A concept that originally seems daunting, once you get into the central mechanic of Deathloop, it all makes sense. Be prepared to die again and again, remapping the same perpetual day out in a variety of different ways to hunt your targets. Arkane have refined their craft once more, delivering a densely packed world with so, so much to do. And as always, an insane variety in how to kill and look good doing it.

Capcom once again listening to fans, Separate Ways is a perfect accoutrement to the well-handled Resident Evil 4 remake. It’s linear, sure, but it hits all the right beats to make players want to go back to Leon’s presidential daughter rescue mission. Albeit from a higher perspective.

Despite some disappointing technical hitches, Indiana Jones swings onto PlayStation 5 with a satisfying crack of the whip. Sporting excellent writing, great direction and immensely satisfying gameplay, MachineGames have delivered the ultimate in Indiana Jones wish fulfilment. The hat may fall off at times owing to the glitches, meaning the Xbox or PC versions are probably your best bet, but this is still a treasure worth hunting on PlayStation.

The most essential game in the series for years, F1 2021 is a thoroughly enjoyable, accessible and gorgeous racing game. The new Braking Point narrative aspect is a triumph and there’s content and assistance options that will likely please most F1 fans.

The land of Bohemia beckons you into one of the most immersive, visually impressive and brutal worlds you could ask for. A masterful RPG that combines impactful decision-making, gratifying combat, meaningful progression and a host of gameplay variety, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a triumph that deserves not just your money, but your time and your appreciation.

Brief and concise, but being no less affecting for its brevity, Before I Forget is heart-breaking and uplifting in equal measure. The framing of the story induces a genuine sympathy and understanding of what those who suffers such conditions go through, but successfully stops short of crossing the line into patronising schmaltz. I urge all of you to experience it for yourself and make sure you avoid spoilers for maximum effect. I cannot recommend this enough.

An inventive isometric slasher, Death’s Door feels like all the best bits of Souls-like structure and none of the bad. Its Zelda-inspired combat and systems are firmly at the challenging end of the spectrum, but are also pretty addictive, and mix well with a bleak yet unique story.

What matters is still intact, and that’s the heart and soul of one of the greatest stories in video game history. It’s a return to form that has felt a long time in coming, and what’s even better is that there’s still at least two more games of this quality to come...They can’t mess this up, can they?

Chained Echoes is an incredibly passionate love letter to 16-32 bit era JRPGs, but it also knows when to try new things and add modern conveniences. Its battle system is one of the best in the genre, and feels genuinely revolutionary. I was slightly underwhelmed by the game’s rushed final act and a couple of party members but Chained Echoes is a great game and is absolutely worth your time if you’re a fan of the genre.

An outstanding package in its own right and the new standard by which all future retro compilations should be measured, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration serves as a love letter to a bygone era, a reminder of the power the name once held and a tantalising glimpse at how some of gaming’s most storied franchises can be revitalised in the right hands. Highly recommended for anyone remotely interested in gaming history. A particular affinity for Atari? Utterly essential.

A slick and stylish revival that captures the spirit of classic Shinobi while adding modern polish. Tight combat, striking visuals, and smart level design make this a must-play for fans of ninja action.

Blind Drive is unlike anything else out there at the moment. It’s unique, innovative and hopefully the start of something new. As a proof of concept, this game demonstrates that it’s possible to create an absorbing, exciting experience based purely on sound. As a game in its own right, it’s thrilling, funny and a triumph of audio game design.

With a mechanically flawless flat screen experience, an EDM soundtrack that is packed with bangers and chaotic visuals that emulate the style of your favourite arcade machines, Spin Rhythm XD is a great experience. The VR aspect isn’t as brilliant and the game doesn’t offer much else from the base gameplay but it’s hard not to recommend for rhythm game fans.

The Great Circle represents a huge shift in focus for Xbox, and tells a terrific story full of excitement and adventure. Machine Games have once again created a Nazi-punching sim worth investing in and perhaps, if the quality of the output remains this high, there's hope for Xbox's future first-party line-up after all.

The Witch Queen is a terrific addition to the Destiny 2 canon, finally balancing the combat and the story to near perfect levels. There’s so much here to enjoy, breathing new life into Destiny as a whole. Absolutely brilliant.

It may seem like one for the hardcore, but the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection is for old and new fans alike. Quality of life improvements make it more accessible, whilst retaining the original challenge for the more “old school” fan. Either as a bundle or individual title, there’s a classic for everyone.

A fun, unique little Zelda-like with all the quirk and style of a 90s heyday Game Boy game, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is going to scratch that itch if you like 'em retro. However, tricky controls and high difficulty are going to see many leave it languishing on the shelf after a few hours, alongside their old Yoyo.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a mystifying and emotive title from Deconstructeam. The complex characters and card-creating/reading mechanics bring exciting concepts to the interactive fiction genre that leave a long-lasting impression. A game that is uniquely beautiful inside and out and deals with topics with much-needed maturity and representation. Let the game cast a spell on you and you will be left bewitched.

With solid gameplay, excellent style and some of the funniest writing I’ve ever encountered in a game, this pastiche to a classic is one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve experienced this year. It would be impressive enough as is, but when you then consider that this is largely the work of just one person, it becomes an almost unbelievable achievement. If you want an old-school adventure with some new-school panache, you’re not going to get much better in 2021 than UnMetal.

A brilliant duet of simple-to-play, tough-to-master rhythm game, mixed with a snare-hit of nostalgia right to the face. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is both a beautiful collection of incredible music and a fun battler that rewards your rhythm skills with satisfying progression.

Chicory is the kind of game that reminds me why I enjoy gaming in the first place. It takes innovative, artistically driven mechanics and makes them accessible and intuitive. It combines them with a narrative which is emotionally charged and truly engrossing. This is all topped off with a fantastic world that houses oodles of charm, a top class soundtrack and puzzle design that challenges the player while rarely becoming frustrating.

Phantom Liberty is a terrific reminder that the world of Cyberpunk is one well worth jumping into if you’ve waited until now to do so. For longterm fans, whilst Dogtown isn’t as hugely exciting and fun to explore as Night City, the new sidequests and characters add to an already engaging list of reasons to jump back in to the dangeous, ridiculous world of Cyberpunk.

With a beautiful new style, a more adult narrative, wonderful characters, and a modernised tone and feel, Tales of Arise brings the franchise smashing into the current era. It’s still got the tried-and-true Tales flavour, both good and bad, yet innovates with fluid combat that feels fresh. The best and most essential Tales game in well over a decade.

A solid collection, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics will appeal to fans of 2D fighters. A few new tweaks don't detract from the arcade charm, making this a worthy collection for those who have always wanted to settle a bet about whether Ryu can beat Cyclops in a brawl.

It looks beautiful, it's got the right amount of challenge in it, and it plays smoothly. What more could you ask from Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound? As a standalone title, or to tied over until the next main game comes along, you'll certainly have a flipping good time.

Diablo IV has arrived to reclaim its throne at the peak of the ARPG underworld. A well-executed story and darker tone merges supremely with an exciting, expansive open-world to explore and slay thousands upon thousands of demons within. Aside from some minor technical issues and repetitive dungeon design, Diablo IV is a triumph of horde slicing and demon killing. Diablo was the true Prime, but perhaps Lilith’s campaign has shaken up the order of hell.

Overboard is a 2D puzzle murder mystery, and is infectiously intriguing with a quirky art style. If you love murder mysteries and choice based games, you will have a lot of fun with this short snapshot version of one suiting it’s release on Switch and IOS/Android. Your patience may run short replaying 35 minute sections from the beginning however.

Crash Bandicoot 4 It’s About Time is still the best Crash Bandicoot has ever been, and deserves to be played if you have any interest in platformers or loved the originals way back when. The PS5 upgrade gives it a thin but noticeable lick of paint to stand alongside the next-generation, and a reason to dive back in.