Nothing about Quantum Break is bad, but it’s a crude mix of very basic and largely incompatible ingredients. Far from being a disaster it just feels undercooked. Not enough to give you salmonella, but certainly enough to make you wish for something more substantial to get your teeth into.

A loving homage to 16-bit classic Flashback but despite some fun visuals the clumsy controls and combat could have done with a bit more modernisation.

The fan service is off the scale, in terms of the number of returning characters and references, but importantly this is also a fun and unique role-player in its own right.

A noir boomer shooter rich in style and atmosphere but limited by its unremarkable gunplay and flat writing, which fails to capitalise on its fun premise.

A disappointing second chapter that's short on comedy, game length and decent puzzles.

More complex and yet also more accessible than ever, with an incredibly in-depth simulation of WWII.

A loving tribute to the later Mega Man games and a 2D platformer with plenty of new ideas of its own, but a lack of consistency spoils the overall package.

A largely successful experiment in limiting the amount of onscreen help given for exploration and navigation, but the game it’s tied to is far less interesting and wastes some interesting story elements.

Pacer, aka WipEout: Pacer, is the closest thing to Psygnosis games we've played in recent years. It has evolved a lot since Formula Fusion and although it can improve more, it's a must have for fans of the genre and WipEout fans.

Simpler, shallower but more accessible, this will divide fans but should engage the less committed.

A great alternative to Candy Crush and its clones, that’s just a few tweaks – and a visual makeover – away from being a classic puzzler.

One of the most enjoyable and original fighting games of recent years, that fully justifies its use of motion controls – and it’s only set to get better in the future.

An unfortunate turn to the microtransaction Dark Side causes some unnecessary problems with balancing but gaming’s odd couple remains a surprisingly successful pairing.

What sounds like a silly gimmick works extremely well at immersing you into the life of another, although the technical problems can be severe.

Not only one of Cave's best 2D shooters but one of the definitive entries in the whole genre, with a deep weapons system and dazzling pyrotechnics.

An impressively assured attempt to prove that video games can tackle serious subject matter with respect and a level of insight that only interactivity can provide.

The pinnacle of arcade scrolling beat ‘em-ups and still amongst the best the genre can offer today, despite some change-chomping difficulty spikes.

A beautiful but shallow experience that beguiles with its presentation and bores with its listless combat and long-winded puzzles.

A surprisingly successful mobile spin-off becomes an equally enjoyable console download, that twists the key elements of Hitman to its own interesting effect.

A perfectly competent platformer, perhaps Yoshi’s best since Super Mario World 2, but one that is far less unique than its visuals suggest.

A hugely entertaining open world puzzler where simply getting from A to B is more entertaining than most games in their entirety.

As retro compilations go this is very good, with pixel perfect emulation and some useful bonus features. But only existing fans will feel the games justify the effort.

A highly inventive mix of genres that you’d normally think completely incompatible, but the end result is creepy, charming, and wonderfully unpredictable.

Superb mix of Tower Defense and action role-player that is one of the year's best and most addictive co-operative games.

The package itself may be no frills but Virtua Fighter 5 is still one of the best fighting games ever made and deserves to be appreciated by a wider audience.

An intriguing antidote to Modern Warfare that's realistic to a fault, but never dull or predictable.

A fairly cynical attempt to mix Left 4 Dead with a twin stick shooter, but there are still some interesting ideas in amongst the far too familiar ones.

One of the best post-Breath Of The Wild open world adventures, but while the game’s heavily influenced by Zelda it ultimately plumps for amiable exploration over more rugged adventure.