Its biggest strength is the realistic handling. You feel every nuance of the car's movements, weight shifts and suspension, particularly with a Driving Force Pro steering wheel. This is a peerless driving simulation that will test even professional drivers.

An original puzzle experience, fusing musical elements and presentation.

Old-fashioned Mario fun. As pleasurable, challenging and addictive as two decades ago.

Horizon is a special game, one which puts forth a very confident spin on action-RPG conventions and on the idea of a post-apocalyptic survival tale, but also one that will engross you in its mystery and poke at common humanistic ideas from an angle we don't see a whole lot. That said, it certainly doesn't hurt that it's amazing to look at and has heaps of cool robots to blow up, and its actual game mechanics are just as engaging as the story it tells.

It's testament to the PSP's power that Wipeout looks and plays better now than it ever did on PS2. This classy remake rolls all the tastiest bits of this futuristic racing series into one glorious parcel of pixels.

But where this latest instalment excels is in enhanced options and customisation for serious fans, while still offering pick-up-and-play access for those after a quick sporting fix.

Beautifully strange and gleefully morose, What Remains of Edith Finch is a singularly amazing work of video game magical realism. Though brief and lacking any gameplay challenge, this is an incredibly special game by virtue of its narrative and creativity alone.

Enemies are intelligent, using cover effectively. Unfortunately, most encounters are overcome using the same method: laying suppressing fire and flanking.

Battles are marvellously theatrical, with punches, kicks and throws so powerful the ground ruptures when pugilists fall.

With cutting-edge graphics, thumping surround sound and good design engineered to scare the willies out of you, F.E.A.R. is quite a dazzling experience.

Frequent gags, sharp dialogue and attention to detail richly reward those willing to explore and experiment.

Perfect for a hand-held, Meteos provides an engaging challenge even during brief sessions.

Best of all, the ball physics and controls are excellent.

Delivering a pitch-perfect blend of cinematic spectacle and cartoony fast-paced action, while also providing the most impressive showpiece yet for the PlayStation 5 hardware, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart looks, sounds and feels like a truly next-generation game. That it does this while also offering the exact same high level of heart, imagination and endearing characterisation we’ve come to expect from Insomniac Games is just as impressive.

Controls work beautifully and patience and timing are crucial.

Despite Gotham's obliging nature, high-speed thrills and gorgeous graphical sheen, it's hard not to feel that we have seen its best tricks before.

The bizarre and intense assortment of mini-games require both deft precision and manic arm flailing.

Everything you'd expect from the PS2 game has somehow made it intact, lending credence to Sony's claims that the handy portable is almost as powerful as its big brother.

Breathtaking in scale, Medieval II will keep you glued to the screen.

This is a stunning celebration of all things Super Mario, from the music and the art to the characters and items, and it's also a great social tool that uses the ubiquitous language of running and jumping to share gameplay and narrative ideas between players worldwide. It has lost a bit of its weird edge since last time, but it's also gained a lot more variety and much more substantial systems for sorting stages and playing with friends.

The dazzling presentation mimics Saturday morning cartoons and the charming cast bursts with personality. There is a wide repertoire of moves, many fun gadgets, and the controls are effortless.

The best new inclusion in this console version of the PC hit is a two-player co-operative mode that lets mates tackle 20 intense missions together. It's a blast.

The biggest problem is a hardware issue: it can be difficult for players to hit diagonals on the PSP's directional pad. But once mastered, experts should have few frustrations.

Although there is no online play, deep and lengthy modes such as Season, Franchise and Dream Team will keep you busy.

Few games are this fresh or entertaining.

A remake of a much-loved 1987 relic, Pirates is incredibly charming. Its simplicity belies the game's surprising depth and addictiveness.

With a flimsy-but-fun narrative premise and rock solid platforming gameplay backing it up, the rhythm of exploration and upgrading here is about as addictive and satisfying as they come. I'd go so far as to say Dig 2 out-Metroids Samus Returns, but on top of that its mix of free-form exploration and self-contained puzzle rooms makes for an original twist.

A delightful racer perfectly suited to PSP. Even three minutes waiting for the train can be packed with thrills.