Let me introduce you to a game quite special. It's a game that is so offensive to the senses, and so utterly clumsily programmed, that it is genuinely unplayable. "Unplayable" in the literal sense that "I sure as hell couldn't finish it and I would be genuinely surprised if anyone actually could." Let me introduce you to Crimson Keep.

The best parts of Cattails are when you’re just getting to take in the scenery, hunting some field mice, and then chatting with other cats. There’s so much charm in the sprite work and dialogue, so it’s all the more disappointing when you’re cast into dull combat exchanges simply because a RPG needs fighting.

Ultimately the only complaints that I can levy against SEGA Mega Drive Classics Collection are that there is not quite enough icing on what is an admittedly very generous cake. With this compilation you’ll be getting 50 games at an absolute steal – and while some of them are historical curios that won’t be worth your time, most are fantastic.

Thankfully, the design is very, very good.

Atlus has proven that Persona 4 DAN was not a one off, and while SEGA and Atlus seem to have lost the Hatsune Miku license recently, it is clearly not because the company has lost the ability to produce a sublime example of the rhythm game genre.

what Darksiders III gets right - the combat system and that beautiful, intricate labyrinth design - it gets so right that it can hold its head high against the many peers that it has at this at this time of year.

Intriguing, intense and extreme, Killer7 is as relevant, playable, and valuable as it has ever been.

Compared with Final Fantasy XV, released in the same year as World of Final Fantasy, I find this game that much more enjoyable and replayable, because it is a gorgeous throwback to the history of the franchise, and because it doesn't take itself seriously.

I do think that the game is one or two elements and patches away from being a truly enjoyable party experience, so while I’m putting it aside for now, hopefully this will be one worth coming back to.

There's something compelling about building up a farming empire. If nothing else, the developers are doing genuinely good work in highlighting a job that we should all be much more aware of. We don't survive without our farmers, after all.

As a fan of Lovecraft's blend of horror, I love what Achtung! offers - enough so that I've been more than willing to play through the occasional frustration of those virtual dice rolls to keep pushing on.

LEGO DC Super Villains is another example of how TT Games haven’t just sat back on its LEGO titles to simply release “just another game” with a reskin. It doesn't always work, but the developer has tried to do something new while also keeping elements of previous titles that worked. Add in the iconic slapstick humour and you're in for a reliably good time.

Colin Thiele’s Storm Boy on the Nintendo Switch is a refreshing take on a classic tale, backed by high production values and a keen eye for beauty. Its brief runtime and interactivity could make it a great resource in the classroom as a companion to a study of the book, while parents are also recommended to pick this one up to play alongside their children.

I already know that this will be my most-played game on the Switch over the longer term. Once you start playing Civilization, it has the most incredible ability to make you lose all sense of time, and desire to play anything else.

Hitman 2 is suave, amusing, and delightfully silly. It has all the blockbuster sensibilities and refinements, but a willingness to be different and, critically, laugh at itself. And, like I said at the start of this review, it doesn't treat its players like idiots. There's no forced path or endless pile of hints to the point that the game almost plays itself. Hitman 2 lets you play your own way, and it's all the more rewarding as a result.

Although Spyro the Dragon and its subsequent two sequels haven’t aged as well as one would hope, Toys for Bob has done a good effort to put out a remaster that does the nostalgia justice. Control and design issues were part and parcel to 3D platformers from the era, but while can't be celebrated except when viewed through an incredibly thick pair of rose-tinted glasses, the overall series remains charming, delightful, and well worth checking out for interest's sake, if nothing else.

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.

Timber Tennis Versus has a nice pixel aesthetic, and for $Aus3, it's hard to fault the developers for the effort that has gone into making the package as comprehensive as possible. It's a substantial step up from Timberman Vs, too, because, shallow as it is, there is at least more to do than mash a single button. It's by no means an essential game, but it's passable for (very) short bursts of play.

The Shapeshifting Detective is proof that FMV titles can be done extremely well.

I'm sure there's something good at the core of Road Redemption, but over and over again the developers made some truly horrible decisions that let that core down. Coupled with an attempt to emulate the aesthetic of Mad Max without the slightest understanding on why Mad Max is such a revered series of films, Road Redemption comes across as a wild swing for glory that didn't even come close to connecting with the ball.

Over and over again some truly baffling decisions let it down, and while the scenarios justify the asking price in themselves, for any of us that prefer the sandbox mode of the simulations that we play, Townsmen is a complete misfire.

This is a deeply immersive, elegant, intelligent take on Tetris, and the best example of it since the original on Game Boy.

When you're in the mood for a tactics JRPG, but not necessarily concerned with narrative, then this no-frills approach to the genre will scratch the itch. Really, though, this game's biggest problem is that it doesn't do enough to push the series forward from the predecessor, which is available as a three pack collection, and that comes across as far better value for the kind of experience that Mercenaries provides.

It's a pity that everyone that doesn't have a VR headset will miss out, because Déraciné is really quite remarkable.

Of course, it's also "just" another match-4 title, and perhaps that's why the developers didn't feel like putting the price up to something more appropriate to the size of the game. Lucky us, then; because while Swap This! is by no means going to end up on anyone's favourite games of all time lists, it's bright, pleasant, and perfect for those times that you do want a quick burst of puzzle action. And all for the cost of candy bar.

11-11 Memories Retold is something precious; it’s a rare foil against the lies about war that filth like Call of Duty and Battlefield get away with far too easily.

Should sequels never see the light of day, One’s Justice is still excellent comfort food for fans of the series.

I can see myself replaying Crystalis at some point, and working at Athena until I do finally beat it, but for this collection to be really worth the price of admission, SNK needed to dip into its more recent history, and particularly the fighting game genre, where the company has a genuine leadership position. It didn't do that, so it's hard to shake the impression that you'd be better off with a couple of the dozens of Neo Geo Classics that are available as individual purchases on Switch.