Another masterpiece from Ron Gilbert. The game is a joy to play and provides the perfect mix of humour, challenge and engaging storyline. I genuinely have nothing but praise for the game and I can’t recommend it enough.

There really isn’t anything else for me to tell you, except to please go and play this game. It’s cheap, and won’t take much of your time, and will hopefully give you something to think about. Come the end of the year, I’ll come to bat for this game to receive an honorable mention for Game of the Year, because while Evangeline might not deserve that accolade it deserves to be played, and it has earned Raconteur a big fan in myself.

A game that I really like and wish was better, but is let down somewhat by frustrating mechanics and confusing information dumps.

Overall Forma.8 is a good, if slightly flawed take on the Metroidvania genre. Its barebones story is divisive as it depends almost entirely on players’ interpretations. The gameplay is satisfying at times and thrilling at others though its inconsistency is what holds the game back. For those wanting to explore seriously stylish and striking environments, you could do much worse than Forma.8.

Weighing in at over 100 hours of gameplay, Persona 5 is one that you will want to spend time with. Brilliant voice work, a decent translation and solid gameplay mechanics make this one of the best RPGs I’ve played in a long time.

Dying: Reborn is an interesting enough puzzle game that falls short of making any kind of impact at all. A cash-in game for the VR age, skipping this title would be recommended.

In an industry that likes to hold the player’s hand at every opportunity, telling them when and where to press certain buttons and use certain skills, a game not treating you like an idiot is a breath of fresh air. Some may want a little more from Circles, but the game has set out to accomplish a certain style and it does so with aplomb.

A gorgeous, funny and well-thought out concept falls down when it comes to the meat and bones of combat, enemy AI and gameplay flow. Similarly, some may feel cheated that the game contains scant few levels, despite how fleshed-out they may be.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands is a bugged and flawed game, but it is capable of bringing huge amounts of fun.

If you like Streets of Rage, there’s a good chance you’ll like this. It doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the table but Qubyte has done a fine job of capturing the essence of the classic beat-em-ups of the ‘90s, and although there’s a little bit of repetitiveness in it, this is a title that’s worth playing.

Criminal Past is a great finale for Mankind Divided, and only makes the desire for more Deus Ex stronger. The ending is pretty open, and with faces new and old it does a great job of giving us something different while being faithful to the franchise.

Fun in short bursts and thoroughly enjoyable when played cooperatively, it’s a great time sink for the gamer who likes to play in short bursts or have friends over for party games. Just don’t expect to be playing it well into the future.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is certainly not for everyone, and its reliance on world interaction and a quirky, abstract but grounded world gives it a distinct feel. If you want a thought provoking, interesting world to spend some time in then you can do far worse.

The execution and delivery whilst not matching the predecessor, still maintains the momentum whilst giving the main campaign memorable moments with the snap shots of narrative bringing the best and cutting the worst. Road to Boruto does this and more, easily rivaling Full Burst. A fitting end and purchase for fans of the franchise.

Those who are looking to add some pointy-ears to their game will find a faction with a high skill ceiling and impressive design. At £14 for just one faction, however, you might want to wait until it’s on sale.

A simple game, but amazingly funny and fun to play alone or with a friend. If you enjoy RPGs and a good laugh you need to be playing Pit People!

If you were the kind of child who has sat knee deep in Lego making spaceships and buildings or were found surrounded by the guts of a clock looking up at bewildered parents. Crazy Machines 3 will engage you for a long time to come, if for no other reason than so you can work out new and interesting ways to shoot pigs on skis into space!

Perhaps the greatest shortcoming is the game’s stubbornness to shove Javi’s family as the player’s raison d’etre, when it’s clear that Clementine is a much more relatable and less frustrating character. The classic Telltale trap of unavoidable events is still there, but by now you should know what you’re getting into. If judged by what it attempts to do, rather than by what some sceptic players want it to be, A New Frontier’s harrowing first episodes smoothen most rough edges found in other games in the series in terms of storytelling. It just about manages to shake off the notion of being a rehashed concept, and become a beast that can stand on its own two feet, built upon the foundations laid by Lee and Clementine. Hopefully the rest of the season manages to sustain this level of quality.

Perhaps the greatest shortcoming is the game’s stubbornness to shove Javi’s family as the player’s raison d’etre, when it’s clear that Clementine is a much more relatable and less frustrating character. The classic Telltale trap of unavoidable events is still there, but by now you should know what you’re getting into. If judged by what it attempts to do, rather than by what some sceptic players want it to be, A New Frontier’s harrowing first episodes smoothen most rough edges found in other games in the series in terms of storytelling. It just about manages to shake off the notion of being a rehashed concept, and become a beast that can stand on its own two feet, built upon the foundations laid by Lee and Clementine. Hopefully the rest of the season manages to sustain this level of quality.

Pineview Drive is an atmospheric horror game that does little else to engulf the player. Long stretches of half-baked scares and tedious key hunts make this title a lacking experience.

She Remembered Caterpillars is a good puzzle game with the right amount of complexity and difficulty, but it is dragged down by it's undeserved grief and emotionally shallow overtones.

Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker is a quirky, light-hearted game that has transitioned well from mobile to console. I do feel it's better suited to being a mobile game, but this doesn't detract too much from the experience of playing the game on a console. The nice visuals, great humour and quirky gameplay all add up to create a supremely enjoyable game.

Causality bludgeons freedom into a pulp and annihilates any semblance of player choice, denying any puzzle experimentation and making for one extremely unappealing game.

The smooth textured environments do not make up for the game play issues and infuriating dialogue.

Sniper Elite 4 takes everything that worked on previous games and bumps it up a notch, deepening the gameplay and widening the distance while keeping the core of the franchise intact. It's an example of how to evolve a franchise over time.

I don’t dislike this game because I feel morally outraged by its content or because I’m offended by its depiction of women, I dislike it because it’s just poor and lazy in almost every way.

ManaVoid Entertainment have created a game that combines two genres together surprisingly well, yet there are some areas that leave it wanting. In trying to be be the best of both worlds, the game doesn’t really manage to excel in either.

The Flame in the Flood is a tough, yet very rewarding survival game that is infectious in its design, tempting players to keep going until their flame eventually dies out.

If there is one game you decide to take a chance on this year, please let it be Yakuza 0 - a game that is as fun and intelligent as it is silly and violent.

It’s not bad as such, just not particularly challenging. Adam Wolfe does some interesting things to keep the player involved, but fails to stimulate in the way that this kind of fiction really should.

Rogue One is a brilliantly designed pinball machine and I enjoyed it so much that I'm likely to be a late arrival to the Zen Pinball series fandom. There was plenty of action on offer and I didn't find myself getting bored at any time. And I'm sorry but I have to… The force is strong with this one!

Pacing issues, unnecessary backtracking and some frustratingly complex puzzles mar a title that is well-written and holds a lot of charm. A competent game but one that isn't quite as good as its predecessor.

Objectively, I don't really see much of a flaw with this game at all. It was actually put together beautifully, but, personally, it wasn't the most gripping or entertaining game I've ever played. This is entirely down to preference and I encourage anyone to give it a go. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. If you like claymation, and indie games, and RPGs.

Basic, boring, ugly mess that is glitch city. The game has no plot, no motivation and there is zero reason for anyone to play this game. Complete sewer poop!

The best thing that Robot Squad Simulator has going for it is its uniqueness - you’ll probably not find another simulator title like it out there. Its variety of missions, interesting concept and bug-free execution gloss over what at times feels like an average game. If you like your simulators, give this one a try.

Kick Ass Commandos is a strong game that is full of action from the off. I really enjoyed the pace and flow of the game and it’s a game you can just pick up and play with ease. The game could have had more longevity but overall Kick Ass Commandos is far too impressive to let that put you off. If you are a fan of twin stick shooters then Kick Ass Commandos is almost definitely for you!

Brilliant art design, lovely script, and great production values make ICEY one of the best indie titles I have ever reviewed.

A combination of complex characters and gameplay makes this one as satisfying as it is enjoyable. Even if you haven’t played any of its predecessors, Tales of Berseria is more than worth your time.

Knee Deep is a game that certainly tries to bring its world to life, but overall, doesn't make it past the first hurdle. A narrative focused title that isn't gripping nor riveting, Knee Deep shows us the negative side of storytelling.

Xmas Shooting - Scramble!! has come off rather well: it is a very competent and enjoyable shmup with bullet hell elements that has casual visual novel elements and a fantastic soundtrack.

A short and simple game with good art but seemingly inconsistent and punishing collision detection.

As a whole package, all the praise should be going toward the single player experience, and I'd never thought I'd say that about a Call of Duty game in a long time. But in all honestly, it’s true. As for the multiplayer, it makes for an incredibly mundane and subpar experience that almost parodies itself. Completely making it very difficult to recommend the game as a whole.

The story isn’t quite a reboot but is not quite a sequel. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that it’s not just a familiar horror story that we’ve seen in plenty of films and games over the years. I was thoroughly engaged in the story the deeper in I got. It’s a great jumping-on point for newcomers to the series while catering well to Resi fans.

Perfect for those who like their gaming to be in frantic 10-15 minute windows and oozing with style, PAKO is a title everyone who enjoys indie games should pick up.

For now, I would strongly recommend this game for those that enjoyed Cities: Skylines and other similar simulators such as Tropico. For the almost £30 asking price however? You are better off getting Cities: Skylines if you wish to simply focus on a producing a productive and interactive city. In a few more patches this game could be something great.

Decidedly average attempt at a reboot of the franchise, with controls that just aren’t fun and load times that sap what was left of any real enjoyment from the title.

Terrible controls and poor progression - with story threads left hanging with no sign of resolution and no variation in level design - spoil a game I was immensely enjoying playing.

Aside from the repetitive gameplay, this is a game that Fate fans will absolutely enjoy playing and exploring in an officially released Fate game, since the Stay Night visual novels don’t seem to be coming out anytime soon, including the several other games that spawned from this franchise. From a gaming perspective is a flawless execution of what a Servant would do against an army, but is mechanically challenging.

All the plot points needed are resolved, however can feel rushed, with characters not really getting the development they deserve. At an hour and a half to play this could leave you wanting more, but will probably just leave you wondering what could have been.

My final thoughts are that I appreciate the effort and difficulty of breaking into such a new area. I did not enjoy playing the game, however, and were it not for my desire to support aspiring artists, I would not spend money on this game. With all of this in mind, I still believe the developers should keep trying, as I see some promise in their concepts, but if this was their first try, which I believe to be the case, then it's not that surprising that it didn't land.

A strikingly good puzzle game based around pressing buttons that becomes fantastically complicated, with a strong techno soundtrack that compliments the aesthetic perfectly.

God of Word is a very engaging word puzzler game that uses Greek mythology as a fun and quirky way to improve your vocabulary and spelling, and all the while being enjoyable at the same time. The animations are neat and the game has a well-polished feel to it. The developers have identified a really cool niche to which this game slots into seamlessly - there is little doubt with me that God of Word is a stellar title.

An enthralling world with 'meaningful choices' is surely ahead of you, but for such a short game in this genre, the story stumbles and trips in its consistency and its appeal. On top of that, for a fantasy world, there's not much variety in enemies or creatures, so it can be a bit of a disappointment in that regard.

Good fun to rock out while shooting your way through the levels, as long as you see past all the product placement.

Bridge Constructor is a title that tries to port the popular genre over to console, unfortunately, poorly designed controls and a lack of tutorials mean the experience falls short. Players are never properly introduced to the game's physics, which makes the experience far more frustrating than it ever needs to be.

Fans of the franchise should pick this up, if they’re eager to see what Kingdom Hearts III will have in store, although newcomers would do better to pick one of the previous HD remakes.

An extremely unengaging gameplay and bad graphics mine what could be an interesting addition to the pirate genre.

With a strong artstyle and a clever idea, ultimately the lack of in-depth systems and the huge limitations on the gameplay killed the interest I had in this title.

Mekazoo brings the 2.5D platformer to life as you battle bosses and traverse terrain in a beautifully crafted experience that'll be sure to have you wanting more.

It would be slightly unfair to say that a lot of these changes feel like a user-made mod, but at a price point as high as this, I can’t in good conscience recommend it as a must-buy for players of the base game.

Bethesda Pinball offers an enjoyable amount of content for lovers of the studio's franchises and fans of the classic arcade game.

Overall the DLC is fantastic however limited sight for the long term has resulted in an even furthering of the unbalancing. I would strongly suggest acquiring the DLC if you are playing on a private server with friends, I strongly do not recommend playing on public servers due to the issues that run rampant in the community.

Dungeon Souls provides ample fun for those who enjoy roguelikes. It borrows a lot from other games (Rogue Legacy, Spelunky, Nuclear Throne, to name a few), and while it doesn’t do much to differentiate itself, it’s still a fun dungeon-crawling hack ‘n slash adventure for quite a few hours.

Redie is a challenging title. Frustration inducing but by the end becomes rewarding. It certainly catered towards fans of Hotline Miami, it why it caught my attention, but the game itself feels fresh and enjoyable. It isn’t a straight up clone, neither is it an homage, but another action-packed stylish top-down shooter with the same concept.

A brilliant tactical puzzle game, interesting story, engaging characters, slick controls and beautiful maps make this a very enjoyable play. It’ll take you while to get through each level but it’s very rewarding when your plans all come together and you feel like a master ninja!

Overall, Franchise Hockey Manager 3 is important as one of the only hockey simulation games available, especially on computers where EA has foolishly forsaken the PC crowd of sports games for years on end with the absence of Madden and NHL games. However, this is a very specific game for fans of the sport, and it is not very fun at being a game, actually.

Whilst not an outstanding score, this game is still fun and I had a blast reviewing it. The pacing of the battles make it very accessible for the general player without much experience with strategy JRPGs. But with the mundanity of certain aspects of the game, pacing being off and with its current RSP. It’s hard to recommend unless on sale.

Steep is a solid experience that accomplishes what the developers set out to do. They have a created an impressive world that is both fun to explore and addictive to conquer. The multiplayer feels like a bit of a letdown due to a lack of variety but it is still fun exploring the world with friends.

Super Rad Raygun is not what you would call addicting, simple silly fun inspired by a simple silly time in video game history. Any classic gamer would love this title and would even be a great way to introduce new gamers to what it used to be like for us old people. I would easily play again between AAA releases.

It’s short, but worth every second of your time. This version is somewhat more forgiving than the original, much to my disappointment, but the visuals, atmosphere and narrative come together to create a particularly impressive experience.

A frustrating game based on an interesting idea, poor execution and small niggles add up to make this a deeply unpleasant experience.

A great tutorial and scenario mode with a great aesthetic and attention to detail, let down by graphical issues and poor implementation of standard chess notation.

A fantastic game with more than competitive graphics. Whilst slightly repetitive, it is undeniably enjoyable with teammates and the more friends you play with the more fun you will have within the game.

While a good number of the missions are fine when they work, the linearity and widespread bugs prevalent throughout the game ruins Ships 2017. Bad controls, underwhelming visuals, and plenty of other issues make this a generally unenjoyable game.

Laser Disco Defenders does what it sets out to do and more. A bullet-hell shooter with an emphasis on hell, this title is definitely worth defending.

Onion Force offered a decent amount of enjoyment but it's glaring problems detract from it's experience.

One of those games that can be appreciated regardless of how long it’s been around – Xanadu Next makes some brilliant use of videogame elements that we have all come to love, and although the player often lacks meaningful choice the game is never truly restrictive.

The Little Acre is a heartfelt adventure with a lot of care and dedication put into it. It's short, but there's enough charm that you can playthrough on a quiet afternoon.

Final Fantasy XV is a return to form for Square Enix, a showcase of their willingness to adapt more Western approaches in their game development whilst also keeping what gave the series it’s charm, flair and personality.

Satisfying fun with a great soundtrack at its best, visual mess with a great soundtrack most of the rest of the time.

Space Hulk: Deathwing is a game full of potential, wasted on terrible creative decisions that pitch the game's strengths directly against one another.

This is one of my favourite content packs for Cities: Skylines just because of the new challenge it offers. It’s also really cool to completely blow your city to bits.

The art was fairly pleasant and vividly detailed. I enjoyed looking at the scenery and characters as they were drawn well. But with the horribly painful interactions and long drawn out scenes of nothing that I had to force myself to get through, the art just didn’t make up for it.

At the cost of a full retail release you will receive three of the strongest Assassin’s Creed titles + DLC + bonus content. Fan of the franchise or not Assassin’s Creed Ezio Collection is certainly worthy of a spot in any gamer’s library.

Where the story falls short, the gameplay rises up. The fighting is fun to pick up and play, but hard to master. There’s no shortage of combos and character specific special moves, making finding your character of choice and fun and personal experience. For those that are fans of the series, Central Fiction is an absolute must have. For fighting game fans that want a fighting game to keep them busy until Tekken 7 comes out, Central Fiction is definitely worth a try, just be prepared to do a lot of reading if you want to understand the lore.

A fantastic and mysterious thriller-lite. Though the protagonist has non-existent motives and the ‘choice’ isn’t really choice at all, the supporting cast and story arc make this difficult to put down.

A comedic and utterly bizarre adventure game backed with passion and love for the genre and the craft, with some important options missing letting down a near perfect game.

With another three passes over the script and a completely new voice cast, Detective Hayseed would have been a decent adventure game. In its current state it’s hard to put up with.

Overall, ShapeRockets is a good concept for a multiplayer shooter, but suffers the curse of almost all indie multiplayer shooters: it struggles to find an audience. The endurance mode feels pretty unfair, and there’s no progression to it to give me any reason to want to play it. I also think that the game is restricted by its concept, since the only game mode is deathmatch.

This might be worth more or less for your money due to the extra content of Wild Run, depending on whether you already had the that DLC pack. Calling All Units doesn’t really have enough to warrant the full price, so you might want to wait unless you’re after Wild Run too.

Both a spectacular jump-on point for newcomers and a strong entry for series veterans, Pokémon Sun and Moon is everything you’d expect, and maybe even a little more. I’m happy to say that, even 20 years after it’s inception, Pokémon remains one of the best RPG series’ out there.

Both a spectacular jump-on point for newcomers and a strong entry for series veterans, Pokémon Sun and Moon is everything you’d expect, and maybe even a little more. I’m happy to say that, even 20 years after it’s inception, Pokémon remains one of the best RPG series’ out there.

Dumb fun is great, especially when you’re bogged down in deadlines or stress. What better way to unwind than with good ol’ dumb fun in the form of SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! - Full Course. Taking it by the bucket loads of over indulgent second helpings in a three course meal of cheesy writing, bombastic music and fan service galore!

You would never know that this is the first game from Billy Goat Entertainment, from how well polished and written it is. Very funny and filled with pop culture references, it makes you hopeful for the post-Brexit future.

A halfheartedly executed game that tries little and accomplishes less.

A blend of physics-based tetris and magic in a sweet little package makes this a must have for gamers of all ages and sizes.

Puzzles and Vikings make up for a mildly funny and mildly challenging experience, but still miles away from worth your enthusiasm.

Although currently HoPiKo's controls are not perfect, the combination of electric visuals, music and pace achieves both the best and the worst of drinking too much coffee, but in videogame format.