Even with Rayman Origins being a port from the consoles, it sets a high standard for platforming games on the Vita. I have strong feelings that it won't be beaten for some time on the handheld. Rayman Origins is simply a game studio's love and joy moulded into the conventions of platforming. It delivers precise controls, beautiful graphics, an ear pleasing soundtrack and simply some of the most exciting platforming since the older 2d Mario games. If you've not played Rayman Origins yet, you need to get on it because you're missing out on one heck of a videogame.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is as complete a package as you could ever ask for. Multiplayer-heavy titles can be a fickle beast, but we’re pretty sure we’ll be playing this one for quite some time to come.

Even so, Torchlight II is one of the best examples of a dungeon raiding, isometric loot game, and should be in everyone's Steam list if you even have the slightest urge to play an action RPG.

Ultimately, when I finished the game, I didn’t want it to end. The compelling atmosphere, the wonderful level design, the detailed steampunk world and the absorbing storyline, not to mention the precisely crafted gameplay, all coincide to craft one worthy successor. I guess you could say far from dishonouring its predecessor, this game honoured it and even, dare I say, outdid it.

It’s fun, creative, and lasts just long enough to make you wish there was more. This is the definitive version of Guacamelee! and quite possibly the best next-gen game currently available.

Divinity is packed with enough content to keep you going well above the seventy hour mark, and enough choices and outcomes in every situation to make you want to start a new game the minute the credits begin rolling.

Mullet Madjack is a rush of action, a pump of dopamine throughout its entirety, just like the core mechanics of the game. This is fast, frantic and chaotic which goes all in with its well-executed life countdown gameplay. Everything is built solid to support that concept; it never frustrates. The game focuses on what makes a fun shooter, the speed, the violence, and the addictive gameplay loop. Mullet Madjack delivers that engaging rush that keeps players on their toes. It could do with more elements, more powers, and more building blocks for its levels, as those soon begin to lose their spark. But, for the affordable price (£16.95) and the compelling gameplay within its Endless Mode or difficulty settings, it is worth spending time with to enjoy its energetic gameplay.

The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition dishes out additional content on a game I already loved so much. Gamers who don't play games on the PC have a chance to play it on their Xbox 360 without that much of a compromise. If you've haven't played The Witcher 2 yet and own a 360, you have no excuse not to buy one of the best RPGs the genre has had to offer for some time.

Guacamelee! remains one of the most entertaining 2D experiences in a long while, and if you missed out on the Playstation fiesta, the party has now made its way over to the PC without missing a beat. Absolutely recommended.

A must have for any iOS gamer, I just hope that Ubisoft add more content in the near future.

It's deep, highly contagious and contains unlimited amounts of fun, and Diablo III opens its palms to welcome anyone to dabble in its addictive gameplay.

While it might not be the best racing simulation on the market, there is no other place to get the full experience of Formula 1 as one of the ten teams or as a fresh newcomer on the block. If this is the final game for the current generation of consoles, then this is a lovely way to end that cycle. If Codemasters keep this up going into next generation, then expect the series to only get better, because right now, F1 2020 is a worthwhile investment for F1 fans and fans of realistic style racing games.

It asks a lot of the player, but if you can hack it, you’re in for a truly unique experience.

SteamWorld Dig 2 is one of the greatest endeavors in excavation gaming has ever seen. It takes the core gameplay loop seen in the original and adds layers of extra ideas atop that make it a joy to play. If you play for 10 minutes, or choose to settle in for a whole hour or more, there is always a feeling that progress is being made. That’s a great bullet point for any game to boast yet few actually possess.

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is a craftsmanship that promotes the features of the hardware it uses, a selling point for the Vita and what it can do. Now if only more games were doing that on the system.

If you like your racing arcade than you really need to buy this. It's not NFS exactly, and it's not quite Burnout, but it takes the best things from both and melds them together into an intense racing experience.

Animal Crossing is cutesy, it’s inviting and it’s addictive. It’s a mug of hot cocoa after the stresses of the many gritty, intense blockbuster games on the shelves today.

Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice is a hauntingly beautiful journey through the madness of a warrior’s suffering to find her true love. The story is art, the graphics are engrossing and it’s truly everything it was advertised to be. Ninja Theory provided a gaming experience that is a rarity these days in the gaming world and it is not to be missed.

In many ways, yes this is a definitive improvement over previous Burnout games, the online mode is fantastic and the open world environment has many perks that reward players who make the effort to learn its small nuances. The game is let down by the lack of a proper Crash modem, the irritating sat nav and the lack of a retry button.

Injustice 2 is a bigger, better, more beautiful follow up to Gods Among Us that improves on the irks of the first game to make it a polished fighter. No matter if your enjoyment falls into single player or multiplayer, there is so much high quality content, from the big budget flair of the story mode, the impressive presentation, the Multiverse’s changing challenges, and the solid online code built in Injustice 2 that it can supply many hours, days and weeks of brutal entertainment, no matter the skill level of the player. I feel confident in saying that Injustice 2 is the best work NetherRealm Studios has ever done, and in that, making it an excellent fighting game for fans of the genre or lovers of superheroes.

Fans of the first Doom will be very pleased with what iD software has brought to Doom to move it forward, while offering a taste of pure shooter action to pick up new fans and followers.

Right now, I can say I am stoked to find out where the follow up will go, because any doubt I had initially about this remake has long gone after playing through it. All I am left to say is that Final Fantasy VII Remake is a superb RPG for fans and newcomers, and even with all the changes, it still captures the heart of Final Fantasy VII, a special accomplishment that will make the fans fall in love with the title all over again.

FIFA is the new home of the hardcore football gamer.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is as complete a package as you could ever ask for. Multiplayer-heavy titles can be a fickle beast, but we’re pretty sure we’ll be playing this one for quite some time to come.

FIFA is the new home of the hardcore football gamer.

Overall the game plays well, looks fantastic and whatever slowdown is caused by the huge space battles can be simplified from graphics card chugging render fest, to a simple set of logo’s flying about simply be zooming out.

This game does not cheat, it simply requires pixel perfect shooting and dodging skills.

Regardless, Heavy Rain is a fascinating project. It takes away much of the control featured in traditional videogames, yet is no less engaging because of it.

Undead Nightmare is exactly what good DLC should be, something brand spanking new added to an already feature-filled game.

The reboot is a complete success. I enjoyed every second of the single-player campaign, from the huge sequences to the little moments that are integrated perfectly with the gameplay.

Minor quibbles aside though this is a fantastic game, Retro Studios have once again, like they did with Metroid, revived a long dead franchise successfully.

This is the title that sells the Vita, and anyone owning the system should, without hesitation, play this beautiful game.

I’m going to be recommending Minishoot’ Adventures for some time and to pretty much anybody who will listen because it’s a game everybody can enjoy and honestly I may get another playthrough out of it myself in the near future; I’m already feeling the cravings. But I’m also positive that when the inevitable inspirations begin to follow, it will be one of those that end up taking on the mantle for the genre.

While FIFA 14 might not present the revolutionary leap many of us imagined with the shift to a new generation of consoles, it is undoubtedly the best soccer game that’s ever been released.

It may be somewhat lacking in old-school racing challenges, and can prove daunting for newbie racers, but the sheer volume of content far overshadows the game’s faults. Until Gran Turismo 5 arrives to challenge the crown, Dirt 2 stands as king of the racing mountain on the PS3.

As great as it is, there are too many irritations with the combat (and too many unnecessarily drawn-out combat sections) to hail it as a true classic.

After nearly two years on the market, the PC version of Diablo III was crying for an expansion just like Reaper of Souls. Blizzard has rebalanced and fine-tuned small and meaningful parts of the game, similar to a chef crafting their masterful gourmet meal, and released a product with nothing but positive changes to the core gameplay.

Short and sweet as the experience may be, Rez Infinite is still a highly recommended VR game that begs repeat playthroughs, and will undoubtedly prove a dazzling experience for even the most skeptical VR critics (even the ones with potentially weak stomachs). More importantly, the PSVR2 version is undoubtedly the best, most definitive version of the cult classic game, making it one of the few unironic instances where a title truly was “ahead of its time”.

Sure, it is a game riddled with issues and raises more gripes and tantrums than a game should. But once you whittle down all the issues, bugbears and negatives, PES 2016 manages to be a wholly comprehensive footballing experience and the best available this year.

Few gaming series can steal as many hours from me, no questions asked, quite like Pokémon. I'm currently clocked at 28:37, which was enough to beat the Elite Four but not enough to lose interest. Is this the strongest entry to date? Probably not, nor is it the innovative leap that some gamers expected but you can cogitate all you like; there's a consistently enjoyable adventure to be found here, and that's all that matters.

To call Odin Sphere Leifthrasir the definitive version of the original game would be selling it short: the sheer amount of improvements and new content have transformed the game into a whole new experience that both original fans and curious newcomers must not miss.

All said and done, I would happily pick up WipEout HD as a full priced game from any store, as it is just that damn good. So for a paltry £11.99 it should be considered a absolute steal.

Inside is a pure consistent work that manages to play to its own strengths in very smart ways.

Velocity 2X fits perfectly on the switch and is a top tier indie game on that platform, it refreshing to play a game that isn’t procedurally generated and you can really feel the passion that went into it’s making, from it’s engaging gameplay and stellar level design this game shows us all exactly what arcade shooter games can be.

Simple, fun, addictive.

Bayonetta is a completely OTT game with singular vision, containing ideas that make sense only in the mind of Hideki Kamiya – the game’s creator. It’s an insight into what he thinks games should be about, and a love letter to the uniqueness of the medium he works in – with no misgivings to end-users that do not share his mindset.

If this is truly the last Ratchet and Clank release then rest assured that the series goes out with a bang. It’s one of the games of the year and an outstanding exclusive for the Playstation 3.

The gorgeous visuals and music, along with the finely tuned motion controls and cheap price point make Winter of the Melodias a guaranteed purchase that is anything but a load of hot air.

With a name like Turbo Overkill, one is correct to assume that it is full of that cheesy madness, which is exactly what it delivers as it fully embraces the Boomer Shooter subgenre. Turbo Overkill is an encapsulation of absurdity, trying to push itself to the heights of stupendous fun through its creative weapons, augmentations and dumb, wild scenarios while offering plenty of mechanics and rapid gameplay to satisfy those old-school action lovers. With its superb throwback visuals, quality soundtrack, outlandish level design, and hyper-bloody action that never seems to let up, Turbo Overkill is a great recommendation for anyone looking for a quality and thrilling first-person shooter in 2023.

Nevertheless, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is a bringing together of what is probably the best set of games of the last generation.

Football Manager 2013 is an innocent drug that is always in the back of your mind, processing the possibility of a match outcome after another click of the mouse. When you are mesmerised to that level, it's hard to say anything other than this is a brilliant piece of videogame entertainment for fans of the beautiful game.

I have nothing but praise for Codemasters’ return to the muddy motorsport of rally.

Great production values from EA, which hasn’t rested on its laurels and has gone all out to make a great game. Cracking.

Overall, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a worthy addition to the PC roguelike library. It offers a challenging and rewarding experience that will appeal to fans of the genre and, in all honestly, the biggest issue I have with this PC port is entirely down to the apparent lack of people playing it, which is hardly the fault of the game itself, which is excellent. Other than that, this PC port is well-executed, with slightly enhanced visuals over the Switch original and its bags of charm, depth, and replayability make it a must-try for any roguelike enthusiast. Whether you’re a seasoned Shiren veteran or a newcomer to the series, Serpentcoil Island is well, well worth a visit.

Valkyria Chronicles is a game that deserves to be played by everyone. It’s so innovative, fresh and blends different features of other genres so well that you’d think Sega WOW had already done this before.

Here is a sprawling, compelling game made with impressive confidence – masterfully paced and expanding on its predecessor without for a moment losing track of its appeal. It’s a game that has kept its integrity intact while navigating the weird waters of mass market appeal, and one that retains a real undertanding of fundamentally enjoyable mechanics. Rise of The Tomb Raider is exceptionally easy to recommend.

Saints Row IV jacks up the action, pumps up the silly, but above all, doesn’t lose sight of what makes a game play superbly, and that, Mr President, is how you make an awesome video game.

As great as it is, there are too many irritations with the combat (and too many unnecessarily drawn-out combat sections) to hail it as a true classic.

It is an improvement in every conceivable way from previous games and allows for much more scope that ever before.

Can I recommend Death Stranding? Not really. I don’t think it can be directly labelled ‘good’. It’s a full price, full length, but all too frequently sluggish game. However, if you’re a Kojima fan, I don’t think you’ll want to miss out on this deranged roller coaster ride of an experience and that really elevates it for me.

There is much to experience here, from its great characters and solid storytelling that brings a captivating plot with two of the series biggest and best characters. It also makes strides to bring improvement to the brutal combat, while offering an eccentric presentation and over-the-top humour to keep people engaged in the wonderful and freaky world of Yakuza until its end.

There aren’t many games that justify the 1200 MS points price-tag on XBLA, but Trials HD is one of them. It’s addictive, accessible, competitive, and there’s plenty to do.

Ultimately, above all else, the game comes across as feeling wholly authentic – and that is a word you can attribute to only a small handful of games released in this day and age.

There really is no other choice on current generation consoles that allows oneself to waste hours away on your own or with friends smashing enemies and powering up through shiny, sparkling loot and coming away after a session feeling so good about it.

Is Bayonetta 3 worth playing? If you’re already a fan, absolutely. Just don’t expect it to be the absurd larger-than-life addition than we all hoped it would be. If you’re on the fence about it – this isn’t going to be the one to change your opinion. The combat is still there, even if it is starting to rust up with age. There are still signs of that unhinged expressiveness the others are renowned for under the layers of bleak environments and flat out boring narrative. The whole thing can still often look colourful and eruptive, but is heavily anchored by the limits of the Switch – truly a cruel fate for what could be one of the craziest worlds to experience in a game if Platinum Games would be set free to do as they please. It really is a shame, especially after such a long wait. It’s not a bad experience by any means, and it did have fairly unreasonable expectations to live up to, but it ended up falling rather short in just about every way. For any other series that might be satisfactory, but not for Bayonetta. It deserves better than just ‘good’.

Even though it’s unassumingly tucked away in the 3DS‘ eShop, Fallblox is frankly a great little game.

It's fun, it's fast and it's fantastic, unless the sight of (virtual) blood makes you faint there's no good excuse not to pick it up.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a smashing port that brings all the revamps of Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System and adds more to it to improve the game for a better experience. If you had issues with the story or didn’t enjoy the battle system – if you were a young whipper snapper, I recommend trying it again, as you might come round to it this time around – then it won’t do anything to fix that for you. If you have never played Final Fantasy XII or are a fan of the game, then this is simply the best way to play Final Fantasy XII and experience its innovative and fun mechanics.

CrossCode is a fantastic package that sits as one of 2018’s best indie games. In a year that launched Celeste, Dead Cells and Into the Breach, it’s no easy award to give, but CrossCode achieves this thanks to its great action RPG gameplay set in a believable MMORPG world, beautiful visuals, additive, responsive and challenging combat, smart dungeon design and some wonderful music. It’s a complete package that is bold enough to take the clichés of the genre and run with its own spin on them, and it isn’t going to burn holes in anyone’s pockets with its nicely priced £14.99, which gives players a lot of bang for their buck, top quality bang at that.

The story is extremely well written and the cut scenes are presented in a manner that will will have you forgetting these are characters in a video game. All of the characters are memorable, and the emotions shown through the voice acting are great and convey the character well. The main villain in Wolfenstein II is General Engel, who revels in her sadistic nature and is incredible memorable – the gleeful way she stomps around performing some of the most heinous things just goes to show how well fleshed out the character is. With the totally unthinkable scenes in the first 10 minutes of the game, to the insanity show by General Engel, players do get a feeling of how atrocious a Nazi ruled world would be. A faced paced FPS that is unforgiving in nature and just down right fun to play. It’s a nice break from the norm of games being released at the moment, and the focus for single player in Wolfenstein II only paid off here. With more content to unlock and the initial choices affecting the story as a whole, the replay ability is definitely here, especially with that “Mein leben” difficulty.

Overall, Devotion may prove disappointing for anyone hoping for the next big Indie Horror game, as the moments where the game forgets itself and tries to adhere to traditional horror tend to be the weakest points. Instead, Devotion should be praised for conveying a tragic story that emphasizes the far more effective approach of psychological horror, with long moments of dread and discomfort that tend to have a more lasting impression than the brief startling of a ghost popping around the corner.

All in all, Joe Danger is everything that's great about indie games on consoles.

Blizzard has done an outstanding job in bringing Diablo III to consoles, so much so that I was still getting engulfed by its addictive nature even after putting in over 100+ hours on the PC.

The short time you spend with this game is sure to put a smile on your face.

Rockstar's continued insistence on favouring animation over character control makes for an unnecessarily sluggish core game, but it is one that eventually settles into its own set piece groove, and ultimately gets swept up and propelled forward by the momentum of its story and impressive portrayal of its setting.

Besides the lack of any meaningful graphical or gameplay upgrades from the PSVR1 version (or worse yet, a cheaper upgrade alternative, as both this game and the sequel must be purchased separately without the ability to transfer progress), the only quibble is the simplistic combat, which is satisfying enough to control but suffers from a lack of moves and a bigger lack of enemies. The traversal and puzzle elements, however, are frequently kept fresh thanks to new power-ups obtained and new head-scratchers to solve as the journey continues…plus the storybook visuals combined with the unobtrusive VR effects combine into an experience that truly is a showcase game for the new PSVR2, one that guarantees most people of all ages can appreciate, rather than hurl.

I’ve found it hard to recommend deck builders recently because I’ve either thought they were clones of other games, not all that exciting or they have too much going on, however, in Monster Train they have managed to balance replayability and creativity. If you’re a fan of deck builders or are new to the genre, I feel comfortable saying you will love Shiny Shoe’s unique take. It brought back my love for deck builders, has a soundtrack that you will be humming daily, and a creative art style. It’s definitely, in my opinion, well deserving of the overwhelmingly positive review scores it has received on Steam.

At the end of the day, it was the gameplay that made last year’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown a standout title and that remains intact, but XCOM: Enemy Within is the dessert package to go with the main course you just ate, adding that sweet delight on top of an already pleasing and tasty meal.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a delightful slow-life RPG that is best when you embrace its structure and varied Lives system. It’s less about telling a gripping story and more about letting players take part in the cosy life sim. With dozens of activities, systems that feed into each other, fun crafting and gathering loops, and a sprawling post-game full of secrets and scaling challenges, it offers tremendous value. While the combat and multiplayer are more surface-level, and some design quirks (like time-limited co-op) may leave certain players wanting more, its cheerful tone, flexibility, and performance make it a rewarding escape into a cosy, fantastical world. If you’re after a relaxing but deep time sink, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time more than earns your attention and is a strong recommendation for fans of relaxing RPGs or life sims, as it may just steal your free time.

While Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn does not bring much innovation to the genre, it’s taking aspects from other games and spinning them with a flavour of Final Fantasy. This mixture makes it one of my favourite MMOs of the last couple of years and one that certainly goes into my top three of all time.

Despite these few annoyances, Guitar Hero 5 is still an excellent example of a band-based rhythm action game done right. This is a true evolution of the Guitar Hero phenomenon, simple but devastatingly effective changes that really bring the best out of the genre.

Despite the issues Madden NFL 10 has, the bottom line is the gameplay is as tight as it has ever been, with the new tweaks adding to an already accurate American Football experience. A few niggles here and there prevent this from being an essential crossover sports title, so for now, Madden NFL 10 will satisfy the current fanbase rather than appeal to a new one.

All in all, Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 is a welcome upgrade for fans that own the previous iteration (they even get a discount), and an especially meaty experience for newcomers, even if the story will be far ahead of their level of understanding. With Injustice 2 and Tekken 7 falling in the same month, it’s been a heck of a comeback for modern fighting games.

Much like Dissidia: Final Fantasy and Super Smash Bros., Persona 4: Arena is a fighting game spin-off tailored for the fans, first and foremost. Whether or not those fans also enjoy the fighting game genre in addition to RPGs, there is enough content and callbacks that make this purchase a no-brainer.

There is a lot to love about Cities: Skylines and it gets a lot right for fans of the genre who felt crushed by SimCity’s disappointing release.

Honestly, I could rant on about how completely badass Samus comes off in some of the more action focussed cutscenes, or about the incredible soundtrack that brings back all the nostalgic classics (headphones on full volume recommended) but I think calling it an incredible Metroid game says all that and more.

Level-5, along with the amazing localisation work, took the experience from their background and created an adorable RPG that will be remembered for ages to come.

Overall, Guilty Gear Strive is a fantastic entry in the series that should be given a shot by anyone who enjoys fighting games or wants to get their fingers on some hyperactive 1-on-1 action with friends or the online community. Now I’m jumping back online as I just cannot get enough of the smell of the game.

Legend of Grimrock offered the vaguest of hints and clues to tackling inevitable obstacles, thus requiring your attention and investment by default. Legend of Grimrock 2 uses the same coy smiles to entice you to explore its world, and while the core game remains as good as ever, the success of its evolution depends greatly on whether that is compelling enough reason for you to do so.

This is a game that has successfully changed my opinions on American Football, and could do the same for you.

It is as true to its roots as it can be in a style so totally different from the source material. In addition, it is fantastic that it is accepted cannon in the Borderlands universe, meaning that all characters were in danger, even established ones.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light should please fans of the franchise while they wait for their next big Tomb Raider title. I also believe that this game will allow people who don't normally like Tomb Raider games to be finally able to enjoy a game staring one of the biggest females in gaming history.

In short, Chronophantasma Extend is the biggest, densest and all-around definitive version of the BlazBlue series, but the overarching story mode and massive learning curve may put off potential newcomers to the series. For those brave enough to venture forth, this mechanically solid and visually resplendent fighter might just have enough features to make a BlazBlue fan out of you.

It might not be the best version of Slay the Spire, but it’s the only one you can take on the go at the moment, being ensnared in its fun, rewarding gameplay, which can lead to missing a bus stop or two on the way to work without feeling all that bad about it.

A grand achievement that gives the player a new take on how conventional RTS games play.

Red Faction: Guerrilla never ceases to excite or satisfy. It constantly rewards players throughout the single player campaign and always manages to introduce something new to change the way the game is played. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable adventure in an original and believable (if not exactly realistic) setting, and sets a totally new benchmark for technical achievement in a video game.

Despite the issues Madden NFL 10 has, the bottom line is the gameplay is as tight as it has ever been, with the new tweaks adding to an already accurate American Football experience. A few niggles here and there prevent this from being an essential crossover sports title, so for now, Madden NFL 10 will satisfy the current fanbase rather than appeal to a new one.

It manages to blend rhythmic platforming with the runner genre tremendously well, creating a cocktail of pure enjoyment from start to finish, and is accessible enough that anyone can get into.