These grumbles aside, Tunic is a resolute and intelligently made adventure in its own right. Modern reimaginings of the "classics" often reproduce mechanics of old games in cleaner ways but without understanding the game's design from a holistic level. Nostalgic platformers give you coyote time, but then fill their world with needless dialogue. Retro shooters throw hordes of enemies at you, but fail to construct smart spaces in which to fight them. If this plucky fox 'em up flatters-by-imitation too much, it is only because it has examined its reference in its entirety. Like an overhanging camera view, Tunic sees Zelda from the top to the bottom. It is a tribute well-paid.

Atmospheric and impossible to rush, Shadow Tactics is a fabulous game – a game I think I prefer to both Commandos 2 and Desperados. I can see myself replaying it regularly.

It’s going to take a heck of a lot for anything to beat this game to be my favourite of 2019. What a splendid treat.

Ultimately, the stars haven't aligned with this RPG, and I don't have the time or patience any more to put up with its tedious nonsense. It's a shame, really, as its turn-based battles can be very enjoyable every now and again, and its cast of cute weirdos are often quite endearing when they're not bleating on too long. Younger folks in their mid-20s may well argue that its characters are enough to carry them through the rest of the boring bits, but a halfway decent story does not a good game make for me. I need more sustenance in my old age, and for its time-loop to be more than just gristly, unsatisfying filler.

There's nothing I love more in life than a piece of art that triggers a desire for discussion, and in the face of my own assumptions, Silent Hill f has done that for me. Its combat, its new setting, or even its subject matter might not do that for you, but the bottom line is, it turns out that even after all these years, Silent Hill can still strike up an exciting conversation.

It often loses itself in the long spool of its main quest, in the runaway passages that could have been shorter, and in the stories of characters who sometimes feel like they're hijacking your tale, turning it into a choose-their-own-adventure. But Citizen Sleeper 2 still manages to deliver some heartfelt moments in a sci-fi world that feels more colourful than the likes of Starfield (again), despite being the work of a much smaller team over far less time. It's finely made sci-fi, even if I still prefer the noodles on Erlin's Eye.

Wonky performance aside, Nioh 3 is excellent. It's not as elegant and practiced as FromSoftware's efforts, and I daresay that the creativity present in recent Chinese soulslikes like Black Myth: Wukong isn't matched here either. But it still warrants a Bestest Best, because what this game does do is deftly borrow from modern titles in a variety of genres, mingling their flavours into one delicate Miso soup. There's a word in Okinawan - chanpurū - which means to mix together. That's what Nioh 3 is - a chanpurū of influences that manages to entertain in a wonderful fashion. Even if you're biased against samurai like I am, it's still worth your while to fire this one up, tackle the Crucible, and cuddle a Chijiko or three. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Robo Recall makes me a frantic cyclone of destruction, the force of my mechanical slaughter matched only by my sheer ineptitude whenever I try to teleport. It’s a party, basically, mixing the accuracy of lightgun shooting with the physicality of Wii gaming.

The best thing about A Space For the Unbound, though, is that it takes a supernatural teen drama gives it real heart. Mojiken were already masters of telling bittersweet stories in miniature, but I'm pleased to report that sense of longing, sincerity and earnestness hasn't been lost in their transition to making a larger game with a larger scope. A Space For The Unbound may be more ambitious than their previous work, but it still feels distinctly Mojiken, and that's something to be celebrated. What a wonderful start to 2023.

If like me you've been away for a while, or have never played FM before because your brain calcifies whenever someone says the word "football", then FM22 is definitely the version to try. As someone who came in relatively unversed in the series' recent history, I was surprised by how quickly I found myself poring over my rival's tackling statistics and trying to find a cheap yet quality replacement for my injured starting full-back. If the game can do that for old Barry Hattrick, then it can do the same for you.

Most of all, the simulated personalities, habits and appearances of the dupes themselves feel like complete wasted effort.

This is far from the most polished remaster I’ve played, and the original was a hit-and-miss affair to begin with. Judged in terms of Platinum’s own end-of-level trophies, this earns a silver award at best. But then that preposterous theme tune kicks in, sweeping your misgivings away for a precious handful of minutes. When you hear that music, you feel like you can do anything – even draw a circle correctly on your very first try.

Problems with lobbies and repetitive modes aside, Dragon Ball FighterZ is everything I want out of a Dragon Ball fighting game. It’s colourful, kinetic and full of character. Struggling through the matchmaking noise has been worth it to actually fight as my main man Goku, and throwing a Kamehameha has never felt better, but there’s still work to be done to give the excellent core of the game the wider structure that it deserves.

So apart from the fact that I AM BUSY, BETTY, I'm pleased with Death's Door. I like the endearing head twitches of crowboy during his idle animations. I like his birdy Naruto waddle. He is a cool wee guy. I enjoy how handy the camera is, allowing you to nudge the view and peek in any given direction (an always-appreciated feature in side-on metroidvanias or top-down slice 'n' shoots). I like how the music in the furnace dungeon is perfectly timed with the tempo of its steam pistons (the music in general is downright excellent, veering from eerie Firelink lament-o-notes to full-on forest dweller bops). I both like and am deeply unsettled by Grandma's Studio Ghibli eyes, which follow you around the room with the automated paranoia of security cameras.

The game's need to be a reasonably performant piece of management software means that it can't quite be a fluid and believable third-person action game. The spacebase is sort of a glorified menu (though there are proper menus as well) and menus need to be responsive, so the elevator whips you between levels with what ought to be bone-rupturing speed. The lesser Jans should be scraping Jan Prime off the ceiling every time he uses it, and the fact that this doesn't happen seems appropriate to a story that can't determine whether you're a human being or one among many grades of mass-produced screwdriver.

And this is what makes The Rise Of The Golden Idol truly special, I think - the way it draws out so much character and flavour from such a straightforward means of interactivity. You can go about sleuthing safe in the knowledge that you have all the tools to solve a scene, but still don’t feel constrained or railroaded. It’s a wonderful example of a stripped back design pitch in one area - “fill in the blanks” - allowing for an incredible amount of variety and creativity in others.

Part of me yearned to finish this playthrough before giving my final verdict, but considering it took Naples a full century just to discover there is a "south" of the globe (omg), I'll just tell you now: it's confusing as heck and I like it. Even though I'm playing at the second-fastest speed with judicious pausing, I would likely need to play for another 40-50 hours to make it through the full span of history. This statement is both horrifying and exciting - a game that disrespects my time? Disrespect me more, my huge messy map monster.

Three Kingdoms is an absolutely massive game, but it has a very clear thematic focus on the Three Kingdoms period – specifically the Romance of the Three Kingdoms – and a very clear mechanical focus on individual heroes. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales has a few problems with pacing and a dry story in places, but otherwise it’s a decent singleplayer spin-off of Gwent and the cards are worth a shuffle.

Backed by that scene-stealing twist I mentioned earlier, and Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is simply an extremely good time from start to finish. It's not only a highly satisfying strategic stealth game in its own right, but its ruminations on memory, the past lives and decisions of its pirate crew, and the way it reckons with its own in-game act of forging and preserving new memories all point to a studio at the peak of their powers. This is a game to be treasured, and the only thing I could wish for now is to turn back to the clock so I can experience it all over again from the beginning. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Outer Wilds has more character in its handful of planetoids than No Man’s Sky had in 70 squinjillion. [RPS Bestest Bests]

The Lost Crown is an outstanding reinvention of what a Prince Of Persia game can be, as well as a top notch platforming-led Metroid-like in its own right. It brings so many welcome nips and tucks to the genre to make it friendly and accessible, all while giving players a meaty and uncompromising challenge to really test their mettle. It really is a proper belter, this one, and absolutely should not be missed if you've ever enjoyed a single second of the Ori games, Hollow Knight or SteamWorld Dig 2. After years of indie games dominating the Metroid space, it's heartening to see Ubisoft's Montpellier team find their feet again, leaving possibly only Silksong to steal back this otherwise crowning achievement. [RPS Bestest Bests]

If it’s your first time back since 1999, however, rest assured that it treats your memories well.

Most of all, Manifold Garden makes me break out in a cold sweat. I cannot help but imagine myself, trapped in an endless kaleidoscope. Running through corridor after identical corridor. Walking out of a room and finding myself on a pyramid of steps without end. Just running around the same strange building, and only seeing more of that building. Forever. I cannot imagine a worse horror. Argh. Good puzzles, though.

Propulsive, thrilling and breathless, DOOM is the triumph I never expected. I just can’t see there being a better shooter this year, I really can’t. [Single-Player review]

I can't help but compare Anno 117 to Anno 1800, which, after several years of chunky DLC, is one of the best and most complete city-builders of all time. Release-day Anno 117 was always going to feel slight by comparison. But I've already started four separate playthroughs focusing on different goods, and I've planned two more campaigns, including one where I'll build Rome's biggest ever naval fleet. That's a good sign. Anno 117 has solid bones to build on, and enough meat to go around.

So yes, there are flaws and niggles that come with it being almost 30 years old, but Tactics Ogre: Reborn remains one of the great strategy classics for good reason - and to finally see it come to PC and other modern platforms where everyone can enjoy its densely plotted tactical machinations is well worth celebrating. In another timeline, maybe, we might have seen this receive a more luscious HD-2D makeover (the game's 'Lawful' route, perhaps), but as it stands, this thoroughly 'Neutral' remaster still has plenty to admire and sink your teeth into - particularly if you're planning to play it on Steam Deck, where it works surprisingly well (bar a few touchscreen annoyances on the main map screen), despite not being fully verified yet.

I'm left impressed by Two Point Museum more than I actually enjoyed playing it. It's as thematically endearing as ever (sans the above), crammed with detail, and the new design customisation features are brilliant. But I also think it should have slammed the breaks on shoving in so many new, granular systems. It doesn't take long before you're pulled in too many directions and distracted from the stuff that's actually enjoyable. It makes the game feel sludgier and more calculated and tiresome than its novel and bright coating deserves.