Even with the frustrating - and completely optional - touch controls and lack of an online multiplayer mode, Lumines Electronic Symphony is the best in the series.

Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark sneaks past the usual tactical espionage action tropes, serving up a fast-paced adventure that's enjoyable in short bursts. While the release could have used a little more visual impact, the leaderboard loop is moreish, and there's plenty to do. Keep your viewfinder focused on this one, and don't let it slip you by.

Do not underestimate Salt and Sanctuary: it'll chew you up and spit you back out, drawing from From Software's modern action RPG blueprints and translating the hard-as-nails gameplay to two dimensions. It demands your attention, never holds your hand, and rewards your patience and skill. Some players will find the lack of information too obtuse and difficulty too harsh, and a few cheap enemies and well-hidden traps will certainly frustrate. For those willing to go the distance, however, this is an intricate and fulfilling game just waiting to be conquered. As far as Souls wannabes go, this is one that's certainly worth its salt.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is an exceptional port of an already entertaining escapade, but outside of the extravagant visuals, there’s not a whole lot to sweeten the purchase a second time.

You’ll steadily gain access to new characters throughout your adventure. Not only are they wonderfully entertaining during the story, but they also have unique abilities in battle that can really mix up how you fight. It keeps the game feeling fresh and interesting throughout the 30 or so hours that it takes to reach its conclusion.

Freedom Planet 2 is another excellent 2D platformer from developer GalaxyTrail. The adventure boasts some fantastic levels to explore, a wonderful soundtrack, and an assortment of playable characters with unique abilities. There are some issues with enemy hitboxes and some aspects of its level design, but Freedom Planet 2 is still an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

The Long Dark is a strong survival title, possibly even the strongest of the entire genre. A beautiful but dangerous Canadian wilderness provides the backdrop to a challenging but largely satisfying fight for survival. While micromanaging every facet of your well-being while trying to survive might sound tedious in description, it actually ends up being fun, satisfying, and even tense. With three more episodes to come for this title's story mode, there's already tons of content to chow down on. Just watch out for the wolves.

All in all, Night Springs is a short excuse to revel in the oddities of Alan Wake 2 and Remedy. Whether it’s comedic, horror-tinged, or genre-hopping, the developer is just having loads of fun with this DLC. We’d love it to be a little longer, or perhaps even include another episode or two, but what’s here is a reminder that Remedy is one of the most original and unique developers in the game right now.

The latest in a long line of zero-grav racers, Redout: Lightspeed Edition is one of the best examples of the genre. It takes the best elements from those that came before it, and throws in some of the coolest things we’ve seen out of a racer in some time. The stitched together Boss Races are a particular standout, offering a phenomenal look into many of the tracks from the title all at once. Throw in beautiful level design with an exceptional colour palette, as well as great music and the best feeling of speed in the genre, and Redout comes away with 1st place among zero-grav racers for now.

The campaign may have some low points, but attacking bases and liberating towns is some of the best fun that you'll find on the PS4 this year.

With an incredible variety of things to see and do, WWE 2K14 provides dozens of hours of content that both wrestling veterans and newcomers alike will enjoy. It’s unfortunate that some of the series' previous niggles remain, but we’d like to think that these issues will be eradicated by the time that we get to grapple next year’s inevitable PlayStation 4 release.

The beauty of Islanders is how simple it all is. Unlike most building-based strategy titles, you're not scrolling through endless menus looking for the right bits and pieces. Instead, the game presents you with two different building sets every 'turn'. You pick the one that you want, and then you place each piece on your island(s), with thoughtful placement earning you more points. For example, throwing all of your lumber mills together will net you negative points, while properly spacing them out, and putting them alongside trees, bags you bonuses. It's really easy to find your rhythm, and watching your score steadily increase is satisfying. Meanwhile, if you're just here to relax and create detailed island dioramas, Sandbox Mode is the way to go. Here, you can build to your heart's content without having to worry about score modifiers, switching islands at will. And it helps that Islanders is very aesthetically pleasing; there's real satisfaction to be found in the simplistic art style as you decorate each landscape.

Few games have the confidence and swagger of Deathloop. Packed full of charisma and wit, it's a game that can be played your way, with your own style and cunning. A very accomplished package of gameplay features supplies the goods, and the time loop delivers fun and deceitful opportunities over and over again. Deathloop may be the final game out of Arkane Studios to hit Sony consoles, but the developer goes out with an undisputed bang.

While 1001 Spikes’ extreme difficulty may pose a barrier to some, masochists will enjoy every minute of this punishing platformer. Tight controls and massive replay value make this a brilliantly brutal experience – and one of the PS4’s better side-scrollers to date.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids is one of the series' best expansions. In its beautiful but sombre open world depiction of Ireland, it provides an intriguing story that combines history and folklore to great effect. A range of new weapons and armour sets help sweeten the deal, while more engaging combat scenarios keep you on your toes. If you're already a fan of Valhalla, this Emerald Isle adventure is very hard to fault.

While not flawless, this title offers an incredible sci-fi story about paranoia and the self, while sprinkling Arkane’s always excellent gameplay on top. While things like the psychic powers fail to justify being in the game mechanically, the creative weapons and multiple gameplay approaches help to make the exploration of Talos-I really shine. Between the rewards for searching through the environments, and the fact that the game is a visual treat, a venture through this deteriorating Cold War-era space station is definitely worth your time.

A delightful history lesson in the technical pixel-artistry of CPS brawler design, starting in 1989 with Final Fight as a genuine classic, and then continuing through the 1990s with fondly remembered street fisticuff games and hack-and-slash fantasy titles. Over twenty years later, Capcom's style and craftsmanship showcased in the coin-ops previously unavailable on console -- Armored Warriors and Battle Circuit -- justifies a purchase of the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle in its own right.

Monster Sanctuary is a delight. Exploring the interconnected world with your team and discovering cool new monsters is always fun, but it's the process of developing your favourite companions that makes the game so hard to put down.

Strike Vector EX delivers fun and frantic airborne mech combat action, and while it is only a short lived diversion in single player, it really shines in multiplayer. This one's packing a ton of customisation and an addictive core battle sensibility that will keep you engaged, and it represents a great alternative shooter to the likes of Call of Duty or Battlefield.

Who or what the titular Déraciné may be is unclear, but don’t let that dissuade you from walking through this wonderful title. A charming cast of characters pair with an incredible environment to explore, while the stirring soundtrack helps to elevate an already good title. Throw in the great narrative, in and of itself a rarity in VR at this point, and you have one of the best titles available thus far for Sony’s headset.

It Takes Two is an excellent co-op adventure. While it stumbles on certain narrative aspects and not all the performances are winners, it more than makes up for that with its brilliantly fun and ever-changing gameplay. Forcing two players to work in tandem in countless ways, the game embraces co-op play wholeheartedly, and the variety of gameplay and environments makes it a joy to play from start to finish.

Hunt: Showdown is a terrifying experience that is unlike anything else you’ll find on PlayStation 4. Horror fans will find a lot to love, as will fans of unique shooters, and the game has already established quite an audience on other platforms. More content will inevitably trickle out in the coming months, but for now this is the kind of scare-fest that’s easy to recommend – an addictive, nerve-shredding title, but one that feels like a wonderful (and somehow horrible) first step in a long road.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is just good old fashioned fun. Its simplistic gameplay lets it down a little, but with vibrant environments brought to life with stunning detail, excellent writing and performances across the board, and a fun globe-trotting Indy adventure that nails the tone and feel of the film series, we had a blast from start to finish. If you’ve been holding off from playing The Great Circle, then now is the time. The PS5 takes an already brilliant adventure and makes it even better.

Ys: Memories of Celceta doesn’t bring anything new to the action RPG table, but makes such strong use of its combat that it’s still hard to put down. It may not have the most engrossing narrative or original ideas, but it still manages to keep you hooked throughout the course of its campaign.

At its best, Expeditions offers more of the absorbing, slow, and high-risk driving that made MudRunner and SnowRunner such cult successes. It's a clever formula that now has slightly more user-friendly packaging, making it easier than ever to get into. There are still wrinkles, in particular with visual performance, and there's no doubt that this remains a niche that not all petrolheads will love, but if you're on the lookout for something a bit more zen, it's another great entry in the series.

DiRT purists will feel put off by Showdown's unruly sense of style, but Codemasters is clearly coveting a different audience with its latest jaunt on the race track. Slick multiplayer and an outstanding roster of activities make for an enjoyable ride, even if it is a predominantly exhausting one.

Despite some low-res textures, a pleasant art style tops things off nicely, and a decent range of comfort options is there if required. The Last Clockwinder isn't a big, showy experience, instead using VR to really root you to the puzzles. Enjoyable throughout and no longer than it needs to be, this is quietly one of the better games among PSVR2's launch lineup.

A short second half and some technical issues let it down, but Darksiders II is still a fantastic, ambitious action-adventure that does plenty right. The combat is satisfying, the upgrade systems are full of possibility, and at its high points it not only hits the right notes but slices them clean through. If you're after a large scale fantasy adventure that makes you think as well as fight, Darksiders II is where it's at this year.