minor flaws and blurs the homage line on occasion, but fans of the genre looking to step back in time to the classic days of coin-munching arcade games will find this recreation of that era to a be a treat. A treat that may just leave you contemplating murder on occasion.

On the surface, it appears to be a charming, survival title. That’s merely a ruse, as The Flame in the Flood is ruthless in difficulty, at least for the first few hours. Overall, it’s a great, enjoyable game, though the experience can wear a little thin after a while.

Infamous: First Light provides a bite-sized experience, a mere sliver of Second Son. It mirrors that games main themes and focuses on the best of its powers, but is let down a little by its bfrevity.

Ninja Gaiden: The Master Collection is a fascinatingly violent time capsule that shows off the best and the worst of Koei Tecmo's fan favourite shinobi. It's as barebones a collection as can be, packing all three games together with a sprinkling of DLC, but it's still a fine showcase of brutal difficulty and white-knuckle thrill power that is inimitable by anything else on the market. Just don't expect anything more than that.

It’s quite possibly the most authentic Star Wars shooter ever made thanks to some amazing visual production values, but with shallow action and very little ambition to do more than necessary. Just like the films.

It may be almost a decade old, but Red Faction Guerrilla’s bland sandbox and story is still easily overlooked in favour of its gold standard of open-world demolition that now benefits from a substantial bump in visual quality.

Mad Max is like an old car with high mileage. It’s got some faults, but if you can ignore them, you can enjoy the ride.

If fans come in expecting something more like Castlevania IV than Symphony of the Night, they're in for a good experience. More than anything though, Mirror of Fate has me excited for Lords of Shadow 2.

Dead Rising 4 is fun, silly and gleefully absurd in its execution of thousands upon thousands of undead fodder as it aims to make the apocalypse fun again.

Tricky Towers is an okay single-player game, but you’re going to want this Tetris-inspired skyscraper builder for some couch co-op. It’s easy enough to grasp, but it’d be a whole lot more satisfying if the balance of the game wasn’t heavily favouring the luck of the draw over actual player skill.

The world and concept are Remember Me's redeeming factors. Even though the moments of excellent game play are broken up by generic and repetitive elements, the overall experience is definitely enjoyable.

Thanks to being an excellent PSP game, the glossed up version feels like a unique and enjoyable Final Fantasy experience. With deep storytelling and an interesting take on existing lore, fans of the franchise will want to play it. However, if you already gave it a whirl on PSP, it might not necessarily be worth the money to dish out for it again.

A solid city-building and economic management game, one that provides an addictive experience. As the end game draws on however, some players may experience fatigue and move on. Fans however, will find a sim that will eat up dozens of hours of their time, especially if they are out to establish a perfectly balanced economy.

If you are not a fan of leaving your Sims’ house and going away on a mini-adventure, especially a time consuming one such as this, you may not enjoy all that University Life has to offer. However, there are real benefits that Sims can gain from completing a degree (or two!), including being wealthier and having more ‘personality’.

The team mechanics put an interesting and unique spin on kart-racing, making Team Sonic Racing undoubtedly fun, but it’s missing the magic that made Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed a firm favourite.

Rock-solid design with a somewhat annoying user interface that wobbles between novel and intrusive, 88 Heroes is a platformer with heart and personality that’ll have you wondering who you’re gonna call when Doctor H8 rocks up to threaten the world. Spoiler: Anyone another than this lovable collection of misfit vigilantes.

Backbone presents the player with an intriguinging world, populated by interesting characters that drive it’s often depressing and strange story home to what feels like an eventually inevitable conclusion. It’s just a pity that the minute-to-minute gameplay is not only uninspired, but it’s also rather boring.

MotoGP 13 is a fast and light racer that’ll please plenty of purists with its solid take on the sport. Newcomers on the other hand, might be left out in last place once the race has finished.

Combining fantastic story telling, intriguing characters and tons to do, Rogue takes Assassin's Creed to the pinnacle of old generation capabilities. Niggling issues are still present, but the story and characters make the experience seriously worthwhile.

Need for Speed Heat may be a greatest hits collection of past success stories in an attempt to make up for the past, but it still pushes the pedal to the metal when it comes to being a guilty pleasure of pure street racing junk food that’s hot off the engine block.

Occasionally cumbersome controls and a generic sci-fi aesthetic do little to deter from a tight, addictive and explosive shooter.

Greedfall is an ambitious RPG with several unique mechanical hooks, character builds and combat encounters that unfortunately buckles under the weight of a bloated and tedious narrative that often turns everything into a repetitive chore.

Rock of Ages 3 may falter in the gameplay department thanks to repetition, uneven AI and a wobbly foundation for its strategy, but its madly charming presentation and a dedicated community of fans should be able to sculpt something gneiss out of this brave and boulder game.

It all comes down to the online gameplay which for many is the be all of FIFA, but for now FIFA 21 over-delivers on its promises of making an overall better footballing experience. Its beautiful presentation coupled with gameplay improvements and the constant stream of content makes FIFA 21 a great experience. [Review in Progress Score = 85]

Alone With You boasts a charming retro audiovisual aesthetic and some really strong character work, all underpinned by an intriguing central mystery. Unfortunately, getting to these moments involves repetitive, uninventive gameplay that can be a slog to get through.

While not the best stealth game, Styx: Shards of Darkness offers some fun, unique gameplay. It might be filled with mixed messages, but there's still a number of hours' worth of sneaky, fun, stabbing action.

Patapon’s primal rhythmic challenges and its keen real-time strategy blend together to create an unusual yet still unique game that’s as charming as ever. It does however, feel better suited to being played on a handheld than on the big screen.

The second expansion pack for the Sims 4 certainly delivers the goods. There’s lots to be done, a bunch of new goodies to interact with, new areas to explore, and interesting clubs just waiting to be created.

If the Taken King was a statement on just how far Bungie could push the genre with its own ideas, then Rise of Iron is a love letter to the fans who kept Destiny alive. It’s Tenacious D’s Tribute, a gloriously over the top experience that’ll pull fans back in with ease.

Rush of Blood employs an overbearing use of rote horror imagery, but its immediacy in VR makes it an effective horror game. Brevity aside, Rush of Blood is a PlayStation VR game that you want to own, because it’s one of the best games to demo the PlayStation VR with.

You can't go wrong with this strangely addictive puzzle game. It's without a doubt the best AR game on the PS Vita - with enough charm to offset the potential ache in your muscles.

Sparkle is an admirable choice for Vita owners who are fans of marble shooting. It’s nothing new, but it’s a cheaply priced game that’s liable to earn hours of your time.

Dex is gorgeous to look at, has a captivating story to engage in and is downright frustrating when you need to fight your way out of danger.

Well crafted, tightly put together indie puzzler that will casually steal hours of time as you work your way through each level. The $12 price tag may deter some, but it is still a fun, challenging and rewarding game.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is a game many consider as the catalyst for skyrocketing battle royale from a fun mod to a full on genre. They've had a slow start to catch up to rivals but after spending significant time with the PS4 release, they're on the right track.

The inclusion of the Infinity Stones and the change to a more measured 2v2 format make up for the slightly slower pace. Marvel vs Capcom Infinite succeeds as a superlative fighting game, it’s just a pity that everything moulded around it doesn’t quite reach those heights. The Story Mode is abysmal and the roster is uninspired. Despite that, it’s still a blast to play.

With staples like the persistent timer and sporadic saves gone, the urgency and dread is gone – allowing Dead Rising to be the silly, absurd bit of zombie-slaying mayhem it always wanted to be. Purists may scoff, but there’s no denying that it’s fun – and just about the best Christmas game in existence.

Battletoads retains the DNA of its hard as nails source material, reworking it into a chaotic brawler that’s fascinating to see in action, looks gorgeous, and never overstays its welcome.

Devoid of any real personality, Battlefield: Hardline's single-player campaign is cheesier than an 80's pick-up line. It is however saved by a superb multiplayer that is both solid and entertaining.

The change in tone set by the last episode continues, and for a while is darker and sombre than a children’s game should be. And, by the end of it, it feels like the story’s come to a close, though there’s still another episode left.

Anarchy Reigns is one of the cheesiest games in recent years. It’s limburger, gouda, mozzarella and various other assorted dairy products rolled up into one package of lactating violence and rap songs that will leave your head spinning and your thumbs broken. But if you happen to take a bite of that cheddar, you might just fall in love with it.

A gorgeous platformer with an exceptionally unique protagonist and powerful narrative, Bound offers up all the elements of a compelling title that fits in with the growing list of games reaching for high art. It confusion about whether to fully commit to this is sadly to its own detriment though, sullying the underlying message and begging the question of what could’ve been.

Chirpy and charming, Astroneer is a lovely survival game for players who want a chill experience. Just don’t expect much in terms of varied gameplay (for now).

Steep is pretty to look at it, but it’s also pretty awful to play as breath-taking visuals alone aren't enough to help this extreme sports game from going downhill.

While Payday 2: Crimewave Edition promises to be a worthy update to a beloved last-gen title, Payday 2: Crimewave Edition is a buggy and frustrating mess. It's a real shame, because this version is packed to the brim with content, and when you can finally join a session the game play is as brilliant as ever.

Little Hope is a fun way to burn a couple of hours by yourself and a fantastic way to spend a night with friends but is let down by a disappointing conclusion, some uninspired performances, and general pacing issues.

If you were expecting Ride 3 to be the perfect fusion of quality and quantity of content, then I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you: An adequate sequel that has more bugs in it than your helmet visor after a breakfast run, almost no soul to its racing spirit and the bare minimum of fun spread throughout its sporadic modes. The third time definitely isn’t the charm for Ride 3.

Appearing out of nowhere, more than a decade after the original game's release, Titan Quest: Ragnarok is a welcome and nostalgic treat for fans of the action-RPG franchise who longed for more. But despite the glowing nostalgia and overall thrill of being back in this world, this expansion has its flaws with unnecessarily boring bits and a dated presentation.

Beyond the resolution increase, improved audio mix and middling VR, there’s really not much to this remaster. The exclusion of the first game also makes recommending last gen’s collection easier.

A huge improvement over the original with a better, well-paced and engaging story, refined battle and upgrade system and excellent new musical tracks. It does everything sequels is supposed to do; build on the original and improve. If you can look past the debt system and disgusting reuse of assets you’ll find yourself engrossed in this fast-paced JRPG for hours on end.

Maneater plays its hand early, as the novelty of being an almost unstoppable apex predator thrown into an unforgiving ocean doesn’t have much depth to it. What Maneater does have though, is a meaty world worth exploring, a fascinating system of evolution and whip-smart writing that adds colour to your deep blue killing spree.

Disney Infinity has made some massive strides this year, improving on several features that were left in a rough state when the game debuted. Some of those corners are still feeling like they’ve been ignored, but the game does a fine job in promoting that creative spark amongst the younger members of the family.

A worthwhile attempt to bring one of the most seminal shooters to VR. Gory and visceral lead-based exorcism, let down by some frustratingly inadequate controls.

Tomodachi Life is by far the weirdest game that I’ve ever engaged in. And much like my Miis, the experience has been completely unique.

It may not really do anything especially new, but ar Cry: New Dawn is an experience that encapsulates everything great about the franchise. It’s instantly familiar to anyone who has played any of Ubisoft’s shooters over the last couple of years, but it’s a confident approach that works well as a colourful diversion at the end of the world.

Days Gone has moments where it reveals its brilliance, but they’re buried under a litany of uninteresting and repetitive missions and numerous technical issues.

The First Samurai doesn’t end the tale of Nioh 2 in a satisfying way but it does provide a meaningful and fun loot experience. Bbrutal new enemies and new gameplay modes makes the complete package of this game something truly special.

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.

It's the exact same game that you've been playing for years on end now, dressed up in the mighty Marvel manner of fan service that made the films such a big success.