Adding a true open world to the Monster Hunter formula works just as well as you’d expect, even if this sequel is still a long way from perfecting the concept.

Its attempted revolution of turn-based tactics isn't quite as practical as it first seems but this is still an impressively fun, and funny, strategy game.

Remaking Metal Gear without its creator seems foolhardy but this is as good an effort as could be imagined, without completely redesigning the original game.

Episode 4 is a definite step forward though and the hints about what will happen in the fifth and final episode suggests it may be the most politically charged of all.

A superior Mario Kart clone and certainly the best Sega has ever produced, especially in terms of the teary-eyed nostalgia inspired by its endless retro cameos.

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

Pacing problems and a lack of variety take their toll, but in its best most moments this is the most successful big budget survival horror in a decade.

Probably the best Harvest Moon game ever with a successfully odd mix of farming and dungeon crawling.

Another great movie tie-in from the creators of Toy Story 3 and one of the best Mario Kart clones for years.

Still gaming’s most realistic crime drama, as well as being the natural heir to both Shenmue and Streets Of Rage – even if this entry shows little real innovation.

An innovative combination of voice-controlled mechanics, combined with simple puzzles and an engaging story, that is short enough to not outstay its welcome.

An unusual mixture of influences, that builds a pleasingly unique strategy role-player out of otherwise very familiar components.

A daringly complex ode to the works of Philip K. Dick, and although the mix of survival horror and existential storytelling doesn’t always work it’s never less than gripping.

The aging formula may be getting by purely on charm at this point, but this is still the best Harry Potter game ever made - Lego or not.

It spends too much time recreating the genius of Metroid rather than adding to it, but this is still one of the best examples of the genre in recent years.

Still the best boxing sim around but the justification for this new sequel is pretty thin, despite a number of minor improvements.

Conversation is witty and naturalistic, even if Taylor’s habit of sending alerts for every single phrase he utters can rapidly become an irritant rather than a draw.

All the fun of the original squeezed into an all-action and generally more enjoyable expansion.

It captures the soul of Jet Set Radio perfectly but with only a limited attempt to evolve the formula for modern times this feels uncomfortably trapped in the early 2000s.

It's as gritty as a corporate luncheon, but this is a worthwhile, if lightweight, alternative to FIFA 12 - even if it still doesn't fulfil the potential of the concept.

A relatively original and enjoyably bizarre puzzler, that seems more at home on 3DS than Switch but still offers plenty of seafood-themed fun for everyone.

It’s got a really nice flow to it that gets more noticeable as you start to know the cards and what they do, which is handy as it also gets quite a bit trickier as you progress.

It has more new content than any other New Play Control! game but this is still inferior to the original.

It's unlikely to ever outsell Angry Birds, but Bad Piggies certainly outthinks it – with a clever mix of physics-based puzzling and experimentation.

Remakes so good they flatter the original games, but whether or not they deserve this level of star treatment the end result is three enjoyable and accessible 3D platformers for all ages.

Funnier, more imaginative and with 100% more Murray the talking skull, Monkey Island is back on course.

One of the best Aliens games ever made and a clever and innovative real-time strategy all of its own, that needs just a bit more polish and a lot less bugs.

A well executed and impressively detailed mix of Metroidvania exploration, Soulslike combat, and role-playing style customisation that’s marred only by its demanding controls.