Based on a mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, it’s great that The Forgotten City has been expanded upon and given a chance to truly shine as a standalone product. The writing is stellar, and the whole affair is so unique and interesting that you can’t help but get sucked in, attempting to find a way to put an end to The Golden Rule once and for all. Not all of the endings available are particularly gratifying, but follow The Forgotten City through to its true ending and you’ll be left with an experience that you won’t soon forget.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is a wonderful adventure, and even if you’ve fond memories of the game on Wii U, the new content makes it well worth returning to. While some issues that have shown up in previous titles are still present here, there’s nothing that ruins the fun of commanding your little army of Pikmin. Whether you’re a fan of the series or picking it up for the first time, there’s a lot to love here. With its extra content, co-op play and some truly excellent boss encounters, Pikmin 3 Deluxe might just be the best in the series.

Thanks to its genuinely intriguing narrative and collection of quirky characters, there's a lot to love about Promise Mascot Agency, and some players will simply adore it. This open-world adventure pretty much revolves around collecting items, however, and some elements of the game quickly become nothing more than a chore.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best Yakuza game to date. Its story is gripping and has a brilliant pace, its combat is tighter and more engaging, and there’s such a varied range of sub-stories and side activities to absorb yourself in that it offers great longevity.

If you enjoy puzzle games, then, particularly ones with dark themes of crime and murder, you’re going to love The Rise of the Golden Idol. Few other games let you lead the charge of your own investigations in quite the same way, and trust me when I say that finding the correct answer feels like a serious victory.

While not good enough to overtake the games that inspired it, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a remarkable action platformer that does plenty to make a name for itself.

It’s been a long time coming, but Return to Monkey Island is an absolute treat for fans of the series. It looks wonderful, it sounds wonderful, and its combination of excellent puzzles and expert writing will keep you transfixed from start to finish. Our only real complaint is that newcomers may find this a difficult starting point – but that’s easily rectified by jumping into the originals.

For console owners, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a rare treat. It’s not only a 4X strategy game that they can play from the comfort of their couch, it’s a bloody good one at that. It doesn’t do the best job of getting players up to speed, but once they have everything figured out they’re in for what is perhaps the best strategy experience currently available on console. It just requires a little bit of patience and persistence to work through a confusing first few hours. After that, there’s little to disappoint those seeking to display their colony-building prowess.

Shu is the ultimate example of how a game should take its desired platform and then shape it into the most perfect game that platform has seen.

In the modern adulterated world of videogames, it’s nice to still find pleasure in titles like Ratchet & Clank. Though it’s obviously aimed at the younger audience, even seasoned gamers that are into more mature titles would have to have a heart of stone to not find something to enjoy here.

Football Manager 2021 has done something that great managers do: it has acknowledged its weaknesses and improved upon them without completely rocking the boat.

The Last Door Season 2 was exactly what I expected it would be. It’s scary, the story is amazing and weird, the music is beautiful, and overall, it was just a wonderful series.

Moss is one of those games that is, in the purest and simplest way, golden. PSVR has found its champion, its poster child.

Despite its minor camera and screen tearing issues though, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is great for those looking for a challenge. Its mix of stealth, strategy and action is a highly enjoyable one, and with its wealth of missions and bonus objectives there’s plenty to go at.

Some people will absolutely love Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, and others will be enraged by it. I sit somewhere in the middle – I really like it, but its flaws have soured my experience with it.

Even if you've played the games to death, the special features alone make The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series a tempting purchase.

Simply describing Pyre‘s spectacularly outlandish battle system doesn’t do it justice… Pair that with a wonderful cast of characters, a riveting story, and enthralling music and visuals, and you have nothing short of a compelling game that demands your time and attention.

It may not have the grand scale of some other space exploration games but, frequent deaths included, Outer Wilds is such an enthralling excursion that you’d be mad to miss out.

Coming from Mimimi Games, the developer of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Desperados III is an accomplished real-time tactical stealth game that is practically flawless outside of some minor technical issues. Those seeking a title that they can really sink their teeth into, learning the ins and outs of its world so that they can master it will find a hell of a lot to enjoy here, especially if they resonate with the Wild West theme. Players will need to accept that failure is a part of the process, however, as is dealing with occasionally fiddly controls.

Is Iron Man VR the best VR superhero game out there? No – that honour has to go to Megaton Rainfall. But it’s still up there, and thanks to the Quest 2’s superior tracking, this is a much better experience than it was on PSVR. And so, you’re a Meta Quest 2-owning Marvel fan, you won’t regret stepping into Tony Stark’s iron underpants.

It’s a shame that Gone Home is a bit of a non-starter. It has a lot of potential; the game is genuinely captivating whilst you’re playing it – it’s just unfortunate that it leaves you so disappointed once you’ve reached its conclusion. The human story it tries to tell is relatable, but it’s a story that’s so ordinary it’s barely even worth telling. By all means, play Gone Home for the exploration; for the 90’s nostalgia and for its down-to-Earth quirks, but don’t go into it expecting anything mindblowing. Expect a grounded story about a typical family and you won’t be disappointed, but anything else will leave you feeling rather underwhelmed.

I feel like 428: Shibuya Scramble is a visual novel for people that don’t usually like visual novels. It’s more involving, more mature, and more engaging than others out there.

Statik does what any good puzzle game should: it challenges you. No puzzle felt unfair or insurmountable. The game itself, and the way in which it is played, is arguably the best use of the PSVR yet.

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?

A brilliant game that people of all ages will truly enjoy.

Valkyria Chronicles was, and still is, one of the best strategy RPGs ever made, and this accomplished and very welcome PS4 port does it the justice it deserves. From its beautiful and timeless visuals to its engaging and often epic battles, everything about the game feels like it has been made with love and care, ensuring every moment spent with it is to be treasured.

More than being a video game, Kentucky Route Zero is a work of art – in fact it probably belongs in a museum rather than on our PCs or consoles. And just like any piece of art, it’s unlikely to resonate with everyone who experiences it. But if you’ve been waiting for the conclusion of this drawn-out adventure, you’ll be glad to finally have it.

Hitman 3 doesn’t break the mould, it merely beats in some extra details that give it a little extra depth and richness. For fans of the series it won’t be an issue; this is the final piece in a trilogy, after all – if it was too different it would stand out like a sore thumb. Ultimately, then, the only really disappointing aspect of Hitman 3 is its final location, which plays more like a sequence from Hitman: Absolution. With every other location offering so many possibilities, however, it’s forgivable. Chances are we aren’t going to be placed in control of Agent 47 again; at least for a fair while, anyway. But with Hitman 3, IO Interactive has at least made sure he’s had a worthy send-off.