On top of the Crash formula’s already-solid foundations are lessons learned from some of the best platformers in the past decade. Each level – complete with mask power-ups that can affect gravity, slow time, add a spin dash, and phase reality – sees its every step burst with creativity and serious challenge. It’s About Time takes Crash, Coco (and a sprinkling of friends and foes past and present) through several luscious alternate dimensions and time periods. It went one better – and arguably surpassed them. Why should you play it? Developers Toys for Bob could have just replicated the orange marsupial’s greatest adventures and called it a day. What is it? The long overdue successor to the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy sees developers Toys for Bob reinvent the iconic platforming franchise for a new generation. Thus begins a 'destroy, run, destroy' optimization loop that smashes through your spare time like so many brick walls. Teardown's physics simulations are fun to play with all by themselves, but the game's brilliance is revealed when you begin your first timed heist - going from just 'smash' to 'smash and grab.' Grabbing your first objective will start a countdown until the cops arrive, and making it through fast enough to pick up the rest will require making some modifications to the environment.

Teardown is built entirely around the concept: each bit of every building can be pulled down, wedged loose, or blown up if you have the right tools. Why should you play it? Physics-based destruction is one of those video game features that lives in store page bullet points while rarely making that much of a difference in how you actually play. What is it? A first-person heist game where you play with physics as a one-person demolitions team instead of a stealthy cat burglar.

Best games of 2017 console