There are still a few rough edges to be driven over, but as mild as the improvements are this still makes Forza Horizon 2 one of the best racers of recent years.

A surreal and unsettling work of interactive fiction, that examines not just the end of Covid lockdown but issues of friendship, passion, and murder.

A satisfying end to an impressively varied series of downloads, with a strong restatement of everything that makes Battlefield so unique.

The best detective game ever made, that tells its unpredictable story through a mix of idiosyncratic visuals and equally unique puzzle gameplay.

It’s not the plot that’s important in Deltarune but the bizarre range of characters and the surreal situations you find yourself in. Although at the heart of it all is a very pacifist ideology, that celebrates the power of love and the need for empathy without ever seeming mawkish or patronising. And while also paying homage to old school Japanese role-players and having a cracking soundtrack.

Imaginative use of VR to make one of the best new music games of the generation, and which also manages to be the best Star Wars game never made.

A superb mix of action and strategy that should be enough to convince everyone that turn-based doesn’t have to mean slow or serious.

Still one of the best third person actioners of all-time, and although the Wii U version changes very little the classic gameplay still shines through.

One of the best 2D shooters of the modern era is also one of the most visually distinctive games of the whole generation, and a stunning work of imagination on every level.

A revolutionary approach to storytelling and an excess of charm makes this modest little indie game one of the most important new role-players of the new generation.

It’s relatively short but Cuphead’s long-awaited DLC does not disappoint, with some incredibly well orchestrated boss battles that look more amazing than ever.

It leans too much in the direction of the original when it comes to the puzzles and difficultly level but this is still an utterly charming romp, with wonderfully inventive set pieces and gorgeous visuals.

The mechanics are the same as always but this makes a genuine effort to address the flaws of the previous titles and make the best use of Kinect so far.

Arkanoid is finally superseded as the best Breakout clone around in this enjoyable retro update.

Utterly charming and subversively clever in that classic Nintendo way, this is one of the best games on the 3DS and one of the mostly perfectly polished titles on any system this year.

The best new music title for years and a significant improvement on the first game, with almost every complaint from the original addressed.

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

Probably the best giant robot game ever made and an excellent companion piece to the likes of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, that matches both games in terms of spectacle and customisation.

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.

The 15 islands you’ll rule in campaign mode take a lot of work to balance, as you try to ensure your populace is well paid, fed, and entertained to offset the less pleasant needs to pay rent and taxes. It’s highly engaging and the iPad port works seamlessly.

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.

What should have been a hotchpotch of other people’s ideas, made worse by frustratingly high difficulty, is in reality one of the most cleverly designed video games of recent years, with superb action and endless replayability.

A classic indie game that remains as cleverly unique today as it did 16 years ago, even if none of its original flaws have been ironed out in the meantime.

A better Gran Turismo game than the real thing, with stunning graphics and mountains of content – although the use of loot crates and limited-use mods is worrying.

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

A game you will lose hundreds of hours to and although you can criticise the lack of development in certain areas, it remains the thinking football fan’s go-to game.

A superbly effective combination of the very best of Persona's storytelling and character design, with one of the best 2D fighters of the modern era.

A fantastically clever puzzler that would be perfectly welcome if it was just a 3D Lemmings clone, but it soon evolves into something far more imaginative and unpredictable.