An engaging story, extremely satisfying shoot-outs phenomenal graphics turn Max Payne 3 undoubtedly into one of the best shooters of 2012. It's a shame that Rockstar doesn't seem to know where to place their checkpoints.

A brilliant closing chapter to the second season of The Walking Dead, defined by absolutely devastating emotional choices and interesting plot twists. Let's hope the third season isn't too far away.

Pikmin 4 is here and, like previous games, it is an incredibly fun game to play. There is plenty to explore and do in the world, the new additions such as new Pikmin, craft abilities and more, make it a fun adventure. It's a shame though that the full co-op experience is no longer present and the performance can't be called optimal, but those aren't points to make a purchase hinge on. A fine platformer that will certainly please fans, as well as newcomers.

Final Fantasy XVI is the new pinnacle in the long-running series, which does a top-notch job in almost all areas. The intriguing story is captivating from start to finish. The gameplay is delightful thanks to the smooth action, and exploring Valisthea is a pleasure. Then there are the fantastic boss fights, the wonderful soundtrack, the spectacle. Too much to mention. Square Enix has thought of everything and that makes Final Fantasy XVI a game you should buy.

Gran Turismo 7 is an interactive museum and encyclopedia where you can discover and learn a lot about cars. At the same time, it also provides you with an excellent racing experience thanks to the variety of cars, races, depth and more. The single player is worthwhile, online racing is cool and it is visually really enjoyable. Downside is that the AI sometimes doesn't take you into account and rallying is also very limited. And where is the damage model? These are some points to consider, but know that the gameplay itself in terms of racing is almost sublime and that makes this game compulsory for car enthusiasts.

A wonderful traditional fighting game with fantastic (online) gameplay and stunning visuals, that disappoints only a bit in its small roster of characters.

Unfortunately, the game's most important addition is also its greatest weakness: the first couple of hours in the Batmobile are exhilarating, but the constant emphasis on this clunky vehicle keeps Arkham Knight from reaching its predecessors' heights. Nevertheless, this is one hell of a Batman simuator that's very worth experiencing.

Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4 is a great way to experience the diverse and unique world of Spider-Man. The game looks amazing, it's well-written, funny and is absolute a pleasure to play. It is by far the best entry in the Spider-Man gaming franchise to date. This game has great depth and so many things to do, it will keep you occupied for a long while.

Lara Croft returns in this franchise reboot, which juggles different gameplay elements, all well-executed and superbly balanced. The visuals and audio are top-notch and Lara is very well realized as a character. Long story short: a great game you should definitely pick up.

About as addicting as Bomberman, Towerfall Ascension completely caught us by surprise with its retro look, it's well-implemented co-op mode and downright fantastic platforming. Get this.

A game that uses the PlayStation Vita very creatively, Tearaway is a lengthy, highly original and visually beautiful experience. The combat gets a bit repetitive after a while, but that shouldn't stop Vita owners from getting their hands on this title.

As good as the previous ones, especially story-wise. I can't help feeling disappointed by the amount of glitches and badly executed lip syncs though.

Doom Eternal is everything its predecessor was, times two. A surprisingly engaging story grounds the insane action, that takes run-and-gun gameplay to a whole new level of awesomeness.

By delivering an even better, prettier and more refined game than last year, Pro Evolution Soccer keeps paving the way to the perfect football game.

Wonderfully over-the-top and insanely brutal, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus pulls no punches and quickly turns into one of the best shooters of the year.

A deep, dark, extremely challenging and downright wonderful game that will keep you enthralled for weeks or months to come. New enemy placement justifies a purchase for even the most hardcore veterans of the last-gen edition.

NBA 2K takes a couple of steps forwards with subtle improvements, beautiful graphics and a huge amount of content.

It’s been a while, but Tales of Arise is finally here. And you know what? It was worth the wait. This is one hell of an RPG, with an epic story drenched in adventure and atmosphere. The combat is accessible, yet deep and challenging, and the journey takes you to some truly remarkable places. Shame the sidecontent isn’t always quite as interesting.

This game once started as a great MiNi and is now transformed into a great title for the PlayStation Vita. It's an addicting an challenging experience that will stay with you for a long time. An annoying bug may temper the excitement somewhat, but ultimately, that is of little importance.

Master Chief has returned, but our adventures on Zeta Halo left us with mixed feelings. The gameplay is truly phenomenal and the grapple hook, in particular, steals the show. But the game is, after an extra year of development, still not finished. The single-player is not memorable, the surroundings are repetitive and the game is on a technical level very unpolished. While we have a tremendous amount of fun with the multiplayer, 343 Industries just doesn’t meet the mark with this Halo installment.

Fallout 4 contains a huge amount of content, with stand-outs as an interesting story, the renewed VATS-system and the ability to build settlements. Some graphical bugs, AI issues and long loading times keep it from reaching the top mark.

Drake's Fortune starts to show its age, but other than that, this is a fine collection of one of the greatest franchises the PlayStation brand has ever produced. If you haven't played these yet, then what are you waiting for?

Codemasters delivers on almost every level, turning F1 2017 legitimately into one of the best F1 games ever made.

Unicorn Overlord is a good game from Vanillaware, in which the gameplay is what counts. This is deep and tactical. In addition, the visual design is very pleasant, but the story is a bit cliché and the social aspect is a bit disappointing. These elements are influential, but fortunately do not hinder the overall gaming experience too much, so there is definitely a lot of fun to be had from the gameplay. In particular, if you really appreciate this developer, Unicorn Overlord will be right up your alley.

Futurlab doubles down and delivers a sequel that beats its predecessor in quality on every level. A must have.

Diablo IV effortlessly combines the best that the series has to offer. Including decades of refinement to it's successful formula, the freedom to endlessly experiment with your builds and loads of varied content. It’s visually stunning and it sounds amazing. Diablo IV exceeds our expectations, delivers on the hype and has us tight in it’s addictive and demonic grip.

Eliot Ness' battle with Al Capone is quite unique for the genre and manages to set up an interesting little series in a couple of hours.

The newest virtual F1 iteration will keep you playing for a long time, thanks mainly to its deep, yet accessible gameplay and the added splitscreen feature. The MyTeam mode is worth mentioning as well, because it’s a great addition. Less impressive are the graphics and audio design (some commentator bugs and interviews); these aspects of the game leave some room for improvement next year.

The stories in this game are well written and they will keep you going because the character development is equally well done. Knowledge of the Steins;Gate universe is a must however if you want to fully understand what is going on here. If you've been a fan of Steins;Gate, you are in for a treat though.

The story in Silent Hill 2 is rock solid, which is partly due to the excellent voice-acting. The revamped boss fights, soundtrack and visual presentation are also excellent. In that respect, the remake is more than successful, although we must point out that the combat can become somewhat repetitive due to the much longer duration of the game, and the resolution and frame rate are not stable either. Some points to consider, but otherwise Bloober Team does an excellent job here.

Mario Kart is back with a brand new installment that basically offers more of the same, supplemented with all sorts of new elements. The Knockout Tour is wonderfully chaotic, the large roster of characters and karts is fantastic, the multiplayer is top notch entertainment, and there is a large world that you can freely traverse to explore. Too bad that that world is so big that it's a bit barren in terms of activities, and it's also a missed opportunity that you can't free-roam in multiplayer in a normal way, but other than that Mario Kart World is a fantastic game that we can recommend to every Switch 2 owner.

The combat system, the audiovisual part, the boss fights, the controls, the performance, the enemies.... Everything there is to mention about Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is excellent. This is the best Prince of Persia game to date and a brilliant addition to the genre. Fan of Metroidvanias or the Persian Prince? You must play this game.

Pentiment is a unique game because of its historical style, which excels. The well-written dialogues manage to continuously captivate, although at times this can make the game very slow. Nevertheless, a title that is absolutely worth playing, as it is a work of art to watch and fun to experience.

It took a long time, but Bayonetta is back with a fantastic adventure. The story drags you in and the gameplay provides you with delightful action scenes thanks to in-depth combat and plenty of other things to do, to keep you entertained. Add to that an excellent soundtrack and you will enjoy it to the fullest. Other than that, Bayonetta 3 has some minor flaws, but they are nothing serious compared to the overall package. A highly recommended game.

This remake of the original Star Ocean: The Second Story picks up well. The updated visual style is pleasant to look at, and the new additions to the combat provide more variety and fun to play. Add engaging characters and an interesting story and you have an entertaining title on your hands. Content-wise, there is little to criticize, although the core gameplay is mostly button mashing and the story is also somewhat cliched, but these are only minor points of criticism.

Total War: Warhammer III's extensive campaign and additional multiplayer features will keep you as a player busy for a long time. The strategic gameplay is also in this new part very strong, which is partly due to the good balance between the factions, supplemented with new gameplay elements. That said, for now you must take into account a poor performance and a somewhat unstable online service, which will surely be fixed. Graphically it is not impressive, but fortunately the gameplay makes up for that.

So finally we've got Minecraft on PlayStation 3 and it was well worth the wait.

Sonic Mania is the Sonic title we've been waiting for. It's traditional in every sense of the word... and all the better for it. If not for the clunky autosave feature, the word 'perfect' might have come to mind.

Always wanted to know what it's like to be Indiana Jones? Then this game is the way to find out. The story captivates you from beginning to end, the characters are very cool and the gameplay manages to offer enough variety that you will never get bored. With dozens of hours of gameplay, beautiful environments, excellent voice-acting and, above all, lots of fun, this is a game I highly recommend. The game has some minor technical issues, but they will not hinder the experience.

Blizzard finally makes its reappearance on the console and they do this successfully. Diablo III plays brilliantly and the added co-operative feature is impressive. Even if you have already played this game on PC, we'd still recommend you to try this one out.

Capcom has finally done it. It put Resident Evil back on the map as a survival horror force to be reckoned with. At times unbelievably scary, Resident Evil VII is a relentless first person roller coaster ride that brings the goosebumps and washes the bad taste left by previous entries in the series out of your mouth.

Some minor visual issues aside, EA came, saw and emerged victorious: FIFA 14 improves on a number of key features and establishes itself again as the best soccer game out there.

Dragon's Dogma 2 offers much the same as the previous installment. Expect varied combat and gameplay options, a graphically fine presentation, beautiful soundtrack and a world that demands to be discovered. At the same time, it is unfortunate that the story is somewhat simple and short, the performance occasionally disappoints and the variety of enemies is somewhat limited. Points to consider, but that does not take away from the fact that the sequel as a total package is a must have for fans of the franchise.

FromSoftware returns with the Armored Core franchise and the sixth installment excels in almost every way. The customization is very deep, the game plays wonderfully, graphically it is a joy to look at, and so on. The game is very comprehensive which is worth multiple playthroughs and because it is all so well-crafted, this is by far the best Armored Core installment to date.

Get ready for some old school gameplay combined with fantastic graphics, a great story and entertaining characters. Our only gripe with Dragon Quest XI is the crafting system which seems to be purely luck-based. Voice-acting is so-so but that won't detract you from what is a fantastic game overall. Recommended

Destiny: The Taken King is what Destiny should have been when it was launched a year ago. 'Nough said.

Housemarque's first triple A game does just about everything right, with an intriguing story and wonderful world that's begging to be explored. Add some truly memorable boss encounters to the mix and you won't be surprised to realize that Returnal may just be the PlayStation 5's first genuine must have.

Even better than its predecessor, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 offers a lot of variety and a complex battle system that will keep fans busy for a very long time.

The story is interesting but a bit too long. The gameplay is both deep and accessible, but the incredible amount of options might be a bit overwhelming. The graphics are endearing, but not everyone's easily enamoured by manga. For fans of Persona or Guilty Gear only.

Easy to learn, hard to master; DiRT Rally is a wonderful off-road racing game that will keep fans playing for months to come.

If all you ever dreamt of is to starr in a Ghibli movie – to be cartoonified and just be able to control whatever happens – you shouldn’t miss out on Ni No Kuni. It features extensive gameplay amidst an atmospheric world topped with a compelling story. It has everything a modern RPG needs to satisfy a gamer’s every need.

A complex, though highly intriguing and wonderfully told story with great graphics... that's what you get if you buy 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Which you absolutely should.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom follows a different approach than you are used to from the series. Instead of an action/adventure game, you play a puzzle adventure. This generally works out well. The gameplay is fun, with a fairly large world in which there is a lot to do. The puzzles are interesting and sometimes quite challenging in the dungeons. What does not work so well is choosing the Echoes. At a certain point you get so many that choosing takes a lot of time, which interrupts the action for too long. The optional rifts also become a bit monotonous quite quickly. The biggest thorn in the side is the performance, with a frequently changing frame rate and resolution, which makes the game not play well. That affects the experience. If the technical side is or is being addressed, you can add a whole point to the final score.

Visually impressive and superbly executed, The Outer Worlds is the type of RPG experience that dreams are made of. As soon as the credits roll, you’ll find yourself wanting more. In this case, that’s a compliment.

The sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is here and Respawn Entertainment does it again. Delivering an excellent Star Wars game that feels grander than its predecessor. This is in the locations you visit, but also the greater variety of gameplay and all that goes with it. Technically, however, it is not optimal yet with the necessary pop-in and the somewhat shaky frame rate in performance mode. Apart from that, the game is simply highly recommended.

Starfield is a fantastic game from Bethesda. There is an awful lot to do and experience in the universe, the freedom you get is extraordinary, it looks stunning, the gameplay is top notch and we could go on and on. There are some bugs here and there, like the NPC's look a bit unnatural, but these are actually small blemishes on an otherwise very good and fun RPG. An absolute must have if you like action RPGs at all.

DOOM is an awesome return to form, not just for the franchise but also for the old school shooter genre. A triumph, held back only by lengthy loading times and a slight lack of depth in the single-player campaign. Not that these nitpicks matter when you're shooting demons left and right with a big grin on your face.

Absolutely stunning to look at and amazingly fun to play, Miles Morales is kind of an improvement over its already great predecessor. The side quests are still repetitive though and the game’s a bit too brief to justify its price tag.

A tribute to the eighties, Hotline Miami impresses with a fantastic soundtrack, dito graphics and a fair amount of challenge to keep hardcore gamers busy for days to come.

Some pop-up and framerate issues are the only problems we've encountered, which is on itself quite spectacular. Assassin's Creed III is an interesting new step for the franchise, delivering a competent story, a number of great gameplay improvements and mind-blowing naval missions.

If you're a fan of the previous editions, you should definitely get this. The stories and atmosphere are still great and the graphical updates really add to the experience. However, the camera's still lacking in places, which is a shame.

Konami shoots, Konami scores. As long as you mute the commentary track, that is.

A fun release with a huge amount of tracks which will entertain franchise fans for a long time to come. The difficulty is pretty steep though which means that this game isn't suited to casual of players looking for a quick fix. If you're familiar with this franchise and if you're skills are up to snuff then you will have a great time playing DJMax Respect. Graphically the game is bit unambitious though, which makes for a pretty boring setting.

If not for some repetitive environments, NioH 2 would basically be the perfect sequel, improving upon the original in almost every conceivable way. Highlights: the superb graphics, the added emphasis on exploration and the incredibly fun boss fights. Sincerely recommended.

The sequel to Octopath Traveler goes down the same route, so it plays somewhat safe. The strong stories keep you engaged and visually it is appealing, but be aware that the performance is not optimal on the Switch. That said, there is little else to fault with the game and fans of the original can buy this title blindly.

SEGA tops itself with Yakuza 0, a highlight of an already beloved franchise that manages to succeed in every single way.

A joy to play, as ever - though we could've done without the clear-as-day influence of the PS3.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater has found its way to the Nintendo Switch and we couldn't be happier about it. Both games lend themselves perfectly to brief sessions, which works well with this handheld console. There are some visual downgrades, yes, though as far as gameplay is concerned, the titles play as well as they ever have. Sincerely recommended.

Bungie vastly improves its online shooter in almost every possible way, offering players an enormous amount of varied content, hidden away in a huge universe that is as interesting as it is beautiful.

The gameplay is what really stands out. This is because you can be incredibly creative with the build you create, which can provide endless variety. In addition, the soundtrack is great, the bosses are good and there is plenty to do. All things that make the game worthwhile. At the same time, the story is not very interesting and there are technical issues that sometimes get in the way of enjoyment. A bit of a shame in an otherwise decent gaming experience.

A remake of a pretty dated game which turns out very well. The story remains fantastic, especially with the addition of some new scenes. The mini games never fail to be funny either. This remake is a prime example of how to do a remake and Yakuza fans and newcomers alike can blindly purchase this game.

This is essentially a twelve-hour long episode of South Park, with sadistic humour, a huge amount of fan-service, classic turn-based gameplay and Variation with a capital V. It's a great game, though we did notice an unhealthy amount of bugs and framerate issues. We're also severely disappointed by the European censorship, which is completely unnecessary.

The game presents you with a fascinating murder mystery that is very interesting to experience. The hilarious dialogues bring a fresh undertone to it and the same can be said about the puzzles and other gameplay elements. This is a rather unique experience and the graphical mediocrity has to be taken for granted, as well as the fact that you sometimes have to guess a little too much. However, these are small blemishes on an otherwise excellent whole.

A complete collection with great graphics, a neat soundtrack, and the fast and furious (pun intended) gameplay the franchise is known for. Now, about that new iteration...

Traditional gameplay, intense and varied levels, nice visuals and an engaging soundtrack... What more could you wish for?

A fantastic reimagination of a PlayStation 2 classic, Ratchet and Clank once again represents Insomniac at the height of its game.

Classic gameplay makes this game stand out from the get-go. The story and the characters are extremely well realized. The soundtrack is fantastic. Graphically the game performs well although there are some hiccups now and then. Gameplay is great but nothing really innovative. Recommended, especially if you're a fan of the series.

The battles in co-op are fun and the soundtrack is cool. That is the only thing we can say in a positive sense about Babylon's Fall. Otherwise, the game falls short on all fronts. The story is not very interesting, the graphics are horrible and the combat system is very standard so you get little pleasure from it. A game that in concept certainly sounded interesting, but is in practice very disappointing.

While still being a fun game, Far Cry 4 at times feels a bit too much like an extended edition of Far Cry 3 to really impress.

With Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, Mimimi Games tries to bring a new twist to the strategy genre by adding stealth. This makes for a slow, but exciting progression that provides great satisfaction when a plan succeeds. The game also has a high replay value, which justifies a purchase. However, there are also elements such as Crew Tales that are not really engaging and feel like filler content. In addition, loading on the PlayStation 5 can take a bit of time, which is not an issue on the PC.

Going on an adventure with Quill in Virtual Reality is an utter joy. The game looks absolutely gorgeous and radiates a magical atmosphere throughout the entire experience. Unfortunately, it is also rather short considering it's fairly steep price tag but that shouldn't prevent you from having a blast while it lasts. Recommended.

A lot of people have complained about the look of the new Devil May Cry and frankly, they should just play the game instead. Ninja Theory has changed things up quite a bit, but they haven't touched the core of the franchise. DmC is an excellent hack & slash game which has a few problems, but then again: nobody's perfect.

FIFA 17 is wonderful; the graphics are improved, the gameplay works better and The Journey is an interesting addition.

Codemasters strikes again! Technically great and filled to the brim with content, this is quite simply one of the best rally games ever made.

If you loved the old Crash Bandicoot titles, you'll have a blast with this one. Detailed, challenging levels; recognisable, yet innovative gameplay... this game has it all. The annoying camera may lead to some frustration at times, but don't let that stop you from diving headfirst into Crash' new adventures. It's about time? Damn right!

As a successor the game definitely improves on a couple of aspects whereas other elements are not realized as well. Both graphically and in terms of content you definitely won't be bored anytime soon. Boss fights are great fun and the combat system in general works really well, although it does rely a bit much on hack 'n slash. Strategy therefore takes a backseat which is a shame. Another point of concern is the framerate which can be somewhat unstable at times.

Still as much of a tactical joy as you remember. Very much worth picking up (again).

Codemasters expanded last year on the 2016 base game and they're doing the same thing for the 2018 iteration. F1 2018 is the best Formula 1 game to date since there is more depth than ever, more classic cars to use and many more features. If you're a fan of the sport, you're in for a good time yet at the same time the penalty system still is as inconsistent as it ever was and the AI can pull some weird stunts from time to time.

Persona 4 Arena was a fine spin-off and this new iteration continues the trend with more depth and a longer story mode, that, however, lacks a bit of gameplay action. Newcomers are strongly advised to start with the previous one, by the way.

A great ending to the impressive World of Assassination trilogy, Hitman III offers impressive level design, lots of options and a VR-mode that's very much worth playing. There are some small technical issues, but they're nowhere near prominent enough to hamper your enjoyment.

Skating in 2.5D is a real pleasure with OlliOll World. The gameplay is almost perfect and thanks to the creative levels with plenty to do, the game has a high replayability. This is accompanied by a fine learning curve, an excellent soundtrack, many customization options and so on. That the story is not that interesting you have to accept, because the rest is excellent! Must have.

Finally a truly decent Lord of the Rings game, with an intriguing story, quality gameplay and exciting setting.

The design of this game is shown to its best advantage in a situation where the gameplay is challenging. All this in a large world with plenty to do makes Shin Megami Tensei V a successful and enjoyable title. Just be aware that the resolution is a little low and the story not very exciting. Fortunately, the gameplay makes up for this.

A new year, a new F1 game. This one boosts an elaborate story mode, that's somehow both clichéd and very much worth experiencing. On top of that, F1 2021 also has a number of significant improvements over its predecessor. There's still some clumsy animations, though, so take that into account.

Subtle improvements and a batch of new features keep Blazblue on track, though its graphics are in dire need of an upgrade.

This is one of the few truly unique titles on the PlayStation Vita and you should definitely buy it. It's not perfect - save synching doesn't work the way it should and we sure would have wanted some more albums to lengthen the running time - but then again: nothing really is.

Dark Souls in 2D? Yes, please!

Forza Motorsport is a delightful racing game. The extensive career mode provides plenty of racing fun, online it all works fine and the amount of cars makes it a Valhalla for car enthusiasts. Add to that the fact that audiovisually it is really enjoyable. Does that make the game perfect? Not quite unfortunately, the AI is not optimal and still needs some work, and also the career mode can use some more variety. Nevertheless, this is an excellent sim racer on the Xbox that has a lot to offer.