Unfrozen's Iratus: Lord of the Dead is one of the greatest tactical rogue-likes one can enjoy right now; one that surpasses the titles it pays homage to in almost every way. The road to getting rid of anything that breaths with your necromancer is filled with a series of challenging battles, with an enormous amount of depth in the mechanics on offer, and with a heavy dose of resource management thrown in as well. The challenge will test your mettle, as mistakes are rarely accepted, and failure is part of the recipe. It suffers a bit from a lack of content, and a slight dose of repetitiveness, yet the gameplay is so much fun that you'll keep coming back to it no matter what - not to mention that the visuals are so beautiful that it makes staring at corpses and apparitions quite the enjoyable pastime.

Nintendo has teamed up with Tecmo Koei for yet another successful venture, this time bringing the world of strategic battling and Pocket Monsters together for what is without doubt the deepest and most impressive Pokémon spin-off so far.

The gravest mistake that could be made regarding Dragon Quest Builders would be to liken it to "yet-another-Minecraft-clone." That could not be farther from the truth as, while of course the similarities are undeniable, this game is its own thing altogether and does some things better than Minecraft, and vice versa. Both may well appeal to the same kind of audience when it comes to broad-minded players, while maybe both being so different will make Minecraft purists detest it and Minecraft detractors absolutely love it. At any rate, it is a solid experience faithful to the Dragon Quest franchise that suffers only from very minor gripes with the gameplay and comes highly recommended for anyone who sees in there something that tickles their fancy.

Trials of Mana is the best entry in the franchise since 1999's Legend of Mana. More than adapting Seiken Densetsu 3 as it was for a modern audience, the remake consistently expands upon the mechanics and core design of the Super Famicom RPG. Flat but engaging level design now has a layer of verticality, with plenty of secrets to uncover; combat strikes a sweet balance between skill-based gameplay, with even stronger party customisation than the original; and the plot, while simple, never compromises its integrity for modern narrative conventions, resulting in a story that's as classic in tone as it is theatrical in scope. The remake is only held back by issues exclusive to the Switch port - lower frame rate and resolution in comparison to the PS4 build - but even that isn't enough to sour the experience. With an attention to detail that honours its source material as much as it elevates it, this is a new gold standard for video game remakes.

Activision have continued their revival of 'old-meets-new' with the latest Tony Hawk instalment. For all intents and purposes, it retains the charm and thrills from the original while adding on new quality of life bells and whistles. It hits the nostalgia notes whilst also completely revamping the stages, soundtrack, player models and almost everything else imaginable. This is now the definitive method to enjoy the first two games in this iconic franchise.

Offering a refreshing, polished experience, Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise is an excellent DLC package to sit alongside the core Animal Crossing: New Horizons base game. Refined, flexible decorating options with a large catalogue of unlimited items mixes up the pace for creative freedom without the hording slog of the regular island. Happy Home Paradise is, quite simply, a playground of cosy fun.

Q-Games only did the one title for the bit Generations line-up on GBA and it still proves to be as addictive nearly four years down the line on DSiWare.

While Horace himself might not be the most emotionally intelligent protagonist, the same cannot be said for his namesake game. Horace has an emotional depth that even the best scripts tend to lack. It is a testament not only to its medium, but to storytelling in general. Blending genuinely unique platforming with an incredibly nuanced plot, Horace maturely tackles themes of identity, purpose, and war in almost jarringly realistic ways. Coupled with excellent game design and stellar presentation, Horace might very well be the best platformer of 2019.

F1 2020 has taken key fundamentals from previous iterations and built upon a strong foundation to include a stellar, engaging and fantastic My Team career mode. The authenticity of the product has also continued to live up to the high standards set by the predecessors and the inclusion of split screen multiplayer as well as the options for more casual modes of play has made F1 2020 not only incredibly accessible for newcomers but also new and varied for veterans of the franchise. This is easily the best F1 game to date and contender for one of the best simulation racers of the generation.

Dark Souls remains a magnificently designed title with a strong visual and narrative sense of self. There was no reason to fix what wasn't broken, and Dark Souls Remastered on Switch understands that perfectly.

For a PS5 owner desperate for a 2D fighter to add to their collection, this is a no brainer. With a long history of 2D fighters in this reviewer's back catalogue Guilty Gear Strive has gained a place in the top tier pantheon of the genre. Fantastic graphics, excellent gameplay that has the perfect balance of easy to pick up, difficult to master and some real thought put into the obligatory online mode mean it is likely to remain unbeaten for a long time to come. Maybe until the next entry in the series is released. Brilliant Brawling.

Game Freak has worked its socks off to ensure that Pokémon Black / White not only live up to the standards set by past entries in the mainline series, but have included a wealth of extra content to entice newcomers to the world of Pocket Monsters.

Game Freak has worked its socks off to ensure that Pokémon Black / White not only live up to the standards set by past entries in the mainline series, but have included a wealth of extra content to entice newcomers to the world of Pocket Monsters.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 on the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic port. Sure, it's graphically inferior and not as pretty to look at, but that's the only noticeable concession made to get it to run on Nintendo's beloved hybrid console. That's not to say it's being rendered in "potato mode," by the way - it still looks great for what it is, with each real-life skater clearly distinguishable despite the lower pixel count. With the outrageously impressive amount of content and extremely rewarding gameplay loop, there's nothing to stop this port being a solid recommendation for Switch owners.

Apart from small glitches and occasional copy-paste character models, Hogwarts Legacy is truly something else. The magic is alive, and it is finally time to explore Hogwarts castle. Adding in a great battle system, interesting story and characters, and a magical masterpiece is born.

Tadpole Treble: Encore feels like a long-lost Nintendo IP from the SNES era. It takes a simple idea and runs (or swims) with it to the fullest extent, providing a large variety of music, locales, and mechanics within its relatively short runtime. There is much love and passion present in nearly every facet of the game, so much so that it's easy to overlook the few flaws that it has. Whether being a fan of rhythm games or not, Tadpole Treble: Encore is a joyful experience that's absolutely worth diving into.

Altogether, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Gold Edition is the ideal pick-up for survival horror fans. Ethan's night of horrors is liable to go down as a classic. There's also a lot of excitement to be had in the DLC. Some of the offerings, notably Daughters, are weak and uneven, but they are still worth a play-through. At this point, anyone who hasn't already experienced this game is doing themselves a disservice. It's an astonishingly executed title that pours a lot of love into its mechanics and game design - the hallmarks of a quality Capcom product. What else can be said? The company makes it look easy.

3D Streets of Rage 2 on Nintendo 3DS eShop improves upon its roots in numerous ways - better combat, better performance, larger sprites.

For fans of classic, turn-based RPGs or newcomers seeking a beautifully crafted adventure, Sea of Stars is an easy recommendation. Its transition to iOS is expertly handled, ensuring that its sincere homage to the past remains as captivating as ever—now with the added convenience of being playable in between calls or internet browsing sessions.

The bittersweet themes of Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden, with brilliantly worked plot twists, a flawless battle system, and a captivating story all make it a near-perfect game. Perhaps the only downside is that it is not an overly long one, but the hope is there will be more instalments to what is proving to be a thrilling RPG series.

True to its name, Whispers of a Machine does exactly that: it whispers. Rather than "shouting," with flashy audio-visuals, cool action, and in-your-face storytelling, it uses the humble, grey-haired Adventure Game Studio, to offer something that's far more subtle in its approach. Clifftop Games creation is a simple, yet stunningly well-written, immersive, and all around fun point-and-click adventure game, with a gripping sci-fi plot, and an unwavering focus in its flawless, detective-style gameplay loop. Currently just a hidden gem, this must-have needs you, fellow adventure fan, to spread the word…

Trails of Cold Steel III is an important title for both Falcom and NIS. For Falcom, it's the penultimate entry in a story arc half a decade in the making - and an incredibly engrossing one, at that. For NIS, it's a step in the right direction after Ys VIII, and proof that The Legend of Heroes' localization is still in good hands moving forward. This is a continuity-heavy RPG with 13 years of video game history, and seven titles building up to it, but the combat and world are strong enough where even newcomers can enjoy the ride. Trails of Cold Steel III is the Erebonia arc at its best.

Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 are technically fantastic, taking the core of a remarkable series and building in all manner of new and intriguing features to keep fans enamoured with what is basically a simple formula rinsed and constantly repeated over the years. The only aspect holding back these first ever direct sequels is the standard of presentation, with only minor upgrades since originally gracing the world over 15 years ago, no matter how much the point is argued. That being said, for the gameplay and story elements alone, this is undoubtedly an essential purchase.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a complete package, telling the story of Midgar from two different perspectives. Both the main campaign following Cloud and his journey, and Yuffie's own adventure, are well told with tight and responsive gameplay along with an impressive graphical update. These tales each leave exciting questions to be answered, and this reviewer can't wait to see what awaits Cloud and his friends beyond the City of Mako.

Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 are technically fantastic, taking the core of a remarkable series and building in all manner of new and intriguing features to keep fans enamoured with what is basically a simple formula rinsed and constantly repeated over the years. The only aspect holding back these first ever direct sequels is the standard of presentation, with only minor upgrades since originally gracing the world over 15 years ago, no matter how much the point is argued. That being said, for the gameplay and story elements alone, this is undoubtedly an essential purchase.

MadWorld definitely earns its place as one of Wii's must-have titles and completes a trinity of hugely enjoyable, quirky, mature titles on the system that don't forget what games are all about, the other two being No More Heroes and The House of the Dead: Overkill.

Making great use of the internal and external cameras, as well as containing some extremely clever use of the real world for the game's enjoyable missions, Face Raiders is a massive success on every front.

It manages to further refine a lot of what was already made with its predecessor, and any fan of the genre should give it a try. However, it cannot be stressed enough that one should play Pullblox as well.