The driving itself is brilliant, the stages wonderful, the amount of content unbelievable and the audio-visual presentation really impressive. The menu system is nothing to shout about and the damage to the cars needs to be fixed, but other than that, this is a fantastic rally game that I will spend a thousand hours with.

Jusant has a lot on its mind and says very little with no words. The same can be said of its gameplay, which squeezes an incredible amount of expressive immersion out of very few simple mechanics.

It's simple to pick up and understand, has interesting mechanics and systems, and a vibrant and colourful world. Just don't expect to be blown away by what Tequila Works has built here, because it's, all in all, a very predictable and familiar title buffed with a League of Legends polish.

Remedy deserves all the praise I can muster for being brave enough to make some exciting design choices that limit Alan Wake 2's mass appeal, but increase the enjoyment for those of us who remain. They deserve for me to call this game what I think it is - a masterpiece.

It's simply impossible to find a single part of Skull Island: Rise of Kong that doesn't border on record-breaking, which is why I'm forced to hand out our very lowest rating. This is by far the worst game of the year, without any doubt whatsoever.

Sure the combat is a bit basic, the narrative middling at best, the enemy AI and actions are awful and highly predictable, the pacing too steady, and there are a fair collection of glitches when you mine and rip apart a wall with your pickaxe, but besides from these issues Return to Moria is good return for form for the usually rather fun The Lord of the Rings video games.

The original Ghostrunner gave us a simple premise and great action which combined to give us a thrill we didn't know we needed. Its sequel then steps in much more confidently, fleshing out the world, introducing new characters, while still giving us the same irresistible formula that charmed fans in the first place.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is well-stocked but incomplete, containing great games that could have been updated.

When it works, Laika: Aged Through Blood is top-notch entertainment in prime time, and proof that suddenly there is pure innovation on the indie scene worthy of mainstream attention.

It does lack some of the finer subtleties and intricacies that make a game special, but considering this is a project tailored to younger folk, there really isn't much that The Grinch: Christmas Adventures is doing wrong.

I do believe that Hellboy Web of Wyrd largely succeeds in being a faithful title to the franchise. However, this is down to its story, visuals, and performances, rather than the gameplay loop, which is a real problem for a roguelite.

It's a shame that Cities: Skylines II has performance woes because it is undoubtedly the best of the year in its genre.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the 2D platforming Super Mario Bros. game we have been waiting for, for years.

At its best, The Lamplighters League is really charming with colourful characters and a somewhat clichéd but entertaining apocalyptic story. Unfortunately, it doesn't go all the way to the finish line and the repetitive structure is a bit of a let down.

This is a well made and fun game, with great art and a quality multiplayer offering, but it's held back by overwhelming and demanding crafting, RPG, and progression that takes the sting and thrill out of the broader experience.

Amazing, spectacular, superior, ultimate. All words that have been used to describe Spider-Man in his comic run and adjectives I could use to describe Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Not without its clear flaws but good enough to follow Iori and Saber's long story all the way to the end.

It's simple, yet quite engaging, and what should have been a quick test of the first mission quickly turned into hours of screen time.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is a decent kart racer. The gameplay works well, you can easily do long powerslides, the many vehicles feel and sound different and the tracks are quite well designed.

Arzest has repaired its reputation after the horrible Balan Wonderworld and released a charming family game that captures most of the things about Sonic that are worth preserving.

Lords of Fallen is a solid Souls-like that goes beyond being just another genre copycat. Its combat feels fluid and has plenty of depth due to its nine starting classes and its dual-world concept literally helps to add another dimension to its combat and exploration.

NHL 24 is NHL 23 with some, but far too few, great additions. The Exhaust Engine is a welcome addition, but what does it add when almost everything is last year's game, down to using the same intro and cutscenes in career mode.

While I won't deny that Saltsea Chronicles has a slow pace that often leaves a little to be desired, this indie adventure game does have its moments.

Considering how much pure rubbish is actually released for our mobiles, it's really nice to see how the pattern is sometimes broken with a real quality game, which this is. It's highly recommended.

Counter-Strike 2 is a solid package in many ways. It's still the best in its sub-genre and I can see myself playing it for thousands of hours, as I did with its predecessors.

Total War: Pharaoh is a really nice upgrade almost on all fronts, and the ability to customise your campaign has also been preserved. If they could just update the interface. To me Pharaoh is one of the best historical Total War titles in a long time.

The investigations are good and the story isn't bad either, and being a title aimed at young Pokémon investigators, Detective Pikachu Returns offers a good introduction to games of this type.

Ubisoft really succeeded with Assassin's Creed Mirage. Slimming down the experience was a good move to prevent the fatiguing nature that was oh-so apparent in the bigger RPGs.