In every way that a remake of a classic property can be, Pac-Man 256 soars.

As a story, Zero Time Dilemma matches up to the ambition of its predecessors, with some missteps. As a game, it’s significantly less polished, with ideas and changes that nearly always step backward.

One thing’s for sure: There isn’t anything quite like Party Hard. A delirious, if flawed, marriage of Hitman, Hotline Miami, and Home Alone, Party Hard’s idiosyncrasies will no doubt turn off those without the patience to persevere; but for those willing to put the time in, Party Hard is murderously good fun at its most unhinged.

Resident Evil 5 suffers from duff AI and a few other niggles, but is overall a fantastic, content-packed action game with brilliant co-op appeal.

With its enjoyable narrative and fun quests, The Technomancer is certainly worth playing, even with its bland visuals.

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.

A visually beguiling though relaxing explorative adventure, N.E.R.O fails to properly capitalise on its unique setting as its simple puzzles, brief duration, and lack of replayability ultimately damages its long-term appeal.

A[n] oily, toxic pool of bad ideas, half-baked mechanics, and shoddy design masquerading as a tough retro-inspired football game. Kick Off Revival is just plain awful.

Atelier Sophie has a target audience in mind here, and while it offers a compelling crafting with alchemy, the narrative lacks much intrigue to keep things moving.

If Umbrella Corps was a free-to-play title, it'd probably be a mildly inoffensive novelty, but it's not. It's a costly mess of confused messaging that adds almost nothing (bar a ‘shocking' revelation about an established character that's about as shocking as the Scottish Premier League table) to the Resident Evil universe. The game's lack of quality is almost dwarfed by how utterly pointless it is.

A scrappy but accomplished take on the whole Metroidvania shtick, Bard’s Gold marries tactical platforming action with great progression systems to create an effort that is highly worthwhile for fans of the genre.

If you've got a few mates together and the drinks are flowing, then this should only be considered as a last ditch attempt to inject some fun into your evening.

Mighty No.9 fails to recapture the spark of its Mega Man heritage in any meaningful way. There’s not much inherently wrong with how it plays, but it is haphazardly presented and not quite as enjoyable as it could be.

With its bold, inventive take on the party game, Perfect Universe succeeds in shaking up a tired multiplayer genre whilst adding plenty of single player challenge The issue it has is that some of the nine games on offer are too complex and/or dull to work as good mini-games, and that leaves a fairly small, but decent, collection to peruse for some multiplayer shenanigans.

Minecraft enthusiasts of a certain age-range will be excited by the prospect of seeing their YouTube heroes appearing in A Portal to Mystery, and for the most part, this is a fun murder mystery romp. However, the need to shoehorn in these extra characters takes away from the established cast, and the results of this venture are incredibly haphazard.

It may sound like i'm being too hard on Anima: Gates of Memories but the truth is I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. After getting used to the camera and the awkward lock-on system I found a lot to enjoy, and the Arcane Tower hides many secrets and additional side quests to expand your playtime.

Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- is easily the king of fighting games released up to this point, at least in this generation. It's not only accessible for new players but keeps the hardcore players satisfied as well.

Initial intrigue brought upon by Soul Axiom’s cool concept and sharp art design quickly tumble downhill when you discover that everything else is a rough, unsatisfying husk that disappoints in a way that brings out your frustration more than your anger. This is one poor soul.

If you are fan of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Blood and Wine is a can’t-miss.

So much of Oxenfree is an utterly heavenly experience. The conversation options knocks other games out of the water, and the characters are relatable and well-realised. The story is well-paced for much of the fairly brief play time, but sadly things unravel by the time the finale arrives, making a potential stone cold classic into something that’s merely great.

All the same, the fact remains that sleuthing about Victorian London has never been as entertaining as this.

Mirror’s Edge feels far more refreshing now than it ever did eight years ago because in those eight years, first-person shooters have become ridiculously widespread, and the only other first-person options are more sedately-paced, heavily story-driven, and control-light. Catalyst sits in the middle of it all,imperfect, yet special in its own way.

Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is a must-play for fans of the original or platformers in general. Expertly written and well executed, the title played like some sort of grand theater, possessing a narrative that was both familiar but also new, filled with dynamic characters who interacted seamlessly not only with each other but also with the world itself. Don’t let a few minor issues put you off, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is a top-tier action RPG effort that is more than worthy of your time.

Hitman’s third episode builds on your pre-existing knowledge and ramps up the pressure in a very hostile environment. The trip to Marrakesh never quite reaches the giddy heights of the previous episode, but it still stands as another exceptionally-designed level to add to the growing greatness of 2016’s Hitman 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 nothing remarkable, Shadow Blade: Reload does at least do a solid twitch platforming job. When it’s hitting its lightning stride, it’s actually quite fun, but too often it trots along being bland and unimpressive instead.

There isn’t exactly a shortage of twin-stick shooters on the market that much is for sure. Neon Chrome however, while not doing anything especially innovative, nonetheless does a great job of pulling together roguelike elements, deep progression systems and satisfying twin-stick shooter beats into a single, compelling whole.

Valkyria Chronicles is a must-have for any tactical RPG fan,and even if you’re not a fan of the genre, the story is worth the purchase alone. Valkyria Chronicles is still one of the best tactical RPGs this century.