Games Radar+

Sable is downright beautiful in its execution and storytelling, and captures an innate desire for exploration like few other open-world games.

Some moments feel crafted by the writers and characters designers to be truly special, like when you free a magical creature called Rufus who was trapped by the corruption, or at the ending which even made my withered old heart beat extra hard. Thanks to its storytelling and visual design there's just something warm and alive in Kena: Bridge of Spirits, which is perhaps fitting for a game that is so focused on death.

Lost Judgment proves a sequel can feel overtly iterative and still succeed. There are relatively few changes to be found from Yagami’s original outing outside of increased depth to an already-bombastic combat system, but that’s no bad thing when what came before was so enjoyable. Lost Judgment provides laughs aplenty with a brilliant array of side cases and characters, but it crucially tackles trauma and bullying with refreshing honesty and steely conviction when it needs to.

It's a first-person shooter that features a shotgun that can transform into a rifle. It's a sci-fi spy adventure that's stuck in the '70s. It's all of these things and none of them at all. My impression of Deathloop seemed to shift with every passing hour and, as a result, it's difficult to not be impressed – if not thoroughly enthralled – with what Arkane has pieced together here. It's different, it's stylish, it's new. You won't play anything else quite like Deathloop for a very long time.

The Artful Escape feels like the first game to truly capture the sheer transformative power of music, and it is an absolutely joyous ride from folksy start to electric finish.

Life is Strange: True Colors effectively leads you through an emotionally impactful story with strong character development through the power of empathy.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is just okay as a solo shooter, but the inclusion of friends makes the gameplay sing. As far as the curse of Alien games goes, Aliens: Fireteam Elite seems to have safely avoided it - this is a fun, frantic third-person shooter set to a score that feels like James Horner himself wrote it.

Psychonauts 2 captures the spirit of '90s cartoons and channels it into an imaginative, inventive adventure that never fails to find heart and humor in every one of its consciousness-expanding encounters.

Madden 22 goes for broke on improving Franchise mode after years on the backburner, and it mostly works, even as it comes at the expense of most other modes in a pandemic-struck year.

That final betrayal won't put me off recommending this audacious little indie to anyone I know and trying to protect them from spoilers with my meager life. It's smart, trusts the player to be just as smart, and delivers a satisfying story with an impressively small canvas of a basic apartment and the inner lives of a small cast of characters.

Humankind may not reinvent the wheel, but it thoroughly buffs that wheel up. I didn’t even realise how many knocks that thing had taken until now. While I find its successionist approach to historical cultures odd, Humankind is, without hyperbole, one of the nicest 4X games to actually play. Every pain point traditional to the genre has been massaged away, and in its place is something somehow both player-led sandbox and competitive strategy.

The combat is tight to control but has little in the way of real variation. If you were able to gather a few friends with an Xbox Game Pass subscription and blast through The Ascent over a few evenings, you'll likely have a good time, just don't come here expecting a cyberpunk world that you can invest any of yourself in.

Skyward Sword HD gives one of the most misunderstood Legend of Zelda games a second chance. It's an under-appreciated gem, one that finds the space to really breathe with a more reliable and relaxing method of control embedded within it. Skyward Sword has its fair share of problems, but it makes up for many of them in moments of true brilliance and defiance against established series conventions.

Swings in multiple different directions without ever making a convincing impact. While Mario Golf: Super Rush isn't too rough in most places, it's just not on par compared to other recent golf games.

A brilliant battle system is let down somewhat by the largely underwhelming side stories and meandering companions of Scarlet Nexus.

It feels as though Insomniac's writers have taken their cues from more recent Marvel movies, managing the tricky balancing act of cartoon mayhem and emotional payoffs. It made me, a casual lombax fancier, more invested in the series than ever before, and hoping we get to see a lot more of the fabulous foursome soon.

It's such a shame, because there is a great game in here. Biomutant's world and its characters are wonderful and brilliantly silly, but these elements clash against some of the more serious elements of the core story. The intensely formulaic and repetitive moments distract from the brilliant ones that'll have you nodding in approval, or laughing at its bizarreness.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition strikes the difficult balance of appealing to both long-time lovers of the series and people who have never played a minute of it. The changes to Mass Effect 1 make it playable in a modern game world, while visual upgrades massage the eyes and lightning-fast load screens ease the wait throughout all three titles.

It's not the first time dodge ball has been recreated in video game form (props to Kunio-kun and the rest of the Super Dodge Ball gang), but it is a unique fusion of arena combat and the original gym class contest of champions. Most importantly, it's a hell of a lot of fun to play.

A beautiful-looking game, which is perfect for those with a lot of patience and a natural desire to uncover the truth. I just wish it was more interactive and allowed to do more than just ask questions.

I recently completed another playthrough in preparation for this (along with some Revelations and Veronica, just because) and number 7's reverse home invasion slasher terror is still up there as one of the greatest horror games of all time. Resident Evil Village is an enjoyable, occasionally silly, monster hunt that's entertaining but almost completely resets all the incredible work Resident Evil 7 did to reinvent the series.

Returnal can be messy, tough, and perhaps a little too uncompromising for a $70 game. And yet, despite the moments of pad-clenching exasperation, it remains a moreish experience even after you’ve plumbed its depths.

With cross-play available regardless of console (or console generation), if there’s a PS5 under your TV, you might as well aim there. Hopefully, in a year minus a global pandemic, the dev team can also bring some added visual kick, and keep expanding the feature set to completely separate the two. MLB The Show 21 is strong in so many areas, yet also an opportunity missed – and not only in relation to Jackie Robinson.

Outriders is a brash and bold looter shooter that will keep you entertained through the campaign and side missions, but its endgame content gets repetitive fast.

It Takes Two is a Pixar-worthy adventure that consistently innovates, offering players an excellent co-op experience unlike any other.