While it sounds great on paper, the execution varies throughout and for every moment of triumph, there are many more instances of frustration and exasperation.

Though its one-track mind and ruthless AI takes some getting used to, the robust mechanics, great interface and presentation are an incredibly impressive feat from a one-man studio, while sensational shipbuilding and fleet battles prove incredibly satisfying.

The Indie Mixtape is a success, giving five interesting yet overlooked games a new lease of life at a bargain price. Though the eclectic mix of genres may not be to your tastes, and you could cherry-pick the best games separately on itch.io, this brave compilation does a great job of showcasing hidden talent.

State Of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is the definitive way of experiencing this fiercely unique zombie sim and a true highlight of the survival genre. Though still rough and ready, it's undeniably a complete package.

Fantastic visuals and enhanced AI behaviour makes the virtual world of San Andreas come to life, and the Rockstar Editor is a powerful tool for machinima creators. It really is the definitive version of a modern classic.

Titan Souls is a brutal and breathtakingly elegant boss battle bonanza, but it's difficult to find a satisfying rhythm thanks to a host of inconsiderate design decisions. What starts out as wholesomely frustrating can quickly become infuriating and even surprisingly repetitive.

Fans of old school shooters will enjoy Tower of Guns for its classic approach to firing from the hip and strafing through borderline bullet hell stages. The randomly generated rooms and enemies repeat themselves sooner than we'd like and the frame-rate goes to hell in the really busy rooms. There are some tasty guns to be found though and it's a lot of fun in small bursts.

Keebles is a deceptively difficult fusion of cutesy physics puzzling and vehicular engineering. Fun and wholesomely frustrating once you smash through the challenge curve, but plenty of potential goes untapped due to its roots as a Windows 8 app. Nevertheless, a robust and incredibly addictive first attempt, and a foundation that Burnt Fuse will hopefully build into a sensational franchise.

It's knuckle-gnawingly difficult at times and would rather spit in your eye than point anything out for you. But fending for yourself in the incredibly well-designed environments is a rewarding, empowering and yet humbling experience that gamers will talk about for years to come.

Ride is one of the best bike racing games in years and is much more appealing than the dry offerings of Moto GP or SBK. The bikes are fantastically detailed and there are enough handling options to appeal to any race fan. Moving most events to new road circuits was a great idea too for those of you bored with the Moto GP calendar.

Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin is the definitive version of a masterpiece. Surprising for veterans yet deceptively welcoming to newcomers, this rebalanced remaster proves as deeply impressive as it is brutally compelling.

Under Night In Birth: Exe Late is a class act; a gorgeous and responsive 2D fighter with a great cast that encourages aggressive play while letting newcomers in on the ground floor.

Against all the odds, it's the single player campaign that's proved to be Battlefield: Hardline's biggest selling point. Trying to play through as a 'good cop' by arresting baddies instead of filling them with lead is very rewarding. But the gunplay is as fun as ever if you want to play that way too.

The gorgeous HD assets and stonking amount of included DLC are well worth the price of admission, but it's a shame that The Pre-Sequel's performance issues stop this collection from being as handsome as it should be.

Pillars Of Eternity is a masterpiece and nothing less than essential for anyone who's ever heard of the Infinity Engine. Superbly written, expansive yet rich and detailed, tactical and thought-provoking, it's the sort of roleplaying experience that we've been dreaming about for years.

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters tells a great story well and sets a new graphical standard for visual novels. Sadly its attempts to provide more player choice and agency fall flat, both in terms of vague (often creepy!) character interactions and tedious turn-based combat.

In an effort to be bigger than the original, Hotline Miami 2 bloats the arcade gameplay of the original into an grinder that punishes risk-taking and frequently feels irritating or unfair, not satisfyingly tough.

A deeply atmospheric, emotionally compelling game that manages to treat war as a serious topic and examines the hard choices made by those caught in the middle of conflict.

Level design is still exceptional; expansive with a real sense of place.

If you don't care about playing last-gen material on new-gen platforms, give this a miss, do yourself a favour and pickup a copy of the original Saints Row IV for under a tenner.

Blackguards 2 delivers more brutal hex-based strategy and environmental puzzling while refining the original formula in several smart ways. The more open yet focused campaign, propped up by a fantastic central character who's as evil as you want her to be, makes for a satisfying if punishing experience.

A great remake of a terrible sequel that fails to take the series anywhere remotely interesting.

A remarkable homage to the original survival horror masterpiece to be enjoyed by fans of the original PS1 game, the GameCube remake or even complete newbs. Some of the mechanics like the dated inventory system can and will frustrate, but the overall journey is a rewarding one through one of gaming’s most important games.

An enormous, expansive and peerlessly written RPG that succeeds both on the strength of its world and its innovative campaign structure. So long as you're willing to read and exercise a little imagination, that is.

Zany humour finds wonder and wackiness in the mundane, while the recruitment system lets you build a versatile army that changes the way you explore and battle in a JRPG.

A fun, accessible and utterly bonkers 4v4 team sport that allows onlookers to get involved in crazy and unpredictable ways. It's a local multiplayer revelation, though long-term appeal and value is questionable especially once it returns to £11.99.

If you can get past the clunky storytelling and the repetitive missions, you might a diamond in the rough that really empowers you to revel in the design aspects of its zombie-infested sandbox.

Unmechanical Extended is just as short and sweet as the original; a gentle yet compelling use of four hours that's best enjoyed in a single sitting.