The charming mix of Minecraft and Dragon Quest works even better the second time round, with a smart sequel that address the flaws of the original while adding plenty of new features of its own.

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 beautifully made first person puzzle roguelite that demands tenacity and patience (and writing things down) to unravel its fascinating mysteries.

The premier MMA title that will appeal to all fight fans, whether you like the sport or not.

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.

An inspired mix of roguelike and platformer that dares to be fair with its rewards and its penalties for death – although not necessary its random medical conditions.

A hugely successful reboot for the beloved point ‘n’ click adventure, that achieves its comeback without sacrificing either its sense of humour or some enjoyably tricky puzzles.

The changes to the tactics system are likely to prove controversial but this is undeniably the most accessible and realistic Football Manager ever made.

A very welcome return for Sony’s classic future racer, and while it doesn’t represent anything new it does show the WipEout series at its very best.

A fighting gaming bursting with content, as well as severed body parts, and more of both makes this XL edition particularly good value for money.

An impressively ambitious expansion that greatly improves on some of the original’s failings, offering new ways to play while still remaining accessible and fun.

It’s the very opposite of pick up and play but the level of detail and complexity in Europa Universalis 5 is truly staggering and matched only by the difficultly of learning how to play it.

An excellent remake, with exceptionally good graphics, that borrows just enough from the later games to keep things interesting for new fans and old.

More a remake than a sequel but still a welcome return for one of the most original and distinctive genre mash-ups of recent years.

Despite a lack of big ticket new features Football Manager 2021 delivers its best ever matchday experience and the series’ most realistic on-pitch simulation of football.

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.

A fantastically well-designed and presented roguelike, that makes your heroes’ mental health just as important as their physical well-being.

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.

A hugely enjoyable mix of historical realism and exaggerated action that is both surprisingly accessible and filled with an impressive depth of tactical options.

It may not bring many new ideas to the table but this is a hugely enjoyable open world shooter, with the best co-op options in the genre.

Ported from a PC game, Antihero has you building and running a thieves’ guild in Olde England. Taking turns with a computer or human foe, your job is to earn gold and lanterns, the two currencies you need to upgrade your thievery HQ and recruit new ne’er-do-wells to do your bidding. Splitting your time between scouting new premises, occupying useful buildings, burglary and assassination, you grow your criminal empire whilst craftily side-lining the opposition. The game’s multiple interlocking systems supplying a complex set of tactical options to exploit in your quest for infamy.

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.

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

Some of the best 2D sprite work ever seen in a video game, and all used to support an impressively varied and imaginative Metroidvania.

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]

One of the most impressive PlayStation VR games so far, in terms of both its technical achievements and the sheer joy of playing it.

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.

A charmingly inventive temporal puzzle and exploration game, that makes full use of one of the most enjoyably interactive game worlds of recent years.