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?