After having a blast with the campaign, The Coalition have taken the helms of the Gears of Wars franchise and have made it their own. There was little to dislike about the experience and the team have more than proved that a returning franchise can still be epic.

As a fighting game fan, having new systems to learn has been great fun and the design of the characters and the world is instantly enjoyable if you like Japanese fighting games and/or anime. With the detailed tutorial and introduction of the Stylish control mode, it’s far more approachable for new players, but the complexity of the story and how little it does to help people jump on quickly may rub people the wrong way.

Mario Kart World is an amazing-looking and sounding title on the Switch 2. I love all the new tracks and characters, though the way you unlock them feels unfair.

Persona 3 Reload is a beautiful-looking game with a great story and interesting characters. There is so much going on here, but it all works together in an immensely satisfying way.

Dishonored 2 is a substantial improvement over its predecessor and is an expertly crafted continuation from the first. With a plethora of choices and wonderful architectural puzzle design, Dishonored 2 is truly an immersive experience. It's just a shame it's held back by terrible and unfortunate PC performance.

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.

Out of the Park Baseball 18 is a game that is a must for hardcore baseball fans, there’s no doubt about that. But, the most pleasantly surprising aspect of this game is how it can make a fan out of someone who knows very little about baseball like myself. It feels like the ultimate simulator, with immense levels of detail, great matchday visuals, and statistics to make any tactical statistician scream with joy. This game is so immersive that it makes you wonder how they can improve on the game next year - but something makes me think they’ll manage it just fine.

Smooth controls, a varied and inclusive cast of characters, and a phenomenal amount of things to do make this such an easy 10/10 for me. The only downside I can think of is that it has an ending.

Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is a true return to classic collect-a-thons, there is just too much to do. Complete the quests, get cosmetics, gather collectibles, get cosmetics, destroy the world, get cosmetics... and then look good while doing it, too.

This Bed We Made is a great game without any major drawbacks that features an amazing story and a hopeful and important message. A must-buy for any fan of titles like Life is Strange.

Riven is a stunning reimagining of the original title. The visuals are beautiful and the puzzles are as challenging as ever, requiring a lot of thought, focus, and attempts. Definitely not for everyone, but an experience I don’t regret!

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is a phenomenal remaster of the original trilogy, with enough changes to not only feel fresh, but with enough quality-of-life improvements to truly call this the definitive way to play the Mass Effect trilogy.

If you’re a fan of pinball and have a Switch, then it’s a must-purchase. Big fans of Star Wars will probably get a kick out of it too with all of the tables focussed on one aspect of the franchise or another.

CrossCode is an outstanding title that is completely worth your time investment. It is beautiful, compelling and a ton of fun.

Wolfenstein II does a brilliant job of mixing social commentary with unnecessary violence and a tongue-in-cheek attitude. There’s a few optimisation issues and the level design could be a touch better, but this is an overall outstanding game that deserves a look.

An enjoyable game, with an interesting premise which is bogged down and held back by an underwhelming PC port. The gameplay does feel great, so if the technical faults are ironed out, Nioh 2: Complete Edition is certainly a title to keep an eye out for.

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is a challenging 2D platformer with a fun story and unique stages to challenge. If you are a fan of this genre, check this one out!

Another solid entry into the franchise in what should be the exciting conclusion of the trilogy. Blood for the Blood God and all that good stuff!

Finally, we have the return to form that Sonic fans have been waiting for all these years. This isn’t just one of the best Sonic games of recent years, but one of the best Sonic games full stop. You owe it to yourself to get a copy of this masterpiece.

Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker DLC is so well done and needs to be played. Besides the fact that it’s free, I didn’t want it to end!

Desperados III is a great stealth tactic game with great graphics, music, voice acting, characters and story but can feel like a rehash of previous games made by the same developers.

There are some issues, but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does everything it needs to for me as a fan and as a gamer. However, one major bug keeps it from a perfect score in my eyes.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a beautiful-looking game that feels like a great addition to the series. It is challenging and full of non-stop ninja action.

From the engaging storyline to the gorgeous aesthetics, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a wonderful experience from beginning to end.

STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor has everything a fantastic game should have as far as features. Sadly, what it lacks is optimisation from its developers. This has greatly hindered one's ability to enjoy the experience on all platforms.

A unique take on the turn based shooter, and a fun character-driven space adventure. As a 3DS title this game is flying below the radar for now, but upon its larger release, I can see this game picking up a lot of steam. After the jump from Dig to here, who knows where Image & Form will take us next.

The improvements to the game are much needed, the single player campaign is one of the best I have played this year and as we draw to the close of 2016 I am almost 100% sure that no one will be able to top it, but I am more than willing to be proved wrong! Graphics are fantastic and a treat to the eyes, game modes have increased overall for multiplayer but there is the occasional hit and miss. Also… You CAN hack specters in multiplayer! I don’t know WHY so many people are saying you can’t!

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age is a perfect game, it sticks to with traditional JRPG roots while still bringing in a few new mechanics to freshen it up a bit.