A great tie-in and, much more importantly, a great game. Generous in terms of content and childish fun.

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.

Although similar in some respects to Hearthstone, the tactical depth and ability to deploy game-changing combos keeps it fresh and distinct, the touchscreen port playing even better than the PC original. There’s still an undertone of pay-to-win but provided you don’t take things too seriously it doesn’t spoil the fun.

An inspired mix of old school Resi game design and modern presentation, and the best VR options so far in a major release.

A near perfect segue from console to iPhone, and a game that understands the pros and cons of touchscreen controls a lot better than most.

Not only one of the best WiiWare games ever, but an inspired 2D action puzzler to put even LocoRoco and Rolando in the shade.

There’s a disappointing lack of museum features, but you can’t really argue with 50 classic Mega Drive games, online play, and a surprisingly generous price tag.

A successful blend of Zelda and twin-stick bullet hell shooter, which sounds like a terrible mix but brings some welcome novelty to both styles of play.

Fortunately, it’s great fun anyway and avoids some of the frankly exhausting grind of Destiny 2. It’s constantly tempting to drop real cash, but even without giving in to that, there’s lots to explore and do, and a hefty chunk of plot to get your teeth into.

Unlocking useful equipment like a sword, bow, shield, and high jump helicopter attachment, its puzzles often stretch across multiple screens, requiring exploration, conversations with traders, and plenty of key and item collecting. Wonderbox’s heart, though, is the ability to build and share your own levels using its excellent and highly intuitive tool set. If it can pull off the same feat as Dreams did on PlayStation 4, and build a community of creators, its future could be very interesting indeed.

As familiar as the system may seem there's no denying its addictive qualities, or the increased freedom it gives you to customise the play styles. But there is an unavoidable price to be paid in terms of Halo 4's sense of individuality.

The best new Mortal Kombat for years, with a fighting game experience that’s as generous with the content as it is with the gore.

Released in 2019, Wargroove is what can politely be called a homage, and less politely a blatant copy, of Advance Wars. It borrows its cartoon styling, turn-based tactical gameplay, and at least some of its sense of balance between units. Just swapping a semi-real world setting for a Tolkien-esque fantasy world. Its sequel doesn’t for one moment try and reinvent the wheel, instead providing a massive additional dose of the same thing. This time its campaign is split into three sizeable parts, each of which focuses on a different faction, with its own units and variations in terrain. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s the roguelike Conquest Mode, and a souped-up map creator. It’s a huge game, and just as polished and entertaining as its predecessor.

A significant improvement on the original and undoubtedly the best 2D Soulslike game so far, with a macabre and imaginative style all of its own.

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.

As fascinatingly addictive as its premise is perversely mundane, but whatever the setting this is one of the best new puzzle games of the year.

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.

Indie gaming at its retro-loving best, with some of the most cunningly-designed and purposefully infuriating 2D gameplay of the year.

One of the best point ‘n’ click adventures of all-time still has much to teach modern gaming in terms of puzzle design and engaging characters.

Despite a few pulled punches this is the best Call Of Duty has been in years, and the multiplayer in particular is the most innovative since Modern Warfare began.

The experience is especially well suited to the 3DS, and although this is supposedly the last of the series we do hope some kind of compilation can be made for the Switch. We won’t mind if there’s never another sequel though. For in a world where no franchise is ever allowed to die a dignified death it’s nice to know that Qbby has been all that he can be, and that his final adventure was his best.

A surprisingly thorough compilation of 8 and 16-bit Castlevanias, that illustrates the early history of one of gaming’s most influential franchises.

The classic gets some well implemented new features that extend but don't overwhelm the original.

An evolution of last year's FIFA is enough for EA to win the battle of football games, but it may need to step up its game next year with PES improving.

A taut, characterful headrush of an expansion that completes Cyberpunk 2077’s redemption and re-establishes it as one of the great open world adventures of the generation.

Technically impeccable and fantastic to behold, 2K’s first PGA Tour game is already the best golf sim currently available.

Still a little unpolished in places, but with its huge variety of locations and gameplay elements this already stands toe-to-toe with both Terraria and Minecraft.

One of Destiny 2’s best expansions thus far, providing an assured roadmap for the series to move into. It is just more Destiny though.