What Insurgency: Sandstorm is offering here is a welcome change of pace, and a genuine alternative to the established norm.

Tempest 4000 isn’t doing anything new or different - but this is an eminently playable, intuitive arcade reimagining that is well worth sinking some time into.

Whether it’s a snooker hall or a place out in the wider world somewhere, Puzzling Places is just… nice. Couple this with the fact they add new puzzles each month and you’ve a nice place to relax whenever you need it. It’s simple, but relaxing, and an easy recommendation.

The Mageseeker is another reason to be excited about where Riot are going to take League of Legends in the future.

Beyond Galaxyland shouldn't be missed, with exciting turn-based combat, a world ripe for exploration, and beautifully written characters.

It’s not always user-friendly, but it is incredibly unique and often very funny, which makes its difficulty all the more incongruous. The biggest problem is that it just doesn’t feel tight enough, and the input system is far too haphazard for precision. And yet, it’s hugely likeable and playable throughout.

Mario Golf World Tour offers a methodical 3DS sports title that fills a niche on the console more than adequately, and it would have been a compelling and satisfying golf game regardless of whether it built courses in the Mushroom Kingdom or not. One of the best plates of chips I’ve had in a while, regardless of the ketchup.

A fairly lacklustre remaster does nothing to diminish what makes Dragon's Dogma such a unique and memorable role-playing game. For fans of western style action RPGs it's a must play.

I’d even go so far as to say that it feels like the definitive version. It doesn’t add anything to the base game besides the expansions and DLC elements that were already there on other consoles, but it’s still worth picking up if you’ve never hunted a Cockatrice in Gransys before.

Incredible to look at, to listen to, but most importantly to play, Sony should be pushing this one to the moon as a prime reason to own their excellent handheld.

It's over too soon, but while it lasts My Friend Pedro is a unique, likeable shooter and some of the best fun I've had in a while.

Wario Ware is back and like all the bozos who fall for Wario’s schemes we really should fall for this all over again.

An interesting mashup of genres, ultimately creating an experience that can stand alongside even the best Soulslikes.

We expected big things from the studio behind Mark of the Ninja and Shank, and in Don’t Starve, we got them. It’s a wonderfully dark survival-craft game with great scope for emergent, unique experiences, even if it will make you rage occasionally.

The best rhythm game on Nintendo Switch, and one with a surprisingly fun party mode.

El Paso, Elsewhere is a fun throwback that tells an interesting story, but the shooting and diving gameplay just doesn't hold its own.

Not the most thrilling game, but a powerful, well-told story nonetheless.

Cosmic Star Heroine on the Switch is the definitive version of the game. While I would’ve hoped for things like touch support to progress dialogue text, I can safely recommend this to anyone looking for a great RPG to play on the Switch.

Atelier Lulua is one of the better Atelier games in recent times and a worthy follow up to the Arland trilogy with its relaxing gameplay and superb soundtrack.

Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader is a huge, deep, vast, sprawling CRPG that's sometimes a little too ambitious for its own good.

From the opening moments to the end credits, everything about Kunai just oozes charm and its movement mechanics make it a joy to play. An absolute must-play.

It’s a paid beta, though (which is iffy in itself in some ways), and so there’s lots of room and time for improvement. It’s just a shame that a game with such polished shooting and looting is bogged down by such clunky menus, tangled systems and tiresome mechanics. We’ll re-examine Fortnite as and when the big changes come, but for now it’s a lot of fun, once you’re comfortable with how it all works.

Improves on its predecessor in every way to deliver a satisfying puzzle game that, while challenging, never feels insurmountable; something that is down to the excellent communication and pacing of its mechanics.

It might take itself far too seriously, but RIGS delivers where it matters: the gameplay. One of the best games in the PSVR launch lineup.

Moving Out is filled with plenty of beautifully designed buildings, providing plenty of challenges for you to enjoy alone or with up to three friends.

Fashion Police Squad is a fabulous retro style FPS, with a unique theme and tons of ideas packed in.

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is fun with friends, but control issues, irritating traps and a lack of fresh ideas make it hard to recommend for solo players.

The DioField Chronicle is an epic strategy RPG where you're fully engrossed in its story, and throughout every beautifully constructed battle. It features an in-depth battle structure and upgrading system, where you're constantly mixing up strategies on the fly.

Jupiter Hell is a thrilling turn-based roguelike with stripped back mechanics that make every playthrough more exciting than the last.

There’s no doubt that Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition is a product of its time, but there’s also no doubt that it’s an absolute classic of the RPG genre.

If you have the patience then you can't really complain about a game of this quality that you can play for free. Transformers Earth Wars is actually worth a download.

Void Terrarium 2 is a fantastic Roguelike that blends dungeon crawling and childcare to create a unique and compelling experience.

If you made the trip to Far Harbor at all then you know what you're hoping for, and it's safe to say you'll find it. Just don't expect a radical departure from what has come before.

Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] is a great middle ground between the Street Fighters and the anime fighters that exist today with a deep and yet accessible gameplay and great tutorial.

Tropico 6 is the best in the series to date, taking the personality and humour from previous titles and adding extras that make being El Presidente feel better than ever.

Sonic Origins Plus contains some cracking Sonic games, but the collection is somewhat lacking and the added content is average at best.

Five styles of driving all done justice with one of the most violent and emergent racing engines available make GRID Autosport a compelling title for both car enthusiasts and petrol heads alike. Even if your interest in cars is merely fleeting, GRID Autosport juggles realism and aggressive satisfaction to deliver an intoxicating mix somewhere between the joy of an arcade racer and the science of a true sim.

Infinity Ward could quite easily have rested on their laurels, stayed in their comfort zone to release Modern Warfare 4 this year with little negative critical reception. Instead, they’ve done something bold with the franchise they gave life to, and as a result have created the best Call of Duty game since Modern Warfare 2. Big, brash and absolutely stunning.

Haunting, atmospheric and highly playable, Crowman & Wolfboy adds just enough depth and content to make it more than your average auto-runner, while a Metroid-Vania-like approach to new abilities and level exploration add some real replay value to an enjoyable game.

The Switch port looks and runs great in both handheld and docked mode.

Despite some technical issues, Void Bastards on Nintendo Switch is a superb, clever game that deserves to be played. Don't sleep on it again!

Adding plenty of new content and lore to enhance the story of the original game, Subject 2923 is an excellent expansion for Remnant: From the Ashes.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II on PS4 is a near perfect remaster of a fantastic game that arrives just in time for Trails of Cold Steel III.

Amid the Ruins has its fair share of shortcomings, but it also ticks most of the boxes of what we have been asking for in the past. It maintains a good pace throughout, and avoids getting bogged down with trivialities. It also manages to provide a mix of action sections, emotional scenes, and conversational passages – yet we also get some much-appreciated character development.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion is an entertaining spinoff with action packed combat, but at this point it's showing its age a little.

John Wick Hex on PS4 is a faithful take on the movie franchise, providing challenging gameplay, a superb soundtrack, and an authentic experience. Although the game's difficulty ramps up towards the end, it's still a great approach to adapting the movies into a video game.

A solid dungeon-crawling RPG with enough inventiveness to keep you entertained for a fair while.

Improves on what made episode one so great, while adding a bigger, more impacting story.

This collection gives you an authentic horror experience: tense moments, a feeling of helplessness, and an environment you can’t help but exist in, even though you wish you were anywhere else.

Hell is Others is a brutal nightmare of a multiplayer game that will appeal massively to patient players who are willing to make the time investment.

It’s weird to think that with the fourth game, Skylanders has fully earned my trust.

With all of the positives, then, its just a shame that infuriating checkpoints and shoddy bosses hold back what is otherwise a really enjoyable trip down memory lane. Charlie Murder never breaks new ground in terms of gameplay, but with a couple of fellow safety-pin pariahs by your side, there’s no doubting that this can be a hell of a ride.

Andro Dunos 2 is still a great time despite minor flaws, and a challenging one that is no pushover to one-credit.

Broken Toys is a superbly written episode, with visuals being some of the best the series has ever seen.

If you like these artistically pleasing platform puzzlers, then this is going to be something you'll enjoy. It's not very challenging, and it has a few issues that will frustrate, but this is a fine one-and-done game, and for the price, it's well worth investigating.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is full of charming gods and funky songs, and some issues with sound levels aren't enough to ruin that.

Atelier Shallie Plus is a great way to end the Dusk trilogy in the Atelier franchise and suffers from the usual Atelier on Vita problems while still charming me over.

Sympathy Kiss is a simple but effective visual novel, with plenty of charming hunks to romance and a familiar office setting.

If you have a bunch of friends with high tolerance levels readily available then it might be worth giving this a punt, otherwise, if you’re the type that throws controllers then you may want to avoid.

Bugsnax runs really well on Switch, but loses a little magic without the DualSense.

As a narrative puzzle game, The Operator is very good. It never feels unsolvable, but isn't insultingly easy either, and presents itself with some nice touches.

NBA 2K20 is another fine entry into the franchise, with this year's story mode being its best yet. There are issues, but the good far outweighs the bad.

A game like no other, and even though it can be hard to play at times, it still offers a unique and rewarding challenge.

Dandy Dungeon is a breath of fresh air in a time when most games take themselves too seriously. I love the music and humour here. Having already played a good amount of it on iOS, it is good to see a whole new audience get a chance to play this since the mobile version is no longer available. If you enjoy roguelites and great humour and want something that oozes charm, you need to get this.

Aviici Invector: Encore Edition on Oculus Quest 2 is a game made to celebrate Bergling's talent, and remember his creations. It's pretty to look at, sounds amazing, and plays well.

Rogue Flight is a good entry into the genre and one that is enjoyable but has a feeling something is slightly missing.

Good Job! is a funny and chaotic puzzle game, with a unique setting and multiple ways to accomplish your objectives. It might be a bit simple for puzzling veterans, but for some lighthearted family entertainment it's perfect.

The great level design, accompanied by charming 8-bit style artwork, an incredible soundtrack and the fact that you need to be very quick-thinking and account for every centimetre of space, really make this a special game in its genre.

Oxenfree is a haunting, emotionally-charged mystery that spreads its shocks a little too thinly, but still manages to deliver an engaging, memorable experience.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a powerful, emotional and compelling tale that shows off a side of Don’t Nod that we’ve never seen so well-lit.

It’s a slow starter, but give it a chance and Hue blossoms into a stunning, fun, yet challenging puzzle game with some quick platforming to break it up.

The Adventures of Captain Spirit is an interesting way to generate interest in the Life is Strange sequel. Chris and his alter-ego is a likeable little boy trying to navigate a childhood filled with both imaginary and real-life monsters.

Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition brings an underrated classic onto modern consoles, with improvements that give it a new lease of life.

Alien: Rogue Incursion is a faithful and fear-inducing game, with intelligent xenomorphs and some strong storytelling throughout.

Samurai Shodown is a very different fighter to what you might be used to, but it offers a unique way to play, offering a different approach to the genre.

It deserves a wider audience, with Konami clearly having a corking engine on their hands in the Fox. Still, minor issues aside, this is a great way for the series to bow out on the current hardware.

It may have issues, but in RIDE 4, Milestone has finally created the two-wheeled Gran Turismo that fans have always wanted.

Pepper Grinder is one of the most entertaining 2D platformers I've played in ages, with fantastic motion and seriously creative and varied stages.

It lays the existentialism on pretty thick at times, and it has the potential to thoroughly overwhelm you, but Per Aspera is an oddly intoxicating expedition into the colonisation of another world.

Roguebook is an interesting deckbuilder that does a lot of things well. It doesn’t do a great deal that feels new and exciting, but there are flashes of brilliance here and there.

Tinykin is a joyous and unthreatening exploration based 3D platformer, with a ridiculous amount of charm.

A superb portable Warriors experience with a shocking amount of quality content packed in.

Chernobylite does the tension of survival better than most, but the hokey horror element lets it down.

UFC 4 has a much better submission system, as well as more fluid clinch mechanics. The Career Mode has got some nice improvements, but it still feels like a similar experience to its predecessor.

Overall, the toning down of some effects and lighting would have been more palatable if the image quality itself was good. The visuals look a bit too soft in both handheld and docked mode in the current state. Thankfully, I ran into no trouble playing the games on either mode and have been enjoying them. I think they hold up great and are a lovely addition to the Switch platformers available.

Abzû is one of the greatest looking games in existence, with a simple message at its heart. You’ll revel in the wonders of its beautifully designed ocean.

Bad Apple Wars is yet another interesting otome game from Otomate that manages to stand out from their other releases really well but one that has a terrible font that annoyed me constantly.

It’s not unusual for a new series to have a slow start, and while this is borne from something else I’m going to grant it the leniency that a new series deserves. What we have here is a pilot episode that’s obviously building to something. There are missteps, but I’m hopeful that these will be either eradicated or negligible in the forthcoming episodes.

There’s a lot to like about the way Transference tries to tell its story, but it often lacks direction which pulls you out of the experience.

Ironcast is a solid strategy game, easy mechanics and a deep level of customisation makes it worth coming back to.

The roguelike elements make this a perfect fit to portable pickup and play with a very lenient save system.

It took way too long, but it's a fantastic second episode in what may well end up Telltale's best series to date.

It isn’t perfect, but EAFC has sucked me back into a mode I was about to give up on, has some of its slickest soccer to date, and hasn’t missed a beat in its transition to a new name. But it misses a chance to usher in its new era with something bold, deciding to remain mostly true to form. And that’s a shame. Regardless, I’ll be pinging passes with Rose Lavelle for months to come.

A more story-driven take on the gather & build genre, Crashlands wears its inspirations boldly, but gets away with it.

A great showcase of how a much beloved series has evolved over nearly a decade. It still has some great moments and can still feel fresh and exciting, but those moments cant hold back the slump into grinding repetition most matches end up being.

It won't be for everyone, but for those that love Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, it'll stay in the memory for a very long time indeed.

FIFA 22 features tons of big changes in every element of gameplay, making this year's iteration the best version seen to date.

It may not be the purist’s choice, but for pure enjoyment it cannot be beaten. Everybody's Golf is everything I wanted from the return of the series.