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 is mechanics that glue Black Ops 4 together, then, rather than any particular theme, which helps each component drill down into what its good at. The competitive multiplayer can afford to be break-neck at all times, because you can happily nick off and play the more languid, tense and tactical Blackout.

Sucker Punch's PS4 tribute to Akira Kurosawa is gorgeous to behold but its sparse open-world and bloated mechanics has it falling short.

My one solitary victory in Tetris 99 so far had me dancing around the house with glee, as I twisted blocks into ill-matching holes at the very top of the well in a blind panic until my opponent fell milliseconds before me. I took it though, believe me, right before jumping back in for another round.

Even better are the super charming vignettes depicting scenes from classic games acted out by Astro Bots in fancy dress scattered throughout the game’s levels. It’s a wonderfully self indulgent cocktail of celebration and fan service more reminiscent of Nintendo than Sony - and all the more delightful for it.

Bigger, better, less reliant on established formulas, but manages to feel like a totally natural follow-up to the 2010 original. And it's exactly the game it should be, too. It's not War's chaotic, tightly-packed adventure. It's a lonelier, more barren trek through dead lands.

Essentially, Point Lookout feels more like an organic extension of Fallout 3 rather than a collection of missions bolted onto a new environment. A couple of technical glitches aside, this DLC is sure delight players who want to test their mettle in a great new locale.

Halo 3 ODST may feel a little thin in may places, and some of the bonus material may seem a little like padding, but there's more than enough here to recommend it to Halo and FPS fans alike.

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.

At its best it’s a cinematic, bombastic and brilliant video game jam-packed with outstanding moments that culminate in a wonderfully thrilling finale. The thread that ties it all together occasionally frays under pressure from the games its forerunner brought to bear, but never enough to stop Resident Evil 5 being an exceptional piece of interactive entertainment.

A healthy roster of characters and a decent selection of lively arenas is not to be scoffed at. And the important business of smacking each other about --which is what we're all here for after all-- is as fun and frantic as ever.

Video game narratives can be great, but nothing will surpass the stories we create in collaboration with a game – emergent, unscripted moments that pop up unplanned and create lasting impressions, and that’s where Mankind Divided excels.

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.

One of the most accessible entries in this most cultivated of genres. It's gorgeous and welcoming, built on time-honoured design but given a contemporary sheen, making it arguably the first truly modern 2D shoot 'em up in many a year.

Shift doesn’t pull off that tricky balancing act with the finesse of Bizarre’s urban racer, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had here for petrolheads after a lighter introduction to the world of sim-racing. If nothing else, it’s certainly a shift in the right direction for the series, with a solid base for improvement.

I also really appreciated the fact that there’s a mini-games menu outside of the main quest which offers a more Wii Fit-like experience, allowing you to hand the Ring Con to friends test your skills against them.

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.

Connection issues aside, Resistance 3 really is one of the most enjoyable, memorable action games in years, on any platform. It has giant arachnids, constant action, and an awesome shotgun. It's visually stunning, artistically evocative. And most importantly, it's definitely got soul. And soldiers too, which is nice.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a solid start for the franchise's reboot and while it's far from perfect, it's easy to see where MercurySteam could take a sequel in order to achieve true greatness.

That rare kind of game that treats you with respect, once you’ve earnt it. It’s a strange feeling to be left floundering without any attempt to help you up, but it’s stranger still to then discover that you’re perfectly capable of helping yourself up, and discovering how capable you really are. Starseed Pilgrim is quietly affirming, and eminently rewarding. It’s genuinely beautiful, from the inside and out.

It’s a very well crafted video game that entertains far more than it frustrates, and while it borrows heavily from several prestige titles, it weaves their characteristics into a cogent whole that serves Darksiders style, drive and narrative well.

A good game that, on a few occasions, desperately feels like it's trying to be better than it is, but lacks the juice to succeed.

Provided families can restraint their children’s desire to collect them all, Skylanders Swap Force not only offers a huge amount of toy and video-game, but does so at a reasonable price.

From its sumptuous decor and macabre mysteries to its tragic, toy-like characters, The Sexy Brutale is a smart, sharp and assured game that is well worth your time. Even if you have to adhere to its usual rules.

There's little point in building suspense: is Project Cars as good as, or better, than Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport? That's the question most of us have been waiting to have answered...Put simply: yes, it's at least their equal.

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

The Layton charm is undoubtedly still present, but it's not enough to carry the series by itself. Upon solving certain puzzles, Layton exclaims 'I love the thrill of a good solution'. So do we, Hershel, so do we. And in this Layton game, sadly, that thrill is all too rare.

What Xenoblade Chronicles 2 does bring to the table far outweighs the negatives, with an huge, enthralling world to explore, monsters to attack and a living, breathing habitat. The world doesn’t simply exist to service the needs of the player, and instead focuses on a cohesive, engaging world to explore and discover. The added bonus of being able to take the game on the go is a huge plus, with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 managing to scale down well for short bursts of gameplay when you’re trying to manage the wealth of systems and mechanics within it.

Nintendo's 20-year-old tactical war simulator is like video-game chess - difficult to learn but satisfying to master.

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.

Don’t venture into the Frozen Wilds expecting clues as to the nature of Horizon Zero Dawn 2, then - in truth this is barely HZD v1.2. Instead, revel in a sizeable single-player, story-driven expansion that harks back to a time before season passes, loot boxes and downloadable dress-up kits, and which also provides an excellent excuse to revisit one of the year’s most enjoyable games.

Touches like this elevate Rhythm Paradise from a fun but throwaway music game into an addictive quest for rhythm perfection. It’s not a music game as wonderfully elaborate as the superb Elite Beat Agents, but its ostensibly simple mechanics give it a sense of purity that a lot of games lack.

The underwater controls are sublime, the soundtrack by Austin Wintory is perfect; choral swells and orchestral build-ups, a real sense of place and spirituality. If exploring an underwater paradise and uncovering a fantastic story appeals to you, then give this stunning little gem a go.

By tearing up the rule book and breaking new ground, Game Freak has created the best Pokémon title in decades.

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.

Remedy has created a superb video game that uses one of the best written characters in the medium all year to tie its plot, themes and gameplay together seamlessly. Thrilling, frightening and genuinely compelling, Alan Wake is a nightmare players will not soon to forget.

The enthusiasm and joy that was involved in crafting this game is evident in almost every single frame and it's an undeniably unique gaming experience.

While it isn't perfect, Dust is a generous and smart addition to Xbox Live's thriving Arcade.

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.

What is here is a thumping, bubbly, precisely-engineered and consistently entertaining platformer, but one that lacks for ambition.

At 800 MS points it's a bargain; with its gripping story, engaging new characters and fun new weapons, Minerva's Den is a product the late Andrew Ryan would most assuredly approve of.

I’m genuinely surprised with how much I adore Watch Dogs 2’s world. Its satire works because it is always punching up, never down. As such, Watch Dogs 2 feels like it’s making a statement. Rudyard Kipling once said, “San Francisco has only one drawback – ’tis hard to leave.” While Watch Dogs 2 isn’t as faultless as Kipling’s vision of Northern California, you’ll still want to spend tens of hours wandering this virtual recreation of the famous city and on into the Bay Area beyond.

But while I wouldn't have minded a bit more MC Hammer, Dance Central has managed to get me to wave my hands in the air like I just don't care. No mean feat. And it keeps the wife laughing, and whatever makes her happy, makes me happy. Sort of.

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.

This adaption of LA Noire is terrific fun, with Rockstar putting a lot of work into its detail and implementation. This is a game perfectly suited and definably improved by virtual reality. Its fleeting and occasionally disjointed nature, however, betrays that this is essentially a testbed.

There'll always be limitations on console, and it's highly unlikely the game will ever compare to it's PC counterpart, but this is an impressive port and a brilliant game regardless. It's made even more of an ominous time-glutton by having you sprawled out on the sofa, pad in hand, mind, so be careful.

Dead Space Extraction may be short on scares, but it's one of the best 18-rated games on the Wii, and also one of the best rail shooters ever made for any console.

Fundamentally, there aren’t many changes to the Football Manager core. This is a yearly update of a series that’s been around for a long time. All the same, there have been fundamental changes to elements of the game, and they’re welcome, and logical.

There are speed runs, challenges and endless survival modes to add longevity, but it takes a special kind of game to provide such a lean playtime with such self-assured verve. That is Superhot all over: stylish, confident and perfectly formed.

The Monster Hunter series continues to be brilliant but a little impenetrable, despite efforts to remedy that very issue. How much you’ll get out of the game really depends on what you’re willing to put in - if you’re short on spare time or patience, maybe give it a miss. But if you like the sound of really learning a game for once instead of just drifting through it, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is essential.

One of the things that has surprised me during my first hours in The Division 2’s ravaged Washington DC, is just how thoroughly competent it all is...If that immediately sounds like damning Ubisoft’s militaristic looter-shooter with faint praise, that isn’t the intention. Launching an persistent online game in the vein of Destiny et al and having it hold together is bloody hard. Just ask Anthem...Several hours later, I’m still enjoying a compelling, mechanically satisfying --if aesthetically uninspiring-- shooter. And that’s with very few technical hiccups, aside from the odd floating corpse and texture pop-in.

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

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.

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.

While it may occasionally frustrate, Antichamber is a wonderful experience. There are vague hints of a plot, but it's a plot about self-discovery and making progress, about learning how to overcome challenges and find your way through life's confusions.

Creating such beautiful chaos isn't easy, especially in a racing game, but forming some kind of order out of it is even harder. In marrying the simulation sensibilities of a hard-core driving game with the ferocious combat of a kart-racer, Bizarre has done both. And in doing so, brought us the most exciting new racer in years.

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.

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.

Burly Men at Sea is the closest thing I’ve played to an interactive fairy-tale.

The enthusiasm and joy that was involved in crafting this game is evident in almost every single frame and it's an undeniably unique gaming experience.

Incredibly simple to pick up and play, but with the potential for plenty of tactical approaches, Videoball is a great multiplayer game and I’d love to see it hit the esports scene in a big way.

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.

Essential for those who haven’t experienced Butcher Bay, it’s also well worth a repeat visit for those familiar with the hulking prison. The new campaign, on the other hand, doesn’t have the same velocity or finesse but at its best, will still be one of the smartest, and most satisfying, games you’ll play this year.

It’s easy to recommend the game because all the RPG elements and Towers of Time nonsense aside, it is a fantastic fighter at heart, albeit one that teases how it could’ve been better still.

You can only review what is in front of you. And currently, PES 2020 seems out of form.

No doubt there is a lot more that could be done with a mixed martial arts game and, as a biennial release, you wonder if UFC 4 could have moved the needle a bit further on for the genre. Perhaps EA could do with a new contender to keep it on its toes, not so much undisputed as unchallenged. But for all its faults, where it matters most - in the octagon- UFC is a genuine thrill.

This is a game best enjoyed in short bursts, or in the multiplayer. At its best, it's an intoxicating cocktail of high-speed thrills and explosive action. It may feel slightly shallow after several hours of play, but give it a brief window of your time and you're looking at some of the most intense and gleefully maniacal racing available.

Disappointing too is the roster of worlds you visit, and the lack of exploration in each.

What a pleasure it is to find a video game with such warmth and fascination with companionship. And what a joy it is for it to be found in a game with such an elegant sense of exploration. Some of its technical quirks cannot be ignored -errant frame-rates and inept camerawork especially- and some may find Trico’s capriciousness anathema to seamless adventure. But that is also what makes him and The Last Guardian so remarkable. Things that any animal lover can relate to - it is beautiful, heartfelt, unique and infuriating. And I adore it.

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.

A great little racer with some excellent track design and a pretty unique feel to its racing. It's just a shame it's a tiny bit too punishing in places, with a multiplayer that doesn't quite match up to its single player.

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.

One could still wish for a better story, for more choice and consequence in your actions or for an end to the nagging collect-em-up nature of the Ubiworld. But for sheer daft mayhem, this is now the action game to beat.

Newcomers should be aware that some of Resident Evil’s old-fashioned style can frustrate, but it is still a creepy, involving slice of bona fide video game history.

It's a rollicking adventure and a story well-told, held back by limited mechanics.

Purists and veterans will probably dismiss Halo Wars due to its lack of depth, but Halo fans and the uninitiated should jump right in. It's probably the strongest RTS game that's ever been released for a console, and as an entry point into the genre, it's pretty much unbeatable.

It’s a superior game to Conviction, but it won’t be held in the regard as the original Splinter Cell or Chaos Theory. It’s spread too thin and too focussed on trying to cater to everybody than exploiting what it’s best at.

In Local and Private lobbies, Tekken 7 is almost perfect, but comes short of greatness when it comes to looking at the full package, which is a frustrating disappointment.

Last Light is the rare shooter that lingers with you once you’re done with it.

Catherine will mean different things to different people, a game that runs far deeper than its titillating surface might suggest. And the journey to finding out what it means to you is certainly one worth taking.

FIFA 15’s biggest changes are cosmetic, and that will is absent. FIFA 15 plays, more than any other recent FIFA sequel, largely the same.

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.

This is a fizzy, exciting brawler that’s easy to pick up and even easier to like, all bolstered by an authentic and reverent adaption of the DC Universe.

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.

It’s slightly too short, a bit technically ropey in places, and extremely heavily front-loaded with some very dense lore, but once you work your way through the initial overwhelming lack of direction, what you’ll find is an exceptionally rewarding RPG filled with deep systems, a ton of genuine replay value, and a lot of love and care.

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.

If you're willing to foot the bill then the sheer amount of new content on display is sure to make this a reunion to remember.

It is probably best summed up by a battle with a beast in the game’s denouement: a suffocating struggle in the dark, punctuated by fierce assaults on the senses that goes on for ten minutes too long, losing its lustre in the process. By turns thrilling, terrifying, thoughtful, thoughtless and tedious. A strange game indeed.

It’s not the most difficult of games, as Kirby titles generally aren’t, but it is enormous fun, and up there as one of my all-time favourite 3DS titles.

Renegade Ops is, without doubt, a fantastic amalgamation of the tongue-in-cheek comic world and the high score shooter, reminiscent of arcade classics such as Desert Strike. A bullet-fuelled adventure in which battles are vicious, bosses are silly and a great deal of fun can be had by all.

Splatoon looks and feels wonderful; it’s a satisfying, immediate, hugely entertaining and almost entirely original brand of shooter. Some players might hanker after more substantial nourishment, but the snack-sized morsels of action that Splatoon offers are absolutely bursting with flavour.

If you've felt that Call of Duty has been getting more than a little tedious in recent years, as I certainly have, then Advanced Warfare might just convince that it's something worth taking notice of once again.

This is an unusually brave blockbuster, not prepared to compromise its vision in favour of chasing a larger audience; a credit to both developer and publisher. And while it may not be for everybody, those that are looking for a convincing interpretation of sci-fi's most terrifying monster will be well-served.

While it remains to be seen if this level of quality can keep up over its five acts, Act I of Kentucky Route Zero is a beautiful, melancholy start to what should be a fantastic series.

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

Combining surreal challenges with mind-bending gameplay and packaged with some of the most delightful visuals to ever grace a console, ilomilo is one of the best titles in XBLA's steadily growing catalogue.

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.

It doesn’t lack for content, then, but those looking for something filling and nutritious may feel short-changed by the game’s adolescence and humdrum tasks. But sometimes you simply need a sugary, cathartic snack. Taken under these circumstances, at least, Sunset Overdrive’s giddy blasting often hits the spot.