Iconoclasts isn't a trendsetter within its genre on a mechanical level. It has great puzzles and poorly-handled combat. Yet there's such huge amounts of time and personality poured into how Iconoclasts looks, and how its game world is built up, that it's easy to forgive such issues. It's a gorgeous 2D puzzle platformer with interesting characters, and that is enough to see it rise above merely being 'good'.

A glorious sum of newly implemented RPG systems, refined traditional series beats and boasting one of the most entertaining stories in recent memory, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is simply the best in the series and one of the finest open-world adventures available.

The Walking Dead table does its job at including the survival and morale-driven themes of the console game and delivers yet another expertly produced addition to the addictive virtual pinball simulator.

Va-11 Hall-A is one of those games that comes out of nowhere and blindsides you with what it has to say. It beats the hearts and minds of the creators in special ways all while delivering a wonderful stylized world through its unique list of characters. Despite its few shortcomings and hefty reading, Va-11 Hall-A offers up something all its own rarely found in this industry.

It may seem simplistic on the surface but even if you're like me, someone who has a passing interest in the genre, Monster Sanctuary does do a few things differently to most. It's a monster collecting game sprinkled with platforming, exploration and small puzzles. Monster Sanctuary was the game I needed to play right now, it's simple and very rewarding. It plays flawlessly and has a quaint presentation that harkens back to the days of old. Whether it's the Metroidvania exploration, the amount of monster skill and gear customization, or the enjoyable battle system, there is a lot to love here.

A breezy and relaxing puzzle game hidden within the veneer of a city builder which just happens to be highly addictive and rewarding despite the lack of visible Islanders. Easy to pick up and hard to put down, Islanders will appeal to anyone who enjoys meditative gaming.

While Roguebook may not be my favourite game in this genre, it does offer a lot of variation and a few interesting tweaks to the genre. It's jaw-droppingly beautiful, incredibly creative and the crucial card play is very entertaining. The exploration is a nice addition and creates a risk and reward system to proceedings, as is the card crafting. While you may not be able to create a lean, all-killing deck, what you can create is a heaving bag of frivolity and opportunities.

Don't let the delightfully twee My Little Pony style aesthetic fool you, Them's Fightin' Herds is an ultra legitimate, one on one fighter with an abundance of charm and an unexpectedly compelling story mode. Though the diminutive roster is a concern, Them's Fightin' Herds is nonetheless a superb fighter that I fear owing to its decidedly cutesy presentation, not nearly enough folks will play.

Any roguelike fan needs to get their hands on Post Void. Quite frankly, if you have any remote curiosity in trying out the game, just do it. Apart from floor jumping not as refined as the rest of the game, the complete package offers up something special, hectic, and engaging. Take it from someone who hates roguelikes: Post Void is a fun roguelike, complete with fever dream.

An industry iconoclast, beloved eccentric and arguably the father of modern high score chasing, the sort of spotlight that the Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story puts on its titular subject feels hugely overdue to say the least. Beautifully put together with a wealth of painstakingly researched historical material, candid looks at Jeff's storied life from Jeff himself and just about all of the games that heralded his rise to prominence in the games industry packed in for kicks, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is a masterclass how you find out about one of the charismatic and genuinely talented legends of the games industry - and you'll have a great time doing it.

There's no question that Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a beloved entry in the franchise. However, bringing it to the PS5 offers next to nothing to the entire experience, bringing only the most miniscule of adjustments, another Trophy list, and a free PS5 upgrade.

There's no getting around it - Helldivers 2 is a supremely fun, frequently unintentionally hilarious and bombastic squad shooter that builds upon its predecessor and deftly sets up a long-term future in the process. Though the lack of split-screen is keenly felt and Helldivers 2 is by and large identical to its predecessor in so many ways, Arrowhead Studios highly anticipated sequel nonetheless does a great job of repackaging a shooter that not nearly enough people played into a thunderous current-gen offering that sets a new bar for extraction shooters everywhere.

Ys: Memories of Celceta validates an inconsistent narrative with a simple and engrossing combat scheme that works perfectly in short and long bursts. $40 may seem high, but this Ys makes PlayStation Vita owners happy they have one.

Fast-paced and fun, Laser League is simple to play, yet challenging to master. It's super addictive and has all the hallmarks of a competitive multiplayer game that could well have a future in the world of eSports if the community embrace it.

A beautifully made score chaser which has that rarest of things - a soul. Sayonara Wild Hearts isn't just a game, it's an emotional band aid that feels like a warm phantom embrace. Absolutely essential stuff.

A vast improvement on the dull muddle that was the original Watch Dogs, Watch Dogs 2 embraces its chaotic, silly side without sacrificing the key components that gave the original such promise. It's prevented from grasping further glory by some damaging technical issues and a seamless online experience being notably absent, but Watch Dogs 2 is still a big bundle of joy.

It's maddening, beautiful and downright frustrating all in the same utterance; an unpredictable, oftentimes surprising, experience that gives and takes in the same breath. It's more like the sport that it's trying to replicate than ever before and oddly enough that's not always as laudable as one might think. Though not as refined as optimally as one would hope, there is undoubted progress in this year's FIFA.

F1 2011 creates a great and exact rendition of Formula 1 racing, but it doesn't give new fans a reason to play it.

The new coat of paint that has been generously lavished across A Plague Tale: Innocence enables an already beautiful offering to stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the best games that the PS5 can offer. Hauntingly alluring and utterly arresting in a way that very few games can lay claim to in the last few years, A Plague Tale: Innocence finds its definitive form on PS5 and in doing so ably preps an all-new audience for next year's much anticipated and likely endlessly terrifying sequel.

Multi-layered in its sophistication while being drenched in aesthetic bombast and effortlessly entertaining, Nuclear Throne isn't just Vlambeer's finest work to date, it also happens to be the best twin-stick shooter since Helldivers; even in light of its relatively minor transgressions.

There is a timeline where the developers behind Dead Cells didn’t have the opportunity to use their ample talents to create a thoroughly excellent Prince of Persia. Thankfully, this is not that timeline, because in this timeline The Rogue Prince of Persia exists and isn’t just a great spiritual follow-up to Dead Cells, but also one of the best Prince of Persia games to ever be released. Period.

Turn off your mind, relax and ram someone off the road. A definitive festival of wrecking which nails the damage modelling and weighty feel of the cars perfectly, Wreckfest is a must for anyone with even the smallest fondest for racing and wrecking.

Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 gets the legendary FPS franchise back to doing what it does best. With a solid multiplayer foundation, a refocused zombies mode that understands what fans enjoy that game mode, and an absolutely stellar campaign, this is Call of Duty at its best.

SingStar gives party gamers an alternative to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but because of the lacking ability of online play, the game’s solo features leave a lot to be desired.

Outer Wilds is a furiously imaginative work that elevates storytelling and player discovery to a whole new level. Though less than inspired puzzles and some technical issues threaten to take the sheen off the experience, Outer Wilds nonetheless sits in a class all its own on PS4.

A fantastic action adventure that taps directly into the root DNA of the Yakuza franchise, Lost Judgment not only manages to simultaneously boast both the darkest and the goofiest storylines of any title in the series to date, but it also stuns the player with an absolute avalanche of hugely entertaining side quests and activities. More than that though, Lost Judgment also provides solace for those who found themselves turned off by the turn-based combat system that the mainline Yakuza series now seems to favour, while welcoming newcomers to one of the best new Japanese franchises of the last two decades.

A more focused, hard-boiled narrative and comic-book artistry make 'Smoke and Mirrors' a more compelling game than 'Faith,' even if it's not necessarily more fun or interesting to play.

A Crooked Mile pushes Wolf's story forward in a way that isn't just about what's potentially coming next. This is exciting, unsettling interactivity that makes only a few missteps before episode's end.