Monster Hunter Wilds is the best Monster Hunter game we’ve ever had. The best storyline, the best visuals, and changes to the combat that revolutionise the way the game plays. That said, striving for the widest audience yet has dulled some of the series' difficulty, and you may have to wait for the toughest parts of Wilds to fully reveal themselves.

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.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an incredible blend of story, gameplay and world design. I don't think it trumps Bloodborne, personally, but it may well be the next best game that FromSoftware has created. It definitely has the most experimental aspects and rises above so many of its peers because it dares to punish you for not paying attention. As ever, the elation you find when overcoming a challenge is unparalleled. This is one for the masochists and the hard-headed, but it will welcome any who have the patience to learn it. Sekiro is bloody brilliant.

Perhaps not quite as transcendental as it is in VR, Tetris Effect: Connected remains an incredible, visionary piece of work, that you can now experience with others. With its arrival on Xbox Series X, it can be a game for a new generation.

It’s Nintendo’s love letter to the fans, not just giving them the tools to create and share Mario courses, but wrapping it up in a wonderfully presented package and teaching them everything they could possibly want to know. The beauty is that some fans will inevitably be able to go beyond that and pull off some tricks that Nintendo haven’t even thought of yet.

NHL 11 is an absolutely fantastic game that will provide hockey fans with literally hundreds of hours worth of gameplay. If hockey is your thing then pick this up, if it's not but you want something different then I highly recommend trying it.

Sound too is expertly done, and this is where the PS3 version wins out over the otherwise identical 360 version in that the digital sound is utterly incredible.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is a triumph of a game that wants you to just take your time and see everything you possibly can. You'll be constantly pulled from your path by a new cave, a random quest, a chest one of your Pawns has found, random fights, and it's all part of the experience. I adore this game, and while it has some aspects I think some will find too clunky, it's a masterpiece.

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.

Hyper Light Drifter is a jaw-dropping experience no matter the platform you play it on. What started as an engaging masterpiece in 2016 continues to be just as rewarding and worthwhile of a video game in 2018. With the Nintendo Switch you get the valuable bonus of being able to take this journey with you anywhere you want and believe me when I say this is a journey you will not want to step away from once you start it.

If Naughty Dog are only using 30% of the PS3's power, we're in for some treats in the next few years.

Pentiment is an excellent dialogue adventure that takes all the best aspects of Obsidian’s previous titles and marries them to a distinguished aesthetic. The whole game feels like a medieval manuscript brought to life and there is very little out there like it. While an interest in the historical setting would obviously add to the experience, the writing alone is good enough to draw any fans of adventure games in and there are so many superb details that really show the depth of the developer’s engagement with their influences. If the past is a foreign country, then grab your passports and get ready to be illuminated.

It has taken the gameplay of the previous games, refined it, and combined it with a huge open world that is packed with enough content to literally last for days. If you have ever wanted a proper pirate game, this is as good as it gets.

There’s a brilliant approach to the narrative, while Ellie and Riley’s charm shines throughout, their wonder and imagination matching exactly how you’ll feel as you return to this world.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is an immaculate love letter to one of its inspirations, but it still retains so much of its own identity and humour as you explore Dracula's castle as The Beheaded.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the PlayStation 5 showcase you have been waiting for. Instantaneous travel to worlds thanks to the SSD, thumping 3D audio, ray tracing through the gorgeous levels, and clever use of the DualSense bring the many locations to life. Paired with classic Ratchet & Clank gameplay, this game is a riotous feast of explosions, platforming, and fast paced action.

Rogue Legacy 2 is a sequel with great genes. The sense of progression constantly pulls your forward, all of the new mechanics and unlocks add a lot more depth and longevity to the game, and the combat and platforming feel just as solid as they did in the first game. It's an excellent roguelite that offers a lot of stuff to do as long as you're willing to put in the time.

NBA 2K17 is on par with 2K16, making improvements in some areas, but with a few drawbacks alonside them.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles faithfully and lovingly remasters this deep and complicated classic for modern console. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it, and it has been amazing sinking back into the world of Ivalice. If you can get past some of the retro gaming pitfalls above, you will see a game that absolutely loves the franchise it’s in, with nods to Final Fantasy lore scattered throughout. If you’re a fan of either Final Fantasy or Tactical RPGs, we strongly recommend you pick this up.

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.

What lets it down is that it’s missing a truly compelling narrative and cast of interesting secondary characters, and while it’s a very enjoyable game, it lacks some of the charm of the original.

An in-depth and thoughtful RPG that offers console gamers an experience normally reserved for PC gamers. It’s pace and mechanics may take some getting used to and there are a few mild technical issues, but for those willing to put the time and effort in there are countless hours of questing and combat here that should enthral any RPG fan.

Cuphead was well worth waiting for. It provided exactly what Studio MDHR said it would be – a boss rush with plenty of well-designed bosses and gorgeous presentation that mimics the Fleisher brothers’ art style. Depending on how used to 2D platformers with difficult bosses you are, there’s a decent amount on offer, though with limited side attractions beyond the bosses, it could all be done before you know it. It’s a swell ol’ time though.

Horizon Forbidden West improves upon Zero Dawn in almost every aspect. The story is particularly well-written and ebbs and flows from air punching highs to dark, horrific lows. Like later Jurassic Park movies it suffers from the fact that we've already seen massive robotic dinosaurs on our TVs, the wow factor is reduced, and that the puzzles, crafting, and RPG elements could have been lifted from any number of games. Even so, it's still a spectacular robo-beast smack down and thoroughly enjoyable to play.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops features an exhilarating campaign mode, arguably the best in the whole series with a compelling narrative.

Deathloop is the kind of game that will get in your head and stay there even when you’re not playing. Colt is a great protagonist, the intricate environmental design is a dream to explore, and the loop system keeps things fresh and offers so much replayability. Simply put, Deathloop is fantastic.

Its difficulty might keep some from seeing the credits roll, but the sense of achievement and experiencing how the story ends makes any hardship along the way well worth the ride.

Sword of the Sea is a visually stunning and atmospheric game, incorporating some of the most flawless water graphics and satisfying sound effects found in games today. With a heart-warming narrative, fun snowboard-style tricking, rewards for those who love exploration, and the occasional ride on the back of a marine animal, this is an experience to be savoured.