Kingdom Under Fire II is one of the most internally divisive games I've ever played. Some parts are genuinely fantastic while others are mind-numbingly horrible. The third-person character combat is up there as one of, if not the best I've ever encountered in an MMO. On top of that is a fun and engaging strategy element, one where you can seamlessly move between commanding your troops and yourself, to fighting on the front lines with them. However, the MMO part in-between the fighting and strategy is interminably boring, showing a dated sensibility and more time-wasting than could ever be reasonably expected. I genuinely thought I was going to hate it, going by the start, but I now genuinely, almost begrudgingly, like it and against all odds I will be playing more.

Need for Speed Heat ditching its predecessor’s heavy-handed microtransactions and live-service nonsense is commendable, but in most other ways, this is actually a step back for the series. The game provides some solid arcade thrills, but a limited map, so-so visuals, slapdash action, and irritating cops weigh the experience down. If you’re desperate for a new open-world racer, Need for Speed Heat may be worth a spin, but most will want to wait until this one hits the used car lot.

Skybolt Zack is an action-packed, engaging but all-together a little too unforgiving action-platformer-rhythm-thing. Despite its unforgiving nature, It is a game that even the most useless of people (me) will have fun with and will offer a huge amount of replayability for those looking for a challenge due to the unique difficulty system. Looks, sounds and plays great, the first outing from Devs Must Die is one well worth giving a go.

Terminator: Resistance is the kind of shooter-meets-RPG hybrid you've seen a dozen times before, and isn't a particularly impressive one. But everything it does, it does well enough to pass. I can't bring myself to hate Terminator: Resistance, I think it's a fun, cheesy game, but I also wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I recommended that anyone bought it at full price.

Football Manager 2020 is the purest, most engrossing and also the most accessible football management game yet and marks yet another high point for the series. From improved accessibility and usability to improved AI and long-term gameplay functions in new features like the development centre & club vision, this is a game that takes a longer more realistic look at the beautiful game than any before it. Slight issues still prevail, but this is the closest to perfect the series has ever been.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition offers an overwhelming wealth of content through hundreds of hours of campaigns to play through, refined to make them more entertaining. With an improved AI offering more engaging battles (although it still doesn't understand the concept of diplomacy or trade) as well as improved visuals and audio, drawing you right into them, you'll not find yourself bored at all and will no doubt keep returning to the skirmish modes. At a cheap price and offering so much, it's impossible not to recommend the game. This is what the original Age of Empires: Definitive Edition could have been. As a standalone title, it's fantastic and one that I'd recommend to anybody and everybody.

Cricket 19 has enhanced beyond Ashes Cricket, Big Ant Studios previous outing and then the best cricket video game around. Enhancements to AI have further improved this, though doesn't completely perfect the game with a few issues here and there. Altogether though, this is still a very strong and polished game and one that any fan of cricket should be interested in.

Once you check in, you won’t want to check out. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a vibrant interactive CGI movie, beautifully-designed brainteaser, and top-notch action game, all rolled into one. The game isn’t perfect, but its frustrating moments are brief and don’t tarnish the experience as a whole. Luigi’s Mansion 3 stands shoulder to shoulder with Switch must-haves like Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey – it’s scary good.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is not a good minigame collection. While the minigames here aren't absolutely atrocious, none of them are particularly good or outstanding. Disappointing motion controls and a boring minigame selection really hamstring this crossover, and when games like Super Mario Party are available, I just can't bring myself to recommend it at all.

Planet Zoo is a great management game that lets you impose your own goals and always gives you something to strive for. With incredible graphical fidelity, a huge overlapping array of mechanics to balance and incredible detail, the only issue is the sometimes annoying controls.

Overwatch on Switch is a fun experience that, while technically having everything from the other platforms, misses the very competitive edge that so many fans want from the game.

Dawn of Man is a competent city building game set, as the name explains, during the dawn of mankind. Moving through the ages, the slow progress early on leaves a real sense of achievement, made possible thanks to a strong resource system and the way knowledge is gained, working with the rest of gameplay to create an enthralling gameplay loop. Sadly this does falter towards the end of any game, even becoming boring at times, but for the most part Dawn of Man is one city building game that fans of the type won't want to miss, despite any flaws it has.

Afterparty blends genuinely thought-provoking depictions of growing up, working, and the afterlife with great comedy and fantastically awkward conversations. While technically it has a few hiccups, the story and tone they strike are near flawless.

Song of Horror is a genuinely atmospheric, creepy horror game, with the major selling point of an enemy that you're never actually sure about. The advanced AI system of the horrors you face, combined with sound, visuals and other game mechanics make for one of the more engrossing and captivating horror titles of recent memory. There are some faults, such as backtracking and a bit of adventure game logic when trying to solve puzzles, but these do nothing to stymie everything Protocol Games are bringing to the table.

Moons of Madness is the best of the recent rash of Lovecraft games. It isn’t as dark or atmospheric as some of its macabre competitors, but it’s well-crafted, nicely varied, and builds to a satisfying, pulse-pounding crescendo. If you don’t mind your Lovecraft with a touch of Michael Bay, don’t hesitate to blast off for the Moons of Madness.

Digital Eclipse revitalizes two classic platformers with quality emulation on current generation consoles, although there's some that keeps this from being a pixel-perfect collection.

Ancestors Legacy is a genuinely good console strategy title, with Destructive Creations having ported the game over well with improvements to UI and controls to make it as playable as possible on a gamepad. As for the game itself, while simplistic compared to other strategy titles, it offers a great jumping-in point for those new to the genre. Even those familiar will find something enjoyable within, with a well-balanced (albeit small) roster of factions supports a strong multiplayer, even a decent, albeit repetitive campaign.

With its solid gameplay mechanics, excellent world-building and character development, The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel III is an excellent Japanese role-playing and a more than worthy new entry in the long-running series. Some small flaws like slow pacing do not impact the experience as much as the lack of knowledge about the entire series do, which lessens the impact of several events and plot development. This makes Trails of Cold Steel III a game that must be played only after the previous two entries in the series have been completed.

WWE 2K20 is a slap in the face. I’m sure plenty of passionate people worked on this game, but the fact that 2K Games was willing to release it in such a sorry state shows they believe WWE hardcores will blindly gobble up whatever they shovel at them. WWE 2K20 is ugly, broken, uninspired junk, written and presented with contempt for pro wrestling and its fans. I know buying the annual WWE game is a tradition for a lot of people, but I strongly urge you to reconsider this year. If 2K and Visual Concepts can’t do better than this, it may be time to hang up their boots.

MediEvil shows that it's possible to take a classic and completely remake the look from the ground up while still making it feel as it once did two decades ago.

The Outer Worlds is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from Obsidian. The first-person action RPG features a great setting, fantastic writing and remarkable, complex characters to meet. The moment-to-moment gameplay isn't as exciting, though, failing to measure up with the best in the genre. Still, there's plenty to like here as long as you know what you're getting into, not to mention the potential for a sequel to be much better, particularly if the developers had a higher budget to work with.

The Ninja Saviors needs little introduction, proving to be as faithful to the SNES classic as one can get. The updated presentation and new characters make this a one-way trip worth playing once again.

Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is a fun, engaging and content-filled game that, in addition to offering a strong online player-vs-player component, is packed full of content that will keep even the most ardent of solo-players engaged. Proving that Electronic Arts can get live service games right, because this will be a live service game thanks to the pending premium currency store, this is still one game that has taken me by surprise and I can do nothing but recommend to anybody and everybody.

A psychological thriller from beginning to end, Raging Loop takes the deduction out of the players hands and leads them on a visual novel that ranks among Uchikoshi's notable works.

Your enjoyment of Little Town Hero will largely depend on your patience for quirky JRPG systems. The game’s battle mechanics are unique and surprisingly deep, but can be frustratingly random and time consuming. Add in a story and world that have their charms, but are ultimately rather simplistic, and you have a Little Town that will only appeal to select tourists.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep pulled me back in after two years away from my guardian with the promise of ever-evolving seasons and new content to play once more. The initial offering was very light on story and loot but I can only hope to see more content come in subsequent Shadowkeep seasons.

It's impossible not to fall for Disco Elysium, from its intriguing murder detective work to the world it depicts, not to mention the voices inside your own head. It's an experience that could easily make the top of some Game of Year lists and for good reason.

Pride Run is a catchy, engaging and altogether good rhythm action game that's let down by one thing, the game doesn't tell you to follow the beat - rather, it misleads you by not mentioning it at all. Once you get into the swing of things and follow the music rather than simply pushing buttons, the game is at its best, with a funny, even self-deprecating sense of humour. Also, it just looks and sounds great. While not perfect, this is certainly a game worth picking up.