While Tokyo itself is somewhat disappointing in terms of size and flair, the drift-prone driving physics are incredibly fun. Content-wise Forza Horizon 6 is as big as ever - there are dozens of hours of fun to be had here.

A relaxing time-sink and creative outlet with loads of stuff to do. This is what truly great sandbox gameplay looks like.

You will turn and shift every new room like a child handling a new toy that still has that special fragrance of fresh plastic – the smell of birthdays and Christmases. One can easily forget what kind of arduous design-process must have been necessary to create this almost hypnotic and wondrous effect.

This series has accompanied us through the better part of this past year, made us afraid, brought us close to tears and made us question why the hell we were even playing something this depressing. The Walking Dead's answer was one of the most striking ones of this generation of games: Clementine! She's that glowing light that pulls you through the harshest of tortures. She's the heart and soul of this remarkable little game. And when the lights go down on episode five, Lee finds the most sincere of words for her – speaking not his, but the players mind. That is, if you can bring yourself to utter them. What is it that he says? You should really find out for yourself.

The Séance of Blake Manor spices up the classic whodunit formula with Irish folk horror and colonial guilt, sprinkles in a touch of Lovecraft, and serves it all as an interactive unease that creeps under your skin slowly but effectively.

Gearbox has consistently built on the strengths of the first game and managed to capture the sort of gravitational pull that always sucks you in for another go. Sometimes it pays to not change a winning formula all too much.

The result is a game I didn't know I needed or even wanted. Death Stranding 2 is huge, pompous, moving, shocking, inspiring, confusing - and ultimately, and above all, concerned with what connects us and makes us human. Even if that thing is just the sheer joy of an insanely long zipline ride through snow-covered mountains.

At times, Infinite Wealth feels a little unfocused in terms of plot and progression, with all its little mini-games and time-wasters in a positive sense. Then again, maybe that's the wrong way to look at this game. These distractions an essential part of this Hawaiian excursion and a big reason why you're doing it all in the first place. It gives these characters and the world life and vigor - you're here to take a vacation. If you embrace that and let yourself drift through Hawaii instead of running from one quest marker to the next, you'll find this the most positively sunny game of the winter.

The strongest new Resident Evil chapter in a long time. Capcom delivers an atmospheric triumph that blends classic survival-horror-virtues with fresh ideas. Even though the boss fights and the finale falter slightly, it remains a truly strong survival-horror experience.

Is this the only shape a fresh new XCOM could have taken? Definitely not. What it is though, is a sincere and absolutely splendid tribute to one of the best games ever made; undyingly in love with the source material, but at the same time absolutely determined to be its own beast. 'On the shoulders of giants' one of the final achievements says. Firaxis just put another giant there.

Monument Valley is beautiful game. Stylistically, it might not be all that unique, it's inspirations not all that fresh – Escher's been dead for over 40 years. But that doesn't change the fact that this little gem is a relaxing stimulation of the senses.

This franchise, like no other, is a conglomerate of almost indescribable uniques, which sometimes take themselves a little bit too serious, sometimes not serious enough, but will never fail to captivate.

It might not quite be the new classic some might have hoped for, but it's a very entertaining and intimate proof that Ubisoft isn't all about throwing hundreds of people onto any given problem. They actually know very well how and when to pick just the right guys and gals for a job.

You can't meaningfully see Phantom Liberty without Cyberpunk 2077. Both together are like a director's cut of an already outstanding game. And together they are more than the mere sum of their parts. The new story fits seamlessly into the saga of V and Johnny in a way that makes you truly admire CD Projekt's artistry. Tugging at the interconnected threads of a game as artfully convoluted as Cyberpunk 2077 and incorporating this new episode meaningfully into everything is quite a feat.

It simply is the most trek-like game on the most trek-like device. This extraordinary gauntlet feels right at home on the iPad.

Everybody should have experienced this interesting and somewhat plausible vision of a possible future and it comes as no surprise that this well done Director's Cut is the version of choice for that.

Dishonored grants us a first look at the future of free-flowing gameplay in the triple A segment. Even though it stumbles over its own freedoms here and there, it still is an absolute winner of a game.

On the track, it shines with its charms and its finely tuned balance between diligence, precision driving and luck.

It's a shame that some features didn't make the cut, but the next gen versions are still the best iterations of FIFA 14.

Highly addictive tactical roguelite with flexible rules and endlessly motivating progression. Already one of the candidates for game of the year.

It is the rare case of a game that gets better and better the deeper you get into it. Not only because there are new things to see and do and the hero becomes more and more powerful, but also because you grow as a player.

The rich environments and the heartfelt, touching story easily make the price-tag seem irrelevant. Left Behind is on par with the main game in all but length, built with great care and attention to detail. It's the best DLC I have ever played and even though I never for a moment wanted The Last of Us to extend beyond its perfect conclusion, Naughty Dog almost made me think that a sequel to this might not be a bad idea after all.

Monster Hunter Wilds has a lot to offer, has been optimized in all the right places and comprehensive post-launch support has already been promised. For fans, there is no reason not to pick it up, while everyone else will certainly find it one of the best starting points to get into the series.

Who cares that some of the secondary activities are a terribly run-of-the-mill kind of affair? Between the skill tree, the unpredictably busy AI and the chaos nature tends to bring to the encounters you'll live through some of the most dynamic firefights in recent memory. It marries an immaculate stealth model, which couldn't work better if this was a third-person game, to a satisfying gunplay. A combination that will please more player types than Dishonored on the one hand and something like F.E.A.R. on the other ever could.

Playful and atmospherically captivating adventure without combat, but with imaginative challenges and lovingly executed ideas. Discovering a mysterious world has rarely been so much fun.

Whoever picks up a Vita these days, should also get Rayman Origins along with it. Do it for yourself. Do it for Michel Ancel, who put his heart into this one. And most important of all: Do it for that strange sausage creature in world three.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is the long-awaited return of the series that I have been hoping for for many years. But it's not just the excellent voice acting that's impressive; lots of welcome and significant changes to the core of the game elevate the experience.

Torchlight 2 is the distillate of everything I have always liked about Diablo as a series. People who came to love Blizzard's hack and slash with its second iteration, Torchlight 2 might well be a better choice than Blizzard's own sequel.