If hard sci-fi sends you to sleep, you might want to give this a miss, because every now and then, the story be can a little dry. But for everyone else, if you’re prepared to give Encased your time and attention, and overlook what are mostly fixable flaws, you’ll discover an engaging, compelling and pleasingly deep RPG.

With a striking papercraft style, Hirogami instantly wins you over with its beautiful art. This platformer uses origami to provide you with a wealth of skills and abilities, but sometimes switching between them can prove to be a little frustrating. Still, if you're a platforming fan and you have a bit of patience, there's a lot to like here.

Some bits are not needed, there’s a lot of filler, and a lot that gets repetitive, but I still had a lot of fun with it.

There’s a lot of fun to be had with Slipstream. It’s wonderfully presented, has a good amount of content, and the racing action is fun and intense for the most part. It’s just a shame that the efforts it makes to differentiate itself from Outrun gameplay-wise don’t really have the intended effect. But if you’re after an old-fashioned racing game inspired by the classics of the 80s and 90s, this is still very much worthy of a purchase.

As unappealing as Separation‘s opening is, it’s worth pushing past, mountain-hopping and all. Separation’s creator was supposedly inspired by Ico – and while the first location you encounter is a dead ringer for Shadow of the Colossus, it’s got a character all its own. It’s almost a shame it’s VR only; while it might not have quite the same impact otherwise, Separation deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

If you’re looking for a game that’ll keep your younger children occupied, Gigantosaurus: The Game could be it. Its built-in local co-op means it’s perfect for siblings to play together, and its Easy Mode means that even the youngest children can get a kick out of it. There’s plenty of gameplay for those who want to hunt for everything – and even for those who don’t it offers an easygoing, cheerful distraction from the real world right now.

Atomic Heart leaves a lot to be desired, but its unique setting, varied gameplay and often inventive enemies go a long way to keep you interested in your traipse through its ruined utopia. Just bear in mind that while it may look like a AAA game, it’s not; Mundfish has achieved a great deal here, but there are signs of corners being cut and a considerable lack of polish. And so, you might want to wait for a patch or two to sort out some of its unfortunate bugs and other blemishes, but you could do a lot worse than venture into the hostile world that Atomic Heart offers.

Ring of Pain probably isn’t something you’ll sit and play for hours at a time. It’s the sort of thing you’ll enjoy a few rounds of before turning it off, more than likely feeling defeated. But it won’t be long before you’re itching to jump back in and try again. There’s something infectious about its simplicity; it’s a roguelike dungeon crawler like no other, and despite the lack of action or actual dungeon-crawling, it’s huge amounts of fun. Even when you’re exploding left, right and centre.

All it does is force me to admit that we can all sometimes become prisoners to our own nostalgia.

Punishing but rewarding, Reverie Knights Tactics provides an enjoyable challenge for any fan of strategic turn-based combat. Battles may not offer much in the way of a unique twist, but it’s the game’s art style that truly makes it stand out. Reverie Knights Tactics‘ colourful, hand-drawn visuals are simply beautiful – and even if you’re getting pummelled on the battlefield, at least you’ll enjoy the view.

With its sumptuous art and rousing soundtrack, Neva sure is a treat for the eyes and ears. Its story will pull on your heartstrings, too. It's just a shame that its gameplay is basic at best and it often borders on being simply dull.

There’s some fun to be had with Granblue Fantasy: Versus. Its cast is likeable and the accessible combat means that anyone can play and have a good time time. At least initially, anyway. And I’m sure I’ve already mentioned that it’s probably the best looking fighting game available. It’s just a shame that the combat lacks depth in the long run, that its RPG mode is a bit grindy, and that there isn’t a great deal of content. Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a good fighting game, but there are many better, more generous, offerings out there, even if they don’t look quite as nice.

Inevitably, Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem doesn’t do much to attract newcomers to the series. It is what it is: an expansion designed to offer Serious Sam 4 fans more hair-raising combat encounters, with a sprinkling of new enemies and weapons. It’s disappointing that some of the technical issues that have plagued Serious Sam 4 since launch still persist, but if the idea of having an entire army of Headless Kamikazes running your way yet again gets you hot under the collar, it’s well worth the investment.

Ultimately, while Adios might not match your initial expectations, particularly if you’ve read the slightly sneaky Steam store deception, it’s still a captivating ride. Adios may be a brief goodbye but the echoes of this farewell will stick with you for days.

Honestly, there's a hell of a lot to like about Dragon's Crown Pro, but hardly any of it is unique to this PlayStation 4 remaster. If you've already played Dragon's Crown to exhaustion on PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita, you won't find anything here that'll get your juices flowing.

Inspired by classic survival horror games of the '90s, Crow Country's puzzle-laden gameplay is enjoyable on the whole. It's not scary in the slightest, though, and its combat is a bit of a let-down. While fans of the genre might want to check it out, then, it's unlikely to be remembered as a classic itself.

Avid players of F1 2017 would be wise to wait until the inevitable F1 2019 – unless they really must engage in some multiple choice PR interviews between races right now.

Sky Force Anniversary is a great modern shmup that unfortunately pads its content by pushing players to the max. Not only that, but there are implementations, such as the specialties, that feel arbitrary. Detractions aside, I liked the game quite a bit and the addition of co-op and Remote Play was a godsend. Sky Force Anniversary didn’t evolve the genre, but it created something moderately pleasant in our modern architecture.

Weaving an intriguing tale that’s filled with twists and turns, we’ve enjoyed spending some time in Poirot’s shoes and solving the mystery of The London Case. This is a budget title and it shows, but there’s still a lot to like, especially if you’re a fan of traditional point and click adventures. It’s a bit of a journey back in time in that regard, but it’s a valuable addition to the genre nonetheless.

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book isn’t anything groundbreaking, but any fan of the series can attest the Atelier games never set out to be – and it doesn’t matter.

If the thrill of collecting loot and the joy of upgrading your party is enough for you, then definitely make sure Lapis x Labyrinth is on your radar. If you hope for a little depth in terms of narrative development and refined combat, you won’t find it here. But you will find a lot of chaotic fun. With its bite-sized levels and constant rewards, it’s the perfect game to pick up and play in short bursts on Nintendo Switch.

It’s hard to not like Jump Stars. From its cutesy playable characters to its easy to pick up gameplay, it’s accessible and enjoyable for all, no matter their skill level.

This isn't the best twist on Pac-Man — that accolade goes to the excellent Pac-Man 256. But injecting Battle Royale DNA into the Pac-Man formula works well enough, and although it's rather thin on content, Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs provides enough entertainment to keep you coming back, particularly considering its budget price.

The world in which Phoning Home is based is gorgeously designed; each organism you come across is new and different – some glow, some shine, and together, it is all incredibly beautiful.

Carves out its own unique place in the metroidvania genre, largely thanks to its whimsical take on presentation, puzzle-solving, and narrative.

The lack of enemy and level variety makes it feel like a slog at times, and the drip-feed of new features while failing to explain them is irritating. But the hard-hitting action and addictive character development go some way to make up for its issues.

The Descendant: Episode 1 – Aftermath is a great introduction to this sci-fi adventure series. Aside from my personal issues with the controls, its short length, and a few glitchy moments, it all pulls together to form a pretty successful start.

The ability to dash around each enemy individually and slice them to pieces using the wonderfully hilarious procedural gore system is endlessly satisfying.