Still, despite its flaws, there is a lot of fun to be had in Fantasy Life. The job system is extensive and mastering each skill compulsive, while decorating apartments provides a nice break from the repetitive missions.

The game gives little motivation to step out of your comfort zone to solve puzzles in clever or innovative ways, but becomes far more satisfying when used as an outlet for your imagination rather than strictly adhering to any level's given goals. It's as fun of an experience as you make it, with those yearning to flex their creative muscles getting the most from the virtual sandbox.

When it comes down to it, it's the communication and that sense of shared success that makes Triforce Heroes such a joyous and satisfying release.

Directive 8020 is a bold attempt to evolve a familiar format, but ironically the biggest and most ambitious changes only serve to dull the game. The best parts of the title are when Supermassive plays to and builds on its strengths, and it's a shame that this game deviates a bit too much away from that.

Games like HeartGold and SoulSilver, and the more recent Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, won over fans because they elevated the originals – either by adding engaging new features and areas, or by reimagining their visual style in order to capture the way players felt their beloved childhood games used to look. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl struggle on both these counts, meaning they can only really be recommended to die-hard fans of the originals. Luckily for any newer fans of the series, there are plenty of other, much better, Pokémon games to dig into.

You could do worse than LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. A lot worse. But if you've played a LEGO game in the last three years and are looking for a new, different experience, you'll be left wanting.

Atomfall is a distinctly British take on the sci-fi apocalypse, but it’s so much more than that. The different parts of the game work together to provide the player an open-ended experience that’s both thrilling and rewarding, in a harsh world that’s begging to be explored. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of Fallout or not – Rebellion has crafted something special. In fact, I’m already back exploring, cricket bat in hand.

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil doesn't have the depth of an annual release, lacking the online modes that have made recent FIFA games so enormously popular and featuring slightly simplified gameplay.

With better server consistency, Hybrid could hold onto gamer attention long after the big hitters like Halo 4 and Black Ops 2 are on shelves. Hopefully the servers will improve in the future and the player base will stick with the game in the long run, but neither of those things can be relied on with any degree of certainty. For now, Hybrid is a fun but flawed experience, with sheer brilliance waiting for those patient enough to join a match.

For fans of dogfighting games, Sky Gamblers: Cold War more than has you covered with its lengthy campaign, competitive online modes and various aircrafts to pilot.

Continuous play opens up a range of unlockables, including new backgrounds, blades, music and more objects to slice aside from rats. The only downside is that it is all quite dark, with the rats often blending into the background and making them harder to slice than it should be.

There's no doubt that The Sims 4 is all the richer for 'Get to Work', but it is merely one small step towards building the game into a worthy successor to its classic counterparts and satisfying a vast fan base.

Worms Revolution's name may be a misnomer, as the latest iteration doesn't stray much from past games. That isn't to say that nothing has changed through. The addition of classes and renewed role of water as a tactical tool bring some much-needed variety, adding new layers of depth to the franchise's strategic topsoil.

This isn't a casual gamer's sim-style racer, but if you're looking for a more authentic driving sim Assetto Corsa might just win your heart.

Another Code: Recollection is a heartfelt experience that’s unique and fun, despite it not being the most challenging game around, and it's hard not to recommend. Now, let’s hope we see Hotel Dusk and its sequel Last Window released in a similar package soon!

Ultimately, however, costing nothing to download, we recommend giving the game a try, because even with a lack of content, Killer Instinct is a fun fighting game that's able to appeal to newcomers and hardcore fighting fans alike.

And while it's let down by a few fundamental flaws such as poor AI and jerky animations, the sheer number of gameplay modes, teams and customisation options makes it the best rugby video game available today.

Games like HeartGold and SoulSilver, and the more recent Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, won over fans because they elevated the originals – either by adding engaging new features and areas, or by reimagining their visual style in order to capture the way players felt their beloved childhood games used to look. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl struggle on both these counts, meaning they can only really be recommended to die-hard fans of the originals. Luckily for any newer fans of the series, there are plenty of other, much better, Pokémon games to dig into.

While the slow level advancement hampers the game's pace, Nutty Fluffies is still a fun, if occasionally frustrating, ride on iOS.

Features one of the most iconic and wonderfully-realized gaming locations of all time. With so much to see and do, it's a fantastic gaming experience for all of the family and so much more than a minigame compilation.

For us, nothing in First Light ever really stood out. It's well polished, but plays it so safe that there wasn't anything to really love or hate. Perhaps using it as a taster before investing in the full fat Second Son experience is a good idea.

Broken Age tries to end on a heartwarming final scene, but its an ending that it doesn't feel like the game earned, with Act 2's stagnant characters never maturing or developing in any way that would give the scene the emotional weight it seems to think it evokes.

As Star Wars fever builds ahead of The Force Awakens, Battlefront's brand of accessible multiplayer mayhem is definitely going to make a lot of people happy this Christmas. Sure, it could do with a campaign and sometimes it's a bit too shallow for its own good, but Battlefront is also one of the most authentic Star Wars experiences you can have outside of kissing your sister - "for luck" - and scrapping with your dad.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain shines as a party game, adopting a family-friendly approach that evens the playing field regardless of each player's age and experience. We had a lot of fun with our family and friends across the 20 puzzle activities featured in this accessible and budget-priced package. It's just a pity that there aren't a few more minigames (or a slightly more substantial single-player component) for greater replay value.

Demon Tribe is actually a fairly deep game for those willing to really explore its maze-like menus, but you'll be fighting against the game to figure out how to play more than fighting against opponents online.

Wii Fit U really does take advantage of the software and hardware available, even if there are a lot of individual devices to keep track of.

Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow - Mirror Of Fate is an ambitious title with great boss battles, wonderful visuals and intuitive combat, making it a good fit for the Nintendo 3DS. But it won't be to everybody's taste.

On many levels Dead Rising 4 is a disappointment, content to riff on the slapstick violence and revive past glories but showing no real desire to do anything new. There's precious little depth and the combat is shallow, while some sections seem designed to show up Frank's inability to cope with tooled-up human foes. Yet there's something weirdly cheerful and festive about Frank's misadventures, about crafting homebrew weaponry and putting it to work.