You won’t want to start every game of Three Kingdoms at 200 CE, but it’s a perfect place to jump headfirst into a tense, dramatic conflict already in play. Battles are even grander, and new additions make the strategy layer more interesting than ever.

A beautiful love letter to Japanese games and culture with a simple but heartfelt narrative from start to finish that’s both comforting and life-affirming.

Gunborg: Dark Matters is a relatively short game, but it is packed with challenge and fast-paced action throughout. I like that you have to keep cycling through weapons as they drop to meet challenges ahead, and how satisfying it is to finally get through a stage. If you want an action platformer that will offer you a tough but rewarding experience then Gunborg: Dark Matters is for you.

It took me a little while to fully warm to Tormenture, but as the game started to show its hand, I was hooked and played much of it in a single sitting. Tormenture is a clever and novel approach to horror that makes excellent use of the limitations of the period setting to unsettle and immerse you in a unique experience.

Dragonkin: The Banished is a surprise for me. While it's not going to blow the titans of the Diablo style action RPG out of the water, I had fun tinkering with the skills system, and it's got some refreshing ideas that are worth experience for yourself.

I long for tense, atmospheric experiences that get me shivering and shaken and Yomawari: Midnight Shadows shook me to my core. It’s a masterful horror game that tops anything else on the Vita, and rivals many other things on the PS4 as it blends detailed sound-design with rich art and a somber narrative to craft a breath-taking horror experience. Some puzzle segments can be obtuse, and the ending lacks the same sense of accomplishment of the first game, but despite all that, Yomawari continues to perfectly define horror.

The Switch 2 gains yet another great title for its library with Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Ember Labs hit remains one of the most likeable 3D action-adventure games of the last few years, and its approachable gameplay and stunning visual design feel utterly at home on a Nintendo console.

I have been enjoying Starfield, but that's in spite of the game's systems and features rarely combining into a cohesive whole. As an interstellar role playing experience, it appeals to those that want to be bounty hunters, space cops or pirates, but offers little to traders and other fantasies. What it really needs is a sequel, taking this first attempt as a proof of concept to create new technology and improve, but we aren't going to see that any time soon.

The genre may have changed a lot over the past decade or so, yet the original Kingdom Hearts still stands as one of its most memorable champions. Sure, a number of its mechanics are a little outdated but considering how well the game has been ported, the wealth of additional features, and bargain price, there’s little, if anything, to complain about.

Loco Motive is a very well performed and funny point and click adventure with a memorable cast of characters. The majority of puzzles are structured well, though there are some that are very out there, and sometimes characters can get ahead of themselves before the story has caught up with them, but this is easy to recommend.

The premiere episode in Telltale’s Game of Thrones series does a lot of things right. Certainly, it manages to capture the political overtones as well as the high fantasy setting of the series it is based on, and it does them justice, bringing in new characters and plots not adapted from the book series. That’s an achievement in itself, and while it doesn’t stray too much from Telltale’s formula, it adapts an excellent property to something which we’ve seen hit the mark time and time again.

For a game that’s so simple, Reigns is very easy to get absorbed in. Your kingdom evolves in a much more subtle way than your traditional management sim, but also in a more meaningful way. While there’s a lack of variety in cards that tend to crop up, there’s also enough depth and variety in general to keep you going for quite some time.

There is no doubt that Sonic & SEGA All-Stars borrows from Mario Kart heavily, however in this case that is no bad thing because this game has depth, it works well and most important of all, it’s great fun.

There are also a few returning issues with the controls, with the dash skill being an particular annoyance; it’s designed to speed you around each dungeon but instead you have continually re-engage it every time you turn a corner, leave an area, or enter a room.

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.

Pawarumi is a vital, beautiful and utterly enthralling entry in the Shmup genre. Its trifecta of concepts might seem daunting at first, but this is an instinctual shooter that will blow fans of the genre away.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a short and sweet addition to the Monkey Ball canon. There’s plenty of Monkey shenanigans to indulge in, and fans will no doubt love the new online modes, with the only true caveat being that this is still, unequivocally, more of the same Monkey Ball.

Need for Speed Unbound is the best arcade racer of 2022, and a real statement from EA and Criterion. Why it’s snuck out with so little fanfare will be one of the mysteries of the year.

In its best moments, Amnesia: The Bunker joins Outlast and Alien: Isolation at the pinnacle of this style of horror, but this is a game with a split identity. Combat feels out of place and mostly ends up being a navigation tool, while I would have liked to see better use of light as a defence against the creature. The story is somewhat predictable, but Amnesia: The Bunker excels with its atmosphere and the kind of tense gameplay that will thrill genre fans.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a welcome return for the other Mario RPG series, taking a more straightforward, less gimmicky approach to help bring new players aboard. The rhythm of the brothers in combat is pleasingly engaging, as ever, and there's a solid adventure here, but it's just lacking that spark to match the very best in the series.

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw manages to take plenty of familiar elements and whisk them together into a completely original package. The dusty trucker atmosphere combined with the sharp and agile dogfighting gameplay kept me engaged for hours, although the back-tracking and cash grinding wore me out before too long. Even with those issues, there's something special about the aesthetic of Rebel Galaxy Outlaw that demands the attention of anyone looking for some good, dirty spaceship action.

Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is simply an incredibly fun and addictive arcade experience that once again reinvents the arcade classic in a compelling way. The visual style feels timeless, looking as great as it did back in 2007.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fine remaster of the Wii platformer, bringing along all the tweaks from its Nintendo 3DS port. It's not much more than that, but it’s still a great platformer.

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.

The rerelease of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a welcome one — it’s always good to see these games brought back for a new generation. The fighting feels as good as ever, and looks better than ever thanks to modern hardware, but the storyline and pacing almost feel antithetical in a franchise that was built on just that. Is it a solid fighting game that fans will love? Absolutely. Is it a must-buy for Persona fans? No, probably not.

Cosmonious High makes being the new kid in class feel truly special. It's not quite as universal as the "robots do human things" humour of Job Simulator, but never gives up on being positive, from the alien character designs, to the vibrant colour palette, and the sandbox of simple puzzles and powers to use. It's just missing that half step of complexity as a VR experience.

Capcom Arcade Stadium is a perfume soaked and kiss covered love letter to the arcade. Capcom really has set the benchmark for how iconic publishers should preserve their work for future generations. The pitch-perfect emulation is notable, but it’s the courage to make the necessary changes to classic games and ensure accessibility for all that is truly genius. Sure, having to buy everything in packs is a pain but you’re bound to uncover a few unexpected gems in the process. Now, how about that Rival Schools: United by Fate, eh Capcom?

Virginia’s tale of intrigue and mystery quickly comes full circle. In that time, it will take you to some pretty surprising, extraordinary places, and easily warrants a second playthrough. The closing moments may not be to everyone’s taste, though the journey to get there is certainly worthwhile.