Excellent writing, an incredible number of choices with consequences that genuinely impact the whole journey, and a ton of replay value, Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! – The Complete Collection is an absolute treat of an RPG, and if you love the genre, you should play it. The only black marks on it were the menu navigation and the bugs I experienced, but they weren’t enough to make me not want to recommend it.

Helldivers 2 is the conquering bald eagle of freedom fans of the original have been waiting for. Despite the familiar surroundings and setup, the switch to third-person is an inspired choice. You’ll bask in the cinematic moments of your last stands and celebrate the arrival of liberty via an orbital nuke with reckless abandon. Salute your fellow Helldivers and take on the galaxy, how do you like the taste of freedom, a second time?!

Two point Campus is an easy recommendation for anyone a fan of the management sim genre. Exceptional level of detail to design and a wonderous explosion of creativity within University Life. Like its predecessor Two Point Hospital, challenges will still be present throughout each individual campus, but these challenges are worth your time. Pick up your pencil case and your red plastic cups and enroll.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 excels in being one of the most interesting iterations the franchise has seen in a long time. However, the standard framework it leans on is more glaring than ever as the new stuff completely outshines it. An entry maybe too scared to take the full plunge in offering something brand new but it at least shows what the series could be in brilliant and polished fashion.

Timeless and strange, Katamari Damacy is as original now as it was when first released. There’s nothing else like it. REROLL is a faithful remaster, but on PS4 that means retaining a very out-of-date control scheme, and no new features, but even that can’t hold back this big ball of fun.

Skunkape have done a fantastic job of refining everything that needed to be updated but have left the prevailing spirit of Sam & Max Save The World untouched. For fans of the genre or for anyone who enjoys absurd irreverent humour, this is a ‘must play’ title that has the capacity to have you in fits of laughter.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly is steeped in the same lo-fi chill atmosphere as its predecessor. Light touch gameplay gives way to heady and heartfelt conversations full of flavour, and despite little in the way of invention, it never lets the milk curdle. Savour it like a nice warm beverage, until you have to say that bittersweet farewell.

So this review is going to be a glowing recommendation, based on two factors: I have no real wealth of RTS history to throw it against, and I’m having an absolute blast with what I’m playing already. Much like any game, I’m trying to find my feet with its extensive tactics and takedowns approach, but I’m fully invested in the ride.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skate 3 + 4 uses the same gameplay formula as its predecessor, making it almost as fun. 4's redesign feels intuitive, the soundtrack befits the new coat of paint and the core gameplay is heaps of fun. With that said, character creation and career progression is hollow and unfulfilling, with nothing "new" to get stuck into outside of its 19 levels.

NBA 2K remains the most refined, content heavy and reliable sports gaming franchise out there, and 26 is no exception. With improved mechanics, gorgeous visuals and a cracking career mode, this is an essential purchase if you’ve ever picked up a basketball.

PowerWash Simulator 2 is an all you can eat buffet of power washing greatness. Whilst the sequel is essentially 'the same, but more of it' and adds incremental upgrades, what's here is more than enough to satiate any fan of the first game and, whilst big jobs can look and seem overwhelming, the sense of satisfaction of a job very much well done still gives you a feeling unlike any other series around.

Carving a destiny through The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is a surprisingly heart-rending and engrossing experience. It won’t be for everyone – it’s a text heavy game and it navigates some heavy subject matters – but if you have a soft spot for interactive fiction, this is one of the best examples of the genre for quite some time.

It’s a cyberpunk dystopia, filled with every kind of throwback to what the 80’s thought the future would be, and it’s fantastic. You won’t need to Voight-Kampff me on this one, the sheer grin on my face will prove I’m human when I play this.

Omno is an atmospheric, adventure puzzle game that certainly gives similar games in its genre a run for their money. It’s Charming, vibrant and with stunning design. The story lacks slightly, and would benefit from more direction, however gameplay is diverse with many ways to play. If you love games like Journey, it will be hard not to fall in love with Omno.

Instantly accessible and with a wicked sense of humour, Clone Drone In The Danger Zone is a fun and frenetic third person brawler that does a whole lot with a relatively simple premise and mechanics.

A masterclass in narrative games design, A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful games you could ever wish to play. Amicia and Hugo's journey is powerful, evocative and downright disturbing and somehow manages to be greater than the original. Asobo Studio has crafted satisfying streamlined rat, light and stealth gameplay that perfectly serves the story it's trying to tell and only adds to the narrative intensity. A Game Of The Year contender for certain.

Channeling a wonderful 80s pixel aesthetic and a frantic approach to run-and-gun gameplay, Mega City Police delights with its intense and challenging, though short-lived runs. A game that hits more than it misses, it’s a fantastic reminder of why the 80s action heroes were so revered, and probably feared, too.

Crow Country doesn’t reinvent the genre of survival horror but it represents the best bits whilst also being excellently distinct in its presentation. The puzzles are multifaceted and engaging, the combat is tense and satisfying and the overall design is a retro horror fan’s dream.

Streets of Rage 4 is not here to redefine the genre. It’s here to give fans something they have waited over 2 decades for and it doesn’t disappoint.

Of all of the PS4 games that have had PS5 upgrades, WRC 9 shows the most improvement. Sharper visuals in 4K running at a consistent 60 FPS transform an average looking game into a gorgeous one. Combined with an unchanged driving system that needed no tweaking and excellent DualSense implementation that elevates it, this takes 1st place as the best racing game on PS5 so far.

Perhaps the cosiest of cosy games, Tiny Bookshop revels in its serenity, offering a gloriously tempered adventure that brings you into a story you'll want to live out yourself. If you know your books you'll be instantly hooked. For the rest of us, Tiny Bookshop is difficult to put down once you begin, much like the novels you'll be selling in this delightful game.

Those who played it on Nintendo Switch or PC won’t find many reasons to double dip on Röki for the PS5, but for new players, this game is as magical in 2021 as it was in 2020. A fantastical point and click adventure that carries a poignant and very human story, despite being steeped in Swedish myths and legends, this game is one of the easiest recommendations I’ll get to make all year. Go and play it.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is perhaps the biggest surprise of the year for us. Not because it's good, because it's genuinely great. Full of life, vibrancy, joy and celebrating the long history of the blue blur, this is a kart racer that's heavy value for its asking price. Unlike others.

A very special point and click visual novel, Chicken Police is the perfect hard-boiled detective game you always wanted, just populated with animals. Atmospheric and funny, with some fantastic writing and voice work, Chicken Police is one of the best indie games of the year.

Taking inspiration from shooters of the 90's, Turbo Overkill is as much a delight as they were back in the day. A few modern tweaks don't deviate from formula, making it a welcome inclusion to anyone old enough to know what rocket-jumping is. It isn't bloated either, with a decent campaign and some additional modes to get stuck into as the challenge escalates.

A unique blend of social deduction game and visual novel, Gnosia is a mixture of both and something new entirely. A strong narrative that’s unveiled little by little combined with a looping logic and deduction game make for a very compelling proposition and damn near essential for fans of either genre.

BioWare have returned to Thedas with a solid, albeit, unspectacular RPG experience. The visuals excel, but where the world is glorious to behold, the action, storytelling and levelling struggle to maintain their allure past the first ten hours or so. It's a valiant effort from a beloved developer and a step in the right direction after Anthem, but Dragon Age: The Veilguard has plenty of vulnerabilities in its formation. Though it's a long slog to get there, the finale is a real spectacle.

Featuring a fantastic sense of place, unique style and a riveting narrative, The Thaumaturge is a challenging yet excellent RPG. Whilst the systems are lean, they all work great with each other and features a great detail in its writing, mixing history and dark fantasy into one neat package.