Part of how much you reap from Resident Evil 3 will be down to your nostalgia for the series, part of it will be if shooting the embodiment of a virus in the face with a rail-gun is just what you need right now.

Remaking a touchstone of the medium in this fashion is like creating a big-budget, 10-part Netflix drama series out of the title sequence from Grange Hill. Franchise fans will tune in to see an outsized sausage on a fork only to be confounded by the three episodes dedicated to the netball teacher’s character arc. Curious newcomers tempted by the production values and peerless reputation could find the soporific pacing and weirdly dated references to outsized sausages leaves them wondering what all the fuss was about. And everyone else might just shrug and watch The Witcher instead.

Half-life 3 this ain’t, then. But Alyx might actually be something better: an awe-inspiring amalgamation of atmospherics and immersion which does for VR gaming what its forebears did for the first person shooter genre all those years ago. And while it’s a shame the steep price of entry will prevent a significant number of fans from experiencing its majesty, those who do will likely emerge from this most sensational form of self-isolation with their view of the world altered forever.

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

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a terrific and affecting bout of escapism. Its ‘Metroidvania’ roots reach deep - those that remain unmoved by this style of 2D action aren’t likely to find anything revelatory. But its aura and execution is a thing of beauty.

With a game this broad and lengthy, there’s more to discuss than I could fit in one review, but suffice it to say, this a game that Nintendo have clearly worked incredibly hard to get right. It shines at every moment, from the wind rustling through the trees, to the sunset glinting off the water to the jaunty tunes at the start of the day fading into more relaxing melodies in the evening. Add dozens of much needed quality of life features (hello player customisation, autosave, couch co-op, and eight-player online play) and it all adds up to the perfect DIY recipe for the most chilled out, relaxing, and engaging life simulator ever.

Video gaming is an extraordinary medium capable of so many things; transporting you to other worlds, challenging your mettle and your beliefs, telling stories and fuelling creativity. Sometimes, it lets you get together with your mates and shoot zombie Nazis in the nuts. Consider the bar raised.

The game doesn’t outstay its welcome over its 12ish hours, which is, truthfully, something of a blessing.

As my board like to say: we are pleased with the progress being made.

There are some truly great games that can transcend the universe they are set in to appeal to fans and non-converts alike. Fallen Order doesn't do that. There is nothing new or radical here. But as comforting popcorn gaming to indulge in while you wait for your trip to the pictures? Job done.

A fascinating, if somewhat incomplete package, then. Modern Warfare is a game looking to re-carve its identity as the world’s most evocative and recognisable shooter. A tough feat, despite all the resources clearly thrown at its inception. There are clear missteps along the way as Infinity Ward walks its line, but the direction is an exciting one.

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.

Most importantly, everything about The Witcher’s design, from combat to writing to world-building is so tight, so beautifully handled that it’s easy to forget the graphical short-comings of the Switch version.

Factor in the graphical glitches, rampant texture pop-in and generally asthmatic performance levels, even when running on a PS4 Pro with settings optimised to favour smooth running, and there really is no end of reasons not to love Borderlands 3 (and don’t even think about Googling developers Gearbox Games’ litany of employee relations history)...And yet... love it, I do. Guilty as charged.

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

The most ingenious/insidious (delete according to taste) addition is the confusingly titled Season Objectives, which have nothing to do with the football calendar and instead are a version of Fortnite’s Battle Pass. Pretty much every action in the mode, from playing games to listing items on the transfer market, now accrues XP which in turn unlocks rewards, ranging from new stadium decorations to coins, packs and, ultimately limited edition players.

It makes for a relentlessly entertaining and often heart-thumpingly thrilling campaign that would be easy enough to recommend on its own.

Telling Lies feels more like a jigsaw puzzle, with you hunting among scattered pieces. But while it can have its moments of exasperation, there are few things as satisfying as revealing the full picture.

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.

Days Gone is a game that is, at once, both so close and so far from being what it could have been. There are certainly things here to enjoy and sufficiently pass the time. Those dusty roads of Oregon being the most prominent, but when that world is so empty and its inhabitants so vacant, it starts to become a real challenge to care.

From the backgrounds to the animations to the bold colours, Cuphead is a love letter both to classic cartoons and platform-shooters, fine tuned and tweaked so it plays like a dream. It also manages to take a certain much-maligned gaming trope and turn it into something wonderful.

In a world where blockbuster racers like Forza Horizon 4 provide big budget mod-cons, Dangerous Driving will be too pared back for some. But for simple thrills and focussed spills, it drives right to the heart of the matter.

There is every chance that in a week’s time the toy-cons we built may be languishing in a cupboard, with the thrill of creating something already over. Regardless; what a charming, rewarding and singular way to spend our time it has been.

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.

Sekiro is a game that, for better and worse, lays down an almost belligerent challenge. Keep playing, by all means, if you can handle it. Such fierce difficulty will not come as a surprise to veterans of From’s previous games Dark Souls and Bloodborne, of course, and will likely relish Sekiro’s propensity to kill you often and without mercy. Few games task you so harshly or dare to drive you to such frustration, but few games are as rewarding or exhilarating when you succeed.

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.

It’s stylish. It’s cool. It’s supremely fun, fluid and rewarding. Dante’s back and he’s brought some friends. And with combat flair that makes up the finest pure-action game we have seen in a long time, we hope they stick around.

Right now, despite those fabulous jetpacks, Anthem stumbles more than it soars.