Playing Streets of Rage 4 is an absolute no-brainer and it is without doubt one of the best games of the year.

The Sexy Brutale is definitely one of the more original ID@Xbox games that we’ve seen recently. On one side there is an incredibly dark and sinister side to the game solving, sometimes described in great gory-detail, murders. But then ultimately it is a game of hope as Lafcadio tries to prevent his friends re-living their nightmares day after day.

Darkestville Castle on Xbox One is a great game for fans of the genre and new arrivals. The art style is clean and fun, the story is wacky, and there is plenty of content to justify picking it up. If nonsensical puzzles and point and click games are your thing, you can’t go wrong with a copy of Darkestville Castle.

Whilst you may well be drawn in to MOUSE: P.I. For Hire by the visuals and soundtrack, once in, you’ll discover a game that is so much more than just that - an investigative, story-focused, secret-hunting, first person shooting platformer that is an absolute joy to play.

Yes I’m a fan of Tomb Raider, but once again I have loved my time with Lara in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. If you’re in my camp, and enjoyed the first two games of this rebooted franchise, then I would highly recommend this experience. In fact, it is the best of the three in terms of of tomb exploration, puzzle interactions, deep storytelling, and action.

Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition is a faithful remaster. It may not radically change or update the source material, but that matters little thanks to its brilliance.

The Outer Worlds 2 is as good as the original game, and dare I say even a little bit better.

Like in 2016, you need to know just one thing about SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE - SUPERHOT really is super hot.

RiME is a game that feels perfect to play, from the very start right up to the epic finish.

Ghosts n’ Goblins Resurrection is a triumph, and I have no hesitation in awarding it the highest score I can. There are not many games that will immediately beckon you forth to try and beat them once success has been found, but Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is one of those games. If you are a fan of the franchise, you’ll love how true to the source material it is, and if you are new, well, you are in for a treat.

This is a truly original piece of gaming; an experience full of creative invention, brilliant premise, and the most terrifying piece of world-destroying machinery ever - The Eternal Cylinder.

Work has gone in to the Anniversary Edition to ensure it fits within Skyrim and the lore surrounding it as a whole; so much so, that if this is your first-time playing Skyrim, you won’t recognise what is base game and what is from the Creation Club content.

The mechanics in Torn Away are so varied that a couple could have been lost along the way without affecting things; like the first person sections. But it’s the story's emotional beats which shine, absolutely spot on whilst the main characters are wonderful and tragic.

If you’re a hockey fan, this game is highly recommended, as NHL 19 has made gameplay changes that make the experience much more authentic, while at the same time introducing new modes and adding to many old ones in order to bring the fun back to the series.

Operencia: The Stolen Sun is wildly ambitious for Zen Studios and for their first RPG it is incredibly impressive. It’s filled with passion and the team clearly love the genre. It does not get everything right, but if this is evidence of more to come, I can’t wait to see what the studio can do next.

Blazing Chrome is the breakout release which JoyMasher needed to get noticed.

FAR: Changing Tides should very much be seen as a companion piece to FAR: Lost Sails, but it’s able to deliver a gaming experience that contains pretty much everything you could want. It will take you on a journey through a strange abandoned land that is beautiful, accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack and new surprises along the way.

World of Warships: Legends delivers another fantastic showing from the ‘World of’ series on console and ensures that players have an engaging and accessible title that can be enjoyed for hours on end.

SteamWorld Heist II comes together to bring a lot of fun. You’ll enjoy getting to know all the characters and locations that have been added into the game, whilst the actual combat is tough, but well balanced.

Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy surprises, both with how good the actual adventure is and just how much effort has clearly gone into this remake.

Yooka-Replaylee is not a masterpiece of 3D platforming, far from it in fact, yet if you just lower your expectations for this to be the next Banjo-Kazooie, enjoyment will soon follow. A stunning soundtrack, world, and overall charm, harmonise with the troubled, yet enjoyable gameplay, and the accompanying arsenal of moves. Simply put, Yooka-Replaylee is fun, but not groundbreaking.

The Division 2 is very much like the first game of the franchise. The gameplay feels familiar, but there are noticeable tweaks and additions to all the modes on offer, all of which are for the best. I’ve had a blast playing through it all in co-op with a friend, but it’s certainly different playing on your own; far from terrible but you’ll need lots of willpower.

It delivers on its promise and then some, and if you’re someone who enjoys playing video games alone or with friends, and likes having fun whilst doing so, in that respect, Borderlands 3 is perfect.

Paper Trail is one of those puzzle games that you’ll think you can get the hang of, capable of completing it in an hour. But you'd be wrong as the initially simple setup is very deceiving and the more the game moves forward the trickier the puzzles get to solve.

Blasphemous is a superb example of a metroidvania. Incredibly captivating and lengthy, it’s a deep, dark, scary hole to jump into that won’t let you out until you reach the end. And once you get out, you’ll want to jump straight back in.

Planet Coaster 2 is a worthy follow-up and another fab continuation of the wider ‘Planet’ franchise. The water parks don’t intrude too much, ensuring that this remains a theme park creator at its heart, and most of the new inclusions add to that simulation side of things successfully.

With more of the same charm and horror that made Prey so enjoyable, and plenty of variety and challenge brought with each unique run, Arkane Studios have done a fantastic job at giving us a quality triple-A roguelike experience.

The surprise success has spawned a fitting sequel in Hand of Fate 2, with deeper RPG elements, interesting lore and some really great challenges which all feel different.