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.

Colourful characters, and enough adult humour to keep you wondering how this is a G rated game.

Bye-Bye BoxBoy is a great little title that is well worth your time. The gameplay is simple, the puzzles built around them are clever, and the game is only let down by challenges being a tad too simple – at least until the post credit worlds, where it flips to hard. Despite this, its charming aesthetic makes it a handheld game that’s hard to put down when you’re on the go.

Skylanders: Imaginators is doing nothing the series wasn’t already doing, it’s just doing it in a more overt way. It’s bored with hiding its monetisation behind things like fun and subtlety. Instead of a focus on story and mechanics, Imaginators simply wants you to build a custom creation. When you’re done with that, they want you to make another.

Nier: Automata is brilliant. Its mature storytelling is filled with intrigue and philosophy explored through fascinating character work that delves into the depths of the human experience and the complications inherent in artificial intelligence. Combined with some incredibly tight and fluid gameplay that pulls together a multitude of ideas with ease, it’s made all the more impressive by the multiple endings and massive replayability. Taro and Platinum Games deserve praise for creating a game that values the player’s time with regular rewards, and one that deserves to be experienced.

Super Bomberman R isn’t a bad game when it’s working, and if you can get a few people connected to a single Switch you’ll have a great time. But due to a small online presence and some serious lag issues when connecting devices locally, the game just doesn’t work as it should. Super Bomberman R hasn’t launched with a downloadable title price – it’s a full retail game, with the price to match. If you need your fix, I’d suggest either waiting until you find this in a bargain bin, or dust off your Wii U and grab Bomberman 64 on Virtual Console.

BioWare Montreal’s latest sci-fi RPG is massive, but the quality of its writing and sidequests varies too much for the combat alone to make up for it. Its size and scope delivers on the limitless possibility that a new galaxy should represent, but that complexity has paved the way for bugs that remove you from the experience. Mass Effect: Andromeda occasionally makes good on the legacy of its predecessors, but it never eclipses them.

This game is one that requires you to play with friends in order to extract the fun out of it. In single player, Wildlands is passable, but in multiplayer it shines. While the missions don’t do much in terms of variety, in playing with others, you find yourself expecting the unexpected. But the real hero is the vast open world, providing you with freedom to approach each objective in any way you wish. Yet while the open world giveth, it also taketh away. A lack of density is obvious, and meandering becomes the most frequent activity that you do.

The disappointing Poochy levels and lack of multiplayer aside, I had a lot of fun with Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World. That’s coming from someone who has a love hate relationship with platformers that leans more towards the hate side of things. If you’ve never played Yoshi’s Woolly World before, then you’re in for a treat. If you have, then you know what to expect; It’s still the same great game.

Clicks together beautifully like LEGO, but you might be searching for that final elusive brick.

Early on, the wacky art direction and bizarre monsters are enough to keep you going. Loot Rascals is a game with a very distinct visual style, and that inspires a need to explore and see just what else the game has up its sleeves. But for me, the appeal of that quirkiness was far outweighed by how repetitive and luck-dependent the game becomes.

A fantastic contrast to the other slow-paced, open-world launch game you’re playing.

Mario Party: Star Rush is a tight collection of mini games which are fun even in single player. It’s just too bad that the main modes which encapsulate them aren’t entertaining at all. If you can overlook the grind, then it’s worth playing for the mini games. If you can’t, I’d look for a party elsewhere.

For fans of the Dragon Ball franchise I can see this game having some appeal. For everyone else, there are just far too many problems to put up with, and some parts feel unfinished or ill-considered. If you’re curious about this game and the promise of fusion-fury with your favourite Dragon Ball Characters, it could be worth a try. If you’re a franchise newbie that wants a good RPG, look elsewhere.

‘Malicious’ is a fitting name for a game this unforgiving.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has forever changed the franchise – a feat accomplished by looking to the past. Nintendo have captured the sense of wonder, danger, and awe that they created in 1986, and embedded it in a vast, enthralling world.

Halo Wars 2 retains itself as serviceable fun, if only by being unbearably approachable, and enjoyably Halo.

Held back by its own ambition, For Honor isn’t a masterpiece, but delivers where it counts.

The best Dragon Quest game gets bigger, but deserves a better port than this.

Aloy’s quest through the post-post-apocalypse is one of pros and cons. Encounters with robotic wildlife are equal parts tactical and reflexive, but fights against humans are awkward, and the camera is unwieldly. The world is lush and gorgeous, but traversing it can be a chore. Horizon Zero Dawn is a breath of fresh air, and a welcome departure from Guerrilla’s previous offerings – but the journey takes some missteps.

Sniper Elite 4 is conflicted and unsettled. Here’s a series that would benefit from Fumito Ueda’s school of thought; design by subtraction – stripping out everything that doesn’t support your primary philosophy. The only part of the game that gets close to doing so, is also the part most won’t pay much attention to.