Imagine if a new Tony Hawk's game served up tricks but replaced every Ollie and kickflip with increasingly gruesome ways of mangling mutants and you're pretty much there. The genius of Bulletstorm lies with its Skillshots. Beneath, you'll find one of the densest, most detailed, widest branching FPS systems ever devised. On Bulletstorm's surface, you'll find a brash, knowing, don't-give-a-fuck attitude, sitting on a layer of the most gloriously creative cursing you've ever heard in a video game. Never has a game so intelligent tried so hard to look like an idiot, or been so screamingly funny with it.

Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch When it comes to sandbox shooters, few do madcap spectacle better than Far Cry 6. And all it took was half a dozen entries. Better yet? With the introduction of freedom fighter Dani – who you can actually see, listen to and emote alongside in third-person cutscenes – Far Cry has finally given us a protagonist who's actually worth rooting for. New additions like the Supremo Backpacks open up creative new avenues for both sneaky and explosive chaos, further enlivening Far Cry's already intoxicating power fantasy.

Yet look past the dinky dachshund sidekicks named after a Spanish sausage and the typically assured, if samey stealth, and you'll find an FPS that feels like a much needed turning point for Far Cry. Does it still lean heavily on a lot of well-worn Ubisoft tropes? Obviously.

It may not be the most important game in the series – that nod goes to the iconic third entry – but Far Cry 6 is still a superior shooter. Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

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