But those controls are what I keep coming back to. Frankly, I really detest playing an iOS game that has virtual buttons. Gameloft has done what it can, but this is far from an ideal platform for first person shooters.

The iPad has the sweetest graphics with a massive screen.

Not only is it highly recommended among its app store peers, it stands well alongside much more expensive console games as well.

Adults who are happy to channel their inner child for a while will have a few hours' worth of fun with Treasure Seekers; kids may find it fuels their imaginations and provides some good fodder for Christmas holiday play – in and out of the house.

There's still enjoyment to be had here, but it probably won't occupy you for very long. If you do need a five-minute time waster, there are other, better games out there for the iPad. Wispin is far from terrible - and has a couple of really awesome ideas - but in such a crowded marketplace, you need more than that.

This isn't a game that will convince non-golfers to take up the sport, whether virtually or otherwise, but if you're a fan and need a golfing fix on the go, you can do a lot worse than Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 for the iPad.

But hey, it's Monopoly. It's a classic, and the iPad version still retains that vibe.

Actually playing the game is a remarkably satisfying experience. No, it's not as in-depth or as polished experience as you'd expect from the console versions but it's still, in essence, a very good NFL game.

As a game it doesn't really offer us anything new. Its driving mechanic is a little clumsy and frustrating, but it's got enough variety and depth to keep you moderately entertained. As a portable driving distraction it's a decent attempt. But it could hardly be called the breakthrough ingenious iPad title we are all still clamouring for.

So when it all comes down to it, what you have here is a classic Square Enix RPG that you can play wherever you are, without having to make any major compromises in your expectations. Sure, it costs more than the other icons on your iPad and, yes, its control scheme is weirdly out of place.

Feels generic, controls poorly, but is probably the best you can hope for for an iPad shooter.

In many ways it's even better than playing it on the PC. Highly recommended.

Happily, I'll recommend this game to all fans of the franchise, and to those who have yet to discover it. I can only hope plenty more classics of yore make the inter-generational

Despite these bugs, I’m still impressed with the quality of Doom on the Switch. The singleplayer campaign – with it’s replay value and multiple difficulties – easily makes it worth the price tag. It is a must play for Switch owners clamouring for some hyperviolence on their train rides.

It’s hard to say whether Battlefront II will have any longevity or depth in the multiplayer department. A lot of it will depend on how EA proceed with loot boxes and DLC over the coming months, and they’ve already drastically changed things (we think for the better) in the first week of release. Yes, Star Wars fans will leap at the chance to enter a galaxy far, far away – and even casual players will appreciate the quick accessibility of multiplayer matches. But those looking for a deeper, more nuanced and balanced online experience might need to look elsewhere if things don’t improve further.

The game’s title summarises the story; there’s some betrayal, and you’re looking to do some paying back. There’s technically good dialogue, in the same way a Fast and Furious movie technically has good dialogue. Occasionally you’ll chuckle. The rest of the time you really won’t care.

If you take away all the things that Fire Emblem Warriors does wrong, you end up with a hack and slash game where you wipe out hundreds of bad guys every few minutes. There are impressive special moves, and seeing your favourite Fire Emblem characters come to life on the battlefield is impressive. The thing is, it’s just not doing anything you haven’t seen before. Fire Emblem Warriors could’ve kept the current look and feel, and trusted itself to tell a whole new story while introducing a slew of lovable new characters. Instead it ends up relying on retelling stories from previous titles, with none of the love and care they were originally given.

The whole thing feels rushed and incomplete. The lack of a proper roster update is the tip of a terrible iceberg. The game is a chore to play and despite being a big wrestling fan (or perhaps because of it) I never really had any fun. WWE 2K18 costs $110, but feels like a freemium mobile game. A failure on so many levels.

A revamped design breathes new life into the franchise. Origins is the start of something great.

Midnight Shadows is a bit more plot-driven than Night Alone (which was deliberately vague, for the most part), but there’s still a lot of room for interpretation. It’s never quite made clear how all the different pieces fit together – again, deliberately – and even the chronology of events and the reality of what the girls experience is up for debate. At face value, there’s a simple but moving tale of a struggle for friendship, but like any good horror story there’s a lot going on beneath the surface. Everyone will have their own take on it, and that’s a wonderful thing.

The best part about Wolfenstein II however, is a combination of the story and the cast. This game is truly BJ’s story. He’s coming up to 50, having spent most of his life fighting, and he wants nothing more than to stop – except he’s such a stand up guy that he can’t. He’s incredibly likeable, and incredibly easy to root for. It’s constantly touching. with a range of funny, quirky and believable characters just trying their best in a harsh world. Most of your bad guys seem to be a little bit over the top, and while well written, come across as caricatures. Then again, they are literal Nazis.

Call of Duty: WW2 brings the series back to its roots, but parts falters when trying to find a balance between fun, and respect for the past. The singleplayer avoids the patriotic pitfalls previous games fell into, while injecting some much-needed humanity. But elements on the fringe of the multiplayer – the crass nature of the loot boxes when contrasted against a historically bloody setting – are at odds with this. Enjoying the game hinges on your ability to detach your appreciation for mechanics, from the dark subject matter.

SoW is a great game, until it isn’t. And it’s such a shame, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think you’d all enjoy it. If you want an open world fantasy adventure, excellent and enjoyable combat, personal grudges with a variety of excellent uruk friends, and like spidery women, angst, and Gollum cameos, play it. But, like Brad Pitt, you don’t want what’s in the box.

In the end South Park: The Fractured But Whole makes me very happy, and I do think farts are funny – at least funny enough for two games.

As I’m sitting here writing this review, all I want to do is play more. Even after the credits, there’s still so much to see and do. From the tight platforming, to its cute and peculiar world, Super Mario Odyssey is a delight from start to finish.

Point-for-point, The Evil Within 2 is a better game than its predecessor. But what defines it – and elevates it – is its ambitious design. Taking a horror game into an open world setting could have been a disaster, but Tango Gameworks pull it off with aplomb.

There’s an underlying trend of thought in our culture which disregards teenage turmoil, romance, and general experience as an emotional exception that’ll give way to reason and stability once it’s over. I don’t find that particularly helpful, and neither does Life is Strange. The stereotypes of delinquency the game brands Chloe with are only there to be circumvented by how authentic the experiences are that spawned such behaviour. Chloe’s story is relatable because it is simply human, and not simply another teenage story with a set of pre-defined adolescent tropes in a self-contained genre.

Visual Concepts have again made good on their name, developing a visually stunning game. The changes to some of the modes are beneficial, but the overhaul to an open-world MyPlayer feels pointless. The dependency on Virtual Currency and the ease of spending them compared to the challenge of earning them makes for a longer singleplayer experience, but greatly hampers the multiplayer. Hopefully 2K Sports reins it in, because if this continues, they will find resistance.

NHL 18 is a good game, but I’m biased; even I know that there is little in it that’s new, and NHL Threes isn’t enough make it worth buying. There are great details that I love. The gameplay is fast and tough and takes work to master. But hockey is in danger. It’s in danger of falling behind baseball, football, and basketball in the gaming world, just like it’s lagging behind in real life.

EA have a vested interest in seeing the NBA Live franchise land at the top of the basketball simulation sub-genre. While this year's iteration doesn’t quite get there, they’ve made a big enough leap for people to take notice, especially given the much lower price point than NBA 2K18.

Going in, there was a real fear that Cuphead was going to be style over substance. You’ll likely feel the same as you punish yourself over and over through the first few stages. That feeling disappears once you start reading the enemies’ tells, and get a good understanding of when specials should be used. Eventually you come to understand what you’re about to partake in, and in the moments of quiet as the enemy gets knocked into its next phase, you’ll stare at the backgrounds, or the over the top animations, and you’ll wonder why a game like this hasn’t been made before. A good bullet-hell game doesn’t need amazing graphics to hook you into its gameplay, but it’s certainly nice to have one that makes every frame look gorgeously unique.

Forza 7 is the best looking and most comprehensive entry to date. It drives like a dream, and with the stable and well populated multiplayer, DLC car packs, as well as ongoing custom events from Turn 10, you’ve got a game where you can collect the cars you like, paint them, customise them, look at them, and race them for months to come.

Overall, Death of the Outsider ties up the first arc of Dishonored nicely; I have no idea where it’s going to go next, and all I can do is pray that Arkane don’t call it a day, because I adore this series. All other issues seem trivial in the face of it being such a well-crafted piece of art, and my main complaint is that there simply isn't enough of it. I adore this series, and this game. Buy it, play it, and love it.

Destiny 2 is a long list of refinements. Tweaks and tightenings to the gameplay loop, and quality of life improvements that cater to the player – instead of making them subservient to mechanical whimsy. It still has its rough patches, but it realises – and raises up – the systems of its predecessor.

If you are weighing up the decision on whether you should buy Pokkén Tournament DX, it’s an easy one to make. Despite its flaws, it’s a fantastic fighting game that is easy to pick up, making it appealing to the casual and hardcore audience alike. Fans of Pokémon would be crazy to overlook it, and fighting game fans should find something unique here.

FIFA is one of the longest running game franchises, appearing almost every year for 25 years. For die-hard fans, buying every new edition is just a way of life – and with improvements across the board, they won’t be disappointed this year. However for more casual players who purchased last year’s FIFA 17, all you’ll really be missing out on is the new player rosters, strips, and a few extra nice-to-haves.

Project CARS 2 is not for everybody, yet at the same time, it also kind of is. Primarily it wants to be a racing simulator – a goal it certainly attains – while at the same time being approachable enough for the less enthusiastic. The game’s ambition as a serious racer, and it’s desire for you to meet that challenge, nevertheless come across stronger than its acceptance of low level players. You can play Project CARS 2 on the most lenient settings possible, yet you’d also be missing out on the more authentic driving experience the designers chiefly had in mind.

I’m no expert at fighting games. I like them, but I’m terrible at them, and tend to judge them on how well they do when both players are blindfolded. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite passes that test well, making for a great party game. Most of my issues with the roster comes down to personal preference, but it’s safe to say you shouldn’t pick it up for the story mode alone.

Monster Hunter Stories is a brilliant spin-off that captures the essence of Capcom’s successful series. The combination of a charming story with a deceptively deep combat system, creature collecting, and the trademark gameplay loop of gathering, crafting, and fighting makes for one of the best RPGs on the 3DS. It’s evident that a lot of love and attention has gone into Stories. The result is a delightful title that continues the success of the franchise.

Another remake, but a damn good one. The perfect place to begin if you’ve never played Yakuza before.

Metroid: Samus Returns is a welcome addition to the 3DS library. Whether this stands alone as Nintendo honouring a part of the franchise that didn’t get its time to shine, or if this is their way to set the scene before a full-blown Super Metroid remake, I hope they do it again. There are a lot of Nintendo classics that have been lost to time, and Metroid: Samus Returns proves that a new coat of paint, and the modernising of mechanics can go a long way in revitalising a franchise.

The story that The Pillars of the Earth tells makes it worth sitting through a few tedious puzzles and the odd bug. This is just the first part of three planned, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the game plays out.

So, is it worth buying two years in a row? The answer is probably a bit of a cop-out. No, it’s not. But, this is only because annually released sports sims never are. But – and this is a big “but” – Longshot is different, and it’s an experience worth having. MUT has never been more engaging, while online is packed with modes and runs great. Madden has never been friendlier to new players, and, who knows? Like me, you might learn something new about football.

On the surface, there doesn't seem to be too much different between Rock of Ages and its sequel. Rock of Ages II plays very much the same and fills the same niche. However, it is a much nicer game with better defense items and a lot more polish. Sadly, I found that Rock of Ages II couldn't keep my attention unless I had someone else to play with.

Episode 1 succeeds as one of the most poignant stories in episodic gaming. In just a few short hours you’re prone to a cacophony of emotions which all stumble and fumble together into a narrative which feels like it was never written, because it feels plausible. Such is the story’s persuasive power. However this is not a game for those with a grudge against passive experiences. There’s probably even less meaningful interactivity here than usual, and is probably the most film-like episode I’ve played since the genre was resurrected.

Nintendo’s Switch has had a steady flow of amazing titles since its March 2017 release, and having Ubisoft buddy up to create a game like this is another feather in the console’s cap. It has all the graphical charm of a Mario platformer, an amazing soundtrack by an industry legend, the backing of two big studios, and the rarest thing of all: hilarious Rabbids. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is simply no joke.

F1 2017 is an impressive game. It not only retains the feel and flavour of Formula One racing, it makes it all accessible. No doubt there is a touch of arcade racing about it. The heavy rain, fighting lens flare, and swapping paint. Although, the likes of Lewis Hamilton have made swapping paint a more common event than it has been in the past. With the upgrade system and large collection of classic cars, it’s even overcome the problem that every car – in past games – felt essentially the same. Even if it hasn’t won the Constructors’ Championship, in almost every way F1 2017 has driven to an impressive win.

All considering, I must admit this game is not for everyone. A prospect which saddens me, but one I must unfortunately accept. I play games for all kinds of reasons, not just for fun, and Hellblade is not fun – it’s emotionally brutal. An emotional inferno, worth your suffering.

It’s fascinating that for all of the 3D, more technologically advanced Sonic games that we’ve seen over the years, this retro approach is still the best in over a decade. It’s mainly thanks to the development team being able to channel the essence of what made Sonic so successful in the first place. The decision by Sega to engage with independent studios Headcannon and PagodaWest Games after their passionate work in the Sonic fan community was a stroke of genius. It’s not perfect and it’s not ground-breaking in the slightest, but it’s still great to see Sonic back in good form after so many years of neglect.

White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is still a game I’d strongly encourage for anyone who enjoys a good survival horror game, and misses the days when horror was about disempowering players and using that to inspire terror. It’s still one of the scariest games on PS4. I just wish it had been able to fully capitalise on its setup – the way I’m told the original game did – to deliver a truly terrifying game from start to finish.

Matterfall, as with many other Housemarque games, is a flawed but fun experience. Its relatively small number of levels helps keep it light on fluff, appealing to people who want to find every collectible and maximise their score on the leaderboards. Its short length also means it isn’t an imposing task for someone looking for a change of pace.

Masquerada has decent combat, painfully linear level design, and an amazing story with equally amazing characters. Come for the colourful art style, stay for the fantastic world building and plot twists.

Agents of Mayhem is a fun ride if you want more of Saint’s Row while you’re waiting for the fifth main game to trundle along, or if you want a different take on the hero-based shooter. It’s by no means a bad game, just not a great one. You’ll play it once, have a good time, and forget about it.

The story is key here, and it’s hard not to smile every single time there’s an interaction between Miis. Nintendo’s charm is all over Miitopia. The music is goofy, and the title screen with the singing is simply fantastic. The presentation and the ability to utilise any Mii imaginable is downright genius. I’m not sure if this is the perfect RPG for a very young gamer, or if it was designed for the gamers who enjoyed quirky, passive titles like Animal Crossing or Tomodachi Life. Whoever it was made for, it wasn’t made for those looking for a hardcore RPG.

Whatever small missteps that Uncharted: The Lost Legacy does take, are drowned out in the fiery explosions of its set pieces. They’re forgotten, amidst the humour and humanity of its cast, and the witty banter they share. Chloe and Nadine are proof that Uncharted can exist – and thrive – without Nathan Drake.

It’s not without it’s flaws, but all is forgiven between the start and end of each round.

Rugby League is a simple game. If you want to maintain a winning record, focus on rucking it up hard, holding on to the ball, and kicking deep. And avoid playing me online. It’s not worth it.

A refreshing genre piece, which plays on expectations to explore the humanity of its cast.

Yonder is as calming as it is addictive. I had thought I was happy with the amount I had played, only to come back the next day and complete even more quests. At just shy of $40 it's a little more than I'd want to pay for a game based around exploration, despite how wonderful the world being explored was. That hasn't stopped me from showing the island of Gemea off to all my friends though. Like a kid with the latest set of Pokémon cards, they're not really interested, but I'm going to make sure they know all about Yonder: The Charming and Calming.

Superhot has been talked about a lot since it debuted on Oculus, and for good reason. Now that it’s finally available for PSVR owners, it’s a must have for anyone who wants to play a VR first-person shooter with a twist.

For the most part Micro Machines: World Series is very close to being a great game; all it requires is a proper single player championship mode. Unfortunately, the broken online ruins much of the experience. Anyone looking for local co-op action should pick the game up if it’s on sale, but if you’re playing on your own, it’s tough to recommend.

It doesn’t make massive changes, but instead just tweaks a very successful formula and expands on it with a swathe of new content to explore. One of the most impressive things about Final Fantasy XIV is the way it breaks down the casual/hardcore dichotomy, and Stormblood doubles down on that with a wider variety of endgame content for players of all persuasions. A few stumbles aside, the story it tells is great and decidedly Final Fantasy-esque, and takes players through some of the best locations, dungeons, and encounters that this game has seen yet. This is still the best MMORPG on the market, and I’d encourage anyone who’s on the fence to dive in.

Fire Emblem Echoes is the second best entry in the new generation of Fire Emblem games, ranking lower than Awakening, but higher than Fates. Tight storytelling, paired with challenging gameplay, makes for a thoroughly enjoyable experience, as accessible to new players as it is inviting to old. Watch out for tantalising-but-expensive DLC, and a bit of a nerf on older consoles. It’ll be hard for the next Fire Emblem to step out from under the Shadows of Valentia.

A great deal of time devoted to very little gain. Revolution’s lacklustre action RPG gameplay is matched by a nearly complete disregard for building sympathetic characters, who exist to serve an underwhelming narrative. Valkyria Revolution fails on almost every level to recapture the qualities that made its predecessors cult classics.

New quality-of-life features elevate the game’s strongest elements, while visual and audio improvements make it more palatable. If you missed Final Fantasy XII the first time, don’t sleep on this.

Tekken 7 is a culmination of many things. It’s decades worth of unabashed soap-opera storytelling. It’s years of mechanical complexity, honed to a keen edge. It’s a celebration of the clutch moments that make fighting games what they are. Tekken 7 is the pinnacle of the franchise, and one of the best fighting games on the market.

It’s been more than 30 years since the Friday the 13th franchise launched, and nearly 30 since the last game was released. While graphically and technically superior to the 1989 NES game, gamers now have higher standards, and unfortunately Friday the 13th hasn’t lived up to those. A myriad of bugs, server issues, and gameplay glitches plague the summer camp, and at times it feels like Jason isn't the only problem you need to worry about.

There are – and have been – asymmetric multiplayer games released over the years, with fairly middling results. Dead by Daylight has improved the niche by creating a product that balances simple gameplay with minimal downtime, and giving players plenty of depth to come back to again and again. It is – by far – the superior asymmetric multiplayer game to date.

The Elder Scrolls Online is set around 1000 years before Skyrim, and Morrowind is also stuck in the past. In terms of setting and story, this is a good and comfortable thing. In other ways it makes the game feel unoriginal. Especially when summoning a bear, and playing a capture-the-flag multiplayer match are among the main selling points. But, if you want to build a spell casting tank and dominate multiplayer matches, or wander around Tamriel crafting armour and mixing potions, The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind offers many hours of both.

A respectful and highly polished game which is sure to please nostalgic fans, but also hopefully introduce whole new generations to a game that came out in the mid-90’s. In an era where games are becoming more complicated and leaning towards epic storylines, it’s refreshing to hoon around as a crazy bandicoot and test those old-school platforming chops that I earned from my younger days all over again.

Despite its flaws, Get Even is still a very worthwhile experience. The game’s narrative is a little predictable, but it’s told well. It builds tension unlike anything else, and uses jump scares sparingly to give maximum effect. It’s a great game, with unfortunate quirks holding it back – which will hopefully get patched out.

WipEout: Omega Collection offers a lot of substance for fans of the series, with an almost over-whelming number of ships, race teams, courses, and modes to unlock. For those with the PS4 Pro and appropriate 4K TV, this is the best looking WipEout game you’ll get the pleasure of seeing. This is made all the more heart-breaking with the likelihood this could be the last WipEout game we’ll see considering the original studio who created the franchise are no longer around.

The Warriors series has a special place in my heart, and is easily something you could judge by face value for being too much of the same thing, or just another musou. It’s not completely different from its predecessors, but there are definitely no two alike, especially with the emotional story locked up in each. Go get the game and give yourself a weekend with it, especially if you’re now the one wheezing.

It’s great to see Nintendo so invested in creating a gorgeous new IP, and while it’s too early to see how this goes on the competitive scene, it’s definitely going to win a lot of hearts. The high difficulty will ruin the enjoyment for some, but it’s an incredibly special game for those it clicks with. I personally can’t wait to see more of this franchise in the future.

If only this innovative ending summary could have been attached to a better game. The Walking Dead: Season One was a bonafide masterpiece, and we’ve somehow gone from that, to something I wish would just stay dead.

If only this innovative ending summary could have been attached to a better game. The Walking Dead: Season One was a bonafide masterpiece, and we’ve somehow gone from that, to something I wish would just stay dead.

While the competitive future of Injustice 2 is currently unclear, one thing is certain: NetherRealm have created a highly polished fighter. With a campaign mode that blows the competition out of the water, fights that pop, and an extensive customisation system, the Chicago-based studio has done right by the DC license.

Rime is for those who appreciate Team Ico, That Game Company, Abzu, Never Alone, or any peaceful-minded game where emotion plays centre stage. Granted, it doesn’t have the same finesse, as the mechanics have little to do with anything else. The developers clearly had a story on their hearts, but didn’t sync it to the rest of the game. Subsequently the gameplay often feels like a reluctant participant to a particularly touching tale.

The Caligula Effect is a frustrating game, with a great story wrapped in an uneven package. The characters and plot offer a frank and important exploration of psychological trauma that deserves praise. The rest of the game far less so, with combat hampered by a number of annoying design decisions that can make it a chore, and technical hitches that are a frequent hinderance. What the game is left with is ultimately a story that provides the only solid argument to spend any time in Mobius.

Although not long by Dark Souls’ standards, The Surge’s sci-fi setting is a refreshing change from its contemporaries, and the developers have made their mark on the genre. The combat system is unique, and very rewarding. It might fly below most people's radar due to the slew of quality games in 2017, but don't overlook The Surge. It will surprise a lot of people.

The single player campaign is a decent five to six hour haul, and considering most PSVR players will struggle to play solidly for more than a couple of hours, it feels longer than that overall. It’s well balanced too with moments of intense, nail-biting shooting, broken up with quiet sections where you can just survey your alien environment. Farpoint does an admirable job of delivering a sense of scale, and character models and animations are some of the better I’ve seen in the PSVR space to date. The game also includes some co-op levels where you can team up with another player online to wipe out waves of aliens together (thankfully there is friendly fire). For those who aren’t sure about which version of Farpoint to buy, I would strongly suggest you get the Aim Controller bundle. There’s around a $50 price difference, but I can’t help but feel that Farpoint is saved by the use of a proper gun controller.

Dragon Quest Heroes II is an excellent game, taking everything that was great about the first game and doubling down on it. It’s still fundamentally a Warriors game, but now there’s even more focus on the Dragon Quest heritage with deeper RPG systems and increased focus. Dragon Quest Heroes did a fine job of combining the two franchises, but Dragon Quest Heroes II takes that to the next level.

Mario Kart 8 is easy to pick-up, easy to enjoy, and no matter how good you are, there will be moments that make you smile.

Overall, Prey is a polished game that does a lot of good storytelling, despite not having a particularly original plot. Prepare for a lot of notes and emails, and a lot of cups attacking you. It also doesn’t try to be anything it's not, but its beautiful music and audio creates an amazing atmosphere.

Wonder Boy (Girl): The Dragon’s Trap is an excellent throwback to old school gaming but with a wonderfully adapted new paint job. You feel all the highs and lows of platformers in a family-friendly and super cute environment.

Little Nightmares achieves a lot with atmosphere, but doesn’t achieve much as an interactive experience. What it does could be done to the same effect as a film, painting, or even a creepy children’s book. It looks like a Wallace and Gromit story that went awry with depressants, which so happens to be its best feature. I wouldn’t say Little Nightmares is pointless as a game – if it wasn’t one, I may have never experienced it. But I would say it’s atmospheric goals are underutilised in a medium privileged with active participation.

The Falconers: Moonlight is an exciting, well-written visual novel with some beautiful art, and that alone should be enough to entice the genre’s usual audience. But it’s something more than that, too – it’s a game that doesn’t just use Aotearoa as some sort of exotic set dressing, but builds a whole game around it. We have so many stories to tell, and I hope that this game inspires a lot more developers to explore them.

I did not expect to enjoy Ghost Warrior 3 as much as I did. In terms of relatability, an American military sniper is up there for me with Bill Murray’s Garfield and Zac Efron in pretty much everything he’s ever done. The game is let down by weak graphics and a hackneyed story, but redeemed through solid, satisfying and diverse mission gameplay. Several times pulling off a perfectly executed stealth raid reminded me of the stealth challenges in the Batman: Arkham series, which is high praise. Putting aside my moral biases, I actually really enjoyed exploding some racists heads. Hoo-rah. Is it hoo-rah? Am I doing it right?

I like Bulletstorm. I like its tongue in cheek, in your face attitude, and I like that it tried to do something new in a time when nobody else was doing so. Is it a good game? Yes. Is it a great game? Probably not anymore. Unfortunately the Full Clip Edition has fallen into the trap of a remaster that, while I’m sure people wanted it, just doesn’t live up to the memory of the original. A sequel would probably have been a better move; this cliffhanger only hurts more the second time People Can Fly, come on! But in the end it’s a romp. A bit pricey for what it is, but most remasters are. I’d play it again, but I’d wait for a sale before taking the plunge.

There’s an excellent 50-hour game in here, but being needlessly stretched out to the three-digit mark waters down the whole experience. If it earned its size and made good use of the time, that’d be one thing, but Persona 5 spends far too much time treading water. In trying to be more, Persona 5 ends up being less, and we’re left with a game that’s simply very good, rather than the masterpiece it deserves to be.

Some minor annoyances and bugs aside, Symphony of the Machine takes a simple puzzle mechanic of light redirection, and makes it a little challenging – while also surrounding you with a beautiful world waiting for your to manipulate the weather.

For those who persevere and manage to find themselves one with the controls – those that embody the life of a snake – you’ll likely look back on this as a hidden gem that was glossed over by far too many. Personally it’s a game that I enjoy; one that I want to finish but never will. The pain of dropping to my death and losing minutes of progress for the eighth time, because my fingers just couldn’t keep up, outweighs the immense joy I got from succeeding on the ninth attempt.

The game does come in at a mid-price point of $69.99 though, which could be a factor when considering another PSVR shooter, Farpoint, comes out in May. If you remember Descent fondly, or enjoyed RIGS, then Starblood Arena could be worth checking out, but it’s hardly a PSVR seller. It’s a shame Sony don’t encourage playable PSVR demos to allow owners to at least try out a game before investing, because this is a game that’s difficult to recommend to everyone.

Molemen Must Die manages to be both “mindless” fun and a thought-provoking piece of art. It’s an over-the-top action platformer that’s easy to dive into and hard to put down, full of goofy humour, cute pixel art, and pumping music. But it also has something to say, and it does so with style and nuance, further proving that fun and insight aren’t mutually exclusive.

Ron Gilbert and his team have created a wonderful piece of nostalgia, and for a few hours, brought me back to my younger days, playing on my 386 PC. For those that have the same fond memories of games of yesteryear, like Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island, it is a must-buy. Not only will the memories flood back, you will also notice the little easter eggs the developers have slipped in. For less than $30, you get a near 20 hour experience, and in my opinion, it's worth every cent.

Baseball is a sport like no other. It looks to its past as much to its future. MLB The Show 17 embraces both. From an introductory video sticky-sweet with nostalgia, to various flashy quick-game options, short challenges, and custom controls. It is a game for fans of the past and present. A game that allows easy access for those who haven’t played a baseball game in a while. Or, even for those who have never played one before.

Unfortunately, this episode’s strengths are all in superficial places. Nobody comes to a Telltale game looking for technical prowess, and plot is only a tiny part of what makes a good story. I hate to say it, but Above the Law falls flat in the places that matter most: the characters and depth that underpin everything else. Without that, the episode is particularly forgettable, which doesn’t bode well for an episodic series that’s already struggling with its release schedule.

Snipperclips is designed around having a small burst with a friend or three, although it could easily take up an entire night with the right person. The mere fact that you can play this game with someone else out of the box thanks to the Switch’s design, mixed with the fact that there’s serious enjoyment to be had, makes this purchase a must-have for Switch gamers looking for something challenging and unique.