The ultimate concern with any rhythm game is whether the actions that the game is asking players to take (swipes, taps and so on) reflect the movement and mood of the music. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call nails this, and makes for a music game that is both fun and rewarding. Especially for the Final Fantasy fans out there.

Its focus on the dust and dirt of mercenary life in Greece instead of the clinical chairs of Abstergo is highly rewarding, and it manages to encourage interest in the rich history of the world without needing to lecture.

Because Tropical Freeze is so charming, and because the platforming is so wholesomely engaging, it's easy to forgive the fact that is really isn't enough of an enhancement on the previous game to be called something new.

A clever, well balanced and highly cerebral game which will be sure to delight fighting and strategy fans.

Code: Realize is a beautiful visual novel, with a wonderful concept that is written wonderfully. It's a little short of the flash-and-bang, which means it's not the ideal introduction to the entire genre, but once you're settled in to the genre and can appreciate a visual novel for a quality narrative without needing full animation or "gameplay elements," it's hard to look past this one as a key example of the genre done well.

It’s not the longest game, at about ten hours depending on how quickly you puzzle through it. However, there’s a haunting quality to Hob’s Barrow that will stay with you long after you finish playing. It’s a fine example of literary and gothic horror being brought to the video game medium, and that’s something I’ve been asking for more of in video games for quite some time now.

Never 7: The End of Infinity and Ever 17: The Out of Infinity are both very different experiences, but both are worth picking up because they give you an insight into one of the auteurs of our industry. Kotaro Uchikoshi has a rare talent for bringing a literary quality to his projects, and with these two we get to see what he was like at the beginning of his career. That’s a treat that you shouldn’t miss.

I haven’t been able to put this game down, though, because through its weaknesses, it is a clever spin on the basic idea of Scrabble, and thanks to all those items and board variations, a nearly endless variety to make each new game its own experience. It might not be the “level up” on Scrabble, I imagine the developers went into the project aiming to make, but they certainly have come up with something that is perfect to pair up with a coffee on a Sunday morning. And I do love my Sunday morning coffee games.

Setting aside, enemies are less inventive than the ones found in Old Iron King.

The big question we need to answer here is whether they're worth another dip? If you've missed the Mysterious trilogy so far (perhaps you're a newer fan due to Ryza), then absolutely. If you are an Atelier fan, then having Firis and Sophie on the Switch for the first time is a nice deal, and the photo mode and art books, in particular, are a bonus worth playing with. These are all genuine five-star games and that needs to be remembered... though its also worth remembering that these are all JRPGs, with time commitments to match, and we're being inundated with those this year. That's the only possible dampener for what is otherwise an excellent collection of wonderful games.

Fans of the original Gears of War will enjoy visiting Sera one more time to play out humanity's last hope against the Locust.

For the most part though, Yoku’s Island Express is a lot of wholesome, whimsical fun. It manages to make the hybrid of two disparate genres work in some inspired ways, and the result is a unique game full of surprises that is sure to delight players. The only flaw is when the mechanics outweigh their welcome and stop feeling unique – the moments where Yoku is just a pinball game, or just a Metroidvania, are generally the weakest.

I'm just glad that by JRPG standards Celceta is reasonably focused, allowing me to complete it and move on to the next game, neither having been bored nor especially inspired.

These two games are straight ports that have been thrown on the Switch to introduce newer players to the No More Heroes series, but they are worth revisiting because it's truly impressive how little they seem to age. Do we have faster-paced and more complex brawlers now thanks to the likes of Devil May Cry V? Sure. However No More Heroes is its own beast because it blends its punkish attitude and humour in with a surrealistic bent and some of the most memorable boss battles you'll ever play in video games. For these reasons, Suda's classics are every bit as entertaining and brash as ever, and it's great that they continue to be available to players on current consoles.

Watch Dogs 2 does a great job of demonstrating the potential perils of a too-connected world and improves upon the first game in multiple ways. This is not a guns over brains game - there is an interesting topic at play here about our society's dependence on technology and Ubisoft deserves credit for exploring this theme. The characters and narrative are leaps and bounds more engaging than the revenge tale the original game tried to paint.

Defiant Development has proven that Hand of Fate was neither a one-off hit, nor that it couldn’t be expanded on in a meaningful way. Hand of Fate 2 retains the aesthetics and soul of the original game, but builds on the world’s lore, its mechanics, and its art in such a way that the two games feel generations apart. As I said at the start, this is one of the best games Australia has ever produced. Now begins the agonising wait for the next stroke of genius from this talented team.

Atelier Ryza 3 should be the final chapter for Ryza, and it’s a fine send-off. It’s a game in which nostalgia plays a key thematic role, and has been made for nostalgic Atelier fans first and foremost. I know this probably sounds like faint praise, but Atelier is my favourite JRPG series and Ryza 3 is a perfectly fine game in that context. Hence the store. It’s just that, more than anything else, I dearly hope that after the next Marie remake, Gust settles down to give us new stories, new adorable alchemist girls, and some new ideas again.

All solid improvements over an already very good game that fans of the series will no doubt enjoy, but aside from the very generous (and not before time) inclusion of women, this one doesn't offer anything to be blown away by.

Just enough has been done to preserve the spirit of the original games while making these entries feel like a legitimate part of the current Pokémon ecosystem. Game Freak and Nintendo have taken the main Pokémon franchise about as far is it can go, short of actually evolving it.

Stealth Inc 2 was not only something different, but it was something different that worked. It isn’t easy to merge several styles, but Curve Studios went for it and it more than paid off.

It's addictive stuff, all up. I've been playing Zen Studio's various releases for years now - in fact, aside from Hatsune Miku games I can't think of anything I've played more than these, and with the Nintendo Switch I imagine I'll continue playing long into the future.

If you exclusively follow the main narrative then you’ll find that in Lost Judgment, Ryu Ga Gatoku Studio has delivered something every bit as compelling and interesting as anything Raymond Chandler ever wrote. The central crime story is a riveting and often uncomfortably poignant reflection on society (and Japan’s legal system). If, on the other hand, you’re more interested in more Yakuza-style zany side-styles and a deep collection of highly playable mini-games, the Lost Judgment has you covered there, too. I can’t see how anyone could fail to love this game.

Child of Light is a fun adventure well worth exploring by yourself or with a friend.

The formula here is excellent and the inescapable hardships of being a leader making the tough choices gave me a real sense of ownership over the duration of the game. If you enjoy a weighty narrative and a challenging turn-based strategy system, there is no reason not to give this Nordic themed title a chance.

There really is nothing better, and now that it’s on PC I’m feeling joy all over again.

Between time, weather, AI, career, suspension, tires, brakes and more, the amount of customisation in Project CARS 2 is completely insane.

While I was very late to the Borderlands party, this "HD Remaster" of the two later games in the series have converted me to the franchise. If the FPS genre moves this way en masse (and we are seeing that happen with the likes of Destiny), then I might just be converted to the whole genre yet.

I will say that I wish that Tom Clancy's The Division 2 had more to say. The thin story is not helped much by its characters and stands in sharp contrast to the intriguing setting and mission development. These tasks certainly provide more interest than the simple fetch-quests found in most games, and it is interesting that mission characters are often more interesting than those who help propel the primary storyline forward. Despite this concern however, just about everything else The Division 2 does is fantastic, and I have found myself logging back into it over and over again as I further explore what the game has to offer.