If you’re the sort of player who got really mad about the national Pokedex in Sword & Shield, you might also bemoan the level of content here. But I think this is plenty, delivering far more than the original and with a whole lot of replay value – it’s just a shame the developers felt the need to stretch it out artificially to justify what they’ve managed to build. Even with the grind, I do adore this game, though. It’s a video game safari that manages to evoke the sense of wonder of the real thing. It’s a worthy successor to the beloved original; a comforting, gorgeous, lovely little thing that soars when it just basks in its core conceit and lets you at its content.

Let’s Go is trapped between fans hungry for more of what they already love and those keen to see the series really do new and different things. I’ve fallen firmly into the latter category for a while now, but Let’s Go ended up being something really unexpectedly needed for me: a nice nostalgic palette cleanser before a hopefully significantly changed Pokemon experience next year.

More importantly, while not explicitly marketed towards children, I worry how those who do end up playing it are going to come away from this. Bugsnax has PEGI and ESBR ratings of 7 for mild violence, which I simply don’t agree with for its ending alone, and isn’t that a strange thing to have to say. Bugsnax is a pleasant little gem of a game, but I don’t think I’ve ever encountered another title that came so close to ruining it all for me so close to the finish line.

Metal: Hellsinger is a good time, if not a short time. Hard as nails, rewarding as they come, and fuelled by some of the best names in heavy music, The Outsider and Funcom have made a game that’s worth every second of your time it takes up – even if that’s only about the length of one of the more epic prog albums out there.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure isn’t the most attention-grabbing PS5 launch title. It’s fair to say it’s been completely overshadowed by Demon’s Souls and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, but it offers a wonderfully crafted alternative to what are more mature titles. Sony is on a roll with the PS5, with Sackboy: A Big Adventure being yet another title PS5 buyers should seriously consider adding to their collection.

RGG’s also embraced visual customisation in a more in-depth manner than it ever has before here – not just with your ship, but with putting together custom outfits for Majima that’re mix-and-matchable, rather than rigidly set. You’ll spend most of your time in your getup of choice, ticking off suitably piratey sub-stories and goals in order to recruit new crewmates, as well as hunting down bounty targets pulled from IW’s array of different enemy categories to beef up your bank balance in refreshingly ungrindy chunks.

The Quarry is not without its flaws, but by no means is it a bad game. It’s fun, it’s immersive, and the fate of Hackett’s Quarry truly lies in your hands. As with most games developed by Supermassive, The Quarry is best played with plenty of blankets to hide under, and possibly a friend to adventure through couch co-op mode with you. Tread carefully.

I cannot help but to love Elden Ring Nightreign. It's a strange beast, kitbashed from parts of Elden Ring that feel clunky in places (god, the vaulting system can be frustrating at times). It has bugs, and it has blemishes. It's not a traditional Soulslike experience and as such will surely turn away fresh faces and diehard veterans alike. But it's also a celebration of you, the massive community of Soulslike players, and, specifically Elden Ring players. It's a game and a story about you, and all the weirdos you've met along the way. If this is a send off to Elden Ring and The Lands Between, it's a perfect one.

It’s still worth playing, but Resident Evil 3 Remake is a step backwards for Capcom, coming off the back of one of the best games of last year. It’s gorgeous to look at, the jump scares will get you, and it’s like stepping into a comfy pair of slippers. But even though your feet are cosy, it never feels like home.

Doom 2016 is still utterly fantastic, the sort of thumping, compelling shooting experience that gets the blood pumping. In a time when so many shooters can feel like rote shooting galleries, Doom feels like something more – and it remains a firm recommendation for anyone who’s yet to play it on whatever platform they can get their hands on.

I’m a big fan of Dirt 5. It’s not going to garner the praise of a Gran Turismo or a Forza, but it’s exactly the kind of game I was after. It’s fun, easy to get into, full of variety, looks pretty, and features cars that slide beautifully around corners. Dirt 5 is a feel-good game at feel-bad time, which is about the best time for it to exist.

It’s undoubtedly the most spectacular VR game I’ve ever played, it’s got plenty of cool gameplay moments that show off the controllers, and it’s a full-on game to play through, but it’s also a bit tedious at times, and boring at others.

Although the core gameplay isn’t mind-blowingly different, it’s still the best football game, and the addition of VOLTA is a whole new way to play.

In the end, it all works - it’s just very different. The subtle whiff of compromise in order to launch the game far and wide is there - but compromise is just fine if the end result works. It does. I’m happy. As someone who has somewhere in the region of a thousand hours logged across Civ 4, 5, and 6, I’m ready to add hundreds more to that tally in the seventh entry. Some of that will come in years as the game grows and expands, as is Civilization tradition. But the point is, the foundations here are firm. The legend of one desperate extra turn, over and over again, forever, is secure.

Battle for Azeroth is still good. Great, even. One of the best expansions World of Warcraft has seen. Cinematics are driving the storytelling stronger than ever, and a handy apocalypse providing a nice reset for the decades-old plot. There’s a wider range of ways to play, and what missteps are taken feel more like minor nuisances.

Slicing through mobs to trade up my weapons is fun, and sometimes an amusing line of dialogue makes everything seem great again. Gearbox could’ve done a lot more with the next installment in the Borderlands' series than this. It all got old, too quickly, and it made me just want to boot up Borderlands 2 with my friends again, instead.

The biggest crime a piece of media can make is to be boring and Detroit is as guilty as can be.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild isn’t just one of the better entries in this storied series – it’s also one of the greatest games of all time. To this end, the mission of living up to its inspiration is perhaps impossible for Age of Calamity. It is nevertheless successful at what it sets out to do, however – providing a fun, interesting and exciting new adventure that fans of that game will surely enjoy. It won’t stay your appetite for Breath of the Wild 2 – but it’ll keep you occupied happily enough all the same.

Despite the fact Borderlands 3 seemingly wants me to hate it, I really, really like it. Like, a lot. I say this as someone who’s become a bit disenfranchised with the loot shooter. The moronic, sophomoric (sophomoronic?) dialogue masks over one of the most thoughtful, satisfying shooters you can play right now. You just have to learn to tune out the white noise, and to swap your weapon before you open a chest, you idiot.

One of the best multiplayer games of the year.

With its System Shock, Nightdive has built not only the definitive way to experience one of the most foundational works of an incredibly specific and daunting genre, it’s created the definitive entry point for players who want to get into games about crawling through vents and collecting keycards but are unsure of where to begin. Spiritual successors such as the 2017 Prey or Void Bastards may have done an excellent job of carrying the torch, but it’s a true delight to go back to where it all started.

It's certain to make you smile and burst out with laughter with how silly it can get at times, make you feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction when completing objectives, and also make you want to throw your controller out the window when you just can't seem to win a race no matter how hard you try. Just don't expect too much from the Mass races.

Overall, RoadCraft offers a unique enough twist on the established Spintires formula, if a streamlined one, to be worth giving a go. Some series veterans will end up longing for the elements it’s stripped out, especially when the new stuff that’s been drafted in is being more frustrating than fun. But, that central loop of frustration giving way to jubilation as you overcome the environment is still there and regularly just as satisfying.

Tropico 6 isn’t spectacular in terms of breaking the mould. There’s no revolution here, but nor would El Presidente want one – that keeps him in power, after all. It’s a confident game that plays it safe, offering simple iterations and smart tweaks to the already well-trodden and successful styling of the series to offer up an entry that, at the very least, is superior to its direct predecessor.

Repackaged into one of the sharpest Remaster releases I’ve ever seen, it’s a relatively irresistible package - warts and all. The blemishes upon its carefully airbrushed visage are, in many ways, part of the charm. This is a joyous little time capsule of 2000s Square - and perhaps a curious aperitif before Remake part 2. It’s easy to recommend.

Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition lives up to its name: it’s the best version of this game, and this game is also the best in the Warriors series. Zelda fans should be aware of what they’re getting into, as those who expect the nuance of regular Zelda will be sorely disappointed. If you want to hack, slash and experience an exciting, fan service assisted power trip, however, Hyrule Warriors will fit the bill nicely.

My big takeaway from Like A Dragon Gaiden is that I really hope RGG does more side stories in the future or at least takes a similar approach to new mainline games. The chance to slow down and experiment with character growth, different storytelling styles, and a more focused approach to narrative building paid off brilliantly with Joryu’s tight tale.

Hopefully Game Freak will continue using the Legends series as a playground (maybe a return to pixel graphics, just a suggestion), but, for now, Lumiose City has been a treat to revisit.