A fairly unique 3D roguelike, RAD is colourful, wilfully silly, devilishly difficult, and imbued with 1980s style. This is pure Double Fine, but will have limited appeal for some.

On paper, Wolfenstein: Youngblood should be completely brilliant. A stellar shooter imbued with RPG depth and open-ended level design? How could it possibly fail? By making the RPG elements meaningless; that's how.

Blazing Chrome is a fantastic slice of retro run 'n' gun that deftly pays homage to a golden era of side-scrolling shooters. Badass.

A solid but sadly unpolished Lovecraft-inspired detective story, The Sinking City has all of the key ingredients to be something compelling, but it's rough around the edges. Dodgy combat drowns an otherwise robust horror-tinged bout of sleuthing, drenched in intrigue.

The cities may change, you will upgrade your establishments over time and gain more and more money, however, the essence of the gameplay is doing the same thing over and over again. For some this will be quite addicting, for others it may be quite boring, so keep that in mind if you try to give Marenian Tavern Story: Patty and the Hungry God a shot.

An excellent return for an arcade classic, Samurai Shodown is a reboot that looks sensational, has a wealth of options, plays remarkably well, and possesses deep, hugely rewarding fighting mechanics. The Dojo mode is also superb, ensuring that Samurai Shodown doesn't just push the envelope, but slices it wide open.

If you already hold the original CTR in high regard, then you'll see Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled for what it is – a gorgeous and lovingly made update that serves as a welcome reminder of when Crash was the kart racing king.

A slightly insipid follow-up, Layers of Fear 2 attempts something more ambitious than the first game, but disappointingly fails to stick the landing.

It might not be as good as Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed, but Team Sonic Racing is a joyous and remarkably fun kart racer with a smart team-based twist. Gotta go fast, and that.

An unbridled joy to play, RAGE 2 is something that puts an onus on having fun and has no pretenses of being anything else beyond that.

A solid remaster job, Sniper Elite V2 Remastered offers ample reason to go back and prowl the streets of Nazi Germany, popping heads with impunity. There's a good suite of modes and extras on offer, and while the game itself is flawed, you'll still have fun with it.

A loyal and heartfelt remaster, but no matter how much Square Enix polishes Final Fantasy XII, the company is never going to wear down those occasional bumps that affected the overall package the first time. New RPG systems, rebalanced enemies, UI updates and speed options all boil down to a much smoother, nicer (prettier!) version of the game than the original European release. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a wonderfully nostalgic, but undeniably flawed, return to Ivalice.

A cool and unique physics-based puzzle platformer from the house of Pokémon, Giga Wrecker Alt. has some nice twists and mechanics. It's found a perfect home on console.

World War Z has its flaws especially with its throwaway PvPvZ mode and repetitive campaign, but it’s genuinely a pretty fun zombie shooter akin to Left 4 Dead. It’s a fun title to just pick up and play with a few pals when you’re bored or have run out of games to play. It’s even enjoyable solo with AI companions. World War Z is worth a go, then, at least until Back 4 Blood makes its debut.

NetherRealm continues to evolve its fighting games with each one it makes, and as such, Mortal Kombat 11 marks the pinnacle of what the studio has achieved to date. A flawless victory, then? So very nearly.

My Time At Portia is one of the most wholesome, relaxing and chilled experiences of this generation. It’s the perfect post-Sekiro experience, with a cast of wonderful characters, and a beautifully picturesque world with tons of activities to occupy your time. Sure, it’s very much like Stardew Valley, but the emphasis on engineering over farming makes it its own beast. The loops might not be as alluring as Stardew’s, but it’s game that you won’t regret playing, and will satisfy your inner soul.

Giving a whole new audience the chance to discover the exploits of fledgling defence lawyer Phoenix Wright and his bizarre world, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is fantastic. There's no reason to object to this, Your Honour. I rest my case.

As a Burnout fan, I had high hopes for Dangerous Driving. Unfortunately, Three Fields' effort fails to capture the spirit and feel of its inspiration, and consequently, emerges as a pale imitation.

While the apocalypse is traditionally painted in varying shades of drab brown and grey, here it's brought to life in lovely bucolic greens and yellows. This pastoral loveliness doesn't disguise the fact that Generation Zero is unremittingly, cripplingly dull, providing protracted periods of walking vast distances with all-too short bouts of gunplay. How the developer behind Just Cause managed to create this vacuous, pointless game is beyond me.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is effectively the offspring of what would happen if Dark Souls and Tenchu got frisky under the covers on a weekend trip out to the lake. It’s devilishly difficult, supremely stylish and fantastically realised. It’s just a shame that FromSoftware still hasn’t fixed the camera issues and shonky lock-on system a whole ten years after the first Souls game.

Despite being held back by pesky bugs, The Occupation is nonetheless an enjoyable and immersive game that handles weighty subject matter with aplomb.

The Division 2 is almost certainly a step up from its predecessor, offering more content than you can shake a stick at and enough tweaks to make it feel somewhat fresh. While Massive has attempted to rectify the issues of the original, it hasn’t quite managed that yet: yes, enemies are still kind of bullet-spongey and the missions can get quite repetitive after a while, but aside from that, The Division 2 is an impressive follow-up, building upon what was already a solid foundation.

Fans of Monkey D. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Crew will undoubtedly find something to like in World Seeker, but that doesn't hide the game's poor mission structure, the lack of variety and overall dullness. This ship's sunk.

An improvement over its predecessors, Dead or Alive 6 is an accomplished fighting game with some neat new tricks and cool cinematic touches up its sleeve. Also, boobs.

A triumphant return for Capcom's coolest series, Devil May Cry 5 is a stupidly slick game that does almost everything right. It'll totally pull your Devil Trigger.

Keeping the core fundamentals intact, Trials Rising is every bit as enjoyable and challenging as its predecessors, but is marred slightly by the introduction of a pointless levelling system that only serves to lock off tracks and force you to needlessly grind. That core Trials gameplay is still sensational, though.

Bristling with energy and a bright, breezy '90s-inspired style, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove harks back to a simpler time, when life was a little bit funkier. And fun. This is a fun game.

The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame might seem like business as usual, but it's the addition of sandbox bits, the slew of items and gadgets, and the emphasis on exploration and puzzles that make TT's latest LEGO foray a cut above. Everything is (relatively) awesome.

Anthem is a game that despite poor optimisation, agonising load times, bizarre design decisions and unbalanced loot system can actually be a lot of fun to play. The open-world, story, characters and combat are all solid, the rest, not so much. Anthem has potential to be a good game, it just isn’t right now. It could be one day though.

Another dose of rallying heaven and hell, DiRT Rally 2.0 is hard-as-nails, uncompromising and bloody brilliant.

Boasting a roster of great Shonen Jump characters and a decent fighting game at its core, Jump Force forgets all of the other elements that you'd ordinarily take for granted. Fans might find something here to enjoy, but anyone who doesn't know their Frieza from their Vegeta might do well to steer clear.

The term 'more of the same' is bandied about a lot in this industry, but when it comes to Crackdown 3, it is absolutely more of the same. With a few tweaks here and there, and a new city, there’s no doubting that the gameplay still absolutely holds up. The structure and busywork tasks issues still persist from previous iterations though, which is perhaps the most disappointing aspect. Fun but repetitive best sums up Crackdown 3.

Relatively short but still incredibly sweet, Far Cry New Dawn is yet another fine instalment in the series, and a genuinely excellent Far Cry 5 follow-up that works equally well as a standalone experience.

After the confined spaces of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, Metro Exodus feels far more expansive, but never strays too far from what makes the series unique.

Genesis Alpha One has some really cool ideas going for it, unfortunately they’re outweighed by repetitive busywork that you easily get bogged down in. Sure, it’s an interesting strategy game at times, but the grind is just too damn much!

The final chapter of Sora’s story is full of surprises, but it absolutely delivers something that fans have been waiting years for and Square Enix certainly know how to bring a person to tears in a very beautiful way. But the studio has gone above and beyond by giving players so much more to do then just the core story, with a variety of extras to jump back in to. Kingdom Hearts 3 is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that you’ll find yourself wanting to come back to for more.

After reinventing the series with Resident Evil VII, returning to Raccoon City to relive past glories proves more than welcome. Calling Resident Evil 2 a remake, however, almost seems reductive. It looks and plays like a brand-new game, prodding the nostalgia glands while delivering something that feels fresh. Resident Evil 2 is expertly executed and bloody sublime.

Still thoroughly good fun, Onimusha: Warlords is nonetheless showing its age, and unfortunately doesn't really hold up in 2019. For a fan like me, revisiting Capcom's samurai survival horror is genuinely welcome, but anyone experiencing it for the first time might come away perplexed.

BELOW evokes a fantastically ominous air of foreboding with its soundtrack, and its visual style is unquestionably superb, but as an example of the roguelike, Capy's game does nothing new. Perhaps it's intentionally pared-down, but the resulting game is enjoyable for an hour or two, and a relentless chore thereafter.

A sequel that on paper had huge potential, Just Cause 4 is unfortunately a bit shabby and light on genuinely new ideas, beyond the novelty of lightning storms and tornadoes. The core gameplay remains good, explosive fun, but Rico is evidently running out of steam.

Darksiders III’s shift to a more Dark-Soulsy experience seems to fit perfectly within the Darksiders universe. The third outing in the franchise is a solid effort by Gunfire Games – one of my favourite gaming experiences of the year, in fact – let down only by some shaky traversal mechanics, a dodgy compass and some downright unpleasant frame-rate issues.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is silly fun; an enjoyable, exciting and vibrant compendium of collect-a-thon platforming classics given a new lease of life. Flaming wonderful.

While Fallout 76 is effectively a buggy mess, marred by frame-rate issues, quest bugs and general calamity when it comes to the engine, there’s still a decent amount of fun to be had here. Whatever you do, though, don’t come in expecting Fallout 5 otherwise you will be supremely disappointed. Fallout 76 is effectively about base-construction, survival and world-building, not the story and your part in it, which isn’t a bad thing. The execution is though.

Battlefield V builds upon its predecessor in meaningful ways, DICE stripping away practically every one of the series' fripperies to get to the nub of what truly makes the series tick. This is Battlefield at its most undiluted and raw, and it's all the better for it.

Hitman 2 is a solid follow-up to our 2016 Game of Year, delivering five huge killer sandboxes to explore to your heart’s content. Yes, the maps might not be as unique as iterations gone-by and there is seemingly fewer than normal, but boy, are they great maps. Factor in Contracts mode and the excellent Ghost Mode, and Hitman 2 is very much worth your time. Where else can you dress up as a mascot or get involved in a poisonous drinking game to take down a target? Answer: no-bloody-where!

A fun distraction from the mainline Final Fantasy games, this is a game you’re going to want to digest in small pieces. World of Final Fantasy Maxima is so sickeningly cute and twee that it sometimes comes off as unbearable (thanks to the main characters) but when you get past that, there is a compelling and intelligent battle system waiting for you. And obviously, the new Xbox One additions are welcome, even if they're not particularly huge. If you’re a die-hard Final Fantasy fan and can put the time into this game, you’re going to get a lot out of it.

A neat continuation of the LEGO DC series, Super-Villains offers a neat twist in casting your custom character and a range of iconic faces from the comic books as the protagonists in a raucously fun story. Yes, it's the same old LEGO game that you'll have played several times before, but damn it, it's still good. And indeed, good to be bad.

A stunning, elegiac western that features some of Rockstar's best writing to date, Red Dead Redemption 2 is also the studio's finest open-world to date, handcrafted with real, tangible care and attention, defying the boundaries of what a video game can be. Arthur Morgan will also inhabit a special place in your heart, as a likeable, relatable rogue striving to find his way in the world. Good ol' Arthur.

Back after a six year hiatus, SoulCalibur VI proves that the series has lost none of its sparkle. If this is the final SoulCalibur we ever see (and we sincerely hope it isn't), at least we can rest assured that the series went out with a bang rather than a clang.

In pruning the campaign from its suite of modes, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has discovered a renewed focus on the nuts and bolts of what most players demand from Activision's undying shooter series. Blackout is a superb addition, in which Treyarch improves upon the battle royale formula, ensuring the gamble in losing single-player ultimately pays off.

Each year, WWE 2K seems to be gradually getting better and better, and in WWE 2K19, the series appears to be making moves towards reestablishing itself as the enjoyable grappling game it once was. We live in hope that even bigger changes will be introduced for WWE 2K20, because WWE 2K19 is certainly a step in the right direction.

A case of refinement rather than dramatic change, Assassin's Creed Odyssey nonetheless injects even more depth and detail into the series, with dialogue choices and the ensuing consequences that follow proving a worthwhile addition. If you enjoyed Origins, Assassin's Creed Odyssey will scratch the same itch, and then some. A sensational sequel that's thankfully not a Greek tragedy.

Building upon everything that has continued to mark out the Forza Horizon series as something special and unique its own right - beyond being Forza Motorsport's carefree sibling - Forza Horizon 4 demonstrates once again just how recklessly entertaining driving roughshod across an open environment can be. Revelling in what makes Britain great, Forza Horizon 4 also proves once more that Playground Games is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to delivering a polished, deep, and thrilling open-world racing experience.

While Kick-Off's party games in particular are a highlight, FIFA 19 improves upon last year's outing in almost every department. One of the best football games around, FIFA 19 delivers the most fluid and fun entry yet, and is the kick up the backside the series needed. Back of the net.

If you have fond memories of the arcade originals, you've probably already bought the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle. If you haven't, then you most definitely should. For the money, Capcom Beat 'Em Bundle offers a nice little slice of arcade history in seven games, two of which you can play on console for the first time. What's not to like?

While Transference offers something unique in how it utilises sound, throwing in the mechanic of switching between alternate realities for puzzle solving, it sadly falls flat in its narrative and doesn't offer much to encourage you to come back and explore.

Another superlative iteration of video game basketball with very few flaws, NBA 2K19's biggest problem remains in its implementation of those pesky microtransactions that threaten to eclipse everything the game does right. Look past that, and NBA 2K19 is still unsurpassed.

Few games manage to pipe so many jaw-dropping sights into your eyeballs and even fewer deliver such complex, enjoyable puzzles and traversal challenges. Shadow of the Tomb Raider does all of this and more, its exhilarating predatory combat the icing on the cake.

Divinity Original Sin 2: Definitive Edition is a fine installment in the Divinity series and despite a few odd design decisions and the balance being completely out of whack, it’s still a truly memorable and enjoyable experience.

Last year, we said that PES 2019 needs to go big or go home. And while Konami has indeed gone big on refinements and minor changes, the same modes, presentation and lack of licenses holds this year's game back again somewhat. Which is why it's fortunate that PES 2019 still plays a mean game of football. Your move, FIFA.

A wondrous shiny, if slightly flawed, treasure that's deserving of your time, Strange Brigade is enormously entertaining when played solo, even better when you bring a troupe of fellow adventurers along for the ride. Strange Brigade is indeed rather strange, but it's also ripping good fun, best played with a nice cup of tea. Preferably Earl Grey.

Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr is a pretty solid ARPG from NeocoreGames with some neat ideas – like procedurally generated dungeons – but it’s far too frustrating and repetitive for a mere mortal like myself. If grind is your name though, you should probably change it, but at least you’ll like Martyr.

Quite how Codemasters has managed to top last year's incredible effort is quite beyond me, but F1 2018 manages to eclipse F1 2017, delivering an even more definitive and just as essential Formula One game that fans will 'lap' up. Get it bought.

We Happy Few is a case of quantity over quality. A by-the-numbers venture whose game world seems to have been populated by a script rather than being handcrafted. Despite moments of what could only be described as brilliance, We Happy Few is full of fetch quests, boring busy-work and some of the most baffling design decisions in the history of video games.

An intriguing sci-fi adventure with some neat concepts at its core, State of Mind's visual style and the prescribed nature of its action can be off-putting, but dig in for the ride, and you'll enjoy a smart narrative that eventually pays off. Definitely worth sticking with.

No Man’s Sky NEXT is certainly a massive step-up from what it was two years ago. With the addition of online multiplayer, base-building and some graphical tweaks it offers quite a bit to keep players busy for hours on end. While it does have a few flaws, No Man's Sky is still a unique and enjoyable game.

A tasty dish, Overcooked 2 adds extra spice to the first game's stupidly enjoyable co-op shenanigans, with online multiplayer finally in the mix and the ability to throw food around making for even more gastronomic madness.

Unapologetically tough, brilliantly slick and well put together, Dead Cells is a roguelike platformer that will put you to the test. And you'll probably end up enjoying (almost) every minute of it.

Combining strategy, action and roguelike permadeath, Bomber Crew is thoroughly enjoyable, and well worth a look.

LEGO The Incredibles is a fun, focused LEGO game that ditches a lot of the extra fripperies, and is all the better for it.

While not necessarily a great example of how a remaster should be done, Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered still serves as a reminder of how enjoyable it is to bash buildings to rubble with a big sledgehammer. We recommend you get your ass back to Mars sharpish.

The Crew 2 feels like a missed opportunity for Ubisoft after what was a decent start for the franchise in 2014. It’s a racing game with some interesting ideas, but the new main additions frankly aren’t entertaining enough and there’s too much of a focus on quantity over quality.

An essential collection you simply must own on Xbox One, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is about as good as it gets where remakes are concerned, and a more than welcome comeback for a true icon.

NieR: Automata makes some very brave choices when it comes to gameplay and direction. Platinum’s work on the combat and the bullet-hell comes off strongly and cleanly, and with Yoko Taro’s insane vision and obsession with morality and philosophy fuelling the narrative, the result is a game with a split personality that makes you fall in love with both sides. NieR: Automata is unlike anything else you can play on Xbox One.

Every bit the tactile, heart-rending experience that the first game was, but with added layers of complexity thanks to co-op - as well as enhanced replay value - Unravel Two is a fuzzy, warm hug of a sequel that'll make you smile.

Jurassic World: Evolution might not be the deepest RTS out there in terms of options and mechanics, but as far as Jurassic Park experiences go, this is probably the best one that exists out there.

Vampyr is one of the year's most interesting games, cementing Dontnod as one of the most interesting developers around. Go get your teeth into it.

A stupidly fun arcade racer that confounded our expectations, Onrush is the perfect game for those seeking something immediate, accessible and effortlessly entertaining.

The perfect homage to a series of true fighting game greats, the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is essential.

A cool hybrid of platforming, puzzling and pinball, Yoku's Island Express is a bit of a one-off, and therefore well worth seeking out.

State of Decay 2 is a perfectly fine game. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure, it may be buggy and it might be a step back from the original, but it is nevertheless still a fun game, albeit one that doesn’t really motivate you to keep playing. To keep grinding. I imagine it’s what a real zombie apocalypse would be like, we just wanted more from a game about it.

A nice surprise, Forgotton Anne is an endearing anime-style platformer that doesn't deserve to go to landfill.

A retro-style beat 'em up without the retro charm, Raging Justice attempts to bring a dormant genre back to life with mixed results. Unfortunately, it just isn't as much fun as you'd hope it would be. So near, and yet so far, you'll be yearning for Streets of Rage in no time at all.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a harrowing journey into the fragility of the mind. It’s a masterpiece in storytelling, and while the game mechanics itself might not complement that throughout, they do a decent job of allowing Ninja Theory to deliver a mature story revolving around a sensitive subject matter. We hope that this opens up the door for more budget priced triple-A experiences, because this one was one hell of a ride!

A fine idea at its heart, Extinction ultimately falls flat on its arse thanks to a dearth of interesting objectives and gameplay sorely lacking in variety. Chucking in loads of content clearly isn't the answer when you're doing the same damn thing over and over again.

Sea of Thieves has the potential for some great tales, cruising the high seas, following the wind with them sails. Its lack of content and things to do hold it back, but at no point is the game totally whack. Arrr!

From its tense opening to its blistering conclusion, Far Cry 5 is another cracking instalment in the series, streamlining some of the hunting elements and putting co-op up front for both the campaign and the bottomless Far Cry Arcade. The narrative and characters will live on in the memory once you're done and dusted too, as will the insane random minute-to-minute moments that always succeed in making Far Cry so unique.

A fine example of twin-stick shooter fun, Tesla vs. Lovecraft proves rather moreish, and even more enjoyable with friends. You could say, it's electrifying.

Burnout Paradise Remastered represents a more than welcome comeback for a series that's been away for far too long. Given a lustrous new coat of paint, Burnout Paradise still looks the business then, but now it's got us yearning for a whole new Burnout.

A failed attempt at resurrecting a cult favourite, Fear Effect Sedna is a tactical shooter in which tactics are largely irrelevant. Atrocious cut-scenes, dreadful boss encounters and dire presentation overall, make this something better left in the past. Steer well clear.

A cool, well-executed Portal spin-off/mash-up, Bridge Constructor Portal takes one of Valve's dormant franchises and neatly transposes it into an appealing and enjoyable puzzle game. Next up, Bridge Constructor Half-Life? Play it. For science.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is not completely awful. It’s just not very good. Sure, it does have some good ideas and some interesting mechanics, but for every good idea, there are ten that are just bloody bewildering. Warhorse seems to have valued realism over fun and enjoyment with Deliverance, but to be honest, it’s not even that realistic. It’s just a bloody boring buggy mess of a game, but one that isn’t completely terrible. Every cloud and all that.

A Metal Gear game in name only, Survive is a decent – though often frustrating - survival game with a few unique tricks up its sleeve. While the Metal Gear name brings with it a certain weight of expectation, as long as you don't go in expecting Metal Gear Solid 6, you'll be fine.

I enjoyed playing Dynasty Warriors 9 a lot. Yes, it's enormously repetitive and the open-world elements don't really add all that much to the well-worn formula, but there's something appealing about the whole grand historical affair and the simplistic gameplay. You'll hack, slash and stomp your way across feudal China, grinning like a loon. Then again, there's that whole repetitive, lack of depth thing I mentioned before.

Brimming with modes, UFC 3 is a massive game. It might only be an incremental improvement over its predecessor, but the gameplay remains stellar and the action is accessible and fun. As far as MMA games go, EA Sports UFC 3 is the G.O.A.T.

A hugely enjoyable, exciting and eye-wateringly good-looking fighting game, Dragon Ball FighterZ is utterly essential for any and all self-respecting DBZ fans. And even if you're not, you'll still probably get a big old kick out Arc System Works' exuberant fighter.

One of the year's most enjoyable indie titles, Night in the Woods is what Kickstarter was made for. Affecting, warm and genuine, it's impossible not to fall in love with Night in the Woods.

Okami HD is essential, especially if you've never been lucky enough to play Clover's 2006 classic before. And even if you have, you owe it to yourself to play it and love it all over again. It's utterly sublime.