Reanimal is bold and uncompromising evolution of Tarsier’s signature style, darker, stranger, and far less forgiving than anything that came before. I was repulsed, I was unsettled, and I loved it.

Doom is a truly spectacular bit of ultraviolence, but it’s deceptively smart in how it goes about it. It knows that all you want to do is blow stuff up in increasingly more brutal ways, leading to a single player that is probably the best FPS campaign since Wolfenstein: The New Order. While multiplayer is almost a damp squib, Snapmap allows for those with creative minds to unleash their creativity with an easy-to-learn map editor. To describe Doom in two words: Bloody brilliant!

UFC 4 is an evolution over UFC 3. A much better and more cohesive online, a better system for advancing your created fighters, a career mode that has a bit more depth, and gameplay that opens up the series to more people, makes UFC 4 the game that UFC 3 should have been.

The Touryst is an absolutely stellar action-adventure game that sends players on a whirlwind journey of mini-games, puzzle solving and scenic vistas all bundled in one of the most visually impressive engines to date on the Switch.

With the Atelier Dusk Trilogy Deluxe Pack, the entire library of PlayStation 3 Atelier games is now playable on modern systems. While the Arland trilogy broke ground by being the first 3D entries in the franchise, the Atelier Dusk games trade technical innovation for narrative, introducing a strikingly solemn and mysterious world inhabited by gorgeously designed characters that won't be soon forgotten by anyone who plays these games.

A fantastic game and although the progression may be similar to the first, the action feels a lot fresher.

Skate Story is a perfect indie game, beautiful, off-kilter and unreal, with an absolutely killer soundtrack. Sam Eng can forget about eating the moon; he’s achieved something incredible down here on Earth.

In a world bereft of a new Advance Wars, Wargroove is a worthy successor. Its fantasy retro strategy stylings mark it out as a wonderful amalgamation of the classic Fire Emblem and Wars games, and while it doesn’t revolutionise the genre in the way that the modern Fire Emblem games have it nails the feel of Intelligent System’s best games – while standing proudly on its own.

At the end of the day – the long hard day of being a naughty little goose – Untitled Goose Game is something truly unique and special. It’s a beautifully clean and simple puzzle game which will have you howling with delight, both when you play it through for the first time, and when you pass the controller to your partner saying, “You absolutely need to play this game where you're a naughty little goose…”

For fans of fast-paced, over the top twin stick action, complete with bullet time and a score system that awards perfection, Bleed 2 is excellent. The only real issue is its length, which is remedied to an extent by additional characters, weapons, and modes. If arcade, Contra/Metal Slug action is your thing and you’ve been missing it, you could do much worse than Bleed 2.

Ball X Pit carries the spirit of an arcade classic, while imbuing it with modern roguelike ideas. It’s immediately one of the best indie games of the year.

Core Keeper is a clever, challenging, and immensely enjoyable sandbox mining game that's a blast to play. You can completely change how you play for a new experience, there are a lot of bosses and areas to explore, and the joy of finding a new item or new area is never lost. If you like games in this genre, then you'll love it, and even if you don't like games in this genre, this could be the one that converts you.

FIFA 12 represents the biggest step forward for the franchise since '09 invented the fast, free-flowing FIFA we know and love. It still has all of the fluidity and slick presentation that is the trademark of the series but it has added an extra layer of tactical know-how that will require some learning for all FIFA players, no matter how experienced.

Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation offers more of the same fantastic gameplay found in Birthright and Conquest. Fans of the series will be well served by the extra campaign, and for anyone that’s already played through at least one of the other storylines, it’s an essential addendum to one of the 3DS’ finest titles.

Where this lack of complexity would usually hamstring many games, here it works as a boon.

I truly believe that Ys: Memories Of Celceta could be one of the strongest Vita titles introduced since the console’s launch.

Maestro is an addictive and satisfying experience. You have a selection of legendarily good music to conduct, from Ride of the Valyries to Duel of the Fates, and there's plenty of challenge once you've grown familiar enough to move onto Hard difficulty, though you may need to pick up your actual controllers for that.

The Final Shape is Destiny 2 back to its best for its grand narrative finale. It's the ultimate space wizards with a machine gun fantasy combined with emotional story beats and characters you truly care for. Despite all the odds, Bungie has crafted the perfect endgame.

So, with the official license, stunning graphics, a whole host of online options, 7 player local matches and a lengthy single player campaign this is the ultimate football game.

Kojima has also done an excellent job of integrating this story into the well worn universe, wrapping up almost all of the loose ends within, as well as tying it to the events that are set to follow in a way that ought to please fans.

Nex Machina is the pinnacle of all things Housemarque, with concepts and ideas that have been refined over many games in their purest form. That’s both its strength and its weakness, as there is nothing you haven’t seen before in one of their previous games. If you are a fan of the Finnish developer’s game, this is still an essential purchase, but if you’re a newcomer, this is the best place to join the party.

Just Shapes & Beats is the best EDM compilation album you can play, and assuming the music floats your ear-shaped boat, it’s an absolute treat. Challenging, engrossing and exhibiting a purity we so often forget, this is a genre mash-up where everybody wins.

Ghostrunner 2 is undoubtably excellent. While it's a tough and challenging game, the quick reloads help alleviate frustration and replace it with the "just one more try" drive to overcome it. There's a handful of small control niggles that might annoy, and if repeatedly dying is a pet video game peeve of yours, it might not be for you, but if the game gets its hooks into you, it's a sheer, visceral delight of dude slicing, shuriken flinging, laser dodging, taking a bullet to the face, reloading, and trying it all again.

It was hard for me to imagine a way to expand on a game that was already so good but Dragon Quest Builders 2 has managed to do just that. A bigger story, new things to build, multiplayer and more make this an absolutely jam-packed experience. Building game enthusiasts will love the blend of crafting and survival management, while Dragon Quest fans are sure to love the unique spin on the long-running JRPG franchise, and if you’re a fan of both? Well, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is the must have game of 2019.

Detroit: Become Human really is like sitting down and playing a TV box set. It's a technical masterpiece on PS4 with movie quality sound, lighting and camera work, which is backed up by some top quality action and a wonderfully evocative score. Detroit really worked for me; I was gripped by the story and connected with the characters, but I think some players may have a hard time relating to Kara, Markus, and Connor. That’s to be expected. After all, we’re only human.

Post Void is an absolute delight to play with some of the most satisfying FPS gameplay I’ve experienced in years. While it might only have eleven levels to play through, the outstanding gunplay will keep players engrossed in the hours, days and weeks to come and at £2.33, it’s an unbelievable indie package.

Pokémon Legends Arceus is a must-play game for fans of the franchise. Not only is it the very best Pokémon game yet, but it elegantly takes the formula and flips it on its head, creating a unique new challenge that fans will love. With the nods to the anime and Pokémon games abound, Arceus feels very much like a love letter from Game Freak.

Separate Ways is a fantastic addition to Resident Evil 4 Remake and really cements its place as one of the series’ best. Add in some unexpected nods to wider aspects of Resident Evil lore and you have a DLC that works both as extra content to the main game and wider fan service too. If you enjoyed the RE4 Remake then this DLC is pretty much an essential purchase.