Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the definitive collection of what is one of the finest gaming trilogies ever released. With an extensive list of tweaks and improvements under the hood, this is how the Mass Effect trilogy should be played.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a beautiful adventure where it’s your job to splash life back into this colourless world with the help of your magical paintbrush. You may not be the next Van Gogh or Picasso, but you will have a great time exploring what this land has to offer. With an endearing protagonist and a fantastic cast of characters, this experience will make you profoundly rethink art and mental wellness.

Housemarque has managed to do the impossible by crafting a solid story that fits within the tight confines of a roguelite. Mixing the studio’s signature fast-paced arcade action with an atmospheric environment, Returnal gets its claws into you early on and refuses to let go, instantly putting it up among the first true next-gen experiences of this generation.

Chivalrous by name, but certainly not by nature. This team-based medieval multiplayer offers a bloodbath of gore and carnage across several fun modes with tactical combat that’s brutal, fun and satisfying.

Streets of Rage 4’s first proper DLC is a certifiable banger. The Survival mode alone is worth the asking price with its robust perk system that makes every survival attempt feel fresh, fun, and frantic.

Resident Evil Village is as good a place to start as any if you're a newcomer to the series. The game takes pains to open itself up to new players with its action-orientated gameplay, supernatural story, and a cast of great villains to sell the package. I'm sold and Resident Evil now has a new fan.

Spiritfarer offers calm and serene gameplay while dealing with some heavy subject matter that will surely poke at your emotions. The mini-games are a fun distraction and being able to dish out hugs whenever you feel they are needed helps make this journey a very personal one. Don’t forget your tissues…

Like a crossword puzzle completed on a Sunday afternoon, Omno challenges you in a relaxed and soothing way, and when you manage to overcome its obstacles, it leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. If you’re looking for a simple but satisfying puzzle experience, look no further – Omno is here.

Pinball in VR is a great alternative to the real thing, and in many ways, it can be even better. When you’ve got 3 balls going at once, and an X-wing flying around you or baby Yoda is cooing and drooling in the corner, you realize this isn’t the arcade in your old hometown. It’s pretty great unless you don’t like Star Wars. Then it’s just weird. But for the rest of us, Star Wars Pinball VR has some excellent fan service, some interesting Star Wars-based minigames, and some insane pinball action to go with it.

SkyDrift Infinity is the arcade sky-racing game that I didn’t know I wanted. With a decent campaign, over a dozen planes to fly, and online/offline multiplayer, it’s hard not to be impressed with this budget release.

Don’t judge a book by its cover, especially when you’re part of a literature club. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! brings the cult classic back with improved visuals and six enduring side stories that explore the characters’ backdrops. What first may appear as a lighthearted dating simulator will quickly spiral into a psychological horror experience that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who plays it.

I Expect You To Die 2 delivers on its promise of a captivating, funny, and witty escape room puzzler. It’s challenging enough without being frustrating and it rewards experimentation. The only downsides are that it’s over too soon and the replayability just isn’t there.

Wreckfest on PS5 is a clear improvement over its last-gen origins. The core game stays intact and offers some ridiculously fun gameplay throughout its extensive single-player campaign. The DualSense is under-used and the graphics could have been clearer in some areas, but it’s still a great game and it’s the perfect introduction to Wreckfest if you missed it on last-gen consoles.

Olija delivers a simple and easy hack and slash platforming experience. There is a severe lack of context at relevant times which serves only to take away from the immersion. All in all, Olija works well as a filler title between bigger games and when in need of “video-game junk food” and is easy to jump in and play.

What The Dub?! is the best party game I’ve ever played – simple as that. Its core concept is super simple and the execution is easy. The hard part? Being funny enough to make it worth playing, but that’s on you.

Mail Mole provides a fun 3D platforming experience. The game is easy to pick up and play, but plenty of time can be spent with in-game endeavours such as time trials and gaining new outfits.

ScourgeBringer is exactly what you would expect from a game that sells itself as a “fast-paced, free-moving roguelite”. It does exactly what it says on the tin while providing an arcade-style experience that surprised me in how satisfying it felt. If you like roguelites then ScourgeBringer will definitely scratch that itch – but be warned, you will die a lot. Obviously.

Capcom Stadium Arcade is yet another retro gaming collection with its share of classics and rarities. If you loved the early Capcom shooters and bullet-hell titles then this is a collection for you. The iconic Capcom fighting titles feel a little light with only four fighting games, including three versions of Street Fighter II. Otherwise, this collection feels almost complete and would make a nice addition to any retro gaming fan’s library.

Orcs Must Die! 3 is a must-play game if you have any passing interest in tower defence games. The content on offer is fantastic value and there’s nothing else quite like it on console.

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown is more of the same, and for fans of SEGA’s long-running fighting franchise, that should be enough. For those shy of online encounters, Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown doesn’t offer much by way of single-player content.

MotoGP 21 is a fine racer that’s realistic to a fault at times. It’s not beginner friendly and you’ll certainly need to be a part of the two-wheeled racing community to appreciate this niche, but it’s good fun all the same. A bit of practice and patience will do newcomers well, while veteran speedsters will feel at home with the familiar tracks, riders, and machines.

WRC 10 is another solid entry in the long-running series. This year’s a special one for WRC fans thanks to the 50th-anniversary content which is its own game mode. The racing is as good as ever and the Career mode has taken pains to bring fans into the backroom of the sport. A few performance issues aside, WRC 10 is a must-play for rally fans.

Green Hell ups the ante by combining survival, storytelling and ultra-realism to create a tense, tough, and terrific game. It’s brutal but fun, and even better if you can rope a buddy into playing Survival mode.

Sniper Elite VR is a great first-person VR shooter wrapped in the familiar camouflage of Rebellion’s famous franchise. The story is nothing to get excited about but the moment to moment gameplay, whether you’re going for thrills and kills or sneaky silenced shots, is more than worth the budget-friendly asking price.

Trigger Witch is a satisfying twin-stick shooter with plenty of charm, though it does tend to play it overly safe. The familiar gameplay is deceptively moreish and it’s hard to put down once you pick it up. The lack of challenge is offset by the undeniable charm of Collette’s magical world.

Golf Club Wasteland doesn’t reinvent the golf puzzle genre, at least not with its gameplay. It makes its mark by being surprisingly deep with its background story and moving tales of survival, loss, and regret. Deep stuff for a golf game, right?

Pumpkin Jack is a fantastic platformer that gets very little wrong. While it does have its flaws, mainly in the combat department, the rest of the game carries the weight superbly.

Mixing platforming and puzzle solving with a clever multi-dimension mechanic that allows you to instantly jump from one world to another, World Splitter is a decent puzzle game that I enjoyed spending time with.

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness And The Secret Hideout refines some of the series’ classic gameplay pillars without abandoning the core experience that fans love. Although a little more mature than past games, it’s a great adventure that manages to stay upbeat and challenging. It has earned a sequel, and I’m excited to play that one as well.

Yupitergrad for PSVR is another fine get for the platform. The gameplay is a fair challenge, mostly, and there’s lots of fun to be had finding new ways to swing down dangerous corridors of doom. The controls and tracking are remarkably good, too, meaning you won’t feel hindered by the PS Move wands.

The Falconeer is weird and wonderful with its surprisingly good sci-fi/high fantasy story and lore-ridden world. Despite its unusual and “out there” premise, it falls into the familiar and doesn’t do anything new with its gameplay. There’s a world worth seeing in The Falconeer and it really is an artistic piece by a passionate artist, but it feels like a piece of a larger picture.

With more cars than you can shake a bit of plastic track at and a driving model that’s surprisingly good for an arcade racer, Hot Wheels Unleashed is an excellent racer that punches well above its weight.

Whether you’re a grizzled Musou veteran with the calloused thumbs to prove it, or a blister-free newcomer to the genre, Samurai Warriors 5 is a fantastic game to play. With more content than you can wave a battle-bloodied katana at, it’s a great value game that’ll keep you in the war for a long time to come.

DARQ: Complete Edition is a fairly priced package that offers up around 6-7 hours of puzzles and thrills, though the thrills aren’t all that thrilling. The horror is definitely missing but the cleverly constructed puzzles and the dark world of Lloyd’s subconscious carry the weight well.

Mortal Shell Enhanced Edition might be a little light on next-gen upgrades, but the ones that matter are there and they are game-changing. 60FPS is the main attraction but a nice 4K is welcome, too. For returning fans, it’s a nice free update. For newcomers looking to get punished, it’s a cheap and, well, not cheerful game, but it is its own brand of fun – if you can call it that.

Mixing platforming and simple, effective spellcasting, Lost Words is the Harry Potter game you didn’t know you wanted – with an impactful story to boot. Younger gamers will be drawn to the platforming, but don’t be fooled by the family-friendly art style as beyond that lies a game with a powerfully emotional story that is likely to crack even the hardest among you.

The Colonists is a good strategy and management game that’s let down by being a bit too complicated for its own good, and for committing the sin of putting combat where it really isn’t needed. The cutesy robots and the colourful graphics belie a very deep experience that requires meticulous planning and the patience of a saint to appreciate.

Speed Limit drags the best of the past to the present and then spends a few hours killing you repeatedly. That might sound like hard work but it’s some of the best fun I’ve had this year. The only question now is: when’s Speed Limit 2 coming out?

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is the best way to play through Ryu's blood-soaked, over-the-top adventures. New trophies, lots of content, and a modest visual upgrade make this a must-have package for hardcore Ninja Gaiden fans.

Tohu is a unique and satisfying puzzle game, with an art style that is sure to draw lots of praise. Some great puzzles and a brilliant soundtrack all create a good game, but some clunky controls and a frustrating hint system prevent it from becoming a great one.

Traffic Jams manages to do a lot with a little, expanding its five levels with a huge list of challenges, multiple game modes, and heaps of fun gameplay. Who knew directing traffic could be so much fun?

If you’ve ever fantasised about blasting spiders to kingdom come, Kill It With Fire has your back, and for the most part, this FPS-come-spider-slaying-sim is a fun experience, even if it is a little on the short side.

El Hijo is a simple but fun stealth game set in the Old West. The fact that it managed this without letting me shoot a single six-shooter or ride a horse is a testament to Honig Studios. The controls could be tighter and it isn’t overly difficult made even easier by the numerous checkpoints, but there were a ton of fun puzzles to solve and it was damn beautiful to look at.

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a weird game with a confusing story, but one I completely enjoyed. Nova and her dust-sucking vacuum may not be the heroes we wanted but they are probably the heroes we deserve. If you like retro-looking games and are tired of the big devs who are too afraid to take chances, this may be the game you’re looking for.

Tribes of Midgard’s biggest problem is tied to its core gameplay loop – time. There’s just never enough of it. The game has a world full of goodies and gear to loot, but you’ll be lucky to see half of it, and even less if you’re a solo player. There are still good times to be had and the loop is fun and rewarding – just make sure you take a few mates with you.

Journey of the Broken Circle is a sweet, thought-provoking adventure that’s well worth the journey. Despite a few missteps with some contradictory controls and a short run time, Circle has grown on me and I’ll be rolling back into this one until the final trophy pops. It’s just a shame that there’s not much more to enjoy.

RiMS Racing is a solid foundation for RaceWard Studio to work on. The racing is by the numbers and its campaign mode is very familiar, but the depth of its simulation and customisation sets it apart. It’s rough around the edges but it’s a solid enough entry in the bike racing genre.

nDreams has managed to squeeze a little bit of magic out of the PS Move wands to put together a bombastic VR shooter that feels far bigger than the aged platform it has been built around.

Monster Truck Championship offers a fresh way to smash some big-wheeled trucks around – and it’s good fun. It’s also a big upgrade over the last-gen versions; 60FPS and up to 4K resolution really puts the last-gen edition to shame. There’s a lengthy career mode to work through with some nice options to tweak the game to your liking, as well as multiplayer if you want to test out your trucking skills online.

Disjunction is a great stealth game wrapped in a highly-polished pixel-art wrapper. It’s difficult at times – and occasionally unfair – but it gets the job done and it’s generally enjoyable.

If you enjoy simple, calming platformers, Minute of Islands should be right up your street as Mario it is not. What it does, it does well, but in trying to be deep and meaningful it all feels a little bit short and shallow. Gorgeous to look at and quick to play, this is maybe one for the art critics and those who like their games with something to say – even if I missed what exactly that was.

Skate City isn’t the next great skating game, unfortunately. It falls over itself far too often with its awkward controls. There’s also a serious lack of content with just three maps to play in. While the challenges are rewarding and feed into the progression, some are overly difficult to pull off or too vague to understand. There’s a good game within Skate City and I’m sure some will find it.

Cris Tales is a classic example of a game that serves as a homage to games of the past, while managing to forge a path all of its own. Solid and satisfying combat merge with a storyline that moves things along nicely and if you enjoy turn-based RPGs, Cris Tales is definitely one to play.

An entertaining party brawler that’s better with others and once you start mastering a character. It can be quite hectic, so it does require a bit of patience or at least a willingness to go to the dark side of button mashing.

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Ressurection is a fun and fitting installment in the classic franchise. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, instead choosing to give lovers of the series, and the genre, more of the same. It looks and sounds great, and the difficulty options, while controversial, are welcomed with open arms by this gamer. A few updates to the playstyle and story would have been nice, but I still had an absolute blast playing this game.

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. Kitaria Fables is a real-time action RPG where a heroic feline will take up arms along with their watering can in the fight against the forces of evil. Although the RPG side of the gameplay is thoroughly entertaining, the farming aspects, unfortunately, are lacking. If you’re looking for an RPG experience to tackle in two-player couch co-op, you can’t go wrong with Kitaria Fables.

Song of Horror has the potential to be a great game for fans of dark, gothic horrors. There’s a great story to be told and the ominous atmosphere, randomly generated scares, and some genius puzzles will keep you coming back time and again – providing you can overlook the janky controls, camera, and some technical issues.

Where The Heart Leads is a one-of-a-kind experience that will stick with me for a very long time. It’s not often that a game can reach beyond the screen and get me to look around and think about my place in the world and what I could do to be a better man in it.

Spacebase Startopia provides a decent challenge with its cosmic twist on the city-builder/resort management genre, and it hits more than it misses. The combat feels a bit misplaced and difficult to care about, but it’s not a big feature of the game and encounters are few and far between. The real fun is getting into the nitty-gritty of keeping your guests happy and keeping that sweet energy money flowing so that you can finally finish your doughnut-shaped galactic getaway.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 pushes the series forward without making any great changes to its core. The writing is rubbish but the sniping is brilliant, and everything else in between is good enough to warrant this shooter a second glance.

Space Invaders Forever is a three-game deal that only really has one worthwhile entry, and that’s a port of a smartphone game. There are only so many ways you can rehash the ancient space shooter, and even pairing it up with another dead franchise hasn’t given the series any kind of rejuvenation.

Alex Kidd is a tough platformer that lacks a lot of the user-friendly features we have all grown accustomed to. Back in my day, games used to be tough – or so Alex Kidd would have you believe anyway. For such a difficult game that is pretty linear, it is surprising that so many of us hold Alex in such high regard, and it is largely why I would only recommend this one to fans of the original.

Creed Champions isn’t the next big boxing game (what is?) but it’s a decent enough arcade brawler. It’s light on content, repetitive, and the montage mini-games are pointless, but the actual fighting is fun enough and if you can get a player two to join you, it can be good fun.

Rust: Console Edition will see its player base split into two. You’ll either spend your time dying repeatedly, or you’ll get good enough to become the villain of the server.

Papa’s Quiz is a standard quiz game with a few modest twists and a couple of weird hosts to set it apart from the rest.

The game explores interesting concepts but never really felt like it achieved its true potential. Instead, you are left with awkward gameplay and an unsatisfying narrative.

Winds & Leaves is a really laid back VR experience that is home to some striking imagery. Unfortunately, it’s a little too simple for its own good and how much you get out of your hike across the dustland fairytale will depend on how well you can connect with the game.

Monster Energy Supercross 4 clearly wasn’t made for me. I’ve never had a Monster Energy drink and I haven’t played a motocross game in over 15 years, but the game is a blast. The tutorial sucks and leaves out (or brushes over) absolutely crucial information, but the bike physics and racing action make a difficult to master game so exciting to play. I can’t speak to how much better this version is over last years, but I can say the current version is a ton of fun for newcomers if they don’t mind putting in the work.

Button City is a child-friendly adventure that pushes the right buttons with its combo of a sweet narrative and fun gameplay.

Biomutant is ambitious to a fault and it won’t be forgotten about anytime soon. Its flaws are bared for all to see, but so is its charm, heart, and fun. Most of its flaws can be overlooked by literally overlooking them – you don’t have to do everything the game throws at you to enjoy Biomutant’s one-of-a-kind world of wonders.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends has moments of brilliance but they are few and far between, and totally dependant on who you’re playing with. The game also suffers in the content department. Unless unlocking digital trinkets and garments is your idea of a good time, there’s not much else aside from the one game mode and four playable characters, meaning you’ll have seen most of what Hood has within a few hours of play.

Override 2: Super Mech League skirts the lines between good and bad without ever settling on either side. The online play is a nice touch to make the Leagues actually feel like there’s something at stake if you can actually find anybody to play with.

King of Seas takes grinding too far in this simple but enjoyable sea-faring RPG. If you don’t mind spending hours chipping away at mundane tasks to make progress, more power to you. The naval gameplay is good but not enough to warrant the dozens of hours the game demands, and the story is, sadly, locked behind these painful barriers.

This is a game that can absorb your time if you let it but it’s easy to jump in and play as well, I believe Gods Will Fall has delivered on its promise and then some, and in doing so has claimed its own individual spot in the market, a game truly like no other. I will definitely enjoy the Platinum hunt for this one.

Destruction AllStars has the basics in place but nowhere near enough depth to sustain it long term. It’s good for an hour or two, but once the initial “wow, a free PS5 game!” wears off, you’re left with a shallow, tarted-up imitation of better games that came before.

If you’re a fan of the TV series, there’s little reason to play truant from this one as Little Witch Academia: VR Broom Racing will keep you entertained with its fast-paced races, gorgeous cutscenes, and a delightful cast of characters.

Bus Simulator 21 expands on its predecessor with a new map, new functions, and new ways to play. But at its core, it’s the same OK experience that we’ve been playing since the middle of the decade and it feels even more dated than ever.

Curved Space is a poor game that frustrates and confounds more than it entertains. The irony is that in a game about killing bugs, bugs kill much of the game’s appeal. Poor design choices and weak gameplay kill the rest.

The biggest crime in Rustler is that the game is very funny but not very fun. The writing is a highlight but with tacked-on RPG elements, poor combat, and a world that’s just a little bit boring, Rustler is hard to recommend.

A running and gunning snail is an unusual premise for an action-puzzle game, but it’s not as silly as it sounds. There are some moments of brilliance that raise it above your standard indie twin-stick shooter and it’s easy to get lost in the miniature world. The difficulty can be punishing, though, and without much by way of guidance, frustration sets in as the adventure often crawls to… a snail’s pace.

Star Wars: Republic Commando is still worth a play in 2021, no matter where you choose to play. The gameplay holds up even if the presentation doesn’t, but it’s the price you pay to play a true first-person shooter in the Star Wars universe with nary a lootbox in sight.

King’s Bounty 2 is a challenging turn-based game with a fantasy world that aches to be explored. It has the potential to be an amazing game but the disjointed story, wasted RPG mechanics, and frustratingly difficult battles hold it back.

Video games are the ultimate form of escapism, but in Postal there is something that just feels a little dirty. It further fuels the nonsensical view non-gamers have about violence in video games and how it creates violent perverted monsters. Of course, it doesn’t – but if more games released were like Postal, it would be easy to see where that stereotype comes from.

Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance spins a lot of plates, and while some of them quickly come crashing down, others keep right on spinning. The moment-to-moment gameplay is just about good enough to overcome the few shortcomings that hold Dark Alliance back from being a great game.

Old age isn’t a battle, it’s a massacre! Just Die Already embraces this to the extreme with a ridiculous odyssey of carnage, bloodshed, and mayhem – and that’s just in the retirement home. With an outrageous sandbox world to explore, ragdoll mechanics to exploit and a wide variety of novelty items to misuse, the bucket list is well on its way to being conquered.

Buildings Have Feelings Too! is a quirky game for sure and if you’re after a number-crunching puzzle game – and make no mistake, this is a puzzle game – it’s good fun for a while. It can get frustrating when the solution to a simple task forces you to move your entire town around, and at times the game doesn’t make it clear enough what you need to be doing.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood won’t be remembered for long and that’s fine – by the time I got to writing this summary, I couldn’t really remember it, either. It’s not terrible and I can see some great ideas just begging for a bigger budget. The stealth is poor but has potential, and the combat is simple, samey Prototype-esque fun that could have been more. The story and the presentation are the real let-downs here and you’d be better served throwing on some thrash-metal and muting the game while you play.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a challenging experience filled with plenty of memorable moments. If you’re a long-term fan of the Akiba franchise, you won’t be disappointed. Just be warned: it will get weird.

Windfolk has some nice ideas, and some of those ideas even play out quite nicely. Flying around the bright and blooming world is fun, but everything else is a bit of a bore. Combat is far too simple and the repetition kicks in early on. It’s a skinny offering, even with two different game modes. It all boils down to fly here and shoot your gun until everybody is dead. We’ve come further than that, I’m afraid, and players expect a little more.

It’s understandable that 34BigThings would want to trade on the name that made them, Redout, but I’m not sure this spin-off prequel is the right way about it. Fans of the original Redout game will no doubt be disappointed in the flip away from futuristic racer to mundane arcade shooter. There’s some simple fun to be had but don’t go jumping into this one expecting any depth unless you want broken ankles.

Gensou: Skydrift is an awful game. There are 101 far more capable kart racers out there offering better value for money and far more fun.

Jay and Silent Bob Mall Brawl is an awful game riding on the Jay and Silent Bob name. There are no redeeming qualities and it’s another dark mark on the otherwise fantastic View Askewniverse.

Taxi Chaos might be a shameless knock-off, but it at least has the distinction of being a fantastic shameless knock-off. Taxi Chaos does what SEGA don’t.

Outbreak Endless Nightmares is poor on every level with no redeeming features. The gameplay is dated, the systems are ridiculously convoluted, and the general presentation is poor to the point of insulting.

Despite ALVO’s flaws, it is a perfect complement to PSVR’s only other VR military shooter. It’s not very polished and the guns and music sound lacklustre, but if you’re looking for a run and gun shooter that feels more like Call of Duty and less like Rainbow Six: Siege, this is the game for you. Here’s hoping that Mardonpol continues to support the game with the promised additions and that the players continue to log in to keep the bots at a minimum.

Hellbreachers is overly simple and without any real challenge, even with its boss fights. This is not the adventure that you’re looking for.

If you’re not a fan of visual novels games, you probably won’t be converted by ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos. However, if you’re looking for the next engrossing visual novel to get your teeth into, this will provide a captivating sci-fi story with a surprising amount of replay value.

Pocoyo Party is not the good time it should have been. The mini-games are too few and too shallow, and the motion controls are an absolute misfire, especially considering the target audience for the game – young kids who can’t be trusted to hold their heads up straight, never mind a controller.