Generations refines and perfects the Monster Hunter formula, and presents us with comfortably the best title in the series' history.

Still, despite the inconsistencies, The Devil’s Daughter is an enjoyable thriller. Albeit one that doesn’t always know its strengths.

Playdead's Inside is fiercely intelligent, exquisitely grotesque - and one of the best video games of the year.

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.

Blood and Wine is an expansion that’s more generous with its content than some full priced games, and the fact that CD Projekt Red has maintained such a consistent level of quality across both of its expansions is really remarkable.

If there is a complaint to be had it is that, currently, there is perhaps not enough to it. The four game types are a variation on two themes, the 12 maps quickly repeat, while competitive ranked play is yet to be included. But Blizzard has made all the right noises about being committed to building on Overwatch, providing new heroes, maps and gametypes for free across the game’s lifespan.

There were no doubts that Doom would play fast, look stunning, or be gory; the surprise is that Doom is as relevant, smart and self-aware as it is; merging old ideas with new ones; injecting its near-flawless shooter mechanics into a campaign that’s impeccably refined, hilariously dumb and fiendishly moreish.

For now, Sapienza is a fabulously strong episode, and one of the series’ greatest hits.

It is rip-roaring stuff. There is no great illusion here; any risk that may have been associated with Nathan Drake’s introduction a decade ago has long gone, swept away in a tide of crowd-pleasing spectacle. But Uncharted 4’s swagger makes it easy to succumb to the ride, its craftmanship, sense of adventure and willingness to open up to its players providing a potent sugar-rush of popcorn gaming pleasure.

The learning curve makes it likely you’ll want to blast through again at least once with your flight skills finally under control. And this is when Star Fox Zero is at its best: a thrilling, fleeting and flawed joyride.

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

Not only is Ratchet & Clank the best family-friendly game that I’ve played in a long time, it’s one of PS4’s standout titles and a blistering return to the glory days of the 3D platformer.

It is one of the most fascinating games you’ll play this year, or any other, a high-profile game that still dares to go against the grain despite its ever growing popularity.

It is explosive, barely coherent, high-budget bluster. And, for the most part, is rather good fun.

It weaves a miserable tale of loneliness, dehumanisation and sexual and emotional abuse. It will exhaust and upset, leaving you bereft for Renee and the thousands of women like her. Contrary to the title, there is no light here, only darkness. But that doesn’t mean it is not worth a look.

For a game built around the shallow need for incremental improvements, there is a surprising amount of depth when you dig into character and gear statistic tweaking, too, which only makes the tight squad action of the minute-to-minute gameplay even stronger.

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.

Ultimately, Hitman’s current mileage is going to vary depending on your openness to experimentation. But as a statement of IO’s intent with this reboot, this is a confident first episode that invites you into the flashy world of murder with one of the most sumptuous, devilishly delightful levels ever seen in a Hitman game. Time will tell whether the subsequent packs will allow Hitman to regain its once-revered status, but this is a fantastic start.

It is all thoroughly enjoyable. If you have had your fill of Ubisoft’s open-world template, much of Primal may give a sense of ennui. But for me, stripping it down to focus on hunting and gathering, while removing heavy ordnance and vehicles, gives it a calmer rhythm. It is slower and more methodical, with you soaking in the splendid prehistoric world Primal provides. It isn’t the future of the genre, but you will have plenty of fun knocking around in its vision of the past.

Most importantly it feels great. The colourful, muscular artwork lends extra weight to already ferocious scuffles, moves landing with crunchy force, accentuated by its brilliant habit of a split-second freeze for fierce hits. Everything is quick and forceful, with fights quickly taking on their own rhythm depending on both the characters and the players using them.

Every choice, every death and every shot feels like it counts in XCOM 2 and it is this feeling of real consequence that makes for a truly remarkable strategy game - one that goes beyond its clever design decisions and the odd technical hiccup to create a tangible sense purpose and real emotion to your squad’s story. As an experience that puts you in control, lets you relish victories, forces you to truly mourn mistakes, and allows you to grow as a tactician against insurmountable odds, XCOM 2 is near faultless.

While this relationship is a triumph rarely seen in video games, the moment-to-moment storytelling is not as well-crafted. Firewatch sets up a smart bait-and-switch by messing with your assumptions about what’s going on, but doesn’t quite deliver on it. The build-up is tremendous, lacing the air with paranoia and tension by dangling different threads. But by the end doesn’t tie together.

Unravel never entirely shakes that aura of niceness over its five hours or so. It is both its strength and weakness. The background tale of Yarny searching through a family’s memories is a bit mawkish, but the little fella’s determination to trek through the challenges Coldwood chucks at him is adorable and endearing.

The Witness is a game that will genuinely have you punching the air or laughing out loud, just from correctly drawing a line on a grid. If that isn’t the mark of a truly special game, I don’t know what is.

There's a haunting elegance to Oxenfree that's there because each of its constituent parts are working together to create it.

Will I ever understand such faith? No. But now I understand how much it can help people through something so unspeakably tragic. While nothing can ever bring back their little boy, I am glad the Greens had that faith. And I am glad they were brave enough to share it with us.

A lack of variety doesn’t stop this being a wholly welcome return for Amplitude. It has a thumping heart and soul, a timeless nucleus of gameplay that I hope Harmonix has the opportunity to build upon. A euphoric finger dance across a fizzing, abstract space.

But that focus is what makes Siege’s multiplayer so good. In a year with a glut of good competitive first-person shooters –the sci-fi fizz of Halo 5 and Star Wars Battlefront or bombastic ordnance of Battlefield Hardline and Call of Duty: Black Ops III- Rainbow Six Siege’s smart, sharp tactical nous marks it as one of the best.