Ogre tale is one of the most Marmite games I have played in a very long time. If, like me, you’re a Japanophile, you’ll probably be able to look past the flaws. If not, you’re going to hate the jarring dialogue jarring and incessant reference dropping.

I hate being that guy who basically says "this isn’t the game I wanted to play", but in Skully’s case it seems the most appropriate conclusion. So much of the game concentrates on mechanics that were rightfully abandoned and too little fulfils the marble rolling promise of its early footage. Looks like I’m still waiting, like a strangely bearded Cinderalla, to go to the ball.

PGA 2K21 gives a damn fine game of golf. It controls solidly and there's a good learning curve as you get to grips with the more advanced types of shot. Despite that, I can’t help but be a little disappointed with the feel of the overall experience. What should have been a hole in one return of a licensed golf series feels like it's only just managing to hit par.

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?

Without wishing to damn it with faint praise, Battletoads is pretty much exactly what you’d think it would be. Taking clear influence from the 90s classics whilst adding in some welcome modern approaches, there is plenty here to enjoy while it lasts. An ideal perfect Game Pass title, this is well worth checking out, warts and all.

At its heart, Void Terrarium is a delightful, charming and compelling Tamagotchi-inspired 'keep them alive 'em up.' Sadly these magical moments are coated in so much tedious and overly-difficult combat and exploration bloat that it is exhausting to find them. There's magic hidden deep in this game, just be prepared to grind long and hard to find it.

Fast & Furious Crossroads is a melting pot of ideas, none of which have had time to mature. Poor vehicle handling, weird pacing, unloved online multiplayer, inconsistent visuals, the list goes on. All of those Facebook comments lambasting the trailer for ‘PS2-era graphics’ are wide of the mark. It’s PS2-era physics, dialogue and level design too.

Ultimately SWORD ART ONLINE: Alicization Lycoris takes too long to get to the point both in its combat and story, leaving the player disinterested before it even really begins. There is a good game here if you do commit to it, with some great character and world design, enjoyable combat, and interesting game systems, but it’s just not worth the slog to reach it.

If you’re looking for a sophisticated car sim, you won’t find it in Road to Guangdong. What will keep you going over its short duration however is a wonderfully authentic exploration of Chinese/Cantonese culture through two very universal subjects: family and food.

Spiritfarer has a soft, caring, bittersweet tone that I've rarely encountered in video games. For a game all about death and dying, I only ever felt calm and relaxed when playing it. The management gameplay is varied and engaging, and even though the scope if it leads to the game getting a bit too long in the tooth, it helps connect the incredibly emotional story beats together so well. Mix that up with its beautiful art style and enchanting music, and you've got one of the most emotional management games I've ever played.

Mortal Shell is just an incredibly satisfying experience. It’ll punish you constantly, but if you can master the mechanics it lays out in front of you then you’ll have an incredible time of things. The lore is a little more obvious that in other soulslikes, and the story it tells and the world it puts you in are both rather enthralling. This is definitely a game that fans of dying a lot will enjoy, but it’s probably not for everyone.

UFC 4 is an evolution over UFC 3. A much better and more cohesive online, a better system for advancing your created fighters, a career mode that has a bit more depth, and gameplay that opens up the series to more people, makes UFC 4 the game that UFC 3 should have been.

Death End re;Quest 2 is the horror RPG I never knew I wanted. Its mysterious and grim story is reminiscent of some of the all-time great Japanese visual novel and indie adventure experiences, but the fact that it's tied up into an addictive and enjoyable RPG package is the icing on the cake. The fun begins to get soured a bit by the sudden difficulty spikes throughout the game, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this terrifying and jaw-dropping story from beginning to end.

Sentinels of Freedom is a robust turn-based superhero strategy game. While not doing anything groundbreaking and lacking in some areas, Sentinels of Freedom is still a fun romp into the world of comics and being able to create your own hero is even cooler. Just make sure you stick to playing this on a big TV.

The Alto Collection is a lovely little timesink that survives the jump to the big screen in robust fashion. Its clear and appealing visuals, and their ever-changing time-cycle, are simply another bright little plus point in a tightly concocted endless runner that’s works as well on a TV as it does on something more portable.

It's clear that the developers of Banner of the Maid have a lot of love for the historical French period they've adapted in this game. Unfortunately, the gorgeous character art and intricate story is hampered by a rough localization and awkward gameplay systems. The intriguing characters are hard to follow thanks to awkwardly translated dialogue, while the upgrade and faction mechanics of the game only serve to bloat the experience. Banner of the Maid has plenty of solid ideas, but only a few of them truly shine through.

Splicing history with Hollywood, Troy is an exciting new take on the Total War formula. Sega's immense strategy series continues to snowball, absorbing and shedding new ideas, somehow keeping momentum despite that core gameplay remaining virtually untouched.

Popup Dungeon nails the papercraft look, has some endearing and funny writing, and provides an intriguing framework for community-created content. The core of its tabletop-inspired combat system isn’t engaging enough to hold it up alone, ultimately leaving it up to whatever community it attracts to decide whether it’s worth putting your own paper on the table.

As confusing as it is entertaining, Superliminal constantly uses unique mechanics that go against your expectations, even once you've adjusted to what it did last time. It might be short, but it's a genuine delight.

Fae Tactics is a charming, ambitious homage to classic tactical RPG’s with plenty of its own ideas, but it never quite add up to greatness. It fails to explain so much of what’s going on under-the-hood that victories often feel unearned and defeats often feel arbitrary. The great presentation and some solid core systems means it stays entertaining in small doses, however. I’d still tentatively recommend it to dedicated genre fans.

Fight Crab is weird, wild, and fun as hell. It's a game purely focused on delivering charming and silly moments, and that chaotic, no-rules atmosphere leads to hours of hilarious crustacean combat. The game could have easily been an unpredictable, button-mashing physics mess, but the fact that there are legitimate layers of executable strategy to the combat makes it a thrilling challenge to boot. Even if you don't like crabs, Fight Crab will easily convert you into a claw-believer.

Neversong is a dark and thrilling tale with a child-like twist, exploring human emotion in a world without adults. The dark storyline contrasts starkly to the beautiful score and artwork, the clear influences from Tim Burton and The Legend of Zelda creating an immediate connection and sense of nostalgia.

Full of cute and cuddly jellybean dude bumbling into each other in a race for the crown, Fall Guys is just about the most wholesome battle royale imaginable, and a whole lot of fun.

Post Void is an absolute delight to play with some of the most satisfying FPS gameplay I’ve experienced in years. While it might only have eleven levels to play through, the outstanding gunplay will keep players engrossed in the hours, days and weeks to come and at £2.33, it’s an unbelievable indie package.

Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition brings Guerrilla Games' fantastic sci-fi adventure to a whole new audience, but PC players used to ultra-high frame rates will have to accept a step down in performance as they enjoy Aloy's journey.

Röki is a brilliant and emotional adventure that will appeal to all lovers of adventure games and well-told stories in general. The mature themes are handled in such a wonderfully appropriate way that it would make a perfect family game, and I loved the time I spent with Tove. Rather than a flatpack indentikit product, this is a game that has all the hallmarks of true artisanal craft and skill.

Lost Wing is a hugely enjoyable and exciting arcade mash-up of endless runner, roguelite, Wipeout and Tron. There's a bit too much grinding for content and the nauseating screen-rotating anomalies, but these are sufficiently offset by thrills of the rest of the game and a budget price point. It's a game that managed to make me both punch the air and slap my face in despair on a regular basis; how many video games can you say that about?

As a piece of gaming history the Darius Collections are spot on, recreating classic arcade and console games on modern hardware, but they are massively overpriced considering the content. Some games in the Arcade collection are either minor tweaks or ports of a previous versions, so you would have to be a die hard Darius fan to even consider purchasing both collections. The Console collection is by far the better choice due to the single screen design, but aficionados will then miss the classic arcade versions.