An extraordinary piece of work, with things to say about pacing, writing, world-building and the communication of emotion that feel profoundly valuable to the industry...Its sense of purpose is overwhelming.

It’s good fun, though feels more like a distraction, a shiny thing waved in front of our noses to stop us noticing the proper golf sim is so bare.

Knight, for all its foibles and frustrations, consistently gives you that injection of adrenaline.

Wooly World’s gentle accessibility, then, can be its biggest strength or most obvious weakness… depending on who you are. Either way, there is no doubting the craft.

This is a remarkable, progressive, absorbing game, one sure to prompt fervent discussion among its players, no two of whom will have shared the same experience. Your actions and deductions may not lead to a virtual arrest or conviction, but the curiosity of your inner Columbo will surely have been sated.

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.

For those that have played through The New Order and are keen for more of its beefy action, this delivers around 7 hours of it for a decent price. I’d argue The Old Blood also makes a satisfying starter to The New Order’s more substantial meal if you haven’t yet had a taste. A well-priced piece of downloadable content that works equally well on either side of the main game? Clever.

There’s definite worth in this spin-off, and ample evidence that Climax can deliver, but a greater sense of adventure is needed if Chronicles is to truly soar.

Not A Hero thrives in its messy, hedonistic chaos.

A great package. While not all of it will suit everyone’s taste, it is worth the price of admission for Final Fantasy X alone. However, if you already picked it up on Vita or PS3, the jump in visuals isn’t quite worth the gil.

There is no saving the world, here, no great evil force pervading the landscape, or a doomsday clock ticking down to inevitable destruction, with only you to stand in its way. The story of Wild Hunt is a personal one, set in a huge and unrelentingly beautiful world.

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.

Like its cast, it can feel like an unholy jumble of disparate ideas, yet that unpredictability is one of its greatest assets. Code Name S.T.E.A.M. represents a gamble on the part of both developer and player, then, but as long you’re prepared to accept its unconventional terms, there’s a good chance it will repay you quite handsomely.

Sure, you’re left with the nagging sensation of unfulfilled promise, but away from the circus of its development and that (perhaps unreasonable) weight of expectation, Broken Age will, in time, be a game many players remember with genuine fondness.

Like a zombie with all its fingers cut off, State of Decay’s reach often exceeds its grasp. Despite this, it feels like a game people should play, if only for the creeping moments of brilliance.

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

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.

Given the frustration levied by its questionable level design, Hotline Miami 2 loses its replayability factor - something its predecessor delivered ever so well.

The payoff is something else. A euphoric rush of relief and heart-pounding glee, accompanied by the flourish of the forest returning to life, the colour filling the trees and the irresistible pull to carry on, even though you know more of those lethal bloody rocks lie in your way. The Siren call of the Xbox One’s best game to date.

Bloodborne is one of those experiences that totally consumes you when you're involved in it and working to see all that it has to offer. In that sense it's the digital edition of a round-the-world trip to foreign continents, each turning of a corner providing equal helpings of excitement and trepidation. That recipe brings it own rewards by simply being a part of it, the seemingly effortless delivery indicative of a design team and philosophy that is only getting sharper.

Type-0 is a consistently interesting experience despite not always being one that hits the notes it's aiming for. It's an example of how wonderful games can be when they focus on a particular form of design, but simultaneously, it stands as proof that even those mainstream games labelled 'mature' struggle to provide a narrative of wider cultural value.

There is still a great multiplayer shooter here, but it feels more like an expansion than a full sequel - if it wasn’t for the campaign, Hardline would be Battlefield 4’s version of Bad Company 2's Vietnam expansion - it even has the vehicle music. It just forgot to bring the personality.

As a story, it’s all deeply unsatisfying. And that’s a real shame, because a cogent narrative could have papered over some more of The Order’s cracks. As it is, that job is left to visual splendour, decent shooting and a marvellous, if squandered, setting. And, while it lasts, The Order is a game that entertains almost as much as it frustrates. But not quite enough to shake the feeling of a wasted opportunity.

It is scrappy in places, and often trite, but is well structured and compelling. Let’s hope Techland take this success and run with it.

Evolve is exactly as satisfying as the people you're playing with. It serves a concept that is so precise that anything less than perfect unison between participants results in a confused mess. But when it all comes together, when your fellow players are all singing from the same hymn sheet, there’ are few more striking multiplayer experiences to be had.

There is a lot that Life Is Strange does well. It is offbeat and interesting, if a little rough around the edges. And with the seed of a mystery planted by the end of the episode, there is enough here to be optimistic about the remaining episodes.

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.

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.