While the lack of difficulty is a major bummer, it doesn't overshadow Xenoblade Chronicles' many other accomplishments. It offers a singularly beautiful world, streamlined, interesting gameplay, likeable characters, and a fantastic soundtrack - for these reasons alone it's probably the best RPG on the Wii.

As we weaved through wave after wave of enemies, downing them wholesale, we couldn't help but wish there had been a replay feature included with the game. Still, for the raw, explosive fury of aerial battle, you can accept no substitute for Blazing Angels.

The game's meant to be a no-frills, no-pressure entry point into the Wii and its bizarre new way of playing videogames, and it's impressive that it manages to be a lot of fun at the same time.

Even if you’re just itching for something different, you should try it out for the novelty alone: it uses the DS’s capabilities in a fun and unique way, even if it’s a few steps away from being a true classic.

So while series fans who've been waiting to play the first full-featured Kingdom Hearts in almost five years may find their loved returned tenfold, PSP owners who simply desire to play an A+ exclusive might not get what all the fuss is about.

A new approach for the sports genre, with welcome results: this offers more than a roster update, and at a very appealing price.

Sins of a Solar Empire may be showing signs of age, but it continues to stand out as one of the best tactical space combat sims around. While it doesn't shake up the status quo much, Rebellion isn't lacking in polish or extra content.

What Wolves of the Pacific lacks in explanation and polish it makes up for in tense, exciting ship-to-sub combat, tons of replayability, and loads of depth.

Football Manager 2020 continues the series' winning formula, but there's still plenty of aspects that need work alongside overpowered tactics and methods to win games.

Not always thrilling, but Dead Rising 4 feels like the series getting its sense of fun back. And that's a great thing.

House Flipper 2 takes what I loved about the first game and builds upon it. There are a lot of helpful new features, gorgeous new design options, and fun new jobs to complete. Developer Frozen District has managed to keep what makes the home renovation sim so enjoyable to play, its satisfying gameplay, and make it even more rewarding.

A fun romp that stays interesting no matter how you play it. It has its share of flaws, but for fans, this is the first Star Wars game to have it all.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical puts on a memorable performance with a star-studded cast that demands to be experienced more than once. With novel branching musical numbers and a diverse cast of characters, Summerfall Studios lives up to its roleplaying name.

Nobody thought Fortnite would still be popular this late on, but it's continued to adapt and fight for its spot at the top of the battle royale ladder.

Tales of the Abyss is nothing new. And some gamers will complain about that. But there's a lot to be said for taking something existing and doing it right.

Watch Dogs 2 builds upon the strengths of the original game, whilst polishing up aspects that lacked depth to deliver a coherent, comprehensive experience. Its diverse cast and (mostly) thought-provoking narrative trump the occasionally repetitive, maddening gunplay, and though the urban youth humour occasionally falls flat, for the most part its characters feel, talk, and react convincingly. The lengthy story mission alone offers hour after hour of combat and exploration but, unlike the original, I'm left wanting more once it's all over… and this time, for all the right reasons.

The world that it all takes place in is amazing on terms of size and beauty. However, this is a hardcore MMO designed first and foremost for devoted players with lots of time to invest - just to get to level 10 will take you a few days, whereas you can hit that level in "WoW" in a long afternoon.

1001 Spikes is one of the most difficult platformers out there, but finishing a level feels so much better when you overcome the challenge.

The final and strongest entry in the rebooted trilogy, this adventure sticks to Lara's strengths while embracing its dark side.

Planet Zoo is a complex, deep simulation game with too much to give, if you can get past the minimalist tutorials.

While co-op kicks an unholy amount of ass, the Fisher campaign wasn’t the drastic departure from the series’ punishing trial and error we were all expecting.

In spite of lifting nearly every gameplay element from other, often better games, Darksiders still succeeds at bringing these disparate threads together into a brutally satisfying whole. It’s also a blast to explore even at its low points, and if the idea of a Zelda with a more “mature” bent and better combat catches your interest, you’ll want to check this out.

American Arcadia is a sharp, snappy production that could make for an entertaining film if it wasn't peppered with ingenious puzzles and platforming challenges. The dual character scenario is exploited brilliantly, adding variety, originality and humour, and even if some sections lack a real sense of participation, the visual design of Arcadia, along with some smart turns in the plot, ensure momentum through to the end.

If pro hoops was a one-man video game gang this year, we’d be pretty happy with Live. Luckily for us, though, competition is king and Live falls a couple of free throws short of the superior "NBA 2K9."

As usual, the online-only nature makes for a steep learning curve, but the excellent community that surrounds this game makes RO an even stronger value. For players that are sick of Normandy, put in for a transfer to the Eastern Front - you'll love every minute.

F1 2017 is another superbly authentic recreation of modern F1. However, the sport’s current complexity will be overwhelming for most, and the returning classic content is nowhere near as good as it should be.

The beautiful graphics and quirky charm make it easy to fall in the love with Runner 2, even when playing through the same level 50 times. The frustration level here is undeniable, yet Runner 2 still inevitably forces the player to take on just one more level. It’s an insane retro-dripped trip worth taking.

Spirit of Justice strikes right to the core of what makes Ace Attorney games great: bold, dramatic narrative, a ridiculous sense of humour, and outstanding writing. The first truly superb AA game in years.