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?

It really is a beautiful game. As I’ve said, Arc System Works have only continued to hone their craft and have offered this stunning, smooth and fast-paced fighter as a testament to that. I don’t think it’ll have as big an audience as other genre mainstays, but if you’re a fan of Guilty Gear or Dragonball FighterZ, this is well worth checking out.

MotoGP 20 is a game developed for its existing fans and the lack of any kind of tutorial is testament to that. This game isn’t trying to win over anyone new (or, if it is, isn’t going to do a good job with it). Instead, this is a cracking racing sim that’s a celebration of the MotoGP heroes through the Historic Mode and a gaze into a bizzaro alternative universe where the GP’s actually went ahead this year. It looks great, handles even better and once you’ve got used to its particular idiosyncrasies, it’s a whole lot of fun to play...Those first few hours are a doozy though.

Ancient Enemy is a chilled out take on Solitaire underneath a RPG card battler. It’s not the longest of games, the narrative is a little rote and if you really dig into the mechanics early on, you can find combinations of attacks and special abilities that make the game a touch too early. That being said, it looks fantastic, sets a brooding tone through its music and writing and, as card battlers go, is really quite enjoyable to play. This game won’t be for anyone but if you’re into the niche, or you’ve enjoyed Grey Aliens other games like Shadowhand, this is certainly worth a look.

Super Toy Cars 2 is one of the worst examples of this genre I’ve played in the past few years (surprisingly not the worst). The visuals, much improved over its predecessor and a decent soundtrack are its only saving graces.

WarriOrb is a painful experience, and your enjoyment levels will depend on how masochistic you are. I found no impetus, no driving force to get the wisecracking Orb from A to B through any more sorry-looking levels. Very quickly I had had enough of retrying broken platforming sections two or three dozen times, for what is essentially no reward, except more of the same relentless, slow, monotonic boredom.

There’s a ton to love about Moving Out and it comes recommended as a new title to place in your party playlists next to Jackbox and Overcooked. It’s just a shame you don’t have the option to also move out that enormous online shaped elephant in the room.

It’s not an easy game, per se, but then it never claimed to be. Once you get your head around the time and patience aspect, SnowRunner is going to engross you. It won’t win any Game of the Year awards for being niche, but then neither does Train Simulator. If you can convince some friends to join you, then even better. But even as a solo experience, there’s some absolute joy to be had when you get stuck into it.

The Inner Friend is a short but sweet experience that will give back as much as you put into it. You’ve got to read between the lines with this game and if you like your narratives to have a clear structure, you’ll likely bounce right off this. If you like a game to challenge you, to make you think and maybe, just maybe, make you feel something, then The Inner Friend is certainly worth a look. Some sticky platforming sections aside, it’s a thrilling and occasionally chilling game that’s truly artistic in its vision.

It does however feature the most wonderfully realised sci-fi city I’ve ever had the pleasure to fly around, and goddamn, it’s the first flying car game I’ve ever played, and I can’t believe the stunning lack of flying car games in the gaming market. I hope this starts an incredible new genre. It’s got a fun cyber storyline, great lore, a few good lead characters that will keep you entertained, and a lush soundtrack to rival the best in the business.

If you can get past that and seek a new type of challenge, then you can’t go far wrong with Shred! 2. It has indie title written all over it, so if you can appreciate it at that arcade level and price point, it’s definitely worth a look for those that want to push themselves. It’ll push you and you’ll get mad at times (please, do. I can’t be the only one that gets annoyed), but if you can persevere until you unlock new rides to help, it opens up the challenge with progression and practice.

Dread Nautical is a solid and intriguing turned based, tactical roguelike RPG, just don’t expect your tense horror itch to be scratched, because you’ll be very much looking in the wrong place. The gameplay isn’t too overbearing for newcomers and the games primary characters certainly are fun to explore this doomed ship with, the story is twisty and keeps you engaged, and the hard mode will test your metal beyond much else around at the moment, but there’s very little here you haven’t seen before elsewhere and executed with more panache.

Whilst it’s not unplayable, it’s not far off. It’s trying too hard with its story scenario hopping all over the shop, coupled with an inventory management system that just doesn’t work in this kind of game.

Visually appealing with sound effects and music to match, Deliver Us The Moon is a cosmic trip worth your consideration.

If you’re a veteran of Solomon’s Key and are desperate for more, Ghost Sweeper will provide you with what feels like the levels from the 1980’s classic that didn’t make the cut. The mechanics and enemy types have been recreated with a spit shine for modern TV’s and having a second playable character is a nice touch. Compared to modern day puzzle platformers though, Ghost Sweeper feels like a relic from the past that needed more of a refresh that simply updated visuals.

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.

Come for the delightful artwork, stay for the level editor. You’ve seen everything else before.

Wavey was so unique and so interesting to watch that my wife, who rarely if ever plays videogames, was tempted into having a go just for the sheer novelty of it. It was a new thing, never encountered before. It took a few levels for her to get the hang of it, just as it will for anyone, but on level five she suddenly got it. She understood the waveform, she could shrink and grow it exactly as she needed to catch the wave.

John Wick Hex isn’t your traditional movie tie-in game. Whereas so many others take a franchise and shoe horn it into a genre, Bithell Games have taken John Wick under a microscope, examined its DNA and gamified the essence of it. It’s an ingenious take on what it means to be the Baba Yaga, an efficient killing machine that’s as human as the next guy but fights like an assassin savant.

To some, a short relaxing spiritual adventure through some lush environments will really appeal. For me, I wanted more than what was delivered. I wanted to be a fox, I wanted that feeling like when I was a wolf in Okami, but clearly there was a lot more to that game than I appreciated. Sadly the lonely experience of Spirit of the North is only a transparent, albeit beautiful, imitation.

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.

The small hitches and spotty audio don’t spoil what is an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable narrative. The diverse cast of characters, showing more inclusivity than any other romance visual novel on the PS4, is certainly welcome. Arcade Spirit is tightly written, with only a hand full of lulls, but plenty of heart and a tonne of quirk. While it’s not going to be challenging the greats in the visual novel genre, It’ll surely raise a smile or 10 on your face.

You’re going to want a pen and a pad nearby to keep track of your characters, the threads and the keywords you’ll want to search for, and some questionable design decisions hold the game back from being an all-out classic of the genre – with the shocks and twists of Her Story towering over Telling Lies’ endgame – but it’s still well worth exploring if you’re looking for an interactive mystery to untangle.

I’m sure those who loved The Wonderful 101 the first time around will get a kick out of playing this game again on modern day consoles with nicer visuals. For those that hadn’t experienced it before though, this remaster feels like an artifact from a bygone age that couldn’t adapt to a new set of input’s without the Wii U controller. The combat and concept are still sound 7 years on. Everything else needed to be reworked or tweaked further.

It’s difficult to see how younger players will react to its visuals and punishing difficulty, but it serves as stark reminder that we’ve come a long way, baby.

There’s a glorious amount of fun to be had with What The Golf? and I’m delighted it’s finally on Switch, in particular. It’s a perfect blend of game and console, something I’ve said in various Switch reviews beforehand. When a game lands on Switch and feels completely at home, it’s well worth investing in.

Fury Unleashed is also exceptionally hard.

Ion Fury isn’t a bad game. In the conventional sense, it’s a very functional shooter reminiscent of the heady days of all the aforementioned titles, with that modern (albeit minimal) sprucing. But it’s so laden down with questionable and somewhat controversy-baiting humour that lets it down a tad.