Ultimately, The Red Strings Club tries and succeeds to be deeply thought provoking. Whereas other sci-fi games can tell a great story and make the player fear for a hypothetical future, few have made me question my personal definitions on fate, ethics and humanity. Maybe it’s because The Red Strings Club isn’t weighed down by all the empowerment that traditional action sci-fi games wear on their sleeve. Maybe it’s because the writing is simply out of this world. Either way, I can imagine this game is something which sci-fi and narrative game fans alike have been waiting eons to see – so try it out for yourself and just try to come out unchanged.

We live in an era where games that have puzzles need to lead players by the nose to their solution, for fear of the player getting stuck and giving up. Anything that truly challenges the player is anathema to modern design best practice. That’s why Amerzone is such a rare treat. It looks the part of a modern game, tells an exceptional story with a page-turning quality that only one of history’s finest comic book artists could achieve, and is willing to throw some genuine puzzles at the player. If you’ve got the resolve for it, then you’re in for a ride with this one.

Olympia Soirée really is a distinctive and interesting visual novel, however. The Shinto themes and elements give it an entirely Japanese aesthetic and tone, and that's supported with just the most gorgeous soundtrack, filled with traditional instruments. The art and setting for the game are both impeccible, and while Olympia Soirée will put some players off with its harder, darker edges, this is ultimately a game that has something to say. Yes, sure, that means it's not always the feel-good romance that you might have been expecting from the screenshots... but wouldn't you rather a game that got you thinking? I know I do.

I came away from this year's version of the game convinced that the development team put its focus on the right area. That is to say, the gameplay. The results are obvious, and for those who decry the annual release cycle as nothing but a roster update, they are not giving enough credit to the locomotion improvements and continuing Longshot story.

All in all, this collection coming out on the back of the original Mega Man and Mega Man X Series is a must have for fans or those that never actually got around to playing them. With plenty of features only improving on the original releases back on the Game Boy Advance and the collections on the DS, Mega Man Zero 1-4 and its two sequels are an ideal way to celebrate one of the more niche and forgotten chapters in the Mega Man legend.

There’s not a lot about this expansion that reinvents the wheel; the franchise has been around for almost two decades now, and each iteration essentially gives you flashier and more refined ways to enjoy old systems. The animals are realistic, have their own inscrutable temperaments, and sometimes live to frustrate; that’s their charm. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t love hanging out with cute critters, and Cats & Dogs is yet another great addition to a consistently high-performing saga.

This has been quite the non-review, I know, but then I don’t have anything to say about Persona 3 Reload that I haven’t already said, other than to note that it’s not quite as refined, smooth and slick as it is on PlayStation 5. It’s a slight enough degradation that I have no issue recommending the game anyway, though. More broadly, I guess the retro gamer in me does miss the days when meaning in video games was a collaboration between the player and the limitations the game developer worked with.

Nintendo and Game Freak have managed something quite special with Pokémon: Let's Go. It's a game that is so clean and streamlined that it is a near-perfect entry-level Pokémon experience for people new to the series. At the same time, it so perfectly taps into nostalgia that the oldest of old fans - people who really should have moved on, but can't because Pokémon is so damn charming - can find new ways to appreciate their hobby all over again.

Boxboy! is confident, assured programming. It’s brave to make a puzzle game in which players control a box with two little slits for eyes. It requires the confidence of the entire development team that they’re going to be able to imbue character into the experience despite the minimalism, and that the level design and puzzles would be interesting enough in their own right to maintain the player’s interest.

It really is little more than a direct port of a really wonderful game, with only the most superficial of enhancements. That being said, Dragon’s Crown Pro is a direct port of a really wonderful game, and it’s still the most sublime, brilliant fun, and it only gets better the more people you share it with.

I think that is perhaps the testament to what Telltale Games does best with its stories - when the team can put an emotional punch in there that simply resonates for hours or even days at a time. This was an excellent episode that did precisely that for me.

There's no doubt that Mario Party Superstars was a hasty project, pulled together to capitalise on the party season and keep the run-rate ticking over for Nintendo with a new release. It's hard not to look at a selection of boards that accounts for just a quarter of what was present in the first three Mario Party titles and not think that this is less a "superstars" package but rather a rather cynical sampler. Still, what is there is excellent quality, and if you've got Christmas parties and family events on the horizon then you will likely get a lot of value out of this game. Just don't spill beer on your controller. They don't make 'em as tough as they were back on the N64.

Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter is a perfect sequel to the first entry. It offers some subtle improvements, while also keeping the focus on what Legends of Heroes does best; that narrative. It's traditional, but classy, and well worth the time it takes to play through it all.

If you actually listen to what the game's saying, and pay attention to the literary genres that it belongs to, this is really quite a remarkable experience.

Highly refined, beautiful to play, deep and intelligent, it's as endlessly replayable as the very best board games, and deserves to be respected as such.

Taken on its own, this may be one of the most important games created in terms of historical significance, and in blending life events, narrative and cultural immersion, captures the essential truth of the human experience.

I refuse to play mobile gatcha games (in part because I know that I’m the kind of personality that would get too hooked on a favourite one if I found one). However, I have always found Granblue Fantasy’s vision and promise particularly intriguing. The fighting game whet my appetite, but Granblue Fantasy Relink has been my first real exposure to the property. Not only are the characters, setting, lore and world building every bit as enjoyable as I hoped from all the promo material I’ve seen over the years, but for a “spin-off” this is a much better action RPG than I was anticipating. While eight years is no doubt longer than Cygames hoped to spend developing Granblue Fantasy Relink, the wait has been worth it and this is, potentially, the start of a very big new property that will rival the best that Bandai Namco, SEGA and Square Enix produce.

Ys Seven was already a solid experience and the upgrades that it has received for the PC make it even better. Like the Ark of Napishtim, bringing Seven over was a great idea as it continues Adol’s adventure for all those that never did either move to a console market or have the chance to pick it up back in the day.

The Rorona remake isn't a massive change over the original game. And it didn't need to be. The original had all the ideas right, but was a little raw on execution. The remake shows that GUST has in subsequent games refined the experience significantly, and now Rorona is now up to the standard of its fellows in the series.

Lies Of P is a decent Soulslike, but it does squander the main opportunity that it had to differentiate itself. The “dark Pinocchio” theme is intriguing and the developers went about it with the right spirit, but struggled to convert it into something as thought-provoking and deep as it should have been. Take that out of the equation and you’ve got a Soulslike that’s a little heavy-handed in how it makes players engage with it, in a world that looks more inspired in screenshots than it is to actually journey through. Ultimately, as enjoyable as it is, Lies Of P stands testament to just how difficult FromSoftware’s formula really is.

While it only lasted a handful of hours, The Assignment ended up being a refreshing counterpart to The Evil Within, rather than being labeled as ‘just more of the same’.

Scarlet Nexus is one of the most interesting new JRPGs that we’ve seen in a while from a big publisher. Combining a beautifully elegant, but also visceral combat system with rich and evocative theme, and hugely entertaining characters, this game is available on the previous generation, I know, bit in design and execution it’s very much the perfect new-generation experience.

Proof that bigger isn’t always better. The additional gameplay mechanics only get in the way of how fun the original was, and makes the screen a busy mess at times. The saving grace is that the Switch version of the game is perfect for short play sessions, which makes it a decent purchase for those that want Pac-Man on the go.

There’s almost no replay value to Card Shark, but that’s not a complaint. It’s a nice, compact and creative little experience that respects your time while also offering a complete experience. There is a cohesion between the art, setting, and period of history that it’s set that is compelling. Furthermore, the behaviour of the deeply corrupt nobility of the time that it depicts is surprisingly detailed. Backed by genuinely interesting minigames and a good – if stiff – challenge, publishing Card Shark has been another major win for Devolver Digital.

There is so much more that this game gets right than wrong. To call Tom Clancy's The Division 'just a shooter' is doing it quite a disservice. It has some elements of the genre, but it comes away more akin to an RPG when things are said and done, similar to how Mass Effect successfully blended genres and came out stronger than the individual sum of its parts. It lacks the amount of narrative control over the story that Mass Effect provides, but in most other respects The Division accomplishes the things it sets out to do. It might not be the textbook definition of fun, but the bleak world is interesting, the combat is engaging and I found progression rewarding.

It’s addictive, it’s charming in its retro design, and it absolutely has the “just one more go” thing about it that can turn a short play session into a marathon.

Rabi Ribi has so much more going on under its hood than mere screenshots can contain. What some will invariably dismiss as a cash-in on cute anime girl aesthetics is actually designed with greater foresight and craft than many AAA titles. Thoughtful world design meets bullet-hell mechanics in this endlessly endearing hotchpotch of ideas from all across the spectrum. Not everyone will appreciate Rabi Ribi’s more hardcore tendencies, but those who do may will be swayed into making this game their life.

Cute, charming, happy to a fault and challenging, Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX is everything that you want to see in a great rhythm game.