An atmospheric and compelling text-only role-playing game, with a realistic approach to survival and building relationships – where every action and failure comes with lasting consequences.

The fact may dismay parents but this is an excellent sequel that goes to considerable effort to inject new ideas and fix earlier problems – making it one of the best kids games available today.

Utterly charming from the first second, this greatest hits compilation of rhythm action is brimming with old school Nintendo magic.

EA hasn’t reinvented the wheel but they’ve reimagined what a fun football sim can be, with innovative game modes and gameplay tweaks that will make even seasoned FIFA vets rethink their approach.

Not a sequel that seemed desperately necessary, and it's arguable if the end result is any real improvement, but still an enjoyable - if quickly disposable - download.

An uneven mix of the overfamiliar and the surprisingly inspired, but the gorgeous graphics alone make this a Metroidvania to remember.

An excellent first person co-op game, with some spectacularly gory melee combat and a loot box system that’s not nearly as controversial as it might have been.

A genuine improvement on the original and so stuffed with content that you’ll need several new Final Fantasy games before another sequel is necessary.

Yet another entirely inessential special edition of one of the best video games ever made.

We’ve enjoyed Odyssey more than any entry since Assassin’s Creed II but it’s still frustrating that the franchise has done so little to improve the gameplay fundamentals upon which everything else depends. Although at least the one thing you can always say about Assassin’s Creed is that it definitely offers value for money.

Tropical Freeze is a good game, and aficionados of the genre will love it, but it does absolutely nothing to move forward either the Donkey franchise, 2D platformers in general, or the case for buying a Wii U.

Still one of the best and most original tactical action games around, although the compromises outweigh the small number of improvements on the PSP.

It's only a very minor extension to the previous games, but if this is your first BlazBlue it's the ideal way to become acquainted with the best new 2D fighter of the generation.

Codemasters’ best Formula One game so far adds an excellent story mode, along with a raft of new tweaks and options to make it more accessible.

The best turn-based tactics game since XCOM and a fantastic spy adventure that has an appeal that goes well beyond just strategy fans.

Extremely easy to use interface and excellent tutorials. Download service sounds promising.

It's still just another Tower Defence game, but at least this one requires some genuine strategy.

Still not quite essential, but the best of the three downloads and an effective final chapter for the most successfully difficult video game of the modern era.

A gripping mix of survival horror and existential science fiction storytelling, which is notably improved by an optional new safe mode.

One of the best remakes of recent years, both in terms of the amount of thought and effort put into the remastering and how much the original deserves the attention.

A strangely successful mix of genres that plays both a mean pinball and a highly competent game of Metroidvania, and all wrapped up in some utterly charming presentation.

Two of the best remasters ever made, as after years of neglect the Command & Conquer franchise finally gets the tender loving care it deserves.

Although it’s undoubtedly fun, the biggest question for Helldivers 2 is its longevity and variety. We haven’t played enough to judge that yet but then longevity is always difficult to discuss with a live service game, whose future plans are always in a state of flux. However, especially with its sensible price tag, this is definitely the best of the month’s online-only shooters, even if much of the appeal comes from shooting the wrong targets. [Review in Progress]

An excellent hybrid of role-playing staples that although it lacks new ideas of its own is able to use existing ones in a variety of entertaining ways – except when it comes to the story.

With its launch problems well behind it, Street Fighter 5 is no longer a disgrace to the family name, with the Champion Edition able to take on any other fighter this generation.

It’s still lacking a certain je ne sais quoi, but this is a definite improvement on the first game and a serious alternative to GTA V.

It's not a new idea, the feature set is thin and the presentation is mediocre. But it's still the best dance game - and the best Kinect game - so far.

The worst FIFA game for over half a decade, and clearly inferior to PES 2016. And yet it’s still not a bad game in itself, with some welcome new features.

A perfectly good 3D remake of Ruby and Sapphire, the only problem being that Ruby and Sapphire were never that great – and this is still not as good as the recent X and Y.

A well made and fun 2D Metroidvania game that despite having a sprinkling of new ideas, looks, plays, and behaves like a clone of Dead Cells.

Building your own medieval empire proves surprisingly attractive in terms of both visuals and gameplay.

A delightful, humour-infused, and very British university management simulator with Nintendo-esque levels of polish and depth that’s introduced so gently you barely notice it.

One of the best Call Of Duty games in years, with one of the greatest campaigns in the franchise’s history, along with solid, if somewhat less ambitious, multiplayer and co-op modes.

A fantastically imaginative, time-bending puzzle adventure that makes full use of one of the most enjoyably interactive game worlds in a long time.

There’s so much reused content it barely feels like a new game at times but the storytelling in Lost Judgment is some of the best, and most thoughtful, the Yakuza series has ever known.

A loving homage to the original X-COM, that’s far more interested in turning up the difficulty than coming up with any new ideas.

Giving a purposefully retro 2D platformer a 3D makeover sounds like the worst idea ever, but the end result only reconfirms Cave Story as a modern classic.

More a new episode than a full-blown sequel, but the clever blend of strategic, tactical, and moral decision-making is as compelling as ever.

The amount of missing features is disappointing, but as a first step this is an excellent console version of one of gaming's most open-ended and creative experiences.

A wonderful way to draw a line under Sparks Of Hope, with a mountain of new content and an extended cameo for Rayman, that makes him just as interesting as the existing team.

Startling realism mixed with clever fantasy elements create one of the most compelling motorsport games of the current gen.

It may lack the scares of its big brother, but this proves an impressively progressive lightgun game.

A definite improvement on the original, and despite some still notable flaws this is a wonderfully varied playground for motorsport fans of every kind.

The best new Football Manager in several years, and although the improvements are still minor they create a more nuanced and realistic experience than ever before.

The best Resident Evil since number 4 and that's despite a number of compromises in the story mode, but very much helped by the superb graphics and online mode.

It doesn’t push its ideas as far as it should, but this is a cleverly unique puzzle game that turns normal first person shooters on their head.

One of the DS's best first person shooters, whether you remember Star Fox and Starglider (and X) or not.

A deep, funny, and systemically complex role-playing game, built around wry satire and a far-reaching sense of consequence, where conversation is at least as important as combat.

The best Professor Layton game so far and an excellent update of the original template, which makes full use of the 3DS's extra abilities.

The main advantage of the Switch 2 version, if you casually ignore anyone who has played on a PC this century, is mouse controls. You can jump between the dual analogue setup and mouse functionality by flipping one Joy-Con on its side, and it transitions seamlessly between them whenever you want. There’s a mouse sensitivity slider which you can attune to your speed and, after some adjustment in nailing down the spell configurations with the buttons twisted sideways, it quickly became our preferred way to play.

It’s not much more than an HD update, but if you and your friends have the perseverance this is one of gaming’s most uniquely challenging co-op experiences.

Not even half as crazy and daring as it likes to think, but instead a dispiritingly conservative collection of bland third person action and missed opportunities.

Some unfortunate technical problems distract from what is otherwise a very generous compilation, and an entirely legitimate alternative to Destiny.

Very familiar dual stick shooter, in more ways than one, but still a great little Asteroids clone, with graphics that are nicely flattered by the PS Vita's screen.

An unambitious but competent sequel that already has some of the best endgame content of any similar game… if you can stomach the offensively apolitical, and thoroughly boring, storytelling.

Whatever your preconceptions may be about a free-to-play gacha game made in China it’s nothing short of stunning, presenting you with a sprawling Zelda-esque open world to explore, the green grass and blue skies looking beautiful thanks to console-grade production values. Even the monetisation isn’t too in-your-face, although it does eventually start to get a bit grindy in the late game. Genshin Impact is easily the most accomplished and alluring Zelda-alike available for mobiles, easily outstripping paid-for rival Oceanhorn and its sequel.

A good, solid action role-player and a fantastic South Park tie-in, with the same caustic wit and an unashamed embrace of video game and role-playing obsessions.

The spirit of 90s arcade racing is reborn in a homage to everything from OutRun to Lotus Turbo Challenge, and despite a few bumps in the road it’s all just as much fun as you remember.

The best and most versatile Jurassic World Evolution title yet, even if it’s only a compsognathus sized step up from its predecessor, rather than a brachiosaurus length stride.

One of the best massively multiplayer offline games of recent years, although like any party game its attractions are fairly fleeting.

Destiny 2 is redeemed at last, with a weighty expansion that brings back the best elements of the past and adds some welcome new ideas to the franchise.

It’s a surprisingly expansive mobile interpretation of its older sibling, your clone pilot gradually earning and learning new skills, and with that the ability to fly better spacecraft. Ship-to-ship combat takes place at huge range in the empty blackness of space, but it’s nevertheless satisfying blowing away space pirates with your slowly improving arsenal.

A successful attempt to modernise and broaden the appeal of the Tales series without completely abandoning its JRPG roots.

One of the best offline co-op games of recent years, with a wonderfully antagonist premise that destroys and rebuilds relationships on an almost minute-to-minute basis.

Neither nerdish simulator nor abstract arcade game, Shift 2 proves that compromises don't have to be boring - as long as they have autolog.

A polished, challenging and colourful 2D platform game that recalls the best of Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, even if it doesn’t really move beyond it.

A charming paid-for addition to New Horizons that doesn’t feel exploitative even as it comes off the back of one of the best free updates in recent gaming history.

An excellent remake that manages to overcome the flaws of the original and offer a glimpse at what a next gen Yakuza game might look like.

Hotline Miami remains one of the best indie games of the last decade but its deeply disappointingly sequel drags down this otherwise welcome compilation.

The definitive version of one of the most enduring indie games of the last decade, with great offline multiplayer and a near infinite array of levels.

An admirably excellent slice of DLC that shares the same high production values as the original and adds plenty of unique features of its own.

A significant improvement on the last generation of Pro Evo games, and for the first time in years PES is more entertaining than the new FIFA.

Frustrating and confusing almost by design, Antichamber is nevertheless one of the most intelligent and imaginative puzzle games for years.

Given it’s a free joke download, we’re not going to give The Murder Of Sonic The Hedgehog a score but we still recommend you try it out for yourself, be you a casual or diehard Sonic fan. Hopefully next year other publishers produce more April Fool’s gags of this quality and not just the usual tedious fake news.

Fans of the original will appreciate this challenging but versatile mix of stealth and strategy, but it misses almost every opportunity to update the Commandos formula for the modern era.

Another cutting edge F1 simulator, with a great single-player story mode and a more accessible range of options and modes than ever before.

As satisfying an ending as Dark Souls was ever going to get, with some shocking story revelations and memorable boss battles.

A competent but relatively unambitious expansion that adds plenty of new content but no new ideas.

Don’t let the name or presentation put you off: this is an impressive piece of interactive storytelling that gets more right than most other games with 10 times its budget.

Another excellent remake, in the vein of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, this retains the glorious character of the original games, while adding a coat of modern polish and a smattering of new content.

One of the most impressive indie titles of last year is now even better on PS4, in what is one of the most cinematic and accessible 2D shooter of the modern era.

Ace Attorney meets Sherlock Holmes turns out to be a great premise for a new game, with a subtle change in formula that works as both absurdist comedy and historical drama.

Etrian Odyssey probably didn’t need a second remake, especially with story and characters this unengaging, but the game underneath is still a superior dungeon crawler.

It may be the third time round, but the best ever strategy role-player works very well on dual screens.

Everything you could want from a theme park simulator, with a near endless collection of modes and options, and an endearingly cheerful tone and sense of humour.

The mismatched marriage of Mario Kart and PGR results in a racer that's less than the sum of its parts.

Different but certainly not better, despite the amazing next gen visuals FIFA has never seemed so indecisive and lacking in direction.

The world’s only cyber ninja simulator is distinctly rough around the edges, but never lets that get in the way of some gory, chaotic fun.

Ultimately this is a very different game to the offline versions but on its own terms almost as entertaining.

Although not a game in any conventional sense, more a work of interactive fiction, Florence is about falling in love, its protagonist drifting through the tedium of adult existence before meeting the love of her life. From the mild awkwardness of their first date, to moving in, daily routine, arguments and beyond, your part in each scene sometimes amounting to no more than scrolling through its practically wordless pages, but making you feel a part of its story in a way that graphic novels and films can’t. At only 30 minutes long and with little replay value, this is not for everyone, but its unique emotional journey is an experience that stays with you.

Turning a demonic cult into a management simulator is an amusing idea but the cute graphics are the only lasting entertainment to be had from this misjudged muddle of a game.

A slightly disappointing sequel that abandons much of the mellow charm of the original in favour of more action and a lot more aggravation.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is not a very good compilation but two of the three games it contains are exceptional, one more from a historical perspective, the other from every angle imaginable. These are games that everyone owes it to themselves to play, and if the medium for doing so is this rather underwhelming collection that’s still far better than nothing at all.

It doesn't even try to reinvent the fighting game genre or itself, but this is still the most enjoyable – and accessible - Tekken has been in years.

By far the best Skyrim expansion so far, and although the dragon-riding is disappointing, having a whole new world (or at least island) to explore is almost as good.

A superb mini-game compilation that’s as addictive and raucously entertaining as it is ugly, with Johann Sebastian Joust blurring the lines between video and parlour game.

EA's latest DS game is half platformer, half puzzle game, all fun (well, three quarters at least).

Not a good standalone game but a fine ending to the trilogy, that manages to make three games feel like one.