It's not going to change the world, but at least it manages to change first person shooters back into something more irreverent and fun.

The retail version will offer better value for money, but for existing fans this is a determined effort to drag Street Fighter IV even closer to perfection.

One of the best made Metroidvanias of recent years, but despite all the clever inspiration taken from other games it’s a shame it doesn’t have more unique ideas of its own.

An agreeably peculiar mix of role-playing game and Metroidvania but whose best feature is its charming visuals and one of the most endearing cast of characters seen in a long time.

The perfect introduction to ‘proper’ Pokémon games for GO players but also an enjoyably nostalgic remake for existing pokéfans.

A surprising, old school looter propped up by a contained sci-fi campaign, ferocious combat, and a modding system that encourages endless creativity.

It’s been a long time coming but the magic of Pokémon Snap has been effectively recreated in a game that’s more challenging and engrossing than its peaceable premise suggests.

One of the best arena shooters of recent years, but its high skill requirement and bland characters create an unfortunately high barrier to entry.

A welcome homage to JRPG classic Chrono Trigger and one of the best-looking 2D games of recent years, even if it’s not really doing anything new.

An excellent set of remasters that bring the remaining three mainline Ace Attorney games to modern formats, along with a suite of extras and some effective visual updates.

A loving tribute to isometric adventures of the Spectrum era, that does just enough to ensure new fans can enjoy it as well.

In gameplay terms it has little to do with the original Bloodlines, and it’s not really a role-playing game either, but this is an enjoyable and atmospheric action adventure that stands on its merits.

Fans are unlikely to be too disappointed, and the developer's automotive obsession is always evident, but this is definitely a refinement not a revolution.

Despite its one glaring flaw this is one of the most enjoyable co-op shooters for some time, even if it is top-down rather than first person.

Much in the style of Samorost, Love You to Bits+ is a graphically beautiful, darkly witty puzzle adventure.

The spirit of the arcade will never die thanks to games like this, as Vlambeer demonstrate their mastery of minimalist action.

The perfect football sim for playing your mates or tackling online but major AI flaw renders the offline experience boring and uninspiring.

Clever puzzles and excellent visual storytelling combine in what is arguably the best Lego game ever made, and certainly the most thoughtful.

As much mood piece as video game, but the mix of stark atmosphere and clever puzzles is hard to resist.

An inspired new take on Doom style shooters, as seen through the prism of bullet hell shoot ‘em-ups and roguelikes.

Only a small improvement on the first game but this is still one of the most original Metroidvanias around, in terms of both its setting and its gameplay.

An entertaining and fiercely satirical evocation of a future corporate dystopia, that manages to be both genuinely funny and surprisingly varied in its gameplay.

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

It lacks commitment in some areas but there are enough new features and promising new ideas to keep fans busy for another 12 months, even if this is clearly a transitionary sequel.

A super-authentic bike racing sim that the hardcore will love. And while less experienced players may struggle at first, the effort is worth it.

The combination of its mechanical perfection and gradual upgrade path is magical, in a game that’s cute, colourful, and savagely addictive.

Despite owing so much to XCOM, this is a fantastically imaginative and enjoyable strategy game that’s as accessible as the genre has ever been on consoles.

Another top notch interactive documentary from Digital Eclipse, which explores the early days of Mortal Kombat in enjoyably forensic detail.

Elegantly balanced so that using a controller is no advantage over touchscreen, its developers promise regular updates of new mazes, game modes, and challenges.

A compelling story well told, and although it’s still not very interactive the variety and artfulness of the presentation feels like something only a video game could do.

BlazBlue goes out in a blaze of glory, and although it lacks new ideas it certainly isn’t short of characters, game modes, or thrilling action.

Not to mix comic book metaphors but Lego Marvel’s kryptonite is technical rather than conceptual, but this is still an enormously entertaining co-op adventure.

Beautiful and elegiac are not normally adjectives you’d use to describe a golf simulation, but that’s what this is, and a highly unusual and peaceful experience.

A perfect recreation of an arcade classic (plus Magic Sword) and the new gold standard for retro gaming.

Escalating rapidly from simple to mind-bindingly complex, its later eureka moments are definitely hard-earned, but the supreme cleverness of its puzzles is a continual source of joy and mild amazement.

One of the best horror games on PlayStation VR, as well as an impressively inventive first person roguelike that Dead Space fans in particular will appreciate.

Still one of the best action games ever made, but this is far from the definitive version and may actually be the worst.

Graphically beautiful and abounding with references and Easter eggs, it’s a not-quite-driving adventure that’s overflowing with charm and wit.

Not the most ambitious Monster Hunter expansion there’s ever been but it’s still able to introduce a host of new creatures and features to the always engaging formula.

Some may see it as dumbing down but for most this will be the most accessible and fun Ninja Gaiden yet.

A fantastically bold idea that Double Fine exploit to its fullest, in one of the most original puzzle adventures of the year – and the most educational.

The latest Civilization VI expansion handles a difficult subject matter with great insight and in a way that improves the game and makes you think of the world beyond it.

An almost entirely successful reboot that still offers deep and flexible combat but in a more accessible and approachable form – and really, the new Dante's not that bad.

One of the most enjoyable roguelikes of recent years, with the heavy emphasis on RNG saved by some fun co-op options.

EA's tennis and Wii MotionPlus debut is a success after all and an encouraging sign for the future.

The best LittleBigPlanet has ever been, and although there are still problems with the platforming mechanics at least it's easy now to build around them.

Its technical faults and lack of innovation are frustrating, but the game underneath is as enthralling and compulsive as anything Bethesda has ever made.

A great high-concept adventure that borrows liberally from old school Zeldas but has plenty of unique ideas of its own.

A bigger and better sequel which works as both a compelling management sim and a celebration of the Jurassic Park franchise.

One of the best survival horror games of the generation, that’s frequently terrifying but also surprisingly nuanced and intelligent when it comes to its storytelling.

A proper, meaty JRPG from a newly ambitious developer, whose top notch combat and art design is let down only by insipid storytelling and voice-acting.

A bizarre mix of influences and a great script still can't save this inventive but flawed role-player.

A work of unbridled ambition and imagination but also a pretentious, contrived, and frequently quite dull gameplay experience - Death Stranding is peak Hideo Kojima.

The Danganronpa formula feels like it’s starting to get a little stale, but it still manages to pose interesting moral quandaries with a large dose of black humour and anime style weirdness.

Although compelling, it was originally priced at a rather sporty £24.99 on iOS, which many found off-putting. Its release on Apple Arcade also includes its DLC, making this an irresistible bargain and easily the best way to experience the game on the go.

An ashamedly old school role-player that nevertheless does its best to attract new players and entertain existing fans.

A mixture of roguelike and Zelda: A Link To The Past that looks and plays extremely well, but has its potential cut short by an unwelcome time limit.

Originally released on PC and consoles, the touch controls work absolutely fine, and while it lacks the ingenuity of Nintendo’s masterpieces, it’s a diverting and amusing role-playing game to have on your phone.

It's not original, and its often unfocused, but the willingness to always offer just one more piece of loot and one more giant boss battle makes Darksiders II a hard game not to enjoy.

An engaging mix of The Legend Of Zelda and Fez, which rearranges a number of familiar ideas into a clever action puzzler, even if its visuals are a bit too old school for its own good.

Accompanied by ambient trance music, it’s one of those games where you can slip into the zone and not realise an hour’s passed, making this a somewhat dangerous distraction on public transport.

A worthy successor to the Descent legacy, but lacking the depth of gameplay that would’ve made it a classic of equal standing.

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

The frustrating thing is we have a feeling Dragon Age II is going to be criticised most for its gameplay changes than its storytelling failings. You might not like the new direction but it works as BioWare intended. But the story you carve with your new combat skills doesn't always seem worthy of such risky innovation.

An historically authentic military flight sim that rewards the hard work put into mastering its combat, although there was no need for it to be quite this inaccessible to non-propellerheads.

The result isn’t quite the sum of its parts unfortunately, because although each course looks stunning, rounds have an unfortunate tendency to be frustrating, the random factor underpinning victory just slightly too prominently. That’s actually quite a good analogue for real world crazy golf courses, and if you enjoy that element in the digital world this will seem pretty great.

A competent but uninspired sequel that’s unwise to create so many obvious comparisons to Resident Evil 4, although it still manages to find some memorable moments of its own.

A peculiar mix of cyberpunk dystopia and whimsical platformer that is just about held together by some excellent visuals and a very cute cat.

A fun but shallow mini-game collection, whose hobbled simulations still make good use of the MotionPlus.

A generous expansion that through its stunning visuals and inspired creature design showcases the best features of the original, even if it doesn’t fix many of its flaws.

Yes, you can still be brutalised by higher level players, but most matches don’t feel that way, and real-time strategy fans aren’t exactly spoiled for choice on mobile, making Rivals well worth trying out.

Experienced players will find it patronising, but it’s a non-intimidating start for beginners.

It lacks the sparkle and modernity of the more recent Florence, but still evokes a wonderful sense of mystery and melancholy, and because of its sedate pace does not in any way suffer from having touchscreen rather than physical controls.

It plays a great game of tennis, certainly the best on a Nintendo portable, but the feeble range of on and offline game modes sharply reduces its appeal.

The furore over Dexit may be overblown but even without it this is an underwhelming and unambitious attempt to modernise Pokémon and expand its horizons.

Picross makes the jump to 3D better than many games, although it's still not quite the perfect puzzler.

It may be turn-based and lack any sort of time restriction, but it’s also highly competitive, with a distinct stab of angst when another player steals the very line of food and felines you’d nervously been eyeing. Sadly, it’s also riddled with bugs, many of which force you to restart the app, something that with any luck will be addressed in an update.

A considerably less daring second episode, when compared to the first, that highlights the problems of episodic content more than it does the qualities of Life Is Strange 2.

An interesting halfway house between demo and full game, whose brevity may even save it from some of the criticisms of the main release.

There’s no question that this is a great game, but the problem is that this is not the ideal way to experience it. The frame rate is uneven and while this isn’t a straight action game there’s a constant sense that it’s only barely managing to work on the Switch 2. The occasionally blurry visuals are also less impressive than other launch ports and while some of that may be fixed with a patch, it’s clear this is a fairly compromised port.

An obvious labour of love that finally provides a full release for one of the best looking 2D arcade games ever made, although it’d be wrong to paint it as a lost classic in terms of gameplay.

There's an awful lot of recycled content here, but if you like Zombies mode this is still an essential, if potentially expensive, download.

A fun and unusual take on the third person stealth game, that suffers from some humourless writing but benefits from a surfeit of peculiar magic powers.

A disappointing version of a (mostly) great game, brought low by both technical and control problems - and the general sense that the game doesn't fit the format.

A fascinating journey through the visual history of 2D platformers, although the gameplay doesn’t always match the quality of the many classics it relies on for influence.

Sometimes visuals are enough to carry a game and they certainly take Ultros far, although mediocre combat and some jankiness slightly undermines the unique vision.

An even better game than the original, whose innocuous visuals hide a tense and unpredictable survival horror of surprising potency.

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

As a pick up and play mobile puzzle game this ticks the right boxes: levels are short and satisfying to crack, and its cute graphics are just enough to give you an impression of golf.

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

The best Dead Rising so far and purveyor of some of the most entertainingly absurd weapons in all gaming – just don’t expect any depth or longevity.

It's inconsistent and never quite fulfils its potential but this is far more inspired than it first appears and one of the best Wii games of the year.

Much more than just a homage, Consortium might be rough around the edges but the dialogue system and freedom of choice rivals that of any other game.

More than just a Doom clone and despite faltering during what should be the game’s highlights this is an enjoyable romp for both metal and shooter fans alike.

A wonderfully imaginative and beautifully presented interactive anime, but one that cannot maintain a regular enough supply of surprises to justify even its short running time.

The art and character design is likely to put off as many as it attracts, but underneath is one of the most forwarding-thinking new fighting games of the generation.

It's not subtle or clever, but this unashamedly uncomplicated shooter is one of the best of the year.

On paper it does everything XCOM does and more, but poor balancing and overcomplicated rules means it’s just not as much fun.