For new players of 1v1 fighting games, this is the one to pick. With a command input system that’s slightly easier to grasp than many of its contemporaries and a brilliant visual style, Guilty Gear Strive is a solid first foray into the genre. You’ll still need patience though. If you’re desperate to get good, this game will allow you to, but if you’re looking for a super casual experience, Strive still falls into the same pitfalls as other games of its type.

Backbone is a simple game to play, meaning that the dialogue and theme development had to carry the experience. While the narrative rushes to an uneasy finish, the story gives you a lot of meat to sink your teeth into.

To be honest, I was taken off guard by how much fun I've had with Chivalry 2 so far. It scratches a very specific itch, and while I probably won't be signing on every night for the rest of the year, I have found myself loading the game up to play a few matches and hone my skills with the war club. The combat is the highlight for sure, but Chivalry 2's unique brand of slapstick and gore elevates it from being a straightforward medieval simulation game. By focusing on nailing the moment-to-moment fighting, it allows for player experimentation and roleplaying, rewarding those who want to have fun above those who take themselves too seriously.

ESO Blackwood feels and plays more like an interim update than a significant new expansion. That could change with new additions over the next year, but I think it’s time for ZeniMax to step back and take longer than a year to create these new expansions. Fan service is fine, but it should be anchored to something more solid and substantial as well to make it worthwhile. Until that happens, just wait for a sale.

A certain level of scrappiness can be charming, but it’s harder to excuse in a big-budget project like this one, and three crashes in an hour is far too scrappy to be overlooked. Still, I do have a fondness for Rift Apart, perhaps because I do get the sense that this was a project built with love, yet not so much love that it wasn’t willing to experiment and try some new things. Once all the many, many bugs are fixed, this’ll be a pretty good game for families to enjoy, and a superb showcase for what the PS5 is capable of.

If you've got an iPad that can run it, then Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a must buy – and it's half the price of the Switch version. The amount of control options, impressive visual quality, and the fact that the game is one of the best RPGs ever made make it well worth a download. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my party... on an iPad, which still feels ridiculous to say.

Super Bomberman R Online suffers from some technical and speed issues but is a blast to play online, offering classic Bomberman gameplay with enough pizzaz to keep the battle royale aspect of the title interesting. While there is a pay-to-win aspect to the game, it is not as bad as it could be, offering free players ample opportunity to earn new characters and cosmetic items. Overall, the microtransaction system and Battle Pass feel wholly unnecessary, detracting from the core Bomberman style of play. Still, Super Bomberman R Online offers enough of a classic Bomberman experience for free and should not be passed up by fans of the series.

In a world where zombies are so commonplace and people are the real monsters, Days Gone does not stand on its own two legs very well. While mechanically sound, the game lacks life, similar to the Freakers that inhabit it.

While it starts out slowly, Stonefly grows into something truly special – a heady mix of beautiful graphics and fun gameplay that feels strangely relaxing to play, and entirely unique to look at.

Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection offers players an almost exact recreation of the original titles in the series, down to terrible controls and an unforgiving difficulty. While the hand-drawn portions of the game look absolutely amazing, the rest looks rather cheap, hasty, and uninspired. Worth picking up for superfans, those looking for a better Ghosts 'n Goblins experience should seek out games such as Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, or modern titles like Battle Princess Madelyn.

World’s End Club is almost a good game. Fantastic character designs, a loveable cast, and clever writing will make you want to love it, but an unsatisfying narrative and boring gameplay make it hard to get through.

An Airport for Aliens Currently Run By Dogs is unlike anything I’ve ever played, for better and for worse. The originality and creativeness of the concept shine through because they’re accompanied by incredibly strong writing. Sadly though it left me at times feeling how we all do once we’ve shopped at duty free and are waiting at our gate, quite blasé about the whole affair.

Biomutant’s positives ever so slightly outweigh its faults and with more time (and patches), it could grow into a much more entertaining game. Its unique world, extensive customisation and pool of interesting moves and tricks in battle make this game fun to play but for now, a colourful but empty world, a wealth of glitches, and dull objectives make it a tough sell.

3DClouds' simple approach has left the final product feeling lacking in King of Seas. Yes, it is sort of fun, but it's not anywhere near as fun as it could have been. It would have been a much better game if they had spent more time building out the skeleton crew that exists here.

While Velan Studios has created a competent multiplayer experience, Knockout City’s not especially thrilling. There aren’t many games that use dodgeball as a core mechanic, making it somewhat unique, but it feels afraid to take risks, creating an entertaining but ultimately safe experience. If you can gather up some friends, there’s silly enjoyment within and considering it’s got a free trial – to say nothing of Game Pass/EA Play – I’d recommend at least trying it.

Taking three of the best sci-fi RPGs of the last twenty years and putting them into one package with a variety of quality of life and visual upgrades nets out as you’d expect: the Mass Effect Legendary Edition is essential for Reaper War veterans and newcomers alike.

Ultimately, Sabec’s Calculator is an odd one. Will it change the world? No. Will your friends, family, and colleagues ridicule you for spending £8 on a digital calculator? Almost certainly. Featuring a balanced roster of characters, quick load times, minimalist visuals, and a creative sandbox structure, Calculator accomplishes everything Sabec Limited set out to do. For that, I give it high marks.

I came away from Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster with mostly positive feelings. There’s a great game here filled with exciting battles, head pumping music, and interesting themes. However, I really wish that there were simply just even more quality of life changes and modern conveniences implemented in the game. It’s fantastic that a new generation of players has better access to this title now. But in many ways, it still feels like it’s stuck in the past.

Smart combat makes you think about every move on the game’s impressively varied maps, but until Sumo adds more to do, it’s a tough one to recommend. For now, Hood is best enjoyed with friends or in small doses.

While Wrath of the Druids isn’t Assassin’s Creed at its most exciting, it’s certainly passable in a month as quiet as this. Burn a weekend burning druids and make the most of it all, before waiting to see when they'll get back to the actual plot. Seriously, I need closure on that ending, Ubisoft.

Whatever its faults, there’s really nothing much like R-Type Final 2 on the market right now. It’s unabashedly old school in its approach and delights in letting you go hog wild with its dozens of weapons. Frustration and visual crowding aside, there’s plenty to love here for space fans.

Resident Evil Village is an essential horror experience that shows off what Capcom is capable of when it doesn’t compromise its vision in any way. The developer uses subgenres like puzzle pieces, clicking them into place on a grid to reveal the bigger picture: a survival horror collage, realised with remarkable production values and a deep love for its extensive roots. Resident Evil Village will be held high by Lady Dimitrescu and her peers for years to come, to rest head and shoulders above its genre rivals.

But by stripping the Pokémon of anything that feels organic, Nintendo has effectively made its critters feel like wind-up toys, removing the romanticism and mystique that should always come through witnessing raw, unbridled nature. They took these untamed lands and tamed them before we even got there. Unfortunately, the resultant game is as exciting as you’d imagine.

I didn’t realise that pinball would be my favourite VR game in the year of our lord 2021, but here I am, having a great time in my virtual space basement. A few tweaks for the sake of comfort would be ideal, but for now, this is pure, unadulterated, high-score chasing fun in a galaxy far, far away. (Oculus Quest 2)

Returnal is undoubtedly one of Housemarque’s best games and is a triumph for the PlayStation 5. The premise is interesting right off the bat, and the way the game feeds narrative breadcrumbs throughout the game only made me want to continue on. With the tight gameplay that the studio is known for, along with an intriguing story and blockbuster presentation, Housemarque hits all the right spots. Returnal sits as one of PlayStation’s most unique exclusives.

Blemishes aside, it’s hard to see NieR Replicant ver. 1.22 as anything other than a masterpiece. Beautiful and tragic in equal measures, it’s a feast for the senses, a true epic, and an utterly unforgettable experience.

Crash Bandicoot: On The Run is a fun, but overly simple mobile rendition of one of gaming’s greatest mascots. Overly aggressive advertising and an in-game economy that doesn’t respect players’ time sour what could have been a memorable endless runner...It’s less 'On The Run', and more endlessly waiting around.

Overall MotoGP 21 is a triumph and celebrates the fastest bike series around in all its glory. Accessible for new players and challenging for experienced ones, it’s a can’t-miss for race fans everywhere.