Cocoro is a difficult line defence title that might turn a lot of people away from it because the sheer difficulty doesn't gel with the art style.

Obviously compared to the PC game, World of Tanks on the iPad is not as beautiful, but it holds up well, and on my third generation device I got a lovely sense of fighting over classic military settings.

Frontline: Road to Moscow won’t win any prizes for originality, and it’s not quite in the same league as genre heavyweights such as Battle Academy or Unity of Command.

If you are a fan of Peggle 2, the couple of bucks you would be putting down on this DLC is probably well worth it, but I cannot help but get the feeling than PopCap's efforts would have been better served in creating an original news character.

This is a very rewarding game, with something like 30 different endings to experience, depending on how well you play, and more side quests, optional missions and challenges and places to explore than most other JRPGs out there.

While Gundam Reborn won’t be remembered as one of the finest Warriors games, it is nonetheless a genuine attempt to do right by the Gundam fans out there, and I can’t see said fans being disappointed by this package.

It’s the perfect example of a passion project done right, one that realises that it is important to look back, in order to move forward.

There's no real criticism that can be levelled at this game. It's niche, but in servicing that niche Desert Fox combines a near-perfect AI with a brilliant interface and the perfect historical battle to serve as the basis of the game. Serious strategy fans couldn't ask for much more.

Some people won’t like Yuki’s Silent Quest because of the need to replay levels constantly to complete objectives. It does get tiring but feels like you have achieved something when you finish a level. In terms of gameplay, it’s a solid game. It looks great and plays great. Downloading it will not be a mistake. It’s just disappointing that it feels like fallen ever so short of being a classic mobile game.

This game will not be for everyone, and there are superior platformers available on the market that offer a greater gameplay experience. With that said, control issues aside there is replay value, with each level giving you a ranking out of four stars based on how well you perform.

Like many of the games in the same league, it’s hard to recommend 1001 Spikes to those who aren’t patient enough to learn its deadly and intricate ways, or to those who are prone to smashing their controller through their TV screen in frustration. But to those who live off buzz words like “rage-inducing” and “old-school hard”, look no further.

GRID Autosport is a quality production, as you would expect from Codemasters when developing a racing game. It's just difficult to see the relevance of this game on console, when there are so many next gen racing games on the way.

In a way Valiant Hearts is a challenge to everyone in the industry; it's a challenge to the publishers churning out the same old "war games," and it's a challenge to all the players that continue to buy into these games without really thinking about what they are playing. War isn't fun, and it has a real impact on the people that are involved in it. It's games like this one that, critically, remind us that there is a human side to war.

The Rorona remake isn't a massive change over the original game. And it didn't need to be. The original had all the ideas right, but was a little raw on execution. The remake shows that GUST has in subsequent games refined the experience significantly, and now Rorona is now up to the standard of its fellows in the series.

Battle Princess of Arcadias is a beautiful game, and it has a truly charming narrative and set of characters.

I think you'll be surprised with just how addictive this very simple, but weirdly addictive game can be.

It's games like this that keep me interested in gaming; creative developers working on creative concepts and telling simple, effective stories in a manner that is only possible through an interactive medium.

I floated through the campaigns without ever feeling too taxed. An online multiplayer mode would have helped mitigate this by allowing people to pit wits against other armchair generals, but alas Panzer Tactics is one of the rare strategy games that forgot the importance of online multiplayer.

Those new to the series should strap in and hold on tight - it’s one heck of a wild ride - but AiRace veterans might want to let this one stay in the pits.

Distant Worlds: Universe is a corker. But make no mistake: while it’s not as forbidding as some Grand Strategy games, patience and a degree of head-scratching will be required. But it’s worth the effort. It’s enormous, complex and – above all – fun.

The character depth and story detail might feel somewhat lacking compared to newer JRPG titles, but there is an expansive world here that begs for exploration as you grow your characters for future challenges. The overall package is an easy one to recommend.

Fantasy Grounds isn't a game in and of itself. But it's almost certainly going to end up being my most valued piece of Steam software.

Concave have made a game which, while it isn't broken by any means, just barely meets the tenets of its genre and rarely aims to go past that. In being no-nonsense, Pulstar also throws away its sense of individuality and its lasting appeal, making it a hard sell unless more content is added in the future.

But I can't get over the fact that this is meant to be a survival game that doesn't create a convincing argument for being a survival game. And because it compromises its vision, How To Survive is a fun game, but little more than that.

The levels are hard and they offer a good challenge for those who are willing to stick it out through the long loading times.

A solid tower defence experience that really does raise the bar for the tower defence genre. It might still be the simplest example of strategy gaming out there, but at least this one has merit for long term play.

As a time waster good for short bursts of play between more meatier games, EPOCH does a great job.

Focused as it is on simply giving players a good time, Dragon Quest VIII enjoys an X-factor quality and remains fun on the iPad despite the very odd choice to force players to play the game on an odd and uncomfortable device orientation.

It’s worth delving into the multiplayer, since after a multiplayer game you will win experience that will level you up and allow you to buy even more things from the shop.

Capcom has shown a good deal of skill in refining an already great fighter in Ultra Street Fighter IV. Surely, now, it's time to move on to a proper sequel.

There is an occasional awkwardness to movement that can make the single player story a bit of chore at times, but it does a nice job teaching the basics and serving as an almost extended tutorial for the good stuff - multiplayer mayhem.

8BitBoy is a great throwback to the NES era of platform gaming where skill and mastery were required if you were to make it through to the end of the game. It’s games like these that remind us that button mashing does not always win the day and sometimes, just sometimes, perseverance can be a reward into itself.

Mind Zero is still a very entertaining game, it's just that when you deliberately compare yourself to the greatest, you're inevitably going to disappoint. Were Mind Zero to stand with its own narrative drive, and free of the comparisons to Persona, this game would have appreciated for what it is, rather than what it is not.

The difficulty creates some unnecessary grinding, and finding materials to craft some spells is a pain, but short of these two aspects Sweet Lily Dreams is a well worthwhile adventure.

I have no doubt that when everything is said and finished, this chapter will prove to be important to telling the story as a whole, it just lacks the depth and impact I have come to expect from The Wolf Among Us up until now.

These new features combine to make trade an even more vibrant strategic opportunity than it was previously.

Managing your deck is nearly as exciting as the battles in its own way. Nabbing new booster packs and busting them open with the touch screen is a simple joy that offers a little joyful suspense every time you acquire new cards.

It's still a great looking game, and the core narrative is a fun, if underdone and derivative one. It's simply disappointing that this game had a reasonably large budget, and in the process it lost some of its identity and seems to be shoehorned into some very unnecessary and destructive mechanics. This game would have been far better off being made for a fraction of the budget by a small team willing to take real risks.

Another decent, if unspectacular effort from Nintendo. The series needs better balancing if skill is to ever become a factor again and the single player mode may be a total slog, but Mario Kart is still a hit where it always mattered: with friends.

Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection is an attempt to blend the idol management sim with the crazy universe of Hyperdimention Neptunia, and it largely works.

The gameplay gets quite repetitive after a while as there isn’t much change from one level to the next especially after the first ten to fifteen levels of each campaign. Frankly, Warhammer does deserve more rounded games than this.

A game that is from start to finish filled with difficult choices, and demands multiple replays in order to fully appreciate all of the different possible paths through the narrative.

There's a lot to this game and I cannot recommend it to anyone new to the genre as tutorial does almost nothing to help you learn the game. For hardcore RTS fans out there, I suspect that this game will be right up your alley.

Sparkle 2 may certainly be a game that has been played a hundred times before, but as it is on the PlayStation 4, it is truly a treat. The pick up and play aspect shines and the difficulty curve is spot on. It does get repetitive though, so short bursts are recommended. And I just can't get over how disappointing the lack of multiplayer is.

The Game Bakers, the developer of Squids Odyssey, has created a game that largely misses everything that makes the RPG genre great. As such, it quickly becomes tedious, and while I do think it would work as a free iOS game as a time waster, it doesn't work as a sit down experience on a home console.

Machine Games has taken an aged franchise and brought it into the current world of gaming, yet they’ve done so without compromising the core tenets that are at the heart of Wolfenstein’s identity. As competent as it is a shooter, The New Order elevates itself from your standard run-and-gun action game by crafting a world that is actually worth caring about, and it’s done so with a level of confidence that is worthy of commendation.

The God of War Collection on the Vita isn’t a very good port, which is a shame as the both God of War and its sequel are great instalments to the Vita’s library.

It is not quite the revolutionary title people were hoping for, but Watch Dogs is still an excellent game in its own right.

This is a big download to have sitting on the iPad, but it's well worthwhile, both in terms of sheer quantity, as well as the quality of the game's mechanics.

Supreme Ruler 1936 gets all the basics right. It has engaging combat, a robust economic model and plenty of entertaining gameplay. Newcomers will find that there’s challenge enough in just getting on with the war, while old hands will enjoy managing the game’s many microsystems in a time of global conflict. It’s the ideal entry point for the series, and a solid, rewarding game for strategists who aren’t afraid of a challenge.

Turtle Tale winds up being a game that shows some promise for fans of retro action platformers, but the lack of depth and variety create an experience where fun gives way to repetition far too quickly.

Lovecraft fans will get a kick out of the references to the horror maestro's body of work that are scattered throughout the mansion as well. From Deep One through Necronomicon it's all there. As primitive as the game is by modern standards, Alone in the Dark is a true classic, and for a dollar or so on the iOS it's well worth playing, either for nostalgia value or to experience the very formation of the horror genre.

Candy Match 3 truly offends me. It's a nasty, exploitative game that contributes nothing to this industry beyond taking money from consumers that could have gone to a game that deserved the support.

This is a game that is most interested in telling a story, and, just as with Nier before it, Drakengard 3 has a plot that is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's the kind of game that is going to inevitably be under-appreciated by people who can't be bothered trying to understand it. Judging from some of the other critical responses to the game that have already been published, we're already seeing that happen.

In this day and age, it's actually quite refreshing to see a game like Peggle 2 being released. As much as I am a fan of open-worlds and thrilling narratives, Peggle 2 offers a bright cheerful alternative to most of the games on the market today. You just have to be willing to give it a chance.

This unique blend of action and tactical RPG elements in one, along with the deep level of complexity, finds the combat to be enticing and addictive in its execution.

It’s a game that is very clearly made for the fans, mainly those who have played the previous games. The puzzles, the writing, the acting, and the humor is all ripped straight from the 90’s, and if you’re fixated on modern gaming sensibilities, you probably won’t last ten minutes in Tex’s world. But for those who have been waiting for the return of the world’s greatest PI, look no further. Tesla Effect is a love letter to a genre that is all but gone.

Both fans and newcomers to the series will have immense joy in fighting on this battlefield.

Shooters do not offer the type of storyline depth, character customisation or lengthy gameplay we have become accustomed to in today's video games, but R-Type Dimensions proves that there is still a place for the genre if it is handled the right way. R-Type Dimensions has been handled in just that fashion, providing fun bursts of action with enough modes and variety to make the entire package worthwhile.

The Last Tinker is an engaging and brilliant game. From a cheerful narrative with pleasant dialogue, to the amazing feats of dexterity and prowess of Koru, and even, eventually, in the combat, the game continues to impress from start to finish with consistent and clean quality making and production values.

The Walking Dead: Season 2 so fascinating. Clementine is living in a world that is far from black and white, and her decisions reflect the shades of grey she herself is growing into.

As much fun as it is to play, the sad irony of Mugen Souls Z is that it is best played by people who hadn't experienced the original, but the only people that could possibly be interested in the game must have played the original.

Moon Chronicles: Episode 1 lifts the veil off of Renegade Kid’s revamped throwback FPS title. It's a healthy blend of retro aesthetics and modern controls, while the B-movie narrative set the stage for a solid shooter that’s a good fit for the 3DS eShop. It might be short, but it succeeded in leaving me with a desire for more. Hopefully the wait won’t be too long.

I would have preferred to play this on my iPad, where the portability and form factor makes it more ideal for long stretches of reading text, but nonetheless this is a refreshing, intelligent, and rich experience on the PlayStation 3, and I couldn't recommend it enough to anyone who appreciates games as something more than brainless action skill testers.

BattleBlock Theater feels like it was designed for the child that still lives inside me. It’s juvenile, colourful, and silly. But more importantly, it achieves everything it set out to do, with a near masterful level of execution. The addictive multiplayer and excellent level creation tools are just the icing on the cake.

Stick it to the Man! is a game anyone can enjoy. With an accessible framework and fantastic writing throughout the whole experience, it is certainly a unique title that most people should not miss.

The game is constrained by budget and underproduced so there are technical and visionary flaws in the game, and it's disappointing that Spiders decided to stay on the safe side of narrative boundary pushing for the first time in its existence. But an enjoyable theme and combat system is just enough to make Bound by Flame addictive enough that it succeeded in holding my attention from start to finish.

It’s maddeningly difficult and lots of fun, and there's not much else I can say about it.

Even when the overall challenge of living a day in Octodad’s shoes bears too much weight, the game is amusing enough to quell most of the frustration.

Rube Works is a well made and well thought out game. It's go a strong, entertaining art style, and it aims to be more than a simple time waster. Apparently it’s also been released on iOS and Android, and I can't see this game failing on those platforms either thanks to its clear, simple interface and point-and-click play style.

But in the end, it becomes hard to recommend The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to anyone but the most devout of webhead fans, because it's a game that squanders all that potential.

After the previous successes that Aldorlea has had with the Steam release of both 3 Stars of Destiny and The Book of Legends, I hope to continue seeing the team release its catalogue on the platform. These are games that deserve to be experienced, and without being on Steam it's far too easy for them to be lost on the sea of the Internet. Even with all the little issues I had with Millennium: A New Hope, I do hope to see the next chapters re-released in this manner to see the story through to completion.

The level of storytelling once it makes it past the more clunky moments makes the whole experience worthwhile. The conclusion itself made me forgive the game for all the awkward moments that came before it. And, after playing through all five chapters in quick succession, I can guarantee that that is the best way to appreciate the overall narrative.

The ways in which TownCraft subtly nudges players in a certain direction is a great way of allowing creativity to flourish while still providing targets and a traditional sense of challenge.

Compared to Camelot's previous 3DS effort with the tennis game, this is a massive step up.

Once again, this is a game for the fans, and only the fans, but I think that there has been a genuine job here to do right by the fans. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle is not a classic game by any means, but it's leagues ahead of most other anime or manga fighting games.

Agarest Generations of War Zero is a solid title for those who seek that niche, otaku brand of charm and fans of retro-style grinding. It's a relatively new genre for PC gamers, but it's one well worth getting on board with.

With the likes of Bravely Default, Fire Emblem and Etrian Odyssey IV already being readily available on the console, Untold is more of a curiosity; a remake of a game that people can already play on the console that plays classically well, but ultimately feels a little limited for any but the faithful.

Souvenir Circ.'s Croixleur Sigma offers a blazing fast hack-and-slash game play style that offers just enough complexity to suck you into its colourful world. While its appeal might be limited, it's still good fun in short sessions - just make sure you've got a good controller handy!

These kinds of traditional luck-based board games have a mixed audience. Honestly I would prefer a bit more strategy in mine, but I have enough fond memories of Battleships with my friends as a kid to give Sea Battle a bit of nostalgic credit, but beyond it is a difficult game to recommend to most people.

Child of Light is a fun adventure well worth exploring by yourself or with a friend.

All in all, Daylight was a bit of a disappointment. Let it be said that it's utterly terrifying and will likely scare even the hardiest of players, but ultimately the experience feels a little shallow.

Laden with meaning (and in future articles on Digitally Downloaded I'll be writing plenty more about that meaning in the weeks, if not years to come, I suspect), this game uses poetry as its basis and executes on that vision so well that it is, effectively, interactive poetry.

Dark Souls 2 offers glimpses of hope and illumination, but they always feel just out of reach. Scratching just below the surface to take on the challenges Dark Souls 2 has for you is where this game's appeal lies. The game will not be for everyone, but for those willing to tackle this game, it is a rewarding experience.

I'm surprised Konami hasn't taken the opportunity to develop a free-to-play Yu-Gi-Oh! game, given how well suited the free-to-play model is for the genre, but as a very old-school approach to digital CCG, this is a decent effort that will appease Yu-Gi-Oh fans, and perhaps even convert one or two new ones.

There's nothing overtly wrong with it, but the 2D platformer isn't exactly one that is underserviced on the 3DS, and it's hard to see value in buying this game over some of the other options out there.

It is certainly not a bad game, but it feels like War of the Vikings has room to grow, and is currently not as much of an advancement over the last game as I would have liked.

Though Dire Grove achieves its goal of offering a hidden object game mixed with the point and click adventure genre, it fails on almost every level; it's unattractive, inconsistent, and technically flawed. For a genre as simple as this, such flaws are unforgivable.

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel. It does, however, bring new refinements on the pitch from the already excellent FIFA 14, and layers on a Brazilian vibe and mode structure that's unique from the yearly FIFA releases.

Smash Cat Heroes is a decent little game that packs multiple challenges. It might not be a classic game that will be remembered in the years to come, but it's good fun.

Ethan: Meteor Hunter is an interesting little game and a decent platformer with interesting concepts, however sometimes the unrefined controls can get in the way of being truly enjoyable.

It's certainly casual compared to the Football Manager games, but thanks to its adorable presentation and its ability to make you truly care about the fortunes of your little soccer players and team, this is the equivalent of a pulp fiction page turner; it's not necessarily fulfilling, but it's truly entertaining and impossible to put down.

Overall, it's an okay game for poker fans who somehow haven't got their fill of the card game, but its appeal really is limited, and there really so many other poker options out there.

This is a game made with loving fan service and an eye for details that only genre veterans will really appreciate. For everyone else it's going to be a pretty, but slow-paced and obscure RPG with an odd sense of humour.

The Sly Trilogy is still a very good collection and if you can ignore the slight issues with the compressed videos and sound, you will have a wonderful time.

For fans who've desired to take Trials on the go, there's a lot to enjoy here, but there's no denying that the F2P mechanics and digital controls sink the ruts a bit too deep at times.

A clever, well balanced and highly cerebral game which will be sure to delight fighting and strategy fans.

As new characters emerge near the end of this chapter, it appears that the storytelling is going to continue to grow even more bleak and grim. For a game drenched in neon colours and featuring new takes on childhood fables, this is an accomplishment in and of itself.