L.A. Noire: Case Files cleverly recycles one of the most intriguing games of the decade. Team Bondi’s meticulous meticulous world-building and technical achievements still live on, clicking seamlessly with VR, even if Case Files doesn’t exactly break new ground.

You may have seen a lot of what Darksiders brings to the table elsewhere, but it’s all combined in such a way with sprinkles of new ideas that keeps the game fresh and innovative.

If you can’t get behind the Anime-like over-dramatisation and occasional bit of weirdness, chances are you’ll switch off within five minutes...For those who have the patience, however, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a visual novel as consistent on PlayStation Vita.

inFamous 2 takes the flawed brilliance of its predecessor and improves upon almost every aspect. Missions are slightly more varied and characters are much more rounded. It breeds empathy and it encourages experimentation in the ways supporting characters play off the protagonist and each other.

If you like charming platformers then Wuppo may just be for you. The game offers a fun, though at times frustrating experience with a number of challenges to overcome. The world of Wuppo is quite unlike any other and filled with a lot of neat little touches, and though the story may be predictable it is well-told, likeable and easy to pick up.

Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency is an excellent addition to the Budget Cuts universe, one which well and truly builds on the original in every way. The new tools add in plenty of new strategies and the stealth gameplay is just as good as it was in the first game. The levels have a bit more variety now too, which should be a nice change for anyone who works in an office in real life. It could have done with a slightly longer tutorial for brand-new players, but aside from that, it's a great addition to anyone's VR library.

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.

Without a doubt, Dynasty Warriors 7 is Omega Force's finest game to date. Long-time fans of the series will fall in love almost instantaneously, the redesigned gameplay being just as welcoming to new players.

So is the game worth buying? If you are a Transformers fan, skip to Option A, if you are not, Option B is for you.

I genuinely feel that, while it’s not a perfect representation of drawing/painting, Art Academy: Atelier does an excellent job of teaching you the process of creating a piece of art.

It is survival horror right down to the limited effectiveness of your pistol and the scarcity of resources and manages to be thoroughly unnerving despite its low pixel density. The storyline has you questioning everything – even your own character – throughout and is the thing that will keep you coming back if you can bear the incredible tension the game’s atmosphere creates.

Greed Corp is a wonderful little title which is highly addictive and quite original in its style of play. It is a tricky game to start with, however if you stick with it then you will begin to appreciate what a great little game it is.

Anyone that remembers the shopping mall (with the mannequins) in Condemned will take great delight in knowing that Bloodshot has it's own uber-scary environment for you this time around too - in fact we'd happily say that the sequel ups the fear factor considerably throughout. If you like to play your videogames with white knuckles, this is a great ride.

Blue Reflection: Second Light is an improvement over the original in every way. It's a brilliant blend of action and storytelling, where both side complement each other perfectly. Some of the side systems like stealth and facility building are a bit flawed, but the meat of the game is divine – incredible combat, memorable characters, and a stunning soundtrack make this a must-play for any JRPG enthusiast.

White Knight Chronicles is a very good game. What you get out of it really depends on what you’re going to put in. It’ll be over in a few days if you just plow through the story, but if you get into the meat of the game and start developing your town and binding new items together to take on those tricky online group quests and grind up your guild rank, this is going to suck up a lot of your time.

It's priced well (at around £25), offers lots of gameplay and a couple of real gems.

The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is an incredible achievement that goes beyond just being a DLC expansion. This is another load of thread connecting yet more pieces to the potential of the already brilliant base game. With all of these plates spinning, it's impossible to know how well a run is going to go at any given time, but it remains incredibly fun trying to figure that out.

Managing a racing team is a pretty niche topic for a video game, but if you have a curious nature when it comes to odd fringe sims, there’s definitely enough depth and customisability here to give you a unique gaming experience.

This is another case of same-but-better for EA.

Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV takes the beloved boardgame series to new heights, emphasising the Switch 2's focus on social play while making the most of the new camera and the Joy Con 2’s great mouse controls. Not all of the DLC's content are essential, relying on gimmicks that you’ll quickly tire of, but as a whole package, this is a great next step for Mario Party.

Planet Zoo: Console Edition offers the same enjoyable park building as its PC forerunner, and though it’s a slightly slower experience, Frontier have done an excellent job translating the detailed park building to controller.

Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch offers up compelling tactics and enjoyable storytelling, while the Roguelike elements work startlingly well. If you’re a fan of the genre, this is one of the year’s essential entries.

This is a playful and enjoyable piece of Legend of Zelda lore, and one that will be essential for fans of the series, but it doesn’t break the same ground as Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, or even Age of Calamity.

The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff is a great example of a Pack, it includes some classic Sims dark humour, and increases the challenge of the game by a fair bit if you let it. It doesn’t come cheap, but for the amount of content and the sheer silliness introduced it may just be worth it. The items are maybe my favourite so far with their witchy charm, and the return of Bonehilda is a welcome one. It is a lot of fun, but may be best suited to spooky Sims with a high libido…

TEVI blends the soul of Metroidvanias with the heart of a bullet hell, and the result is unforgettable. Despite a lacklustre soundtrack and some repetitive enemy encounters, this is a rich, feature-filled adventure packed with fun characters and sweat-inducing boss fights that you owe it to yourself to play.

Donkey Kong Bananza is an intoxicating cacophony of brawling, digging and platforming. It's a new style of 3D platformer from Nintendo that, for better and for worse, embraces the destructive chaos of letting players tunnel through and deform the world.

Archangel is a game that shows a lot of promise from Skydance Interactive. There’s flaws with checkpoints and lip syncing, but the game’s presentation on the whole is great and none of that matters when you’re piloting the mech. You feel incredibly powerful as you easily brush aside smaller tanks and drones, while battling with larger enemies feel like a proper fight.

Genshin Impact needs to be played to be believed. This is an addictive open-world adventure with gorgeous art and unique combat...and it's free! The character designs are sharp and beautiful, while the pastel-style world itself is full of jaw-dropping colour and natural vistas...and it's free! Sure, there's the admittedly stingy gacha system, but if you just want an immersive and peaceful world to climb and fly around in for hours, then Genshin Impact is for you.