Styx: Shards of Darkness is a surprisingly old-school and well-crafted stealth game, providing a welcome sneaky outlet in a world so often focused on open combat. With good gameplay, great production values, and a plot that never gets in the way of the action, Styx: Shards of Darkness should definitely be part of every stealth fan’s library.

Dystoria is a great love letter to retro videogames and sci-fi movies from the 1980s. Its six-axis controls are easy to learn yet hard to master, while it’s physics-bending levels are a great way to reinvigorate a classic puzzler.

Some slight technical issues occasionally hamper what is a solid Mass Effect entry. Fun, dynamic combat, some great missions and an interesting new setting provide an enjoyable place to get lost and spend some time in. It does sometimes feel like a “Mass Effect Greatest Hits” but there are worse things to be.

Nitro is a challenging and fun motorcycle game that doesn’t really do much wrong, the difficulty curve and lack of bike customization being the main standouts. It’s a really solid title that is well worth considering.

At its best, Yooka-Laylee reminds me why I fell in love with colourful platformers, it's a love letter to childhood nostalgia. At its worst, Yooka-Laylee reminds me why we moved away from platforming games: odd design choices and occasional bugs sour the experience.

Overall, it may be a pain to have to collect each type of brick that you want to use, but you’ll learn things. I do like this game, and I’m not big on open sandboxes. Or, perhaps I like it because of that.

FlatOut 4 is a well-made and well-presented racing game that does a lot to escape the level of 'mediocre' that falls among other racers. With modes like beer pong, survival and time trail to choose from, FlatOut 4 is a great experience from start to finish.

A simple-on-the-surface, yet tough to master puzzle platformer that will keep you coming back time and time again to obtain the best medals that you can.

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.