The Magic Circle: Gold Edition is a humourous and satirical look at the complexity of game development. At the same time, it’s a fun game that encourages you to experiment with different combinations to reach your goal, leading to a number of bizarre creations, but The Magic Circle: Gold Edition is brought to life by its comedy.

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is amongst the best tactical videogames of all time. While it’s not the wholesale reinvigoration that Awakening was, it is the refinement of three decades worth of game development, from a team who have fundamentally defined the handheld tactical genre.

Uncharted 4 is more than masterful, bearing the hallmarks of a true system seller. What struck me most as an ardent fans of the series is how much it breaks away from the original blueprint yet manages to amaze on every level. Where many studios step safely from one sequel and into the next, Naughty Dog has taken a gigantic leap, proving yet again they’re the best in the business.

Rival Games started something very interesting with The Detail in the first two episodes. The story was immersive and the characters engaging. But because of budgetary constraints episode three undoes what the first two set up, with plot lines left abandoned and bugs that are very detrimental to a game based on choice.

Neverending Nightmares doesn’t go for the big set pieces, but relies on you to fill the gaps with your own imagination before unleashing some horror on you. Its slow pace combined with ominous sounds and music help to build tension in environments that gradually fall apart, as Neverending Nightmares masterfully gives off a sense of dread in its short playtime.

Maybe it comes down to how easy and accessible Coffin Dodgers is as a racer, but there’s definitely something that’s clicked with me. Even so, it’s a disappointing effort overall, but Coffin Dodgers may prove to be a guilty pleasure of sorts for a small minority.

It’s great to explore the background of one of the comic’s more popular characters, but doesn’t significantly push Telltale’s games on from their previous highs.

LOUD On Planet X is a good rhythm game with a great track listing, but some of the issues within do need fixing.

Across Severed’s seven or so hours, you get to experience some of the best touch screen gaming around.

Alienation is a slick and polished twin stick shooter, filled with huge explosions and seemingly endless enemies to kill, but it’s let down in a lot of little ways. It’s still a great game, but I didn’t fall as madly in love with it as I did with its predecessor.

When played with a friend, some of its issues become easier to overlook, but the fact still remains that those hoping for a triumphant return will be left disappointed by this rather one-dimensional arcade rehash.

Stories: The Path Of Destinies is a charming and colourful game that is well presented with good narration. The number of paths that can be taken allow for a lot of replayability, and there’s some well crafted combat. However, there comes a point where the game does become repetitive, which can make drumming up motivation to unlock all the stories tough.

Fun and frantic, it marks a unique take on a well known genre, which, with typical flair, Nintendo have made their own.

As a game that lives and dies on its mechanics, Star Fox Zero is only intermittently successful at selling its dual screen dynamics. It’s at its best during the classic Arwing sections, but the Walker form becomes overly fiddly and the different viewpoints often cause more problems than they solve. Sadly it’s somewhat fitting that one of the final Wii U first-party games still doesn’t convince us on the viability of a dual-screen home console.

While it does not usurp the Pokémon franchise in any way, shape, or form, Yo-Kai Watch is a viable alternative for those who can get past some of the inconsistent design choices.

The Collider 2 is an excellent game when you just want to pick up and play something for a small amount of time, but investing longer stretches of time can lead to a build up of frustration, as you crash again and again.

The Banner Saga 2 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, it just makes the wheel bigger and keeps on rolling. Even with minor stumbles in the form of slow combat animation and initially overwhelming combat mechanics, it’s a game that excels at what it aims to accomplish.

Enter the Gungeon naturally won’t be for everyone, especially with its high difficulty and the pixel art graphics, regardless of how well crafted they are. It is, however, an excellent blend of roguelike and satisfying bullet hell gunplay that’s easy to dip into time and again.

Stranger of Sword City excels at one thing, and really flounders at the others. It’s a rewarding experience if you’re a fan of challenging RPGs and gameplay depth. If you’re a fan of well-written dialogue, engaging music or proper difficulty curves though…well….there are a lot of other video games out there that may suit you better.

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a game as much as Ratchet & Clank. From shootouts and platfoming to the practically perfect script. Younger kids are going to love the bright visuals and characterisations, while us big kids will be chuckling at Qwark’s jokes and the sly grin Ratchet gives to the camera when he gets his paws on a new weapon.

As a solo effort, Candlelight is a fantastic achievement and kudos must be given for that.

With much of the game centred around matches and how they play out, Lacrosse 16 leaves much to be desired. Clearly, a lot of dedication has gone into making this the most polished adaptation of the sport you’ll ever get your hands on. However, that’s not enough to gloss over its two largest oversights: frustrating controls and an almost nonexistent learning aide.

Dark Souls III offers more of the same intensely difficult combat, ambiguous overarching story, and some striking locales and bosses in the franchises’ history. The only real objective criticism on the PS4 version is that the combat doesn’t feel responsive enough thanks to the 30FPS cap and frame drops.

At its heart, Stikbold’s a fairly simple game of hitting people with balls, but it has a bunch of fun and silly ideas alongside that which turn it into a manic little party game to while away a few hours.

An engaging and enjoyable narrative experience, and it makes the most of its stellar cast, pushing the boundaries of storytelling in games and presentation. However, it won’t be for everyone, particularly those who don’t like to be led by the hand or don’t want to spend an extended amount of time watching content rather than interacting with it. It also falsely makes you feel like you have a choice, but then, that’s much of its point, and despite a few missteps this is a story well worth experiencing.

Fans of dystopian fiction, or good stories in general, would absolutely adore Hope’s journey. The execution leaves a lot to be desired.

It’s a shame because Kholat has one of the best horror game set-ups we’ve seen for quite some time. Not only that, the team at IMGN.PRO has clearly put effort into sculpting an spooky collection of vistas each dripping in atmosphere. Sadly, wedged between these tense moments is way too much filler. The mind-numbing map reading and navigation would have been easy to overlook if that only made up a small portion of the game. Instead, it forms this drab and unappealing bedrock that threatens to drag Kholat down whenever there isn’t something scripted happening on-screen.

The boring story is filled with forgettable, two dimensional characters, and while there is passion between the main characters, it feels forced rather than natural. The gameplay isn’t ground-breaking either, but it is at least competent at delivering a mindless hack ‘n’ slash that is fun to play and worth a look.

Dirt Rally gets Codemasters back to their roots, with a game that focuses on rallying through and through. It’s tough and unforgiving of your mistakes, but that’s what rallying is about and it makes getting to grips with the car’s handling, measuring your approach to a stage and coming out on top all the more satisfying.

For all the similarities we’ve drawn between the two, the 2D style of combat is enough of a differentiating factor to give this game legs. With these it manages to sprint well ahead, feeling more like a full-bodied homage as opposed to a cheap knock-off.

Sheltered is a well crafted game that is quite tough at first to make progress in, but once you’re used to its systems there can be a rewarding experience.

As a 3D action game, Estival Versus manages to tick most boxes, but it fails to deliver anything which could be labelled as ground-breaking. While in no way poor or unenjoyable, it does little to put this franchise on the map. Still, for fans of previous entries, there’s plenty of meat on the bone, bundled together in a respectably polished brawler.

Some parts of the TrackMania Turbo’s structure feel restrictive or poorly thought out, but there’s little to detract from the compulsive time attacks, the outlandish track design and the gorgeously vibrant graphics.

While nowhere near as ambitious an undertaking as Grim Fandango Remastered, there is obviously a lot of love and care that has gone into Day of the Tentacle Remastered. There are most certainly still the same old gameplay warts that came from that era of gaming that don’t really translate well and some minor rough edges to the remaster, but it’s well preserved and the updates to presentation are marvellous.

As someone who has played almost every MMA game since UFC Undisputed 2009, many of the controls came naturally to me, but UFC 2 features quite the learning curve if you’ve never played a UFC game before. Whether it’s Ultimate Team, knockout physics or improved grappling, EA have made great strides to improve and make UFC 2 the best MMA game on the market so far.

American Truck Simulator may seem a little bare right now, with just two states and three trucks, so it’s hard to recommend to newcomers over the sublime Euro Truck Simulator 2. That said, those that enjoyed hauling in Europe will no doubt find enjoyment on the other side of the pond, with new cargo awaiting them and new cities to explore.

Dreii really is a one-of-a-kind experience, ranking among my favourite puzzle games of all time. Although remarkably basic in premise, it makes use of simple tools and mechanics to glorious effect. If you’re particularly price sensitive then we would strongly advise waiting for it to go on sale, but for those who want to immerse themselves in something truly unique, you may find plenty of value in its current asking price.

Pokkén Tournament doesn’t quite know where to hang its hat – accessible fighter for kids, or serious online brawler – but somehow it manages to pull both off. Spectacular combat, beloved characters, and fun gameplay make for a fighter that anyone can enjoy, but as with all of the best genre entries, and indeed the Pokémon series as a whole, it truly comes into its own against a real-life opponent.

Although fun in small bursts, it doesn’t have quite the same staying power or online community that other games enjoy.

Put simply, Samurai Warriors 4 Empires is the very best this series has to offer. Taking the refined core gameplay of Samurai Warriors 4 and dousing it in the tactics of Nobunaga’s Ambition has worked wonders.

There’s certainly enough here to whet anyone’s appetite, allowing IO to turn present future updates as mini-events, maintaining a constant buzz among fans throughout the year. That said, there are some minor imperfections that bring Hitman down a peg or two.

By and large, The Division lives up to the years of hype and high expectations. At its core, it marries solid cover-based shooting with a loot heavy RPG and an enticingly beautiful setting, but it really comes together when you can team up with friends and take on enemies, whether rebellious AI factions or other agents in the fraught and tense Dark Zone. There are a few foibles, but it’s a game that can easily draw you in and have you playing for hours on end.

SwapQuest has a lot of great things going for it, but the handful of issues are really, really major ones.

Gunscape is aimed at giving players the tools to create their own old school FPS levels and maps, but Blow Fish Studios’ attempt to carve out a little niche is lacking in its execution. What remains is a game that could be of interest while you roam through player-made maps, but will ultimately be left behind as actually playing them will quickly tarnish any glimmer of hope it had.

Despite not winning the Playstation Plus monthly vote, Action Henk’s speedy little adventure is well worth taking a shot at. The challenge of attaining those platinum medals, and in shaving a few tenths off your best times, is a hook that never fails to grab you, and for those with a competitive streak its fun, physics-based gameplay should be a perfect fit.

Its SNES-like art style is greatly appealing, but the core gameplay loop is far too shallow to really recommend it as an alternative to other recent 3DS offerings.

It’s not impossible to overlook Alekhine’s shopping list of shortcomings. There were a few occasions when everything would neatly come together and create something genuinely fun and entertaining. However, the consistency simply isn’t there.

Some elements of the game haven’t aged all that well and the remastering process simply hasn’t addressed them. However, with that still in mind, Twilight Princess HD remains an adventure that deserves revisiting, still offering a great deal for returning fans and newcomer

Either way, Hitman GO: Definitive Edition is well worth the plunge, even at its current asking price. Although the cost has been inflated, you’d be hard-pressed to find a puzzle game of this calibre on PSN or Steam for just over a fiver.

It’s not as exciting and refreshing as two years ago, but that’s not too big a complaint when it’s more co-op defence and liberally borrowed and adapted multiplayer, all slathered in the quirky Plants vs. Zombies universe.

Project X Zone 2 is a videogame for videogame fans. It’s not likely to present you with a huge challenge, nor does it take an immense amount of skill to be any good at it, with the tactical gameplay a far cry from genre greats such as Fire Emblem or Shin Megami Tensei.

Beneath this wildly altered aesthetic, for better or for worse, Ubisoft is still playing it safe. Personally, I found Primal to be far more entertaining than Far Cry 4, but even then it’s hard to overlook the series’ systematic regurgitation of ideas and concepts.

Ultimately EDF4.1 ends up being an addictive game that is full of alien squishing fun on a huge scale, but as a last generation port to PlayStation 4, it ends up being far too expensive. I shall await with bated breath for a true sequel.

Whether a returning fan or simply someone looking for a new roleplaying game to play, Cyber Sleuth caters to both parties. Although those familiar with the brand stand to gain more from this recent revival of the series, the gameplay systems are accessible for just about anyone. Still, despite its overall fun factor, Digimon Story isn’t exactly innovative, while also being hamstrung by a few niggling issues.

Bravely Second is a sequel that is bursting in flavour. It features a world with so much depth, a story which twists and turns in meaningful ways, and clever tweaks to the combat that make the turn-based battles fun. Some sections drag on a little bit and a mild amount of dialogue tries to spoil the broth, but this adventure has had me hooked from beginning to end.

For all its flaws and lacklustre looks, you can tell that Phosphor were really onto something in the way it experimented with superpowers here. Given more time and resources – and without being weighed down by the Heroes license – the studio could have created a truly special comic book adventure.

Layers of Fear sits somewhere between the pejoratively classified ‘walking simulators’ and a full game experience, as for the most part you are simply wandering around and solving the odd puzzle.

Even as a person whose grasp of fighting games is nowhere near top-tier standard, Street Fighter V is the most fun I’ve had in a fighting game in years.

Where difficulty can be used to make a game more addictive or rewarding, here it manages to sap every ounce of fun out of the experience.

If you’re a fan of Dying Light, then The Following is a near essential expansion.

Tear the anime-patterned wrapper away and what you have is essentially another iteration on the same aging format Omega Force has been peddling for years. In this case it has been slightly altered but not enough to conceal the franchise’s ongoing fatigue as fewer bold ideas are brought to the table.

You already know if you are going to be buying Firewatch, and if you loved Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture or Life Is Strange then this is the game for you. It’s small, short and almost perfectly formed, it’s just the shame the game broke so many times when I was playing it. I’m hoping these problems can be found and fixed very quickly after launch and I would suggest holding off buying the game until a patch has been released, but until then we don’t have much of a choice but to mark an otherwise lovely game down due to the problems encountered.

Cosmic Picnic have created a good game and if you like tough roguelikes then you’ll have some fun with this.

With smart gameplay, gorgeous graphics, and a brilliant story to tell, it looks as though Unravel could be ColdWood’s first breakout hit and a deserving one at that.

The game leaves a good first impression and noticeably improves upon the first game. It could do with some optimisation, which will hopefully come with a day one patch today or soon after launch, but as we head towards our full review, it’s looking like a particularly good follow-up.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is a fitting finale for the game series and for fans of the anime. With a great range of content, a huge roster, and spectacular visuals, this is certain to be a hit with those who have a history with the franchise. Unfortunately for outsiders though it’s likely to remain a beautiful yet incomprehensible brawler.

My experience of Mordheim: City of the Damned is one where knowledge of the source material is both a blessing and a curse. This isn’t a bad game, and despite its flaws there is still fun to be found in the Empire’s official worst city to live in.

With strong gameplay and a healthy amount of unique characters, it’s a game that lives up to the pedigree of its developer.

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.

Lego Marvel’s Avengers is another great entry in the brick-based franchise, and fans of both series, and in particular Lego Marvel Superheroes, will likely lap it up.

Final Fantasy Explorers certainly has the potential to grow into worthy Monster Hunter alternative, but its first attempt is a little way off.

If you like tough games then this is for you, but fans of strategy or tower defence have much better options available to them.

This War Of Mine: The Little Ones is more than a game, and can be considered one of the most effective anti-war tools ever created. This is not a game you play for fun or to unwind, and the addition of children for the console release makes it even more poignant, as the realisation dawns that all over the world people are living through these hellish conditions. This War of Mine: The Little Ones doesn’t just drive home how desperate people get in times of war, but also makes you take note of how lucky so many of us are to live in a more stable place.

Though it lacks some of the nuance and complexity to make the most of some of its ideas, Deserts of Kharak captures the essence of the Homeworld series. Fans of the classic originals will find a familiar form of real time strategy adapted to a new setting, and telling another tale of a lonely carrier fighting through to its destination against the odds.

Resident Evil Zero HD isn’t exactly the most beloved game in the franchise, yet the high quality of the HD upgrade makes it well worth a look for fans of the series. It still features the main issues that the previous version had, but the detail that’s gone into the restoration work is highly commendable and the new Wesker mode is worth unlocking. If only the base game wasn’t more inventory management than surviving a zombie outbreak.

While Hardware Rivals is fun to play in chunks it gets repetitive quickly, and its great visual design isn’t enough to cover the cracks.

Stone Tales is a good proof of concept with a unique art style, but its gameplay feels undercooked. The imprecise nature of spear throwing, combined with several cheap moments, undermine the experience. But above all else, the game just doesn’t have anything particularly interesting to show off besides the visuals. Short games are one thing and some great experiences come in small packages. If only Stone Tales had a hint of something interesting.

It makes one or two minor stumbles along the way, but The Banner Saga continues to stand tall two years after its original release. Empowered a truly jaw-dropping art direction and the masterful audio work of composer Austin Wintory, Stoic’s plans to expand the franchise are certainly justifiable.

Either way, ACC: India manages to keep the stealth gameplay fun, while the open combat still leaves room for improvement.

Despite my gripes with the game and the struggle to make it through achingly slow opening chapter, the care and detail that went into the game is clear to see, and I know there are JRPG fans that live to appreciate the kind of meticulous detail that this game contains.

Unfortunately, Fat Princess Adventures comes across as something of a missed opportunity. For one thing, it’s a genre shift which will disappoint those who want more of the multiplayer carnage from the original, but while there’s still fun to be had, this is a fairly shallow game which leans too close to the childlike facade of the art style.

It’s simple to just say that Starpoint Gemini 2 isn’t for everyone, but there are fundamental issues that really make this game utterly impenetrable. The presentation is generally of a good standard, and though the performance falters at inconvenient moments, it’s how the game deals with teaching players how things work that’s most disappointing. We’ve seen space simulations that work on consoles, but this particular trade isn’t worth what they’re offering.

Earth Defense Force 2 is a great Vita title, and whether you want something to play for a couple of minutes on a toilet or in-between classes, this is a must have. If you’re looking for a new game that you and your friends can have some fun together in, this is also definitely worth checking out. It’s dumb, silly fun, and even though the lack of a story can kill your motivation to progress sometimes, at the end of the day it’s still way too much fun to just drop into Tokyo and blast away dozens of giant mutant ants from space.

Overall Amplitude’s return is an enjoyable one, though the game’s campaign set-list has just as many tracks that would clear the dancefloor as fill it.

Corpse Party: Blood Drive is sure to upset many fans; it certainly upset me. The shift to 3D visuals completely changed the dynamic of the game, and while gameplay didn’t suffer for it, storytelling and immersion certainly did. If this were a new game separate from the narrative of the previous entries, it could be an excusable attempt at experimentation, but as the anticipated climax to a years-long story of engaging horror and developing characters, it only serves to muddy an otherwise engaging series of indie horror games. Corpse Party: Blood Drive is offensive to fans and a poor representation of the series to newcomers.

While I wasn’t completely sold on the limited inventory space available, the penalties for death, and the initial ease of the game, Steamworld Heist made for a great time. Tactical combat on a 2D plane is hard to make engaging and the occasional urgency of the short levels made for some badass moments where a sharp shot sealed the deal. A competent, if completely different second outing in the SteamWorld universe.

There’s some initial monotony to get past initially, but it’s followed by a rewarding, content-rich game to be explored here and one that will warrant your attention whenever you get a spare few minutes to visit the farm.

Fast Racing Neo isn’t F-Zero, nor is it Wipeout, and it’s definitely not Ikaruga. It is, however, a shining example of futuristic racing that’ll help fill a void in Nintendo’s Wii U catalogue. While its difficulty level may not be as welcoming as most modern gamers are used to, those who persevere will discover a pure racing experience that manages to retain its own identity.

Guns Up! is a fun game in short bursts. The setting up of soldiers and perks before an assault is easy to understand and do, with the action never being too long to get to. It looks and sounds decent too, but Guns Up! doesn’t quite meet its full potential. There needs to be more options available for when selecting which base to attack, also boredom due to repetition sinks in over longer play sessions. Guns Up! is a free to play title and there is no harm in checking it out though. It is one of those games that you can have a quick session on, and with that in mind Guns Up! is worth a go.

Glaring issues with Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey can be summed up by remarking on just how dull and unfinished it feels.

If played with friends, it will serve up several hours of grin-inducing fun but beyond that very little else.

Sword Art Online: Lost Song is not a bad title, it’s simply an average one. Fans of the anime will be well served by it’s gentle adventuring and light tone, and the combat may attract those who enjoy the Musou games, but the likelihood will be that it’s not likely to be an experience you’ll remember in a few months time.

Without a single player campaign and only a small selection of effectively interchangeable game modes, Rainbow Six Siege is a game with a fairly limited scope. However, there’s still a solid and very enjoyable tactical shooter at its core, especially when played with friends, and it’s one which will only grow over time as Ubisoft add more maps and content.

Just Cause 3 is a wonderfully constructed open-world, that successfully builds on its predecessor’s legacy with humour and aplomb. The key problem however is that at the moment there are too many technical problems which hamper play. You’ll want to be wild and free, blowing everything to hell in a variety of ways, and so often you can be, but that only serves to emphasize those moments where Just Cause 3 struggles to keep up.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a genuinely enthralling game. It doesn’t take it easy on you though, and the perseverance and attention required may override the spectacle and beauty found here.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. sadly falls flat on its face at the final hurdle, but is a light-hearted and hugely enjoyable romp up until that point. There are great nods to both Mario & Luigi RPG and Paper Mario franchises, and the three protagonists make a great team in this 3DS RPG. Questionable decisions around the use of Amiibo and the mini-game side-quests can’t be ignored, but the charm of Paper Jam Bros. can’t be understated.

Typoman’s appeal boils down to whether or not you’re willing to invest in shorter games that are content light, yet have genuinely interesting ideas that are beyond what’s come before. By using words as an aesthetic and gameplay device, it writes its own reasons for why it is unique. My only wishes were that the platforming was tighter and that it had a few more levels. Typoman is over far too quickly for my liking, but this is high praise for what it did in its short time.

Hard West gets a lot of things right, with a number of clever ideas that help to broaden the scope of the standard turn-based formula it draws upon, but a lack of checkpointing and other game design faux pas can spoil the fun.