A strangely successful mix of genres that plays both a mean pinball and a highly competent game of Metroidvania, and all wrapped up in some utterly charming presentation.

Two of the best remasters ever made, as after years of neglect the Command & Conquer franchise finally gets the tender loving care it deserves.

Although it’s undoubtedly fun, the biggest question for Helldivers 2 is its longevity and variety. We haven’t played enough to judge that yet but then longevity is always difficult to discuss with a live service game, whose future plans are always in a state of flux. However, especially with its sensible price tag, this is definitely the best of the month’s online-only shooters, even if much of the appeal comes from shooting the wrong targets. [Review in Progress]

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.

With its launch problems well behind it, Street Fighter 5 is no longer a disgrace to the family name, with the Champion Edition able to take on any other fighter this generation.

It’s still lacking a certain je ne sais quoi, but this is a definite improvement on the first game and a serious alternative to GTA V.

It's not a new idea, the feature set is thin and the presentation is mediocre. But it's still the best dance game - and the best Kinect game - so far.

The worst FIFA game for over half a decade, and clearly inferior to PES 2016. And yet it’s still not a bad game in itself, with some welcome new features.

A perfectly good 3D remake of Ruby and Sapphire, the only problem being that Ruby and Sapphire were never that great – and this is still not as good as the recent X and Y.

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.

Building your own medieval empire proves surprisingly attractive in terms of both visuals and gameplay.

A delightful, humour-infused, and very British university management simulator with Nintendo-esque levels of polish and depth that’s introduced so gently you barely notice it.

One of the best Call Of Duty games in years, with one of the greatest campaigns in the franchise’s history, along with solid, if somewhat less ambitious, multiplayer and co-op modes.

A fantastically imaginative, time-bending puzzle adventure that makes full use of one of the most enjoyably interactive game worlds in a long time.

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.

A loving homage to the original X-COM, that’s far more interested in turning up the difficulty than coming up with any new ideas.

Giving a purposefully retro 2D platformer a 3D makeover sounds like the worst idea ever, but the end result only reconfirms Cave Story as a modern classic.

More a new episode than a full-blown sequel, but the clever blend of strategic, tactical, and moral decision-making is as compelling as ever.

The amount of missing features is disappointing, but as a first step this is an excellent console version of one of gaming's most open-ended and creative experiences.

A wonderful way to draw a line under Sparks Of Hope, with a mountain of new content and an extended cameo for Rayman, that makes him just as interesting as the existing team.

Startling realism mixed with clever fantasy elements create one of the most compelling motorsport games of the current gen.

It may lack the scares of its big brother, but this proves an impressively progressive lightgun game.

A definite improvement on the original, and despite some still notable flaws this is a wonderfully varied playground for motorsport fans of every kind.

The best new Football Manager in several years, and although the improvements are still minor they create a more nuanced and realistic experience than ever before.

The best Resident Evil since number 4 and that's despite a number of compromises in the story mode, but very much helped by the superb graphics and online mode.

It doesn’t push its ideas as far as it should, but this is a cleverly unique puzzle game that turns normal first person shooters on their head.

One of the DS's best first person shooters, whether you remember Star Fox and Starglider (and X) or not.

A deep, funny, and systemically complex role-playing game, built around wry satire and a far-reaching sense of consequence, where conversation is at least as important as combat.