Not only the worst game Platinum has ever made but one of the worst live service titles of any kind, with an especially disgusting attitude towards microtransactions.

A visual novel that offers the occasional diversion into some engaging turn-based strategy but would’ve been infinitely better if it had curtailed it’s long-winded storytelling aspirations.

A highly original, dark gothic thriller whose lack of compromises will restrict its audience but are hard not to admire.

A perfunctory kart racing spin-off that has a few unique charms but falls well short of its far superior competition.

Making full use of PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller to convey an incredibly deep and satisfying driving model, everything from weather to reflected sound effects have been modelled to perfection – making Gran Turismo 7 easily the world’s most complete driving game.

Although its addition of plot and characters doesn’t quite work the racing action is as thrilling as ever, with a huge diversity of vehicles and the compelling handling fans have come to expect from the series.

An impossibly ugly attempt at a faux retro 2D shooter that thankfully plays better than it looks, but still feels like a mostly wasted opportunity.

A masterful blend of Dark Souls and Zelda: Breath Of The Wild that makes high demands of its players and yet still remains surprisingly accessible and adaptable.

Less a reboot of a forgotten NES game and more a sub-par clone of Dead Cells, where the gorgeous visuals cannot hide the mediocre gameplay.

There’s still room for improvement but this is the best King Of Fighters has been for many years, with enough new features to please both veterans and newcomers.

An inspired ending to the Warhammer trilogy that rather than just adding new factions makes a host of clever additions and changes to the gameplay and structure, in what is one of the great achievements in modern strategy gaming.

A solid sequel to the crowd-pleasing original, which still doesn’t make enough of its unique setting but manages to add an impressive amount of depth to its combat and side content.

A bright and breezy revamp which builds on OlliOlli’s established mechanics with an abundance of personality and reverence for skateboarding culture.

Each garden is its own discrete puzzle, that takes tapping and experimentation to pick apart, clearing the way for your feline hero to make his way across the next hedge. Lovely hand drawn artwork and a piano soundtrack complement its mediative pace.

It’s nostalgic fun to start with, but you quickly reach a stage where currencies pile up so slowly that you either have to spend actual money or leave it alone for half-days at a time. Despite its high production values, there’s just too little to do.

Gradually unlock and research new weapons and armour to support your increasingly testing forays, in a game that takes some getting used to, but rewards dedication with challenging and complex stop motion battles.

As a straight action game the core combat is elegant and original but the roguelite structure makes the already mountainous difficulty just too much to bear.

A little rough around the edges, especially in terms of the storytelling, but the interminable wait for this open world zombie sequel has been worth it.

Uncharted 4 is one of the best action adventure games ever made but this remaster does so little to improve the experience it doesn’t feel like anything other than a cynical cash grab.

There’s still a lot of room for improvement but this is easily the best Pokémon game for several years and a positive new direction that the mainline games would be wise to follow.

An absorbing, tactical three-person co-op game that does well to expand the Rainbow Six gameplay into a more fantastical setting.

An admirable refresh of a cult classic, with excellent presentation and thoughtfully implemented new mechanics, but it’s held back by its reluctance to modernise in other areas.

Despite the huge variety of moves and characters, this disappointing follow-up to Guacamelee is let down by mindless combat and bland dungeon design.

Kratos looks better than ever in this welcome PC port of one of the best action adventures of the outgoing generation.

Motion Twin’s winning take on 2D Metroidvania roguelikes is kept alive by another excellent DLC expansion.

Multiplayer is still about who has the better car, limiting its playability, but the single-player mode is excellent.

Featuring Buzz Lightyear, Elsa from Frozen, Wreck-it Ralph, Mickey Mouse, Moana, Maleficent, and others, more characters are due this year. It’s a solid start, and provided matchmaking remains this easy, a promising one.

Naturally, it still suffers the same flaws in terms of storytelling and pacing as the console originals, but with all three pieces of DLC included the exceptional value for money makes it hard to resist.