Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game - Complete Edition may not be on a par with Streets of Rage 4 and co, but playing with friend makes it a much better experience.

A great sequel with much more going on, and is built with a lot of love and respect for the series it comes from.

Coffee Talk 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly is a relaxing visual novel, but make sure you've played the first game before starting this one.

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn has a great game tucked away inside. But the time that has passed since the original and the extra additions tarnish the experience we fondly remember.

Rollerdrome is a phenomenal shooter that blends great combat and movement with a wonderful sense of progression, with stunning visuals and plenty of replayability.

Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is a great way to experience an outstanding action RPG, and I’m so glad this was a game that wasn’t forgotten. The fast-paced combat, epic boss fights and rewarding exploration make it a joy from start to finish, and even with a lack of direction I struggled to put this adventure down once I started it. This is an all time classic that shows why the Ys series is beloved by fans, so don’t miss out on it like I almost did.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a great excuse to revisit a classic Wii title, with just enough new additions to shake things up.

Although not revolutionary, After Dark still brings some great new features to the table.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is a game that long term fans of the series will love, but newcomers need not apply.

Yoshi's Crafted World is a beautifully crafted title - literally. Excellent level design, and childlike creative charm combine to produce a very enjoyable platformer.

Pokken is a fighting game that while decent could do with understanding that complexity doesn’t necessarily equal depth.

I Am Your Beast wastes no time in establishing your character, Harding, as a John Wick-style badass, and keeps you there for the whole game.

It’s good, but there’s a moral choice at the end that doesn’t really pay off, especially when you can come back afterwards and try the other option and in effect get the same result. But, like a good book, what’s here is great for its run-time, and it’s a good game for its budget price.

With Earth Defense Force 6 the voice acting is hilarious, there's some cheesy dialogue, loads of shouting, chanting and singing, and a vibe that doesn’t take itself seriously at all. It is brilliant.

Dicefolk is a wonderful Roguelike monster fighting game, with inventive and engaging combat and shed loads of content to dive into.

Prey is a game that meshes together a variety of ideas into a game that rewards exploration and experimentation and provides players with a fun toolbox with which to do so.

There’s a lovely adventure mode as well and loads of guest characters included here.

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is a refreshing take on the city builder genre, offering a wonderful sense of freedom and exploration.

If you like Quantic Dream's games and think the idea of that style mixed with an "I Know What You Did Last Summer" or "Scary Movie" style narrative would be good, you're probably going to really dig it.

A delight from start to finish, New Pokemon Snap improves on the original game in every conceivable way.

Steins;Gate 0 on Nintendo Switch is the version to get if you haven't played it on any system before despite the few issues with the port.

Among Ashes is clever horror with a unique approach to fear, never outstaying its welcome and keeping you on edge until the end.

With the best level design yet, this is more LittleBigPlanet, but the new characters help keep it fresh.

When it originally launched on the Switch, it had some performance issues and a poorly thought out icon on the home screen but both of these have been fixed since then. Now, Death Road to Canada is in my goto Switch games that I play while travelling alongside The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ and Enter the Gungeon. If you enjoy roguelikes, this one is super fun and pretty damn polished.

Dystopika is a small-scale, intimate city builder designed to let you chill while you build.

Bugsnax offers thrilling gameplay with a poignant story about community and hope that continues to keep you engrossed throughout. The plethora of bugsnax are well-designed and different, allowing you to come up with various ways to catch them. and the colourful island of Snaktooth is a lot of fun to explore.

Whenever a game can surprise you, it’s obviously a good thing. Stick It To The Man definitely does that at points – but, when it’s touted as a comedy and the laughs don’t come in thick and fast, disappointment follows.

Rift of the NecroDancer is a seriously clever rhythm game with a sublime soundtrack, which will keep you busy for many musical months.

Arguably the pre-eminent puzzle title for the Wii U, don’t let the fact that this is half a decade old put you off. It is a fresh take on a classic game that makes fine use of the hardware.

Stella Glow does a lot of things well, but it also has annoyances that hold it back from being an easy recommendation on the 3DS to any SRPG fan.

It’s comfortably the best Alien game ever made, and delivers authenticity along with a new story that is worth seeing, experiencing, and fleeing from into the darkness. Never once allowing the immersion to be broken, Creative Assembly have done it. They have actually done it.

It’s worth a go if you’re a fan of either series, and you won’t be disappointed by the story – just be prepared to invest plenty of time to see it through.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a great continuation of the story, but the cost is rather steep for what you're getting. Fujin and Sheeva are brilliant additions to the roster, even if RoboCop doesn't work as well.

King of Fighters XV is a delight. It feels like a new dawn for a legendary series, and I am genuinely excited to try out some of the future DLC characters that are on their way over the course of the year.

A cracking version of a cool game, then, and one that benefits from being on Switch. Play solo in handheld and get your face right in the screen to react to the high-octane gameplay, and dock your console to play co-op (and make sure you get the mech suit because it’s badass). A glorious retro side-scrolling action-shooter, with tight controls, a great look, and excellent boss fights. It’d be nice if it were a bit longer, and many newcomers to the style will be struggling even on easy mode, but hey, you can’t have everything, I suppose.

In a year dominated by Metroidvanias, huge open worlds, and big budget action, House Flipper 2 is a refreshingly joyous, relaxing experience.

With great level design and a satisfying mixture of puzzles and combat, Hob is one of the most beautiful adventures in a while. From humble beginnings, its scope will often take your breath away.

An impressive RTS that offers a well written story, magnificent visuals and a stunning soundtrack that will stay with you long after playing.

There is much to see and do with The Cowabunga Collection, and whilst the games are arguably all eclipsed by the recent Dotemu reboot, there are still some blinding retro classics and so many extras to enjoy that this collection is a great value trip through your childhood console and arcade memories.

Metal: Hellsinger features a perfect blend of frantic FPS action and rhythm, utilising different skillsets to make your way through hell. The music is excellent, the range of weapons are fun to use, and the gorgeous level design and visuals make this a must to play.

Regardless of negatives, Trials Fusion is still a fun, yet hard-core twitch-based experience that will give you hours of pleasure (depending on your definition of the word), but the best part of it is still the competition it creates with your friends list, and with that in mind, I’ll see you on the leaderboards, folks.

There are few rhythm games that are as joyful or as fun as this. If you need a happy place, this should most definitely be it.

Goetia is a difficult point-and-click adventure that tests your resolve, with an engaging story and some beautiful visuals.

Rather disappointing on the Switch. Visually it’s a pretty game, but detail does feel sharper whilst in handheld. It’s still lovely to look at whilst you’re playing docked, but it’s not as crisp. If it wasn’t for the problems with the control’s response time, I could easily play through the games again, however, if you’re only interested in playing for the portability factor, it’s still decent enough to take with you on your travels.

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei is a charming Otome game with an engaging historical setting and plenty of feudal hotties to fawn over.

Buddy Simulator 1984 may not have the best RPG mechanics in the world, and you may as well forget about playing it in docked mode due to the level of text input involved early doors, but see past these minor gripes and this Switch port of a 2021 Steam belter is absolutely worth your time.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged offers tons of cars and tracks for players to enjoy, featuring solid gameplay throughout.

The Quarry is one of Supermassive Games' best titles, harking back to the glory days of Until Dawn for all the right reasons.

This year's game feels like a transition year. Small changes make it better overall, but other issues drag it down with a bang.

Games like Pivvot make absolute fools of people who think iOS isn’t a legitimate gaming platform. It’s hugely addictive, and brings out the competitive side in everyone but, best of all, it gets people talking, which is worth celebrating.

A phenomenal fighting game that offers lots of different modes to keep you busy, but one with an abundance of cutscenes and narrative throughout, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

This charming crime drama is packed with emotion, and provides the perfect framework for your journey into Picross. Murder by Numbers masterful learning curve and beautiful art style will keep you coming back for more, and its heart-felt story will stop you from ever putting it down.

A superb game of football yet again, but some changes are better than others. FIFA 20 is still a great game fit to bursts with a mode for everyone.

If you want a wrestling game that gives fans their own chance to provide humongous rosters and countless creative tools, this game does it in spades, providing great gameplay to back it all up.

A unique blend of marble madness and tower defence that does become repetitive after a while, but sits nicely in the spot reserved for games that are great to dip into now and again.

Toem is the absolute pinnacle of easy-going gaming, and although it's a bit brief you'll never want to leave its gorgeous black and white world.

With a fair learning curve that will ease in all-comers, and RAD mode (every landing must be a perfect one) for the people who want a challenge, this is an absolute must own game.

Ghost Song is a fantastic game that blends Metroid and Dark Souls to create an experience that’s tense, touching and tough to put down.

Rain Games have created something beautiful in Teslagrad. Its opening scene alone should win some kind of award. Its mix of mind bending puzzles and unforgiving boss battles, not to mention some pretty hit and miss platforming, make it a game that will really split opinions. Fans of the genre will find a new hero in Teslagrad – but casual gamers should be wary.

Battlefield 4′s multiplayer is as bombastic as ever, featuring that exceptional mix of infantry tactics, vehicular warfare and big-budget destruction, and the tweaks to the class system and character progression are welcome (but yet to be fully field-tested). The flipside of the coin is that the campaign is soulless and uninspired, the graphics take a knock in fidelity for the sake of prettiness and the overall package comes out as slightly imbalanced.

Echo is an example of an exceptional idea that is enough to carry a whole game. The clever use of AI creates unique challenges, but the lack of environmental changes and same enemy type throughout means that it does slightly out-stay its welcome.

The only real problem Bleed 2 suffers from is its length. If it was longer, it would’ve been an essential for arcade game fans.

Though the twin-stick controls can be a little imprecise on Switch, it feels no less fantastic when you nail a run in Inertial Drift. It’s a wonderfully unique racer.

An incredible blend of rhythm game and platformer, Mad Rat Dead combines fluid gameplay and an incredible soundtrack to create a truly unique experience.

Resident Evil 3 is a superb remake of the original, with Nemesis being the clear highlight. Although inventory management and aiming can be a problem, it's still a fantastic game.

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve gives the titular hero plenty of room to shine, with a well-written story that highlights how good she is.

The Switch port of Persona 5 Tactica is absolutely wonderful, and it's a perfect game to play portably thanks to its lovely bite sized missions.

New handling model shakes up a familiar game, and is well worth a look.

Almost everything I wanted out of the port, but it is only worth picking up if you plan on playing handheld only.

Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition provides a much more stable experience, with extra content for players to get stuck into. It's great to be back as Abe, and having a smoother game makes up for earlier frustrations felt when the game released back in April.

Clem is an engaging adventure game with some genius puzzles and a whole lot of charm, but the movement will be a little too slow for some.

Where the previous three episodes set the scene with laughs galore, episode four focuses more on setting up a finale, and loses some of the magic in doing so.

Nobody Saves the World is a superb adventure, with lots of to see, do, experiment with, and have lots of crazy fun whilst doing so.

Ready or Not might feel at odds with itself a little from time to time, but it’s still a solid if unspectacular squad shooter.

Horizon Call of the Mountain is a great launch title with impressive tech shown off at every corner, only let down by some of the climbing.

Avicii Invector is a fun and exciting rhythm-action game, and a fitting tribute to the late musician.

NBA 2K21 on PS5 offers a big improvement to gameplay, and whilst the inclusion of The W is great, The City needs more time to grow. Gameplay is superb when not in The City, and the combination of MyLeague and MyGM is a welcome change to a flagging mode.

A fighting game that packs a punch and is worthy of the series’ name. Once you see past some questionable animations you’ll find countless hours of fun mixing and matching teams on and offline.

Shiren The Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is one of the best roguelikes available on any platform and it happens to have some of the best pixel art I’ve seen in a long time.

A blissful, almost trance-like state can be achieved when playing Race the Sun, and despite being a game that slowly reveals itself to you, rewarding you for getting better, this is worth shouting about.

Takes the classic addictive gameplay we all know and love and successfully mixes it with the endless runner genre to create a surprisingly good and extremely affordable little gem.

Trials Rising is a thrill ride of crazy tracks and various challenges, pushing physics-based racing to its limits.

Alienation may lack the tactical nuance of Helldivers, but it makes up for it with tight shooting and a tonne of pretty-pretty explosions.

It has a kickass soundtrack and is quite difficult initially but has you quickly coming back for more. It blends in the roguelike and shmup genres together with a memorable pixel art aesthetic.

Rabi-Ribi on Nintendo Switch is an excellent way to experience this excellent game, even with the issues relating to lack of rumble and menu lag.

F.I.S.T remains an excellent action adventure on the Nintendo Switch and an unmissable experience for fans of the genre.

Omega Strikers smashes air hockey and MOBA elements together beautifully, and is the most fun I've had with multiplayer all year.

Head into Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty with the right frame of mind and you’ll find an enjoyable adventure that refuses to pull its punches.

I know I’ve mentioned Starcraft II a couple of times in this review, but it’s certainly the yardstick by which most RTS games are measured and this one is no different. There are obvious comparisons to be drawn between both games and Creative Assembly certainly wears its influences proudly, but Halo Wars 2 never strays into clone territory. It stands well on its own, creating an experience that combines cinematic storytelling with varied and interesting strategic gameplay, as well as throwing in a few explosions for which Halo is often known. And best of all, it manages to be accessible enough that even a blunt object like myself can finish the campaign.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is as punishing as it is rewarding, but for those willing to stick with it, there's plenty to enjoy.

An interesting enough take on the genre that's let down by boring looks and frustrating little niggles.

Road 96 tells a poignant story of those trying to escape a corrupt and dangerous country through great gameplay and multiple playthroughs.

Despite some minor missteps, Cookie Cutter is easily one of the best Metroidvania games of this year, and an absolute must-play.

NBA 2K25 has improved greatly on the court thanks to Pro Play and the new dribbling mechanics, with some nice tweaks to various modes.

An enjoyable romp through a pretty enough world, but one that may struggle to resonate with Western audiences. Fans of the series and established canon will find much to love, though, from the whimsical characters to the competent battle and crafting systems.

Like A Dragon Gaiden has one of the better stories of the series, acting as a love letter to Kiryu that fans are going to fall in love with.

Paper Beast is a wonderful puzzle game that features a stunning soundtrack, a poignant story, and some tender moments that leave you breathless.

Alan Wake Remastered is a definite improvement in the visual department, offering the same great story and intense gameplay throughout.