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.

Anno 1800 can become confusing and complicated over time, what with the in-depth nature of this civilization sandbox franchise. But those willing to step up to the challenge are rewarded with a gorgeous and comprehensive game, built on micro-management and period-set obstacles and factors that nudge you along in your mission to build the next great island metropolis. For what gaming experience it represents, the franchise looks and feels great.

Mass Effect Andromeda is a fresh start – but in borrowing liberally from the first game, it’s made many of the same mistakes. In spite of them, it’s an exciting space adventure that delivers everything that’s become important to Mass Effect: Great characters, fun exploration, and a climactic tale of good vs evil.

Star Wars: Squadrons certainly has a few issues. Its enjoyable campaign has some dull moments outside of the cockpit and the multiplayer, as stupendously thrilling as it is, is a bit too barebones at the moment. But it's also the most fun and immersive Star Wars flight sim experience we've ever had thanks to its immaculate gameplay and incredibly polished production.

Tight action, packed with more guns than Ted Nugent's home and a singular focus on turning the tables on bullet hell enemies makes Mothergunship a slick piece of high caliber fun.

Final Fantasy VII Remake isn’t the retelling of a cult classic that you’re expecting it to be. It’s a lengthy and deliberately slow-paced walk down the Midgar memory lane that leisurely basks within the warm glow of nostalgia, but at the same time it’s an exhilarating and cinematic explosion of action that not only celebrates the impact of the game which rewrote the rulebook for an entire industry in 1997, but also everything else that followed in its genre-defining wake.

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.

Splatoon 2 is a far more robust, polished game, with heaps more content than its debut ever had, but still sadly retains some of its biggest shortfalls. An absurdly addictive formula of gameplay that remains unique and inviting, but with an encompassing online infrastructure that’s sometimes at odds with itself.

Warlords of New York is a massive leap forward for The Division 2, a fun diversion that aims to be less repetitive and more engaging. There’s a big picture being developed here, one that’ll make the trademark grind of The Division 2 more addictive than ever before as civil war rages on in the streets of the divided states of America.

Releasing early in the new gaming generation, Call of the Sea sets the benchmark for story-driven adventure puzzle games moving forward. It’s an experience full of surprises, from its lush game world that takes advantage of next-gen graphic capabilities, to its emotionally impactful story that puts a fresh spin on the Cthulhu Mythos. It’s also surprisingly challenging; so much so at times that the frustration over its obtuse puzzles damages your sense of immersion, and goodwill towards the game.

The King of the Iron Fist may feel rusty in its sparse selection of story and offline offerings, but the real magic is found online where its arcade spirit keeps it not only alive but also relevant for a wider connected community from across the globe.

FIFA 20 is a gift wrapped with flair and flamboyance on the outside. When you unwrap it, rather than it brimming to the full, it leaves you a little underwhelmed. It’s still good, there’s lots to be found inside and it will no doubt keep you busy for hours on end, but there's just not the same magic inside as there is on the outside.

A great package packed with modern-day Resident Evil nostalgia. The original horror elements in the franchise stand as tall today as they did back then, but some of both game’s mechanics may annoy newcomers.

Bravely Default 2 is occasionally weighed down by its poor pacing and sometimes sluggish gameplay, but it still offers a sprawling and expansive JRPG that sticks closely to the roots of the genre while offering up a few unique twists.

A truly solid JRPG that combines deep combat, intricate strategy and customization with cute and funny story-telling and characters. It doesn't offering anything particularly new to the genre, but it's still a perfectly enjoyable experience.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a prime example for anyone making the case that video games are a powerful art form. Creatively ambitious, it’s exceptionally well-thought-out and implemented – making it striking at both a sensorial and psychological level as it delves deep into an exploration of life with psychosis. It has its gameplay flaws but remains must-experience for adult audiences. An instant classic for this generation.

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.

True to the franchise, this is unadulterated God of War. While the insight and motivation of the character is highly enjoyable, the game doesn't do enough new things to make it as impressive as the huge creatures and levels it portrays.

I would’ve loved to give this compilation a higher score but the sequel really brought the entire experience down. That said, this is great value for your money and the original Tales of Symphonia more than justifies a purchase.

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.

Niggling issues and strange presentation decisions aside, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a must for any fan of the franchise, and an extremely well put together remake of one of last generation’s most defining titles. Gears of War seems in safe, loving hands with The Coalition.

A great port of a fantastic game, Torchlight 2 still holds up as a great example of an ARPG dungeon-crawler that is unfortunately plagued by some annoying bugs and control scheme limitations.

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.

Dragon Quest Heroes 2 is a surprising game. I went in expecting it to be a typical Musou game, but what I got instead was a fantastic action-RPG that’s really worthy of the Dragon Quest name. I’ve played many Musou games over the course of my life, more than I would like to admit, but I have to say that this is probably one of, if not the best game of its kind that I’ve played.

A fantastic game. The on-field experience is one of the most authentic, impressive portrayals of football you are ever likely to see. It’s what happens when a team is finally completely comfortable with the engine and system. Every match feels like it offers something different and that adds to the whole experience. The on-field additions certainly make up for the lacklustre menus, the loss of licenses and the lack of innovation, but only just.

Watch Dogs 2 manages to improve on almost every point that made its predecessor so disappointing. It’s a more robust open-world game, packed with meaningful content and mechanics that beg the player to experiment and toy with them. Though it still hangs onto some facets a little too tightly, this is one sequel that manages to make its opening act seem like a mistake best left forgotten.

Noita is an exciting experiment that grew into a tense, complicated, and altogether satisfying game of self-expression and discovery. It allows players a level of freedom often unseen in rogue-likes at the expense of a clear and distinct visual language, and situations that become difficult to quickly parse.

Despite a few issues and a dearth of modes, Firewall Zero Hour is the best multiplayer shooter available on PlayStation VR, and one of the platform’s best games. It’s exhilarating, immersive, tactical team-based fun, and one of those rare VR games that I’ll keep playing long after finishing this review.