To come back to our earlier appalling (but inevitable) metaphor, Kid Icarus Uprising definitely soars a little close to the sun, but manages to get away with only slightly singed wings.

As has been the case for a while, the really interesting new stuff doesn't pop up until the endgame, which makes the journey to the credits very enjoyable, but also somewhat perfunctory.

Ultimately, it's hard to get into these games the way we did when its predecessors hit a year and a half ago, but that doesn't mean that we're not going to keep going until we've exhausted ourselves again.

Shadows of the Damned will not change games, or gaming. But it will make you laugh and will keep you engaged for some time. It's a solid 10-hour experience for anyone versed in the genre, and if you're into upgrading and collecting, you could squeeze a bit more out of it.

Tacoma shines where it counts, and that is with the story it tells and the feeling that each character within it feels real. Including the on-board AI called Odin. As an interactive story, getting to pause, rewind, and check out the movements and activities of different people in a digital recreation of past events works flawlessly. And it’s the sort of mechanic that feels fresh, whilst also being something that could only really exist in this form. Lasting roughly two hours or so, Tacoma also never feels laboured or padded with extraneous content. But, as it also doesn't present a story focusing on one character as the lead there’s a feeling that something is missing. Which, robs the ending of some of its emotional weight.

I played the first Gears of War, and right now, Gears 5 has barely changed the flavour of the original. And while the original might have been a revelation, Gears 5 presents as a detriment.

Players who don’t mind the long game, and have a soft spot for the turn-based tactics games of old will find a lot of value here, even beyond its charm. There’s also multiplayer and a map editor with all the tools required to upload and share those creations, which is a massive added bonus to the basic product, and at less than 5GB to download, but with how much you get out of it, it’s hard not to recommend it. Just be ready for an intensive investment in time through its swift learning curve. This fledgling developer-publisher is on the right path to making a nostalgia-based name for itself if it stays this course.

Although not the biggest or most expansive release in the franchise Thrones of Britannia surprises in its depth and commitment to building an experience specific to an era and place. From the warring houses and backstabbing and ever-changing map, to the war-hungry Vikings looking to cause one last moment of chaos. If medieval history is your thing, then this is the Total War for you.

Although Summerset closely reflects the style and formula of previous expansions, this timeless quality extends to ESO’s particular brand of online role-playing. Where the spectacular scenery and sumptuous fashion of Summerset combines with prolific and narrative heavy quests to create an outstanding adventure, and a worthy inclusion in anyone’s Tamriel wardrobe.

At the end of the day, Serious Sam: BFE isn't as much of a welcome throwback to old-school gaming staples as the original title was a decade ago. But, thankfully, that doesn't mean that it's a failure or a complete waste of time.

A great concept with the right amount of heart, that simply loses its way too often in so much broken form.

Judgment has the aura of an epic crime drama – one that feels even more interesting due to its Japanese setting. The location of Kamurocho, although mostly static is a joy to explore, and Takayuki Yagami is a wonderful protagonist that is easy to get behind. Lengthy and full of twists and turns, even though Judgment offers up the most basic of detective sequences there’s still plenty to love about the world depicted. Twisted Trio included.

We’ve been handed a mildly updated version of a little puzzle-platformer in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. And despite its bubbly and cutesy presentation, the tail end of the game is a challenging and thoughtful experience where lateral thinking and classic Nintendo game-design coalesce to really offer up a rewarding experience.

Even with the screen tearing and sporadic glitches, unimpressive graphics, generic and forgettable antagonist and over-powered abilities, I have to admit, I couldn’t get enough of Saints Row IV, once it hit stride.

For all its faults, Arkham Origins lives up to the prestige associated with its name. It’s easy to be negative about it, simply because everything it does well the previous games also pulled off splendidly, but the fact is that if the other Arkham games didn’t exist this would be the best Batman game ever by a mile.

The problem isn’t that it’s too linear, it’s just that the balance is off. The combat variety across the three main characters bleeds into the storytelling and the relationships depicted across the lengthy story and wonderfully insane cinematics. With skill progression and hidden challenge stages to discover there’s reason to go back and tackle higher difficulties or certain missions from a different perspective. But there are diminishing returns when trade-in surprising story-beats and character moments for lacklustre level design and not enough variety in the locations you do battle.

In the end the narrative isn’t quite as strong as the puzzle content found throughout, but nonetheless Q.U.B.E. 2 is an impressive entry in the test-chamber puzzle game subgenre first made popular by Valve’s Portal.

In the end playing through the story and standard 1-v-1 competitive stuff will be more than enough for some. But for completionists or Mortal Kombat super-fans then perhaps the stingy nature of ‘unlocking everything’ will take its toll.

A classic survival-horror effort. For the last few years fans of the genre have more or less had to take what they can get, and while many seasoned players will have already experienced the game in its earlier form, it's still one of the better straight-up horror efforts available right now.

What you’re left with is a stunning new place to explore, an excellent story and expansive deep-dive into Celtic mythology and some new systems. But this is mostly driven by familiarity and a lack of anything truly dynamic or emergent. If you loved the formula of Valhalla, this is a bit of a no-brainer, but if you were hoping for something completely different or new, you’ll largely only find that in this fae tale.

It's easy for many to dismiss Shoot Many Robots due to its repetitive nature, but seriously, what modern day shooter isn't repetitive? Those that stick with it and delve a little deeper will find a diamond in the rough offering hours upon hours of shootery fun.

If the idea of getting to play a wide range of distinct heroes each with their own abilities in a setting that captures the fun and humour of the Borderlands franchise then yeah, sure, [you'll enjoy it]. If you’re looking for a new co-op game, then yeah it’s good for that too. But it’s not Borderlands. It’s not even a MOBA, a genre that a lot of people know very little about. It’s Battleborn. And even with a number of problems, it’s still a lot of fun to play.

A more deeply integrated city, a rethinking of the controls and broader options for solving puzzles would inject some extra life into the LEGO franchise.

Above all else, and despite its similarities and homages to several films and other properties A Way Out surprises with little touches and moments of joy. Stopping to play Connect Four in a hospital waiting room or picking up a banjo for a strum in a farmer’s house after washing his dishes and stealing his clothes. A Way Out understands that co-op can be fun and spontaneous in addition to providing another tense moment requiring coordination.

There's no question in my mind that some elements could have been improved upon without negatively impacting the overall experience, and the blind pursuit of flawless recreation comes at what I feel is a heavy cost. You will find no better looking or better running game than Demon's Souls with the launch of the new consoles. But I think you will find no worse (From designed) Souls game.

When you're on the track, Mario Kart 7 feels better than any Mario Kart before it, and for most fans of the series that will be enough. But it's the same basic formula we've seen in every Mario Kart since the SNES original.

If you don’t mind being “kicked in the dick”, narratively, while having your hand held through gameplay, and utterly enjoy mood, even if it is sonically amplified gloom and dread, A Plague Tale: Innocence does deliver.

It's a smaller package than the original Darkness and it does have a few black marks, but that doesn't stop The Darkness II from showing that there's plenty of life in this franchise. Digital Extremes has backed itself to give a different take on the source material, yet held true to the core of what made the original game such a memorable experience. Sink your teeth into it.