The first Dragon Quest Builders was an amazing surprise, taking all the things its progenitor did and improving on them by adding its own flair and style, now Dragon Quest Builders 2 feels bigger in every way, but only better in some. The core mechanics have been polished, the world shines, and, generally, this is an absolute joy to chill out with. It's a shame that the whole thing doesn't feel this way, with the sections that experiment elsewhere feeling a step backward and detracting from the whole experience. It's clear the developers are still experimenting, and it's very exciting to imagine what the third entry could look like.

Blasphemous is an admirable piece of art. It does the whole metroidvania thing in a much less tedious way than most indie games do these days, and is bolstered by its distinct flavour and style. While fans who adore the character-building gameplay of most soulslikes will be found wanting, anyone who is nostalgic for Simon's Quest is going to find respite in finally playing what could be best described as the latter's best outcome. Maybe with a couple of tweaks and minor adjustments, and with a patch or two, this could be perfect. In its current state with slightly annoying quibbles, players are still going to be floored by its insane imagery and the penitent one's crusade for purification.

Zombie Driver: Immortal Edition is an amusing distraction that is elevated thanks to the generous amounts of unlockable content. The main campaign will never get anyone emotionally invested, but then why would anyone hope to care about characters in something titled Zombie Driver? The developers knew exactly who their audience is. This is pure zombie schlock for people who are fans of the Splatterhouse games. An unapologetically gory, arcade-like experience.

It's always a good thing when old titles are once again available for purchase, but Capcom should perhaps start pricing their rereleases accordingly. Devil May Cry 2 wasn't worth the money in 2003, and it certainly isn't worth much today. A miserable hack 'n' slash, it's a miracle the franchise managed to survive such a blunder in the first place. It's perhaps worth playing from a historical context - if only to gain a deeper understanding of how it failed the original's legacy… but Devil May Cry 2 is otherwise better left in the past.

No. Agent A isn't the next big adventure classic. The puzzles aren't as imaginative or challenging, the world not as captivating, and the journey not exactly that long or replayable. Classic or not, though, this is undoubtedly a very entertaining ride; a series of puzzles that are quite fun, especially if in search for something that is casual friendly, but also respects your intellect - and is cheap. As the cherry on top, it features a flawless and very pretty, '60s spy film style, with plenty of areas being wallpaper-worthy.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes - Complete Edition on PS4 is almost identical to the Switch version. Nothing new was added, and even the old flaws are still intact. The inclusion of DLC content adds great value to what is already a highly replayable title.

Showing clear evolution over the previous games, as well as including some of the best features from the fifth entry, this remake is very good for fans that might have missed this the first time, those who want to come back with everything included, or for even first time players. Even those not looking for the massive post-game grind, the main story is funny enough to earn a recommendation for JRPG fans on that merit alone. It is a great overall package.

A curious example of a title being both more refined, but also less good than its predecessor. The action is smoother, better, and overall much more engaging. Purely as a platformer it is great fun, can be picked up cheap, and is only marred by simplistic, one-way levels and its short length. As an entry it is inferior to its predecessor with the removal of various gear, crafting, and challenges, making it a one-trick pony. It's awesome, but it doesn't have the magic the previous one did. Copen, one of the cooler characters in recent history, lacks much of his style that was memorable in previous games. This series is one of the coolest in recent times, and while this does not disappoint, it doesn't live up to how absolutely great it could be.

It's hard to recommend this to any but the most hard-core and starved puzzle lovers. Despite its 'fun' graphics, the game does not have much charm, and the levels are repetitive and rely far too much on just trying random things until something finally works. Despite how fun older games like this once were, it does not stack up to modern puzzlers in the slightest.

Fans of real role-playing really ought to acquire this, since it offers the best of both worlds on the scale of CRPGs.

New Super Lucky's Tale is an excellent 3D platformer for kids who are getting to grips with right stick camera controls. Gamers seeking a challenging 3D adventure will be left wanting. The light visuals and professional-looking bouncy animation are very appealing, and it all manages to scale beautifully from the Xbox One to the Nintendo Switch. The gameplay is deeper, the playability made tighter, and the levels are re-worked to accommodate Lucky's new mobility. The visuals make the expected compromises that come with Switch conversions; lower resolution and a reduction of frame rate from 60 to 30. Yet, it is all worth it for a more finely crafted experience. Lucky himself might be unlucky to be such a boring character, but he is fun to play as, and gets to run around in charming worlds.

The Terminator branding is mostly relegated towards the setting and a couple of characters; sadly not a single actor from the series lends their likeness or voice to add any authenticity. One of the few infiltration Terminators seen is designed as a generic looking muscle guy who looks and sounds nothing like Arnold Schwarzenegger despite his outfit being an obvious homage to the first film. Without Terminator aesthetics, this would have been a forgettable and generic action game. More than just being really easy, Terminator: Resistance is also very short. Even when completing most of the side-quests, expect to negotiate the entire experience in less than 10 hours.

A carefully crafted farewell letter to DJ Tim Bergling, AVICII Invector is a perfect way to immerse yourself in his music, as players travel across a colourful futuristic setting to a high energy soundtrack. It can be difficult to find and master the button pressing rhythm on the harder difficulty settings but, eventually, over time, it becomes more manageable and like second nature.

The Switch's catalogue of Metroidvania titles was already impressive - though ironically it's still lacking an actual Metroid - and now its ranks have been bolstered by one of the best in recent memory. Ori and the Blind Forest is an absolute masterpiece, a beautiful story polished to perfection in both its artistic design and core gameplay mechanics. The utterly beautiful presentation and soundtrack crafts a charming and memorable world and there are more stories in that world to come as Ori and the Will of the Wisps landing on Xbox One in a few months. Hopefully, the Switch version comes shortly after.

Death's Gambit is a substantial entry into the souls-like genre, even if it is very derivative. Some of the ways it was "inspired" by Dark Souls feel a bit dangerously too close at times. It does enough to make itself unique, and it does bring some new ideas to the table that will absolutely tickle fans of this genre. Don't expect Hollow Knight levels of polish or content; this is more closer to Salt and Sanctuary in terms of quality, but with a more refined art style.

They Are Billions does a lot of things great. The survival twist of a city-builder is unique, and lots of fun. Dealing with the huge waves is always as fun as it is stressful, including the huge final waves. Things that hold the game back are difficulty playing a computer game on console controls, and various UI and graphics issues as well as slowdown. This being said, it's a solid and unique RTS title.

It's hard to stick with Legend of the Skyfish. Even clocking in at only around 2-3 hours for the 45 stages, it's easy to get bored with the game around the halfway point when it becomes clear that it has already shown all it has to offer and just repeats the same types of puzzles and gameplay. While it may have been more palatable on mobile three years ago compared with its competitors at the time, on Switch there are many better options for puzzle games, for Zelda clones, and even for Hookshot-centric style titles.

Death Stranding is a bold and artistic vision that is not compromised in its design. It is a video game that encourages the player to be a good person, and to care for the fellow man. There have been anti-war themes in games before, but these inevitably become standard shooters that wear a mask of morality. Kojima Productions (with a little help from Guerrilla Games) may not have created a new "genre," but it did make a 3D action title that is unlike anything else. It is so rare to play a triple-A, 3D game that does not treat the player like a child, and is steeped with exploration and discovery. This is a contemplative odyssey that is ultimately a story about the triumph of the human spirit in spite of entropy.

It might not be the toughest puzzler out there or the most highly polished, and it is true that some puzzles do tend to repeat themselves. None of that matters, however, because this is such a thoroughly unique experience that everyone should taste. The first day this came out, a clip of it went viral and reached the front page of Reddit. It wasn't a speedrun or glitch or anything like that. It was just someone playing the game. That's the kind of novelty this title has, and it is absolutely worth your time to go out and experience it for yourself.

Whilst the concept of controlling two different characters simultaneously differentiates Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons from other titles, beyond this it can be somewhat simplistic. However, it is certainly well-crafted, creating a pleasant and laid back journey, with many touching moments. Graphics, sound, and style of gameplay also come together harmoniously, in a way that suggests a lot of effort has been put into building the general vibe of the world. It's certainly not a game for those that love fast-paced action, but for anyone wanting to take the time to appreciate the world around them, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a good choice.

While the experience is not an entirely negative one, it leaves little to enjoy when problems start coming up. The charming atmosphere and stylization lends itself well to being a sort of survival-lite adventure for a younger audience; the quests are straightforward; and, finally, the difficulty is forgiving. Those looking for an exploration game will find frustrations abound in this title, and unfortunately the design choices lead to a rather disappointing experience as a whole.

Little Big Workshop's biggest flaws are its generic character designs and a few control issues, but these are greatly overshadowed by how fun this is. It's perfect for people new to the sim genre, allowing players to tackle things at their own pace and make the experience as easy or as difficult as they choose. Veterans will also be able to jump right in and start making their factory to their liking, as well as taking on challenges to push their tiny little company to be the best it can be. Little Big Workshop doesn't reinvent the sim genre, but it fits perfectly into it and brings charm and flair one might not expected from a newer studio.

With developer Gust's unexpended expansion to their most favoured sub-series, comes what can be considered the best in the Atelier set to date. Casting away previous conventions to introduce new, more enriching characters, and world-building structures, Atelier Lulua's challenge spikes and lack of English dub does little to take the shine off the gem beneath.

It's not often a racing game comes along and hits the sweet spot between simulation and arcade, and yet that is exactly the balance that the developer haσ hit with GRID. Fantastic, speedy chaotic, gameplay, supported by some great visual and sound design, giving racing fans of all levels and abilities another great title this year worth diving into with gusto. Totally recommended to genre aficionados, especially after the inevitable split-screen update.

Charming, original, and terrifically paced, Tangle Tower is a strong contender for the best point-and-click adventure of 2019. Puzzles require real wit without bogging readers down with irrelevant information. Each screen is filled to the brim with detail, blending colour and lighting into a living, breathing tower. Only a few hours long with a gripping mystery at the centre of its plot, Tangle Tower is a must play for fans of the genre.

While this still retains the 'arcade' feel of racing, this is as fun as they come in terms of pure enjoyment from the thrill of tearing across dirt tracks, without track faults or graphical inconsistencies that hurt the previous titles. However, this does suffer from an "all eggs all in one basket" approach, in that there's not much in store here aside from career mode. If WRC 8 is the foundation of the franchise moving forwards, then it's safe to be anxious to see what Kylotonn has in store for the next title.

For those who don't care much about storytelling and are wondering if this makes for a great puzzle title, well, the plot and the puzzles are intrinsically linked - finding the answers to a puzzle may depend on whether the technician read a specific journal entry that seemed otherwise unrelated to anything. However, applying oneself to this world is ultimately a rewarding experience, and puzzle-lovers will find plenty to enjoy in terms of solving these challenges.

Forget the fact that Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York is a visual novel, as it really knows what the setting is all about. From the world, to the characters, to the absolutely fantastic setting and handling of the franchises deep lore, this is really a Vampire: The Masquerade game done right, and one that's highly replayable. There are a few flaws here and there, like how forgettable the plot at hand is, or how the paths don't diverge as much as one would want them to, but this is such an engrossing, and deeply atmospheric experience that it doesn't really matter.