In conclusion, as a small downloadable title there is much to like about Strike Suit Zero; its story is interesting if awkwardly told, and its gameplay is finely-tuned and worth revisiting.

Given the consistent rush towards the safe option in gaming today, the possibility of Dark Souls 2 meaning something special to you makes its worth checking out, even if you might well hate every second of it.

Thus while these remakes do not offer much new, they are remakes of such high-quality games that they are worth revisiting, or visiting for the first time.

It is seems a shame the game didn’t launch before Christmas – on this evidence, with its kid-friendly content and rock-solid gameplay, it had the potential to have cleaned up, and help Microsoft move a bunch of additional Ones off the shelves in the process.

Licensed games are difficult, comedy games even moreso, but the Stick of Truth makes it look easy, and that’s maybe the biggest surprise of all.

As an experience, I’d definitely recommend Jazzpunk. It still fits in the, “Wandering Around Game” style, however its comedic sensibilities are great and its treatment of other video game styles are a love letter to gaming in the most fun, madcap way that Necrophone Games could have thought of.

It’s a fast-paced, hugely over-the-top experience, and it should put a big smile on your face for the vast majority of the time you spend with it.

If you can look past the sub-par graphics and keep up with the demanding control tempo, you’ll find a robust beat-em-up with tight and interesting controls, entertaining movesets and a strong cast of characters.

Ultimately Hoplite is not a game based to any great extent about discovering new content or unlocking secrets; while some abilities are added to the roster for completing achievements, it does not have the complexity of hidden mechanics that its close comparator 868-Hack does. Instead it is, bluntly, the more “accessible” game and perhaps as a result the truer evocation of retro gaming. Its rules can be learned very quickly, as any good short-playing game should, and yet it still has elements of deep strategy, choice and randomisation to provide a motivation for chasing high scores.

All in all, Freedom Cry is an excellent addition to Assassin’s Creed IV.

It is suitably complex mechanically to be challenging on a level beyond simply long fights with tough enemies, and tells a solid story reminiscent of the older Final Fantasy games from which it draws design elements.

A Link Between Worlds is a beautiful experience: a fun retrospective of former Zelda glories while providing enough innovation to stand out on its own.

It isn’t without issues, and it doesn’t do anything particularly new or special, but it’s that doesn’t stop it being a fun, charming way to spend a few hours.

Thus while not being a visual spectacle in the way something like Killzone is, Resogun demonstrates well the potential of the PS4 as a console; its capacity for impressive particle effects and handling of many more physics objects at once than past consoles is shown off to the full.

Soul Calibur II HD Online illustrates this perfectly: with the core game given nothing but a face lift, it remains a great fun experience, even if it’s the exact same experience that it provided ten years ago. The new features add very little, but then there’s very little that needed to be added even ten years ago, and therefore it remains to be seen whether similar tales of swords and souls will continue to be eternally retold.

Overall, then, FM2014 is a quality product; an enjoyable entry point into the series for new players and customisable enough for series veterans to add or remove the features they want to make the best experience for them.

Flawed and silly, but also ambitious and heartfelt, this is a game with a clear vision, like it or not, that follows through with utter conviction to the end.

Roguelike games have become increasingly popular of late and it’s great to see one which rewards you for all the time spent by allowing a form of character progression. It’s mitigated to a point by having you lose all your money before entering a castle and each purchased bonus makes all the others more expensive.

Puzzle elements are integrated incompletely with the platforming elements, and while both have moments of retro-inspired genius neither is quite sufficient to truly stand alone.

Grand Theft Auto V is the rare entertainment experience that simply won’t let you down.

It’s a fascinating experience and one of the stranger topics for a video game.

It’s easy to overlook a lot of what makes Brothers unique from first glance, its unassuming style belies a title with a lot more on its mind. But stick with it and you’ll be rewarded with something really quite special.

Ultimately the game feels like a risk, an antithesis of much of what gaming currently aspires to be, but it also uses the medium to its advantage, to tell a personal story in a new and innovative way. Hopefully it leads to more developers stepping out in a similar fashion, and together pushing the medium forward in equally interesting and unexpected ways.

It’s not a complete overhaul of the series, but it’s an entry that intelligently pushes Animal Crossing into new areas of control and creativity.

The Last of Us is the type of game that could only be crafted by a developer willing to take risks. Were Naughty Dog to have thrown its money at yearly iterations of Uncharted, it would likely still have found its audience, but with The Last of Us it has struck out in a bold new direction that asks some very big questions about some of the fundamental aspects of videogame culture and the relationship that exists between gamer and game.

For now though this collection is the perfect excuse to experience some of the best, most unique games of this generation and either encounter them for the first time, or dive back in for one more play.

Regardless, if you like exploration, stress, permadeath, free-roaming games and don’t care about how the arm hair on your man looks, then this is definitely a game for you.

CastleStorm represents the best of its muses’ ideals – namely those belonging to the tower defense genre and Angry Birds – and fuses them into something specially made and distinctly enjoyable. Minor quirks don’t leave a damaging impression, either, which can’t be said for every joyously destroyed playhouse castle you’ll come into contact with along the way.

As a single player game, you’re able to take your time, case the joint and find effective ways to complete the map. Like Metal Gear Solid and other stealth games, it’s satisfying to get through each area, work out guard patterns and find the perfect hiding places. As a multiplayer game it’s a whole different monster. Sure, an organised group can probably best a level as quietly and efficiently as single player, but with offline play and friends like yours, you know what it’s going to be like

Thus, Persona 4 Arena is a standout game; it marries theme and mechanics closely, and through its apparent simplicity allows a total novice to enjoy it all while layering on levels of strategy for advanced play based on positioning and timing rather than specific dexterity at inputting attacks.

This is a downloadable game that dares to dream big and pulls it off by throwing caution to the wind and letting loose, but on a very solid base of gameplay mechanics.

It may not reinvent the wheel, but Guacamelee! leaves you satisfied that you’ve experienced a game crafted by a talented studio with a genuine love for what they do.

Fire Emblem Awakening is a truly absorbing experience; a game which can make you fist-pump in victory and shout in horror as you watch zombie archers pick off your last Pegasus knight, all while you plan on how you’ll do it all better next time. And for what is essentially a board game-type RPG where little men and women run around a grid, that is pretty damn impressive.

The cuddly charm of BattleBlock Theater tells only half the story – the game boasts a horde of smartly designed puzzle platforming stages as well as a multiplayer suite goofy enough to raise some pure and honest laughter. Whether on your own or with and against some friends, there’s plenty worth chewing through here.

When it comes down to it though Bioshock Infinite is a labour of love, a staggeringly impressive achievement and an example of the invention and singularity of vision that so many big budget games lack. I

Early quick-time events aside, this twelve hour adventure suffers so few missteps that it’s a genuine delight to play, even as the lead gets trampled into the seasoned pro we’ve come to know. Everyone take a bow… the first lady of gaming has returned.

With so much to play through and so many things to perfect and unlock, Joe Danger Touch provides a ton of content for the £1.99 (or $2.99) it costs. As far as the platform goes, it’s definitely one of the nicest-looking and best value games on iOS.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is as much a triumph of curation as it is a technical showcase; Ghibli and Level 5 have cherry-picked the very best elements from their own past and combined them with the best that the genre has to offer.

I was surprised there would be a sequel to Pullblox, given the versatility of the game, but this one manages to be just as fun and different enough to be equally worthy of a purchase.

It positively crushes the gameplay of the fourth installment and does away with the overused backtracking. With a story that finally explores the truth behind Dante's supernatural heritage and reveals the decisions that lead him to become a hero, DMC achieves something no previous installment could not. It's the art direction and technical problems that let the package down, and they often do so in a big way. We encountered visual hiccups galore, shaky animations and a major crash on our PS3 review copy, yet the game remained enjoyable to the end.

Overall, I have to confess that I wasn't expecting a huge amount from Playstation All-Stars, but it surprised me. The Supers system provides a good twist on the Super Smash Brothers formula, it's obviously been lovingly put together and it's simply a great deal of fun. It's definitely a game that's worth playing.

The best thing to do when you put on Dance Central 3 is to embrace shame, put your dignity aside and get dancing. Oh, and then there's the latest DLC, which includes Gangnam Style. You know you want to horsey dance. Oh yes you do.

Super Paper Mario on the Wii showed that Nintendo is unafraid of experimenting with the franchise, and although Paper Mario: Sticker Star has a few minor missteps and a few missed opportunities (where is the sticker collection StreetPass mini-game?) it is still an adventure of considerable charm and intelligence and is hugely entertaining throughout. It also does more than most to vindicate the 3DS's now much maligned 3D screen, proving that – if used correctly– it still has the ability to wow. Its hero may be flat, but Paper Mario: Sticker Star will leave you feeling anything but.

Thus, as an Assassin's Creed game AC3 is the most ambitious yet the most refined yet; it is almost unmatched in density of content and unique in setting.

You're getting a short yet solid single-player mode that demands a love for the 'combat evolved' formula – it's a first-person shooter that is linear to the core, though we hope to see this change in future instalments. The story could have used some tweaking, but fans will still find an enjoyable experience with challenging gameplay and vicious enemies.

In conclusion, Borderlands 2 is a significant improvement on the original; it sharpens up the narrative, the core game progression, the visual theme and many other fundamental aspects that needed adjustment.

It is a major accomplishment and for all its ambition it succeeds where it counts, by transporting you to a world and empowering you to do with it you wish, creating unscripted and unexpected moments that feel unique to you. It is at these times that it becomes more than just an enjoyable stealth action game, but something truly special.

If you have tried Zen Pinball before and came away unimpressed, there is little here to warrant taking another look. If, however, you're a fan or just fancy giving a pinball videogame a try, then Zen Pinball 2 really is as good as it gets.

Don't let the innate familiarity here cloud the fact that Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is a technical tour de force, and by far the best entry in this illustrious series' history.

It's a testament to Mark of the Ninja from a design standpoint that even the most ardent skeptic of the stealth genre can find something to shout about here. It is slick, responsive and vastly rewarding - in other words, something worth shedding light on.

Watching the cute little characters cutting down cute little enemies, using familiar abilities and items, exploring old themes… It's done something I never thought possible. It's made me nostalgic for Final Fantasy games. Even Final Fantasy XIII. Again, I love the idea of the Final Fantasy saga, and this allows me to explore it and remember all the things that made it great, all while having a great rhythm game, to boot. There are enough unlockables to keep you going back for 'just one more song'.

As a flagship title for the PS Vita this latest LittleBigPlanet works beautifully, and with its hugely enjoyable story campaign, creative tools and community features there is huge incentive to keep playing. Most significantly, the breadth and variety of experiences it delivers serves as a reminder that LittleBigPlanet so much more than a simple platformer - it is a platform all of its own.

As a package, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron's lack of ambition is countered by an obvious fondness for the Transformers themselves and the amount of polish that has been lavished on its presentation and mechanics. Gamers looking for something new will find little here to draw them in, but as a celebration of Hasbro's iconic cast of characters there is much here to be recommended, and plenty for High Moon Studios to build on should it get another chance to work with the robots in disguise.

Its stripped-down approach recants the necessity of plastic contraptions to enjoy the series' extensive and vast soundtrack; and assuming your catalogue is butch enough, Blitz has more than enough staying power to maintain a headline slot.

The result is a game which has universal appeal – a return to the brightly-coloured skill tests that anyone who grew up with earlier generations of console will remember fondly. What is more, the constant emphasis on learning and mastering the game's rules and then improving on scores and times makes Joe Danger 2 a perfect game to return to time and again.

Just because a game lacks a multiplayer mode doesn't always mean that it's lacking. With good variety, solid character and world design, Sleeping Dogs offers a story that gamers haven't quite seen before, even if it does borrow liberally from other franchises. Unlike other titles, the game doesn't go all out and rely on the wacky or extreme to separate itself from the competition, instead choosing to present itself as a jack of all trades in a genre where no one knew it was needed.

It will undoubtedly prove to be too much for some – whether it be too loud, too fast or just too out there; but should it sink its hooks in (pun intended), Dyad will foster obsession and with plenty of levels, Trophy challenges, a remix mode and the lure of online leaderboards, there is plenty of content here to feed the addiction.

Mighty Switch Force screws with your noodle while forcing you to try and speed through the levels to meet the ungodly fast 'par', always taunting you with your slowness.

Whether you're a seasoned veteran or new to the franchise, you have every reason to dive into these games in all their HD glory.

Playing Thomas Was Alone brought to mind a lyric from the song 'Darky' by Californian Nu-metallers (hed)PE; in which singer Jared Gomes growls 'One foot on the moon, one foot in the cave' – a sentiment that perfectly encapsulated the duality of the experience on show here; Thomas Was Alone embraces the new while keeping one foot firmly rooted in the past.

As a game, it is perfect; it does nothing wrong in itself and the only criticism that can be levelled at it is the lack of online capabilities – although the games which it hearkens back to so closely had no such thing.

Cynics will point out the shortcomings of the single-player campaign and lament the fickle nature of the online experience, but both criticisms struggle to stand up to closer inspection; the former fulfils its role well enough and the latter is (sadly) a given with any game of this type. Through Starhawk's dynamic arenas of combat and broad, deep and well-implemented toolset, LightBox Interactive has delivered a call to arms that deserves to be heeded.

It's been years and Max Payne has aged both as a character and as a series. It's visually impressive and spins a compelling yarn, featuring a protagonist who walks the line of insanity yet remains likeable due to his inner humanity. That said, it goes to show that there's still only so much that can be done with a third-person shooting game set in the real world, becoming limited by the endless mobsters and hired guns. It's anything but perfect, but as what amounts to a gritty and playable action flick, Max Payne 3 could be just the ticket for those empty summer months.

The way it plays is a measure of beautiful precision and patience, and when you couple the community aspect to the near perfect gameplay, it makes for a package which is one of the strongest of 2012 so far, and we have a feeling that in terms of Evolution, the best is yet to come.

The aesthetics, the way it plays, the satisfaction of discovery – all are aspects that are missing in too many modern releases. Should you have found your interest in gaming to be waning of late, then this may have the power to restore your faith in the industry's ability to surprise and innovate. For that alone, Fez deserves your undivided attention.

Every now and then, a videogame genre can get shaken up by the arrival of a title that pushes it in new or interesting directions, and Ridge Racer: Unbounded is one such title; through its inspired drift mechanic, weighty physics and ingenious level creation tool, it pushes the genre to new heights of challenge and is all the more rewarding for it.

This is a game which has a free version, so as long as you have a device capable of using it, and at least one friend (or randoms to prey upon with your crude pictures of scrawled genitals) then this game makes for the perfect time-sink. And once you've got it and enjoy it, why not pay the 69p, you cheap sod? It's just over a third of a quid for this much fun!

Playing the original game alongside the re-release of Dante's Awakening is reason enough for fans and newcomers alike to pick this up without hesitation and even if the reboot fails to recapture the glory of old, this collection shows that it's never been a better time to strap on the leather and slay a few demons.

Capcom has delivered on the potential of the cross-over template admirably and created a game that's hugely engaging, always entertaining and feels like an easily justifiable extension to both Street Fighter and Tekken brands. It is disappointing that the online element isn't yet up to scratch, but when this issue is resolved Street Fighter x Tekken should have no problems standing on its own two feet.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a hoot to play. It feels like Fable done right, like a third person Skyrim edited to a workable size.

Dazzling in design and addictive in the gameplay department, Trine 2 is a spectacular fantasy romp that shouldn't be missed by anyone with a penchant for high-quality platforming with a puzzling twist. It'll get you swinging, slicing, jumping and thinking as you venture towards the next gorgeous land ripe for exploration. Combat can be awkward and you'll fumble with the controls as you attempt to manipulate objects, but these are just minor blemishes on a downloadable title that simply shouldn't be missed.

The Jak and Daxter Collection is one of the best high-def re-releases about and represents great value for money in terms of bang for your buck.

All in all, Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack is a polished and well considered sequel to the underrated original that's humorous, hugely playable and frothing with ideas.

You could quite easily just watch Asura's Wrath and be raucously entertained; the fact that it places you firmly in the centre of the action makes its achievements all the more impressive.

Although not the complete overhaul that some may have desired, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a surprisingly bold and distinctive sequel.

Faster, flashier and every bit as accessible as before, Soul Calibur V is the sequel the series needed. Some design choices might leave you scratching your head and the lack of a few favourites will irk returning fans, particularly Talim and Zasalamel players where no similar alternatives exist. The AI can irritate at times and the unlockable characters may disappoint, but those into character creation will find themselves losing many hours in their pursuit of the ultimate, and personalised, fighting roster.

Pullblox is one of the finest titles currently available for the 3DS and even in a world where iPhone games can cost under a pound there's no questioning the value for money that Pullblox provides; it's really is a massive game with near-endless customisability.

Joe Danger: Special Edition is the definitive version of the game and one that the plucky stuntman can be proud of.

Pure Nintendo magic.

Rayman Origins signifies a welcome return to form for the hovering hero, presenting a world bursting with charm and adventure. It's a title that really shouldn't be missed, but we have the sneaking suspicion that it'll be overlooked this season amongst the slew of bigger names (the strange selection of levels offered in the demo probably won't help either).

Super Mario 3D Land is a glorious example of how a 'less is more' approach can lead to significant rewards. Though Mario plaformers have never been overly narrative heavy, stripping the game back to its basic elements showcases just how solid these elements remain even to this day.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is so immense and chock-full of content that we could conceivably rant about it for pages, but to do so would only detract from the time you should spend physically playing it.

Camera issues and the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay won't appeal to everyone, plus the release price doesn't quite fit with the length of the game, but fans will be more than pleased with what's been accomplished here as it's almost entirely for the good of the franchise.

The final compliment we can pay to the game is this: if George Lucas needs any tips on how to make a PlayStation Move Star Wars game…he need look no further than Medieval Moves for an ideal template.

Batman: Arkham City isn't the surprise that the first game was and instead has to live up to the hype and remain fresh by bringing in new ideas whilst building on the old ones. This sequel handles the challenge admirable, making for what is so far the closest thing gamers have to a definitive Batman experience.

At no point does Forza Motorsport 4 feel as impactful as its predecessor did two years ago, but that certainly doesn't mean it's an inferior game. In fact, its refinements and production values are executed so well that it is arguably not only the best game in the series, but the best driving simulator on the market. If you missed out on the third entry, then Forza 4 is highly recommended. But if you're not quite ready to delve back into an experience that is largely unchanged from the last outing, then you might not find much worth coming back for.

Despite its unquestionable quality however, the praise we can lavish on Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is tempered slightly by a sense that the template might be reaching its breaking point and that even more treasure could be found with a little more diversity to accompany the astonishing moments of technical and cinematic wizardry.

The Secret Of The Unicorn is an extremely successful tie-in to what is a controversial film.

It looks great, has a suitably OTT plot, plenty of explosions, a solid online experience and has enough depth to reward committed pilots – all of this adds up to make it a very tempting alternative for anyone who fancies kicking off the bloody, muddy boots of the foot soldier to instead soar high into azure blue skies.

PC users have no reason to make a purchase here, but for everyone else, Crytek's smash hit is one of the best downloadable offers to date.

For now though this is the definitive Forumla 1 videogame, and pretty damn essential for fans of the sport.

God of War Collection Volume 2 is an absolute must for fans that never experienced the games on the PSP, and the HD reworking has been so successful that even those who did buy them – and have played them fairly recently – are unlikely to regret this latest purchase.

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection does an excellent job of re-mastering the original games, but its greatest success is that it does so without the tweaks ever taking centre stage; it is the original games that make the package so essential.

There can be no doubting he pleasure in revisiting the wonders of gaming past, and Starfox 64 3D still stands today as a beacon of impeccable design, but at this present moment the 3DS's balance seems too heavily skewed towards looking back, retromania over reinvention. On the other hand, this is a superb package, and a robust reminder of just what the 3DS is capable of. Starfox 64 3D, then: it's the console's second-best game, just behind Ocarina Of Time 3D.

Make no mistake though Human Revolution, for all its modern trappings, remains a game that requires commitment, offering the sort of long and deep single player experience that seems to be so rare these days.

The series might have been written off by many gamers after the lacklustre Driv3r, but in embracing the fantastic and relocating the series to San Francisco – arguably the spiritual home of the car chase – Ubisoft Reflections have re-acquired John Tanner's mojo, and his tires are well and truly smoking again.

As a whole, SFIII: 3rdS – OE is a celebration of a threequel that wasn't content to merely stand on the shoulders of the giant that preceded it and that in doing so delivered a fighting game that to this day feels incredibly vital.

As a whole, SFIII: 3rdS – OE is a celebration of a threequel that wasn't content to merely stand on the shoulders of the giant that preceded it and that in doing so delivered a fighting game that to this day feels incredibly vital.