Haters will forever hate the series, and this game doesn’t do anything to change that, as it’s after its fans, and for those fans, you’re going to love Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition, as it jammed with hours upon hours of content that once again improves on the series’ formula and pushes it towards its prime.

Slight presentation issues aside, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f is a good entry for newcomers to get into the music rhythm genre.

Thomas Was Alone gives an all-encompassing experience that’s nestled inside a marvelously crafted world of stories, friends, and jumping.

For anyone who wants to sit down on a couch after a hard days work and play a JRPG that will craft a smile on your face, then Atelier Escha & Logy comes recommended.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes may be short, but it sure is sweet.

Overall, Tales of Symphonia Chronicles is one half fantastic and one half decent, but more importantly, it is easily worth the price of admission for the first title alone.

What’s frustrating is there are some elements that the game does well – your player moves with a weight that not many games on the Vita can match, and the story – while a bit ridiculous and cliche-ridden – still manages to be fun without too many groan-induced moments. But that’s a hard price to pay in exchange for the game’s other, poorer elements; there is a gem of a game hidden in Toukiden, and the universe of the game is one I’d like to revisit one day.

Sorcery Saga: The Curse of the Great Curry God is a title that manages to get across the understanding of a roguelike in a rather simple manner. While its concept might come across as a baby version of the genre, what lies beneath the cute visuals is a punishing game that won’t let you off easily.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is the first time that a South Park game truly feels like an addition to or extension of the show, while giving fans a hilariously good time to boot.

It truly is a testament to the masterful design of Shinji Mikami and his team at Capcom that Resident Evil 4 is still a fantastic game to this day, nine years on from its debut explosion that won the title multiple Game of the Year awards.

For now, if you don’t mind a world that’s full of rather bland environments, feeling contradictory to the game’s intense, blistering action, then jumping into the ninja boots of Strider is sure to supply a fun afternoon or two.

A good game with a satisfying conclusion to the MercurySteam saga that sadly falls short of its predecessor, thanks to the puzzling inclusion of unwanted stealth elements.

It’s a dumb and silly game, and sure, it’s not what you would call a good video game, but deep down there is some sort of hidden charm that makes me have a guilty pleasure when the game’s doing its best.

Ys: Memories of Celceta is a solid, all round, action RPG that anyone can pick up and get into. And for fans, well, you’ll be happy to know that this is up there as one of the better entries in the franchise.

Gamers with significant visual impairments will have new reasons to question their eyesight, and the true nostalgia hungry fans will be vastly disappointed at the lack of content compared to other games such as Stargate and Geometry Wars.

DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a welcome addition to the ever-growing library of great visual novel games for us Westerners.

It is a clever game, with a simple idea at it’s core, that consistently brings enough clever ideas to the table as it goes to remain captivating throughout.

It’s nice that Namco Bandai has opted to get a company to do a twist on the standard fighting action, and fans will no doubt enjoy what’s on offer here, but with a lot of depth ripped out of the game, it becomes a title that’s has the creativity, but is nothing more than a bundle of shallow fun.

With a story that will leave thought waves pulsating to the tune of the excellent writing, intriguing gameplay that breaches boundaries of immersion, and with a Wii U version coming soon that will be much more accessible for those with physical disabilities because the controller will replace a mouse, Nihilumbra is a demonstration of how video games that immerse the player in telling stories, gameplay that challenges the forefront of perception, and having puzzles that will be remembrances at lunch can never be beaten by mainstream titles – no matter how unique the fire particles get.

The Banner Saga offers a good look into the world Stoic has created for this three-part adventure. It’s a depressing, but beautiful tale of survival against all odds, one that creates a developed plot and theme without degrading the characters or world to appear mature.

I can imagine some Metal Gear fans might not enjoy this style of gameplay, but if any are willing to give it a shot or if you are a fan of high paced action, then you owe yourself to jump into Revengeance’s stylish and exceptional top class gameplay and have a slash of a time.

The game is worth a prod though because the feeling can’t be matched. It’s a classic game, with most of the best elements, tossed into a nifty hitch of a game ported over from the DS.

Fans that were bummed out by Assassin’s Creed III will most likely find Black Flag to be a welcoming return to what they love about the series, with a great story, amazingly crafted world and smart additions to the sailing that make it a refreshing part of the Assassin’s Creed formula.

Even though there are a few moments where the game is quite satisfactory, you’re always wishing for more than it ever truly delivers.

Like Peggle Nights, Peggle 2 feels like just an extension of the original game and not a whole lot more.

With stealth based gameplay, a slight air of an escort mission, and touch controls all looking to trip them up, they come out almost unscathed. If nothing else, that alone should be seen as a victory.

First episodes are always going to be hard to evaluate to see where the season is going to go, but as an opening episode for Season Two of The Walking Dead, I feel that it gives a strong first impression.

Gran Turismo 6 is a nice farewell for Sony’s ageing hardware, as the company begins to move to the new generation of console gaming.

The end result is, that not through lack of effort, Forza 5 turns out to be the first true regression the series has seen since its inception.

If you’re a fan of RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play this game. Keep in mind that it’s not easy and that the governing system isn’t for everyone; however, get past that, and there’s a classic that compares to any behemoths of the genre even today.

There is nothing at all worth recommending about this game, especially when there is no shortage of free titles that do a far more effective job of scaring gamers out of their wits instead of their wallets.

Killzone: Shadow Fall isn’t the great launch title that Sony was hoping for with its shiny new box. The campaign is too varied in quality to bring a worthy single player experience. For every high point you experience, there’s a low around the corner, and the last bits of the campaign were so monotonous and unexciting, thanks to typical cliché gameplay for the genre that is mixed with tedious level design.

I recommend this game to anyone who loves a good comedy and has a little patience.

At the end of the day, it was the gameplay that made last year’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown a standout title and that remains intact, but XCOM: Enemy Within is the dessert package to go with the main course you just ate, adding that sweet delight on top of an already pleasing and tasty meal.

Burial at Sea – Episode One’s most welcoming addition is seeing Rapture in a state of normality. Given the circumstances we saw the underwater city in previous games; this is actually really exciting to see. But the problem is the game is far too short to make the player care enough.

Forced is absolutely brutal, requiring constant team communication, clever problem solving and the mastery of combat skills. It can be an incredible amount of fun and is highly recommended for any group of gamer friends (casual gamers may get their asses kicked).

While FIFA 14 might not present the revolutionary leap many of us imagined with the shift to a new generation of consoles, it is undoubtedly the best soccer game that’s ever been released.

Sorry kid – maybe next year.

This is the title that sells the Vita, and anyone owning the system should, without hesitation, play this beautiful game.

The category of old school, “maso-core” platformers is simply so crowded with more satisfying overall packages that It’s hard to recommend investing in one that is likely to leap, werewolf like, out of your consciousness as soon as you’re done.

The Typing of the Dead: Overkill is similar to those outlandish B-movie films that people deep down enjoyed simply for the fact that they are stupid. This game takes a basic premise and runs with it. As it turns out, it’s still a lot of fun, even after experiencing the first The Typing of the Dead.

Contrast is a curious, fair attempt at a puzzle platformer with some neat ideas that make it somewhat enjoyable, but is a slightly frustrating experience that in the end won’t be remembered for its gameplay, but more for its world, visuals and sound.

Football Manager, regardless of the year that follows its title, or the platform you play it on, is all about believing you can do better than that supposed idiot that is running your club in real life. Unless SI Games screw up spectacularly, they are not going to ruin that appeal, and they’ve kept things well on track with this release.

Even though it was a little shorter than I had hoped for, Ratchet & Clank: Nexus is still much longer than Quest for Booty and ties up the story of our heroes (and Quark) nicely. For now at least.

In the end, this is a good attempt at blending genres together to give a satisfyingly challenging RPG.

The overall experience may be familiar, but hasn’t grown tiresome yet to affect its scare-factor. Grab some headphones, turn off the lights, and try not to wake up anyone living in the same household with your screams of terror.

WRC 4: FIA World Rally Championship is a good, solid attempt at a rally game that feels satisfying enough to enjoy.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst is a great anime licensed game that gives anyone exclusive to the PC a chance to finally jump into the colourful world of Naruto.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams – Rise of the Owlverlord is a great game, especially for those looking for a platformer to challenge their reflexes.

Thanks to Street Fighter IV’s rebirth of the genre, there is now a wealth of options to pick from when it comes to fighting games, so there are no reasons to buy the generic sounding Girl Fight, because this is a bad, budget fighter with no redeeming qualities to enjoy.

Skylanders: Swap Force is a game packed with a variety of content for people of all ages.

As a modern reinvention, The King of Fighters XIII is everything longtime fans could hope for, and a sufficient cleansing of the disappointing KoF XII. It’s too bad that SNK couldn’t cater more to newbie players just tuning in, but even with the confusing third act storyline, the tight gameplay and character variety might prove enough to make those late bloomers into newly converted fans.

Despite finding one or two things fiddly and frustrating, How to Survive is a good game. I found the survival aspect addictive, challenging and most importantly, thrilling.

Jumping into a wingsuit in Skydive: Proximity Flight is fun and different at first, but after playing an hour or so, it becomes apparent that there isn’t much else going on with the game.

Fans will be happy that Phoenix Wright was able to localize it – it really would have been a massive injustice if this game never saw the light of day outside of Japan, as Dual Destinies is up there with the best entries in the franchise.

In the end, if you’re looking to pass the time by banging metal with metal and blowing stuff up, you can do far worse than what Gas Guzzlers Extreme is offering.

As a first episode, it succeeds at pulling players into a different thematic experience than The Walking Dead, and should make people excited for what is to come from the rest of the season.

I have no qualms in recommending this game to fans of the Tower Defence genre and new-comers alike.

In the end, what you get from Beyond: Two Souls comes down to what type of person you are. If you don’t enjoy this heavy focus on interactive cinematic experiences in games, then you are going to hate Beyond: Two Souls. But if you have an open mind, are willing to look past some of the mechanical faults, then I think you’ll have a fascinating time living the life of Jodie Holmes and her invisible friend.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a great MMORPG that has an enjoyable story, mechanically solid gameplay, lots of content for Final Fantasy fans to love, but also offers rewarding and challenging dungeons for people who adore playing online RPGs.

If you are a person looking for something to tickle your fetish for walking death machines – especially after seeing Pacific Rim – you should give Armored Core: Verdict Day a try, because you might find its deep strategy and open customisation extremely rewarding. The series also remains the only good online mecha game for your PlayStation 3.

In the end, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl serves as a worthy introduction (or reintroduction for longtime fans) to the hardcore RPG series.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a true marriage of gameplay and narrative, and it is frankly a complete triumph.

If your dying for more hardcore strategy RPGs, then you certainly can’t do wrong with Disgaea D2, it’s great, but just remember, you might have a feeling that you’ve been here before.

In the end I did enjoy Shelter but I don’t think it’s for everyone and unfortunately, instead of condensing an experience to fit a smaller time-frame, it felt more like the experience was just cut short.

For anyone who has never played The Wind Waker, this HD release is one that you must own for your limited (for now) Wii U library. It’s a charming experience that has been improved visually and mechanically to make for a better game.

Faults or not, if you’re looking for a different involvement with a video game, then you should give up a spare afternoon to sit down and wet yourself in Rain’s absorbing little world.

As it stands, F1 2013 is a great, but familiar racer that samples a fraction of the sport’s history. But as a game, you’ll only need it if you’re a diehard fan.

First-person shooters are never going away, but, if you fancy a great and bloody time pretending to be a katana wielding, nerd assassin after getting drained on role-playing military soldiers, then you can’t go wrong with jumping into the role of Mr Wang and slicing up some demons.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is a solid taster into sampling a blast from the past. It’s obviously aged a bit, which is clearly seen in this port, but the story is good and the rewarding, deep combat mechanics survive the test of time to make this a solid, satisfying RPG to play in 2013.

Fans of the series will enjoy, while anyone who is looking for a handheld first-person shooter, well, you really have no choice in the matter, since as it stands, Killzone: Mercenary is the best first-person shooter you can buy for a handheld device, although, the competition isn’t exactly fierce.

It’s been some time since I’ve enjoyed an NHL game as much as this one – regardless of your interest in hockey, you’ll find that NHL 14 is the best hockey simulator available and a blast to play.

Etrian Odyssey IV is an engrossing, challenging and rewarding handheld RPG that will keep you busy for weeks to come, whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran.

The reality of the situation is that if you want a fully featured and licensed affair, there will be those of you that will just go with the new FIFA offering, and that’s fine I guess. But there are those who like a purer experience, and it’s undeniable that Pro Evolution Soccer has that.

The game is all about making more money to progress, but the grind to get it is monotonous, meaning most will lose the will to toil away on the farm long before getting access to the bigger, better machinery.

Puppeteer is a superb demonstration of one team’s imagination let loose on the stage.

Grand Theft Auto V is the best the series has ever been, and that’s a compliment that speaks volumes.

Blizzard has done an outstanding job in bringing Diablo III to consoles, so much so that I was still getting engulfed by its addictive nature even after putting in over 100+ hours on the PC.

Total War: Rome 2 is a hugely in-depth and highly engrossing experience; it has it’s pro’s and con’s (as does every game), but this is a game that will age like a fine wine and as such get better with time (and developer support and updates).

The end result is okay, but nothing more. Dream Team is not a terrible game.

Anyone interest in the need to be scared should check out Outlast. It takes some ideas from Amnesia, but blends them with its own unique gameplay mechanics and setting.

Existing fans might be wishing for more content or a cheaper price because while the add-ons are a welcomed inclusion, they might not feel like they are worth a full release. For newcomers, this is a very worthwhile package, so if you enjoy a fighting game that is easy to get into, thanks to the rock-paper-scissors mechanics and counter system, then Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is the best place to start with the franchise.

Lost Planet 3 is a peculiar game. It’s a solid third-person shooter with an identity crisis. Some of the changes to the single player won’t go down so well with the fans – it’s missing some of the bits that gave Lost Planet its own personality.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 takes the foundations that were built by the original Pirate Warriors, strips away the gameplay that it wasn’t confident about and sticks with what Warriors games know best – frantic action against waves upon waves of enemies while looking stylishly true to source material to please fans of the show.

It’s exactly the type of game I would recommend to indie fans that are looking for something a bit different.

It just goes to show that even after all these years you can still get excited pressing buttons to jump – Rayman Legends asserts to that. Ubisoft should be proud that they just released the best 2D platformer in over 15 years and anyone who enjoys platforming would be a loony not to pick it up.

It’s not mechanically deep or rewarding to be a classic, but Killer Is Dead remains a solid piece of entertainment that Grasshopper fans will enjoy, while the rest of the world looks in bemusement as to why someone would like this.

Still, despite some of the problems you will encounter, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more polished and enjoyable football game than Madden 25.

It may not be the Castlevania as fans know it, but MercurySteam has taken successful mechanics from combat-focused, character action games and blended it with Castlevania’s lore.

I can’t see many people who grew up only knowing what a virtual gun is accepting the shortness and difficulty curve of DuckTales Remastered.

Saints Row IV jacks up the action, pumps up the silly, but above all, doesn’t lose sight of what makes a game play superbly, and that, Mr President, is how you make an awesome video game.

For a person who missed the era when the game was in its prime, Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded will feel like a relic creeping into the modern age and demonstrating to everyone how archaic the old times used to be.

Guacamelee! remains one of the most entertaining 2D experiences in a long while, and if you missed out on the Playstation fiesta, the party has now made its way over to the PC without missing a beat. Absolutely recommended.

I can’t fault what Interceptor Entertainment have created with Rise of the Triad. They’ve accomplished what they set out to do – bring a faithful remake of a very old first-person shooter that hasn’t sacrificed it’s soul for modern gaming. Any gamer who loved the classic shooters of the 90′s will have a blast with it.

Animal Crossing is cutesy, it’s inviting and it’s addictive. It’s a mug of hot cocoa after the stresses of the many gritty, intense blockbuster games on the shelves today.

Dragon’s Crown is Vanillaware’s best title to date. Not only that, but the company should be extremely proud of what they have accomplished. As the industry shows, it’s not easy to create a beat ‘em up that is mechanically solid, plays well and has depth to keep you coming back, but the studio has done just that.

Teleglitch is a unique combination of a number of different, but common, gameplay features that mash-up into a great game.

All that matters in the end is that this game works flawlessly on the hardware and is an exceptional port of a great game that Vita owners get to play. While this won’t break the shackles of the Vita being a port machine, it does mean it just got that bit better at being a portable home console.