Forza Horizon 4 isn’t as surprising or inventive as the last one, but that’s hardly a slight considering how good it was. Horizon continues to shine as one of the best things on the Xbox. It’s beautiful to look at, it’s fast and it’s unbelievably fun. Forza Horizon 4 is a joyous, enthralling celebration of racing.

As it stands, Dragon Quest 8 on 3DS is the best version of this game right now with fantastic new content and improvements. If you’ve never played it before, and you like RPGs then you owe it to yourself to give this one a go.

Guilty Gear's latest chapter is its most accessible one yet, a righteous display of power and attitude that unleashes the sickest of heavy metal guitar licks and unrelenting style. Its online matchmaking may still need some work before it's ready for the main event, but Arc System Works has delivered a captivating display of coolness and action.

With reimagined cities, diplomacy and research progression, Civilization feels familiar enough for veterans while making a lot more sense for newcomers. By far the best Civilization experience we've seen in years, only slightly tarnished by slow load times and art that occasionally feels out of place.

Sea of Solitude is a masterpiece of storytelling, art-design and thematic visualisation. While not necessarily lengthy or mechanically deep it is an astoundingly well-crafted game that should be experienced by everyone.

A truly revolutionary take on rhythm platforming games. It’s got a fun story that is expertly told through the game’s dialogue, animations, and most of all music.

There are still some core narrative issues with the main characters and the game can be a bit too easy at times, but the new job system alone made this journey back to Ivalice so much more enjoyable. Whether you’re returning or playing this game for the first time, Final Fantasy XII is a JRPG that deserves to be played.

Fast-paced and humorous with deep combat, this space romp should be required in every PS4 owner's library.

Resident Evil 2’s remake highlights just how great Capcom’s first sequel in the Resident Evil series ways, but does it in a way that makes it the most compelling entry in the series thus far. It’s smart changes merge with the classic design expertly, while its atmosphere is rich thanks to gorgeous lighting and incredible sound design. It’s a reminder of the past, but this remake would be a fine direction for the future of Resident Evil.

There was a hell of a lot of game in the normal edition, and the Advanced Edition only adds more of the good stuff - and for free too! There’s never been a better time to get into FTL.

Desperados III is an absolute hoot. The best strategy game of the year, cowboys and chaos never felt this good and this revival is one for the ages. It may be lethally challenging, but its gung-ho strategy is a masterpiece of design that’s accentuated by lovable rogues, lively levels and a dedication to its genre that can easily outdraw any challengers to its throne.

Destiny 2 is action at its finest. An improved expansion you’d say, but a magnificent one at that which nails the idea of what it means to forge a legend.

The definitive Dragon Ball fighting game, bar none. Arc System Works have created a game which walks across many a fine line, blending style with substance and accessibility with reverence for the source material. It’s wild, it rocks my dragon and it sets a benchmark for the series that proudly enters the domain of fight game gods.

There are missteps, especially with the open worlds feeling lifeless, but Gears 5 is a more confident turn from a developer that no longer has to prove it’s capable of making a faithful Gears of War sequel. Bigger, better and more beautiful – and a bold step in the right direction for the series. The action is superlative, the writing hits humorous and emotional notes, and the number of multiplayer modes is extensive. If ever there was a reason to subscribe to Xbox's Game Pass service, this is it.

Nintendo and HAL labs could easily have just made the same game with more puzzles, and nobody would have been upset by that. Instead they’ve upped the complexity, creating a damned near perfect sequel - and something genuinely unmissable for fans of logic puzzles.

Pillars of Eternity is a wondrous return to form, the latest and greatest from a recent move to revisit RPG classics. It's certainly the best RPG experience I’ve had for many years, and a massive part of that is how it approaches its story telling.

Returnal is an unrelenting and unforgiving challenge for the ages, but it still captures the magic of what makes Housemarque so special. It has a weirdly unique style and substance, every level is an unpredictable white-knuckle ride and it fully commits to its rogue-like influences. The end result isn’t just a showcase title for what the PS5 is capable of, it’s a thrilling mix of arcade bullet-hell gaming with precision thrill power.

There’s a lot to like about Injustice 2, which is a remarkable fighting game. It’s easy to be disappointed with fighting games, which are usually barebones experiences with little to do outside of multiplayer. This is as complete an experience as you’re likely to get. A high-octane, enjoyable cinematic campaign bolstered by a wealth of other single player content, and a multiplayer mode that’s stuffed with features. It’s a joy for fans of DC and fighting games.

This is the best Lego game so far, with TT Fusion pushing away from licensed franchise tomfoolery into completely new territory. Will we see more Chase McCain and other original ideas in the future? I hope so.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses doesn’t change how it plays on the battlefield, but its greatest advancements lie in the moments between the horror of war. The bonds forged between comrades in arms, the drive to really get to know the cast who you spill blood with and the opportunity to truly learn about the finality of death all combine across a vast and sweeping fantasy epic that’ll leave you breathless by the time the credits finally roll.

Titanfall 2 is a far more “complete” package then that the first game was, offering one of the best single player campaigns in first person shooter, and a robust and cleverly nuanced multiplayer. It's everything the first game should have been.

The Evil Within 2 is a shining example of how to expand your game world while still having it remain a focused experience. Minor bugs cannot hinder what is ultimately a bloody (pun intended) good time.

The sensation of rubber recklessly drifting across the sand, of splattering across your face and a grumpy Scotsman calling out the course before you as you violently swerve around corners. Rally racing is mental stuff and Dirt 4 captures that manic joy perfectly. The full fearless package of graphics, guts and glory.

Ori and the Blind Forest doesn’t add anything new to the genre of gaming that it was inspired by, but few other games can match the polished gameplay and humbling difficulty of this charming little fella.

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition doesn’t offer any massive surprises for veteran fans, but as a fresh chapter for newcomers? It makes one of the best action games of the last generation one of the most thrilling of the new generation.

A bone-breaking blast of bloody fun, Mortal Kombat 11 is a celebration of ultra-violence that pushes the franchise forward to gloriously gory new heights.

Blizzard have set a new example for the FPS genre that others will need to follow. Overwatch reaches near perfection with its polish and charm. It's fun, addictive, and will keep players hooked for a good, long time.

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.