DIRT 5 offers a new path for the DIRT series and treads it brilliantly. The core numbered titles have always been slightly more arcade, but this takes it to a whole other level and is fantastic because of this move. This is an incredibly approachable and varied racing game that takes you on a tour of several racing styles in far-flung places across the globe. With every new console generation comes a new generation of racing games, DIRT 5 is that game. It looks fantastic, it's incredibly fun and it's polished to a great level and is arguably the best game to come out of Codemasters.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope takes the Supermassive Games formula and improves on the previous outing, Man of Medan, in so many ways. With a more interesting story, a strong set of characters, the masterful building of atmosphere and more, you're going to be left on the edge of your seat while playing through this story. The excellent branching narrative, as well as multiplayer options also increase the gameplay value exponentially. This still isn't perfect, the sloth-like movements of characters can be annoying later on and some QTE's are annoyingly cheap, but this is still a brilliant game, one I would recommend to anybody.

This is probably the best Pikmin game, and this is undoubtedly the best version of it. It's a bit of a shame that this isn't full-HD like many Wii U ports have been, but the quality of Pikmin 3 Deluxe is unmistakable. An excellent action-strategy adventure that'll tempt you into 100% completion, and probably leave you in tears when you see your Pikmin eaten at the end of a complicated day.

Watch Dogs Legion is a great step forward for the series, with enough experimental new gameplay features to complement the familiar mechanics. London is incredible, and exploring it is an almost visceral experience. It's just a shame that the story doesn't hold the same familiarity to the real world that the map does.

Remothered: Broken Porcelain is a textbook example of a bad horror sequel that mostly sticks to its predecessor’s formula, without really understanding what made it work. Between a jumbled story, shortage of tension, annoying new mechanics, and a flagrant lack of polish, Broken Porcelain in a follow up only a mother could love.

Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Crown Tundra is the better of the two DLCs for the game, though that's not saying much. It manages to weave Pokémon's modern sensibilities with some strong nostalgia for old-time fans like myself, and I found myself more than happy to cycle around The Crown Tundra for hours on end, catching all of the Pokémon I found. If that's not a good result, I don't know what is.

Carto is a brilliantly simple puzzle game about literally moving the world to help those in need, all the while making a few friends as you try to make it back home.

Ghostrunner is a very well-crafted first-person action game featuring a lightning-fast pace, a very smooth parkour system, and tight platforming in addition to weighty, satisfying combat. The high challenge level and the one-hit-kill system, however, can lead to some serious frustration, as it requires a level of effort that not all players may be willing to put in the game. As such, Ghostrunner is a game that only the most hardcore of action games players will fully appreciate.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Part One is a solid, meaty, and strong piece of DLC for Doom Eternal. It removes some of the chaff, cutting needless exposition, and makes some strong steps in gameplay. However, strange inclusions like enemies that kill the pace of combat, as well as even more ultra-precise platforming sections can throw off the whole "Doom" feeling of Doom Eternal. Also, and this is more of a subjective gripe, it's just too difficult right out of the gate with some combat sections feeling like they last forever.

Disc Room is an outrageous experience built around one single philosophy: getting cut in half by spinning discs. However, the challenges for surviving as long as possible and grazing past enemy attacks satisfies a craving that only the most polished of Japanese shmups could satisfy.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is heavily dependent on the amount of free floor space you have available. If you have a large home, space to drive under the sofas, no extra rugs or thick carpets, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit will be an amazing experience to share with the children. If you live somewhere fairly cramped or have a lot of clutter that's going to get in the way, then you will find this very difficult to enjoy indeed. Great for the kids at Christmas, as long as you have the space.

Amnesia: Rebirth is a more than worthy new entry in the popular series, and one of the best horror games released this year, thanks to its engaging story, great writing, and a truly unnerving atmosphere that can make playing the game almost uncomfortable. If a horror game manages to achieve this, small issues like a lack of gameplay innovation and limited replay value don't really matter much.

Genshin Impact is a remarkable game in many respects, boasting vibrant visuals, a rich, sprawling world, deep systems, and finely-tuned action. Unfortunately, the game’s free-to-play gacha business model often undermines its own sense of adventure and excitement. Genshin Impact is a good -- potentially great -- game locked in a loot box it can’t quite escape.

With its interesting setting, engaging story, great combat mechanics, and tons of customization options, Aquanox Deep Descent is a more than worthy new entry in the classic series. Bland mission design and a repetitive structure does damage the experience a bit, but all those that enjoy dogfighting games, no matter where they take place, will find plenty to like in the game.

An undeniable and great improvement on the original. Featuring a huge amount of content, including some brand-new game modes, as well as a revamped and improved portion of the original campaign, there's a lot on offer. The AI is improved, though does have a few niggles here and there. Particularly so with pathfinding. This issue is overwhelmed by the amount of content on offer, great improvements to the aesthetics of the game, improvements to multiplayer as well as changes to the home city system outside of the campaign. While not as outright fantastic as Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, this is still a brilliant release and comes in at a very low price.

Partisans 1941 blends differing aspects of the tactical squad genre with mixed results. While the staging of ambushes and scouting of strongholds is as satisfying as any other game, the actual combat and fireworks leave a little bit to be desired.

Everything Torchlight III does, it does worse than one of its contemporaries. Primarily Diablo. While what is here looks good and plays fine, it's repetitive and lacks the magic of games it shares a genre with. But all of that could've been forgiven if it had at least allowed me to suffer through it with a friend in local multiplayer, but it couldn't even do that. If you get the urge to play Torchlight III, just play Diablo III instead.

Overcrowd: A Commute 'Em Up is an incredibly compelling game that can suck you in for hours, and days. With a charming aesthetic covering up a game with a massive amount of detail, there's a surprising amount to get yourself lost in as you try to build a series of ever-more detailed metro stations, managing facilities, staff and more. Now, it's not perfect, it can be a little clunky at times and some features are lacking, by choice and due to the style of the game. Still, the game does all it can to make itself as accessible and approachable as possible.

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.

Star Wars: Squadrons is a mostly-successful throwback offering impressive sights, intense action, and the opportunity for fun multiplayer throwdowns. Some mechanical quirks, a couple irritating missions, and a lack of depth holds Squadrons back from being a true bullseye, but those who have missed blasting TIE Fighters should find the game worth the ride.

Kirby Fighters 2 is an adorable, polished brawler that is sure to make you smile - but not for long. The game is great while you're unlocking and using new abilities, but you'll soon be forced into repetition after repetition while playing, and that'll suck the fun out of things. Good for young gamers and less experienced players, but there are better options.

Milestone has made an undeniably solid game in the form of RIDE 4. The physics are mostly improved, though still have issues with collision. The career, while still a little too much of a slog, is far better organised than previous outings. There's a good variety of game modes to play through, giving a lot of replay variety, with the new endurance races being a high point. Some smaller race types, however, are infuriating in their rigidity and inaccessibility. The AI has been improved thanks to the new A.N.N.A. system, but it still isn't the most realistic and you'll find the computer trying to wipe you out for having the temerity of being where they want to be. For every negative, there are at least two positives, making this the most solid of Milestone's outings, I'd recommend it.

The Walking Dead Onslaught is, at best, a mixed bag of a game. The VR aspects are well made, Survios using their VR experience and making a very accessible title. They have also made a game that features genuinely enjoyable zombie-killing combat. However, the problem is that this combat is surrounded by several bad elements that drag it down. Level design is just bad, missions being dull, uninspired, taking place in terribly repetitive corridors. There's a massive amount of grind used to pad out the game length, acting as a barrier to story missions. Even then, the story is shoddy, the only advantage being some decent voice acting by three actors from the show. All in all, I could only recommend this to huge fans of TWD and those happy enough to deal with quite a few negatives to play some reasonably entertaining combat.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is a complete remake of a classic crime game. It looks better than almost any other open-world crime sim you'll see this generation and has a story that'll keep you engaged to the end. It might not be the most revolutionary or innovative title in the genre, but it'll certainly keep you playing. This is an excellent story to play over the course of the weekend, and you're almost certain to be recommending it to your friends once you're done.

Long heralded as the pinnacle of graphical performance, the Remastering of Crysis leaves much to be desired with a style of combat and fidelity that can’t quite match its contemporaries on PlayStation and Xbox.

Port Royale 4 is a solid trading and building management sim. The improved visuals, as well as some improved mechanics, help set this apart, as does the tactical turn-based ship combat. It's very user-friendly and intuitive, particularly with the city building and trade-route creating aspects. However, it isn't without flaws. Side quests feel very repetitive and don't really give you enough to do and the campaign can be too rigid, not giving you the amount of time you'd need to do anything other than the bare minimum for the tasks set. If you like this sort of game, Port Royale 4 is likely just up your alley, but I can't see it converting anybody to the cause.

Serious Sam 4 takes us back to a simpler time in first-person shooters, where massive guns and well-timed one liners make up the bulk of the action. There's a bit of jank that's impossible to miss and Croteam isn't breaking any new ground here but Serious Sam 4 is a great way to just shut off any critical thinking and blast away at a few thousand aliens for an afternoon.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is clearly a rush job, but the game’s simple, fundamentally sound action can be a real breath of fresh air at times. Unfortunately, that air is tainted by overbearing microtransactions that feel particularly crass given the game’s cartoony, kid-friendly aesthetic. Battlegrounds could have been a contender if 2K had truly believed in the game, but once again, the publisher only seems to be interested in wrestling open fans’ wallets.