Like its predecessors, Another Code: R might occasionally wallow in sentimentality, but that’s easy to excuse given how unafraid it is to tackle topics like loss and regret head-on, its distinctly untraditional subject matter making it feel like a breath of fresh air in an industry dominated by physical rather than emotional conflict.

It’s as compelling a ‘pure’ single-player shooter we have had in many years. What is perhaps most surprising, and welcome, is how well an FPS controls on the Switch in handheld mode. It isn’t as naturally suited as other controllers, perhaps, but after a little adjustment I found myself tearing around hell blasting demons with no problems at all. A great game worth the technical compromise if you want to play it on the go, and a promising sign that FPS can find a home on Switch.

Nintendo rightly thought that this form of Zelda had peaked and had to leave much of it behind to foster a new sense of adventure. But that we get to enjoy this brilliant inflection point again, with notable modern trappings, is a delight.

Those comparisons to Resident Evil 4 are not entirely unfounded then. It is not as genre-shifting as that game – few games are – but it does share a certain ethos and hunger for variety in tension and action. It is very much its own thing too, both a natural continuation of the series recent reinvention and a manic expansion of its long-standing invention and flamboyance. Most of all, it is a tremendous, and tremendously terrifying, video game in its own right.

BioShock: The Collection is just one iconic, influential game and its two excellent sequels packed together in one box. These kinds of games come around rarely, and if you’ve not played any of them, you absolutely should.

What holds Titan Souls from greatness, then, isn’t the difficulty posed by besting its bosses - or even the lack of narrative elements - but the act of felling the foes themselves. What should be a momentous occasion - particularly following waves of near countless failures - is too often anti-climactic.

The game has a learning curve which is less a curve and more a brick wall you'll run into at high speed the first time you take the game online and find everything you thought you knew was wrong. Typical middle-of-the-road players can spend weeks looking like they've never played a video game before in MVC3 but at least they'll still look brilliant, albeit in an uncoordinated fashion.

For the most part, though, Artyom’s train journey is a compelling one. The characters you share it with can be overly loquacious and too broadly drawn, but its sense of camaraderie in the face of hardship can’t help but endear to the bittersweet end...But it is at its best tends to be when you are on your own, exploring a beautifully drawn post-nuclear wilderness or creeping through the dark, lighter in hand. That Metro Exodus can do both with equally aplomb is arguably its greatest strength.

Xbox One owners will be super pleased –– thanks to Bethesda’s ongoing mod support since the release of Fallout 4, you’ll get access to over 200 mods at the time of writing. PS4 players aren’t so fortunate, and will likely be disappointed by the paltry number choose from –– Sony’s 1GB limit on mod files means that the mods themselves are limited to more cosmetic changes that don’t nearly explore the vast potential that a community driven bank of content provides.

The acid test will be if Telltale then carry these decisions through the remainder of the season...Which, fortunately, is set up terrifically by this second episode. A House Divided does occasionally suffer from its position as a bridge, rattling exposition off in order to set up the subsequent episodes, but it performs its role with real élan.

Indeed, its central mechanic feels rather like a statement in itself; perhaps this is Nintendo’s way of motivating its designers and players alike to embrace the idea of approaching the familiar from a fresh perspective.

Despite a few quibbles, Overcooked is terrific because of its commitment to uproarious, hilarious and challenging co-operation. As long as your friendships, family bonds and marriages can take the odd dropped champignon à la crème, of course.

Halo 5's campaign will not be the groundbreaking adventure that sends players flocking to the Xbox One, but Warzone's sprawling battles twinned with the precision of Arena just might tempt competitive shooter fans to take the plunge. Work to be done for both 343 and the Xbox One, then, but this is a formidable start.

It is at its best tends to be when you are on your own, exploring a beautifully drawn post-nuclear wilderness or creeping through the dark, lighter in hand. That Metro Exodus can do both with equally aplomb is arguably its greatest strength.

The Last of Us is irrefutably one of the best games of the PS3 era but it's beginning to feel of its time – and beneath its gorgeous next-gen glow-up, Part 1 is still, essentially, the same game. Which wouldn't be a problem at all were it not for that troublesome next-gen asking price.

Football Manager requires a certain level of commitment. If you can make that commitment, I can see that there's a rewarding experience to be had but I don't think I can do it. Almost two decades after I started playing, I'm more comfortable with Fifa and with the lighter iPhone version of Football Manager. But a whole new generation of students are about to get their minds blown.

The commitment to its ideas makes Live a confident, bold and stylish game.

Much of what new players might see could come across as cliche for 3D platformers, but only because would-be challengers plundered Mario's ideas for their own mascot-driven adventures.

15 feels like a significant step forward. Not only in terms of mechanics, but in terms of improving players knowledge and skill at the game through finesse and feedback.

Nidhogg is a game that is messy and finely tuned, at the same time. It’s certainly niche, definitely esoteric, but for those that it does tickle, (especially those who have a friend to play with in real, physical space), it’s the kind of experience that is unlike anything I can think of, and since first coming across it years ago, has been talked about with a sense of wistful nostalgia by anyone I know who’s played it. And that’s got to be worth something.

As much as the red-blooded manly man who exists inside me (however fleetingly) wants to pigeonhole Kinectimals in the casual-core-for-kids category, I just can't do it. This is because, in the interests of journalistic integrity, I have to admit to having been completely disarmed and won over by the experience of interacting with the cute cuddly, virtual cubs in the game.

The puzzling, while fearsomely inventive and effortlessly pleasurable, unfortunately doesn't fulfil its obvious potential. But if you are possessed by Ghost Trick's charms, you will find an affecting, charismatic game with a whole lot of spirit.

This brilliant rogue-like is much more than a 2D Dark Souls.

Another terrific, if overly familiar, entry into the Zelda canon. It may not always match the epic sweep of its home console brethren —this is the leanest Zelda that I can remember— but its compact dungeons and fat-free exploration are perfect for a handheld. This is the best portable Zelda yet.

Frippery aside, Forza Motorsport 7 is an exceptional, exhilarating and absurdly polished racing game. It may lack the depth of some of its more serious competition, but it finally feels comfortable in its framework as a more accessible and energetic simulation.

The cast of characters breathe a lot of life into The Surge’s otherwise cloying, horror-themed take on robots and cyborgs, and by the time the end credits rolled, I found I’d experienced an exceptionally interesting, exciting and satisfying narrative action game.

The take away from Shadow of Mordor is that it’s fittingly a game that should inspire games in the same way it has so clearly been inspired, taking strong systems from big games and adding a few new ones of its own. I’d love to see the nemesis system be applied in a more intricate way to the handling of intelligence assets in the world of international espionage, for example, or maybe even an interpretation of the interpolitics of mafia families in the mid century.

As well as some smart on-field tweaks, Madden's marquee mode sees notable improvements after some notable neglect.

This is a thrilling, charismatic, feel-good racer. They are the definitions that matter.

Delivered with wit and panache, Driver San Francisco works because it's daft, rather than in spite of it. And if it proves anything, it's that having conviction in your ideas --any ideas-- can bring a refreshing new twist to an ailing series and genre.

A campaign focused on spectacle benefits from next-gen heft (the PS4 game is comfortably the best looking console version) but hardly innovates, while the multiplayer game remains as fast-paced, responsive and downright noisy as ever. Yet if Call of Duty is, as some have suggested, the gaming equivalent of junk food, Infinity Ward has prepared it to gourmet standard.

It’s terrific stuff, though it may prove a little strenuous for newcomers at times. Metroid has always been one of Nintendo’s more ‘hardcore’ pursuits and Dread looks to make a virtue of this in a challenging and often esoteric adventure. But whether you are new or a Metroid old-hand, there is no doubting the craft here. A welcome return for one of gaming’s most stylish heroes.

Small cavils aside, though, Ni No Kuni is a heartfelt ode to the kind of gaming experience that's in danger of vanishing altogether from the landscape. It would take a hard heart indeed not to get lost in some part of this ravishing exercise in escapism.

The farming and village life fantasy has never really been fulfilled in this way before, and the Switch makes it possible. It's a testament to how a game can use a platform to round everything together, becoming as accessible and fun as it could ever be.

Once hits its stride, Saints Row IV is a pleasure to try and keep up with. Its relentless insanity will occasionally tire, but its in these moments you can appreciate the smarter elements. Despite everything, this is a more mature game than its predecessors.

If you are put off by some of Nintendo’s more saccharine output, it certainly isn’t the game for you, but kids of all ages looking for a breezy, wholesome distraction will find a lot to like.

Strike Suit Zero isn't a game for the faint-hearted. Strike Suit Zero is tough. Really tough. And while it's this challenge that makes it such a compelling space shooter, it's the very same thing that will drive away players in hordes.

Ghostwire Tokyo is rarely a scary game, Tango stopping short of full horror, but it still has the ability to unsettle. It may be an acquired taste and far from flawless, but its distinctive approach and commitment to its ethos has plenty of spirit.

You will recognise the beats, but Chloe and Nadine make their own fresh and thrilling impact on the familiar. You could not imagine a more fitting finale.

Playing Viking detective was not something I expected to do during Valhalla, but it is a game that --while following much of its traditional template-- is capable of surprise.

Underneath the blood and guts is a self-assured, generous and thoroughly modern fighting game.

Perhaps doesn't feel quite as fresh as its predecessor in certain ways, but in others it kicks everything up a notch. It's certainly a better game, just for those of us who played the last game to death, there's not quite as much here to wow us. But the campaign is by far the best of the three, and even with the reused Activities and slightly familiar feel, Saints Row remains one of gaming's best, most enjoyable and most ludicrous playgrounds. It's not big, it's not clever, but it sure is a huge amount of fun.

This is a compelling experience, the inspired outgrowth of a new complexity in the environmental design of videogames.

A fragmented kaleidoscope of elements that finally form a rich, if imperfect, vision once everything is aligned. Some may find the apparent simplification disagreeable, but it's more a concentration of focus that allows BioWare to tell the more personal story of Hawke, and add polish to the world they have built around him. And noone builds a world like BioWare.

The Witcher 2 is a tough game, no doubt. Dare I say it, too tough. The Witcher 2's finest draw is in its tale, rather than its action, so it seems a misstep to give players a regular kicking even on the easiest setting.

The plot can be a little vague at times, and the opening hour is fairly meandering, but Conarium is an otherwise exciting, creepy jaunt through the realm of unspeakable evil.

Its unusual, offbeat approach to the tropes of both its genres gives the blend that extra dash of flavour it needs, but the base ingredients are just as tasty and fulfilling. And then there’s those guns, those wonderful, wonderful guns.

Rare have been clear about their goal of wanting players to create their own stories within Sea of Thieves, and it is safe to say they’ve succeeded. Let’s hope they can keep the ship on course.

It’s not cheap, but there is a huge amount of value here for families.

A sterling upgrade that has taken the fine work of its predecessors, and ran with it.

It may not have the established brands that its rivals can lean on, but SuperChargers is good enough not to need them.

What Birds of Steel does right, it does far better than any similar game on consoles. If Second World War flying is your thing, you'll find a dizzying amount of content here for the money.

Like its central character it's a violent, ferocious beast which more than makes up for its lack of perfection by being brutally entertaining.

F1 2016 is the game Codemasters has almost been making for years; complex, feature-full and still packed with the adoration for the sport that the studio has demonstrated since it got its hands on the license back in 2010. For anyone that’s a fan of racing, this is without the doubt the most unmissable recreation of it you can buy. For anyone that likes going fast, this will probably convince you, too.

Assassin’s Creed II rarely gets the blood-pumping as much as some of the more visceral games of this year manage, instead opting for an air of odd serenity. Rather than bludgeoning you with a frontal assault on the senses, the beauty and elegance of the setting and gameplay washes over you, holding your attention completely.

Players who are prepared to forego closure for intrigue are in for a treat.

Titanfall 2 shines when it is, as Alavi says, doing things that other shooters do not. Whether it is in the surprising invention of its campaign, or the busy ebb and flow of its multiplayer modes, this is a shooter that should not be overlooked.

An interesting, slow-burning adventure game well worth your time.

It's worth battling through those initial tricky moments with the controls because, as a game, Vice City is still enormously entertaining. Great characters and great stage-setting never lose their lustre and, even ten years on, this is still Grand Theft Auto at its mischievous best.

It’s a terrific journey, culminating in a moment that weds narrative and mechanics to captivating effect. It is something of a shame that Brothers doesn’t entirely capitalise on its central gameplay idea, but it never truly fumbles it either.

Flawed as it is, Heavy Rain is a game that anyone with even the vaguest interest in its intentions should experience for themselves. While it’s not quite the revolution for storytelling in video games, its accomplishments should prove it a worthy vanguard. And its ambition should be rewarded.

Don't make the mistake of confusing the near-future setting and the attempts at branching narrative for innovation. It's more like Treyarch has had a spring clean and got the decorators round: Black Ops II is still ostensibly built on the same foundations that powered 2008's Call of Duty 4 and every annual instalment of the series thereafter. The thrill of Call of Duty's rollercoaster ride is starting to diminish, then, but few will feel too short-changed by buying this year's ticket.

There's no doubt that Konami need to rip out the entire front end of PES for essential modernisation, but the best menu system and career mode in the world mean nothing without a fabulous game of football at its heart. That's what Konami have focused on this year, getting it right on the pitch. That focus and a new-found determination to not be left behind is stamped all over PES 2013, an excellent and long-overdue return to form.

The Evil Within could be leaner and more technically sound, but the blemishes on its blood-stained carapace fade against its thick atmosphere and the frantic thrill of battling its monsters in the dark.

FM15’s changes tend to contribute to gentle improvement rather than startling disruption, but should do enough to tempt you into starting that managerial journey all over again.

It's by no means a cynical cash-in and casual gamers and rabid FIFA fans alike will probably find it decent value for money. For the rest, it's a worthwhile stop-gap between FIFA titles, provided you have the funds.

FIFA 22 has focussed squarely on the on-pitch action and has succeeded in creating the best pure football game from the series in quite some time. For me, at least, there is no better measure.

By turns exciting, disturbing and maniacally enjoyable, Hotline Miami is a true pleasure. Whether it’s a guity one or not is on your conscience.

Those who don't check their preconceptions at the door are missing the point. Novices and veterans be warned; Final Fantasy XIII demands your complete and utter surrender. Those willing to comply will be rewarded with a unique and compelling gaming experience accompanied by visuals that can only be described as completely out of this world.

Approached with an open mind, and accepted for what it is rather than what it isn't, a guided tour of Albion proves surprisingly appealing.

No, it’s not the best Call of Duty ever made, but the sheer volume of content on display largely makes up for its weaknesses in specific areas. A worthwhile story would have added enormous value to the overall package, but its absence doesn’t undermine what is another solid release.

Although far from perfect, Prototype offers an action-filled experience that few games can match, and the array of attacks on offer is almost unparalleled in both its variety and its easy accessibility. The pure adrenaline-boosting entertainment value of the finished product is enough to push most visual and gameplay niggles far enough into the background so as to eradicate them as concerns in all but the most snobbish of gamers.

it’s a touching and satisfying finale, with a lovely coda that brings a smile to the face. It’s that type of game, a warm-hearted collaboration’s of the DS’s most moral, smart and determined heroes. On this evidence, no-one could object if their paths crossed again.

If you have no interest in the anime or manga and simply want a musou game, there are better, more fleshed out options out there, but for Berserk fans it’s rich with cutscenes lifted from the latest anime, faithful to the story, and gives you a chance to hack folk apart as Guts. In other words, it’s a lot of silly, fan-pleasing fun with plenty of scope to improve in a potential sequel.

If Brink grabs you, it'll grab you hard. Even though the lack of polish is at times a disappointment, beneath the occasional annoyance is a fantastic and refreshing shooter that offers something different to the norm. It's standing on the precipice of true brilliance.

Nothing wrong with excelling at one thing. And when it comes to cathartic, gore-fuelled gunplay, there is none better.

Players that have sploshed around in Splatoon may find this sequel a little too reserved and iterative, particularly when some of its less endearing idiosyncracies remain. But Splatoon 2 is also a more complete version of a game not enough people played. An intoxicating splash of colour and invention in a genre usually reserved for grit.

It's a difficult, slow burning game that never strays far into the whimsical and overblown. Understanding the mechanics, let alone mastering them, is a slow, difficult, painful crawl from gnarly amateur to diamond champion.

It is a game that will make you happy whenever you think back to it, one where frustration is almost immediately replaced by a smile, and most importantly, it's a game that thrives on having fun.

No Man’s Sky is a fundamentally simple game; one that’s flawed, slow, and where the moment-to-moment activities are sometimes even... boring. But its intoxicatingly rare attitude towards pure discovery create a game that’s captivating unlike any other.

The most notable downsides to the game are its technical wobbles, with the camera jolting out of place, the odd audio glitch and rare instances of item hotspots not appearing and requiring a restart. These are a shame -and one hopes eminently fixable in upcoming patches- but are not enough to take the shine off a smart, funny and handsome slice of classic adventuring with a modern sensibility.

Respawn's Star Wars sequel builds on its promising predecessor, even if it suffers from the same lack of focus.

Tribes: Ascend is a worthy successor to its forebears, bringing the same inimitable, hectic play style married to graphics that will stretch even the most capable machine.

It's a startlingly relevant piece of work, marred by the most benign and unnecessary of flaws. But in this age of scripted rollercoasters and linear bug hunts, the thinking man's freedom of Deus Ex provides a fabulous example of interactive entertainment, if not quite the revolution the title promises.

It only remains to be said that when it comes to adventure games of this type, the God Of War series towers above other offerings in its genre.

Games often reach for this kind of digital dopamine hit of course, and many succeed, but the reason Mirror’s Edge is so good at it is due to developer DICE’s knack of having you inhabit the body of your avatar so fully.

Battlefield 1 is a fantastic game. If you want a shooter that replicates the epic scale of two armies at war, or one that prioritises tactical thought over twitchy trigger fingers, this is the FPS for you.

It's refinement rather than revolution for F1 2011, then. But Codemasters have made a plethora of improvements under the bonnet, polishing an engine that should prove a fantastic basis for the planned yearly iterations of their F1 franchise.

Undeniably the finest UFC experience on any console to date. Graphical glitches aside, UFC 2010 captures the brutality and epic nature of the sport like nothing else, providing the perfect game to display its deep and satisfying fighting system.

Mass Attack is a game of invention, wit, and leftfield surprises, in other words, and it all adds up to a near-perfect send off for Nintendo's aging DS. Kirby may not be getting any cuter, but if he continues to star in adventures like this, he can be sure of his place alongside the likes of Mario and Zelda for years to come.

FIFA 15 is an excellent game of football and its presentation and modes are peerless. PES 2015, though, is arguably the best pure representation of the sport ever made.

FIFA 16, as a whole, feels like a new foundation for the series. It takes a little readjustment and not everything is quite in place yet, the lack of tactical difference and the clear scripting are stark in comparison to PES 2016's on-field excellence, but its action feels fresher and built for further improvement. And the work off the pitch remains exceptional.

The delivery may need a little work, but Gone Home’s story is one that’s well worth being a part of. It’s dense, rich, striking and moving; few games this year will leave quite such a mark, and despite a few missteps, it could well prove a watershed moment for interactive storytelling.

It’s testament to Codemasters’ calibre as a developer that they have so successfully revitalised a sport that’d been forgotten in games.

This is a generous, technically excellent and genuinely fascinating omnibus.

Football Manager 2019 is the most compelling and involving upgrade of the game since, for my money, the superb FM14. While some old niggles remain --press interaction still needs its proper overhaul, for instance-- its commitment to openness and accessibility has not come at the cost of its extraordinary depth. Quite the opposite. We go again.

So yes, a similar story indeed. Because despite all of this, PES 2018’s extraordinarily good action continues to push the peripheral stuff where it belongs... in the peripheries. But in the context of continuing to assert itself as the purist’s choice, there is still plenty of change needed off the pitch. Still, that football eh? Bloody hell.

It effortlessly switches from tense stealth to tactical but speedy combat, managing to put most games in both genres to shame in the process.