Perhaps the closest there’ll ever be to a portable version of Dark Souls, but the unreliable controls make the punishing difficulty harder to bare.

For better and worse, a near perfect replication of mid-90s first person shooters, that makes you wistful for the old days… and secretly glad things have moved on in the meantime.

A football sim and role-playing game may be one of the oddest genre mix-ups ever attempted but this shoots and scores with surprising accuracy.

As much strategy game as it is sports sim, this enjoyably bizarre mix of influences and genres has much to offer the more patient gamer.

Even though this has the feel of a game originally built for freemium, and later converted to being genuinely free for Apple Arcade, it manages to be reasonably challenging, your upgrades sincerely needed to progress through its levels. It’s also the only game we’ve come across where you can level up the protagonist’s hairstyle. There’s not much punishment for dying, other than having to replay the current map, but its exceptional level of polish and a clearly talented art department make it a tempting distraction.

The least funny Disgaea yet, but arguably the best in terms of the actual gameplay – even if there is a lack of genuinely new ideas.

There are a few tricky puzzles in there, but the overall sense is one of gentle relaxation.

A blockbuster action movie in VR form that shows the abilities of PlayStation VR and Sony’s studios better than ever before, even if the experience is ultimately rather shallow.

If you love Persona, this supplies a new set of interesting characters and successfully translates the flair of Persona 5 into a portable format, although it also features cross-save functionality with the PC version.

A crossover between Persona and Fire Emblem proves to be just as peculiar as it sounds, but this is a surprisingly fun mash-up for Japanese role-playing fans.

A slightly disappointing sequel that abandons much of the mellow charm of the original in favour of more action and a lot more aggravation.

A charmingly short and sweet Metroidvania style adventure, featuring an ordinary cat doing ordinary cat things, in a game that’s perfect for casual gamers and for enjoying between larger epics.

Consistently surprising, technically accomplished and instantly likeable, this portable adventure has more good ideas than it seems to know what to do with.

Overwatch is still an excellent title, even this far from launch, but the Switch version is notably inferior in terms of online performance.

A great showcase for the PS Vita and at times as good as WipEout has ever been, despite a few questionable options and graphical issues.

Japanese role-player that massages the usual formula into an unusually nuanced and exciting epic.

Fans of the original will appreciate this challenging but versatile mix of stealth and strategy, but it misses almost every opportunity to update the Commandos formula for the modern era.

No matter what you think of the original games these are an excellent trio of remasters, that will please existing fans and help to create new ones.

Neither rip-off nor bargain, but Treyarch and Activision are clearly playing things safe - despite the excesses of Call Of The Dead.

Viewing this simply as a re-release it's still a hugely enjoyable game, overshadowed only by its own sequel - with its longer, more complex missions, no time limit and multiplayer modes. Since it's getting the New Play Control treatment too it makes this a little harder to recommend... but not much.

Not at all what you’d expect from the makers of Dragon’s Crown, but as well as the expectedly beautiful artwork this has some of the most engaging high school melodrama this side of Persona.

It's Tekken with better graphics, again. And yet it's still hard to dislike a fighter this good.

The Final Fantasy crossover gimmick almost feels like a distraction in what remains a uniquely innovative, but also frustratingly flawed, fighting game.

Not nearly as uninspiring or derivative as it first appears, but instead one of the most engrossing and thoughtful puzzlers of the year.

Monetisation is a touch more forceful than you’ll be used to from Vampire Survivor, but it’s still a well-balanced and involving game.

One of the oldest games to be revamped for the PS Vita's launch, but still an impressive, if frustratingly difficult, third person actioner.

It’s a slow burn and has zero sense of humour, but believable characters, decent voice-acting, and accurate historical detail make for a sturdy if linear game. This is only the first half of book one, so don’t expect any neat resolutions.

Dungeon Master is finally reborn, as a role-playing game that mixes the best conventions of old and new in a refreshingly different kind of first person adventure.