As an indie effort and a debut game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits makes a good impression. It balances simplicity and challenge while weaving a neatly-paced story into something that can be played over a chill couple of days. Despite fantastic production values it's still far from a AAA title – so it's important to keep expectations in check, but anyone looking to lose themselves in a charming, gorgeous world ripe for exploration should look no further. It's exactly what I needed right now – perfect cozy weekend entertainment.

NBA 2K22 is a sound step forward for the series. While it doesn’t always hit the mark thanks to the grindy MyCAREER mode and microtransaction-heavy MyTEAM, the gameplay and presentation is still second to none.

Lost Judgment rectifies a lot of the shortcomings of its predecessor while repeating a few of them. A compelling murder mystery coupled with intoxicating side content and sumptuous visuals make this another solid Ryu ga Gotoku title even if franchise fatigue threatens to take off some of that shine. It succeeds by expanding on what made Judgment great while offering the best real-time combat experience yet. Plus, you can skateboard and solve crimes with a Shiba Inu – I don't think I need to say much more than that.

On all levels, Toem feels like an homage of sorts to the early days of Nintendo. Through the game itself, it pays respects to Pokémon, while every facet of the presentation feels like a classic touchstone, from the hand-drawn aesthetic to the inaudible warble of the world’s creatures. It’s familiar, accessible and it sets a fun, quirky tone that’ll please anyone who gives it the time.

It’s not an easy thing Arkane has done here in serving up a genuinely fresh take on one of the medium’s most enduring genres. Deathloop redefines what a shooter can be, and the developer has used their entire toolkit to get there. Satisfying action, world-building that’s second-to-none, style and substance, and a genuinely enthralling riddle at the centre, Deathloop delivers it all. And it’s through these triumphs that Deathloop earns its place in the first-person shooter pantheon, and puts its hand up during Game of the Year talks.

The Artful Escape, aided by its ultra-accessible mechanics, is more of a visual journey. As an escape into Francis’ preoccupation, it does make sense for there to be no real challenge. He’s intentionally a Gary Stu in the story he’s weaving for himself and, because of the simplicity, The Artful Escape disarms the player with incomparable visuals, a terrific soundtrack, and a focus on themes like public image and the overlap of fantasy and reality. It’s not interactively demanding and variety is scarce, but at around four hours, it’s an afternoon well spent to vitalise the body and soul.

There’s no denying that Life Is Strange: True Colors does things a little differently from previous games while retaining that signature look and feel that we’ve come to expect from the series. Overall, it’s a solid effort from Deck Nine and a considerable step up from their last take on the series, Before The Storm.

I came away from Tales of Arise with a new appreciation for the Tales series. I loved my time with the endearing cast of characters and the exciting, fast-paced story alongside the energetic and action-packed battles. Tales of Arise is an excellent action RPG, and a fantastic entry point into the series.

F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow is a very competent, very good-looking foray into the Metroidvania genre with solid platforming and exciting, demanding arcade combat. Torch City is a wonderfully-grim place to get lost in and it's rendered gorgeously, despite some awkward signposting at times. Most of all, it nails the sense of exploration and steady progress that's a hallmark of the genre and it does all of that with a kick-arse rabbit in a mech suit for a protagonist. If this is the level of quality that studios backed by the China Hero Project are going to deliver then the program has more than made a case for itself.

While it might be a hard sell for those that have already experienced the intergalactic highs of the original, Sonic Colours: Ultimate is packed with value and tweaks that make it well worth your time if you haven’t jumped into it before. It sports a simple yet entertaining narrative, great gameplay and a visual facelift that unleashes the potential of its namesake. All of this combines to further cement Sonic Colours as one of the best entries in modern Sonic.

No More Heroes III is the best No More Heroes experience this far. A streamlined structure, some fantastic writing and direction from Goichi Suda and some of the tightest combat the series has ever seen makes No More Heroes III the best in the series. There’s some technical issues that we’ve come to see from the Switch, especially in the open world, but these are otherwise minor blemishes on a remarkable artistic achievement.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a disappointment. Even as an avid fan of the franchise, the fun to be had here is limited. Misguided design, hamstrung presentation and painfully repetitive gameplay suck the fun out of what is, on paper, a promising game. I'd love to have had a meaty, cooperative survival game to play with friends, an escalating challenge that gradually expected more of me as a player, with a story more than just serviceable in moving from one mission to the next. This time, I'm only screaming in frustration.

Psychonauts 2 brings together classic platforming, an engaging story and well realised combat in a package that feels reminiscent of the best platformers of decades past. Even better, it does this with a visual flair that’s unmatched by its contemporaries. It might be more of the same, but given how unique it is, that’s hardly a bad thing.

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, and in particular its core offering of the Iki Island expansion, does a great job at giving players more of what made the game's original release special. The brisk new adventure takes Jin Sakai on a journey of reflection and reconciliation that contains plenty of beautiful, memorable moments and some very cool new gear to play with. The updates made for its native PS5 release do feel a touch slim given that they come at an added cost, but they do go a long way to refining and enhancing the experience. A great game made better, then, and a fantastic excuse to spend dozens more hours in Photo Mode.

When Twelve Minutes hits, it hits hard. But I feel there’s, at times, such a disconnect between what it wants to do and say that it’s hard to reconcile its moving parts into anything I’d consider truly great. Performances waver as often as they wow, and that’s a result of a very ambitious game. Narratively speaking, it’s got the hallmarks of a Nolan film, and just like any good Nolan film, you’re going to boil the kettle and postulate into the midnight hours.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles brings together two volumes of one magnificent story that no Ace Attorney fan should miss. The characters are fantastically kooky, the plot is as compelling as ever, and the writing is the series at its funniest. While there are some minor pacing issues with some of the cases, it’s a fantastic package for fans both new and old.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a game that you have to play to understand just how incredible of an experience it is. It's an incomparable adventure that consistently surprises and delights. The game provides you with all the tools necessary to conquer the unthinkable task of flying the plane. Asobo has laid an incredible platform that will provide hours upon hours of joy for both casual gamers and flight experts alike, and it's only upwards from here.

This quaint story about a workaday crow discovering that death is a force of nature that without discrimination takes all, both good and bad, winds up being far more memorable and touching than I could have ever expected. With a world and characters full of Miyazaki-proportional charm, and combat and puzzles that offer up a real test, Death’s Door is a beautiful sophomore effort from Acid Nerve and is certainly something to crow about.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD makes great efforts to improve the original to make it the definitive way to play the series’ origin story. Whilst the game's initially poor pacing has improved, the game can still be slightly tedious and repetitive. Putting that aside, the dungeon design, item ingenuity, and some of the boss battles are series highlights that no Zelda fan should miss.

The PC version is absolutely the definitive way to play the game, while environments can be a bit flat in terms of detail and the draw distance leaves a lot to be desired, it’s gorgeously animated, has a beautiful art style, jaw-dropping models, and steady performance. Not once did I have a technical issue aside from one that I assume was related to Steam, it was a joy to play from start to finish and is the version this review is based on.

Fun at face-value with significant underlying depth, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game bursts off the blocks at lightning speed and doesn’t break stride, pushing for gold and delivering a fun experience along the way. With clean and crisp visuals and gameplay that’s easy to learn and more intense to master, the only jarring thing about it is seeing crowds of people huddled together in the audience – but that could be the 2020 shellshock speaking.

Metro Exodus shows some heart, and it's clear the developers have poured a lot into this third chapter of Artyom's story. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that keep the game from hitting the standard set by its predecessors. Pacing is hamstrung by the ambitious misfire of an 'open-world', while performance issues and glitches mar much of Exodus.

Despite some glaring flaws in its pacing and length, I’ve come away from Scarlet Nexus enjoying what it had to offer. It delivers on the promise a brain-punk inspired world with an enjoyable narrative and a stylish albeit simple combat system. The result is a title that’s greater than the sum of its parts and is worth experiencing if you can look past its problems.

LEGO Builder's Journey is a spectacular, absolutely gorgeous puzzle-platformer, with a surprisingly touching story the explores parenthood and creativity in a delightfully minimalist way. Stunning aesthetics enhanced by ray-tracing and DLSS combine with a soundtrack that amounts to one of the most beautiful games in recent memory. A little more commitment to the possibilities afforded by interlocking bricks would have completed the picture, but regardless is remains a game not to be missed by fans of LEGO, puzzles and a good, wholesome narrative.

Some minor missed opportunities aside this Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart is an unforgettable, unbelievably gorgeous and downright addictive game and easily the best entry in the fan-favourite franchise. For all of its jaw-dropping visuals, industry-leading design and writing packed with heart and humour it succeeds on first and foremost being a really good time. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the most fun I've had with a DualSense in my hand and it stands as the best current reason to own a PS5.

Biomutant is a vibrant and beautiful looking game that unsuccessfully attempts to leverage so many different aspects of open-world games from the last decade. It buckles under the weight of its own ambition and is sorely lacking the focus needed to offer a stand-out open-world experience and carve out its own identity.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne: HD Remaster is an oddly self-aware remaster that does its best to make itself approachable for everyone by remedying most of its flaws. The new difficulty, new skill inheritance options and fully voiced dialogue all help to make the game feel modern and approachable for new audiences. It’s just a shame that, for a HD remaster, it’s not as visually impressive as it could be.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition stands tall as one of the best remasters that I've ever played. The amount of care and effort that has gone into restoring the original Mass Effect along with the other two games is unmatched. While there are some underlying minor design issues with the original game, Legendary Edition is the best way to experience the Mass Effect trilogy. Period.