If you like shooting zombies with friends, then Zombie Army 4: Dead War is the game for you. There's a few new twists and several layers of progression now thrown into the mix, as you battle undead Nazis once again, but this is classic undead sniping action through and through.

If you called Owlboy a piece of art, I would nod my head and agree wholeheartedly. This game, in visuals alone, is a masterful achievement. For those breath-taking visuals to be matched by equally beautiful characters and unique gameplay moments just elevates it even further. The beginning of the game is a bit too slow, and sometimes the gameplay was merely okay, but those are minor blemishes on a video game experience that is absolutely worth your time, and definitely worth the decade that it took to bring it to life.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game continues the series legacy in emphatic style, with a true pioneering spirit that’ll keep you coming back for vehicular adventures for months to come.

If you’re a fan of the kind of ultra-difficult, ultra precise platformers that gained popularity a few years ago, then 10 Second Ninja X is right up your alley. It doesn’t reach the same heights of controller breaking frustration, which is probably a good thing, but with minimalist controls, short and to the point levels, and a whimsically silly story, there’s quite a lot to like here.

A simple idea that is acted upon with great focus and substantial ingenuity to produce a complex and compelling puzzle game.

For fans of the original game, Total War: Warhammer II is a great follow-up. Creative Assembly has created something both new and familiar, keeping that central core intact while transporting players to a part of this universe ignored in previous video game adaptations. That change of setting and the narrative drive of the Great Vortex will be enough for most, alongside a suite of smaller, more subtle changes. There’s also the exciting prospect of new armies, campaigns, and other features that are no doubt just around the corner.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a challenging tactical game with a fun story and characterful crew. The varied missions do a good job of giving you plenty of options for how to tackle them, leaning into different crew abilities. There's a few rough edges, but Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew’s treasure hunt is well worth partaking in.

A great game, despite the camera doing its best to spoil the party. However, this version is hard to recommend to those who have already ploughed through Sigma; there's nowhere near enough new content to warrant that.

LEGO Party is everything you want for a Friday night in with the family. Silly, funny, and accessible, finally Mario Party has some competition.

Nobody said being a giant tentacle monster was easy, but Tentacular’s mix of physics puzzles and quirky story and setting does make it rather fun.

There’s a lot to enjoy here in a well-rounded package, with plenty of replay value thanks to the range of different heroes, collectibles and high-scores to aim for, as well as the online and offline multiplayer options.

It’s amazing to drop back into Cult of the Lamb with the Woolhaven DLC, and the harsh new reality it imposes on your cult. I just wish it came a few years sooner, so I hadn’t forgotten everything from my last run in 2022! If you’re new to the game, this won’t be a problem, but if you’re old hat, it may be better to start New Game+ and get back to speed, rather than jumping in late, low on resources and struggling more than you need to through your first few winters.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the most ambitious Lego game yet, and despite the occasional technical mishap it delivers a daring and often delightful romp through the most iconic film franchise of all time.

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.

Not A Hero is another great title from Roll7, and another must play title for fans of games that make you pull out your hair with their difficulty, but give you the best feeling imaginable when you clear a level.

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.

Considering its budget price, Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix is a steal. Clocking in at well over sixty hours, the collection oozes with quality and that classic Disney charm, all bundled up in a gorgeous high definition package.

It’s easy to dismiss Hardline out of hands as being too far removed from Battlefield’s typical setting to be worthy of the name, but even as Visceral ride on the brands coattails, they’ve had the confidence to adapt that core gameplay to suit a new setting. That’s not just true of the multiplayer, but also the single player story and its compelling tale of drugs and police corruption.

Cairn is a unique, slow, and surprisingly relaxing game where you occasionally lose your grip and fall to your death. There's a heartfelt story running through the ascent to the top of the mountain, survival elements as you manage limited resources, and accurate feeling climbing, but soaking in the gorgeous environments, making discoveries and mastering the climbing are a joy. Cairn is a unique game that stands out from all the rest.

It's true that the 360 versions run cleaner, with quicker load times and there's no force feedback for Dual Shock 3 owners, but it's still absolutely worth the money for PS3-only gamers.

Astrologaster is an incredibly original and fantastically designed experience that really captures the feel and tone of the Renaissance. From the impeccably researched astrology diagnoses to the infamous postscript of ‘coitus after consultation’ this is the most accessible way into the world of Simon Forman you could ever hope to find. Whether you mean to or not, you’ll certainly learn something about one of the most eccentric characters in Renaissance London – just don’t follow any of the medical advice. Trust me, I’m a doctor.

The aesthetics, soundtrack, and writing here are wonderful and more than reward the patience required to fully unravel the game’s mysteries. Playing it resulted in an immersion that went beyond my niggles with the gameplay. It is clear from my comments here that the game won’t have the universal appeal to match the political and social importance of its themes and message. It is a game that should be played by many, but that will probably frustrate as many as it ensnares. It more than lived up to my expectations and if you are interested in exploring the ways in which games can go beyond other media in their use of narrative then it is unmissable.

I really like Borderlands 4. I like it on the story front, gameplay front, mechanical front, and just all of it really. I have every intention of coming back to it and replaying it with the DLC characters in later playthroughs, and while the endgame stuff isn't that fleshed out yet, I have faith that it'll improve as time goes on. Let's just hope everyone else can enjoy it without bugs soon too.

Conscript is a worthy entry into the Survival Horror genre and comes highly recommended. It takes all the ingredients of the genre and marries them to a vital and under-represented part of history in video games to create a standout title that deserves a wider audience.

Phineas and Ferb: Day Of Doofenshmirtz is a fun action-platformer for the Vita that never feels stale. Each mission has a unique moment to it, so you’re never quite sure what to expect next. It looks good and colourful and the writing of the story matches the tone of the cartoon. However the lack of voice acting and Doofenshmirtz, despite being billed as a central part, does take away somewhat from the experience, since the humour would be better with vocal delivery. If you are looking for a good game for the Vita though, that doesn’t take too long to complete, then Day Of Doofenshmirtz could be worth your time.

Legend of Keepers is a delight to play. It has such character, both in its looks and humour, that it feels unique when compared to other games out there. For those who want to work hard to create undefeatable monsters and dungeons, there’s plenty of scope to carve out your success. It's definitely a title to try out for yourself, even if you’re not usually one for this type of turn-based indie RPG.

Peaky Blinders: Mastermind offers one of the most essential puzzling experiences of 2020. The masterminding may come to an end far too soon, but when it does the the sublime gameplay mash-up you've just had will make you realise that Futurlab have forged an entirely new genre: rewind time strategy. Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is so good that it compelled me to go and watch the original TV show. Now, how many games based on a franchise can say that?

The Banner Saga 3 closes the book on an incredible saga of turn-based action and dark, haunting storytelling. It’s hard to make player choices and branching narratives successfully payoff over the course of three games, but Stoic Studios have done just that. It’s a shame that they never tried to revamp or update the sluggish combat speed along the way, but that’s a small price to pay for a once in a lifetime narrative experience like this.