Naughty Dog has taken everything to the limit to create The Last of Us 2 – the PS4, its design template, and its staff. In some respects, it’s gone too far, but the results are undeniably spectacular, and this is the studio’s best game yet.

Those looking for a more solid FPS might want to look elsewhere, but it’s a fine alternative to the team shooter, where you can have the camaraderie without the people.

A polished package of classic and modern games the entire family will enjoy.

Still the best of Monolith Soft’s three Xenoblade games, tweaked and polished to perfection.

An oddly brief experience that feels unfinished to an extent. The fact that there are already two paid DLC packs on the way and Mojang is promising a number of free updates suggest that it expects players to stick with it and keep playing as new content is added.

The Wii U classic is just as entertaining as it was back in the day, even if it’s more of a port than a remaster.

Gears of War mostly nails its strategy debut with an accomplished, but no-frills alternative to XCOM.

The scale and detail of this partial remake is at times almost absurd. But this is a game full of beauty, intelligence and nostalgic power.

Another great Resi remake that delivers action by the bucketload, but is somewhat lacking in replay value.

A stunning return for Half-Life and an essential VR purchase - if you have the required equipment and space.

If you’re primarily a solo player, this is an exceptional FPS with more action than you’ll find in most other games’ campaigns (and an incredible metal soundtrack to boot).

Nintendo's comforting life sim is a tranquil haven at a time the world needs it most.

A gorgeous platformer that builds on the original without ruining what made it so special. If you have Game Pass, there’s no reason not to play this.

A brilliant conversion of an entertaining sim: if only all console ports were treated with this level of care.

A memorable, if modest, open-world adventure with inventive mechanics and enjoyable exploration.

There’s very little in Invector that you haven’t seen before, but that doesn’t mean any of its elements are unwelcome. Instead, Hello There Games has cherry-picked the more enjoyable elements from a number of different music games and brought them all together for a game that may consist of second-hand ideas but will have you up all night with that elusive ‘one more song’ feeling regardless.

In the last few years, there has been a lot of pent up demand for a single-player centric game like this and hopefully, Respawn will be allowed to explore some of its better ideas in a future release.

Need for Speed Heat feels like a return to form for the franchise. There’s very little new here, but what is here is certainly a crowdpleaser for anyone who has dipped in and out of the 25-year-old racing IP.

Light in story yet heavy on atmosphere, basic in function yet more cohesive than previous entries, Shenmue 3 is a worthy sequel and exactly what fans have been waiting for.

A charming and entertaining resurrection for a much-loved retro series, with a fun multiplayer mode and clever level design. It’s a very short adventure, though, which makes its premium price point difficult to justify.

While not short on ideas, Skybolt Zack’s combination of fast-paced action platforming with rhythm-like colour coordination may be too frustrating for some.

Though bold and colourful and accompanied with a dazzling score, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games 2020's clumsy gameplay lacks the polish we've come to expect from games emblazoned by that iconic little plumber.

A bloated, showy post-apocalyptic melodrama that makes a meal of some engrossing mechanics and themes.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a stunning, spooky adventure that puts its hero, and the game’s Canadian developer, firmly on the map. Mario may hog the spotlight, but this Christmas’s best Switch adventure belongs to his little brother.

These new additions don't always land as perfectly as it feels they were intended, but there's no denying this is the freshest the series has felt for some time.

An entertaining wrestling game buried underneath a mound of technical issues.

It may look better than the original MediEvil, but the improvements stop there. This could have been the beginning of a new breath of life for a cult favourite, but instead it’s probably the final nail in the series’ coffin.

Fallout similarities are distracting, but get into The Outer Worlds’ narrative meat and a more distinctive adventure emerges.