Thank Goodness You're Here! is essentially and interactive saucy postcard from the 1980's which has clearly been made with a lot of a love and great attention to detail. Sadly the gameplay is also from the 1980's, you just run, jump and punch, but the many jokes and asides keep you thoroughly entertained while you do so.

The best way to sum up L.A. Noire is that it suffers from Assassin's Creed syndrome. You'll certainly get a lot of enjoyment out of it. There's something new and refreshing about a witty, intelligent game that requires a little bit more thinking than the norm. However, it's a bit repetitive and kind of loses its way after the halfway point.

Dave the Diver is a bountiful feast of sushi prep, fish hunting, and store management. The Nintendo Switch version, however, hampers what would otherwise be the most rewarding and feature-rich management game of the year.

Unique, divisive, and fiendishly clever, there are bound to be those who love it and those who absolutely hate it. Then there are those, like myself, who fall somewhere in between, able to appreciate Thekla’s achievements but frustrated at how The Witness continues to build a wall around itself, as if guarding a secret from its players.

It’s flashy, technically stunning but ultimately slightly empty. Characters vary from vapid to engaging, the FBI agent a highlight but lead Ethan tends to look bored rather than desperate. If you’re looking for a decent story with minimal interactivity to occupy a wet weekend, one cut with mystery and suspense, Quantic Dream’s latest might be right up your street, but gamers looking for anything else will be left out in the rain.

If I could have Absolum without the roguelite elements – and admittedly, a few less glitches – then I would have my ideal 2D side-scrolling beat ‘em up, the best I’ve ever played. As it is, the roguelite structure and its inconsistent delivery unfortunately lowers the overall experience. It’s still a very enjoyable game, even with these issues, but this was so close to being a classic of the genre.

Sure, there’s a decent game here if you can’t wait for the big hitters just around the corner, but if patience isn’t a virtue of yours then perhaps Bayonetta isn’t the one for you anyway, at least unless you’re going for the 360 version. Shame, as Bayonetta has solid principles and a sequel could very well be amazing.

The long-awaited return of FromSoftware's mech-filled series, Armored Core 6 delivers on a lot of what fans will have been hoping and dreaming of. Building and customising mechs is engaging, missions are action-packed and it looks gorgeous, but it's undercut by swings in difficulty for boss fights and an all-too-familiar story.

Yakuza 0 Director's Cut is a good way for new players to get into the series, and plays great on Nintendo Switch 2... but it's also a good bit pricier than the game on other platforms and the added cutscenes, voice work and co-op mode don't feel like enough to overcome that difference.

The inclusion of microtransactions and the need for an internet connection have a major impact on how easy it is to recommend this game. Still, it’s the best basketball game on the market.

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is an intriguing and beautiful RPG, paying homage to classic Paper Mario games. Some areas, such as the dialogue, feel rushed, but there's a well thought out storyline and plenty of side quests and mini-games to keep you entertained.

There aren’t many games like Shadow Tactics, and thankfully, it sets the bar high for any would-be challengers. The blend of RTS controls with stealth-oriented gameplay and level design create incredibly satisfying, almost puzzle-like encounters. It takes a lot of time and patience to be able to discover the solutions to these puzzles, however, and the hours long missions often left me feeling fatigued before I was even halfway through with them. Shadow Tactics is a unique exploration of the stealth genre with a great amount of polish, but if you’re going to dive in, be prepared for just how deep the water is.

Arc Raiders reminds me of Destiny at launch; the core gameplay is excellent, and there's a heartwarming sense of community, but there are many aspects that need refining and expanding. Managing your stash on consoles is a chore and there are not enough in-game events to spice up each run.

Nintendo continues to revive what some might call their lost generation of games. Pikmin 3 Deluxe is yet another Wii U transplant though one that slots seamlessly into Switch’s first party line-up. Although unwieldy and slow to start, Nintendo’s charming inventiveness has produced an intriguing, if not excellent, entry in the strategy genre.

Three Kingdoms is another solid instalment in the Total War franchise, but lacks a certain wow factor. Creative Assembly has made some clever refinements around the edges of that enduringly addictive strategic core, allowing fans to steep themselves in yet another historic saga. However, there’s a chance that some won’t gel with this new setting or the way Guanzhong’s epic has been adapted. It’s another fun and rewarding take on the series, though we’d struggle to call it a must-buy.

Extremely addictive it may be, but it doesn’t move the game on in terms of originality or push the limits of what can be achieved with PSP Minis, instead, Tetris just plays safe.

It's certainly not without its issues, and at this stage in a generation you feel like a game should probably be wielding more graphical clout, but the game's combat more than makes up for it. It's simply brilliant, and you can have a lot of fun trying out the different options it presents you. Once Dante's picked up every weapon there's simply so much available to you, and it's what sets the game apart.

Recall your fondest sandbox memories: discovering The Truth, learning to fly, or climbing the central tower in Crackdown. There’s nothing like this in inFamous. Sure, there’s some nice boss battles, some great shoot-outs and, when it’s all said and done, a decent overarching story, but the moments, the single sections that must piece together to form a whole, are rarely that enjoyable and you certainly won’t be discussing most of them with friends around the watercooler.

The PS3 version isn't as smooth as the 360 version, which is a shame, and there's a hell of a difficulty curve but if you're willing to put the effort in there's a decent enough simulation-ish game here as an alternative to Activision's more arcade-like Hawk series.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time really is the definitive Crash game. Toys For Bob have taken all the series’ trademarks, refined them into a challenging and polished experience and given us tons of levels to play and secrets to hunt for. There’s new characters to play as and masks that shake up the gameplay when they appear, but Crash 4 is the same old Bandicoot who's learnt a few new tricks.

Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition brings Guerrilla Games' fantastic sci-fi adventure to a whole new audience, but PC players used to ultra-high frame rates will have to accept a step down in performance as they enjoy Aloy's journey.

SoulCalibur VI is a fantastic looking entry in the series, but beyond that feels like something of a missed opportunity. The core combat remains as vibrant, weighty and enjoyable as ever, but the Reversal Edge adds in an element of chance that feels at odds with what most fighting games set out to achieve. The two interminably dull story modes don’t help either, with players left to rely on the the straightforward arcade and online modes for their kicks.

The sights and sounds alone make Hogwarts Legacy the dream Harry Potter game fans have been longing for. There’s an intriguing mystery to unravel, though you’re bound to spend most of your time exploring a wealth of side content, visiting virtual landmarks and roleplaying as a Hogwarts student. That said, it’s more successful in being a sandbox teeming with nostalgia rather than a stand-out action RPG in its own right, let down by gameplay foibles and spellcasting combat that quickly slides into repetition.

How does Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster hold up in 2025? In short, it holds up poorly unless you’re a big fan of the franchise, or just love JRPG tropes with a passion. Even the combat mechanics that lends the game its name wear thin, leaving little about this game to really recommend against more inventive JRPGs or Switch 2 launch titles. For the first time ever I'd rather play a racing game than a JRPG.

Whilst Death's entry in the Darksiders series certainly has better gameplay mechanics and a better style than War's, the story fails to make a mark and the game, for as big as it is, can soon become monotonous at points.

It’s a smart, humourous post-ironic dig at everything from Zelda to Final Fantasy which never takes itself too seriously.

Fantastic new units and the best lizardmen campaign yet, paired with a cathartic but comically overpowered beastmen stampede.

There's much to like about Platinum Games' orgy of mech madness.