Time spent with Diablo II: Resurrected is certainly an enjoyable one. It isn’t as polished as Diablo III, but then this is a remaster of a 21 year old game and I fear the devs were pretty much painted into a corner: if they changed the systems, the original fans would be up in arms, but keeping the original feel does mean it slightly alienates players who are used to the newer game.

Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is one of those games which only comes along every now and then. It’s a true piece of art, with fantastic writing, brilliant voice acting and highly unusual and unique gameplay elements. There is a lot of game to be had here in terms of pathways and ways of playing through it all, but it certainly deserves the multiple playthroughs it allows.

Tormented Souls will be loved by fans of the old-school survival horrors. It's almost a homage to them, delivering a fun narrative with some great puzzles along the way. It's whether or not you can handle the fixed camera, limited saves, and clunky combat that will decide how long you can stick with it all for.

Chernobylite mixes a whole load of gaming styles but still manages to come up with something very unique and challenging. It’s a game in which you can invest a bunch of hours, especially in the resource management stuff, but is neatly complemented by a cracking story and some great visuals.

Lost Judgment on Xbox feels like a misstep in comparison to the plot of its predecessor, but it still stands head and shoulders above most other open-world titles.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is a platformer, RPG, puzzle game, pet-collector and Wind Waker-style exploration game, all rolled together and spraypainted in glorious technicolour. It may be knowingly kooky, it may occasionally sound like a cat motivation poster, but we forgave its failings. Rainbow Billy is greater than the sum of its parts, and the developers have absolutely overloaded it with parts.

If you enjoyed what True Colors originally delivered, you’ll certainly enjoy more of being in this world with Wavelengths, and that’s not only because you’ll get the chance to give Steph a little more time. She may not have been everyone’s favorite character initially, but Wavelengths and the five hours or so of gameplay it brings, certainly changes that.

Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers almost takes longer to type out than it does to play. If you’re a parent, and are considering this for your Blaze fans, beware: you’d get more enjoyment from a large cardboard box.

ExZeus: The Complete Collection on Xbox can offer some cheap thrills in what is largely an unremarkable rail shooter duology. If you’re feeling starved for 90’s styled arcade shooters with all the noise, then these could be fun, but be prepared for underwhelming visuals and stock standard gameplay.

May’s Mysteries: The Secret of Dragonville puts every single egg in that puzzle basket and ultimately fails to deliver. The story is fine, the amount of mini-games is commendable and there’s joy to be had from certain types, but the positives are outweighed by the negatives. The cutscenes let it down, many mini-games lead to frustration, and the margin for error is unforgivable. And that’s before taking into account the fact that you can’t even trust the save system.

SkateBIRD is a great gimmick. It is super fun to create a bird and the level design is definitely fresh. However, with its increasingly frustrating physics, repetitive challenges and bland graphics, it’s ultimately a poor copy of other better skateboarding games.

Insurgency: Sandstorm is a completely immersive experience. The level designs are fantastic, the simple gameplay is executed exquisitely, the level of customisation of characters and loadouts is various and the sound design is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

Nexomon is by no means a bad game, it’s just not quite in the upper echelons of RPG adventures. For the fairly low price – under a tenner – you’ll have fun and should definitely consider buying if a Pokémon copycat is all you require.

In Sound Mind hears what a lot of horror fans have been saying for some time. Horror does not have to be jump scares. It doesn’t have to be Chris Redfield lock-and-loading incendiary rounds. It can be paranoid, drenched with atmosphere rather than blood, and if there’s anything that We Create Stuff should be proud of, it’s that they’ve absolutely hit this bullseye.

With the inclusion of HyperMotion technology, FIFA 22 on Xbox Series X|S is in the best shape it has been for years. HyperMotion may sound very buzz-wordy – and it is – but it also fundamentally changes the action on the pitch into something very much resembling real-life football. Tweaks and changes will be made as the season progresses but right now, this is one of the best launches a FIFA game has ever had.

A Gummy’s Life is not worthy of being compared to Fall Guys, or even Gang Beasts. It is shallow, stupid and the controls are poor. It’s good that it’s sold as a party game with an online element, but sadly for the Gummy’s, there are others - such as Cake Bash - which are still the kings of the Xbox party scene.

Asdivine Saga does exactly what it says on the tin. The story is good, delivered without too much padding, and the characters are engaging. Fighting is as fun as ever for a KEMCO title, especially when you consider taking in some grinding and the opportunity to head into the extra arenas. In fact, it’s hard to find too much in the way of bad points.

Give someone a thousand solutions, and they will pick the easiest one. Offer no reason to work together, and players won’t bother. Catty & Batty: The Spirit Guide is too often a toy and not a game, and the toy is just too ugly and chaotic to fully recommend.

We’re in a curious state of being with Alder’s Blood: Definitive Edition. The craft on display in this stealthy turn-based strategy game is superb, and we can’t help but admire the nihilistic Banner Saga-style art and world. But it’s a beautifully designed chair that we find painful sitting in, thanks to its randomness, its punishing failure, and its unwieldy management layers.

Lost in Random is a very unique game. It has great writing and some of the best art direction of the year. However, the combat system plays a risky gamble that I don't feel quite works out in the game's favour.

There’s a cute little platformer here. What it lacks in frills, it makes up for in solid, no-nonsense gameplay. But be aware that it’s the moments between the levels, when the Rift Adventure stops for a moment, that the devil creeps in.

You may well wonder if The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem is a platforming gem. Well, not exactly. This is a game aimed at kids and their families, and it nails that target with pinpoint accuracy. It’s not a revolutionary step in platforming. It’s not a Mario Odyssey. It’s not even a Super Mario Bros 2. It’s just a kooky, spooky playground for up to four players, designed by people who know their audience and what they want from their video game thrills.

From start to finish A Juggler’s Tale is hugely enjoyable. It tells a classic fairytale-type of story but then turns the format on its head, leaving you to wonder about the power of stories and who controls them. It's a short experience that will take you just a couple of hours to complete, and it’s a shame there is no real replay value, but for me the length is perfect - as are the visuals and storytelling.

More bike mechanic than bike racer, RIMS Racing is going to appeal to a very niche player base. If you're looking for a reason to grab the leathers and show the world your finest bike handling skills, there are better options out there. But if all you're bothered about is fettling your parts and learning more about what makes those bikes tick, RIMS will gladly open up the complex avenues you need. Just don't expect it to provide much in the way of fun.

World War Z: Aftermath improves on the base game in a number of ways. Despite the new content only adding a few short hours of gameplay, there are more reasons than ever for players to keep coming back for more.

Shiro is a ten-a-penny platformer which achieves what it sets out to do; no more, no less. If you fancy some cheap thrills and easy Gamerscore, you’ll know exactly what to expect here.

Flynn: Son of Crimson is a deluxe hot chocolate. I just want to snuggle into an armchair and reward myself with a solid, unbroken couple of hours with my hands wrapped around it. It feels like a video game in the purest terms, a frothy adventure with little in the way of friction or annoyances. And it rewards your attention by being deep and rich.

Ultimately, IIN is a Jeckyl and Hyde platformer. When it’s more on the puzzle end of things, it’s a Jeckyl, delivering fantastic problems to solve with eureka moments. But when it’s more on the platforming side, it goes full Hyde. The puzzle layouts demand that you wrestle with the game’s love of physics, and you have to balance blocks without teetering over into oblivion.