Pyre is a fun, deep and strategic game with a gorgeous aesthetic. But it's the way the music and themes stick with you long after the credits roll that really makes it a worthwhile experience.

Bayonetta 2 is something new blended with something familiar, improved in every way possible. Few other games can top it for sheer audacity and ballsiness, and if this is the last time we’ll ever see the leggy witch, then she’s going out with one hell of a bang.

Children of Morta is a resoundingly beautiful game that tells a compelling story of growth, forgiveness and love through a set of deep of satisfying rogue-like mechanics that only kept me invested in the gameplay but the journey of The Bergsons throughout my playtime.

MLB: The Show 20 makes getting to first base feel easy, getting to second a true joy, third a journey and getting the home run an experience worth reliving. It’s by far and away one of the most complete sport game packages out there and provides good reason to stay home in these crazy times.

A chimera of genres, Dead Cells succeeds in forging its own path with incredibly polished combat, retrotastic art design and drawing the right amount of influence from the past.

Despite all these accomplishments and additions though, GTA V isn’t a huge leap forward for Rockstar. Instead, it’s an evolution of all their previous work, all combined into one sandbox experience on a massive scale. But it’s a satisfying path that the franchise has taken, kicking other genre games off the throne that it helped build.

A stunning remaster of one of the greatest game trilogies of all time. Whether you've played them before or just want to relive the magic, this is definitely worth picking up.

Reinvigorated and ready for the ultimate fight to save Gotham City, Rocksteady's Batman is going out with the biggest of bangs in the definitive Dark Knight game.

Demon’s Souls is an unrelenting blast from the past, reforged with numerous quality of life changes and looking better than ever thanks to the PS5 hardware that gives this old-gen classic a true next-gen update.

Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition - while superfluous - makes a near-perfect game even better. If you haven't played it, now is the perfect time - and even if you have, it's worth revisiting.

It has been a long time since I finished a game and felt goosebumps and had to wipe away a singular tear that escaped before I noticed.

A saga for the ages, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a breathtaking journey of discovery that has a cold charm to it. It is both serious and ludicrous in equal measure, an RPG that has added more than it has removed from its core experience while delivering a game that feels familiar and completely new at the same time. Skal!

Tales of Vesperia stands as one of the best entries in the long-running franchise. Any issues I may have are minor compared to everything this game gets right. The Definitive Edition will be a treat for both returning players and newcomers alike.

Monster Hunter Rise is fantastic from start to finish. It feels like a game that many will come to consider an essential on the Nintendo Switch thanks to its stunning graphics, addictive gameplay loop, consistently engaging combat, and bountiful bowls of unlockable content. Oh, and fighting alongside giant cats and dogs is simply too cool.

As cute as it all is, it’s surprisingly challenging, and halfway through the third world there’s a bit a spike in difficulty that had me questioning my value as a human being.

DOOM is unrepentantly old school. It’s gore porn to the max, a ballet of bullets and blood that I can’t get enough of. Satisfyingly brutal, solid and most importantly, fun.

Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past is a huge but extremely charming and endearing game and stands as one of the best JRPGs I’ve played on the 3DS.

In the end it is still Call of Duty and if you aren’t a fan of the run and gun mechanic then you are probably not going to be a big fan. However if you’ve ever enjoyed any Call of Duty game since World at War you are going to love this. Easily the best multiplayer I’ve experienced in years along with a strikingly unique single player campaign plus a bucket load of extras and a massive community to enjoy it with. You can’t go wrong picking it up this year.

Injustice 2 is already a fantastic game, and arguably the best entry in the fighting game genre for 2017. And now thanks to a surprisingly magnificent port, devoid of the headline-grabbing issues that plagued ports of previous NetherRealm Studios games, PC gamers can get to experience all that DC Comics fisticuffs brilliance for themselves in an even shinier package.

Resident Evil 7 has some minor flaws, but overall, Capcom has really done the impossible. In very much a parallel to the very story they’ve been telling for the past two decades, they’ve managed to bring the franchise back from the dead. It’s in the best state its been in years, and I can’t wait to see where it goes moving forward.

A beautiful and modern JRPG that stays true to its roots. It can feel repetitive at times, but the amazing combat, heartfelt stories and extraordinary soundtrack counteracts its structural issues in almost every way. This is a definite must-play for Switch owners.

Dark Souls 3 fires on all fronts providing equal measures of mystery and exhilaration. If this is truly the last Souls game then FromSoftware has ended this series off with a heck of a bang.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is Lord of the Rings turned up to 11. Improving on nearly every idea from the original Shadow of Mordor game, it’s a gargantuan sequel in both size and scope.

Hitman Episode 2: Sapienza distills the entire Hitman experience down to one homicidal happy level, resulting in some fatal fun in the sun.

Detroit: Become Human manages to dial back Quantic Dream’s usual style of storytelling and instead focus more on the characters and their personal journey resulting in one the most compelling adventure games in recent memory.

PES 2017 is a fantastic representation of the beautiful. You could play this game for months on end and still find new ways to beat opponents while being amazed at what you just saw. Those who are brave enough to swim against the FIFA stream will be rewarded with arguably the best football video game representation to date.

Gears Tactics isn't just one of the biggest surprises of the year, it’s a vulgar display of power starring everyone’s favourite beefy boys in a bloody new direction that’ll test your trigger fingers with pure heavy mental action.

Nier Automata is unforgettable. The gameplay is all sorts of Platinum Games fun but the story is what will remain with you long after it’s done.