Though technically flawed and lacking in additional modes, Aragami still gives a great account of itself as a stealth adventure that infuses inspiration into its creative DNA from genre efforts old and new alike. This is one stealth adventure that deserves more than to be consigned to the shadows.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind leans heavily into the arcade era of video games with its look, sound and gameplay. It's a tonne of fun especially in co-op, but its short runtime will leave you wanting for more. If you're a fan of the MMPR series then this will definitely put a smile on your face.

A solid puzzle-platformer with a retro-look that will either frustrate or delight with its devilishly-designed challenges.

MAG is one of the most ambitious games we've played in a long time. While at its core it's nothing more than a basic FPS, what sets this game apart is the volume of players who can compete together.

A decent first step into the TRPG pond. While it lacks the serious tone and depth required for a diehard RPG lover, fans of the series and those looking for a laid-back comedy story will have lots of fun.

Though your fondness for the subject matter may vary, the Gex Trilogy is an easy recommendation for those pining to hear an outdated quip or two from a forgotten mainstay of the mascot era on modern consoles.

A nice mix of events with different control schemes makes London 2012 a solid accompaniment to this year's Olympic Games.

We've had a blast playing MK vs. DC Universe, despite its uninspired storyline.

Some persistent technical issues that prove frustrating, an uneven campaign, and a formulaic open world can bog down an otherwise wonderful exploration of culture. Nonetheless, Tchia's unique gameplay elements, euphonious music, and often vibrant world make it worth checking out.

Synergia is the product of a small team wanting to create something important. The story between Cila and Mara is heartfelt and worthwhile, leaving you wanting more in the best way. Despite the few HUD issues and occasional glanced-over narrative point, Synergia has the heart and soul worthy of a great visual novel.

A strong start for A Crowd of Monsters’ Noir adventure. Stylish, dripping in atmosphere, and compelling enough to keep you on the hook for the next episode. It has its faults, not all of which may turn out to be a problem when the series is finished, but for now they are outshone by the things this first episode does right.

Exception is a fast, fluid skill based platformer that is a lot of fun. The quick levels never get repetitive and have a lot of variety to them, while the stellar audiovisual presentation never fails to impress. Unfortunately, the flow is broken up by needless bosses but thankfully they are few and far between.

Ground Zero plays its cards very early on, showing you exactly what it wants to do from the get-go. It channels its inspiration from old-school survival horror games that made the PS1 so special, even leaning into pre-rendered backgrounds and offering tank controls. Visuals get blurry in certain areas, and frame rate takes a hit in weird places. Then there's the old-school need to actually conserve your ammunition for boss fights, which can put you in a position where you can't defeat the boss without enough weaponry. Overall, Ground Zero makes for a good time and has a good gameplay loop as long as you know what to expect from it.

A stirring and often disturbing continuation of Telltale's final season of The Walking Dead, Suffer the Children is an effective episode that not only stands on its own merits but sets up a grand series finale too.

If there is one word I could use to sum up Wild Card Football it would be Potential. It's a lot of fun and with some refinements it could be a very compelling annual must have for fans of the sport.

2K comes out swinging with TopSpin 2K25, with this being the return to the popular tennis franchise. Presentation and gameplay meet the 2K Sports' standards that fans of the games come to expect, and TopSpin fans can feel comforted in the fact that the game still feels like it should. Controls ask you for more precision and discipline than the previous entries did, but this makes for a more satisfying experience once you nail down the control scheme. Some visual oddities, a rare gameplay simulation, and the lack of depth in setting customization ask you to forgive a few things along the way. Nonetheless, the experience far outshines any competition and leaves the door wide open for future success with a formidable foundation the franchise can firmly stand on.

Easily the best DLC entry for Fallout 4 to date, Far Harbor introduces some exciting new enemies and a tighter, more enjoyable main storyline. It also brings an air of over-familiarity and fresh performance issues that blight an otherwise exceptional expansion.

An improvement over last year's WWE 2K15, 2K16 still isn't perfect but it introduces a brilliant roster, an immersive Showcase mode, and plenty of match types to get hot and sweaty with.

Despite its small steps toward evolution and innovation, Final Vendetta feels like a wistfully romantic and well executed, if ultimately conservative take on those side-scrolling brawlers that held our attentions (and quarters) so rigidly in years gone by. Nonetheless, despite the fact that Final Vendetta doesn't push the genre forward with any sort of strident vigour, it's certainly true that it's still a lot of fun all the same and that enjoyment is only amplified when played with another friend locally.

Much like Manual Samuel and other titles of that ilk, Heavenly Bodies certainly feels tailor-made for the streaming scene. With its penchant for generating knee-slapping laughs and red-faced moments of white hot anger that are both best enjoyed with friends and in front of a captive audience (not to mention the speedrunning mode that would arguably garner a fair audience), 2pt Interactive have certainly crafted a commendably enjoyable co-operative yarn that should last well into the holidays and beyond.

Even though it was initially difficult and with very basic combat, Infernax wooed me with its comical gore, beautiful music and simple art style. Infernax will not be everyone's cup of tea but if you have a bit of time and want to play something a little different, I can recommend it. Just beware, you initially may need to navigate a bit of a skill wall of sorts to progress.

Toki Tori 2+ doesn’t always make it easy to know exactly what you should be doing, but once the game’s initially frustrating first hour subsides, a sprawling, charming and resolutely challenging puzzle platformer lies beyond.

Excels in areas like combat and crafting but not in narrative or characterization. It has enough gameplay options to bring any JRPG fan to the table, but not everyone will leave content.

Rune Factory 4 Special offers up a different take on the beloved farm/life sim genre, focusing more on RPG elements. This makes Rune Factory 4 a good entry point for newcomers to the genre due to its ease of entry. At the same time, Rune Factory 4 simplifies a great deal of what makes this genre special. The catch-22 is accessibility versus gameplay depth here. While still a good game in its own right, it limits its own potential by diversifying so vastly.

The Elder Scrolls Online gets its biggest shot in the arm yet with the extensive Morrowind chapter. It doesn't properly fix the fundamental flaws of the base game, but it does add an interesting, fresh depth for veteran players whilst keeping it somewhat accessible for newcomers.

Riddled Corpses EX has a strong foundation with a steep but engaging difficulty. The game is grindy, though, and has a few things keeping it from feeling polished and complete. Either way, Riddled Corpses EX has everything an addictive twin-stick shooter should have, and it does those things well.

Just Dance 2021 contains one of the best tracklists the franchise has ever had and makes meaningful improvements to the World Dance Floor and communicating players' performance to them while they dance. However, some childish maps and poor choreographies bring this tracklist down slightly. The core gameplay here is still good and I hope next year Ubisoft is able to fix some of the key issues this game clearly had being developed under COVID-19 restrictions.

While a heavily niche game, Scorn executes on a type of horror that most can only superficially attempt. Pacing is an issue with several puzzles, and the gameplay on its own isn't gripping. Nonetheless, the world itself makes up for all of that, telling vague stories that both compel and repel you. Scorn is an absolute must for horror fans.