A better Gran Turismo game than the real thing, with stunning graphics and mountains of content – although the use of loot crates and limited-use mods is worrying.

Probably the best portable football game there’s ever been, but it’s not really FIFA 18 and the limited online options drastically limit its appeal.

A stunning work of imagination, with a collection of high quality boss battles to rival any other in gaming – and a difficultly level that’s equally hard to beat.

The Danganronpa formula feels like it’s starting to get a little stale, but it still manages to pose interesting moral quandaries with a large dose of black humour and anime style weirdness.

One of the best computer role-playing games ever, with such a level of complexity and flexibility it’s difficult to believe it exists, let alone that it could ever be bettered.

An excellent follow-up that expands and improves on the original in unexpected and innovative ways. Plus, it has magic-wielding dinosaurs.

The improvements are slight, but this is still the best FIFA has been in several years – in terms of gameplay as well as just presentation.

A definite improvement on the original, and despite some still notable flaws this is a wonderfully varied playground for motorsport fans of every kind.

The SteamWorld franchise digs deeper than ever and comes up with another charming mix of Metroidvania and Boulder Dash.

The Dishonored saga comes to an elegant, if not entirely satisfying, end with a spin-off adventure that is almost as good as its full price predecessor.

A Pokémon fighting game may not seem like the most obvious spin-off idea, but the end result is a surprisingly fun and inventive multiplayer game.

It plays as well as the series ever has, and is far more accessible than previous entries, but there’s infinite room for improvement in terms of the roster and presentation.

Despite a disappointing story campaign this is a notably improved sequel, whose endless loops of addiction feel far more honest and rewarding than the first game.

Still the best non-Mario platformer ever made and a stunning work of imagination, but if anything this is the worst version so far – not the best.

An exceptionally good expansion that adds in a mountain of new content that specifically addresses the few flaws there were with the original.

A superb remake of Metroid II and the best 2D entry since Super Metroid, that doesn’t compromise at all in terms of challenge, complexity, or atmosphere.

At times it seems indistinguishable from last year’s game, but the slower play speed and improved controls work well and make this the best PES yet.

A surprisingly good port of a purposefully old school computer role-player, that proves even the most PC of games can work on consoles.

On a technical level this is clearly a better game than its infamous predecessor, but it’s still nowhere near as fun as it should be thanks to its bland design and characters.

It often feels unrefined and unbalanced, but the uniquely tactical combat system, and Dark Souls influences, create one of the most enjoyably different fighting games of recent years.

Half the price it originally was, but now twice as good – this third person take on Metroid Prime has been remastered into the game it always should have been.

Despite owing so much to XCOM, this is a fantastically imaginative and enjoyable strategy game that’s as accessible as the genre has ever been on consoles.

An excellent start to a prequel series that taps into the same style of sincere storytelling as the original, making a previously unsympathetic character seem vulnerable and likeable.

The original Yakuza has been remade into a sequel to its own prequel, but although it’s perfectly competent it feels outdated compared to the newer entries.

An impressive blend of old school cyberpunk and modern survival horror, that’s almost ruined by one of the worst acting performances of the year.

The gameplay and graphics are as enjoyable as ever, but this spin-off feels more like a rerun of Uncharted 4 than a genuinely new experience.

Nowhere close to the arcade perfection of Resogun or Nex Machina, this undercooked action platformer lacks the precise controls and instant appeal of its stablemates.

Undertale is a superb indie role-player that proves once again that it’s not graphics that make a game entertaining but gameplay and great ideas.