A well constructed tennis game that takes practise to get the hang of, with neat role-playing style player upgrades and a season-based structure that helps prevent monotony.

As laidback and undemanding as the Wii originals but in the modern age it seems restrictive and repetitive in a way that’s unnecessary and even patronising.

A charming, cartoonish action role-player that’s probably not going to make Sand Land the next Dragon Ball but is a fun and unusual adventure in its own right.

At last, a Soulslike manages to do things at least a little differently to Dark Souls, with some clever new features that take advantage of the more cartoonish setting.

Its main character is an embarrassment to gaming but if you can ignore that this is a very competent action game, that borrows wisely from both Bayonetta and Dark Souls.

A spirited attempt to reimagine the ancient 70s coin-op as a modern narrative-based game, but the necessarily simple gameplay is a poor match for the overblown storytelling.

A polished Metroidvania infused with Africana, whose linearity and overreliance on rote-learning action sequences undermine its otherwise high standards.

A successful restatement of everything that was great about the early Suikoden games but many of its old school affectations will only be excused by existing fans.

A wonderfully bizarre premise is spoilt only by frustrating motion controls, but this is definitely the best Victorian lady slapping simulator ever made.

It would probably make a better movie than a game, but there’s still a unique charm about Harold Halibut and his slow-paced journey to discover his place in life.

A successful blend of Zelda and twin-stick bullet hell shooter, which sounds like a terrible mix but brings some welcome novelty to both styles of play.

One of the best Sonic The Hedgehog games never made, although the level design and combat isn’t quite up to the standards of Sega’s best.

The epitome of short but sweet, that is both a clever tribute to Drill Dozer and Ecco The Dolphin and a welcome alternative to bloated and overlong modern epics.

With a splash of gacha summoning, War Of Evolution descends into a, by now wearyingly familiar, microtransaction-based mobile template, completely wasting its early promise.

With no microtransactions or payment of any kind – and a likeable Terry Gilliam-esque anarchy to its animation – this is a lovely way of introducing yourself to various masterworks without once feeling you’re being lectured to.

Clever, cryptic, and with a wicked sense of humour, Recursion supplies a refined set of tools to go about solving its puzzles, and plenty of hints if the going gets too tough.

With a few, surprisingly minor, disadvantages brought about by touchscreen controls, Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile does exactly what it says on the tin.

A barely-interactive movie that follows a mother and daughter road trip that is disappointingly short on both drama and meaningful choices.

A clever and well-structured interpretation of the classic TV series as a co-op brawler, that would be a fun diversion even without the licence.

An enjoyable counterpart to Ghost Of Tsushima, with some truly excellent combat, but the bloated open world elements can often suffocate your enjoyment.

A disappointingly shallow and unfocused adventure that is aimed solely at a young audience - and even they’re likely to feel somewhat bored and patronised by the end.

An entertaining open world action role-player, with an interesting approach to AI-controlled companions, but which proves disappointingly similar to the 2012 original.

A spirited attempt to revive the former glories of gaming’s original survival horror but a lack of scares and sub-par action can’t defeat the ghosts of the past.

A polished, beautifully rendered Metroidvania with a huge map, plenty of upgrades, and moments of intense frustration.

An excellent remaster duology that’s an interesting reminder of early online console gaming and one of the most feature-packed Star Wars games ever made.

A disappointingly timid reboot/remake that while competently made does little to add to the Contra formula or move beyond the original games.

It all still works on touchscreen, with a few inevitable compromises, making it viable to play while you’re out, before returning to your PC or console.

For reasons unknown, Pinball Masters fails on the most basic level, its blurry, low frame rate visuals look like an early 90s FMV game. That makes it hard to tell where the ball is at any given moment, which in turn ruins the subtle timing necessary to play. Despite the number and complexity of tables on offer, the fact that you can’t see any of them properly makes it a frustrating disaster of missed chances and late reactions.