You won't miss Phoenix Wright at all in this winsome, if still unnecessarily frustrating, spin-off.

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.

One of the most visually interesting video games of the year but also a survival horror that’s not quite scary enough to reach its full potential.

It looks and sounds great but this post-apocalyptic rhythm action game lacks that little extra kick to make it a genuine classic.

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

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.

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

Not the most attention grabbing of the PSVR launch titles, but a competent puzzler, that offers a more mellow VR experience.

A beautiful and exquisitely violent ballet of gunfire and telekinesis, that feels incredible to play but lacks the challenge or variety for long term play.

A slight step-down from the previous add-ons but sill leagues above most other DLC, even if the whole great white hunter shtick sometimes seems ill-advised.

An occasionally spectacular follow-up to one of the best action platformers of the last few years, which unfortunately dilutes some of its appeal by shooting for a wider audience.

Even as a beta release this is an impressively entertaining, and accessible, combat flight simulator, and a welcome break from the shoot ‘em-up norm.

Spring cleaning has never been so entertaining in this well presented and cunningly addictive physics-based platformer.

A promotional tie-in more than a fully-featured video game, but as long as you know what you’re getting into this at least conjurers an enjoyably colourful footballing atmosphere.

One of the best live service games comes to PlayStation 5 and while the combat is still frustratingly flaccid the sense of camaraderie and exploration is second to none.

A wonderfully inventive attempt to bring Mario Kart into the real world, whose mere premise is enough to amuse and delight, despite some unavoidable practical limitations.

The end result still doesn't have the personality or verve of Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption, the novelty of Assassin's Creed, or the crazy acrobatics of Just Cause but it's a better action game than any of them. Clearly that's not necessarily a priority for open world games but it's nice to see it can be done all the same.

Your mileage will vary greatly in this epic-scale shooter that rewards only the most dedicated.

Ludicrously expensive given both the format and the age of the game, but a loving adaptation of one of the best ever 2D shooters.

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

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 well designed, turn-based roguelike with a winning art style and a wide variety of options – even if it is a bit too random.

The best Dungeon Siege ever is a more of a compliment than you might think in this accessible and fun action role-player.

It may lack some of its inspiration’s subtlety and finesse but it looks fantastic, plays a reasonably balanced game, and has certainly got scope for further refinement as it settles in.

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.

Two classic games made to look notably worse than they did over five years ago, which is one villainous masterplan even Batman can’t foil.

Repetition and overfamiliarity are always the best ways to nullify fear, but until they set in this is one of the most effectively scary video games ever made.

The most realistic and versatile soldier sim ever made, but also the most bug-ridden and inscrutable – with an initial release that is missing a lot of promised features.

A mess of compromises and sops to more casual gamers and yet somehow the game still manages to offer a fun and accessible facsimile of real air combat.

It’s reasonable to suggest that this is more of the same, but when the original is this good, more is entirely welcome.

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.

It has sadly little to do with the original Xbox game but this is still a competent little stealth adventure, even if the Riddick connection is of arguable benefit to it.

Clever and consistently inventive platformer, with a disarmingly powerful storyline… plus some of the strangest visuals this side of Katamari Damacy.

Much more than a poor man's Ico, the low tech presentation hides a consistently charming and well constructed puzzle adventure.

It’s a bit buggy, with the latter part of runs increasingly likely to suffer from game save destroying glitches, but while it works its interconnected resource creation and city defence is hugely addictive.

A streamlined port with intelligent controls, this massively multipleyer online strategy overcomes visual disability and tutorial woes to offer horizons of exciting possibility.

There’s not a lot that the Wii U can really do to improve the Wii Fit experience but this is still a useful entry point for the exercise averse.

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.

A cleverly original strategy game that won’t be challenging the genre’s greats but does offer fun multiplayer at a reasonable price.

A tribute to the timelessness of some of Nintendo’s earliest classics and while the whole package is rather thin it’s impressive how entertaining it still manages to be.

A good excuse to experiment with BioShock Infinite’s often underrated combat, but the overall experience still feels somewhat underwhelming.

A charming, homespun cosy game about exploring the joys of old-fashioned record shops and the importance of in-person socialising.

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

Brought to life with high quality voice acting that adds to its eerie atmosphere, there’s some decent puzzling and 2D exploration on your way to its final showdown, in what is quite clearly a labour of love.

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.

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.

A fun mix of Dark Souls and roguelike, and although the microtransactions create their own problems it does mean everyone can now experience a Suda51 game for free.

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

A successful tribute to F-Zero and WipEout where going fast never stops being fun. Its surprisingly meaty career mode more than justifies the price tag but it may struggle to win over more casual racing enthusiasts.

If you must play a video game version of Monopoly then this is definitely the best way to do it and far from the lazy cash-in that it could have been.

An earnest attempt to create the ultimate Jedi simulator but the mishmash of game influences and an unengaging story leaves it only impacting on the surface.

The king of puzzlers has rarely had more options but the lacklustre presentation and whiff of exploitation leaves a slightly sour taste.

It may still be an off-brand F-Zero, but this is closer than ever to the real thing, and with some impressive graphical and multiplayer options.

The reason the PC version works better is simply down to the keyboard and mouse controls, which allow for much faster and responsive movement.

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

Definitely the best Spider-Man game for several years, but it falls short of the character's full potential and the high watermark of Spider-Man 2.

Not the silly novelty it might sound like but one of the most enjoyably addictive and cleverly original action stealth games on the PlayStation 3.

A daring, and largely successful, attempt to show the civilian side of war, that succeeds as an interactive drama even when it occasionally fails as a game.

The best and most balanced Mario Strikers title yet, undercut by limited modes and a lacklustre sense of progression.

A mostly successful update of the scrolling beat ‘em-up concept, with excellent combat and an impressive range of moves, weapons, and enjoyably dangerous enemies.

On the PC there are too few new features to satisfy existing fans, but on the PlayStation 4 the joys of being an island dictator still feel enjoyably fresh.

An even more bare bones collection than on home consoles - even if it does include the best portable version of Snake Eater so far.

There are some issues with game difficultly and length, but this is one of the most successful Kickstarters so far – and an excellent retro style role-player in its own right.

One of the best narrative-based games of the year, that tackles a number of contemporary issues in an original and entertaining manner and whose main fault is merely a lack of budget.

A polished and well-engineered attempt at turning Quidditch into a real sport, which is only slightly marred by having to play as a less exciting seeker or keeper for portions of each round.

Classic co-op party-gaming fare that’s unpretentious and very quick to pick up. It may be just a little too similar to Overcooked. but given how rare local co-op games are this is a welcome riff on a familiar theme.

A welcome return for the Mario & Luigi franchise, that proves to be a more involved role-player than expected, even if it lacks the consistent humour and weird gameplay flourishes of previous games.

A noble attempt to offer an alternative to Smash Bros., and although there are some mechanical issues the multiplayer is still plenty of fun regardless.

Possibly the most impressive use of 3D amongst all the launch games, and despite some obvious gripes a good solid football sim to boot.

The best WWE game for years, which may seem like faint praise but WWE 2K16 works as both a sports sim and a quality fighter in its own right.

This slightly spooky sequel continues its tale of real people in strange situations, picking up the story and characters of Oxenfree and retaining its style and puzzle-adjacent gameplay.

A clever and well-structured interpretation of the classic TV series as a co-op brawler, that would be a fun diversion even without the licence.

An excellent remaster of an imperfect but hugely endearing action adventure, that completely justifies the ongoing plans for a sequel.

A fun, funny, and wonderfully gory 2D shooter, but it’s not quite as tightly designed as OlliOlli and certainly lacks the same longevity.

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.

Still one of the best strategy role-playing games ever made and a great place for newcomers to the franchise to start – assuming they’ve got the dedication necessary.

A worthy follow-up to Deadly Premonition, although whether it earns the same classic status will depend largely on the subsequent episodes.

Unoriginal and blandly presented, but an effective vindication of Move - with at least half of the games being the best ever adaptations of their sports.

Far Cry Primal is a perfectly entertaining game, but it’s a hard one to get too excited about, especially when it seems as if only a few twists would’ve turned it into something considerably more interesting. As it is though it suffers from needlessly basic storytelling and a general lack of vision. Although it’s no disaster it does feel like a backwards step for Far Cry, and gives no real hint as to what its evolutionary future could or should be.

A surprisingly competent attempt at making a lost sequel to the movies, with some excellent action and ambitious but flawed storytelling.

An impressively visual approach to building your own games, with a fully formed tutorial that demystifies complicated ideas with typical Nintendo charm and aplomb.

The gameplay, and some of the dialogue, could do with some refinement but this dystopian drinks-making game has some of the most interesting storytelling of the last few years.

If you’re going to make a console compilation and leave out what is arguably the best entry then it’s hard not to see that as a missed opportunity.

A nostalgia trip with a distinctly British flavour, that blends various brands of platform gaming with references to 1980s games, films, and TV shows – and despite some frustrations keeps it accessible for every age of gamer.

The real-time battles are better than ever but rather than being a highlight the main story campaign is a peculiarly dull experience, that exposes the lack of genuinely new ideas.

One of the most beautiful video games ever made and if the gameplay isn't quite as angelic it's perfectly righteous in its own way.

EA Sports FC 25 takes a useful step forward in simulating real football, with a new tactics system and smarter AI, but the improvements aren’t quite as effective as they could be.

A great Metroid game and a great Aliens tie-in, and only a few rough edges stop this from being a minor classic all of its own.

It walks a precarious tightrope, where it risks disappointing both Persona and strategy fans, but most of the time this fun but shallow tactical role-player threads the needle to enjoyable effect.

A short, surreal roguelike puzzler that proves a video game doesn’t have to be 60 hours long or feature photorealistic graphics to be entertaining and thought-provoking.

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.

The action and storytelling fails to satisfy, but the dense atmosphere and uncompromisingly bleak setting almost makes up for the gameplay failings.

Jeff Minter rides again, but in a considerably more laidback and accessible action puzzler that's very well suited to the iPhone.

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

It has some unfortunate gameplay failings, but in terms of disturbing atmosphere and surprisingly serious subject matter this is one of the best horror games of the year.

An excellent slice of DLC that genuinely feels like a missing part of the main story and features some of the best moments from the whole adventure.

The obsessions with realism and old school action don’t come at the cost you might imagine, in this tense and well-designed online shooter.

There's still plenty of the old Assassin's Creed magic in parts, but this proves an unnecessary sequel and one with few genuinely welcome new ideas.