On to a familiar set of rules, Techland crafted a dynamic sandbox that's stupid in all the right places. I don't know if I need another one of these, frankly. But for now this sits right next to last years' Shadow of Mordor, as a mechanically sound and motivating experience I hadn't expected at all.

It might lack in inspiration, but makes up for it with its great pace and the hero's joyfully acrobatic movement and controls.

It's almost tragic, really. Because, awful loading times and some smaller technical quibbles aside, on the field, this PES looks and feels just plain excellent.

Grim Fandango doesn't live off of nostalgia alone. It's a great game on its own right and not at all out of place today.

The great thing is, everybody can decide for themselves how much depth and realism they want from F1 2012. Granted, there might not be too much new stuff in this iteration, judged on its own merits, it is still a very satisfying experience, though.

If you are new to the series you should think hard, if you really need the whole package. Even though I'd recommend the first Kingdom Hearts to anyone, this particular edition is one for the fans, really.

Ghostrunner 2 boasts unique boss situations, clever puzzles and a surprisingly entertaining cyberpunk tale that is narratively more interesting than it should have been for this game.

So there are minor limitations, but there's hardly a better way to overhaul two games that are almost 15 years old. After all, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 plays as smoothly as a current title would and looks the part too.

Of course, it's not a grand adventure with an epic story and powerful character development. Shredding your way through the snazzy dioramas - always careful not to lose valuable experience points, and soon so nimble that you bravely duel bosses yourself - is much more engaging than it might look on pictures, though. No wonder, then, that it had to be Devolver, who snatched up this gem. You'd best do the same!

Better than the predecessor in terms of gameplay, lots of content and - finally - without loot boxes. Only the story and boss fights don't really inspire.

With Beyond the Dawn, you can easily dive back into the world of Tales of Arise and experience the engaging dynamics between Alphen, Shionne, Rinwell, Law, Kisara and Dohalim. The world has been enriched with new monsters, dungeons and other small elements that encourage exploration and promise a good time.

Rarely did I enjoy getting to know the numerous facets of a vivid world as much as I did here. And rarely did I miss in-depth systems as little as in this cleverly constructed stealth puzzler - in which sneaking, puzzling and quiet exploration come together in pleasingly varied situations.

The undercooked strategy layer notwithstanding, nothing quite compares the Aliens: Dark Descent. With its open, persistent maps and tactics that oscillate nicely between quietly menacing exploration and gun-blazing battles, this one has a pull of its own that's hard to resist. It lacks polish, no question, but this game has heart, brains, and a takes great delight in making your heart go faster. An imperfect favorite of mine this year, and at just 40 bucks, fans of the series are going to have a blast with this one.

It might not be a game for long evenings, but in small doses, it proves to be one of the most entertaining and fun experiences on the Switch 2. The sheer joy of poking, prodding, and experimenting with this picture-book world runs completely wild.

EA Sports WRC presents itself as a challenging but rarely frustrating racing game. Codemasters strikes the perfect balance and makes driving fun for beginners and pros alike.

Colorful action and rewarding exploration make for an excellent platformer: Sega's silent ninja returns in an inspired adventure.

The first Jak & Daxter is without a doubt the crown jewel of the collection. Jak 2 and 3 are still fun, but have suffered from adapting to the kind of gaming-zeitgeist that prevailed at the point of their original release.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger manages to avoid mundane JRPG-formulas and even adds some fresh ideas to the genre. There are still some minor issues, but they don't take away from the fun the digivolution is adding and the massively improved pacing, compared to its predecessor.

This is a game that puts the racing experience front and center. The physics model of the pros at Milestone is a piece of art that has only matured over the years. The sensation of speed might not be there yet and the console versions' 30 FPS are an issue, but the handling of the bikes is almost perfect.

This one's a real highlight: Demeo is the VR version of a fictional and extremely stylish board game ... The nice thing is that you view the action like a gaming table from above, but you can rotate the view at any time, "lean" centrally over the playing field - and zoom so far into the action that you feel like you're in a classic computer role-playing game. This transition from being far away to almost being in the middle of it all is amazingly cool.

Imaginative space Metroidvania, with beautifully escalating mobility, distinctive design, and plenty of good ideas straight from the belly of a dying spaceship.

A short, cosy adventure in the icy Freljord that touched me with its enchanting story. Technically not flawless, but atmospherically a great cosy game.

It hardly shows its age: Square Enix's Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined offers charming JRPG fun in bite-sized portions. Perfect for exploring the genre without having to completely immerse yourself in it.

A satisfying sequel to the first Life is Strange with an exciting story, plot twists and only a few technical problems.

Despite the slight problems in the second installment, we still have two excellent twin-stick games here. I loved these games back then and still do today because they play just so wonderfully and offer a great mix of shooting, puzzling and platforming. I wish there had been more of them afterwards.

Even with these upgrades, in 2012 the series' looks are not as cutting edge anymore as they were four or five years ago. Apart from the jump in resolution and performance you'd expect from a title geared towards gaming PCs, there's not much eye candy that would elevate this experience on the same level as other current PC titles. It still does look good, though, especially if the clouds open up and the sun bathes the detailed landscapes in warm light and stark shadows. And you should never underestimate how a game like this profits from the boost in pixel density and temporal resolution. It's still, in short, the best version of this game – if you're willing to hook up a gamepad to your machine.

At the end of the day, we have two beautiful Monster Hunter games here that more people can finally enjoy playing. Part one does show its age here and there, and you shouldn't expect a fundamental remake, but the port to the newer systems is still largely successful.

Sackboy still doesn't do his actual running and jumping in the same league as Mario or Rayman, then. But at the same time this is by far the best toolbox for gaming creativity this brand ever spawned. How much you will appreciate this package almost entirely depends on how much time you are planning to spend building, constructing and mucking about with this aspect of the game.