A turn-based strategy mini-game called Chronicles of the Sword is a little dry, yet hypnotically addictive.

Unusual and delightful. You know you are hooked when you cannot wait to see what your furry friends are up to, or spend hours crafting letters or building the museum collection.

The way the scale changes seamlessly is incredibly cunning with areas becoming accessible and later off-limits again according to the size of your flotsam-encrusted orb.

Victories are initially too simple and training dull but professional bouts hugely engaging. Patient defence, careful countering, well-timed combinations and conserving stamina are crucial.

Many clever obstacles, opponents and switches demand co-ordinated effort.

The loading times on the PSP may test your patience, but this is a game entertaining enough to make it worth the wait.

Film-to-game adaptations with this level of clarity and vision are incredibly rare, with The Great Circle letting players inhabit a pitch-perfect Indy in his prime, complete with all the whip-cracking and fascist-punching that implies. But even for those unfamiliar with the franchise, this is a seriously satisfying period pulp adventure.

Battles are spectacular, thanks to the detailed animation of units, and provide instant feedback on your progress.

With a deep but logical fighting system, heaps of gruesome over-the-top violence and a lovably insane cinematic story mode, Mortal Kombat 11 is an excellent fighting game that should have something for just about every fan of the series, let down only somewhat by a greasy and convoluted customisation system driven by loot boxes and grinding.

Spectacular visuals, ruthless opposition and gritty, tactical gunplay make this intense entertainment for solo soldiers and a hoot to play online with friends.

With near endless creativity, thoughtful puzzles and a lot of laughs, Luigi's Mansion 3 offers a smart and theatrical haunted house with a huge amount to see, do, collect and play around with.

From entry to entry, the biannual Forza Motorsport series doesn't change a whole lot at its core. But this latest entry strips back some of the bloat, fixes some missteps of past games and pushes the envelope further than ever before when it comes to graphical proficiency.

This is a game that will thrill long-time fans and introduce brand new ones to what Sonic is like at its very best. Far from the tone-deaf reinventions and cynical cash-ins of Sonic at its worst, this is a love-filled celebration that also proves there is life in the 25-year-old original concept yet.

Serving as both a quirky Zelda spinoff and a sequel to 2015's rhythm-action indie hit Crypt of the Necrodancer, Cadence of Hyrule is a polished and charmingly inventive game sure to appeal to fans of either franchise. From the Rougelike dungeon and item design to the inspired musical remixes, this crossover has worked out better than anyone could have expected.

Offering a fresh take on Super Metroid while updating the franchise for modern audiences and supplanting the sluggish (but narratively important) Metroid II, this return to form is everything a 2D Metroid game should be. Not every modernising addition to the classic formula is as well-polished as it could be, but this is still one of the best entries the series has to offer.

One of the best new features is the Speed Kill, a stealth attack that requires timed button presses for successful take-downs - a brilliant addition to the already exhilarating game play.

Although the platform-leaping action is easily criticised for lacking originality, levels are inventive and varied.

While too many are dull head-to-head encounters, the solo missions sharpen your skills.

Echoes of Wisdom marks a welcome change in protagonist and introduces a brilliant new approach to items and combat, but it’s otherwise business as usual for the series; this is a beautiful, joyful and surprising fantasy world to explore, with just the right mix of nostalgia and innovation. It's a stellar debut for a new heroine (despite her name being in all the series titles), and an instant classic.

The best in the series to date, this brain-over-brawn tactical shooter successfully delivers all the action of a first-person shooter at just half the pace.

Magnificent on the Xbox 360, this could be a contender for game of the year.

Few strategy games are more accessible. Players of any ability will find the interface simple to navigate and advisors constantly remind you of mission objectives.

Fans of racing games should look at picking this up, regardless of how many wheels they usually prefer to race on.

It's glitzy, ditzy and full of glam, but it will also leave you battered and bruised.

With more complex combat, a slimmer and harder-hitting story, more interesting characters and better performance, this is a superior game to its predecessor in every way except for the fact that there's less of it. A perhaps unintended consequence is that I find myself caring less about a full-fledged future sequel following the adventures of Peter Parker and his rich friends. I'm really hoping we see more of Morales.

Even just interacting with villagers is enjoyable, particularly when they bow down in fear, applaud your courage, or swoon at your handsome looks.

This is a stunningly successful modernisation of the franchise, a beautiful representation of one of the most engrossing societies in history and great story. The old bones of the Assassin's Creed series are definitely here, but for the most part the game's been reinvigorated with RPG mechanics and a more thoughtful, exploration-based style.

The Outer Worlds is a well-written, novel, gorgeous roleplaying game, made for today using some of yesterday's best tricks. If you fall into the trap of using fast travel it can feel like ticking off to-do list items instead of adventuring. But if you force yourself to slow down and let the sharp dialogue, otherworldly vistas, and intriguing characters work their magic, it's one of the best roleplaying experiences of the last few years.