But that doesn't stop LIMBO being an entirely worthwhile experience, drenched in misery, pathos and loneliness. It's also really bloody scary.

It is absolutely the best game for wasting away those hot summer days. If you’re a fan of superhero games or just love gratuitous violence, you can’t go wrong with Prototype.

Othercide manages to blend tactical RPGs and rogue-lite gameplay superbly that works to offer a compelling gameplay loop. Both elements come together to make for a energizing title, one that offers a refreshing, engrossing combat system that releases the restraints to allow more experimentation. A bold, beautiful presentation sets the tone, hampered mostly by a couple of small quality assurance issues and the lack of variety in mission design and maps. Othercide makes for another great surprise in Focus Home Interactive’s growing library, and is a game people should pay attention to.

Like Chrysalis, Awake once again feels like the beginning of something great. It is referential for sure, it has to be, but it’s never wholly reliant on what came before. This is a markedly assured debut for new developer Deck Nine, who have confidently executed the core elements that made the original so well liked, but also put their own spin on the world to weave a new tale. Before The Storm is set to be a nostalgic trip back to a home away from home that many thought they’d never get to visit again. I’m delighted to once again be part of this world – if only for a little while.

Ronimo Games has created a light hearted take on the RTS genre. Swords & Soldiers has enabled a gateway for people who don’t normally venture into the real time strategy genre, to be able to pick up their Wii remote and play.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is overall mostly a quality RPG that has charm and character, while making up for some of the lacking aspects of Xenoblade Chronicles X, but small issues stop it from hitting the heights of Xenoblade Chronicles, sitting in between the two games in this trio series. It retains all the great stuff about exploring beautiful and large unique areas, but forgot to take in the advancements made in map design from Xenoblade Chronicles X. It does take a while to find its feet, but once it starts going and you click with the combat, it’s an RPG that engulfs you in its long, amusing adventure for many hours, one that finished up Nintendo’s 2017 with another great Switch game.

Then there is the Wii Wheel peripheral itself, which if you did not already know is just a plastic housing for the Wiimote. I have to admit though it is a well made bit of plastic, and is not only smarter looking than the uninspired Wii Zapper, but also more ergonomic to hold. Unexpectedly it is very easy to use.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 knows what made its predecessor an enjoyable time and brings along a sequel with a focus on improving what came before it. It doesn’t go crazy to try reinvent itself or the genre, but smartly delivers a better game with tweaks to the formula that alter areas that were previously weak – improved loot systems, more varied levels and fleshed out character development.

If you buy EA Sports Active expecting a FUN game, you’ll be disappointed despite the overuse of that word in all of the marketing, promotional and instructional material. If you buy it looking for a product that can actually help you get some exercise, lose some weight and even change your lifestyle then this is probably the best such product on the market right now.

Until Dawn is a fantastic blood scrawled love letter to all things horror – the slasher genre in particular. Even though all its ideas come from decades worth of scary movies, seeing these elements uniquely worked into a game is highly effective.

Warriors Orochi 3 is currently a representation of the series at its peak. Updated graphics, reduced pop-in, unparalleled content, and a nearly-bursting character roster make for a completely revamped experience that the previous titles couldn't offer.

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.

The Revolution DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is the first major downloadable content that Treyarch have released for the widely popular game. Probably the most anticipated additions to the game are a Zombies map and a new Zombies game mode to go along with it.

Regardless of just how many improvements and additions Final Fantasy XV will undergo in the next year or so, the game is far from perfect and hardly the entry that unifies the fanbase, be they long devoted fans or burnt out from the past entries. What the game is, however, is a flawed but still fun masterpiece that looks and plays like no other Action/RPG hybrid out there and is still worth a cursory glance, if not a full commitment.

Asura's Wrath is a game that goes into a rage and stomps on whatever we call the convention of video games. And you know what? I'm going to join in the stomping too, because the reason I play games is for refreshing engagements that entertain me, and Asura's Wrath hit the spot.

No matter if you want to play by yourself or with a friend, there is a lot to like with PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate’s smartly designed environment puzzles and infusion of dynamic fluids that offer a refreshing experience on this take of a shooter meets puzzler.

Endless Legend offers one of the more refreshing entries in the genre, and it will destroy your sense of time and disrupt your sleeping pattern. This should be a sign to anyone that Endless Legend is not only a successful turn-based strategy title, but also a great game.

Although the Marvel vs Capcom collection just about edges this one for the quality of games on offer, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a close second place, with the two Power Stone games and CVS2 in particular being excellent fighting games still worth checking out. Capcom are really onto something with these back catalogue reissues as of late and I feel it is something worth supporting, because there’s still plenty more in their archives that would benefit greatly from being part of a collection like this, with all the features you could want from a modern fighting game in one easily accessible package.

Arms has already hit Nintendo’s hybrid system, a title that offers a truly unique fighting game experience, but Pokkén Tournament DX manages to also standout for bringing its own incomparable type of fighting gameplay. Sure, it’s not a brand new title, and only the people that truly loved the original release will be wanting to part cash for the full price of this enhanced port, but just like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokkén Tournament DX gives chance for the many people who did not pick a Wii U to grab this refreshing fighting game for some hype Pokémon matches at home or on the go. Simply put, Pokkén Tournament DX is a bloody good fighting game that more people should try, no matter if you are a casual or hardcore fighting player or a Pokémon fan, the experience here allows for all types of players to enjoy Pokkén Tournament DX‘s distinct fighting while adding another great game to their Switch catalogue.

But for those prepared to deal with the learning curve, micromanagement and single-player focus – and especially for anyone who loves the tabletop game – Armada is well worth your time.

Last Light has the mechanics of a great shooter that is built alongside a brilliant atmospheric and refreshing world that anyone who is fed up with shooters being the same would do well to give it a shot.

If you are willing to let the issue of controls pass, then you will be presented with one exciting and beautiful piece of gaming history, and one of Sega's crown jewels from the Dreamcast era. Fans who want to play Jet Set Radio again will have no problem with this HD release – unless you were expecting a remake. For people who have never played it and want to know what the fuss is about, you might not fully appreciate why this game was so damn cool back in 2000, but at least you get to listen to the brilliant music and take in all the pleasant visuals. That still leaves you with a win-win situation in my book.

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.

In the end, probably the best remark I can make about the game is that it is one of more accessible available from the selection of EA Sports branded titles, and as a result of this, it’s probably one of the most fun to play.

But unless you are serious about golf, or videogame golf at least, then you may find it frustrating.

Even if it takes ideas from other games, it mashes them together to make a complete game that plays well and does its inspirations proud. Darksiders is a nice surprise that is well worth 15+ hours of your life to complete it.

What this release means is that the engrossing strategic gameplay of the Game Boy Advance entries remains as addictive and enjoyable now as they did all those years ago, a testament to the original developer’s well-crafted gameplay mechanics. The only problem is the limited online because being exclusive to your friends and not having a ranking/open matchmaking feature is a huge opportunity missed. The rest of the package in Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is an easy recommendation for anyone who wants to challenge their tactical know-how on the miniature battlefield.

Dirt: Showdown is a different kind of Dirt. It's a more raw and dirty Dirt that takes itself less seriously, but allows for people to have much more fun with its stress-free handling, arcade style gameplay and joyous destruction.