While there can be quite a bit of hand-holding, which may turn off more hardcore fans of the genre, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ offers a great respite from other, bigger holiday releases.

It'll stick with me as a piece of art to admire, but not as a video game to enjoy.

Brawlout feels like it was perhaps released a little too early on Switch. At the time of writing, it still hasn't left Early Access on PC, and feels like it could still do with some tweaking and perhaps a reassessment of its piñata loot system. Still, if you're desperate for a Super Smash Bros. style brawler on Switch there may be enough here to warrant a purchase as long as you plan to put plenty of hours in with your friends.

To me, it speaks volumes that despite pretty much completing Yooka-Laylee on Xbox One, I've felt compelled to play the game on Switch whenever I've had a spare moment. It's had me running around each world, exploring every last nook and cranny for any Pagies that I've missed, and very rarely has it frustrated me like the Xbox One version did. To put it simply, the Switch version of Yooka-Laylee is brilliant, and if you've got room in your life for another 3D platformer alongside Super Mario Odyssey, it's well worth splashing the cash.

There's nothing else quite like it on Switch - in terms of presentation nor gameplay. If you're a fan of music rhythm games, Floor Kids sits alongside the likes of Voez and Superbeat Xonic EX as being a 'must have'. In fact, scratch that, if you're simply a fan of games you need to have Floor Kids in your life.

If you’re a fan of The Surge and you’re fine with the idea of A Walk in the Park only taking up a few hours of your time, I’d say jump into it. It may be quite short but it’s enjoyable every step of the way, and there’s plenty of goodies to carry through to the rest of the game. For those expecting a longer running time, however, you may want to wait until A Walk in the Park becomes a little cheaper. Though do make sure you pick it up.

For those who jump into it feet first it’s easily worth the price. Being able to hurtle down yet more mountains with all the available disciplines equates to huge amounts of fun, and there’s nothing else quite like it available.

I applaud Gears for Breakfast for their ideas and vision, as A Hat in Time is in many ways truly original. I’m just really disappointed it wasn’t better executed in terms of technical finesse.

Oh my Godheads is without a doubt one of the most original, polished, balanced, and entertaining local multiplayer games I’ve played all year, and so if you’re the type of person that has friends around on a regular basis for some gaming action, it deserves your attention.

With over 25,000 questions and the hint that there’s more content to come on the game’s main menu, It’s Quiz Time is now the essential quiz game to play with friends and family on special occasions, and to stream online all year round.

Perhaps both the best and worst LEGO game available on Xbox One.

It’s a game that I’ll return to time and time again, steadily upgrading my ship and attempting to master the fiendish later stages. The grind will be a problem for some, sure, but for most it will be a harmless hook that draws them into some brilliant vertically scrolling shooter gameplay, backed up with a solid soundtrack and eye-catching visuals. Sky Force Reloaded is indeed like a drug, but it’s one that provides high upon high.

Don’t pick up the game expecting a AAA quality adventure; you’re not going to get it. But if you can overlook its tatty edges, Black Mirror comes equipped with an intriguing narrative, excellent atmosphere and solid gameplay that’ll keep you interested from start to finish. And let’s not forget those Scottish accents.

Woefully short and terribly unpolished is what Your Toy is then, but it shouldn’t stop you from checking it out if you want to test what’s between your ears under stressful conditions.

If you enjoyed Cole Phelps’ investigations the first time round, you’ll likely still get a kick out of them six years later. But if you’re new to the game, its flawed systems and dated visuals will likely tarnish the experience for you. It’s a game worth playing for the story and setting, but not for the detective work involved.

Star Wars Battlefront II’s progression system may indeed be piss poor and too loot box centered, but that doesn’t stop it from being a mighty fine way to spend your time. You don’t need to spend any extra real money to have fun or progress, you just simply need to play. And that’s not a problem when you’re addicted to deep space dogfights or all-out conflicts on Naboo.

A truly immersive, inspired leap into a world full of life. Hand of Fate 2 is a defiantly different powerhouse fuelled by pure imagination. Speak to The Dealer, he has a story to tell, and he needs your help writing it.

There’s no doubt that 8-Bit Adventure Anthology Volume 1 is a good addition to your library if you’re a fan of classic point-and-click adventures, but if you’re new to the titles, then get ready for some frustration. If you do decide, at your own risk, to pick them up I’d consider getting them on PC rather than on console to avoid controller-induced rage fits.

The slightly awkward controls are a small price to pay for the luxury of being able to play while lounging. If you’ve never played The Sims before, the console version isn’t a great starting place, but if you’re already a convert, then it’s a must-have in your collection.

Gear.Club Unlimited is a fun but flawed racer. If you put in the effort to get to grips with its unique handling model you’ll find a game that you can really sink your teeth into, and it’ll reward you with plenty of licensed cars and a ton of events to complete. Go in expecting something that handles like Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport, however, and you’ll be very disappointed.

Road Rage is like one of those terrible low-budget straight-to-video movies that occupies the shelves of your local supermarket: you know it’s rubbish but you can’t quite help but be bemused by it.

Sonic Forces may not be the worst Sonic game ever made, but it’s close, and I don’t think the speedy blue hedgehog has many more chances to impress before gamers like myself lose all hope of him returning to his former glory.

Need for Speed Payback is at its best when you’re completing story missions, speeding through thrilling set-pieces and battling against cops and criminals. It’s even highly entertaining when you’re just belting around its open world, completing activities and engaging in events. But when you hit that brick wall and have to put a halt to your fun for hours at a time in order to raise your car’s performance level, your patience will be tested, and many will decide to simply not bother at all.

It took me roughly three hours to complete the 60 levels that SiNKR offers. It’s overly simplistic, and its style of puzzles may not be for everyone, but for less than a dollar ($0.99/£0.79) it’s really worth giving a go. With its minimalist approach and tranquil ambience, SiNKR is sure to chill you out and leave you wanting more.

Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back has a degree of retro appeal and may even stir up fond memories if you were around for Bubsy’s first outing. But it’s so unremarkable that it never really manages to get its claws into you.

Creeping Terror isn’t a game devoid of any good moments, but it’s one where they are so sparsely placed that it feels like you ended where you started, with the same questions. The 3DS just doesn’t have the chops for a true horror experience, and Creeping Terror isn’t immune to that.

It may not have the prettiest visuals, even running at 4K, but it has a hell of a lot of charm and plays like an absolute dream.

I can see why Microsoft put its faith in Super Lucky’s Tale, making it an Xbox One console exclusive and giving it Xbox One X support at launch. Its cast of oddball characters lends the game real charm and while it’s far from revolutionary, there’s definitely fun to be had here. But the game is so wilfully and bafflingly intent on blocking off said fun that you’ll need all the persistence of a bin-raiding fox to reap Super Lucky’s Tale’s rewards.

With a stream of post-launch content bolstering what it is already an epic 50-hour-plus adventure, Assassin’s Creed Origins is one of the most engrossing and awe-inspiring experiences of the year, especially on Xbox One X where the visuals are pushed to the max. You can nit-pick all you like about the odd funny glitch here and there and some duff NPC dialogue, but Assassin’s Creed Origins is a near flawless open-world gaming experience.

This penultimate episode doesn’t reach the dizzying heights of the season’s opening salvo, but it’s a solid, satisfying outing. Minecraft Story Mode Season 2: Episode 4 – Below the Bedrock neatly balances action and dialogue, advancing the plot just enough to whet your appetite for what promises to be a killer finale.

While .hack//G.U. Last Recode’s story still find ways to convey freshness and exuberance, its formulaic dungeon structure and repetitive progression sequences feel dated almost right from the get-go.

The clear desire to push the boundaries of both the technology and the genre has paid off, as Megaton Rainfall offers immersive, enjoyable and impressive gameplay with PSVR. If you own one of Sony’s headsets and are tired of on-rails experiences, I’d encourage you to dive straight in.

Super Mario Odyssey’s unabashed sense of whimsy and charm is all too welcome in today’s modern video game climate. Whereas other titles feel the need to overbear you with endless things to do, people to kill and towers to climb, Mario’s latest globe-trotting adventure is all too happy to keep things simple — and in the most imaginative way possible. Super Mario Odyssey is the type of game that I’d probably have taken for granted as a kid, but as an adult, I’ll cherish it for decades.

Bigger, bolder and somehow a hell of a lot more outlandish than The New Order, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ imperfections do little to hold the game back from being one of the most compelling single player games of the year. Killing Nazis has rarely been any more fun, and there’s a whole army of them for you to dispose of as you please when you’re not starring slack-jawed at some of the most over-the-top cutscenes ever created.

Whether you’re looking for a casual, classically inspired fix of arcade action, or a hardcore, brutal scrolling shooter you’ll find the possibility of both with Raiden V: Director’s Cut. It’s a shame that lack of innovation and some strange design choices hinder it. However, it still remains an enjoyable experience for long-term fans of this almost three decade old franchise, or newcomers alike.

As Media.Vision’s first crack at the series, Summon Night 6 is a surprisingly solid entry in the series. While we were unable to get our hands on any of the physical packaging that Gaijinworks is known for, their localisation efforts shine through clearly. While strategy RPGs may be harder to come by these days, Summon Night 6 is a thirst quenching oasis for any genre-loving desert travellers.

I’d go as far to say that Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure is one of the better Disney games of recent years – Infinity aside. The recreations of the Pixar franchises are just beautiful, and although each level may be short, they’re all certainly sweet. I’d highly recommend it for younger players, and if you’re a Pixar fan, regardless of your age, it’s a no-brainer.

It would be easy to dismiss Spintires: MudRunner as a niche title but in truth it’s surprisingly accessible. It can drag sometimes and if you think patience is a dirty word, steer clear. But for the most part it’s an engaging, messy time sink that’s well worth getting stuck into.

What Darkwood does best, though, is give you a feeling of complete helplessness. The atmosphere, the darkness, the eerie soundtrack, and the design of the monsters you encounter are what make Darkwood one of the most memorable survival horror games I’ve played in recent times. Even after preparing as best you can, you’ll still always feel as though you could’ve done more. Death is always inevitable, but you’ll definitely be ready to jump right back in to try again.

Playing through Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is a strange balance of joy and determination — long periods of boredom tend to surround shorter pockets of enjoyment.

In many ways, Gran Turismo Sport feels like a tech demo. Visually, it pushes the bar, with car models that are as good the real thing and environments better than ever before. And the lighting; holy hell, the lighting. It is glorious. In terms of content though, it’s lacking.

Jackbox Party Pack 4 isn’t completely disappointing – there’s still enough here to warrant a few giggles and it’ll pass an hour or two with a few friends, but it’s not the best that Jackbox has to offer. Go for Party Pack 2 or 3 instead.

I very much enjoyed my time with AER Memories of Old. It’s not perfect; it’s a little on the short side, its puzzles are a bit lacklustre, and it has an overt religious message — although if anything, that it adds to the world that AER creates. It’s beautifully designed, and if you stop often enough to take in your surroundings, you’ll find a very strong, moving narrative. If nothing else, though, it’s just so much fun to fly around.

While The Fractured But Whole is bigger than its predecessor and its combat more strategic, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly disappointed by it. The Stick of Truth was phenomenal, while The Fractured But Whole is simply great.

If you’ve played episode one of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, you’re almost certainly already invested into its story, and so picking up episode two is a no-brainer. You won’t be disappointed, though. It’s another fantastically told tale of teenage drama, family and friendship, and developer Deck Nine has once again proved itself worthy of delivering a package that more than lives up to Dontnod’s original vision.

In many ways, Midnight Shadows is the definitive Yomawari experience for anyone seeking a slightly fresher take on a survival horror game.

If you’re at all lacking in patience then Chaos;Child isn’t the game for you. At its core, it’s a smart murder mystery with a cast of engaging, sympathetic characters, enough shocking, unpredictable twists and a story that will take you to some very dark places. But tackling the game can be like wading through treacle; almost as if the game doesn’t trust you to “get” it unless it explains everything in explicit, unnecessary, faintly patronising detail.

While its visuals have unquestionably been brought up to speed, the gameplay remains deeply mired in the past. At release, Rogue Trooper’s third-person shooter action was no doubt exciting and engaging, but the years have not been kind to it, and no amount of spit and polish can cover up that fact. Dull, repetitive and rough around the edges.

Much bigger than I ever expected, and a joy to play from beginning to end. It’s a fantastic throwback to the days of 2D platformers in which character was just as important as a sky high difficulty curve. You’ll die, die and then die again, but you’ll only ever lose a minute or so of progress, keeping you going back for more.

If wrestling is your thing, WWE 2K18 does just enough to make it worthy of your attention, but you’ll always be left thinking that it could be so much more.

Jydge has been found guilty of conspicuous padding and needless repetition, and my sentence will see it placed in a comfy resort prison with all the other decent games when it could have walked free this very day as one of the good ones. Let this serve as a warning to all other perpetrators who would seek to increase value through nothing more than a shallow investment of time.

Those difficulty spikes are just too unforgiving, and there’s only so many times you can be completely obliterated by the same set of enemies before you have to throw in the towel.

Despite my issues with the game though, my time with Elex isn’t over just yet. I do enjoy the world and the concept, so I am willing to see what else the game has to offer in this respect. It’s just unfortunate that the game’s combat and presentation haven’t received as much attention. Elex needed much more time in the oven to be the game its promising previews made it seem to be, and with the dearth of games available this winter, I can’t recommend it to anyone but the most hardcore fans of the genre.

The Evil Within 2 is good old-fashioned survival horror with a little bit of an open-world bent, and it works beautifully. It’s tense, it’s scary, it’s exciting, it’s absorbing – it’s everything I hoped it would be and more.

Even for those who’ve dug into the Bitterblack Sanctum and defeated the Daimon, other secrets seem to always be lurking somewhere else. If you haven’t found the time to try out Dragon’s Dogma yet, there’s no better time than the present.

With a wealth of new environments and a decent storyline to boot, Middle-earth: Shadow of War doesn’t feel like a forced entry but a great expansion on the original concept. It’s rather funny, too.

The lengthy loading times wouldn’t be as problematic if they were easier to avoid.

For fans of otome games, Bad Apple Wars may feel like a love-it-or-hate-it experience that will mostly depend on how much you’re able to put up with. If you’re able to find aspects of the characters you like, its romance subplots will probably pay off. Yet, even if you can’t, there’s an interesting enough plot that will make its few hours long of a campaign feel justified.

Twin Robots is over in a couple of hours, and its lack of personality means that it’s unlikely to stay in your memory for much longer than the time spent playing it. Given that the PlayStation Vita version also lacks the local multiplayer functionality that the other versions offer, what you have here is an inferior version of a game that is, on all accounts, undeniably lacklustre.

All that said, I found the main protagonist extremely likeable, and the way you can navigate her through these scenes by using a set of deceptively deep gameplay mechanics made the game a pleasant experience.

It’s a shame that less than tight platforming controls and major framerate issues hinder Hob overall. There is a fantastic game here that will just have to settle for being a really good one.

The excitement it provides is still some way away from that of the Burnout series’ crash junctions, but in their absence it goes some distance to fill the void. With more content, a slew of gameplay enhancements and noticeably improved visuals, Xbox One owners may have had to wait for Danger Zone, but it’s definitely been worth it.

If you wouldn’t normally touch a hunting game, I’d urge you to view theHunter: Call of the Wild as the ultimate “walking simulator” and give it a fair shake of the shotgun. I don’t regret the many rewarding hours I ploughed into this engaging, immersive safari and can see myself returning to theHunter: Call of the Wild’s wonderful wilderness again and again.

It’s been a while since I’ve played anything quite as bad as Touhou Kabuto V: Burst Battle. A title with no redeeming features whatsoever, please, for the love of god, spend your money elsewhere if you’re even considering picking this up.

Destiny 2 is… broad. It is a showcase of improvement and compromise. It is a time vacuum. It’s hard to not enjoy playing Destiny 2, yet still possible to dislike a fair portion of it.

It’ll probably only take you two or three hours to make your way through Let Them Come‘s campaign, but it’s an absolute joy from start to finish.

Honestly, if you’re a fan of Road Rash you really must check Road Redemption out. Fast, brutal and huge amounts of fun, it hits all the right notes to make it an unmissable slice of arcade racing with an abundance of combat. It looks nice, has a rocking soundtrack and a surprising amount of depth. A Road Rash fan really couldn’t ask for more.

Packed with more content than ever, visuals that leave you astounded and a driving model that is exciting yet ever reliable, Forza Motorsport 7 is clearly ahead of the pack when it comes to racing games.

Project CARS 2 won’t please all racing game fans, but it’ll delight those who crave realism and a challenge; those who want to push themselves to be better. Is that you?

Despite its problems, if you’re a keen online gamer and haven’t grown tired of the zombie epidemic as of yet, Dead Alliance may be worth a shot. Just try to forgive its less than stellar presentation. Oh, and forget about the single player add-on; it’s really not worth your time or money.

Cuphead isn’t so much of a case of style over substance, but rather style over accessibility. The art is simply astonishing, and so too the music, but the gameplay is frequently too frustrating to make Cuphead a totally enjoyable experience. Essentially a boss rush game, its pacing allows for no relief. There are no moments of downtime to come down from the frustration or elation of your battles, it’s just long bouts of tension and stress that, for the most part, outweigh any joy that’s felt.

It’s a LEGO game alright, and these small but meaningful changes make it one of the better titles in the collection. Even if the Ninjago franchise doesn’t interest you as much as Batman or Marvel Superheroes might, the gameplay and signature LEGO humour makes The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame well worth jumping into.

It’s the frustrating sort of hard that comes about because of poor mechanics rather than elegant design. Despite your demon powers, the rules of this particular fight club start off by declaring that they’re going to be totally different for you and your enemies.

Episode 2: The Pact far exceeded my expectations.

After experiencing the finished product, I’m pleased to see that Pankapu turned out to be such a charming and worthwhile adventure.

I think my current 19 hours spent with Cook, Serve, Delicious 2 speaks for itself, but it is a really fun game.

For ardent rally fans then, WRC 7 is well worth a look. The often dull visuals are well worth enduring for the brilliant track design on offer, and after some tweaking the handling model is very rewarding. It’s doesn’t do much to improve on last year’s offering, but those after up-to-date teams and a new challenge to get stuck into will find that it does just enough to make their investment worthwhile.

If you didn’t like the gameplay loop of Steamworld Dig, then there are probably not enough changes here to massively alter your opinion. But for those of us who did enjoy it, then Steamworld Dig 2 will happily suck us right back in, the refinements made creating the perfect balance between familiarity and freshness.

Ruiner’s budget presentation does little to sully what is otherwise a challenging, addictive and sublime twin-stick shooter experience. Whether you’re head-hunting a particularly nasty criminal, taking on a group of cyborgs or arduously battling against a fearsome boss, Ruiner is action-packed, stylish as hell and fucking awesome. In fact, it just might be one of the most memorable experiences I’ve played this year. Just play it on PC if you can though, yeah?

It’s got the sun, it’s got the babes, it’s got the bikinis and it’s got the water guns. Plus, it’s got innuendo by the bucketload.

It’s the perfect pick-up-and-play game, and the Switch’s portable nature means Conga Master Party is right at home.

Caveman Warriors isn’t so much a bad game then; it’s just one that’s a bit bland and exceedingly niche.

Minecraft Story Mode Season 2, Episode 3: Jailhouse Block isn’t awful, it’s just so disappointingly middling. Furthermore, the series has started to hit the same familiar beats as season 1 which, given that the first two episodes felt so fresh, is a little worrying. Hopefully Telltale can pick things up for the remaining episodes and do justice to Jessie’s journey.

If you’re a fan of challenging platformers or find yourself drawn to the ever popular art of speedrunning, SEUM is a title that you definitely shouldn’t resist.

What you are here for is the titillation, and to pretend otherwise would be a joke. There is more than enough to keep a fan occupied, despite the long wait for events to reach their climax.

Metroid: Samus Returns’ amalgamation of some things old and some things new results in a 2D Metroid game that, while at its most evolved, is caught in somewhat of an identity crisis. There are brief flickers of brilliance showing us what this exploratory new take on the series could have been, but it often finds itself carrying the overbearing weight of being a pseudo-authentic remake.

Despite its garish, over-the-top veneer, Danganropa V3: Killing Harmony is an emotional, involving, brilliant game that will yank out your heart and run it over with its brightly coloured tricycle.

It may not be the prettiest fighting game on the market today, but it’s undoubtedly the most fun.

There are times when Death of the Outsider feels a little too familiar but, despite the game’s reuse of art assets, these moments are far and few between. An engrossing, well-paced send-off for a series that already tops the stealth genre, Dishonored doesn’t get any better than Death of the Outsider.

I’m not really sure who Drive Girls is for. It’s too short and generic to satisfy most fans of the genre. It fails on nearly every level, never able to outlive its initial gimmick. The game leaves its one joke of “ladies, but also cars” stranded amid a desert of awkward anime tropes and reiterated levels forcing you to relive the same Drive Girls gameplay loop forever. It’s not that Drive Girls is simply repetitive, it’s just somehow boring. And that’s not something I thought I’d say about a game where women transform into cars, fight bug-robots and lose their clothes.

Baja: Edge of Control HD isn’t going to blow anyone away, but for racing game fans after some cheap off-road thrills it’s certainly worth considering. It’s got a decent rock-heavy soundtrack and its races are often full of thrills and spills, keeping you moderately entertained for well over 20 hours or so.

Knack 2 just doesn’t do enough to make its existence worthwhile.

An unfortunately lengthy adventure with some fantastic characters, an intriguing narrative, and a simple but enjoyable strategic battle system. However, some abysmal design choices – namely, a lack of balance between visual novel and battle sections and a horrendous amount of bland filler content – severely tarnish the overall experience.

Archaica: The Path of Light really impressed me with its clever puzzles, intriguing story, unique realms and relaxing sound design, and I can’t recommend it enough to players looking for something challenging and fulfilling. If TwoMammoths’ debut game is anything to go by, there’s a lot of great things in store for these developers because Archaica: The Path of Light is sure to impress many.

If you’re after a horror-tinged point and click adventure game you really can’t go wrong with Tokyo Dark. The few control niggles you’ll encounter will quickly be cast aside as you put your nose firmly to the floor searching for the next clue, which is surely the hallmark of a great mystery.

At its best, League of Evil is a simple but challenging ride suited to short bursts of play. One that controls exceptionally, but struggles to fully amaze where its peers do so elsewhere.

Ultimately, because of Reaching for Petals‘ short running time, it feels more like a tech demo than an actual, fully-formed video game experience. It’s more of a showcase of “just look what the Unreal Engine can do!” than anything else. I guess, being Blue Entropy Studios’ first game, in some ways it is a tech demo. The team has demonstrated their incredible ability, and it leaves me excited for what may come next with a little more experience under their belt. But while Reaching for Petals may be impressive visually, there’s just not enough there to make it truly worthwhile.

For the most part, Zero Time Dilemma is a challenging, fantastical ride. Its puzzles are perfectly pitched, and while it may take you a while to wrap your head around the game’s story, you’ll delight in slowly piecing together its winding narrative.