All the pieces were in place for Game Freak to make a truly stunning and ambitious new entry in gaming's biggest franchise. Tragically, it clearly wasn't given enough time to realise that ambition. Pokémon Sword & Shield aren't bad games - not even close - but they fall far short of what they might have been: the biggest and best Pokémon games in years, and the evolution the series needed.

I won’t claim Obsidian has reinvented the wheel, for it’s stuck to what it knows well and does best. Still, it’s easy to tell a finely crafted RPG apart from a mediocre one. Avowed solidifies Obsidian's mastery of bringing intoxicating worlds to life and tangibly close. All you need to do is reach out and touch it to be transported to The Living Lands.

If there’s anything about cosy gaming that appeals to you, Hello Kitty Island Adventure should undoubtedly be high on your to-play list. Developer Sunblink, in partnership with Sanrio, may have built a game on the foundations of those that have come before in the genre, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the end result is a sunshine-filled tonic that’s sure to delight every single player who consumes it.

Winter Burrow is a game all about perseverance, and I do feel that won’t appeal to all. But if you are someone looking for a game that is undoubtedly cosy with an added layer of challenge, you’ll perhaps find something quite enjoyable here. Winter Burrow’s formula may be a little repetitive and that doesn’t hugely change, but it’s so easy to be swept up by the game's charming 2D animation and mysterious story. With a roughly 10-hour runtime, Winter Burrow doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s a charming little experience I warmed to returning to, night after cold night.

NEO: The World Ends With You is an enthralling, expansive adventure that anyone who loved its predecessor will click with immediately, and newcomers are encouraged to take their time with. But be patient and let the game's flow snap into something that feels comfortable, and you might just come to adore these complicated players, this fantastical Shibuya, and what is a very special original of exceptional character.

Valorant is a lot of fun to try and master though a little tricky to pick up at first. The gunplay feels as precise as any shooter on the market and the cast of agents add to the erratic nature of unique gameplay situations. The game has only just come out of beta, so improvements and additions are likely to be made in the future. Valorant is very good right now, but it has the potential to be truly great.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World may not reinvent the wheel, but it certainly does enough to stand on its own two feet. Whether the developer’s were counting on the visual similarities between Niko and Crash Bandicoot to generate chatter, I do not know but if that’s the case, I only wish they’d believed in their own vision as this is a lovely, well-rounded game that needn’t rely on imitation. With its inventive mount system and challenging boss fights, Nikoderiko: The Magical World has enough unique gimmicks to hold its own against competitors. If it’s a solid little platforming adventure you’re after, you won’t feel disappointed picking Nikoderiko: The Magical World up.

All the pieces were in place for Game Freak to make a truly stunning and ambitious new entry in gaming's biggest franchise. Tragically, it clearly wasn't given enough time to realise that ambition. Pokémon Sword & Shield aren't bad games - not even close - but they fall far short of what they might have been: the biggest and best Pokémon games in years, and the evolution the series needed.

While it has to appeal to both turntable beginners and disciplined mixmasters alike, which could compromise its instant-click appeal, Fuser isn't found lacking in the slightest, whatever your past experience of DJing. Its purest joy, for all of its online options and battles, is absolutely the freedom of the freestyle mode, where creativity can run rampant - but if you want to face off with bass and beats as your arsenal, Scott Pilgrim-style, with a pal, the option's there. Longevity will be determined by how much the song library grows, but right now, Fuser is an exceptional music game that needs to be heard by, and played by, as massive a crowd as possible.

While Visual Concepts hasn't hit a home run with The Island and the Bloodline Rules match, there is something new for the studio to build on going into next year and beyond. Inside the squared circle, WWE 2K25 is not only the absolute best pro wrestling game today, but it’s arguably the best pro wrestling game ever.

Ultimately, Koira is a game for the cosy-genre lovers as it may not offer intense combat, engaging voice acting or a bustling open-world, but it does provide a heartwarming narrative adventure that explores the bonds we are capable of and showcases the beauty of the world we find ourselves a part of for a limited time.

Reanimal is a game that I sense may be divisive. Its confusing world and short runtime don’t exactly set it up for universal success, but it’s hard not to come away from the game feeling entertained and impressed. It’s a jarring adventure but one that is held together by some utterly brilliant set pieces that make it a worthwhile co-op experience. I sense that Tarsier Studios has something fascinating to say with this one. I just wish I could work out what it was.

As a Zelda fan of nearly 30 years, it’s not easy to find a game that comes close to scratching that itch in a truly authentic way, but Dungeons Of Hinterberg is the real deal. This is a real gem of a game that has managed to find a genuinely fresh new way to approach a well-worn genre. Like any holiday worth taking, there are some hiccups along the way, but you’ll find yourself thinking about going back to Hinterberg almost as soon as you leave.

Mario Party Superstars is the best game in the series I’ve played. The abundance of minigames is excellent, and having them all available immediately is ideal. The unlockable items are fun to unlock, with plenty of customisable options for your in-game emotes. While it may seem like an easy game, there’s still plenty of fierce multiplayer duels to be fought within, so fans of the classic Mario Party experience are in luck here. However, if you steal stars then you deserve everything you get.

At its very best Ghostrunner 2 taps into that classic old-school gaming mentality of pushing as hard as possible to get the best times in a level, and of telling yourself you’ll have just one more go at a tricky level before looking up at the clock and realising it’s 2am. While some of the game’s larger arenas work against its inherently precise mechanics, this is largely everything you could’ve wanted from the sequel. And seriously, those bike levels go hard.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a fine action-RPG and one that takes full advantage of new-gen hardware. While it treads a path we’ve all been down before, the way it sets itself apart is through its world building, characters, a great blend of action and strategy gameplay, and some gorgeous visual detail.

In a year of genuinely terrific indie games, including Lake, Death's Door, Chicory and more we're not allowed to talk about just yet (but please, do watch these pages), The Artful Escape has made me smile like nothing else. I can still feel the beaming grin on my face as I type these words. It's the one game in 2021 that I really couldn't put down as the clock ticked past midnight and I knew I had to get my head down, the one game where I knew what was coming next would be unmissable. It's the one game where I felt like I was playing something else, even as it adhered to certain gameplay conventions - and that feeling comes from its spirit, its personality, the drive of the artist behind it. An artist who quite evidently didn't do what they did here to fulfil expectations, but to shatter them into a million crystals - each facet reflecting a vision quite unlike anything you'll see, hear or play in this year, or any other.

Had Intelligent Systems found some way to make fights more interesting or worthwhile, this might have been the best Paper Mario game to date. As it stands, The Origami King is easily the best adventure with the paper plumber I've had in years, even if it doesn't quite reach the delirious highs of the first two series entries.

While I still have much more to go before a final verdict, it's already clear that Lost Judgment is a deserved nominee for Game of the Year. Its unbelievable visual quality, superb characters and daring subject matter all come together in one exquisite, moving, unique experience. If you only play one open-world game on Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 this year, this is the one for you. [Provisional Score = 90]

Despite being better for having experienced it, like when I finish any good book, I pine for its narrative long after reading.

While Keeper won’t offer you a fully fledged sense of closure, it’s most definitely an experience I’d recommend to anyone looking to unwind. It’s a slow, meditative game that’ll take you out of your own world and into one that is equal parts intoxicatingly beautiful and utterly baffling. The simple yet compelling gameplay is surprisingly engrossing. I may have rolled credits feeling baffled, but Keeper isn’t a game I’ll forget any time soon.

An original Star Wars story though it is, with electrifying lightsaber action and an adorable droid, as a video game Fallen Order is an experience that never once escapes the shadow of its predecessors.

Given its relatively small scope but simple and fun premise, I can’t find much to fault about Kill the Brickman. If you’re aching for a new roguelike to play, and you’re on board with Poncle’s whole shtick by now, it’s a genuinely fun time that can easily fill the time you spend on your afternoon breaks.

Perhaps this isn't the best the genre has to offer, then, but it's one for members of the otome armada who fancy a bit of a change from more extraordinary stories surrounding relatable matters of the heart.

Pepper Grinder is a great example as to why I love indie games as much as I do. They’re odd, and daring, and seem to create these wacky concepts that wouldn’t be found elsewhere. This makes them memorable and I know that come year’s end, I will still be talking about and recommending this game.

Those issues aside, Stories Untold is a genuinely smart, immersive, and thoroughly creepy piece of work. It's the kind of story that could only ever be told in the medium of video games, and deserves a place in every gamer's library. Just maybe don't play it in the dark if you have a cat with a penchant for jumping on you.

If you, like me, loved River City Girls in 2019 and Streets of Rage 4 in 2020, and have maybe enjoyed the modern side-scrolling likes of 99 Vidas and Fight'N Rage, too, then even if you never played this one a decade ago, you need to be playing it now. And if you did play it back then, you already know whether or not you're grabbing this in 2020 2021 (haha), and all of these words haven't made a damn bit of difference.

This is a game that’ll make you smile. It’s impossible to play through one of the jolly stages or even simply wander around Merry Magoland without feeling a warmth in your heart, and that’s not something that every game can do.