A spruced up, lightly streamlined refresh of the classic Ukrainian shooter-meets-survival horror series that retains every bit of its uncompromisingly bleak character and individuality.

A fine attempt at turning 80s cop shows into a video game, that wisely uses PS1 era GTA games as its gameplay template.

Another excellent compilation of forgotten Capcom fighters, with the revival of Power Stone and Capcom Vs. SNK being especially welcome – even if it’s a shame these aren’t the Dreamcast versions.

Another mini-reboot for the father of FPS, but while it’s less complex and challenging than Doom Eternal it’s still a fine homage to the seminal original.

One of the most visually distinctive games of the year, that proves you don’t need realism or gore to be scary – in this enjoyable mix of stealth, puzzle-solving, and surreal horror.

A complex interconnection of influences results in a game that’s both familiar and interestingly unique, with a few rough edges compensated for by excellent combat and role-playing systems.

Players who’ve been around the free-to-play block will immediately recognise Kingshot as a reskin of Whiteout Survival, which itself is identical in gameplay terms to Top War: Survival, Age Of Empires, and a host of other games cynically designed to exploit unwary players financially. Do yourself a favour and give it a wide berth.

The destructible scenery and different map sizes keep you on your toes, even if gameplay can lack depth, with matches heavily dependent on the quality of teammates and enemies.

It’s been enhanced on practically every level from the original, and while its text-only conversations tend to go on a bit tool long, and the jaunty tune it plays when you die quickly becomes mildly enraging, it’s a compelling game whose crafting recipes and research build into a significant array of construction options. You’ll also upgrade your spacesuit, making you faster, stronger and harder to kill; its role-playing elements prove as addictive as ever and it features cross-platform saves for those who also own it on Steam.

Katamari’s gameplay hasn’t really changed since its 2004 PlayStation 2 inception, and apart from the faux influencer window dressing and slightly wonky touch controls, for better or worse this is essentially the same game it always has been.

One of the best 3D Metroidvanias ever made, with the same endearing sense of humour as the original but several welcome improvements and a more substantial adventure.

Thrilling open world driving peppered with a massive variety of challenges, events, racing styles and carefully orchestrated, motoring mayhem, as one Xbox’s tentpole exclusives arrives on PlayStation 5.

An excellent remaster that preserves the original’s eccentricities and old school character, while instituting a complete graphical overhaul and adding a suite of modern conveniences.

An extraordinary debut release from a French indie studio that has managed to make the best JRPG of recent years, with some of the best combat the genre has ever seen.

An ambitious and visually arresting double-A adventure, that blends Assassin’s Creed’s stealth with Halo’s epic scenery, but which is compromised by a litany of minor technical issues.

An excellent return to form for one of the most respected 2D fighters in the business, that makes a solid impact despite some gimmicky guest characters.

A fast-moving and savagely difficult 2D platformer that draws equal inspiration from Limbo and Soulsborne games, with its own restless sense of invention that never falls short.

A brilliantly realised and atmospheric first person action game, that turns the spirit of Raiders of the Lost Ark into a fully-fledged adventure with role-playing trimmings.

A beautifully made first person puzzle roguelite that demands tenacity and patience (and writing things down) to unravel its fascinating mysteries.

An extremely workmanlike throwback to early generations of platform adventure, that completely wastes its interesting setting and gorgeous visual design.

The way it layers plot and characters around playing the made-up handheld – which at one point you have to repair when it breaks – works beautifully, the physicality of the handheld brilliantly realised on your phone screen, even if the simulated Kid Cosmo game itself is only okay.

It’s fun, and its script wonderfully acerbic.

With a downbeat art style and a plot that gradually reveals all that lurks beneath, there’s plenty of exploration and ship upgrading to undertake on your way to finding out what’s going on. It felt a bit too slim on consoles and PC but while it works better on mobile the price tag is more than most are likely to pay for the full thing.

Whether it has the staying power Supercell traditionally aims for remains to be seen, but it’s an interesting new direction for the studio.

Given its cute good looks it’s surprisingly tough, with fights easily able to blindside you when spell-casting enemy Wielders are involved. If you don’t mind a few retries, and make sure you scour the countryside for power-ups, this will keep you busy for weeks.

A well executed VR port of Hitman World of Assassination, that brings motion control and higher resolution visuals to Agent 47’s lightly comedic sandbox of global contract killing.

A very competent Soulslike, with excellent combat and an attractive art style – it’s just a shame it barely even tries to do anything new.

An alternative to Fallout rather than a homage, with a more freeform approach to open world gaming that offers more meaningful freedom than many other bigger budget titles.