Perhaps the least forgivable aspect for me, given my love of exploration and discovery in games like these, is that all the islands feel the same. For Sea of Thieves to be a truly unforgettable experience for me I’d have liked to have seen islands and archipelagos that feel lovingly crafted with supreme attention to detail. What we have instead is a map that feels like Rare turned “Generate Game” on once and just ran with what the creator spat out. This, more than anything else, saddens me as it makes things feel even less devoid of life. Islands are too spread out, too samey and too uninteresting leaving the player with a, “seen one, seen them all” feeling.

Simple, yet complex puzzles, combined with a GLaDOS-like taskmaster, have you laughing and constantly wanting more.

The Crew 2 won’t be seen as a game that defines the genre, but it’s definitely one that adds fun and variety to it, and even if you’re not a hardcore racing fan. It’s worth checking out.

Set your expectations accordingly and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will likely provide some fun and frivolity as you eagerly await the real thing next year.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is an uninspiring and dull game that should have been shot out of an airlock.

All up, Dead Season is a fun mix of genres provided they’re in your wheelhouse. I very much enjoyed plunking away at a mission or two between titles like Until Dawn and Silent Hill 2 — again, all perfectly timed for the spooky season.

It’s Quiz Time is a great trivia title, losing out to games like Buzz! or You Don’t Know Jack! when it comes to its host, but easily making up for that with a variety of questions and game modes.

There's a lot to love here for fans of the franchise and fans of the genre alike... provided you have room in your heart, and schedule, this time of the year.

2K17 is average at best, worth skipping if you’re a casual wrestling fan. Fans of the sport will find more to enjoy, but I’d have to wager it’ll be through a profound sense of disappointment.

Danger Zone 2 isn’t quite as much fun as I remember Burnout being. The crashes feel less satisfying and the vehicles don’t handle as well. But this is by no means a bad game.

Destroy All Humans isn’t bad, per se, it’s just bland; a fresh coat of paint on a dated game, clunky in some areas and polished in others. If you received a free code (like I did for review) or are gifted this, jump on in. Would I recommend you purchase it? Not unless you’re a huge fan of the franchise or you like some relatively easy Achievements.

If you’re a racing fan, be it arcade or simulation, I recommend you avoid this game – it’s a thoroughly unenjoyable experience from a once great series.

If you ignore the presentation, there’s something in here for dungeon crawl fanatics, but you’re better off going with something like Darksiders Genesis for a far more enjoyable experience. Like Darksiders isn’t for the younger gamer in your life, neither is this. Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold is available now on Nintendo Switch.

With the current generation and the likes of Forza Horizon 3, F1 2016 and DiRT Rally, WRC 6 sadly falls behind by failing to innovate.

Atlas Fallen‘s core is solid — though combat still needs some work — but it seems a bit sparse. Much like the original Assassin’s Creed far before it, I hope Deck13 builds upon what they’ve started to create a far more enjoyable experience in a sequel. While we wait, though, there’s more than enough here to warrant a try.

This game is well and truly for the purists, because being anything less will be a struggle.

In a world where developers are getting used to working from home and games are being pushed back due to the global pandemic, EA decided that Battlefield 2042 was ready for this year. It’s not.

Biomutant has a lot on offer, and while RPG fans will find a number of systems they'll be enthusiastic for, I'd wager they'll find equal parts unappealing or overdone.

Action, adventure, variety — those looking for a decent Ultimate Alliance fix need look no further than Marvel Heroes Omega. It’s great.

Just Cause 4 is an entertaining game to play if you want to just sit back and blow a bunch of things up. The new customisation options are great, and there are some interesting ideas with extreme weather, but ultimately a lot of the missions aren’t particularly exciting or ask for you to vary up how you approach them.

For those entering in here for the memories of a beloved game, I don’t want to knock the experience for you. This is the game you love! But unlike aforementioned remakes, nostalgia seems like a necessity to enjoy MediEvil rather than just being a bonus. Let all brave knights beware.

First presented as a PS Vita game in 2015, Ultra Despair Girls sure looks it.

Doom 3 was an excellent game in its day. Said day is long gone now and the limitations of the technology and the more simplistic gameplay loop are much more prominent 17 years later. While VR definitely makes things better by making the the world feel a little more real, the enemies feel a little larger and adding in the ability to free aim your weapons — all without being too gimmicky — it’s not enough to warrant a purchase VR gear if you don’t already have it.

Somerville does for Inside for what Inside did for Limbo. While the means of gameplay has evolved into a 3D realm, it's more an emphasis on an actual narrative that sets it apart.

All up, Avengers is turning out to be a pleasant surprise so far, a game with more narrative and heart than I expected thanks to a lacklustre beta. There’s till the sense that it’s trying to be and do far too many things, and time will tell if that proves true.

Super Mutant Alien Assault has some good ideas in it, but the balance of quality vs quantity was shifted way too far towards the latter, resulting in a potentially excellent platformer that’s been ruined with unnecessary filler. Give this one a miss unless you’re a huge fan of getting really angry at video games.

It’s not a normal movie in that the interactivity of a video game provides a personal connection to what’s going on. It’s not simply a video game because it plays with standard conventions, and — similar to standouts like Alan Wake — manages to leave you with more questions than answers. I might not need to play it again, but I sure as hell want to start discussing it.

Mafia III is consistently inconsistent. An engrossing and mature narrative told between repetitive and boring missions, satisfying gun play against moronic AI enemies all taking place in a beautifully designed city that’s ruined with shitty lighting effects. Throw in numerous game crashes (on Xbox One) and a ridiculous count of reported bugs on PC you have a game that appears to have been built by talented people but QA checked by the work experience kid.