One of the best looking games ever, but also one of the least ambitious in terms of anything else.

The best and worst of BioWare's excesses combine in this competent but unprogressive RPG.

A fiercely original take on traditional computer role-playing games that often seems unrefined and self-indulgent but is still a welcome shake-up of genre norms.

An excellent remake of a not-quite-classic survival horror, that nevertheless makes a convincing argument for the continuation of the series.

Featuring a high degree of polish and a scattering of secrets and collectibles in each level, it may not be particularly original, and its cut scenes outstay their welcome, but this relatively short and highly entertaining game certainly does not.

Despite a highly emotional finale this is arguably the worst episode of the season, although the overall storytelling remains some of the strongest in gaming.

A disappointingly clumsy attempt to evolve the Fire Emblem formula that takes little advantage of being on the Switch, but the anime melodrama and fun combat still entertains.

A surprisingly iterative sequel that’s nonetheless superior to its predecessor and despite some dull moment, and an incoherent narrative, this is still the best Metal Gear game in a decade.

A dream come true for Beatles fans, but viewed purely as a game it's not a patch on Rock Band 2.

A peculiar sequel that at times seems to be purposefully undermining the best elements of the original, but it still gets just enough right to please both existing fans and potential newcomers.

If you accept its purposeful limitations this is one of the few successful attempts to ensure creating your own games is as much fun as playing them.

The graphics are absolutely stunning but the gameplay is predictable and surprisingly uneventful, as the game fails to leverage its technical achievements for anything more than straightforward spectacle.

It's one step forward and two back in a sequel that seems almost ashamed of its own unique features.

Not quite a misfire but while the action is highly entertaining this time-looping adventure squanders much of its premise on disappointingly straightforward objectives and a curiously tame portrayal of unchecked hedonism.

The difficultly curve and arcane interface and mechanics will still sadly limit the game's appeal, but CD Projekt has never given the impression that they're chasing a mainstream audience. And that's probably the attitude that is needed in order to create one of the few adult video games that doesn't feel like it was made purely for teenagers.

A complex and wildly ambitious medieval life simulator that basks in historical detail and will happily take over months of your life, even if its radical sense of freedom can create unintended impasses.

An ambitious and morally complex role-player, but one still limited by a poor script and half-broken game mechanics.

A colossal achievement in puzzle gaming, with a very cleverly conceived setting and story, but the lack of variety and reward becomes stifling.

An excellent battle system shackled to a dispiritingly dull and long-winded fantasy adventure, that takes an inordinate amount of time to say nothing of value.

Easily the best downloadable extra so far and the only one to realise that Mass Effect 2's true strength is in character and melodrama, not action.

It's not clear what the four year wait was in aid of but despite only a few, small, new ideas this is still one of the best Tower Defense games on any format.

Perhaps the closest there’ll ever be to a portable version of Dark Souls, but the unreliable controls make the punishing difficulty harder to bare.

The best portable real-time strategy game ever made - even if most of the credit belongs to Blizzard not Gameloft.

Not just a tech demo, but a cleverly designed time waster that creates an absorbing challenge out of its apparently limited mechanics.

Less consistent than the previous games, and the Batmobile is a surprisingly unwelcome addition, but even as the worst of the Arkham titles this is still a superior superhero adventure.

The best Spider-Man game ever made… but only just, since it fails to move the superhero video game genre forward in any important way.

By Nintendo standards this is no classic, but by anyone else's it's a fun and accessible 2D platformer.

Still the same innovative-but-flawed puzzler as on the DS, but now far cheaper and with even more attractive visuals.

With a warm but whacky sense of humour, this is a Tycoon-style game that has you managing a blacksmithing business staffed by spuds. Set them to work forging weapons with stats that appeal to the selection of heroes that inhabit each of the game’s towns; the better the correlation, the more they’ll pay and the better their XP, adding to your shop’s fame and letting you expand your operation. It’s a polished product, even if it does eventually feel a bit repetitive, and the fact that it’s a PC port makes some of the text so tiny that those playing on phones will be reaching for a magnifying glass.

Donkey Kong Country is still no classic platformer, but this reboot comes surprisingly close to rivaling modern Super Marios.

A distinguished iOS release that manages to replicate almost all the features of the home consoles originals, both good and bad.

Just a mishmash of cliches with enemies that could have walked in from any other shooter and a plot that simply joins the dots from one contrived set piece to another...You've not only seen it all before you've seen it a dozen times before.

Pretentious and restrictive, but also one of the most spectacular visual and aural experiences on the PS3.

As good as Diablo is ever likely to be when playing with a joypad, but even the new local co-op options are subject to necessary but debilitating compromises.

A flawed superhero adventure even when it was first released, but the passage of time and a superior follow-up makes this a difficult recommendation at such a high price.

The same old Ratchet & Clank as always: unsettled, fractured, gorgeous and varied to a fault.

A colossal achievement in puzzle gaming, with a very cleverly conceived setting and story, but the lack of variety and reward becomes stifling.

Probably the best Kirby game ever and one of the most visually arresting video games of the year (if it had actually been released in Europe that is).

An impressive mix of game styles, and some of the most rewarding speed runs in recent memory, but that only increases the speed at which levels start to blur into each other.

A superb remake of two flawed but still interesting entries in the Final Fantasy canon – and certainly far better games than any of the last three.

The coronavirus has made its themes more relevant than ever and while there are many odd decisions, in terms of plot and game design, the overall experience remains strangely engrossing.

Don't let its low price or simple visuals fool you, this is the most demonically addictive game of the year and it takes no prisoners.

It's a technical tour de force for the PSP, but also one sequel to many for a series that is in dire need of a reboot - or perhaps simply a rest.

You'll either love or loathe the rote learning and rock hard difficultly in this next gen Kikstart.

A highly competent 2D platformer, but one so utterly devoid of any new ideas it’s really only for the nostalgic and those desperate to play something new(-ish) on the Switch.

The Room series offers players tactile, faux-Victorian puzzles that involve opening up wood and brass contraptions to reveal crank handles, sculptures with star-shaped bases, and devices that happen to be just the right angle to connect two recently-discovered apertures. Unlike The Room 2, which came over all Myst and had you spending a significant chunk of your time wandering back and forth, this goes back to its roots with a much more compact experience, revolving around the rooms of a single doll’s house. It does nothing to innovate and is relatively short-lived, but it’s enormously engaging while it lasts.

One of the best-looking open world games ever but the formula is beginning to feel increasingly outdated, despite the cool visuals, fun samurai gear, and surprisingly good plot.

A heartwarming adventure about growing up, packed full of imagination and 90s snark, but its main strength is the way in which it manages to expertly capture what it feels like to be a young, bored teen on the verge of adulthood.

Time has been surprisingly kind to Ghost Trick, with its bizarre plot and gorgeous graphics, and while some old problems remain, they’re very easy to excuse.

The combat might never feel as clever as the visuals and narration but this is still an engrossing and distinctive action role-player.

An impressively full-bodied Japanese role-player that’s good enough to attract non-Monster Hunter fans, with the Pokémon style collection process making up for the flaws in the storytelling and combat.

Clever puzzles, immersive presentation, and an intriguing plot combine in one of the most ambitious and original smartphone games of the year.

As polished a product as Rockstar has ever produced but the action and storytelling are rigidly one note, and neither is sustained for long enough.

An entertaining open world action role-player, with an interesting approach to AI-controlled companions, but which proves disappointingly similar to the 2012 original.

Old school to a fault, but fans of the series – and anyone else that appreciates its honest charms – will find much to love in this simplistic but heart-warming role-player.

All the changes and additions are for the best, and a great step forward for Destiny in general, but they come at a price – both literally and figuratively.

Punishingly hard for no good reason, turning what could have been a fun reaction-based platform game into a painful memory test.

Simple, charming, and considerably improved on the 3DS. Dragon Quest isn’t for everyone but this bridges the gap between retro and modern games very well.

Not at all what you’d expect from the makers of Dragon’s Crown, but as well as the expectedly beautiful artwork this has some of the most engaging high school melodrama this side of Persona.

An excellent Yakuza game with some Switch 2 benefits, but the bonuses fail to justify the high price tag.

As graceful a marriage of old school action and modern sensibilities as you could probably hope for, despite the so-so multiplayer and repetitive setting.

It may be a one trick pony but Saints Row 2 in space will give anyone an appetite for destruction.

Another incremental improvement that adds some welcome new features but fails to fix old ones.

A lovingly crafted retro homage, made with skill and obvious affection for the source material – but there’s very little attempt at innovation and little to interest non-fans playing on their own.

Remaking Metal Gear without its creator seems foolhardy but this is as good an effort as could be imagined, without completely redesigning the original game.

Still a fantastically well-designed action adventure, but this is easily the worst version of the best superhero game ever made.

Old school graphic adventure that doesn't pull its punches with either the puzzles or the gorgeous art.

It’s a slow burn and has zero sense of humour, but believable characters, decent voice-acting, and accurate historical detail make for a sturdy if linear game. This is only the first half of book one, so don’t expect any neat resolutions.

A surprisingly satisfying end to a highly uneven season of adventures, which manages to show off both the best and worst of Telltale’s storytelling craft.

One of the best Kirby games ever made and while the formula hasn’t changed as much as it first seems it’s also one of the most enjoyable co-op titles of recent years.

As a PS Vita game this is no more than a competent port, but as a restatement of one of gaming's most enduring fighters it's still good, dumb fun.

The best portable Castlevania yet, with a long needed change of structure and a new focus on combat.

PUBG is one of the best multiplayer experiences of the generation, and as technically flawed as this Xbox One version currently is that fact still shines through. [Early Access Score = 70]

It’s hard to believe this is Hideo Kojima’s preferred version of the game, considering it side lines so much of the core gameplay and adds little else of any substance.

The bizarre mix of influences and gameplay doesn’t always gel, but the visuals and writing help paper over the cracks in this admirably unique adventure.

The Journey is an almost unqualified success, but in terms of on-pitch action FIFA 17 is comfortably outclassed by PES 2017.

Disappointing superhero sim, whose meagre set of powers prove to be far less exotic than you'd hope.

A solid rally racer, but also a worryingly indecisive one whose attempts to please everyone leads to an unfocused game that’s lacking in character.

A studied recreation of Crash Bandicoot’s halcyon days, that does little to innovate the formula but still offers a fun and varied slice of 90s style platforming.

The battle system is excellent but the Shin Megami Tensei series once again misses a golden opportunity to reincarnate itself, with its sparse plot and sky high difficulty.

Sony’s first experiment on the PC is just that, with a disappointingly glitchy port of one of the PlayStation 4’s most technically advanced exclusives.

Like any good firework display this fun platformer retains its charm even after the novelty runs out.

It's no Angry Birds - because it's not trying to be. Instead, it's a cheerful and attractive twist on an always-popular gameplay mechanic that's already a deserved hit with casual gaming fans. It's more Placid Bird Suffused With A Sense Of Innocent Child-Like Wonder.

The attempts to innovate in terms of storytelling and structure feel superficial and ineffective, leaving Gears 5 to survive purely on its increasingly overfamiliar action.

Still the best boxing sim around but the justification for this new sequel is pretty thin, despite a number of minor improvements.

An unsatisfying facsimile of Resident Evil 4 with none of the style or excitement, just more bugbears.

God Of War fans are well served, but these are neither the best entries in the series nor the best example of a Classics HD collection.

An excellent multiplayer and the best version of Battlefield ever on a console, but a lesser game than on the PC and with a very poor single-player mode.

More accessible and finally sporting an online mode, but the clumsy combat still limits the hunt's appeal.

Borrowing so obviously, from so many classic games, was always a risk but this stylish platformer pulls off its theft with some élan.

It still seems bizarre there’s no console version but if you must play a PlayStation 2 era GTA game on a touchscreen then this is a good as you can ever imagining it working.

Metallica fans will be happy enough, but everyone else will lament the lack of evolution and poor value.

Still an excellent third person brawler, but not the subversive outsider the original was.

The turn-based battles don’t fully convince but the new protagonist and bizarre mini-games still feel distinctively and entertainingly Yakuza.

A few steps forward and a few steps back leave this technically accomplished shooter exactly where it was: still searching for a heart and identity of its own.

It spends too much time recreating the genius of Metroid rather than adding to it, but this is still one of the best examples of the genre in recent years.

It can’t match FTL’s perfection, and its assortment of 300 events start repeating much earlier than you’d imagine, a problem exacerbated by how story-focused it is, making the repetition particularly glaring. It’s still very good though, with a solid script and beautiful pixel art styling.

Excellent remakes of two of the most important games in JRPG history, with pitch perfect presentation and a substantial charm, despite the inherent simplicity.