Blacksea Odyssey is by no means perfect, but it does get a lot right.

Fate/Extella Link doesn’t provide an experience that’s a million miles away from Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star, but pretty much everything about it is just better. Its story is shorter but more entertaining, its combat is massively improved thanks to you having more abilities at your disposal, and it both looks and sounds better too.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing is the best-looking shoot 'em up out there, and along with its epic soundtrack, it's a treat for the eyes and ears. But a number of issues, such as its stages being too long and the screen often being simply too busy, mean that it doesn't fulfil its potential.

It might not offer up anything particularly new or exciting, but Ariana and the Elder Codex is a solid metroidvania adventure game with an enjoyable narrative. Multiple difficulty levels make this readily accessible too, so this combat-heavy romp never needs to feel too challenging.

If heavy metal has you running for the hills, then BPM: Bullets Per Minute won’t convert you. But for everyone else, this is an adrenaline fuelled heavy-metal ride that you’d be daft to miss.

Peril on Gorgon is an entertainingly substantial chunk of The Outer Worlds content, with a handful of side-quests that will keep you poking around the planet until you’ve seen every inch. It may not push the envelope, but it’s good, clean, corporation-crushing fun. And it’s made me eager to see just what the The Outer Worlds’ next expansion will bring.

There really is so much to love. It’s just a shame it ends up outstaying its welcome by having you repeat yourself time and time again.

It’s easy to say that Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 1 – Realm of Shadows is one of Telltale’s best first episodes yet.

NASCAR Heat 4 is, without a doubt, the best NASCAR racing game yet, but there’s still some room for improvement. Many will find its online features lacking; career mode still isn’t what you’d call “deep”; and crashes remain unspectacular. Still, the whole experience is engaging enough to make it worthwhile. There is pleasure to be found in managing your team and coming out on top, which means you’ll find yourself returning to NASCAR Heat 4 until next year’s inevitable follow-up.

Ultimately, Planet of Lana deserves a spot up there with the greatest hits of the genre. It’s every bit as impressive as the likes of Inside, but stands out due to its colourful visuals and heart-warming story. Sure, there’s not much to do once you’ve completed it unless you’re an achievement/trophy hunter, but it’s an experience that you really shouldn’t miss out on.

Challenging you to run around tracks filled with hazards such as laser beams and circular saws, DeathSprint 66 is like nothing else out there. Providing you're not squeamish, it provides hours of fun whether played alone or against others online.

Disney Illusion Island looks great, but being devoid of combat, the gameplay of this Metroidvania eventually comes to feel a bit stale and repetitive. Still, Disney fans will certainly get some enjoyment out of it, especially if they play it in local co-op with friends or family members.

Placing you at the centre of a mystery, Atomfall gives you the freedom to achieve your goal in numerous ways via its engaging and rewarding leads system. Captivating from beginning to end, you'll enjoy exploring its various locations, meeting its quirky NPCs and engagaing in combat. Then, once you've discovered one ending, you'll likely jump in again to discover another.

Young or old, whether you’re a fan of OG Minecraft or not, there’s a lot to love about Minecraft Dungeons. Exploring its vast levels is a delight, and coming across new loot is just as fulfilling here as it is in any loot-based game. Smooth controls and a range of abilities make it an absolute joy to play; even when you die, you’ll be eager to pick yourself back up and start again. Considering the game’s asking price, Minecraft Dungeons should be a must-buy for anyone who enjoys a good dungeon-crawling adventure.

Pure Chess: Grandmaster Edition is the definitive chess-playing experience. It’s a must for any fan of the classic game; the choice of beautifully rendered locations and board types even makes this a preferable option over a real board. It’s a shame that the online multiplayer isn’t a little busier as playing against a real opponent is always more enjoyable than an AI counterpart, but the option to play locally is a nice touch.

Copycat is a game that tackles some serious issues, but its characters are hard to warm to and will make you angry at times. Still, being a cat and doing cat things can be fun, despite clunky controls and unspired gameplay.

One Piece Odyssey is going to be most loved by people who are already invested in the One Piece franchise. Its clever approach to storytelling feels like a ‘greatest hits’ of sorts, and revisiting familiar places and faces is sure to be a joy for any fan. That said, this colourful, lively world is such a pleasure to be part of that even if you’re not well acquainted with Luffy and co, you’ll soon warm to their charm. An excellent blend of combat, adventure and storytelling, this is a JRPG not to be missed.

For all its linearity, Mainlining does a fantastic job of making you feel like a detective. It’s as much a puzzle game as it is a point-and-click, and the continous light-hearted humour keeps the experience from feeling too drab.

While some of Rainbow Six Extraction‘s systems do feel a little unfair at times, there’s one hell of a thrilling experience to be found if you can get into the groove. I’m not usually a fan of stealth, but sneaking around the game’s excellently-designed environments trying to get the upper hand on a bunch of freaky-as-hell aliens is exhilarating. You’re constantly on-edge, not knowing what waits around the next corner, poised to attack if you need to. Add to that a solid progression system that keeps you wanting to jump back in, and you’ve got one of Ubisoft’s best multiplayer experiences yet.

With a patch or two, Chorus could easily be turned around. When you’re engaging your enemies in the middle of deep space, boosting then drifting to rotate your ship around and snipe three or more enemies with your laser rifle before warping behind another and switching to your missiles to unleash a mighty payload, there’s nothing else quite like it. It’s just a shame that there are moments in between where you might consider just giving up your adventure, either thanks to a bug or a poorly-designed section that causes undue frustration.

Running around Going Under‘s dungeons is a joy, and you’re never quite sure what will be waiting for you behind a new door. Every time you die, you’ll be keen to jump straight back in and see if you can get just that bit further. It might not be the deepest Rogue-like game out there, but you’ll be hard pushed to find another quite as fun as this.

Heavily inspired by the Kingdom games, Sons of Valhalla is great fun — if not a little too unforgiving at times. It's seriously rewarding though, and the sort of thing we can imagine jumping back into time and time again.

It’s safe to say that 2K and Visual Concepts have hit the ball out of the park with LEGO 2K Drive. We haven’t had this much fun with an open world racing game since Forza Horizon 4. The racing action is tense and chaotic, the open worlds are a pleasure to explore, and everything is just so varied. Everything pretty much is awesome when it comes to LEGO 2K Drive, resulting in a game that’s fun for all ages and skill levels. And the coup de grâce is the vehicle builder, allowing you to truly let your imagination run wild.

Aimed at those who are yet to experience The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for the first time, this Anniversary Edition offers exceptional value for money, and is easily the best way to jump into one of the best role-playing games ever made. It may not quite look current-gen, but the fast loading times and reduced storage footprint are both meaningful gains for PS5 players, while the included Creation Club content adds yet more meat to the game’s bones which are already heaped with flesh. For those that have already played Skyrim to exhaustion, however, there’s not much here to draw them back. Though being able to upgrade from the Special Edition for just £15.99/$19.99 makes it very enticing.

An open-world adventure game set in an intriguing sci-fi world, I've absolutely loved every moment I've spent with Caravan SandWitch. Whether you're exploring, completing a side quest or hunting down important components, there's so much to do — and the fact you can do it all at your own pace makes this an absolute joy to play.

That said, Anode‘s incredibly low price alone makes this a recommended purchase for all Xbox One owners. When you also add in the crisp visuals and variety of great game modes it’s enough to raise it above many similar efforts out there.

Without a doubt the highlight of Jotun is also its raison d’etre: spectacularly epic boss fights against gargantuan Gods.

Like a bolt of out of the blue, Skybolt Zack has truly won me over. It’s inventive, wholly original, and most importantly a lot of fun. Some might find the challenge it presents a little too steep as they make their way further into the game – situations can indeed get a little messy at times – but with practice and perseverance, no gauntlet it presents you with can’t be overcome. It just requires coordination and quick-thinking. Don’t be a fool; check it out if you like fast-paced platformers with a difference.