While the game is amazing at its core, it's beset by infuriating bugs. The Journey shows promise, but drags on too long, becoming a dull grind before it comes to a close. It's a good start for FIFA on its new engine, there are too many kinks that have yet to be worked out.

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.

Dark Souls is an amazing and important game, but the remaster does little to spice things up, providing little reason to really go back to Lordran. Blighttown runs at 60fps though, so that might be reason enough for some.

Gears of War 4 is a satisfying, if not overly familiar, return to some of the series’ best beats. A distinctly dark campaign dishes out welcome surprises and disappointing repeats in equal measure, while its refined Horde mode and thoroughly engaging multiplayer round off a package that any franchise fan should be happy to rev through.

A short, disappointing tale makes nearly no progress in 343’s trilogy, and offers nothing that lives up to the billing of a tense showdown between Halo 5’s two protagonists. Thankfully the improved gameplay and consistently great multiplayer shine in Halo's uneven debut on the Xbox One. The multiplayer is fantastic, and the co-op is magical. Bring friends.

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!

Without skipping a beat from the original PC game, Frostpunk’s console port is a slick and efficient strategy game of misery and compromise in the coldest apocalypse. You could say it’s the cold standard in console strategy.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is still a Deus Ex game through and through, even if it doesn’t always manage to hit the same highs as its predecessor. But for all its faults, its numerous other triumphs made it utterly compelling to play through until the end.

Visually charming, deliciously deep and packed with extra content, Wargroove is a strategy experience that works comfortably at home or on the move.

Frostpunk is an ingenious blend of city building systems and morally ambiguous decision making. Its mechanics are streamlined enough to be easy to grasp, but it’s tension and demanding nature make it an apocalyptic experience you shouldn’t skip.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a tightly compacted Uncharted experience that leans heavily on the established structures and mechanics from the past. But its new choice in cast and creative, emotional tale that really makes the brief journey shine - from one massive action spectacle to the next.

A grand return to form for a fighting game series that’s been overstuffed for decades. It’s simple to play, tough to master, and incredibly fun. The best the series has been since SoulCalibur2, the game doesn’t do much new. Instead, it adeptly refines something we’ve played before to deliver one of the most enjoyable fighting games in years.

Once you get used to all the mechanics, you’ll find yourself, and even though it can get really frustrating at times, Xenoblade Chronicles X remains engrossing even after dozens of hours of play. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m really feeling it!

Metro Redux sets the bar high for what a HD remaster should be – not only a visual upgrade, but a gameplay touch up as well. Metro 2033 benefits the most from this, and owners of Last Light will have a tough time finding many improvements. Still, if you’re yet to visit the bleak world of the Moscow underground, there hasn’t been a better time.

FIFA 14 keeps its crown as the best football game on current generation consoles. Football fans will not be disappointed picking this one up.

Timespinner is a wonderfully accessible and inclusive Metroidvania that does justice to the genre despite some missed opportunities and brief run time.

Whether you call it an interactive movie game or desktop thriller, Telling Lies is a gratifying and authentic-feeling fly-on-the-wall experience. For the most part. Exceptional performances and an intriguing, topical story are undercut by a jarring gameplay choice that forces you out of the game when you least want it.

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

Whether you’re new to the series, or a returning veteran, there is almost no excuse to not pick up BioShock: The Collection. It contains some of the very best games ever made in the past decade, and they’re all still well worth playing today.

Agent 47 is back and better than ever. The first season of Hitman has produced the definitive Agent 47 experience in a world of intrigue, espionage and murder. Not only the best Hitman game ever made, but also one of the top contenders for game of the year.

EA Sports have taken a fantastic game and tweaked it to make it just that little bit better. The passing mechanic feels slightly worse but in the end that is also forcing players to utilise the entire range of passing abilities so it is possible that this is by design. FIFA 16 is the best FIFA to date.

FIFA 18 makes some notable and important changes both on and off the pitch, but it’s a formula that still often feels at odds with itself. And while EA is trying to recapture its former glory with the series, it continues to lose ground to the competition. Even if FIFA 18 is the best entry in the series for some time.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s switch to turn-based RPG combat and team-based tactics may bite off more than it can chew thanks to terrible difficulty spikes and ill-defined character progression, but it’s still a breath of fresh air for the series. Ichiban Kasuga and his pals are an entertaining lot, the game has plenty of style, and even though the combat devolves into an ungodly grind, it’s a flashy new start to one of Sega’s best franchises.

It’s both hilarious and serious, but Chicken Police is more than just 2020’s weirdest game. Beneath the clucked-up surface is a genuinely engrossing story, amazingly developed characters, and a cast that brings them to life. With slick production values, this is one hard-boiled detective story with a unique flavour.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 is the perfect football game on the pitch, but flounders off the pitch. It offers a lot of value to the franchise agnostic but might not be compelling enough to warrant the annual purchase.

Some fans of the Call of Duty franchise may have left, but Black Ops 4 is arguably the best time to come back. This may be the best instalment of the franchise yet.

A melancholic tale of war and a fitting epilogue to a current-gen era, Sucker Punch’s latest effort is a slick showcase for the PlayStation 4 that draws you into a world that never fails to impress. Ghost of Tsushima is a masterpiece of precise gameplay, emotional turmoil and powerful world design.

Life Is Strange 2’s ending differs depending on how good or bad a father figure the player has been to Daniel, and it could be argued that this is what gives the game a semblance of replay value. That argument crumbles to bits when one considers what an arduous slog a lot of the game has been to play. While there are undeniable moments of power in Life Is Strange 2’s story, they’re strewn too far apart to make playing the game over again attractive. It’s a decent story, but as a gaming experience it disappoints, which is a real pity, given how good its two predecessors are.