Mighty Goose is the game I never knew I always wanted. It’s a silly 90’s cartoon homage to Metal Slug. Yet it also does enough that is new to be recognised on its own terms. Big, bold and bonkers, this is a game that is definitely worth a gander if you, like me, love your classic run ‘n guns. It’s just a shame about the pants local co-op.

The narrative in Undying is touching and I really wanted to see it through to the end but the main issue here is a tonal mismatch between the emotional narrative and the traditional grind of a survival/crafting game. If you prepare yourself for slow incremental progress then there is a solid survival sim here, just not quite what I was hoping for given the fascinating setup.

Ruffy and the Riverside takes us back to a time where the 3D platformer was king, controllers had three prongs, and analogue sticks were a new-fangled invention. There’s the same vibrancy and creativity here as classics like Banjo-Kazooie and Mario 64, cribbing a few of their tricks along the way while making something that still manages to feel fresh and unique.

As engrossing as ever, with hours of approachable tactical content to get stuck into. It's just a shame that it still very much looks like it was made 11 years ago.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a decent entry in the series, but it feels like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be. The campaign is full of underused ideas, while the multiplayer misses some of the magical charm of Modern Warfare, opting for faster paced aggressive battles which just don’t feel as satisfying. While still enjoyable, Black Ops Cold War fails to recapture the magic of Black Ops 1 and 2.

Whilst clunky controls and uninspiring visuals hamper proceedings, Attack of the Earthlings nonetheless offers an intoxicating mix of satisfying strategy, well designed levels and guffaw inducing humour.

As we saw with RIGS and how Sony abruptly axed its life support, the same could very well happen to StarBlood Arena and that’s a bloody shame. I want this game to do well, I really do, but as a multiplayer VR title with a non-existent server population and an exorbitant price tag, it’s fighting an impossible fight.

As a new entry in the series that pushes it into uncharted territory, King of Fighters XIV is an admirable effort. Boasting a huge roster, accessible action and smooth gameplay, there’s a lot to like, but the mediocre transition to 3D and inconsistent netcode hold it back from greatness.

The new music is wonderful, the additional stories are engaging, and the updated visuals make it hard to return to the pixelated appearance of the original DS release. Still, despite these obvious improvements and extra pieces of content, there’s a downside to the update. Some people, especially newcomers, won’t find issue with the new control scheme, but for many long-time fans the dual-character combat of the original is a huge part of what made it a game worth remastering.

MotoGP 20 tries to build upon the promise of recent developments with a raft of new features, but it's those very inclusions that don't quite feel fully formed yet. The presentation is more polished, there's a real attempt to try something new, and I enjoy the more serious focus of the riding, but I can’t help but think that this game needed a little more time in development to iron out the quirks.

Beyond the Dawn is a hefty expansion, but a lot of that heft is stuff you'll have already seen and experienced in the original game. While it doesn't go out of the way to explore a new perspective or shake up the formula of the base game, if you're a diehard fan of Tales of Arise, this DLC is a super rewarding trip down memory lane.

I like the idea of Herdling and for the most part it does work well, trotting along behind the beasts is wonderfully relaxing. The herding mechanism lets things down, as does the repetition of the dangers, especially when the game is only four hours long. One to play on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Unbound is a great puzzle platformer that takes influence from Metroidvanias without really being one itself. It focuses far more on the puzzling and a refreshingly linear path through its various environments, and the way that powers are handled prevents them from becoming boring while still leaving some room for extremely challenging optional paths. It's well worth checking out for fans of this type of game.

F1 Manager 23 evolves and grows upon the foundations of Frontier's motorsports sim, adding an accessible new Race Replay mode based on real-world events, and expanding some key options for team management. However, it's not quite there with the overall presentation, and there's some AI quirks that you need to babysit through race weekends, whether you're fighting for every point possible or hunting for championships.

Star Overdrive has bags of heart and a huge amount of ambition, and it manages to bring those things together with enough style to cover up some of its less-polished elements.

Sometimes opposites attract, and Pode’s contrasting characters are a great example of that, combining to overcome the game’s environmental puzzles. While it’s a little rough around the edges, Pode is a charming puzzle game whether you play it alone or grab a friend to play alongside you.

Whilst offering bombastic fun in online multiplayer, this Hades-like roguelite is oddly muted in single-player, an issue likely exacerbated due to the developer failing in making the most of the game’s iconic mythological setting. A decently reliable experience then, but one so similar to so many other roguelites you’d have sworn you had already played Sworn before.

Under the Waves is a beautiful game, both graphically an narratively, though the latter is on the sadder end of the beauty scale. It is a little short, but it's an affecting story with some fantastic voice performances that really help elevate what is already effective dialogue. It's not perfect but it is unique and it's a joy to explore the depths of the north sea in your cute little submarine.

Lego The Incredibles is a great kids game, but it doesn’t really reach the heights of many of its predecessors. Not quite incredible, then, but still pretty good.

If you like a challenge and your games with a large portion of character, then this is definitely worth a punt.

Even without the original’s VR elements, Chronos: Before the Ashes’ compelling and somewhat challenging combat is still its main draw, in which you have to attack, dodge and parry your way, with refined precision, towards victory. Its aging system also adds an interesting twist to combat, imbuing your battles with a sense of prudence. That said, it doesn’t offer anything new to the genre. Just watch out for its clumsy camera angles and you’ll do fine.

Despite rocky presentation and a ho-hum story, Warriors Orochi 4 has been some of the dumbest fun I’ve had with a video game all year.

Piyotama is slickly produced, hugely addictive, and the perfect alternative to Warhawk.

Jump King is an excellent experience in soul-crushing difficulty and nightmarishly precise platforming. It's the type of game that won't be for many people, but for the small percent that craves this kind of experience, they won't be disappointed. The somewhat imprecise nature of your jumping often frustrated me and diluted the pure player skill needed to clear the game, but it still ends up being a solid test of your patience and platforming skills.

Iron Harvest’s incredible presentation and scrappy, dynamic battles can’t always save it from uneven mechanical depth and arbitrary-feeling limitations. A celebration of the some classic RTS, but not an evolution of it.

Despite its issues, All-Star racing is an original take on the kid-friendly kart racer which offers a wonderful selection of fruit themed content to keep both children and adults entertained. It might not get everything right, but it’s a beautifully juicy start.

Heave Ho is the life of the party: wild and magnetic with a few surprises up its sleeve. Play it on your own, however, and it’s not quite as much fun to hang with.

Overall Amplitude’s return is an enjoyable one, though the game’s campaign set-list has just as many tracks that would clear the dancefloor as fill it.