Tennis in the Face is indeed a fun and funny game, but is it worth paying for? Given the fact that it's a wholly unoriginal game that barely distinguishes itself from its (free) peers, I would say no. One suspects that, at some point, the developer will be better off releasing a free version.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a very attractive game that clearly had some effort put into the visuals. Beyond that, the title offers more tactical gameplay than most shooters on the market. The biggest sin that the game commits is that it just offers so little overall content.

So did the third episode of Minecraft Story Mode set a good precedent for the remainder of the series? Absolutely. Did it clear the bad taste left behind by episode two? Absolutely not. It makes me hopeful for episodes four and five to continue the upswing, but I’m hesitant to believe it will.

Highly atmospheric, beautiful, and smart in the way it engages the player, it’s the kind of independent game that can only ever hope to find a niche audience because it never meets the mainstream expectations of what a game should offer. But for those that do discover it, it’s yet another clear example of the emerging arthouse game development scene; games designed first and foremost as works of art, and piece of entertainment for consumption second (if that factors into consideration at the developer’s end at all, that is).

There have been a lot of retro games over the last few years, but I have found the ones that tend to be the most successful are the ones that blend in some sort of modern convention. In this case, the resource system that allows for ship improvement is easily the best part of what is otherwise a solid if unspectacular shooting game. If you enjoy a good retro shooter, Zotrix should be pretty appealing.

If the idea of truly great dungeon exploration appeals to you, Ruzar is a must buy. It's rare that you see a game focus so deliberately on one facet of their genre's appeal, yet Ruzar manages it and absolutely nails it too. Just don't go in expecting a deep character building experience or a rich plot - you're going in alone, and it's just you against the dungeon.

More than anything else, though, I badly wanted more from SteamWorld Heist, and that’s a reflection of the quality that’s already in there. I wanted more storytelling, I wanted more missions, and more variety in them. What’s there is genuinely entertaining – the kind of game that you will sit at for hours because it does a remarkable job in building the “just one more turn” compulsion. But there’s just not enough of it.

More than anything, it's the crushing lack of originally that really does let down Baseball Riot.

The base gameplay in Mayan Death Robots is quite entertaining. I certainly enjoyed the pacing, and could appreciate some of the tactical depth lurking beneath its humorous, brightly coloured surface. But lacking online multiplayer as it does, this is going to come across as a severely limited game to too many people for its own good.

The tactical strategy on offer is complex and rich enough that you’ll want to master it, and the touch interface works so well that this is really the definitive version. In a year loaded with quality Aussie-developed games, Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy flew a little under the radar, but it deserves notice as one of the best games we’ve produced in quite some time.

I highly recommend playing Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair with a friend or three. And then, only if you're all fans of incredibly cheesy science fiction films. If you can get the right group together, the fact there are over 100 levels to play through means this will be a lot of long-lasting fun.

Hot off the heels of the recent Kromaia Omega, which defied genre conventions at every turn, DariusBurst is there to remind players that traditional 2D shooters can still put up a fight. The arcade mode alone provides dozens of well-spent hours to genre fans and is enough to cover up for the gratuitous padding elsewhere.

Teslagrad is a sound platforming title with enough puzzle elements backing it to keep the game interesting. These hooks are needed, because the story itself is effective but undercooked with the lack of any text or dialogue. Difficult, and even sometimes unfair, boss battles and checkpoints diminish what is otherwise an excellent game. I thoroughly enjoyed working through the levels and discovering hidden items along the way.

So, while Yo-Kai Watch is pitched firmly at children, I found it to be utterly delightful, absorbing, and lengthy. I'm about 60 hours in, at the end of the main quest, but still have enough side quests to keep me going for a while.

The goodwill that it builds at the start does starts to suffer as you realise just how limited the spelling mechanic can be, and start to run into the rough edges around he platforming.

While I appreciate that multiplayer is always going to be the core of the Mario Tennis experience, the complete absence of any kind of single player meat to go with the local and online multiplayer is another blow against it.

I did not know a thing of Cage’s work prior to reviewing Beyond: Two Souls, but the excellent storytelling, the spot-on acting and the technical prowess that explodes out of the PlayStation 4 has made me a huge fan instantly.

It's simple enough for people of all ages to enjoy, and, as I've already mentioned a couple of times through the review, it's utterly adorable.

On the hardest levels of difficulty, I win more than 90 per cent of my games in titles like NHL, Madden, FIFA and NBA, but there I have the ability to more directly influence how the games play out. Here, it is about strategy, development and then learning the complexities of the game. This can make it difficult to find success, but I have found that it can be attained if you are patient and willing enough to stick with it.

I do believe that Rodea could have been a good little game. The ambition it has going for it is certainly appreciable, but ambition not put to good use is ambition wasted. Unfortunately, despite being one of the few high profile third party Wii U games, Rodea is a dud.

Devil Survivor 2 is not even close to Atlus’ finest moment, but it is a very fine game nonetheless. It does a good job of offering a narrative with thematic depth, and mixes in well with some deep character development and monster fusing mechanics. If it wasn’t for the generally uninspired effort to pull the game into shape from a visual perspective, it would be in the running to be one of the better examples of the genre on a console loaded with them.

Primal Carnage: Extinction certainly sets itself apart from other online multiplayer shooters out there. With a few different modes and a couple of maps for each mode thrown in, there is some degree of fun to be had in the game. How long that fun lasts though is simply based on how much enjoyment a person can get out of online shooters in general, and just how much patience they have for balancing issues and mechanic design flaws.

Something worth a play, but that I wouldn’t consider returning after the first completion.

The problem is that it’s not a game that will convert anyone who isn’t already a fan of the sport, and fans of the sport will really struggle to enjoy a game that ultimately fails to capture so much that is core to the essence of their sport.

Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter is a perfect sequel to the first entry. It offers some subtle improvements, while also keeping the focus on what Legends of Heroes does best; that narrative. It's traditional, but classy, and well worth the time it takes to play through it all.

Tenshu General is a competent adaptation of a tabletop style board game. Unfortunately, its lack of depth, content and narrative leave it feeling like merely an engine with good ideas and not much more.

More than anything else it's nice to see Koei Tecmo continue to support the PlayStation Vita. Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires won't convert anyone who isn't an existing fan of the series, and I've got to admit that after playing the recent Nobunaga's Ambition, I can't help but wish Koei localised the PlayStation Vita version of that instead, as I've already got a lot of Warriors games on my Vita, but nothing that approaches the depth of Nobunaga's Ambition. Those personal issues aside, this is a content-loaded, engaging, and entertaining entry into the Warriors series, and well worth playing for anyone who likes their action a little more cerebral.

Star Wars Battlefront is fun, but it doesn’t take long for that fun to be reduced to monotony.

That issue aside, Le Havre is a remarkably pleasant game, with elegant, minimalist visuals, an uncluttered interface (which I felt let the game's more complex but thematically similar sister, Puerto Rico, down, by being far too messy), and games are over in 15 or so minutes. It's the kind of Sunday morning game you might play while sipping through a coffee because you're feeling lazy and relaxed. That makes it ultimately forgettable, but entertaining and worth keeping on the iPad nonetheless.

There's really something for everyone in this title regardless of your experience in RTS games, with a great story, heaps of different ways to experience the game's content for all skill levels and for those who want to be the very best, there's a gauntlet of tough opponents just waiting for you.

It's really quite simple in execution. But it is tightly balanced, elegant, and nearly perfect in execution. I would rather have this on iPad, 3DS or Vita, as I do believe it's the perfect way to get through a real train trip, but regardless, it is a brilliant example of minimalist design.

Sword Art Online: Lost Song is an interesting title, because its intuitive combat is an easy way for newcomers to experience the game. At the same time, it has a story and history that really is geared towards those who are already familiar with the series and the prior video game entry. Those two items are somewhat at odds with one another, but if you can get past that and the middling story, I found the actual characters and humour engaging.

The Ice Dragon is a fitting end to the first season, but is anything but a proper conclusion. The decisions are hard, the consequences are gut-wrenching and the stakes are incredibly high. So now you get to sit back and look forward to the next season, knowing that you've been suckered right into committing to it before it has even been announced.

Eiyuu Senki is, of course, a very niche game, but it's a worthy one. Like Tears to Tiara 2 before it, it translates from adult entertainment into a "legitimate" game very well, on the strength of its strategy gameplay, and while you're not getting Shakespeare from the narrative, as long as you're able to enjoy these kinds of anime tropes, you're going to have a really good time with this one.

Anno 2205 is a stellar city-building experience that rewards and demands precision in planning. It makes the compromises that real city management requires central to its mechanics, and the strong environmental theme helps to make it contextually relevant today.

Kromaia Omega’s technical shortcomings are kinks that can be ironed out. That I’m lavishing a game that physically ails me with so much praise is a testament to its glorious, grand vision. If other companies are bold enough to follow in Kraken Empire’s footsteps with similarly intricate shooters, this game could be the launch pad for a whole new subgenre and that’s exciting stuff indeed.

Poncho is that kind of indie game you have saved as an .exe file somewhere in the depths of your computer. It's something you stumble upon and unravel at your leisure, but you keep finding out that it gets deeper as you go. It manages to be a puzzle platformer which transcends figuring out patterns and jumping on things, and while the basics need polish it's definitely a title which deserves your attention.

This is one of the finest JRPGs on the iPad, with production values that equal, if not exceed, other 2D animated masterpieces such as Dragon's Crown or Child of Light. It's a game that will more appeal to players who grew up with JRPGs on the Super Nintendo and so appreciate the lost of art minimalist narrative exploration, but it is nevertheless a tight, strategic, and deeply enjoyable JRPG that I hope spins into something much more grand as the revenue starts rolling in from this first release.

Forced is actually a really good game. The mechanics of it all work rather well, co-op is fun if more than one person is up for punishment. Beta Dwarf has done a good job of making simple mechanics and turning them into a complex game of hand-eye coordination, skill and a little bit of luck mixed in for good measure.

Stella Glow is influenced by traditional tactics games through and through, but Imageepoch’s distinctive contributions to the genre and glossy finish prove that it’s stellar on its own terms. It’s as if the company wrapped up its love for the industry in its masterwork and issued an open challenge to top it.

The Fall of the Dungeon Guardians offers up familiarity while still managing to work in some new wrinkles for the genre and is a welcome addition to the genre, despite some of its other shortcomings.

That issue aside, Superbeat: Xonic is a vibrant, slick and well-produced rhythm game that, while minimalist, has a clear identity of its own. On the PlayStation Vita there is already plenty of good quality rhythm games, but this one sits in the with them nicely.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III manages to miss the mark with the narrative in the campaign, despite what looks to be genuinely good intentions, but the tight gunplay mixed with cooperative options and customisations still made the experience fun, if somewhat shallow despite the solid campaign length.

Darksiders 2 for the PlayStation 4 is a great re-release of the second entry into the series, but that's only because the core game is so good. Technical issues that really should have been resolved by now, and a weak concluding act inhibit it, but nonetheless there are few games that have been so effective in aping the Zelda formula than this one.

The action is fluid and the open world begs the player to experiment and explore. It's a sure fire sign that the people behind this new direction for Lara Croft really do know what they are doing, and the franchise is in good hands moving forwards.

Fallout 4 still has its issues, especially around glitches. Bethesda will probably never learn there (and, given sales and hype behind the game, Bethesda knows it doesn't actually need to learn). However, the game itself works by building a closer connection between player and narrative, and a settlement system that gives players a genuine excuse simply to live within a world.

The narrative of Masochisia is terribly fascinating. It tackles issues that are definitely not for minors, and the heavy use of graphic and unsettling imagery are not for the easily offended. In fact, there's very little about this game that makes it recommendable, seeing it is easily one of the most upsetting and visually distressing video games in existence.

What Need for Speed has done spectacularly is put the focus on the car. In every opportunity possible the game showcases these machines, almost fetishising them. And that’s great, but in achieving this, Need for Speed has left behind what makes players stay for these games. Not matter how great my car is, if I’m not driving down interesting streets, or being able to compete in diverse challenges, then slowly the thrill of the car will fade.

While Episode 2: Assembly Required does build on some of the building blocks (ha) from the first episode, it is mostly a step down in terms of quality as well as quantity. I worry that the speed at which the episode was pushed out resulted in some graphical glitches that are not what you expect from a Telltale Games title. It was a solid effort, but mostly just a waste of time.

Last year, Divinity: Original Sin was one of my favourite video games when it released. The new Enhanced Edition reminds me why, but it it not content to simply sit back on prior success. Meaningful changes were made in thousands of large and subtle ways, and the result is one of the best RPG experiences that can be found on either PC or console.

WWE 2K16 is a return to form for the series, and it is great to see that the development team has managed to right the ship.

Tales From The Borderlands: Episode 5 is a fitting end to this series. The storytelling did change slightly over the span of five chapters, but it continually took forward steps. Telltale Games has outdone itself with this series, delivering their most consistent effort from one chapter to the next. The end result is the best overall series to date.

Fans of the series looking for new songs to dance to will no doubt enjoy what is still a technically solid and fun game, but with so little new to offer other than modes that basically dress up the same core content in new modes, I worry that fan reception may begin to dry up.

Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations is eventually a Sherlock Holmes game with an Adventure Time skin and dialect (Algabraic!”), but that is quite okay by me. The finnicky issues that arose did little to take away from how whimsical the game is. The story? Great. The graphics? Great? The sound? Mathematical!

Halo 5: Guardians deserves credit for taking chances and trying some new things. It would be safest and easiest to simply modify what has worked in the past and gloss it up and send it out, but modes like Warzone in multiplayer and the shift to a party structure in the campaign are chances that mostly work out well.

The Devil’s Third is a hell of a lot of fun because it breaks every rule in the book. I would take that, technical warts an all, over the glistening and safe nonsense that we’re exposed to from almost every other shooter out there.

Mugen Souls is a game that’s great at pushing buttons. Not everybody’s buttons, not my buttons, but someone out there is going to get their buttons pushed so hard by adventuring with Chou Chou and Altis.

What horror games should be. Genuinely unsettling, smart, and intense, it is rare that a horror game aims to break past the jump scares and combat-heavy gameplay and simply tell a creepy story, so it's a small miracle that not only does Corpse Party try, it also largely succeeds.

While others hope for graphical and mechanical innovation in future installments, I’ll be the awkwardly shirtless gentleman suggesting that Ubisoft continues to improve and expand its narrative.

Norn9 is an intense, in-depth look at relationships and romance, and it's a really lovely, enjoyable expereice at that.

RPG Maker MV is a complete triumph.

There’s an old saying, you can never have too much of a good thing. This is false. Hearts of Stone doesn’t offer that much new to the game, which is what the second expansion is supposedly meant to feature, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What Hearts of Stone gives players is another reason to dive back into this world, and enjoy the stories that lie within.

It's probably not a game that you're going to spend too long playing online, and the AI is generally too soft for its own good, but Grand Ages: Medieval is the kind of game that, every time I sat down to play it, I'd lose time and end up playing for a half dozen hours or longer.

Sword Coast Legends offers up a solid version of Dungeons & Dragons, with a campaign and setting that were immediately appealing to me and plenty of user content already filling the community. This sort of content will be enormously valuable in giving Sword Coast Legends life beyond its campaign. However, limited tools hold this title back from greatness on the editing front, while its clear Diablo and Dragon Age influences may rub D&D purists the wrong way.

The most impressive thing to me about Guitar Hero Live is the way the developers have breathed new life into a series that became notorious for doing the same thing over and over again.

Lula's just trash. It's not satirical or insightful. It's not really funny. It's certainly not sexy. It's just not that interesting.

Another reason I believe in the game’s promise: the character interactions and voice cast are absolutely phenomenal.

To say that the final product is possibly one of the most disappointing games I’ve ever experienced is not an exaggeration, this is coming from a guy who has had to review some pretty disappointing ones over the years.

I really would have enjoyed combat with more depth to it than this. Saint Seiya: Soldiers' Soul is a great way to learn about or remember the anime, and a variety of modes and collectibles add mileage to the game. At the end of the day however, it is also meant to be a fighting game, and the combat is simply too bland to really get the most out of the experience.

I had a really challenging time playing Once Upon Light, and it was enjoyable for that, but at times I felt some levels were too cluttered with content. Hardcore puzzle fans should have an enjoyable experience, but this one isn't really something that more relaxed players will get into.

When a favourite song comes on, it is impossible not to feel like you are a part of the music, making it happen, and it is a glorious feeling when you nail that song at 100 per cent accuracy.

This particular package is limited in appeal to only the most committed fans of each series. The kinds of fans that could watch the same episode of Family Guy, American Dad, Archer or Bob’s Burgers over and over again and not actually become bored with it.

The game is delightfully odd and will absolutely make you laugh at least a handful of times. Unfortunately, the overwhelming lack of care put into some stuff that modern developers really shouldn't be getting wrong is noticable.

As a milestone celebration, 200% Mixed Juice can often feel like one big in-joke which players will need prior knowledge of the developer’s previous games to properly appreciate. That being said however, there’s a distinct joy in the game’s design and the celebratory nature of the game’s development seeps through its design to bring about a lighthearted and engaging experience.

Otherwise, Transformers: Devastation is a pure form of fun and entertainment, and there are simply not enough games like this out there.

The biggest issue with Guild of Dungeoneering is that the gameplay never really evolves. Your deck of cards does grow and you'll get new and better cards, but the overall experience in hour two really is not all that different from hour ten.

Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ is an ambitious, daring otome adventure that takes full advantage of the visual novel format. The lengthy narrative obviously won’t appease anyone frightened of novels, but for fans of the genre, it’s teeming with style and one of 2015’s essential reads.

It’s just too bad that the same admiration wasn’t applied to characteristics beyond how the motorcycles look and feel.

There’s a narrative that not only follows on from one of the finest stories ever written (and I'm not just talking in terms of video games) but succeeds in actually enhancing it. The soundtrack is absolutely incredible and does some amazing things in remixing music that was already peerless.

While I would prefer to see Bandai Namco at least try and do something to modernise the series, it’s difficult to really criticise it for sticking to beloved tradition. And as long as the narratives continue to be as enjoyable as they are, it’s really quite easy to forgive each new game its flaws anyway.

Sadly there just isn't much more to Dengeki Bunko than this. It is an exceedingly limited, albeit pretty 2D anime fighting game, with very little appeal beyond the fact you can have the little sister from Oreimo beat up the Sword Art characters. While a fun concept, the modern fighting game needs much more than that.

It saddens me to say that even though Afro Samurai 2 had potential, it felt rushed and may be one of the worst games I have played this year. It's poor enough that even die hard Afro Samurai fans should stay away from this mess of a game.

For a game that I think this is this essential, and this important, there's only one score I can really give it.

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a fairly standard point and click game, but it is also a wonderfully written and fundamentally enjoyable adventure that will appeal to both genre veterans, and people simply looking to a good, clean, fun little title.

Fans of Descent from way back when should have a pretty good idea of what to expect here, as it is very much a modern take on the genre - to the point where it could be argued as a spiritual successor. It plays well and does its job, but it's also a thin package that doesn't offer a great deal of substance beyond the endless loot grind.

There’s so much to like about Ninja Pizza Girl. We so rarely get to see glimpses into the team behind a game nowadays, but Ninja Pizza Girl just exudes vibrancy from all its edges that it’s impossible not to be charmed by the wonderful people at Disparity Games.

The one saving grace to Bedlam is that it doesn't take itself seriously. There's some nicely written self-referential humour in there. Sadly, Bedlam seems to think it is genuinely funny, rather than the actual joke, so some of the humour falls a bit flat in assuming that people want to play the game in the first place.

Wrapped in the warm, happy colours and light soundtrack that it is, Dragon Quest Heroes is a genuine delight of a game. It's endlessly playable, both in short bursts and longer sessions, has a truly enjoyable cast of characters, and an infectious sense of humour. You might feel bad massacring entire family lines of slimes, but other than that I can't see anyone finding anything but joy from their time with this one.

Thank goodness The Legend of Legacy is on a portable system, because once you start you’ll find time anywhere to play: you’ll get in a few more rounds of grinding on the bus, or a few steps closer to your self-imposed goal while waiting in line in a government office. The classic JRPG elements combined with the characters, the story, the graphics, and the music make this a game not to miss out on.

Elite Dangerous is a very cool, atmospheric experience with an outstanding presentation. The flexible gameplay and progression loop are two great reasons to keep coming back for more if the game's mechanics click for you. However, it is easy to see why some people might be turned off by its aimlessness, and with the lacking narrative contextualising what you're doing, you might be left with the nihilistic question of why you're bothering doing anything at all.

NBA Live 16 has a lot of really solid pieces that are starting to come together. These disparate parts still need smoothing out and the game itself still has room to improve, but those looking for a more arcade-like NBA experience with a variety of modes should enjoy what the game has to offer.

A smart mixture of Warhammer strategy and American Football, BB 2 combines the nuance of turn-based skill with perceptive risk management to create a game that is equal parts joy and pain to figure out.

Happy Home Designer isn't going to dethrone Animal Crossing: New Leaf as the number one game in your 3DS' play log – not by a long shot. In taking away the scant few of the franchise’s stressors, however, it becomes a profoundly therapeutic life simulator that respects and rewards every millilitre of creative juice you pour into it. It’s a stop-gap on the road to Wii U/NX but a detour that won't soon be surpassed.

This is by far the best Disgaea game we’ve seen, and it is a strong contender to be the best tactics RPG ever created.

Technical issues and a lack of training to ease in newer players conspire to hold the title back from being as good of a game as it should be.

It has a very steep learning curve, but once you get your head around it all, it’s incredibly fun.

Meanwhile, PES is the football game for people who love the elegance, grace, and flow of the sport. PES has always been good at that, and this year's edition, while only making subtle tweaks to the on-field engine, has done so so effectively that it has become the definitive take on the sport.

If you’re in need of a wicked spiritual expulsion, consider opting for an Extreme Exorcism. Just make sure you bring the blue hair dye.