Suffice to say, I’m enjoying it more than its predecessor. It is chunky, it is moreish, and every time I come back to it in the evening it is like taking a big bite out of one of those mega Snickers you can only find in the cinema. All this praise might seem out of place moments after critiquing the game’s toothless practice of political commentary by obfuscation. But honestly, don’t worry about that. We humans are idiot creatures of contradiction, and we can thoroughly enjoy a rock solid shooter even as we recognise it as being vapid hogwash.

It’s rare to see such ambitious storytelling and open world roleplaying tied to such a stylish combat system, not to mention the (optional) Souls-like multiplayer elements, shooter tangents, mini-games that punctuate rather than interrupting, and that big ol’ world to explore. You don’t need to have played any of Yoko Taro’s previous games to appreciate Automata, even though it has links to both Drakengard and (of course) the original Nier, but it’ll probably make you keen to seek them out. Me? I’m hoping Platinum get a chance to work with these worlds and words again. A thousand ideas, delivered in rapid succession, backed by action that is the thread that stitches everything together rather than an interruption between one story beat and the next.

The masses of loot initially seem like the biggest difference between this and a From Software game, and could kid you into thinking Nioh is a game about raising stats above all else, but it’s not. That’s a small part of it. Really, it’s a game about raising your own level and mastering one of the finest combat systems ever put on a screen. It might be standing on the shoulders of Souls, but it’s got its eyes on a very different destination. [RPS Recommended]

Age Of Empires 2 is a much bigger game these days. And it’s been improved meaningfully enough that this is much more than just a bundle deal with increased resolution. But would I still recommend it to someone who never played an Age game back in the day, and has no nostalgia to buoy them? Well, yes. The RTS genre is a strangely empty thing these days, and there’s certainly not many games being made in the AoE2 mould.

Measured, thought out, detailed, kind. It has intent, from top to bottom. Even the weather feels like it has intent, the cycle of the day and night, the routines you get into. They way your friends leave you, sometimes in ways that will surprise you. Spiritfarer will probably make you very very sad, but it even does that in a kind way. In a way that makes you think about who you have lost, but also what they left behind with you, and the ways you are still close to them. [RPS Bestest Bests]

It’s a smart game though and a thoughtful one, even if it sometimes hides those qualities behind its clown makeup and a beaglepuss.

Vibrant and characterful as well as immense, Fallout 4 is the giant leap forwards Bethesda’s RPGs sorely needed in terms of presentation, though the unrelenting focus on routine, lightweight combat sees it fall just short of triumph status. (Recommended)

Between the emotional core centering around Mick and his family, the B-movie batshit tinfoil sci-fi stuff, and the eventual revelations that tie everything together in both theme and plot, there are a lot of elements jostling for space and time in The Drifter. It's impressive that it manages to wrap things coherently, nevermind the satisfying and touching way it does. Ultimately, it's a good story, well told, that knows when to lay on the head scratchers and when to ferry you along with simple tasks. I just hope Mick's actor remembered to combine honey and lemon with tea after recording.

Mostly, though, it's just the sheer brilliance of Patrick's puzzles that makes it stand out. There's just so much to admire and delight in here, and lemme tell you, the puzzles I can't talk about are just chefkiss.gif genius. Truly wonderful stuff. Just when you think you've got the measure of where this box shuffler's going, it pulls the recursive rug out from under you and captivates you all over again. Given what we're dealing with here, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this is an infinitely pleasing puzzle game. If I were Wilmot, I'd be green with envy. [RPS Bestest Bests]

A largely uninteresting original story and an otherwise bloated word count aside, Dynasty Warriors Origins is a joyous balancing act of tension and spectacle that's completely reignited my interest in the series.

It’s mostly a game of the same old problems – a Louis Van Gaal team in José Mourinho clothing. It falls down on the pitch and fails to execute well on its new ideas. I hope next year brings a better Journey and a better destination.

Telling Lies feels very much like Her Story 2, in the sense that a sequel is like the previous entry in a series but more: bigger, better, faster, stronger.

Project Cars 2 addresses most of the flaws of its predecessor while expanding its scope, and in doing so has carved out a new niche for the series. It’s not the absolute best sim for any given discipline – if you’re really into Rallycross, get Dirt 4, and if you’re really into open wheel cars, spring for iRacing (if it’s in the budget) – but if you just want to buy one game that allows you to keep coming back and mixing it up, the sheer variety of tracks, cars, race formats, and options means that this game will keep you happy.

I can’t talk about The End Is Nigh without comparing it to Super Meat Boy because in so many ways it feels like a conscious alternative to some of the defining properties of that rapid, colourful, classic game. But measured on its own qualities, The End Is Nigh is a good game, but not a memorable one.

So while it's a less difficult take on a Resident Evil-ish formula, I don't think it's less good. The emphasis is more on the puzzles than the survival, but the attention to detail in the sound design, the excellent planning of the map, and the creepy story and setting, are accompanied with a wink at the camera now and then that really put a shine on Crow Country. It's knowing as well as very good, and I had an excellent time at Crow Country (though would not give it a recommend on trip advisor if you're after a family holiday).

It’s hard to overstate how impossibly beautiful this game is! How good the animation! I couldn’t look away from it even when it was making me roll my eyes! Like whatever the opposite of a car crash is! Sorry for shouting! I’m sort of cross with it! But also want to play it again! Because it might be the most stunning game I have ever seen! Argh!

Is Grunn for you? Well, do you like the feeling of doing things that took you a long time before, again, but really fast? Do you like weird and delightful discoveries? Do you like going ‘ah!’ really loudly when a mystery clicks together? Do you like dying in various ways and unlocking new endings and knowing to do things a little differently next time around? Do you like knowing how many coins you’ve picked up? Actually, Grunn doesn’t tell you that unless you pick up another coin. That’s annoying, Grunn. Please sort that. Otherwise: Grunnderful stuff. Gnome notes. Dig in.

Origins handles its creative inheritance more elegantly than some open worlders, not least because unlike, say, the first game’s Altair, its protagonist actually feels like he is of this realm rather than merely in it. And if the levelling and to-do list grate, the series has never offered a society and a landscape so worthy of close attention. The next game needs to be transformative, but this is a fine place to spend time while it gestates. [RPS Recommended]

It may be obsessive and uncompromising, but it’s also the best to ever do it.

Yoku’s Island Express feels to me like a palate cleanser. I played it in short bursts at the end of long days and was refreshed by it each time. It’s not rich enough in terms of its ideas and set-pieces to get under your skin and I likely won’t remember much of the details of my time with it a year from now, but I will remember that it provided me with easy, simple pleasure. I could use a few more games like that in my life.

Berserk Boy is a cheery action platformer that makes Sonic’s high speeds readable and Mega Man’s unlockable powers genuinely exciting. There’s real fondness for those beloved games - even down to the occasional run ‘n’ gun vehicle sections - but more importantly, this never feels like a flat retread of what’s come before. None of the levels were challenging enough for my tastes, which might admittedly be a skill issue, although if my biggest critique boils down to simply wanting more, then I think that’s quite a promising sign.

Yep. It’s a good’un. Theme Hospital occupies a pretty special place in my gaming memories. The sense of relief and joy I got after my first hour with Two Point Hospital was palpable enough to turn into a pill, bottle, and then overcharge for. [RPS Bestest Bests]

It’ll keep you busy for a long damn time too, even if you only play it once – though, of course, for many there’ll be later playthroughs in co-op or at at unlockable higher difficulties. I think it’s the (admittedly presumed) desire to be the spiritual sequel to Diablo II which holds me back from heaping breathless praise on Grim Dawn, though.

When a sale comes along I will be the first to invite all ye completionist trope-soakers to partake, to wade around in this sweet trash heap one more time, listening to the guttural Scots-Cornish-Caribbean of my old friends, the Bangaa.

Despite a heavy dollop of Silent Hill, it’s a horror game unlike anything else I’ve played thanks to the smart use it makes of its historical setting. If you’re interested in thoughtful, fearsome games, don’t let this one slip by.

All in all then, I'd best sum up Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 like this: it's like Call Of Duty. A good one, I think. Not a bad one. If you like Call Of Duty, you will like this. If you don't like Call Of Duty, you will not like this. If you haven't played Call Of Duty in a while but did like Call Of Duty in the past, then you will probably like this. Now imagine me, as I step back into the fog with my M4A1 and disappear into a lobby filled with the wet squelches of a man passionately eating a lasagna too close to his mic. [Multiplayer Review]

I’m still not sure if Bloodstained has made a dyed in the wool Metroidvania fan out of me, but it’s certainly the most fun I’ve had playing one in a while. Even if I am still salty about that ending, and learning the super-specific requirements, I didn’t immediately throw up my hands. In fact, it feels more like an excuse to try out more attack combinations, zip around the lovely areas, and hopefully find a new hairstyle that makes Miriam look even more like an anime magical girl.

Like the original before it, this is an enthralling game that occupies a very specific niche – one certainly worth delving into, as long as you have the stomach for its niggling imperfections.