Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype is all about playing over and over to perfect your runs. A series of unlockable challenges task you with goals like “finish the first four stages without losing a life”. You’ll probably knock these challenges off the list without being aware of them, because replaying Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype is not a problem.

The original Shelter had me instantly replaying it, just to see if I could keep my babies alive. This time though, despite the bigger levels and excellently-crafted simple gameplay, I put the game down. It’s worth experiencing, but on this evidence the Lynx will flourish in wolf-free Britain.

In short bursts, or for younger gamers, Gravity Ghost is worth a look, but considering the style and polish applied to such a basic central concept, I’m far more excited to play Ivy Games next game rather than this one.

I could go on all day about Cities: Skylines, much like I could go on all night playing it. It has restored my faith in the City Building Simulator genre. It’s everything that fans of the genre were hoping for and more.

Glaring flaws aside, Flame Over just isn’t much fun. With just one enemy (poorly modeled fire), effectively one weapon and a whole bucket of poorly explained, poorly chosen gameplay ideas, Flame Over is a real disappointment. Game over.

It is a great game that makes its simplicity work for it. It doesn’t try too hard to do anything spectacular, but I can only respect that. The gameplay is easy enough for new people to pick up and play and it is strangely gratifying to watch your horde galavant through enemy land with ease.

Switch Galaxy Ultra is a fun game to play in small bursts. When you are whizzing through the tracks at great speed it is exhilarating. However, it loses its focus when it adds gameplay barriers that detract from the quick paced nature of the game.

République is a game made with clear direction and passion, and is largely competent in matters of gameplay. Remastered is a good upscale that adds clarity and control, but loses something of what made the original sparkle. To me, the iOS version holds a slight edge because the concept works better in that context.

The graphical style is reminiscent of 90s cyberpunk game Speedball, the rules of the game are Bloodbowl-esque American football lite, but the turn-based strategy is as deep as a glacier, only with a ball and a clock to watch.

Despite its shortcomings in regards to controls and camera, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee is worth every minute of frustration.

If you don’t like the Total War series in general, there might not be enough revolution here to change your mind. But if you’ve appreciated the series in the past, even in passing, Atilla deserves to be given a whirl. Learn the ins and outs, and you’ve got days worth of content right here.

With a versatile cast of strange of wonderful characters that play well and quite differently, it’s a release that deserves a rightful place in any fighting game fans collection and a title I hope gets the attention it deserves.

I don’t want to sound too down on Sunless Sea. Sadly though, it’s one of those games that I respect and appreciate more than I enjoy and one that I find it easier to recommend than to actually play.

It’s certainly one of the smaller DLCs that’s been released for Crusader Kings II, a game that still stands strong despite being three years old. However, if you like to focus more on the roleplaying side of the game then the Way of Life expansion will add a lot of fun to your game.

Now comes my favourite part of the game. Better than the combat. Better than the graphics style. Better even than the NPCs who fight by your side. It’s the soundtrack. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It takes me back to a time when a much younger version of myself was ineptly running through games like The Legend of Zelda and Mario Brothers.

Unlike some of the recent expansions to Crusader Kings II (Charlemagne/Rajas of India), the Art of War doesn’t add a huge amount of content to the game in terms of replayablity.

Not a game that you’d play at length every day, but certainly one you’d practice on until you are confident enough to challenge your friends.

For the price of Criminal Girls, you could buy a whole bunch of sex toys, one of those big anime pillows with a naked girl on it, or some really nice handcuffs and a whip. Regardless of who you use them on, you’ll have more fun with them than you will with this game.

Even after you strip away the high level of fanservice and questionable theme; for every aspect that I enjoyed such as the characters and voiceover, there were others that marred my experience such as the repetitive combat, irritating camera and repetitive mission structure. For those that can ignore these misgivings, there is an enjoyable game waiting to be played.

Overall I enjoyed the core battle system and upgrading of characters in BlackGuards 2, however the story was really mediocre and the characters just seemed pretty lifeless.

Dying Light is a game that looks good, plays well and feels great. A survival horror game should be able to reliably freak you out, and Dying Light achieves that and so much more.

If this sounds like your type of football management game then dive right in. However, for an iOS football manager there are other solutions out there, especially if you are willing to pay for them. The far more in-depth Football Manager Handheld 2015 from Sports Interactive for example.

The art, UI and sound all match the minimalist style of the game perfectly, and with a potentially endless selection of user generated levels to play Socioball is a game that will never get old.

It really needs some rebalancing most of all, but the devs also need to give players more freedom.

It has all the makings of a solid game, yet is let down by some minor problems but I still feel that Lucid Games should be given a pat on the back for driving Geometry Wars into new territory.

The only real criticism I can think of for Dungeon of the Endless is that it’s difficult. But that’s like criticising FIFA for containing so much football. Difficulty, permanent death and a challenging learning curve are the bread and butter of the entire genre. And it’s a fun genre, if you’ve got the patience to try and try again.

At its core, The Crew is one of the most ambitious games of the year. The problem is that the combination of bad design choices, poor performance and a certain lack of refinement also make it one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

If you're a fan of top down Zelda games and the Adventure Time cartoon then just get this game. The Adventure Time setting is perfect for this game genre.

If you’re on the look out for a slightly different JRPG experience, a challenge or an entry point to games like Etrian Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei, then Persona Q is a great choice.

It’s funny, well written, good looking, has great music and will keep you busy for months. It is an essential purchase for those who haven’t played it before and a huge recommendation for those who have.

Minor criticisms aside, I think This War of Mine is the last great game of 2014. Representing a horrid subject in an honest way, its as effective a critique of war as any movie I’ve ever seen or book I’ve ever read.

If you love ice cold sushi for breakfast and don’t mind playing a game on a handheld which is more suited to a home console, then this spin-off is worth a spin. If you’re looking for something new from a puzzle-platformer, avoid.

Do yourselves a favour folks; spend three quid on this game and immerse yourself in it, or merely dip into it whenever you have five minutes, and make your merry way around the world. You’ll either thank me the introduction or hate me for getting you addicted.

Never Alone attempts to portray the message that the connection between individuals and communities and how the ties that bind them together, can overcome the most seemingly impossible tasks. And whether you play by yourself or with a friend, the journey will be just as exciting and thrilling for the players as it is for Nuna.

Pure Pool is a great arcade game that looks better than it deserves to. The physics are flawless, down to the frustrating pocket bouncer shots.

Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon is a title that feels like it’s about 10 years older than it actually is. In the 40K universe, I’m pretty sure people get executed for failing their duties as spectacularly as this.

The more that a tactics game relies on story than gameplay, the more it betrays a lack of self-confidence in the ability of its mechanics to sell the game. It’s the equivalent of an 80s B-Movie that is selling you on its cover art alone.

Silence of the Sheep is a great example of why there’s still life in 2D games. This game is a scary game that has some truly terrifying moments, stunning artwork and brilliant audio. However it is let down with some controls flaws such as the poorly implemented inventory, and some frustrating puzzles that will have you googling their solution.

This is an action adventure game filled with zombies, poor punnery and a lack of feeling. I loved Escape Dead Island. It is short, with under 5 hours of playtime to complete the story, but I think it is definitely one to look out for.

As it stands, I am asking Enforcer to hand me its badge and its gun and I present it with a dishonourable discharge.

It’s saddening that all of the effort the creators have put in to building such a quicky, charming visual style has gone to waste with such barebones gameplay, but the game’s low price and arcade-esque stylings may make it a nice little timekiller for some.

There are jokes, puns, quips, slapstick, a cool Resogun section, puzzles, laughs, cheesy character flight tunes (Superman flying to his theme tune is amusing) and a ton of Adam West to keep a smile on your face for hours.

Forget your One Million Years Dungeons, Charlemagne DLC really does add 100 years to the game, adding the total up to almost 700 years of historical gameplay.

Rollers of the Realm is quite a lot of fun, though the story doesn’t last very long and the ‘Arena’ mode gets repetitive very quickly as it just recycles level designs from the campaign. The core gameplay, though, is totally solid. If you’re not into pinball, this probably isn’t one for you. If you’ve been known to dabble in the art of Pinball Wizardry, however, you should give it a shot.

I have played 8 hours of this game. 8 amazing hours of beating my enemies to a pulp and gorging myself on their souls… 8 hours of pure unadulterated madness.

If you’re looking for a PES game that vastly improves over the previous games, you’re in for serious disappointment.

Graphically speaking, the game looks poor on 360. Even for a last generation game it looks like it would sit better on the PS2 during most stages.

FIFA 15 delivers what you would expect from it. Which is a massive plus point for EA Sports this year. In fact it’s the first EA game I’ve played this year that was actually feature complete at launch.

Audio Defence – Zombie Arena is a very clever game that delivers on an interesting idea. It gives you a taste of the terrifying experience of being blind throughout the zombie apocalypse.

Insomniac Games have just given a masterclass in taking a tried and tested game genre and making it feel fresh and fun.

Episode 1 does exactly what it should, grabs you right from the get-go and leaves you desperate for more.

While the multiplayer will still be the main focus for many players of Advanced Warfare, the campaign gameplay is solid. Despite its short length (6ish hours). You may never play the campaign again, but you probably won’t forget it either.

The new routes provide a wide range of challenges and the new trains, particularly the ICE T, will please many train fans. Load times are long, so if you have a SSD install it on there.

So if you can set your cynicism aside and gather your three least inhibited friends (and maybe some of their kids or younger siblings), Just Dance 2015 can be one of the most fun games you’ll play this year.

Unless you’re a fan of the South Park universe, you’re probably not going to be able to dive into this game. For me, although it’s a ton of fun and bright and cheery – after a while the potty humour and same quips and jokes became somewhat wearisome.

Despite darkness being a horror game’s natural habitat, living so much in other game’s shadows limits The Evil Within from being the genre redefining classic it really should have been.

A pretty good game. It lacks any brilliant originality or unique spark to make it truly stand out from the crowd. When it’s not hampered by technical issues (it frequently crashed on me) and long loading screens, the game itself is quite fun, especially to play with friends. For the most part NS2 plays well and, while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any aspect, you could do a lot worse.

Were it not quite so repetitive I’d have liked this game a bit more and maybe scored it a bit higher.

Finding fault in small aspects of the DLC’s design is churlish considering the renewed appreciation for From Software’s work that this chapter has inspired. Crown of the Ivory King is Dark Souls in microcosm; a bite-sized but meaty slice of the series’ opaque lore, atmospheric locations and ludicrously difficult boss fights.

One word sums up this game, fun. It truly is a lovely game to play, with enough adventure and fun to keep kids happy.

F1 2014 may have some graphical flaws, but it’s a fantastic game. Possibly the best F1 game of recent times thanks to the radical changes to the sport itself and the ease of access F1 2014 has to players.

It makes for a great entry-level experience for those looking to break in on the ground floor of tower-defence but if you’ve already dabbled with the genre – or played Castlestorm on last-gen consoles – then there may not be enough here for you.

PvE for me is the real fun in Star Conflict.

Given that this game costs about the same as a can of juice and a chocolate bar, but will keep you entertained for way longer than either, I’d say your money was definitely better spent on Helix than on Mars.

The game took me a solid half a day to play through completely so it should probably take a normal, switched-on person half of that time to complete.

If you’ve got the patience to keep at it, Deadcore is an amazing new take on a tried and tested formula. The gameplay elements it combines run seamlessly into each other, with nearly flawless level design. It offers immense replayability for the Speed Runner crowd, and a challenging, rewarding experience for everybody who plays it.

For fans of this genre, Starpoint Gemini 2 could be a great game. It’s feature-rich and the gameplay is solid, but small extremely annoying glitches threatened to ruin my experience.

It’s a once-and-done title, not to be sniffed at, but after completing it, you won’t go back in a hurry.

Fenix Rage manages to scratch the itch for the super-challenging Super Meat Boy-like but it doesn’t scratch it for quite long enough.

A.R.E.S. is a game with crisp graphics and an awesome soundtrack that makes for a great title to pick up if you’re just after something a little more casual but with enough of that arcade difficulty to keep you on your toes.

If you are a Sims veteran that hasn’t picked up Sims 4 straight away, do it. There is an improvement in a lot of areas to the game, mainly the build modes and the introduction of the moodlets, and it is only going to get better as they patch and add more content to the game.

There are enough subtle changes in the gameplay over the classic Lemmings that justify taking a look at Flockers.

While there are a limited number of genuinely memorable landmarks in the world of Mordor, the real points of interest is the captains being hunted.

The Creative Assembly have Frankensteined together a game from these elements: the crafting of RPG’s, the item paucity and unstoppable enemy from survival horror, the skulking and hiding from stealth games, the hacking and puzzles from adventure games. They’ve created something new, and while you can still see the joins from where the different systems have been grafted together, they have nonetheless created the best Alien game ever made. By some distance.

I didn’t find the main (virtually only) character endearing, and that took a lot out of my experience with BBA. It shows glimmers of something incredible. I’d be very interested to see future title’s from the developer.

Times are sad when the weakest parts of a game are listed as “everything to do with the main plot and gameplay”. But by chaining the title to “Undead & Undressed”, XSEED have made it *about* the absolute worst parts.

If you have a hankering for a city builder, or a nice relaxing overworld sim, I would recommend staying well away from Transport Giant. It doesn’t want you to play it, it doesn’t want you to understand it and it really doesn’t want you to love it. You might find that spark within it, but you’ll have to work harder than it deserves.

Despite what might seem like harsh critique, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a stunning achievement. It’s undoubtedly one of the best games I’ve played this year, and I cannot stop thinking about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Ancient space and I will beat that final level. Even if it takes me another twenty hours of complete and utter failure. Ancient Space has beaten me down ruthlessly but I still want to come back for more.

If you have the patience and will to beat a monster of a difficult game then you’re quite probably going to get your money’s worth here. It’s also impressively developed by just one man I believe. Terri Vellmann you can certainly be proud of your game but less worms in future please. I’m still having sleepless nights over them.

The music throughout the game is used to great effect.

Despite my personally not enjoying this game there were only two things that really bothered me about it. They both tie in very nicely together though so this should be quick.

Despite highlighting and isolating my complete lack of coordination, I had a lot of fun with the simple, solid and rewarding fundamental gameplay that KickBeat is, ultimately, all about.

The styling of the different ships is quite frankly amazing.

Silly story aside Q.U.B.E Director’s Cut is very good game. Most first person games fall apart when the have platforming sections, but Toxic Games managed to pulled off a whole game with first person platforming.

This game has a lot more to it than most point-and-click style adventures and it really does give off an amazing atmosphere while you play it.

Train Fever is a beautiful game that is steeped in transportation history.

It’s shocking to see something this bad on a current gen console, and it’s really sad to think that someone released this and asked for money.

The presentation is also very sharp in Endless Legend, with nice in-game art and music combining with the well laid out menus to create the impression of a quality product. Unusually for a 4X game there’s a story running throughout the campaign, and the theme of a world on the brink of apocalypse is well handled and lends the whole experience a sense of urgency.

My issue with My Ex-Boyfriend the Space Tyrant isn’t its not-quite-great writing or anything about its content at all, really. My issue here is that My Ex-Boyfriend is a point and click adventure game that’s fairly poor in its execution.

Hyrule Warriors looks great, sounds great and plays great. While hack-and-slash games have never been my personal preference, I lost an entire weekend to Hyrule Warriors without even realising it.

This is not a buggy or broken game: this is a game without any aspiration.

The music fits in perfectly as well. It has a great synth sound straight out of the 80’s, and nothing else would have done this game justice.

All in all with the great graphic novel level intros and the nice little story and wit the protagonist displays, Veocity 2X is an engaging experience. I was glued to it till I was at level thirty six, then I realised I should really write something before I get to the end and spoil it for everyone here.

The revised skills trainer makes it a perfect entry level game for us on the other side of the pond who are interested in the NFL but need help in the concept and rules department of the game.

Depending on your choices Hatoful Boyfriend can be a light-hearted dating sim set in a completely ridiculous setting, or a crazy ridiculous visual novel set in a ridiculous setting.

Believe me when I say you will sink days into this game. I got so wrapped up in playing it that I forgot to write the review and if that doesn’t say much for it’s wonderful mix of minecraft style building and RPG then I don’t know how to convince you.

The game is simple to get to grips with but complex enough that it can be challenging.