Going backwards from Bloodborne feels almost archaic, and it takes some time to settle into that once familiar gameplay. However Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin offers the chance to revisit that still fantastic and familiar world with a slight twist to proceedings and a respectable face lift.

XCOM 2 is a tour de force of the tactical turn-based shooter genre. The game can be relentless and its AI unyielding, but this just makes you want to go back in for more!

Pikmin 3 is the game that should have launched the Wii U. Its combination of calming atmosphere and strategic gameplay create a unique and mesmerising experience while it lasts. While it may be over too soon for some players it still remains by far the best first party game currently available for Nintendo’s latest system.

In short, Total War: Warhammer II offers plenty of content for fans of strategy games, Warhammer and Total Warhammer fans, and new starters to the genre. It is easily one of the genre's finest, standing alongside X-Com 2 as one of the best PC games of the last few years.

Online play is smooth and seamless, with your rival being picked from a pool of roughly statistically equivalent players, whether playing with real NBA or FIBA teams or your own custom fantasy myTeam.

Three of the best looking, most fun and widely loved games all on one disc.

Whilst DiRT Rally doesn’t have the WRC seal of approval it has the hearts of its die-hard fans.

Overall, while this is indeed in some respects a new skin for the Total War series, it’s one that it wears with honour and pride.

Brilliantly authentic, incredibly immersive, F1 2020, for me, is one of the best racing games I have played for a long time. Managing your team is a brilliant addition that will perhaps entice new players on-board. The game is very user friendly, It has a massive amount of modes, features and options that will suit any type of player of every skill level. It looks good, sounds great and performs very well. Right, I am off, this F1 team is not going to manage itself.

Easily the best third party title currently available on the Wii U and the best version of the game to grace any console. As a nice bonus you also get the DLC included which was seen on other consoles, entitled Speed Pack. A must buy to show off the Wii U’s graphical capabilities and for anyone who loves racing games. If you want the best Need for Speed experience, play it on the Wii U.

Really, for anyone that managed to be around as a gamer when these two games first came round, and, like me, are starting to feel like they’ve been round the houses a few times already themselves, the greatest element of this HD Remaster is that you can play it outside your home – it’s magic of the purest kind that gets JRPGs of this calibre running on a handheld.

Titanfall isn’t a stunning technical achievement, it isn’t a master class in storytelling however it is arguably the best evolution of online multiplayer in some time.

Yakuza 0s slice of eighties Japan is gaudy, over the top and gloriously unashamed of itself in all the ways a majority of PC games aren't. The combination of fast paced combat, melodrama, comedy and mini-games provide a ton of fun for the asking price and the conversion from console to PC has been a resounding success. Absolutely worth your money and time.

Easily the longest of the DLC released to date, Dragon Keep clocks in at a cool twelve to fifteen hours, possibly even more if you are the kind of player that explores every last nook and cranny of the map. Providing excellent value for money and to date the best reason to go back to Pandora, Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep is a must for anyone remotely interested in going back to Borderlands 2.

Gorgeous visuals, charming characters, and engaging story abound in this remaster. While changes are purely graphical in nature, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch certainly deserves a play for newcomers and veterans alike.

If you are willing to brave the chaotic difficulty and dystopian grittiness, Valfaris is absolutely worth every moment!

A brutally challenging game made more accessible by both, being on a better console, and having the funkiest of Kongs as a playable character. Incredibly good fun and with an asburd amount of secrets to find, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a truly impressive platformer that is so hard you will be a more grizzled gamer for coming out of the other side of it.

Blizzard have excelled once again at combining drama, eye-opening art design and finely honed gameplay to create another unmissable experience.

Brothers is nothing short of a triumph, glowing brightly in the embers of the dying fire of this console generation and reminding us all why we started playing games in the first place.

While we’re sceptical about the rather rushed out nature of this remaster, it has to be said that Homeworld is still a fantastic Real Time Strategy game and should be in the library of any one with an interest in the genre.

A solid pinball game that makes full use of the Switch.

Ninja Theory have against all odds created something fresh; a creatively superb and in places fantastic action adventure game. It will not be for everyone and is certainly more mainstream than previous efforts but DMC is a rip roaring start to 2013.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag doesn’t reinvent the franchise, nor does it move the story on. Instead, it refines the best bits of III and wisely sacrifices some of the po-faced historical accuracy for an adventure with pirates.

Tomb Raider is one of the games of the last generation and now it’s that little bit prettier, and better for it.

Even if you already own its PC brother there is something incredibly refreshing and revitalising about playing the game offline with friends, each with a controller, together on the same screen.

The Switch edition of Civilization VI brings the full (base) Civ experience to a handheld. For this alone it's an essential purchase for strategy players, but the interface and presentation make this one of the best games on the console on its own merits.

Short but oh-so-sweetly sick, Resident Evil 7 rewrites the series formula to nerve-shredding success, with PSVR integration only adding to the immersion.

As a package Rise of the Tomb Raider is sublime pure Hollywood blockbuster entertainment with the only real negative that some could level is that the minute to minute gameplay presents very little that would be considered groundbreaking or new and at times it might feel similar to the previous iteration.

Forza Horizon 2 is simply a joy to play - combining the gorgeous graphics, authentic but forgiving car handling, a wealth of single player content along with some fantastic social features.

Despite a few niggling control and camera issues, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a world of fun, and full of Nintendo's iconic style and substance. It builds on what makes the series great, and is easily on the best games of 2019. An essential purchase for every Switch owner!

By adhering to the cookie-cutter conformity of MMO tropes, A Realm Reborn doesn’t attempt anything wholly new but shines in its familiarity.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 is exactly what a great sequel should be. It’s a much bigger game than its predecessor but retains its creaky charms.

The Taken King fixes so much of what was wrong in Destiny, but still doesn’t quite make it to the epic status it aspires to.

A tough, technical fighter with a lot of resources to help you conquer it. Shame about the story mode, though.

ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights is a gorgeously haunting game, in both visuals and sounds. A few oddities in controls but overall a wonderful, tear-jerking and somewhat eerie experience. [Early Access Provisional Score = 90]

It’s successful on so many fronts; a new entry in the genre that stands aside long-term franchise veterans, deftly combining a worthy story with the fighter structure and painting believable characters that don’t overstay their welcome or pander to fanservice. All of these points and more make Persona 4 Arena a balanced, thoroughly enjoyable fighter. Even though it does school you from time to time.

Good value for money coupled with some of the most gorgeous 2D hand drawn graphics on the market and new player accessibility make this fighter an exceptional buy.

CD Projekt Red has set a new standard for what can be achieved in this sandbox. Cyberpunk 2077 is taking open-world gaming to the next generation.

The Talos Principle will make you feel confounded but in that wonderful way that precludes an epiphany. You’ll leave each session feeling genuinely smarter – and perhaps a little rebellious to boot.

It’s a shame that Maxis folded the way it did, but the baton has been passed. Rejoice, mini-mayors, for the city-builder is born anew.

It's not perfect, but Metroid: Samus Returns is a resounding return to form for the series and a must-play for all 3DS owners.

With hundreds of hours of gameplay in a world that you’ll never want to leave, Ni No Kuni is not only a brilliant game to start 2013 but also one of the best games in years.

As 2014 draws to a close, Inquisition is a contender not only for game of the year, but for the best title to come out of BioWare’s impressive stable - either way, it’s an essential purchase for any RPG fan.

Despite an intriguing setting and some solid gun combat, The Outer Worlds borrows too much from the series it's heavily influenced by, leaving it feeling void of originality.

Not for everyone but if you can see past its issues, herein lies a phenomenal old school RPG.

Exactly the right amount of old and new, DOOM is an adrenaline rush that borders on overwhelming in the best possible way.

Batman: Arkham Knight is a very good game, held back from greatness by some odd design decisions.

A remarkably strong challenge of your tactical skills hides some wonderful world-building and character-driven storytelling that helps this game really stand out.

PES 2017 is without a doubt the best on-the-pitch football you will play, and perhaps the best in recent memory.

Deceivingly easy to pick up and incredibly hard to master, Cook, Serve, Delicious 2 may just be the most addictive thing on the simulation genre menu.

Aside from the one or two issues it has Ys VIII is a magnificent game, it's fun to play, with mechanics that suit both casual players while giving more hardcore gamers a challenge. The plot is compelling and the characters memorable, while the music is not only enjoyable but also instills a sense of adventure and nostalgia that serves to endear the whole experience to the player. It’s the perfect starting point for new players while remaining true to the saga’s long legacy.

Nioh 2 is everything its predecessor was and much more! The art design and soundtrack are sterling, the combat and customisation is deep and improved. There really isn’t much bad to say here.

Its amazing what has been done with this portable Witcher 3 port. Yes the graphics are downgraded, yes it does not look as good as other versions but it is a well running portable version of a great RPG. You get a lot of game for your money and it is well worth your time and effort.

Two Point Hospital is entertaining, quirky and very funny. It has a nice learning curve and its gameplay never gets stale. It improves on the game that influenced it in most areas and does not try to re-invent what was a good game to start with. I really enjoyed it a lot and I think most people will to.

It’s a truly wonderful trick that Yakuza 0 plays, and rather than work out how it does it, just sit back and let this video gaming alchemy entertain you.

Destiny 2 is a better game than the original but more akin to a reboot than a full sequel.

On sheer value for money alone The Master Chief Collection is a fantastic proposition, add in that it contains some of the highest regarded Xbox titles of all time, touched up, enhanced and fit for a whole new generation of players, it’s quite simply a must buy.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe represents the ultimate version of the title, and even though the experience is over way too quickly, the game is easily one of the Nintendo Switch’s best titles, and a must-play for fans, new and old!

Games have been around long enough to poke fun at themselves and their cinematic predecessors, and while other titles like Viewtiful Joe and Saints Row: The Third have both got their fair share of jollies from doing this, it's arguable that no game until now as done so with such vigour as Battleblock Theater.

A sequel that treads very familiar ground whilst remaining fresh and innovative, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a great title that delivers on both its promise to give the player an immersive narrative, and also in giving them untold freedom to play the game however they want, as long as they can deal with a dumb hunger meter. Building might be bad, but has never felt so good.

Heroes of Hammerwatch is rewarding, fun and the gameplay loop is very intelligently designed. Every time you return from a run through the dungeons, unless it was a complete disaster, you will be able to progress your town in one direction or another. I just wish some of the game was a bit easier to see on the Nintendo Switch's small screen.

It may have stumbled on occasion, but as Cry Wolf interlaces the straggling parts of what has come before, Telltale have once again given a lesson to writers of other story-driven games in how an ending should be done.

I am immensely happy that I can take everything I have learnt and plug it into a simulator over the summer whilst I’m travelling around Brazil watching the World Cup. It’s simple and strips out a lot of what I’ve done and utilised this year but the raw challenge is there - to win something and develop the team.

Graphically, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is great. It features a top-down approach allowing you to view the map at your pleasure, uncovering it as you go. Each race has it's own distinct style allowing you to easily tell the difference between all six and the sheer detail that has been put onto each building, enemy and weapon is insane. It really is a pleasure to look at.

What Brave New World does is complete Civilization V. The game was never really all there and it’s taken nearly three years to make it all the way.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a near perfect game let down only by the demanding mission padding and a soundtrack that represents a slight step backwards from its predecessors.

Total War: Three Kingdoms is a top-tier Total War game, and the pinnacle of historical and real-time strategy tactics.

Technically fantastic, a joy to play for the most part and an awful lot of game for your money.

It may be tricky at first, but stick with it and you'll soon find yourself enthralled by Chime Sharp. It's an addictive and absorbing take on a classic formula, with a great soundtrack and a sleek aesthetic for hours of satisfying puzzle action. Just make sure to turn up the volume.

A quirky fusion of genres which challenges as much as it charms.

The Journey makes the purchase worthwhile and the rest of the content will keep you playing for months. FIFA 17 delivers as per usual.

Like a food pairing that shouldn't work but does, Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle overcame our scepticism and rewarded us with a supremely competent turn-based strategy game.

Bringing together all the classic ideas with some truly essential new ones, in many ways It’s About Time is the ultimate Crash Bandicoot sequel.

7 hours in and this game is addictive and rewarding in a way that suggests there will few other games this year that can compete. It is as if Level-5 have put everything they have done in a cauldron and magically created this incredible RPG. [Provisional Score = 90]

As a gamer you owe it to yourself to experience Shadow of Mordor if not for anything else other than the Nemesis system because playing a single-player game never made you feel less alone.

A fun, colorful throwback to yesteryear whose quirky charm and addictive gameplay just about outweigh its issues.

With its incredible level of customisation Planet Coaster is the pinnacle of theme park management games, however be warned that this depth comes with a vicious learning curve.

Whilst it might take a while to click, once it does, nothing can stop TxK taking over your life.

The Nintendo Switch is home to many great indie titles that have flourished and found their natural home on the console; Filament is one of these titles. A slow-burn, Filament will test your patience with its complex puzzles and steep difficulty spike later on, but ultimately is one of the best experiences I've had on the Switch.

Despite its issues, Prey is an enjoyable first-person shooter which begs you to explore its wonderfully crafted and at times awe-inspiring world.

Dark Souls Remastered is a solid reminder of the incredible strength of the original entry in the series. There are certainly some comforts lost by going back the start but the game is still incredible. Whether you have never played it before or you miss the good old days, this is a great remaster.

Gears of War 4 is the real deal - gorgeous to look at, smooth to play and packed full of content.

Seriously, the only way this could be any better were if it ended on a freeze-frame of Shepard punching the air, accompanied by Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’.

What it lacks in visual fidelity against last year's Special Edition, the Nintendo Switch's port more than makes up for in portability. Couple that with arguably one of the best games of all time and you've got one compelling reason to Fus Ro Dah all over again.

As it stands Axiom Verge is highly recommended, it is a game that knows its source material, has the ability to authentically replicate its inspiration but interesting enough to add its own spin.

Frostpunk is bleak. Really bleak. Each decision serves not to ensure progress, but to ensure survival against overwhelming odds. It’s essentially a Crisis Management Simulator, and I love it for that. Just remember to play something more cheerful immediately afterwards.

With this collection you have portable versions of three classic video games. Not only that, they run, look and perform almost flawlessly. I do not know what sorcery was used to get these games to run this well on the Nintendo Switch but its a joy to behold. Right, i'm off to play Bioshock in bed.

The best in the series since Uncharted 2, Chloe Frazer's Indian sojourn is a thrilling, fresh and engaging adventure.

With a polished fighting system, deep story mode, and buckets of content, Soul Calibur VI is easily one of the best fighting games of the generation.

It all comes down to your affinity for JRPGs, but credit falls to Atlus for offering curious newbies that helping hand, a hand that has the strength and power to pull you into the world and become entranced.

Monolith Soft has delivered a true epic, and in some ways classic, to the JRPG genre.

F1 2019 makes itself available to a bigger audience than ever before with its considerate difficulty curve and fan pleasing content additions.

Yet again you can spend a hundred hours playing the game and still feel like you’ve only seen a small proportion of the world. But it is still a game littered with bugs, comical glitches and a frustrating user interface and while most of this will get ironed out over time by patches and the community they do prevent it from becoming a complete classic.

Control: Ultimate Edition is a complete package of everything you could want from Remedy's instant classic - but a bit of narrative vagueness and overall lack of variety hold it back from perfection.

FIFA 14 pushes the franchise forward in baby steps without providing any major surprises or new “wow” features, yet is still streets ahead of the competition and a must for any footie fan.

What that means for the third instalment remains to be seen, but as the conclusion to this particular story No Going Back lacks the punch of the first season’s finale and becomes an analogue of the second season as a whole: an above-average game which has vainly struggled to step out of its predecessor’s shadow.

There’s always a man. There’s always a city. There’s always a lighthouse. And there’s always a reason to revisit one of the finest trilogies in the modern gaming.

An addictive riot of a video game, and an essential purchase.