Its demands on players is as great as any FromSoftware game but persevere and Sekiro reveals itself as the most rewarding and nuanced ninja game in decades.

A perfectly constructed neo-arcade game from genre master Vlambeer, which perfectly marries twin-stick shooters with roguelike punishment.

An inspired homage to old school Ninja Gaiden games, with a clever blending of genres and near perfect retro graphics and music.

An unambitious but competent sequel that already has some of the best endgame content of any similar game… if you can stomach the offensively apolitical, and thoroughly boring, storytelling.

A hugely original puzzler that relies on raw logic in a way only a video game could, providing some of the most satisfyingly open-ended challenges of the generation.

A loving piece of fan service that looks and sounds just like the anime, but unfortunately it plays like a bad Xbox 360 era open world game.

One of the best looking point ‘n’ click adventures ever made, but the unique visuals don’t compensate for illogical puzzles and a weak script.

One of the best Kirby games becomes frayed around the edges on the 3DS, with no co-op mode and some poorly thought out extras that would be better off left out.

A staggeringly ambitious, gun-free immersive reality detective game set in an alternate 1980s Britain, whose admirable intentions are undermined by technical problems.

A game bursting with interesting ideas but dragged down by a lack of technical competence and some very outdated ideas about game design and controls.

A cheap and nasty film tie-in that reaches a new low for Lego games and stands in stark contrast to the creativity of the movie and the toys.

A perfectly judged comeback that’s full of all the wild invention and stylish mayhem fans demand but proves surprisingly accessible and varied for everyone else.

Sadly, with only 41 puzzles – more are coming soon – it’s over too quickly, but while it lasts this is a highly amusing and completely free slice of mobile gaming goodness.

Its pleasing synth tunes and unusual gameplay are immediately alluring, but that optimism is swiftly trampled by a difficulty level that starts tricky and rapidly becomes sadistic, the overwhelming flurry of notes requiring taps so fast that the music gets lost under an ecstasy of fumbling. It’s always a pity when fresh and interesting ideas don’t quite work, but unfortunately Sonar Beat never manages to live up to its considerable promise.

The Trese Brothers have done an excellent job porting this from PC, and none of its wonderful depth and complexity has been lost in translation. Like FTL, this feels as though it was made to be played on an iPad. Whether you decide to work as a trader, explorer, glorified taxi driver, or become a pirate yourself, the sheer scale and open-endedness of Star Traders: Frontiers is never less than inspiring.

Although instantly gripping, its heavy reliance on chance and your limited agency – you only ever decide which order to play the five cards you’re randomly dealt – make it feel a little too much like gambling rather than a game of skill. With no deck building and encounters decided on die rolls, Knights Of The Card Table struggles to sustain its appeal.

The lack of challenge and the fact that you can complete the campaign for free but get roasted in multiplayer without paid upgrades are symptoms of a deep-seated mediocrity. It may be slick, but it’s a peculiarly empty experience.

A sequel that seems somewhat embarrassed of the series’ sexist past and shallow combat but fails to do anything meaningful about either.

As loving a recreation of the Mega Drive original as fans could ever hope for, but without any major evolution of the concept it has far less to offer anyone else.

A fantastically entertaining action game that combines gameplay, visuals, and audio into an irresistible orgy of violence and… improvisational jazz.

An already flawed game struggles with the limitations of joypad controls – but it’s a spirited effort and further proof that strategy titles do work on consoles.

Some unfortunate flaws unnecessarily sour the experience, but this is a welcome return for the Trials series and its unique approach to motorcycle action.

A fantastic mix of explosive action and thoughtful storytelling, that results in one of the most unpredictable and ambitious action role-players of the modern era.

One of the best survival horror games of the generation, that’s frequently terrifying but also surprisingly nuanced and intelligent when it comes to its storytelling.

There are flashes of brilliance, especially when it comes to the flying, but confused storytelling, boring loot, and unsatisfying missions don’t justify the game’s massive time investment.

An unapologetically hardcore sequel that sacrifices accessibility to appease fans of Codemasters’ fledgling racing sim series.

An inspired mix of skateboarding and 2D platforming that manages to combine a surprising level of realism with some enjoyably impossible level design.

Despite improvements the debt to Portal cannot be fully repaid in this cleverly-constructed by staid first person puzzler.