Flawed and often out of touch, Syberia 3 only serves a dedicated clutch of fans that have spent the past decade looking for closure to a beloved series. To anyone else, it will come across as a bizarre and mostly impenetrable relic that feels out of place among 2017’s slate of releases.

There’s nothing quite like GNOG out there in design terms , with each monster puzzle box giving the impression of being a toy. The VR aspect is a really nice option that enhances the experience too. However, while GNOG looks and sounds great, it doesn’t generally offer much difficulty, instead happy to almost point out the answers to you. A charming but short and simple puzzle game, it’s nice and accessible to everyone.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is a perfect example of a remake that’s been done for reasons beyond simple material gain. Lizardcube have clearly put everything they have into making it unerringly respectful of the original – for good and bad – but this has all the look of a gorgeous modern indie platformer, while retaining the old-school gameplay that made it so memorable the first time around.

Symphony of the Machine is a pleasant enough puzzle game, with its laser beam manipulation requiring a little out of the box thinking at times. However, it’s a concept that we’ve seen before in VR, and niggles with moving around and interacting with this 3D space left me feeling a tad frustrated and disappointed.

Sadly, Scanner Sombre never really attains the heights of Dear Esther and Gone Home, two games that Introversion site as inspirations. If you have an interest in that genre, it’s still very much worth exploring the cavernous depths of Scanner Sombre, but more than its fellows, this is a striking idea that searches for a game and a story to make the most of it.

The constant churn of daily activities may prove thankless and repetitive for those impatient and unwilling to immerse themselves, but if you surrender yourself to Stardew Valley and dig deeper beneath the surface you’ll find one of the best, most impactful games you play this year, homage or not.

What Remains of Edith Finch is a short experience, but one of the best that has been released in recent memory. Giant Sparrow rose to prominence with The Unfinished Swan and here the studio has cemented itself as one of the best at constructing narratives intertwined with engaging environments. Both a celebration of life and a commentary on the tragedy of death, What Remains of Edith Finch should be experienced by as many people as possible.

Regardless of my handful of complaints, the fact is that Momodora grabbed me and never let go. From start to finish, I was in love with the world, the combat, the easter eggs, and nearly everything in between.

Little Nightmares is something of a minor classic. Gorgeously gross and surprisingly inventive, it creates a genuine feeling of terror and tension. It’s a bit odd to say a game that involves skipping over corpses is enjoyable, but it is, just don’t blame Tarsier if you have nightmares.

Despite some technical issues brought about by Cities: Skylines’ transition to Xbox One, it remains an enthralling city builder, and one which has virtually no competition on console. The most keenly felt loss is the ability to fast-forward through time, but for those who succumb to its more relaxed pace, Cities: Skylines is liable to remain the best home console city builder for some time.

The relatively unique Georgian setting and the brewing civil war are all but set aside for a by the numbers story of revenge and betrayal, while Jon isn’t a very likeable protagonist. The various bugs and crashes also need to be addressed in future patches, as they can ruin the experience. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 has the sniping down to a tee, which should be expected with the number of years CI has been working on the series, but the surrounding package could be better.

The best way to experience Puyo Puyo Tetris is to gather some friends and play a local multiplayer session. There’s a plethora of modes available and it’s a blast to have people play each and every one of them. Despite single player and Online ranked matches being utterly relentless, Puyo Puyo Tetris is still a fun party game with a wholehearted recommendation nonetheless.

I really enjoyed Statik. It’s not particularly big, but it is very clever, and has clearly had a lot of thought and love poured in to it. VR is an integral part of the game rather than being a showy gimmick, making this a fine addition to the PlayStation VR library.

It’s an odd complaint, but Flinthook really does feel like a high-calibre platformer trapped within the confines of a popular genre. It’s a blast to play and I don’t even mind just how punishing it can get at times, but the interest wains as soon as death occurred. It took me straight out of the zone when playing and when the game doesn’t have much to it beyond the gameplay, it’s a bit of a downer. The foundations are there, but really the curtains don’t match the décor.

Where most game series can rest on their laurels, Dawn of War III is essentially the third reinvention of Relic’s Warhammer 40,000 RTS. As the game captures a sense of grand scale, it loses some of the strategic nuance in changes to the cover system, and it’s a disappointment that tried and tested multiplayer modes aren’t included as well. That said, the campaign makes for an enjoyable and challenging romp through yet another crisis in the 40K universe, and while some gameplay elements have been simplified, the three deeply contrasting races offer plenty for players to sink their teeth into online.

Mario Kart 8 was already a simply sublime kart racer on Wii U, but Nintendo have managed to make it just that little bit better. From the new and improved Battle Mode to tweaks that add more depth for veterans and more accessibility for novices, a great deal of thought and effort went into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, beyond simply porting it to Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to be the best in the business, and now you can play it on the train.

Enigami’s attempt to craft a full Action-RPG experience as an indie developer deserves praise, and, visually at least, it comes close to aping its peers. However, a meaningless story, awful dialogue, irritating combat and an utter lack of pace sees it come up short in every other area that matters.

Late Shift is a decent FMV title with a cast that puts in a lot of effort to make their characters believable. It’s let down by some glaring plot holes that don’t stand up to scrutiny. There are seven endings, meaning that some of the choices made do matter, while others feel a bit like filler and don’t seem to change anything. The ambition and the actual cinematography is there, but the writing really needs some improvement to push Late Shift toward greatness.

Full Throttle Remastered is essentially the perfect rework of a classic. Barring a couple of minor issues, LucasArts’ old title has been brought up to modern standards by Double Fine, boasting a brand new look that gives a lot of vibrant detail while maintaining the things that earned Full Throttle its reputation in the first place. It’s clear that Double Fine put a lot of effort into this project, not least because of how important the game is to Tim Schafer, but it’s a great game regardless. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or an adventure game newcomer, if you’re looking for a game that provides a fun experience with a well executed story then you should get Full Throttle Remastered.

The Disney Afternoon Collection is a well compiled anthology of Capcom’s classic Disney games. There’s been a lot of care put into the collection and the extra modes have been implemented very well, but there are a couple of issues that could do with ironing out, such as the slowdown in certain sections. It’ll be a blast of nostalgia for those who played the games when they were first released almost 30 years ago, as well as fun for a newer audience.

Telltale have crafted their own story from the Guardians comic-book lore, while keeping the flavour of the hugely successful movie. There are plenty of nods to both, and fans on the lookout for Knowhere, the Kree and other notable characters from the series will likely be more than happy. This is still a Telltale game though, and there simply aren’t any new mechanics to be found here that’ll convince detractors otherwise.

As we saw with RIGS and how Sony abruptly axed its life support, the same could very well happen to StarBlood Arena and that’s a bloody shame. I want this game to do well, I really do, but as a multiplayer VR title with a non-existent server population and an exorbitant price tag, it’s fighting an impossible fight.

At only a few hours long, Fated keeps things short and sweet. Although there’s little reason to go back and play again, I didn’t feel as though the £7.99 pricetag was too steep. In that respect, it’s more of a showpiece, a flashy virtual rollercoaster, and one that’s definitely worth riding.

Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe thankfully does not live up to its subtitle at all. This re-release of a re-release builds up on everything that came before it, fleshing out the experience into something worthy of your attention, whether you’re a hardcore fighter or a casual button-masher. Some wonky writing and poor visuals dampen the experience somewhat, but if you can look past that and fancy some classic KOF style fighting game action, this is the game for you.

Amidst the glut of blockbusters at the start of 2017, The Sexy Brutale stands out as one of the most enjoyable and well-realised titles out there. Successfully evoking the feel of a classic adventure and combining it with a distinctive art style and beautiful music, it deserves to reach a wide audience. Its 8 hour playtime is consistently entertaining and full of intrigue and the final narrative payoff is satisfying. All in all, The Sexy Brutale is a perfect indie game to fill the gaps between the many sprawling epics that are demanding our gaming attention this year.

Aaero is a new beginning for rhythm action games, as it draws on the genre’s past strengths and makes them its own. It has a different outlook – completionists may balk at the improbability of a ‘perfect’ run – but equally that could make it all the more alluring to those looking for a true score attack experience that doesn’t give up its wares so easily. Aaero’s setting may be apocalyptic, but its outlook is full of hope for a genre that still deserves its place in the here and now.

Blackwood Crossing does a great job with telling a story, but it’s lacking in lustre as a game. The surreal setting, the believable characters, and the plot are all highlights of Blackwood Crossing, and if that is what you’re looking for to wile away a couple of hours, then I recommend it. If you’re focus is purely more on the gameplay side of things, it may be worth waiting for updates to roll out to address issues like movement and fiddly interaction. PaperSeven’s first release shows a studio that has promise in storytelling, but it just needs to fine tune the gaming side a little bit more.

PaRappa can be as punishing as it is unconventional but, with an open mind, it may also be one of the best games you’ve experience on PlayStation 4.

Slapping down poor video games never brings me much pleasure, especially those that genuinely show promise. While it has a unique setting and some solid ideas, boring level design and a general lack of imagination when piecing together all of these components leaves me with very little to praise.

Structurally, Blaster Master Zero is a significant step forward for the franchise, but provided you are actively avoiding getting hit, the game is just too easy. Mildly more interesting when driving around in a tank than gunning down mutants on foot, it’s probably a great entry point to the series for more inexperienced gamers. It’s just a shame that this reintroduction doesn’t provide much of a challenge.

Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition brings back a mixture if beautiful visuals and fast-paced first-person gameplay that we’re rarely treated to. The Duke Nukem add on also works surprisingly well too, with Duke’s dialogue working well alongside Bulletstorm’s blend of phallic jokes and crass humour, even if he does look out of place in the game’s cutscenes. It’s a decent remaster that could have been improved further with an updated control scheme, but whether with Grayson or Duke, this is still some of the best FPS gameplay in recent times.

Thimbleweed Park is a game that will resonate strongly with those who enjoy adventure games, and especially fans of some of the older games in the genre. It is a labour of love and that’s something that shines through the game. There are points though where some puzzles can feel a bit too obtuse in relation to their end goals, leading to a bit of frustration, though that can be countered with the casual mode. Thimbleweed is a strong entry to the adventure genre from the minds of those who helped cement it, though it can be tough at times.

As a spiritual successor to Firefly Diary, A Rose in the Twilight excels in nearly every way. The simple art style of the game makes the gruesome events of the game even more striking, and you feel for this mysterious, troubled girl and her equally mysterious golem companion, as they traverse death traps and monster mazes in search of answers. It’s a carefully constructed narrative that never once feels hindered or neutered by the lack of direct dialogue. Despite a few encounters that were too vague for my tastes, the puzzles and challenges you face in the game are satisfying and difficult in just the right way. It all comes together in a wonderful package with a few stray flaws, but they hardly end up detracting from an otherwise beautiful experience.

Of all the potential hurdles to snag on in creating a 3D platformers in the style of the late nineties classics, Playtonic deftly avoids the most egregious ones by far. At its very core, Yooka-Laylee succeeds in reviving a format long forgotten and does so with such vigor and passion. However, players shouldn’t expect it to reinvent the genre.

A few weeks after the console’s release, you have to scroll a little way to reach the bottom of the Nintendo eShop’s Recent Releases list to find Vroom! in the Night’s Sky. Don’t bother. It’s complete bobbins.

Old Time Hockey is a slog that tries to masquerade as a pick up and play arcade hockey title. Throughout the main campaign you feel like you’re dictated to play in a particular way instead. The devs have done everything right with the presentation and the commentary yet slipped up in creating a fun game. Arcade hockey games from a decade ago, even two decades ago, laid the perfect foundations to build upon but it feels like the devs of Old Time Hockey wanted to dig those foundations upon and build a series of poorly signposted office blocks where the ice rink used to be.

Managing to be both nostalgic and refreshingly new, Snake Pass is a glorious adventure that brings the 3D puzzle platformer right up to date. Barring some frustrations and a tough difficulty level, there are few indie games that provide such a thoroughly entertaining, beautifully designed experience as Sumo Digital have created here.

Persona 5 stole my heart. It was impossible to see that the best game of the already venerated series was yet to come, and yet somehow everything works wonderfully. I’d rather the dialogue didn’t pad things out as much as it did, but I was captivated from beginning to end, it brought back mechanics long thought out-dated, and introduced smart changes for the better. An essential RPG for 2017 that you should not miss out on.

Has-Been Heroes has a genuinely inviting and involving combat system that requires real strategic thought to master. However the rest of the game just doesn’t pull together to form a cohesive whole, with brutal difficulty, frustrating permadeath and an under-utilised premise all serving to taint the end product. It does at least benefit from the Nintendo Switch’s portability, and this is where it’s at its best, but at home you’ll likely be turning it off far quicker than Frozenbyte were hoping for.

What you get out of Everything will depend entirely on you. You may get bored within minutes just as easily as you could spend hours wandering around alien continents as a slice of pizza. I’m not sure it can be described as fun in a traditional sense, and it sometimes feels like you are being forced to sit through through a complex lecture mixed with a dash of group therapy, but other times it can be utterly hilarious as you make baby tractors by dancing.

This is a platform that Traveller’s Tales are looking to build on, and indeed have since its original launch on PC, and with continuing growth there’s the potential here for something essential for Lego enthusiasts. As it stands though, for all of the merit and freedom that Lego Worlds affords, it’s still bound by many of the same problems as its predecessors.

Putting you into cunning espionage themed escape rooms, I Expect You To Die is a fun VR puzzler with a charming sense of humour and dozens of ways to die. Sadly, there’s only a handful missions to take on, making this yet another VR game that’s over before it’s had a chance to really get started.

Toukiden 2 is everything a sequel should be. Instead of lazily expanding on the original game, which would have been so easy to do, Omega Force actually went back to the drawing board, completely reinventing those parts that needed work. By streamlining much of the dull admin and encasing the game in a larger open world, Toukiden 2 manages to break free from the pack. As a result, it’s easily one of the subgenre’s best entries to date and one that, in some ways, is preferable to Monster Hunter.

Visually and thematically, 2Dark succeeds in paying homage to its forebears. Everything else, however, is desperately lacking. Alone in the Dark had twenty years in which to rise and fall but Raynal’s latest stab at survival horror barely gets twenty minutes.

Spanning several hours and sporting a number of more traditional game features, Kona feels far meatier compared to your average walking sim. The combination of nonlinear design and survival mechanics certainly help to dispel some of the issues I have with the genre. That said, the vagueness surrounding some puzzles, frequent backtracking, and a somewhat dissatisfying finale left me with mixed feelings despite introducing some welcome changes to the formula.

I found it hard to be excited during the opening hours of Mass Effect: Andromeda. It feels too safe, too much like what’s gone before, but then it clicks. There’s a moment where the galaxy opens up to you and you find yourself embarking once more on a huge mission across compelling, beautifully constructed planets, surrounded by memorable characters. Sadly the glut of technical missteps serve to cheapen proceedings, but this is still an adventure you don’t want to miss out on.

Once you do get racing against other players of similar skills then any sense of fair play goes out of the window and you use every dirty trick and underhand tactic to get in to first place. With eight racers the crashes can be spectacular pile ups with cars, logs, and half a house smashing across the race track in front of you, and, as previously mentioned a lot of swearing, but a lot of laughs as well. Silly fun, and well worth your cash.

Mario Sports Superstars should feel like a generous package, but each of the different sports feel lightweight or stripped back, and ultimately a touch forgettable, despite the inherent charm of Mario and his friends.

Memoranda is an enjoyable game that simultaneously benefits from the exploratory nature of the adventure genre whilst being held back by the inevitable repetition that puzzle-solving requires. It stands as a beautiful and literary engagement with an important genre of contemporary fiction that gently interrogates our sense of self identity. If that sounds a little dry, it also has an opera-singing cat and a puzzle that involves cleaning up vomit. Quirky and charming, I would recommend it to players looking for something different, but be prepared to fall back on a walkthrough during its more obscure moments.

Future Unfolding doesn’t compete with the open world delights of this season’s big hitters like Horizon: Zero Dawn or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but instead offers a wonderfully relaxed and immersive combat-free alternative. It’s a safari rather than a big game hunt, but one that deserves to be explored.

Death Squared is an entertaining game that has been carefully refined until it can out from the crowds of other indie puzzle games. It’s easily recommended for gamers who appreciate the puzzle, platform and party genres individually or when combined together.

Story of Seasons has a wealth of addictive and detailed gameplay mechanics, and the focus on a strong gameplay loop with plenty of wiggle room is executed flawlessly. What it boasts in gameplay, however, is lost when it comes to bland writing, ho-hum visuals, and music that I often found myself muting. There’s some fun to be had here if you’re interested in romance and characters, despite these flaws. If you’re more interested in the farm management and agricultural gameplay, though, there’s an endless amount of fun to be had here.

Shards of Darkness could have been a big step forward for the series, giving you a more rounded set of gameplay possibilities, alongside the better looking environments and other areas. Alas it’s not as big an improvement as I’d hoped and is let down by bugs and inconsistencies. It’s a stealth game with one foot stuck in the past, and that remains both a blessing and a curse.

Hollow Knight is well-crafted and beautiful to look at, with an elegance that is found in few games. From exploring the world to interacting with characters and fighting the minions found within, it kept me on my toes throughout. It’s far from the most original though, perhaps taking too much inspiration from similar titles, but with a little tiny tweak in the controls, it could be a sleeper hit.

For small groups of gamers that play together often, Ghost Recon Wildlands seems like a no-brainer and some of the most fun I’ve had in a video game this year. For any lone wolves out there, however, it offers a less appealing all-round package. Ubisoft has pieced together yet another sprawling sandpit to explore yet nothing stands out as truly inventive or remarkable and moving between provinces felt like I was checking items off a shopping list instead of spearheading the American the drug war. At a time where open world games are starting to push boundaries and transform the genre, Ghost Recon is almost at danger of being left behind.

Yoko Taro’s unique storytelling ability has matched perfectly with the committed development culture at PlatinumGames, making NieR: Automata a mature and thought-provoking action-JRPG. Its tight combat and compelling narrative sets it apart from both its predecessor and the Drakengard series, and it’s utterly essential for fans of the genre.

Deathwatch is a decent strategy game and one that doesn’t require too much brainwork to get a handle on. For smartphones and tablets it’s a great fit and would probably have worked nicely on Vita or 3DS, but in targeting the PlayStation 4, Rodeo and Funbox needed to do more than simply make Deathwatch vaguely controller-friendly and with slightly better visuals. Beyond some additional characters to recruit, there isn’t any meaningful refinement or expansion, and definitely not enough to justify that insane £50 pricetag.

Fast RMX is practically a must buy, but it’s a purist take on the genre and damn difficult without many, if any of the bells and whistles of other racers. That said, if you’re looking to scratch a certain F-Zero or Wipeout itch on Switch it’s absolutely worth a look.

While the original game was a fabulous romp, the Treasure Trove collection is more than worthy of investing some time into. Anyone who already has the original will obtain the upgraded package for free, but if bought separately, each of the three released campaigns should keep you entertained with great platforming that’s full of charm. With more stuff coming in the next year, the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is worth its weight in gold.

I loved Atelier Firis. It features my favourite group of characters in an Atelier game, while the vast, open world environments add something unique over the rest of the series, with a huge amount of options and quests to explore. Unfortunately, it isn’t until you pass the time restricted first half of the game after dozens of hours of playtime that you’ll truly be able to appreciate any of this. Combining timed quests with free exploration is an interesting idea, but its flawed execution ruins leads to some awkward pacing. Atelier fans and curious newcomers will still have an amazing time, as long as you don’t let the intimidating timer put a damper on what should be a magical experience.

Loot Rascals has potential, but the over reliance on luck and a lack of any real progression lets it down some what. I appreciate what Hollow Ponds is attempting to do with the game but without any tangible feedback that you’re improving it can feel like effort and time is being wasted. Still, the gameplay is actually fun, and the on-the-fly strategy aspect utilising cards is a system that has been implemented well. Loot Rascals looks great and plays well, and its style will appeal to some. If you want a game that is challenging, humourous, but very reliant on luck then Loot Rascals is for you.

If you’re looking to move beyond the most obvious of the Nintendo Switch’s launch line-up, you could do far worse than to invest in the Joy-Con and Snipperclips bundle. It captures the essence of the likes of Overcooked!, but with a clear emphasis on using shapes to solve the physics puzzles. Yes, there is a limited amount of content and that hampers the appeal somewhat, but it’s a great icebreaker at house parties.

Bomberman R isn’t remotely a £50 game. It is, at its base, a solid entry in a much-loved franchise, and one that plays to the Nintendo Switch’s strengths, even if will require plenty of investment to get the most out of it. The current online woes also do little to make it feel like a well-rounded package, making it difficult to recommend to anyone but the most committed Bomberman fan.

Whilst fifteen minutes may seem an incredibly short time for a game to last these days, most arcade shoot ’em ups are short and barely last half an hour. There’s nothing really new or exciting in Ghost Blade HD, but it’s a solid entry to a genre that is almost non-existent on current consoles.

For all its good ideas, inventive uses of the Joy-Con and potential as a fantastic party game, 1-2-Switch has just as many fumbles that make it far from an essential Switch launch title. It can be a lot of fun, but it fails to keep you in the moment, takes too long to explain and set up each game, and no amount of immature giggling at euphemistic games can manage to rescue it from itself. It might be quick on the draw, but what follows is more of a confused fumble.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild dramatically updates this venerable and beloved series, bringing new ideas into the fold which, while seemingly taking inspiration from others, seamlessly adapts them to fit and never loses its own identity. It's refreshingly new and familiar at the same time, making for both one of the greatest launch titles and the sweetest swan songs any console could wish for.

There’s a lot to like about Forma.8. While it does invoke the style of some other titles, it has enough charm and character to stand out. Its gameplay is unorthodox, yet mostly rewarding, and it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Sometimes the logic of the task at hand is not obvious and it took me a short few hours to get the Platinum Trophy on PS4, but while it lasts it’s an enjoyable romp.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is a game whose plot, with its well written characters and plentiful twists and turns, could easily hook you in. However, it’s a game that is currently fundamentally broken on consoles. Despite the technical flaws, the plot definitely grew on me and it would be great for others to be able to experience it, as well as the world they’ve created, but until the game is fixed on a number of fronts, Torment: Tides of Numenera is hard to recommend.

When theHunter: Call of the Wild works properly, it’s still going to be a game that only those with the patience of a saint would enjoy. It’s very slow, full of barriers, and isn’t very exciting. That’s not to say it’s not completely without merit as it’s a stunner to look at and there are rare occasions where everything comes together to make a compelling experience. Just note that those rare occasions are few and far between.

Ultimately, Vertical Drop Heroes HD is fun for a few hours, but gets repetitive quickly. The asking price is low so it might be worth a look if it really tickles your fancy, but Rogue Legacy is only £4 more expensive and accomplishes similar ideas more effectively and with more depth.

A really good crack at a VR title by Double Fine. The characters will feel familiar to those who have played Psychonauts, but those new to the series will not feel too lost when following the story. However it is a short title that feels like it could have done a lot more with its intriguing setting, and while the tracking was on point most of the time there were moments where it could have been better. Rhombus Of Ruin is a fun experience and provides one of the best produced PSVR titles so far, but it ends a bit too soon.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is the pinnacle of musou games, as far as I’m concerned. Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have experimented with the formula for years, and everything they’ve learned and perfected has led up to this game. Berserk Musou gives you the addictive, outrageous hack-and-slash combat musou games have had for ages. It gives you the unique characters and varied mission structures that musou games have only had in the last few years. And on top of that it gives you a gripping, mature, and masterful narrative that a musou game has never had. Until now.

Linelight’s simple design philosophy has managed to spawn one of the freshest puzzle experiences to grace the genre in recent years. The minimalism you see hides well the depth that some of the puzzles require, though the timings for some of them can be a tad too precise. A slight improvement in the behaviour of the AI lights would be welcome too so they are more responsive to the player’s actions. Outside of those issues Linelight is recommended to those who enjoy puzzle games or those seeking something that is bit different to the norm.

Horizon: Zero Dawn is a bit of a slow burn, but there's more to Guerrilla Games' latest than just its staggeringly pretty graphics. The story surprises as it takes several twists and turns and explores the past, but the games beating heart is with its excellently tense and engaging robotic monster hunting.

Halo Wars 2 is an excellent and long overdue return for the console RTS, doing everything that can be expected of a sequel. Bigger, better and fresher, the Blitz mode is a welcome addition to an already solid package, and while fans of the mainline Halo games may find the transition too hard to bear, this is a worthy addition to any Xbox One owner’s collection.

For Honor joins Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch, and Destiny, as a game that is destined to grow over time. Right now it offers a strong core experience, but will ultimately be defined by months of rebalancing and a steady flow of new content. Having such a long tail will make For Honor even more enticing further down the line as it continues to snowball. That said, it’s refreshing and addictive enough at present to lure in anyone looking for a multiplayer game that defies the norm.

Sniper Elite 4 is easily the best in the series so far. It’s still the same methodical stealth game at its core, but Rebellion have added to that with more possibilities for the player, bigger and more open maps, and a handful of new modes.

By taking some inspiration from others, Team Ninja do prove with a rich combat system and solid foundation that they have the ability to surprise and innovate. The vast majority of the game is a pleasure to play, despite the fact that death is around every corner. There’s a lot I’ve not even touched upon in this review, simply because it’s better experienced than told. For Koei Tecmo at least, all the effort was well worth it.

Omega Force has decided to experiment here, though it’s an experiment that fails to live up to its full potential. Having sampled some of the genre’s top flight titles, Godseekers’ brand of turn-based strategy feels shallow by comparison. Still, there’s enough here for ardent fans of the franchise to wring some enjoyment out of. For something that feels truly new and innovative, all eyes now turn to Dynasty Warriors 9.

Aside from the visual downgrade and lack of coop, Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World is a faithfully recreation of the Wii U original for the 3DS. It is still a vibrant and appealing game, especially suited for younger children. For older gamers, hunting all the collectables for 100% completion is where the game gets challenging. Coming to handheld devices has hurt the game somewhat though.

Dexed is a valiant first attempt by Ninja Theory in the VR space but it suffers like many other early VR titles by feeling more like a tech demo than a full game. When you factor in the price, you are getting an okay package, but it’s unlikely you’ll want to head back once you’ve played through the stages on offer for a few hours.

Knee Deep isn’t an adventure title worth playing, lacking any real hallmarks of the genre. The few puzzles essentially solve themselves, there is very little player participation outside of dialogue choices, and the plot is so bloated with forgettable characters that you lose track of who is who. It seems like the best ideas were poured into the design of Knee Deep, creating a well made digital stage show with voice actors who put in a decent performance. Unfortunately if Knee Deep was a real theatre show I would assume that the final curtain would fall quickly.

Tales of Berseria feels like a Tales game made just for me. There’s so many games in the series now, and I’ll never play them all, but the characters and the narrative and the combat mechanics of Berseria just click with all of my tastes so well. For some, the lack of gameplay innovation might be a turn off, but for me, a classic Tales gameplay system combined with a unique narrative led to a fantastic experience. Fans both new and old would be doing a disservice to themselves if they didn’t check this game out.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue may be saddled with a ridiculous title, but the package offers plenty to enjoy. It may not be the most welcoming of games, thanks to Kingdom Hearts being amongst the worst offenders for convoluted narratives, but the HD remaster of Dream Drop Distance combined with a glimpse of what is to come for the franchise makes this more or less essential for fans.

Fruit Ninja VR is a hoot. It’s one of those games you can pick up and play with zero preamble, making it great for the odd few minutes of downtime or passing a headset around between people. It’s just a shame Halfbrick didn’t look to expand it further, with three of the four modes being transplanted from the original Fruit Ninja.

For them to successfully steer one of their flagships back on track, Capcom has done what many thought was unthinkable. It was less than twelve months ago that the publisher released Umbrella Corps, at which point I – and no doubt many others – were ready to call time on the series. Resident Evil 7 definitely has a handful of weak points, but it’s by far the best AAA survival horror game we’ve seen in quite some time.

Yakuza 0 is not only an achievement in video game storytelling, but it’s the best this franchise has ever felt, looked, and played.

Unfortunately, so much of my love for this game is ruined by its choppy frame rate on PS Vita. If this were simply on PS3 or PS4, it would be a nearly flawless experience. As it stands, Atelier Shallie is the best version of the game available in terms of content, but having to suffer through a poorly optimised experience for those benefits is too steep a cost.

If you come into this expecting a setting, cast or narrative similar to any of the anime, you might be left disappointed and confused. It’s still a fun, addictive game with the flashy combat you’d expect from a Warriors-style game, but you might have to tune out the story in order to enjoy it. In a franchise where story is so key, that’s a huge bummer.

A title that will appeal to a niche corner of the gaming public, with its focus on a murder mystery wrapped in discussion of social issues. It’s also feels like quite a passive experience compared to other games that are in the same genre. There’s interactivity with objects and solving puzzles, but being dialogue heavy may put some off. The story of 2064: Read Only Memories is decent however as is the voicework, and there is replayability through making different choices.

A remarkably well crafted entry in the survival genre that sets itself apart with compelling gameplay, an intriguing setting, and a stellar soundtrack. Having released on computer and Xbox One last year, its arrival on PlayStation 4 with the Complete Edition will hopefully see it find a new audience to entice on a beautiful, and bleak, journey down the river.

Space Hulk: Deathwing does a great job of capturing the look and feel of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, but it doesn’t manage to wrap that around a compelling co-op shooter. The missions are ponderous, the story already forgotten, and the core gunplay leaves something to be desired. Those with a fondness for Games Workshop or fraught co-op action will have wanted this to be great, but it’s merely OK.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King truly stands the test of time. Having this PS2 classic on the 3DS, despite its slightly inferior presentation, is a mind boggling feat. Each new gameplay addition or tweak is smart, not taking anything away from the original vision.

Gravity Rush 2 is everything I wanted out of a sequel. It’s bigger, better, it’s drop-dead gorgeous and it never stagnates.

Cursed Castilla is one of the best modern retro games that I’ve played, successfully capturing the look and feel of its influences but also improving on the controls and level design. It feels just like the way I remember the arcade originals. Add in the extra challenges from trophies and you have a great retro title with bags of replayability.

Tyranny is in many ways the Hamlet of videogames. By which I mean it is a fascinating exploration of the ways in which human behaviour can descend into evil, featuring a lengthy middle section defined by delay and conversation, before everything suddenly ends in a flurry of violence and a disappointing final exchange. There is much to like about Tyranny, but the game itself doesn’t live up to its narrative strengths.

Drive!Drive!Drive! is a stylish and fun attempt to rewrite the rulebook on racing games. Sadly it’s not always entirely successful, with a relatively simplistic handling model and a lack of challenge on the standard setting, but for those willing to take a chance there’s still a lot to like about it’s unique take on the racing genre.

It’s hardly complex and far from essential, but Lethal VR is a fun and polished romp while it lasts. Shelf life may be a concern, but the minimal setup time needed makes Lethal VR easy to slip into whenever in need of some brief ballistics training.