As far as vertical shmups hauled out of the arcades and ported to home consoles are concerned, Raiden IV x MIKADO remix is just about as good as it gets. Nonetheless, this is really one for the die-hard fans of bullet hell.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean is a great kids game, with a well realised story and fun characters, but it's also more of the same. In terms of the LEGO series to date then this is probably one of the better incarnations, but you just can't help but wonder where things could go from here.

A party game that transforms a horribly mundane activity into something uniquely pleasurable – especially with friends – Moving Out provides co-op furniture shifting that will in all probability ruin relationships, just like Overcooked did. And that's got to count for something.

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.

Mirror's Edge Catalyst isn’t a bad game and certainly better than the sum of its parts. The open world design weakens everything that made the original great, unfortunately, yet the ability to set your own time trials and run tough pre­made courses saves the day. It’s a solid game as far as playing the story missions are concerned, but ­ like Faith herself ­ it can sometimes fail to find its legs elsewhere.

If you're hoping for a decent single-player experience, you're shit out of luck. Payday 3 is a resolutely co-op affair, but then, you'll need people you can trust to pull of the perfect heist. Either way, this is a first-person shooter that's criminally good fun.

While it lasts this game is a solid and entertaining shooter, but as a FEAR game you should be expecting a bit more than just that. A return to the horror roots and a few more innovative twists in the tale would push the series back into greatness, but as it is this is a by the numbers experience with just enough novel features to keep it interesting.

Huge fun with friends and enjoyable on your own, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a strong follow-up to Guardian of Light. It might retread a lot of old ground from its predecessor, but it also offers enough twists and interesting puzzles to keep you playing for a good few hours, making it well worth excavating and dusting off.

This year’s most beautiful game so far, Unravel doesn’t quite display the design prowess to match its wonderful visuals, but it’s nevertheless an enjoyable, charming experience.

Hades in a half-shell, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is a fine roguelike action game that comes alive in co-op, but can grow quite repetitive when played alone.

This game could have easily pushed into the eighties had it not been for the awful and extremely frustrating save game issues that dog it right from the start to end. Nothing is more upsetting than losing hours upon hours of work to a simple design flaw and it almost puts you off starting again. Where the game really succeeds though is that, despite all that, you cannot help but want one more go.

An energetic and remarkably well made entry into the extraction shooter space, Marathon can be enormously harsh and unforgiving, but stay with it, and it can also be immensely rewarding.

Mad Max is a solid, if slightly unremarkable open-world game that does a good job in replicating the atmosphere and tone of the movies, and the character's essence, but fails to provide any real excitement beyond its vehicle-based combat.

Retaining the look and feel of the original tower defence classic, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted remains an unbridled joy sixteen years on – the colourful visuals are crisp and appealing, and the bonus content will keep you hooked for hours on end.

While I may not have extensive experience with monster truck racing games, I'm pretty confident that Monster Jam Showdown is a good one, delivering knockabout physics and pleasing Unreal Engine 5 visuals, as well as accessible and immediate gameplay that places the onus squarely on fun.

While it may not offer much in the way of an evolution over Call of the Sea, as a sequel Call of the Elder Gods nonetheless expands upon its predecessor in a meaningful way, though it fails to deliver a story that's as interesting or as unpredictable as the original. Still, some complex and well-executed puzzles more than make up for its other shortcomings.

Epic Mickey Rebrushed is a lovely remaster of one of yesteryear’s surprise cult hits, and the best thing is, the gameplay actually holds up pretty well, thanks to a few new quality-of-life additions that go a long way towards making this a better game.

It's not quite the epic space-faring journey we were expecting, but for the time being, we'll sit back and enjoy the ride.

What at first seems like a bizarre experiment actually turns out to be an accomplished and brilliantly entertaining multiplayer shooter. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare might not manage to hold your attention for more than a few hours, but while it does, you can't fail to have a blast.

A stylish side-scrolling samurai epic, Trek to Yomi combines cinematic influences and sharp combat to great effect, but descends into frustration towards the end. Nonetheless, this is a journey worth sticking with.

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.

The audio is fantastic, and the graphics will impress more often than not. The fun combat system and epic story are moderately spoiled by a poor targeting system, bad enemy AI, and some glitches.

Sniper Elite V2 is a solid game and one that should provide plenty of entertainment for those with an interest in brutally doing away with their enemies with a high powered rifle (read: everyone). Sadly there are a few flaws that hold the game back and make it a more frustrating experience than it ought to be. There is still plenty here to enjoy, but only if you're prepared to endure a few rough spots.

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

EA Sports FC 26 is a matter of refinement over revolution in all facets of the game. It’s a slight change in course rather than EA Vancouver plotting a completely new course, and while it’s probably the best iteration of FC yet, a lot maybe put off by the price of admission for what is essentially a fresh lick of paint.

Disintegration blends together FPS and RTS elements to create a satisfying gameplay experience, with weapons that feel great to use and battles that will have you constantly on your toes. Campaign missions can be hit-or-miss and the game's storytelling is a little slight, but an enjoyable multiplayer mode will keep you playing once the credits have rolled.

Despite EA Sports leaving itself plenty of room for improvement in future iterations of Grand Slam Tennis, what's here is enjoyable. Perhaps a little too easy for tennis veterans, the experience of being out on court, thwacking the ball around is great fun. It's just the Career Mode that lets the game down.

Despite its slow and dreary start, Thief builds to deliver an experience that most stealth fans will lap up. However, most Thief fans will mourn the loss of the reboot’s freedom and choice. That said, Thief is ultimately a game that delivers epic highs and mediocre lows, and for the highs alone, I have no issues recommending it to anyone.

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?

On the pitch, as always, Konami almost gets it bang on with eFootball PES 2020, but off the pitch it's seriously lacking in the balance and depth department.

Managing to make the forest seem oppressive and claustrophobic, Blair Witch is adept at creating a tense and foreboding atmosphere, while weaving a compelling narrative that still proves exciting, even if you've sussed out the final twist hours before the end. You'll never look at trees the same way again.

A thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing voyage of soul-searching self-discovery, Sable is also a rewarding jaunt across an otherworldly desert that involves climbing, hoverbiking, and gliding. And rather good it is, too.

Afro Samurai provides an entertaining and bloody orgy of death while it lasts, but camera issues, inconsistent checkpoints, and lackluster boss fights keep it from greatness.

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.

An endearing and impeccably-made reboot of a Capcom classic, Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection not only looks really good, but it doesn't compromise on any of the aspects that made the original so special.

A solid but ultimately uninspired instalment in the series, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is comprised of ideas that are starting to wear thin.

A fun, engaging arcade racer with thrills, spills, explosions and crashes aplenty, Need for Speed: Rivals is let down by the largely pointless AllDrive and a lack of race types. A mixed bag.

A loving throwback to the grand old days of defunct adventure game masters LucasArts, Darkestville Castle wears its influences on its sleeve, and as such, it's a beautifully orchestrated tribute. Fortunately, it also happens to be a fun and engaging point-and-click yarn in its own right.

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.

A hardcore heavy-metal shooter boasting a side order of rhythm with its brutal ultra-violence, Metal: Hellsinger is good fun, but you'll probably get a lot more out of it if you actually enjoy the music.

The multiplayer Control spin-off you didn't know you needed, FBC: Firebreak is an engaging and moreish shooter with interesting mechanics, an abundance of supernatural weirdness, and ample co-op fun. You'll never look at a sticky note the same way again.

This game is easy to pick up and plenty of fun to play. You may well get frustrated with the swinging mechanic after a while but once you become familiar with it the whole thing falls into place. Sadly the campaign will not last you very long at all and the multiplayer is more of a novelty than a long term investment.

Who'd have thought that a game ostensibly about Brexit could not only be so funny, but also provide a selection of clever puzzles to boot? Her Majesty's SPIFFING is all of these things and therefore an adventure game you should most certainly play, if only for a little bit of levity with which to see out 2016.

Blackwood Crossing might be short but sweet, yet it's clearly an experience that's been made as a labour of love, and as such, it has a magical, almost ethereal quality that's impossible to forget.

If the first PowerWash Simulator casually sponged away hours of your time, then prepare to be inexorably immersed once more. PowerWash Simulator 2 takes everything that the original did so well, and offers meaningful improvements to the formula. It's time to clean up once more.

The Gunk is a difficult game to label, but an easy one to enjoy. Whether you’re sucking up a load of the titular gunk to help bring an alien world back to life, or listening to an engaging back and forth between the game’s main characters, there’s plenty to like here, even if it doesn’t quite live up to its early potential.

While not as an impressive leap forward as FIFA 14 on next-generation consoles, FIFA 15 is still a solid package. The gameplay might have taken a sideways or even slightly backwards step, but at the moment, this is the closest to the beautiful game we have in terms of presentation and delivery. For now.

An unusual game, Knee Deep is entertaining while it lasts, its offbeat, Twin Peaks-inspired murder mystery taking in some strange twists and turns to reach its unexpected conclusion. Cypress Knee is certainly a place worth visiting.

Not exactly a huge leap over last year's game, F1 Manager 2023 is nonetheless an impressively deep, all-encompassing motorsport management sim, with an enjoyable new Race Replay mode. Just don't expect any huge, sweeping changes.

Whilst it is refreshing to see the challenge put back into the Prince of Persia franchise and the return of the excellent – and testing – platforming is a breath of fresh air, the rest of the game seems to have not been given the same love and attention. The combat is nothing short of woeful – and glitchy – and the story is so flat and uneventful that is makes Bayonetta’s plot seem like a wonderful hand-crafted masterpiece spawned from the mind of a sane person.

NHL 23 seems like an iterative instalment, as EA Vancouver settles in with NHL 22's Frostbite Engine. Nevertheless, if it's an excellent game of ice hockey you seek, then this is - quite literally, as it happens - the only game in town.

Call of Duty returns for yet another year, and while the campaign feels a little bit like a case of diminishing returns, the strength of two-player co-op and multiplayer pulls Modern Warfare 2 through.

A fantastic racing game at its core, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is let down by too few race types and a multiplayer mode with somewhat limited appeal. Joyriding around Fairhaven can be fun in its own right, but there's simply too little real meat on Most Wanted's bones. Most Wanted? Nearly, but not quite. Criterion can do and has done better.

A good co-op experience that is just a bit too short to satisfy, plus missing a few features that would have made the game stand out. I’m becoming a broken record but, again, the online needs a bit of an overhaul.

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.

NBA Jam just about deserves release as a proper boxed retail product, boasting a fairly hefty array of modes and other content. What's important is that it preserves the gameplay and spirit of the original games, giving it a nostalgic cachet that makes it almost irresistible, despite its frustrations.

Fast, silly, disposable fun that excels at couch competition but falls short of our expectations for online play, #IDARB is nevertheless a brilliant laugh.

I actually really enjoyed this game, but I can't say it really wowed me though. It was short, repetitive and overall didn't add anything new to the genre, but somehow just like its movie counterpart, it had charm and didn't aim to do anything but provide enjoyment; something it succeeded in very well.

If you're already a fan of the RPG genre, this will both disappoint and entice you, but in the end leave you satisfied.

This is still a solid tennis game but it is also one that offers almost no improvement over its predecessor.

WET is certainly all about style over substance, but the rather short main story will not keep you occupied for too long. The presentation and music is spot on, but aside from a few achievements and challenge modes, there will be very little reason for most players to come back after one playthrough.

Decent game modes that really aren’t that complicated. The annoying 2K menus are back but the options are numerous. Statistic lovers will enjoy the amount they get by looking at player cards and overall season stats. Easy enough to get into a game and flows well enough throughout.

It is hard to classify this game, because it tries its hand at so many different things and that is both its greatest asset and its biggest liability as gamers may well get tired of the seemingly random nature of proceedings. A jack of all trades, a master of none if you will. Stick with it though and you will be rewarded with some truly standout moments and a moving story.

A poor offline game tagged onto a very good online game.

Derivative, repetitive and QTE heavy – yet still amazingly good fun. This game is more like Dynasty Warriors than Ninja Gaiden in terms of combat as you can eschew learning stupidly tricky combos in favour of button mashing good times.

Legends of the Masters dips into the sport's past, drawing on the power of its players and its history for one of the PGA Tour's best new features in recent years. Much of the rest of the additions, however, have little or no impact. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 is decent, but do we really need another EA golf game?

Brilliant use of time powers which means it fulfills it primary purpose, misses out on reaching its full potential though as the puzzles and game are made far too easy.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River will please fans of the last game, but will still leave players of the PC originals out in the cold. It's the best military sim on consoles yet, as far as we're concerned, but in the time since Dragon Rising launched, we expected a bit more from the sequel.

UFC Personal Trainer is a great addition to the small stable of fitness games on Kinect, offering something that's both in-depth and incredibly intense. However, it's simply let down by a lack of more casual, enjoyable game aspects and pointless trainers with little to contribute. That said, if you give it your time and attention, UFC Personal Trainer should yield some real results to show off on the beach this summer, if that's what you want.

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

A great party game, that'll keep a party going with its variety of nutty mini-games. As with any Kinect game, it has its foibles, but get some friends around and you'll have a blast. The only downside is an issue of longevity, as once you've exhausted the mini-games, you're unlikely to go back.

The Devil in Me is the most assured entry yet in The Dark Pictures Anthology, even if it doesn't produce quite enough scares during its seven hour runtime.

A fun LEGO game, but not among the best that the series has to offer, which is a real shame as the story going on around the average levels is top notch and probably one of the best. If you’ve seen the The LEGO Movie though then you can probably give The LEGO Movie Videogame a miss without too many regrets.

A perfect game for the kids but with enough fun to keep the adults entertained as well. You will never feel too taxed or too engrossed for that matter but the cute charm of the game shines through and means there is plenty of entertainment to be had.

A fun game that is let down by dubious vehicle controls and a design system that soon becomes tiresome. There is plenty to see and do though and the variety of challenges, for those that stick around, will keep you happily entertained.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning offers fantastic combat, a decent story, intuitive menus and the occasional visual flourish. Yet it's almost entirely lacking in creativity.

A solid game with a typically twisted story underneath all of the pretence. Still the gameplay mechanics are starting to show their age and there is a lack of genuine shocks and intrigue, it feels like familiar ground, albeit fairly well made familiar ground.

A solid racing game that does a good job of recreating a sport that has been pretty much ignored in gaming terms. It may not be suitable for everyone though thanks to the control issues and lack of variety.

A good solo experience that is slightly held back by too much emphasis on the older games, a few other niggles also start to grate after a while and the whole game just doesn’t last long enough. It’s a good starting point for the franchise on the 360 though but it’s not going to displace the likes of COD 4 any time soon.

It's abundantly clear that 2K Czech put an emphasis on story and ambience over gameplay in Mafia II and it really shows. With a repetitive mission structure, long arduous drives across a limited open-world and a bog standard shooter mechanic, Mafia II as a game rarely delivers. As a Mafia experience though, it delivers in spades. There are few open-worlds in video games that show this much depth, this much character and this much charm.

You do not have to be a fan of 50 Cent to enjoy this cheesy slice of shoot ‘em-up pie, and if you have a friend to play it with all the better. That being said, the game is pretty damn short and you will have zero inclination to play it again so it is probably better saved for a rent.

Sacred 2 provides an incredible amount of content, and a replay value that will keep fans busy for hundreds of hours. Unfortunately, getting full enjoyment from the game requires looking past multiple minor technical problems, and poor graphics and audio.

A solid port of its mobile and PC counterparts, Halo: Spartan Assault is an enjoyable twin-stick shooter that provides little in the way of real longevity or value for money. Still, if you've nothing else left to play on Xbox One, you could do a lot worse.

There's no doubt that Crackdown 2 is a well made title, and there's a lot to be said for playing through the game in co-op – and you'll need to if you want to obtain all the online orbs – but there's the distinct feeling that this is just more of the same stuff, in the very same city.

It looks inviting enough, and an accomplished platformer it may be, but Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is also bastard hard. For the most part, however, Toys For Bob's Crash outing is good, wholesome fun while it lasts.

A gleefully colourful and typically humorous LEGO game, LEGO 2K Drive is an enjoyable open world racer that unfortunately offers an uneven challenge and a Story Mode that can be something of a grind. And yet, throwing a LEGO vehicle around Bricklandia is good, clean fun. Swings and roundabouts.

HAWX 2 is such a letdown after the brilliant original and, if anything, feels like it has gone back a few steps rather than making any kind of progression. There is still plenty of fun to be had, especially in co-op or on the survival maps, but the first game has the edge in almost every regard. Bottom line: get your flight kicks there.

If stylish art can raise a game, as though it were a toast, then MIO is proof that no idea – no genre – is ever quite done with us, so long as we have good cause to look again. As we read, on finding the rusty shell of an old contraption: “It’s not dead yet, except if you decide it to be.

Where last year's LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham proved that there's still life in the LEGO series, LEGO Marvel's Avengers is proof positive that cracks are beginning to show in TT Games' once bulletproof franchise. A severe lack of variety lets the side down, indicating that it's high time the LEGO series receive a much-needed shot in the arm.

Victor Vran: Overkill Edition is a robust, enjoyable dungeon crawler with satisfying combat mechanics, marred only by a single, albeit quite major bug on Xbox One. This issue aside, Victor Vran is genuinely excellent.

WWE 2K17 is a marginally better game than 2K16, as the core mechanics feel like they've been refined a bit, but with the fantastic 2K Showcase consigned to the bin and no new modes to replace it, this is a package that's now sorely lacking. You might as well play last year's game, unless you're a massive fan that has to have the most up to date roster possible. Otherwise, WWE 2K17 is an enjoyable wrestling game that could still do with a bit of a kick up the backside for next year's instalment.

And while Late Shift is well shot and proficiently put together, it's worth noting that the game is essentially just making decisions as the action unfolds before you. There's nothing more to it than that, but as far as delivering an interactive movie goes, this is probably about as good as it gets. I've yet to play an example of an FMV game that's as well made as Late Shift, not that I've played many FMV games, mind you. Still, as a compelling interactive, cinematic experience, it might be flawed, but all in all, Late Shift delivers the goods. It just might not bowl you over completely.

Some people would dismiss this as a dull, slow paced historical game – but they would be missing the point. This is a perfect representation of the Holmes world, mixed in with one of the greatest unsolved cases of our time.

An esoteric little gem, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is an enormously enjoyable RPG-building sandbox hybrid that deserves time and attention.

As a pure stealth experience, Styx: Blades of Greed is something of a treat. Despite being a bit rough around the edges, and slightly lacking in technical finesse, developer Cyanide's latest dose of sneaky goblin action is well worth a punt.

A welcome return for the cult classic SNES beat 'em up series, Rushing Beat X: Return of Brawl Brothers harks back to its past, while offering a few new ideas of its own. Fans can revel in the callbacks and story, while everyone else can enjoy a solid, more than serviceable brawler experience.

Fluid platforming and frenetic combat, with some lovely spectacle and a dull story.

New content there may be, but there's little in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties that's genuinely fresh, and the combat mechanics are beginning to feel slightly old hat. But this is a Yakuza game, and is therefore inherently good fun, balancing substory silliness and levity with a gritty crime narrative. It's also a good, solid remake that's well worth playing.