Despite these drawbacks, The Banner Saga is still a solid tactical RPG with a charming art style and a story that, while initially daunting, eventually becomes manageable and memorable.

What’s here right now is thoroughly engaging. With more time it could have done a great deal more and found more depth that would serve it well for the future, but what it has done is impressive and most importantly and lot of fun to play.

The question of why Capcom even bothered with this HD remaster does beg to be raised, because while it might look like a modern release it certainly doesn’t play like one. It’s time that might have been better spent on something else.

This situation isn’t helped by an array of dreary technical problems either: scenery is flat and lifeless, dirt and dust effects are disappointing, while the sound effects will leave you wanting. This, combined with a frequently erratic frame-rate, produces a game that desperately needed more time and money for the developers to fully realise its vision. It’s a shame, because Rally Evo boasts such an attractive feature set – and from a studio we know is capable of mastering simulation mechanics – but this year it just couldn’t compete with Codemasters’ stellar return to the scene.

Assassin’s Creed couldn’t afford another step in the wrong direction, and yet, here we are again. ACC: Russia is still a few weeks away, but Climax will seriously need to re-evaluate its core systems and mechanics to give it a chance to succeed. Chronicles was a leap of faith for Ubisoft; this time there isn’t a bail of hay there to break the fall.

Arslan: The Warriors of Legend doesn’t stray too far from the tried and tested Warriors formula. But, once again, Omega Force has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of a brilliant source material while combining it with a solid, combo-filled slasher – and arguably the best-looking Warriors-style game to date.

It takes a while for Explorers to really open up and reveal that shining crystal at its centre, but once it does, you can forgive the game its shortcomings and take it for what it is: a respectful homage to both Monster Hunter and Final Fantasy legacies.

Combat is gruelling. Exploration is intense. To that basic extent, Darkest Dungeon is a more emotional dungeon crawler than it aims to be. But its mechanics are familiar and soulless and above anything, it proves that an extreme difficulty curve is no substitute for finessed drama and smart visual design.

Fans of the Mystery Dungeon series will know what to expect from this latest offering: its new additions aren’t radical enough to ruin what makes it fun or, crucially, fix what makes it monotonous.

All that needs to be known is this is a beautiful, affecting and emotionally challenging title that acts as a truly fine love letter and monument to a lost loved one. It will open eyes and it will help people with their very real grief, and because of that it is a success.

It succeeds at providing enough of a compelling reason to try it out, but in failing to do anything else new it just feels like a rehash of once-standard ideas.

With multiple endings based on how you choose to play out your run, set pieces that can play out very differently based on your actions and so many incredible moments that we’d love to share but daren’t do so for risk of spoiling anything, Undertale is easily one of the indie standouts of last year.

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers is about the purest and slickest LEGO game you could hope to play.

If you have the patience, the perseverance and the inquisitiveness, then, The Witness can be hugely rewarding.

Street Fighter V echoes the competitive mentality behind its enduring classic Super Street Fighter II Turbo – matches are about finding the right distance to be effective, using your normal moves well and knowing match-ups, rather than overwhelming your opponents with one-frame link combos and option selects.

Every level of the game’s design has not only been refined, but seamlessly interwoven to interact without you being any the wiser. It ensures that XCOM 2 always feels like it’s pushing you to try, to succeed in the face of what looks to be certain failure.

A fantastic finale marred by technical problems. [Issue#170, p.98]

Technical problems ruin a decent episode. [Issue#170, p.98]

Don't force yourself to play it. [Issue#170, p.97]

Interesting political jaunt, but can feel repetitive. [Issue#170, p.96]

Promises much, but just doesn't deliver. [Issue#170, p.94]

If you’re after a light and engaging time sink, look no further.

If you enjoy looking beyond the familiar and putting a bit of time in, you’ll find that Galak-Z is a well-crafted game that stands apart from its inspirations.

Somewhere buried within The Sky Soldier is the kernel of an idea that defies gravity, as well as our expectations. Sadly, despite Naka’s best intentions, Rodea never hits those heights.

Story Of Seasons can be laboriously repetitive at times, but it somehow manages to keep you playing anyway through a combination of charming dialogue and the eventual satisfaction of a farm you’ve sweated buckets to bring up to scratch.

This is a game for the fans, paid for by the fans, and limited only by its budget. The music won’t be to everyone’s taste, and of course doesn’t include any pop classics, but the precision and excitement of the moment-to-moment musical action has never been stronger.

Not since 2004’s Richard Burns Rally has there been a rally game that has approached the sport with the goal of definitively portraying it as it exists in reality: cars that require significant practise to master, terrain as difficult to memorise as it is to slide across, weather that makes ‘white out’ literal and opponents that punish even the slightest hesitation.

This generous package will sustain and deepen the competitive side, but Legacy Of The Void also does enough not to scare away the casuals once the closing credits role and multiplayer beckons.