Though it looks stunning and is an impressive achievement in open world multiplayer gaming, a lack of variety and completely frustrating single-player mode keeps Sea of Thieves from staying afloat.

Some will feel it’s asking a bit much to charge close to full price for this one. The core of the game is functionally identical to the Xbox 360 version, which is playable on Xbox One, and other similar games have been upgraded to 4K on that platform totally free. But taken on its own merits it's hard to argue against the amount and quality of the content. Paradise remains one of the most successful blends of action and driving ever, and the included add-on packs provide hours of tire-spinning, chassis-destroying fun.

When the minigames here lean into the object creation tools (lifted entirely from the old games) there's fun to be had. But not enough of them do. There are so many options available for shallow rhythm-based dance games or Flappy Bird clones that it's disappointing to see them shoe-horned into a franchise that's already sitting on one of the most unique and enjoyable gimmicks there is.

Whether it's the opportunity to recruit a mini-boss like Bugzzy after defeating him, or the puzzle rooms that test your skills like not many Kirby games before have done, Star Allies is the freshest the series has felt in years, and certainly the most fun to play with friends.

While the deeply relatable narrative, sketchy art and evocative music could all conceivably be delivered in a short film, it's the brilliant metaphors of the touchscreen play that make Florence truly special. It's breathtaking and emotionally affirming little game.

While the gameplay might not be very deep or precise, Frantics succeeds as a pick-up-and-play game that anyone can enjoy regardless of age or gaming experience. The funny characters are ideal for slapstick violence, and the frequent alliances, backstabs and sabotages keep things interesting.

As beautiful as some moments in Fe are, and as vast and disorienting the forest seems, beneath it all is a very linear and basic game with ordinary platforming and a competent but forgettable story. Worst of all, it just doesn't seem like it has a whole lot to say. It gives all the signals of a game with an emotional story and a powerful message, but in the end it just doesn't communicate one.

An insuppressibly charming journey of sky-high exploration and Metroid-style underground dungeon crawling, Owlboy offers a whole lot of heart alongside its innovative takes on tried-and-true adventure game staples.

Aiming squarely at gamers' nostalgia for mid-90s roleplaying games and hitting nothing but a vast white void, Lost Sphear is a fun game bogged down by a muddle of throwbacks and a cacophony of unoriginal, competing ideas.

This remake is an excellent way to experience an outstanding game, although returning players may find some of the magic lacking if they remember all the answers, or have a specific fondness for the indistinct graphics of the original. Conversely new players will find this version much more palatable from an aesthetic point of view, but may find some design quirks annoying and outdated.

Incredibly thoughtful and mechanically near-perfect, Celeste marries impeccable game design with a touching and relatable story in a way I've never experienced before. It's simultaneously an excellent platformer and an engaging meditation on the perils and methods of tackling depression and anxiety, and the fact that those two aspects are so naturally integrated is amazing.

With a story of boundless optimism, dozens of huge, living worlds to investigate and one of the most satisfying battle systems seen in a Japanese roleplaying games in years, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a charming and engrossing long-form adventure.

Comprising the most complete version of the original retro minimalist masterpiece Mudds, its tough but fair sequel and the unremarkable but fun multiplayer puzzle game Mudd Blocks, Collection is an excellent value and a welcome return for the series to where it all started: a Nintendo handheld.

With more ways to influence the outcomes in your favour, a greater variety of chance-based gambits and a structure that almost (but not quite) eliminates the frustrating repetition of the first Hand of Fate, there's a lot to like here for tabletop devotees and action-adventure fans alike.

The Top 100 does a good job of collecting and remastering a large number of minigames from across the entire series, but neglects to tie them together in any meaningful way. By focusing almost wholly on the minigames, the game tends to become a relentless slog of loading in and out of overly simplistic challenges over and over again.

With more than 200 characters and settings from dozens of different comics and films, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is one of the most comprehensive LEGO games ever produced, even if the actual gameplay is starting to feel old.

For players that skipped Sun and Moon, there is more than enough new stuff here to make this the ultimate way to play. Returning players will definitely be left with a strong sense of deja vu, but if they finished everything last year's game had to offer and were hungry for more they could still get their money's worth here, especially if they're up for a big dose of nostalgia.

For players that skipped Sun and Moon, there is more than enough new stuff here to make this the ultimate way to play. Returning players will definitely be left with a strong sense of deja vu, but if they finished everything last year's game had to offer and were hungry for more they could still get their money's worth here, especially if they're up for a big dose of nostalgia.

This is another fun, fleeting, exceptionally good-looking Call of Duty game, but its World War II theme doesn't add much besides bringing some of its mechanics back down to Earth.

There's no escaping the awful loot boxes and ham-fisted progression system here. The much-anticipated single-player mode has its moments but it's not as strong as expected, leaving the online play to serve as the core of the experience. Though there are some smart tweaks and changes that could have potentially improved the game over Battlefront 2015, funnelling all your upgrades and levelling through random boxes massively misses the mark. The production values are sky high and in the moment it can be amazing, but Battlefront II's economy keeps me from wanting to jump back in.

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.

At its core Shadow of War is a tremendous amount of fun, but its good mechanical parts are under constant threat of suffocation from its gormless framework. The player's own story of an endless struggle against (and alongside) powerful orcs is enthralling, but the game's actual narrative is a boring trudge. The loop of killing powerful enemies for new loot is a great motivator, and building your army piece by piece to take strongholds seems like a perfect fit for this game, until you hit a wall and are faced with its app-style payed-for incentives.

Mario Odyssey is an inventive, playful and incredibly polished experience that pays constant homage to the storied series' past while never feeling redundant or old. From the creative way classic characters and styles of play are inserted into the worlds to the brand new capture mechanic that gives a new perspective on what an open-world Mario game can be, this is a timeless journey I'll keep coming back to for a long time.

Anyone who enjoys South Park is bound to love this game, as it's essentially a 20-hour-long episode where you get to direct some of the action. The video game aspect of the experience isn't perfect — aside from still-pretty-basic combat system navigating around the town is a bit clunky and the crafting system is mostly an excuse for you to find humorous things in people's trash — but this is a cool RPG wrapped in an excellent and uniquely South Park adventure.

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.

Cuphead's running and gunning is strong enough that it would have found an appreciative audience even with more video gamey art, but it's the perfectly executed 1930s animation style that makes it something special. From terrifyingly transforming beasts to the occasional fully-voiced character song, every element here makes it obvious Studio MDHR really knows and loves its source material.

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.

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.