A no-thrills arcade racer that straddles the line between nostalgic throwback and outdated curio, and while fun in short doses it quickly loses its novelty.

Easily the best detective game of the modern era, with challenging and rewarding gameplay combined with some of the most evocative visuals of the year.

A spirited attempt to adapt Lovecraft’s mythos, but while it overcomes the low budget when it comes to atmosphere the overly simplistic gameplay drags it down.

A game you will lose hundreds of hours to and although you can criticise the lack of development in certain areas, it remains the thinking football fan’s go-to game.

A very welcome double pack featuring two of the series’ most notable entries, but which inexplicably ruins the meme-inspiring intro of Symphony Of The Night.

An incredible technical achievement and a hugely accomplished Western epic that, despite a few minor flaws, represents Rockstar Games’ most engaging and ambitious work so far.

The Heist is by no means essential but it marks a decent start to what could be another intriguing Spider-Man story. However, it’s already clear that these post-launch adventures will only extend, not enhance, your overall experience with the original game.

Packed with jokes and DC fan service but the Lego formula is long overdue a complete revamp, because it’s starting to ruin concepts like this that are otherwise ripe with potential.

The best Call Of Duty of the generation and while some will bemoan the lack of a story campaign, it’s hard to argue with the quality and quantity of content on offer.

Playing one of the decade’s most influential video games on a handheld proves a welcome novelty, as the Switch version of Dark Souls makes the most of the existing remaster.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 was always a much better game and while there’s some novelty (and possibly nostalgia) value to playing the original it doesn’t warrant a new full price release.

The best SoulCalibur VI of recent generations, with an accessible but tactically deep combat system. But while the single-player options are much improved they’re still far from perfect.

Omega Force touts a fresh story, new mechanics, and a massive cast of characters but this is yet another Warriors title that succumbs to the series’ repetitive hack ‘n’ slash formula despite signs of passion from its developers.

A muddled mess of good intentions and corporate greed that ruins a promising space adventure with needless repetition and horribly expensive toys to life gimmicks.

SWERY’s latest work seems unusually derivative at times but the mix of disturbing atmosphere, surreal situations, and serious subject matter is still hugely engaging.

Still a courageously original action role-player that breaks almost every rule in the role-playing book. Although what it really needs is a sequel, not another remaster.

Still one of the best stealth games of recent years and an accomplished 2D platformer in its own right, with a near perfect balance of depth, accessibility, and bloodshed.

An ambitious and unique approach to video game storytelling, but one that never quite escapes the limitations it purposefully imposes on itself.

Still one of the best strategy role-playing games ever made and a great place for newcomers to the franchise to start – assuming they’ve got the dedication necessary.

A bizarre mix of Yakuza and hyper violent 80s anime that never really makes much sense but still offers some enjoyable surprises.

We’ve enjoyed Odyssey more than any entry since Assassin’s Creed II but it’s still frustrating that the franchise has done so little to improve the gameplay fundamentals upon which everything else depends. Although at least the one thing you can always say about Assassin’s Creed is that it definitely offers value for money.

Trexels II is a vacuous entertainment void, which does at least accurately simulate the icy desolation of deep space.

Thankfully Alphabear 2 removes the ability to purchase unlimited honey, preventing you from immersing yourself to the exclusion of everyday activities, but its mechanics and gameplay remain just as riveting, alternating puzzle levels with ones played against the clock.

Even if it lacks some of Evergarden’s complexity, it’s an interesting process of discovery that does its best not to rush you, letting you soak up the ambience while working out how its pieces fit together.

In spite of the difficulty level and minimalist beauty of the graphics, Optica’s problem is that it’s just not that compelling, and once levels start to get more devious, summoning the will to trial and error your way to the end becomes your biggest hurdle.

There are many clever, elegantly-designed puzzles, which escalate in complexity to include multiple light sources. But there are also some nasty bugs in later levels, several of which require you to quit and restart the game.

Although relatively short and easy, Donut Country is an immensely satisfying and warm-hearted game that’s quite unlike anything else available on the App Store, or indeed anywhere.

Its insanity is highly addictive, and Bacon is the best of this avant-garde trilogy of comestible foolishness.