And yet I sort of loved it. Does it move the No More Heroes formula in any meaningful way? Not really, and the trims and tucks and small additions don't exactly add up to ten years' progress. Does it spark and pop - and more than occasionally misfire - with all the vim and swagger of those original games? That it does, and fulsomely. This is a return to more full-blooded, frantic and outrageously over-the-top action, a game that's obnoxious, inventive and wildly inconsistent - chalk this one up as one of Suda's better works, though, and arguably the best of the No More Heroes series to date. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Overall, though? Aliens: Fireteam Elite is exactly what it says on the tin. Stuffed with guns, gadgets, and plentiful alien goo, it's a frenetic cooperative firefight against some of sci-fi's most iconic monsters in an all-new tale that takes us beyond the original trilogy. No, it's not the most sophisticated shooter, and no, its truncated runtime is unlikely to occupy you for more than a couple of nights, but it's an unashamedly good romp that'll hopefully satisfy your Ripley power fantasies, too.

Psychonauts 2 is, once again, a universe of damaged teachers and teaching environments, a space for thinking through dark thoughts with varying degrees of earnestness and absurdity. Its worlds are works of matchless invention, its characters a joy to exist alongside. I might have missed it first time round, but I'm glad that games like this are still being made. [Recommended]

In truth, I loved Road 96 from the start and I loved it at the end, my ending, which probably isn't yours. I loved it at first for its bounty of possibilities, and by the end I loved it for its intricate web, its sometimes goofy animations and cartoonish characters, its Road Runner depiction of the South West, its occasional procedural muddling, and its unwillingness to really represent the 1990s as anything more than a veneer slapped on present political concerns. Like John, this is a game with a good heart, along with a few missing fingers. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

There's quality within this intriguing time loop, though by the end you're left wondering whether the core idea is a good one after all.

Omno offers a dreamy blend of platforming and puzzling with a feel for player freedom. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Beautiful, rhythmic, inventive and funny, Titan Souls developer Acid Nerve has delivered one of the best Zelda-likes in some time. [Eurogamer Essential]

The Ascent's arcology setting is splendid, if heavily derivative - shame that all you can do here is gun and grind.

Slight repetition can't diminish the incredible atmoshpere of Farm 51's post-apocalyptic survival game. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Come for the virtual tourism and stay for a deliriously satisfying battle system. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Capcom shakes up the formula slightly for this enjoyable historical romp rooted in real-life events. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Some fiddliness with controls and interface can't hold back Asobo's phenomenal creation from shining in its new context. [Eurogamer Essential]

The Apple Arcade classic comes to PC and is as glorious as ever. [Eurogamer Essential]

You can see with Skyward Sword that something has to change. See it in the way it tentatively messes with the formula, but ultimately retains one of the most rigid central paths of any Zelda. In the way it introduces stuff like the stamina gauge, which will make much more sense in the game that follows it. It's clear now that Skyward Sword is straining against its own rules and rituals. That makes it fascinating to play, and it means that this strangest and most compromised of Zeldas is also amongst the most human. [Eurogamer Recommended]

This platformer is perfectly perfunctory in every way.

An entertaining and surprisingly effective new story mode heads up an otherwise modest refresh for Codemasters' official series. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Years pass as tales are written in this dazzling game of tactics and narrative, choices and memories. [Eurogamer Essential]

A beautifully realised old school JRPG whose only downfall is its story of all things. [Eurogamer Recommended]

If you're looking for something that improves or builds upon the astonishing work of Moon Studios or Team Cherry, you're unlikely to find it here. That said? Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a surprising and compelling adventure that's been crafted with care and oodles of charm. Yes, it requires patience. Yes, it requires a natural curiosity, and a willingness to overlook its occasionally clumsy control scheme. But I spent many a night wandering around Land's End, staying up way later than I'd anticipated, keen to unravel more of the story and expand Lily's impressive skillset. If you enjoy Metroidvanias and have been looking for a new challenge that's not too punishing, I suspect you might, too.

The Dark Alliance revival lacks finesse, and local co-op, but give it time and it's not without its own charms.

Running between shots can be chaotic fun, but Mario Golf truly lives in its ever-soothing standard mode. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Photography opens up a complex world of timely, timeless narrative. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Some standard Nintendo limitations get in the way, but this is still an invaluable education in some of the fundamentals of game creation. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Backbone's sumptuous pixel art and promising narrative threads are undermined by flat gameplay and a non sequitur of a final act.

Minute of Islands is a beautiful thing, but the gameplay can't keep up and there's no real narrative to be found.

With Guilty Gear Strive, Arc System Works has made its famously complex fighting game series easier to get into, but no less rewarding.