Stylish and captivating, The Land Beneath Us is yet another success that should be celebrated in the roguelike genre. This turn-based dungeon crawler has some great ideas, and its sharp, focused gameplay is hard to put down.

The best version of Worms has been given new life on consoles. Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition features the gameplay you know and love, an arsenal of outrageous weapons, and a bucketload of customisation options. Throw in some museum-like extras and you have a genuine treat for fans of the comedic warfare series. It's not perfect, though, with its menus in particular being a bit of a pain to navigate at times.

Thanks to a new rider-based handling model, the racing action found in MotoGP 26 both looks and feels better than ever. There are some welcome improvements to its Career mode, too, though there's nothing all that drastic. Ultimately, this is an evolution rather than a revolution.

Ultimately, if you love horror games, in particular P.T., simply know that you need to play MADiSON. This is the best pure horror game in years, shredding the nerves of even the most brave of souls. It can be a little frustrating when you get stuck on a devious puzzle, but when you finally find the solution it’s very rewarding. No game has horrified us quite as much as this debut from Bloodious. We just hope the studio is ready to follow up with something else even scarier.

No doubt ardent vertical shooter fans will find enough value in Raiden V to make the cost negligible, but those who just like to dabble in the genre now and then are probably best waiting for it to go on sale.

It’s not going to be remembered as a classic, but Dragon Star Varnir is one of the better JRPGs available on PS4. Its engaging story and deep character development enables you to look past its somewhat budget presentation and enjoy it for what it is – a JRPG that feels like it has come straight out of the PS2 age.

The Aftermath expansion simply doesn’t add enough to warrant its additional cost.

Very Very Valet is something a little bit different; it’s a hilarity-inducing party game that also has a bit of puzzle-logic and substance to it. You’ll have fun playing by yourself, but it’s when you get others involved that the game’s true chaotic nature shows itself. Not to be taken too seriously, Very Very Valet is well worth pulling out next time you have friends over.

Even as frustrating as some of A Little to the Left‘s more obscure puzzles can be, we still find ourselves going back to it, picking up a Daily Tidy or trying to figure out those last few solutions. Yes, there’s a big difference between the best and the worst puzzles here, but really, it doesn’t matter: you’ll revel in the good, and you’ll feel challenged by the ones whose solutions elude you. Coming from a two-person design studio, A Little to the Left is a breath of fresh air and exactly the sort of wholesome game we need more of.

If you like games that are fast-paced and that don’t bog you down with gameplay elements that can feel like busywork, Ghostwire: Tokyo may not be for you. If you don’t mind the slower pace, however, and are excited by the prospect of busting ghosts with magic thrown from your hands, chances are you’ll love it. It may feel like virtual tourism during a cataclysmic event at times, but that’s the charm of it. And there’s plenty of it to be done as you traipse back and forth across Tokyo trying to thwart a Hannya mask-wearing psycho.

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.

There are no secrets and nothing cool to find, just a frustrating design mechanic of incessantly backtracking through areas you have already completed.

Even with its short length and minor sound issues, I still enjoyed every moment of The Little Acre. Its subtle humour, art style, and heartwarming story wrap up into one of my favourite games of the year.

Crossing Souls has everything you could possibly want from an adventure game. Well polished controls, a stunning art style, fun and varied gameplay, and an emotional yet intriguing narrative all come together to make Crossing Souls one of the best gaming experiences I've had in a long while. It's simply perfect.

More could have been done to make Heavy Rain a bit more palatable for modern audiences, but the fact is that it’s still a great story-driven game despite its myriad of issues.

It’s safe to say that if you were a fan of River City Girls, you’re going to love River City Girls 2. But with that, there’s nothing here that is likely to draw in new fans. It’s very much an incremental improvement and expansion of the first. There are more characters, more moves, more locations, more… everything. And with the series’ typically strong presentation, those who get absorbed in the adventure on offer here will have an absolute blast whether they play alone or in co-op.

Rive is responsive enough that nothing feels like a particular chore. I always felt that I could calculate instantly how far a jump will go and the twin stick shooting does not leave anything to desire.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an open-world action RPG that fans of the likes of Skyrim are likely to fall in love with. It has some technical issues and bugs that can annoy, but they're easy to overlook thanks to its enjoyable and rewarding gameplay systems as well as a genuinely interesting story with important choices to be made.

The Alto Collection is wonderful in its simplicity. It goes to show that games don’t need to be crammed with special features, over-the-top special effects or Hollywood-worthy storylines to be engaging. Sometimes, the most uncomplicated premise is the one that keeps us hooked. Sure, the endless runner genre might be more synonymous with mobile gaming, but it very much works on console too. Especially in a title as wonderfully designed as this.

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?

While Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg feels very basic in some regards, and some elements of it can be repetitive or irritating at times, it’s hard not to be won over by it. This offers a good old-fashioned Atelier experience, where the events that play out are based on your actions. And with that comes plenty of freedom and a multitude of endings to discover. Whether you’re a series fan keen to explore its origins, or newcomer looking for a good entry point, this remake is well worth sinking some time into.

Battlezone Gold Edition is a great game that's easy to pick up and play; one that I'll certainly find myself dipping into little but often. It has some minor gameplay issues and imbalances, but they're quite easily overlooked when you're having a blast. And that's what's most important, surely?

We love the bullet hell gunplay of AK-Xolotl: its variety of weapons and abilities gives it plenty of depth, and its quirky enemy designs are a joy to come up against. But it’s the additional content here that really sets AK-Xolotl apart. Raising teeny “axolittles” will warm your heart – and sucking out their happiness will break it. But it’s all part of the eccentric wonder that is AK-Xolotl, which has quickly become one of our favourite roguelike games.

Those who have played and enjoyed Sniper Elite 5 are likely to slide into Sniper Elite: Resistance like a glove. Over familiarity might be an issue for some, though, and there are some other minor issues to consider as well, such as sub-par visuals. But overall, lining up the perfect shot and watching the aftermath via the x-ray kill cam is as entertaining as ever.

It’s hard to play Concrete Genie and not be charmed by it. You can just tell that a whole lot of love has been put into making it. It may not be complex in terms of gameplay, and many of its mechanics feel appropriated from other games, but it’s surprising and unique in numerous ways.

Afterparty offers up a good laugh, and not just at the unfortunate glitches. Its art style is adorable, and the neon lights and bloody backgrounds truly make it feel like you've jumped down into hell. But while the story is intriguing, it feels too slow at times and its main protagonists fall flat against an otherwise fantastic cast of characters.

If you love Hotline Miami and are after an experience that’s similar but faster-paced, by all means give Bloodroots a try. You’ll probably like it. If you have access to a PS4 or PC, however, you should probably pick it up on one of those formats instead.

From time to time Table Top Racing: World Tour can feel a bit mundane; like it’s missing a certain je ne sais quoi. It’s a game I keep coming back to though, playing the odd hour here and there between other titles, and with this approach I greatly appreciate its charm.