Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key has to be one of the most straightforward and beautiful RPGs in the series as a whole while also being way friendlier to new players than other installments in the series. This is a game that even non Atelier fans will be able to sink their teeth into easily while being able to fully customize their experience through the game's new Synthesis system and its Secret Key mechanic.

Ratchet & Clank is a fantastic game and a strong return of both the franchise and developer Insomniac, who have done an outstanding job. It doesn't concern itself with being a movie tie-in and, as such, it ends up being a true Ratchet & Clank game, one that any fan will have already played and an excellent introduction to make new fans.

Football Manager 2021 is by far the closest representation to the beautiful game you can find. With an improved matchday engine, improved AI and even more datapoints than ever before, all represented in a more digestible method, making it more accessible than ever before. However, there's still no doubt that the series is still going to have a high barrier to entry, and it has some irritating issues, such as repetition in the press conferences and other interaction aspects. Issues aside, this is yet another improvement and superior entry to the series.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of the absolute best first-party titles the Nintendo Switch has to offer. The game feels great to play, looks lovely, and introduces a vibrant and surprising world packed with new mechanics, challenges, and content. Kirby fans have been waiting a long time for his first 3D game, and Forgotten Land truly is the pink one’s Super Mario 64 or Zelda: Ocarina of Time, so puff out a sigh of relief and eat heartily.

Total War: Three Kingdoms is as close to flawless as you'll find, with a fantastic balance of 4X strategy and character-focused development and emergent storytelling. The battles are frantic, with increased tactical opportunities through duelling. City development is more intuitive and less restrictive, though still requires thought and all of this takes place on a China that looks downright fantastic, where even the UI and menus look great. This is the Total War experience and a new high for the series.

With its excellent story, charming characters, varied and engaging gameplay experience, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales can be considered a true The Witcher game, despite not being a traditional RPG. The game may be too easy, but this small flaw in no way compromises the game's overall quality.

I don't think it would be a considerable surprise reading this that I recommend Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. Mimimi has made yet another fantastic real-time tactics title, and I would argue they've cemented their place at the top of the league (if there was one) of developers in the sub-genre. Shadow Gambit is also a huge game, a wide variety of missions and locations - plus the re-visits - brought me in at close to 50 hours, and I still have little things I can do.

While PUBG’s Xbox version is still a far cry from perfection, it’s a competent port that encapsulates the same Battle Royale experience BlueHole has been providing on PC for a while. Despite the console version still not being quite up to the standard that I’d hope for at the 1.0 update, the experience carries over well and the game is certainly playable if you aren’t picky about its performance. If the standard of the PC version of the game is anything to go by, let’s just say that the Xbox port could be a hell of a lot worse.

Billed as the first part of Quill's storybook adventures, Moss showcases some of the best ideas to grace the PlayStation VR since its inception. Not only is it comfortable and easy to get into, but the forest world that Quill calls her home is a character all its own.

Easily the best way to experience building bridges across America, Death Stranding Director's Cut is less of the final cut one might expect from Kojima himself and moreso a collection of novel enhancements to make this the best looking and best feeling way to experience this unique title.

Outer Wilds gets most of the “big picture” stuff right. It boasts a solid structure, wonderfully imaginative planets, and an involving slow-burn mystery. Unfortunately, clunky controls, a few irritating design choices, and a multitude of other little issues bring the game back down to earth. If you value originality over execution, Outer Wilds is worth the ride, but expect some turbulence.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown couldn't have brought back the series after its more than a decade-long hiatus in a better way. With an engaging story, well-crafted Metroidvania mechanics, and a touch of character-action games features in its combat system, Sargon's adventure will be remembered by fans for a long time, even with its minor issues.

If you've been searching for a bombastic single player FPS, then you need not look any further than this new DOOM game. If you want a special multiplayer experience, though, DOOM doesn't deliver as well.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle looks, plays and sounds better than you would've ever expected from such a confusing crossover - an interesting take on the X-COM formula that can start to feel tedious, but starts amazingly and will keep many players stuck into the turn-based strategy shooter.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is as much a brand new title as it is closely entwined with the history of the PlayStation 1 trilogy. Long time fans will find something new to enjoy, while first time players stepping into the jorts of the orange chordata might fall prey to cheap deaths, time and time again.

Never before have I played an interactive novel that kept me so compelled to the very end, and once it was wrapped up all neatly, 428: Shibuya Scramble continued to surprise me with more and more story than I could've ever asked for.

The Talos Principle and its expansion Road to Gehenna are undeniably two of the best puzzle game experiences available in video games. That unfortunately only makes the difficulty jump in the new In the Beginning expansion more frustrating, but it remains true for the base game, and both expansions that the struggle is worth it for the writing and storytelling. Especially if you're that diehard Talos Principle fan who can't wait to return to this simulated puzzle-garden paradise. The added developer commentary and amazing visuals from the Unreal Engine 5 upgrade wrap the whole collection up in a nice bow that make The Talos Principle: Reawakened a strong remaster, even more so if you're playing on PC at launch and get the bonus of the puzzle editor.

DiRT Rally 2.0 far surpasses other rally titles and other games that feature, though don't specialise in rallying. With an extensively detailed roster of cars, where each of them feels, handles and reacts differently, on tracks that actively degrade through constant use, changing the lines you'll have to take, this is a game that will keep you thinking. Best of all, unlike its prequel (to an extent) and other racing sims, it's accessible thanks to a bevy of assists that you can change to suit your needs. A game that only features a few downsides, the primary one being a shallow career mode and some minor bugs here and there. All things considered, DiRT Rally 2.0 is the premier rally experience you could hope to have.

Watching King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum grow from a usurped young king into the leader of a global superpower and ruler of Evermore is one of the most memorable journeys in recent JRPGs.

SEGA has put together a simple, heartfelt tribute to the original Valkyria Chronicles that feels at home on the Playstation 4. Being able to command the Edelweiss one more time has given me a longing to play through the other two PSP-exclusive entries if they can be given the same treatment. A new Valkyria Chronicles has been a long time coming and having the entire series on one platform would be a dream if given the same high-definition makeover.

Hitman 3 is the definitive case for careful refinement over needless reinvention. While not that fundamentally different from its predecessors, Hitman 3 has been polished to a high sheen, offering up fantastic frictionless stealth gameplay and an eye-catching array of unique, exciting stages. At times it's felt like luck was against this trilogy, but Agent 47 would be proud of how IO Interactive’s well-laid plans have come together in the end.

With many gameplay changes that restore the original's great pacing without doing away with the deeper customization options introduced in the PSP remake, one of the best stories ever seen in tactical role-playing games and an amazing reworked soundtrack, Tactics Ogre: Reborn is, without a doubt, the definitive version of Let Us Cling Together. While some of the gameplay changes aren't exactly for the best, they are only minor issues in an experience that continues to be excellent even 27 years after its original debut.

I loved every moment of this game, and didn't have a single issue throughout. There were no frame issues, the game was incredibly accessible and easy to dive into, and didn't have that overwhelming factor that a lot of new sandbox games do. It brings in moments of comedy to break up tense moments, and the campaign helps ease you in to the mechanics little by little.

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy marks the very first direct sequel in Atelier's twenty-three years old history. Bringing back Reisalin Stout makes perfect sense and the game benefits from Reisalin and her cheery cast of compatriots. With a light-hearted story taking you on an adventure in a genuinely great-looking and enjoyable to explore environments, you'll also find yourself pulled in by an enhanced battle system, made even more tactical than before. The constantly returning alchemy is also joined by a system that I'm going to call memory archaeology, helping to develop the new main character as well as the history of the game's world. Either way, this is a very enjoyable outing and one that will no doubt keep Reisalin as a fan-favourite character in what is arguably one of, if not the best game in the Atelier series.

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the great, wonderful entries into the Pokémon franchise that were released last year, but with more. Just to access that more, you’ll need to play the entire game again. In the modern day, this sort of update could’ve, and probably should’ve, been released as a DLC update for owners of the original game, honestly. Nevertheless, if you’ve not played Pokémon Sun and Moon, you owe it to yourself to jump in with Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon.

Featuring a new approach to exploration and extremely solid gameplay, Shin Megami Tensei V masterfully balances innovation and tradition to offer an excellent JRPG experience. While the technical issues can get in the way, the game's quality is so high that most will be willing to look past them, as Shin Megami Tensei V is one of the best entries in the series and one of the best JRPGs released in 2021.

It’s an understatement to say that Frontier Developments have outdone themselves with Planet Coaster. With its beautiful cartoon-style, incredible levels of customization and a small selection of fun modes to choose from, Planet Coaster has set a new standard for the genre.

What Yacht Club Games managed to achieve with Shovel Knight was extremely impressive, and they’ve continued their streak with Spectre of Torment. This latest expansion has overshadowed Shovel of Hope as being the best Shovel Knight game. Spectre of Torment demonstrations that with time, Yacht Club Games can create an expansion that outclasses Plague of Shadows with ease. Featuring a remixed soundtrack, a new look to each level and the coolest character in the Shovel Knight series, Spectre of Torment is better than I could’ve ever imagined. Considering what is available on the Switch right now, there is absolutely no reason for you not to own this game.