Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is a transcendent pile of garbage. It's both strikingly ambitious and laughably incompetent in every regard, which is somewhat fitting given the iconic status of its predecessor. But all the campy brilliance aside, it's difficult to overlook its monolithic performance problems and decrepit approach to game design.

Codemasters' F1 series continue to put in the mileage, upping the competitiveness, expanding the F2 series and adding the My Team mode for what is the most comprehensive package to date.

As a huge fan of the Borderlands series, the Legendary Collection gives me almost everything I could've wanted – a solid port that runs well and finally does the series justice in handheld form. The steep asking price and lack of new content is unlikely to sway all existing fans, but the bundle is must-have for newcomers.

Isle of Armor is an enjoyable expansion to Pokemon Sword and Shield and brings the franchise one step closer to embracing a cohesive open-world, but it isn’t enough to detract from an experience that is far too brief for its own good.

XCOM 2 is a challenging and engrossing turn-based tactical shooter, and seeing it running on the the Nintendo Switch is very impressive. However, there are a number of performance issues here, including immersion-shattering frame rate drops and frustratingly long loading times. There's no doubt that XCOM 2 is best played on a PC with a keyboard and mouse, but if the Switch is your only gaming platform then this is still a worthwhile buy, albeit an expensive one.

Even after all this time, Burnout Paradise remains an absolute blast to play. The upgrade to 60fps in Remastered only heightens the adrenaline rush, and the game’s emphasis on exploration and quick-fire racing make it a brilliant fit for being taken on the go.

Rehydrated is a welcome return for a licensed platforming great. It's wonderfully faithful to the original release while ensuring it has the visual fidelity to stand alongside modern adventures in the genre. While I would have loved an expansion of its levels and a more robust multiplayer offering, this is a remake I believe is essential for platforming fans.

The Last of Us 2 is a masterful swansong for the PlayStation 4, and arguably the finest, most accomplished project Naughty Dog has ever embarked on.

Valorant is one of the best tactical shooters in recent memory, featuring superb precision gunplay and an expansive class system for an abundance of depth. With ruthless headshot damage, accuracy proves more important than rival online shooters which may put off casual players. But for those looking for a challenge in an ultra-competitive setting, Valorant is essential – especially since it's free to play.

If you're a newcomer to the Bioshock franchise or simply want to replay them on a more convenient platform, this collection is an excellent proposition. All three games look and run stupendously well on Nintendo's console, and the sheer amount of content on offer here makes the asking price much easier to swallow.

The Outer Worlds on Nintendo Switch is a passable iteration of Obsidian Entertainment's excellent RPG, but arguably makes too many sacrifices to allow for a comfortable transition to the portable platform.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a triumphant return for a JRPG classic. It doesn't change enough to attract previous doubters, yet enhances the foundations in a number of tremendous ways. It's never looked, sounded or played as good before, meaning it's the perfect time for eager newcomers and familiar adventurers to jump in.

Saints Row The Third Remastered is a decent upgrade of an open-world classic, although doesn't soften all of its rough edges to properly take advantage of modern platforms.

Minecraft Dungeons is a solid dungeon crawler that will work wonders with younger audiences taking their first step into the genre, although will leave experienced players wanting something more significant. A brief campaign and underdeveloped hub world prevent it from achieving greatness, yet I can’t help but be impressed by the foundation Mojang Studios has built here.

Remnant: From the Ashes remains a fantastic game with a healthy community and is a great purchase for any hardcore gamer looking for a new challenge. Sadly - it's first major expansion is somewhat light on content to keep existing players satisfied.

At its best, Predator: Hunting Grounds is a tense asymmetrical shooter that forces you to pay attention to your surroundings in a dense, jungle environment. At its worst, it’s a mess of waiting, loading and gunning down shoddy AI-villains in forgettable missions.

Streets of Rage 4 is an enchanting retro surprise, bursting onto the scene and overcoming many of the justified grievances fans might have with reviving such an esteemed property. The combat is fierce, the music is banging and its sense of style is simply marvellous.

XCOM: Chimera Squad does enough to keep fans of franchise entertained while they wait for XCOM 3, but niggling bugs and unforgiving time management elements will put off newbies to the genre.

Fallout 76 has improved with the introduction of Wastelanders. The region of West Virginia now feels more alive with an increased populace, deeper quests and a greater focus on your place in its living, breathing world. But many of its problems remain, and haven’t been improved with such a major expansion. Far few players occupy each session, making multiplayer feel like a lazy afterthought instead of something that defines the experience.

Gears Tactics is a great game that is sure to delight fans of the series. More hardcore gamers will find it a little lightweight to be considered an XCOM rival.

Sakura Wars is an enjoyable revival of the iconic series, presenting a fascinating blend of genres. Unfortunately, it far too often falls victim to tired tropes and writing which treats its excellent female cast as little more than objects. Still, if you're a sucker for engaging stories, wacky combat and a strange, unusual world I recommend giving Sakura Wars a try.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is one of the finest JRPGs in recent memory, setting a new benchmark for visuals and real-time combat in the series while managing to begin retelling one of gaming’s greatest tales in grandiose fashion. It’s just a crying shame we have to twiddle our thumbs and wait for the next chapter.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is a welcome return for what many consider to be the franchises' finest honest hour. It builds upon the bombastic campaign with luscious new graphics and a selection of small changes that help make it more appealing than ever.

For the first few hours Bleeding Edge is an absolute blast to play and well worth a look if you have Xbox Game Pass. But there's not enough depth to make it last long-term, at the moment.

Resident Evil 3 is a bit of a disappointment. It’s still a gorgeously spooky time, but one that is marred by an overly brief campaign and a so-so multiplayer component that doesn’t reach the standard we’ve come to expect from Capcom in recent years.

Persona 5 Royal is the definitive version of the modern classic JRPG, merging new elements that fit naturally but not quite fixing some of its most noticeable flaws.

Warzone is a fine example of how you can iterate on a formula and improve it, but remove the heart of something by playing it a little too safe. Blackout covered up the surgical cleanliness at its core with zombies and over-the-top items. Warzone has no such crutch, leaving it fighting the good fight, but for no real reason. Overall, it’s fun but it lacks the style of its contenders. Given a choice, I’d go for the wise-cracking idiot over the well-dressed business person every single time, and Warzone is definitely the latter. Classic Leonard.

Valve has surpassed impossible expectations with Half-Life: Alyx, bringing a series long though buried back into the limelight with extraordinary impact. While some might find it unfortunate that such an experience is housed inside virtual reality, I feel it's an innovative step forward for the series…A book has been opened that will seemingly stay as such for years to come, and words are still being written as we speak. If this prequel is anything to go by, Valve might have finally learned to count to three. If you have the means to play it, Half-Life: Alyx is absolutely essential.