Shallow, simplistic, and never quite as funny as it thinks it is, but there’s still more energy and imagination at work here than most other new next gen franchises.

World War I has never been so much fun in this successful mix of Tower Defence and shoot 'em-up action.

A charming addition to the Life Is Strange franchise that has one of the best branching narratives in any video game and one of the most likeable set of characters.

Masterful reboot of the old snowboarding racer, with just the right mix of retro appeal, modern presentation, and brand new ideas.

An excellent port from the PC, which maintains all of the original's innovative open-endedness and most of its graphical prowess.

An improvement on the first game but despite the joyful carnage this is still a pretty shallow sandbox.

Disappointingly mundane first person shooter from the creators of the genre, with only a few interesting ideas and far too many overfamiliar ones.

Being Boney represents a more linear, but more accessible, experience for would-be European dictators.

An even more bare bones collection than on home consoles - even if it does include the best portable version of Snake Eater so far.

The games are historical touchstones more than they are all-time classics, but nostalgic fans will still enjoy these entertaining riffs on the work of Rare and Rockstar.

More than just a successful reboot of a forgotten franchise, this is one of the most unique and entertaining new fighting games of recent years.

A satisfying ending to one of WiiWare's few success stories and an inspired mix of retro and modern presentation and gameplay.

A textbook example of worthwhile downloadable content, with action that's just as good as the main game but different enough that it feels like a unique experience.

The best Lemmings game since the Amiga days, except with flesh-eating zombies instead of mindless mammals.

A little more linear than usual, but Shantae and her friends have never looked or played better in this amusingly silly Metroidvania.

It’s an utterly charming experience whose only fault is that you’re always left wanting more.

It’s no longer the Diablo killer it used to be, but this remains a superior dungeon crawler, with great action and loot that still puts it amongst the genre’s best.

The best 2D shooter for several years and a fantastic homage to the genre, with some of the best pixel art graphics of the year.

Still one of the best on-the-rails shooters ever made and vastly superior to the modern sequels, despite some minor issues with the remake.

A solid sequel to one of the best roguelike games of recent years, that personalises the conflict against Lovecraftian madness while adding to the original’s compelling turn-based battles.

Life Is Strange’s sequel is off to an impressively daring start, both in terms of the subject matter and creating a brand-new cast of characters.

The latest episode in gaming’s most endearing soap opera has some minor script problems, but it’s still a joy to catch up with old friends and new enemies.

A useful improvement over the last game but one that still avoids instituting any of the serious changes that the series now desperately needs.

Despite all that could have gone wrong this is one of the best remakes this generation, with a triumphant return for old school split screen multiplayer.

The Japanese role-playing game stripped back to its bare essentials and yet rather than an exercise in nostalgic pandering this is one of the most compelling and sharply designed dungeon crawlers of recent years.

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.

Although it would’ve seemed madness a decade or so ago the complaint that a video game is just too long, or overstuffed with features, is becoming increasingly common. Some developers just don’t seem to know when to say no, and Shadow Of War is a prime example of a game that would’ve been a lot more entertaining as a shorter, leaner experience. Less features, rather than more, would’ve been better, and we’re not just talking about the loot boxes.

A slight downgrade on the original but still a fun crossover that works as a crash course in the joys of both Persona and Etrian Odyssey.