The team behind Olliolli try something new and produce a hit, Laser League could well be a new eSport darling.

If I had to criticise what is otherwise a brilliant value package, it is the woefully disappointing story and the way it doesn’t warrant much emotional investment. Luckily the desire to max out your character and become a master of the many fun and diverse occupations more than makes up for it.

Yes, there is a roar button. It is never not fun. What do you want from a kaiju game? Wholesale destruction, and the feeling that you are in control of something huge and powerfu.

The Casting of Frank Stone does a superb job of telling a greater story within the world of DbD, with cool twists and references throughout.

GoD Factory: Wingmen may win the award for worst named game of 2014 thus far, but this naming blunder masks one of the smartest multiplayer team games of recent years. Layers of thoughtful design are married to tight, responsive, spontaneous space flight controls to make a four-versus-four online space shooter that’s both thrilling and satisfying in equal measure.

Journey to the Savage Planet is a smaller, happier version of what No Man's Sky should have been at launch. Filled with things to find, trials to survive and, most importantly, genuine personality.

The very definition of a well crafted, slept-on series, this is punching well above its weight, and for the budget price will appeal to a wide section of the Nintendo fan-base.

The Pale Beyond is bleak and miserable in all the right ways, with a fantastic setting for a survival game.

Overland is a simple but effective survival game that evokes elements of the genre's best and puts them to good use.

Not just a great game to bear the Fire Emblem name but also one of the best Warriors games out there.

Blizzard Mountain may be small, with a few issues here and there, but it’s still a fantastic expansion for one of this year’s best games.

Popcap has improved upon the template they laid out with Garden Warfare, fleshing out the sequel with an array of things with which you can wile away your time. It’s excellent family friendly fun but genuinely great to play for all ages.

We Are OFK is a poignant story of growing up in the modern era, where love and music go hand in hand to shape our futures and lives.

MotoGP 21 offers an authentic motor racing simulation, welcoming for veterans of the series, but often alien for newcomers. Handling is great, and the career is deep, with plenty to keep players racing through the season.

The campaign is brilliant, and despite its flaws I've had a great time with Marvel's Avengers - and I'm not done yet.

Video game therapy has never been so explodey. Mothergunship is a funny, exciting and creative take on an otherwise simple premise.

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.

In Other Waters is a unique, dreamy experience that rewards your patience and time. It features one of the most elegant and thoughtful UIs in a game, and a clever, precise text to build a world worth exploring.

Like its predecessors, this is most definitely an under-the-radar, cult title which is unlikely to be troubling the charts – which is a damn shame as it features a fresh take on how a platform game can be played, something that almost becomes an art-form in the right hands.

A very welcome return for Capcom’s beloved mascot and a hope for a Sonic Mania-esque revival.

If you're after a different, more cerebral kind of dungeoneering experience, Desktop Dungeons: Rewind might just be the adventure you're looking for.

For those who game on the go, Samurai Shodown on Nintendo Switch is a weighty and undeniably fun-to-play fighter well deserving of your time.

Graceful Explosion Machine is a must play for arcade shooters with its precision gameplay, accessibility, and presentation.

Hunt the Night doesn't reinvent the genre, but with a gorgeous art style and variety in combat, there's still plenty to love about it.

A unique minimalist puzzler, Traffix is a relaxing experience if you can get to grips with the hit and miss Switch control options.

More of the same it may be, but when it’s this much fun, no one is going to complain.

It’s Spring Again is a lovely little interactive experience that lasts under 15 minutes teaching you about the seasons.

Not a great leap forward for the series, but more Picross is always welcome.

A bit different from what you’d expect, Battle Chef Brigade is a pleasant surprise, and like good food it can be nice to try something different once in a while.

By letting you morph the environment, Semblance is a new twist on the puzzler, asking you to creatively solve its challenges. New mechanics keep things fresh throughout, but also highlight what could have been if the game were longer and its ideas developed further.

Wizard with a Gun is an entertaining game about fixing the world in five minutes, but is just a bit too repetitive to recommend to everyone.

If you’re a fan of boss rush then you already know what you’re in for with Mechstermination Force. The difficulty is punishing, but the feeling of accomplishment after each victory makes it all worthwhile. Well, mostly.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road has a good story, some gorgeous environments, and a new mechanic that keeps things exciting.

Unknown 9: Awakening is more than decent, offering some fun combat and exploration with a cast of mostly likeable good guys and entertaining pantomime villains.

Freedom Wars is a decent enough Monster Hunter-esque game that the Vita really needed. It’s not without its faults, but while I may have explained these at length, they are not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

Wintermoor Tactics Club is perfect for newcomers to the genre, but doesn't offer much for experienced tactics players.

Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook combines cooking and tactics combat to create a rather tasty RPG experience.

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

A good little shooter that could have been great, L.A Cops is like a nicer version of Hotline Miami that's a bit on the blander side.

Ultimately, while Batbarian may not blow your mind, it’ll offer the odd chuckle, and mechanics just robust enough to keep you coming back.

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

Monster Truck Championship is a faithful simulation that offers a satisfying learning curve and a great sense of accomplishment. The competitions can become harder, but you are given plenty of customisation options to improve your truck throughout.

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.

If you can look past the inconsistencies, DriveClub is a great racer.

Cupid Parasite: Sweet and Spicy Darling is a wonderful take on the Otome genre, but it's hard to get into for people who skipped the original.

Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster brings two GameCube classics back from the dead, and they're still worth playing in 2023.

It’s the same game as it was back then. Playing on the Switch allows you to play with it anywhere, especially if you’re midway through one of the frustrating boss fights. It doesn’t quite look as good as when it’s docked, but the game is still vibrant and lovely to look at. If you want something that reminds you what the 80s were like, and fancy a game that fully embraces the notion of retro, Crossing Souls is the embodiment of it.

A stylish new take on the indie stealth genre, The Swindle doesn't have the chops to compete with the very best, but manages to be addictive and likable enough to succeed on its own merit.

It has been ace playing Furi on the Switch and while the port isn’t perfect, Furi on Switch is a great way to experience the game.

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.

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

Exile’s End is a true old school Metroidvania experience in both good and bad ways that will ring your nostalgia bells while pulling no punches with the gameplay.

Much better than the first, episode two features better pacing and more time being given to the supporting characters. I'm now excited to see where things go for the series.

Best in short doses and played at maximum risk, Bootleg Steamer is at least fairly unique among the indie releases of the last few years.

Arizona Sunshine 2 doesn't reinvent the genre, but that doesn't mean gunning down waves of zombies with your pooch isn't a ton of fun.

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.

Fate/EXTELLA is a fun musou game for fans of the Fate universe that is let down by a lacklustre story and visual inconsistencies.

Batora: Lost Haven is an enjoyable action game with enough combat and puzzles to keep you busy for a while.

Conga Master Party is fun while you’re in it, but the appeal is a little short lived, just like a real conga line.

The VR feels more like a delightful addition rather than an integral part of the experience, but there’s no denying how much fun it is to slaughter the cute alien kitty menace. [Tested with HTC Vive]

A decent finish to an action filled romp that leaves plenty of room for a sequel, yet also satisfies while doing so.

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy is just as beautiful as the series ever was, and the same charm is present and correct, but it's definitely beginning to wear a little thin.

The Switch port is almost excellent.

Loot River offers a challenge for the most sadistic of players. While the combat elements are enjoyable and the moving platforms give it a new spin that really works, I just always felt cheated with the lack of progress I was making.

Bonfire Peaks has you burning memories in a tricky puzzler that has real heart and soul at its molten core.

A worthy port of the PC reboot, Gauntlet: Slayer Edition adds loads of stuff to unlock, new abilities, enemies and characters (if you buy the DLC), but some will be put off by the unforgiving difficulty and sketchy servers.

Dragon Quest Heroes is like watching TV shows on Dave. It’s great at the time, but repeats itself all too often.

Hellcard is a decent if unremarkable card-battler with some cool ideas that offers a decent challenge for fans of the genre.

A quirky and charming beat-em-up with plenty of variety, strategy and humour. If the challenge doesn't put you off, you'll find yourself having having a great time.

Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune doesn’t do anything particularly new, but fans of Metroidvanias will find it well worth their time.

Madden receives a kicking each year regardless of what changes EA and Tiburon make. But it seems the developer listened a bit to the voices of dissent as what I am feeling here is a much crisper and user-friendly game than the buggy mess of last year. I will be playing this one throughout the season and very much looking forward to seeing how that pans out. Sadly, I cannot say the same for the Jets. But there is always next year.

Just Dance 2022 may be familiar, and it may bring little that's new to the table, but it's still a hell of a lot of fun.

Sociable Soccer 24 is a reminder of the good old days of football games, with gameplay that's easy enough to pick up and enjoy.

Persona 3 Reload's Episode Aigis - The Answer DLC may be lacking some social elements, but it's hard to deny more great Persona combat.

Reigns Beyond is a fun sci-fi version of the tinder inspired classic, with a whole lot of charm and plenty of characters and endings to find.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is filled with some good ideas and some nice mechanics. Despite looking amazing and feeling authentic, the camera angles and repetitive gameplay will grate on some people.

A gorgeous 2D adventure game with light puzzles, platforming and branching narrative choices. Some design decisions slow the pace down negatively, but the story and the reveal of your decisions have devastating impact.

Tribes of Midgard has some great ideas, but the cosmetic rewards, short skill trees and difficulty in unlocking new classes makes it feel a little “early access”.

Running and jumping from left to right is difficult to judge, but while wearing the colours of another The Adventure Pals delivers on its central concept in a way it’s inspiration never could.

Order Up is the funniest episode to date and while it isn't the conclusion some people will be expecting, it does a good job of creating a fun and entertaining story as well as laying the groundwork for future adventures.

After two decades away, the PlayStation is finally back inside the Battletech universe, and it feels…alright.

Agent A is more Johnny English than James Bond but there’s no harm in having a little fun as a spy.

If you’re willing to overlook some blurry visuals and get down to the serious business of racing you’ll find that there’s still a lot to love here and, for a launch title, it’s an impressive first outing for racing games on PSVR.

Moving Out on Switch has the potential to be the next Overcooked with some more polishing of the core gameplay, but regardless, it's a lovely new co-op experience From Team17.

If you enjoyed the original it's certainly worth going back for more, but there's not enough for returning players that weren't enamoured by its predecessor.

Phantom Doctrine is a strange one, all told. On the one hand it’s so like Firaxis’ modern classic that it’s almost laughable, but then it throws its own blend of ideas and innovations into the mix that do just enough to produce a brand new flavour. One thing I didn’t experience with Creative Forge’s game was boredom. I enjoyed the idling moments between missions when I felt like the director of a secret team of spies almost as much as I enjoyed directing the spies on the ground, and the overall experience is one I’d recommend to any fan of turn-based tactics or cold war skullduggery.

Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers manages to break its mould slightly with the introduction of a tactical RPG combat system and is ultimately strong enough to tide fans over until the next inevitable instalment.

Total Tank Simulator is a great example of a game not taking itself too seriously, and it's never less than a total blast.

After two years of early access, Killsquad is launching in a strong position to build on a solid, playable, and enjoyable foundation.

Manic Mechanics is a charming party game that takes a lot of inspiration from Overcooked, yet manages to stand on its own.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is perfectly serviceable and will certainly scratch an itch for major fans - though it's arguably not a bad entry point for newcomers either.

The Curious Expedition is an enjoyable roguelike with a likeable 19th Century setting, humorous writing and lots of content to explore and discover.

Velocibox is ridiculously challenging and painstaking, but the flip-side is that it's one of the most gratifying experiences you will ever have in a video game.

Although a little dated in design, Tamarin is a ton of fun for fans of good old fashioned Collectathon platformers.

Rules are made to be broken, and that’s never been more true that with Baba is You, I just wish they had made it a bit more fun.

A decent enough remaster that won't entice newcomers, but makes for a tasty treat for established fans.

Just Dance 2018 is just as good as it’s always been, but it’s beginning to become hard to justify shelling out just for a smattering of new songs with each iteration.

We Happy Few’s first DLC shows a glimpse of what the main game should have been. They Came From Below is full of heart and good humour, though a little heavy on the combat.