Episode One is light on challenge but makes up for it in a big way with story and presentation. This is a great opening chapter to the series regardless of your familiarity to the Borderlands world.

A bigger, more varied sequel that still doesn’t feel like it takes the leap it could have. The gravity-shifting gimmick is still a big draw, as is the delightful art style, protagonist Kat, and the clever world design, but the there’s a nagging feeling it could have been even better. It’s still a very good game though, and it certainly offers up something a little different in terms of a console exclusive.

NHL 19 continues to refine its beloved sports title to a sheen. Game play feels fluid and responsive with next to nothing getting in its own way. NHL 19 sets a standard that most sports titles could learn from: fundamentals before flair.

Cat Quest 3 will be too breezy and simple for some. I scoff at these folks and can simply enjoy a game that makes me feel so warm and wholesome inside. Cat Quest 3 is beautiful, well written and funny. It's trimmed to perfection with zero fat or waffle. Sometimes I just want to have fun and the world of Cat Quest is a place where I can make this happen.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is what SNK is best at. A pure fighter with great mechanics that are easy to understand and only the best will master. It's just a shame that so many of its modes and unlocks are shallow and don't add much to the overall experience.

What first appears to be a bullet hell shoot-’em-up that’s stuck too far in the past, becomes a game that embraces its retro influences intimately and successfully by being an enjoyably intense and challenging throwback. The only major downside to Score Rush Extended comes in the form of some very basic visuals that prevent this being an even bigger surprise.

While Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 doesn’t quite fix the original game’s difficulty spikes, and rarely steps outside its comfort zone, it does make enough improvements to its formula to make it a successful sequel. It may not be the fresh and inventive breakout puzzle hit its predecessor was, but it’s still undoubtedly a cracking blend of two fantastic puzzle games.

A superior sequel sees Gunfire Games push the Remnant series to new heights. Those heights cause some nosebleeds, but they’re worth it to experience one of the most interesting action RPG experiences I’ve had in recent years.

Need for Speed: Rivals delivers a satisfying foray into a new generation for the racing genre with impressive, integrated multiplayer and sleek graphics.

ZEN Pinball is one of the PlayStation Network's best releases this year.

Not a lot different to the first game, but co-op play and combo cards make zombie killing refreshingly entertaining.

DoTP has brilliant core gameplay and a near-perfect interface, but it's hampered by locked content, and not knowing what game it wants to be.

Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a sprawling epic of a game. With satisfying combat, incredibly well defined characters, and enough story to satisfy the most demanding visual novel fan, Trails of Cold Steel has earned its place in the JRPG Hall of Fame. It’s time to call it like it is: Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a classic.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a wonderfully innovative fusion of genres that managed to take me on a journey from frustration to being totally absorbed in the world that it offers. Across a lengthy campaign, everything comes together to create a story that feels well and truly realised. Some rough edges do little to diminish just how impressed I am in how quickly this game managed to turn me around. While it might take a while for it to truly soar, it soars high.

It's clear to see Grim Fandango was a great game in its day with superb characterisation and humour shining through. Getting through its logic-defying puzzles though is like staying in hell for a few days.

Madden 19 has the kind of defense that makes this game worth buying, and spectacular plays are more spectacular than ever. Uncomplimentary menus and peculiar gameplay simulations keep this year's Madden from being something profoundly special. Still, there's plenty here to feed the need for more football.

WWE 2K25 is a great game, despite some unfortunate missteps such as the new Island Mode. An awesome My Rise campaign that focuses on intergender wrestling, and a decent array of other refinements across the board do enough to ensure WWE 2K25 remains at the head of the table.

There is plenty to love about the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection. With great new additions like Casual Mode and a Checkpoint system, the Zero franchise can be enjoyed by both new and longtime fans of the franchise. It's just a shame that improvements seen in later games weren't retroactively put into earlier games to bring them all completely up to date.

The action is always exciting and absorbing while the sword-play is refreshing, innovative and dynamic. The cut-scenes are brilliantly produced and the boss battles tense and engaging.

Reanimal is a short thrill ride, packed with stylish albeit somewhat repetitive set pieces, and truly nightmarish imagery. Despite its obvious connective tissue to Tarsier's previous franchise, it does enough to never feel derivative, and instead comes off as more of an evolution.

Imperfections aside, Wasteland 2 is a compelling, bleak and darkly hilarious post-apocalyptic RPG that adds something a little different for the PS4's roster.

Though this is one bird that requires more meat on its bones, the meagre length of Untitled Goose Game isn't enough to greatly detract from the impish comedy and free-roaming sandbox shenanigans that define it as one of the most enjoyable games of the year.

Coming up with the best golf game took a while, but EA Tiburon's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 is undoubtedly the pinnacle of the series. With a new caddie system, a revamped career mode, and the superb Augusta course, 'The Masters' is masterful on many levels.

With everything you loved about the base game intact, and all presented in glorious 4K, both fans of the original and newcomers to the game can enjoy the adventure together with cross-play to both older systems. I hope that other companies take notice of allowing players across old and new releases of games to play together, and being able to upload your save from the original to the re-release, because it was just awesome to be able to enjoy it with friends and keep my character and all my badass equipment from the original game.

A serene and pretty aesthetic sits atop a brutal but satisfying arcade downhill bike game which wears its retro stylings and simplicity with pride. A fine game for all and not just for MAMILS!

A beautiful adventure that will stay with me forever. Arise: A Simple Story is one story told through amazing animations played through a beautiful world, accompanied by a soundtrack that makes this game a masterpiece in every piece of its design.

Musicians finally have a game to call their own. Rocksmith delivers the most realistic music experience with a great track list, tons of options to tweak your sound, and progressive difficulty to test all abilities.

Visual splendor and gameplay brilliance frame a memorable story with expressive characters. inFAMOUS: Second Son is a PS4 masterpiece.