A refreshing experience and well worth the time. If only there were more adventure games of this ilk.

At this present point in time, Goat Simulator is simply not worth it, even for the novelty value.

This was always a great game, but the improved visuals and social features, as well as the additional content that Square Enix continues to add into the game, is enough for me to happily say that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has become my favourite MMO.

Trials Fusion is a worthy addition to the series, even if it isn't the complete package we were hoping for.

The Vita version of this game is only the slightest touch beneath greatness, but there's a lot of competition out there for sports games, and being "portable" is not really an adequate excuse any longer for being significantly inferior to the home console version. Especially for a game that is as relatively simple as baseball.

Football Manager is for people that care for an excess in spreadsheets and data, and for all its shoddy presentation and poor optimisation on the Vita, it's absolutely brilliant at all of that.

While I fully acknowledge that Don Bradman Cricket 2014 isn't the finest sports game out there and isn't a patch on the production values of, say, FIFA, Madden or NHL games, it does generally play a good game of cricket, and this is the game that we fans of the sport have been waiting for, so with that in mind I'll reemphasise this; this is the greatest cricket game ever produced.

If you are looking for lots of action set against a deep space backdrop, Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut should scratch that itch effectively as long as it lasts.

Perhaps I am slightly biased because of the movies, but I felt as though the game was stronger during the latter portions of the adventure - just as I believe Desolation of Smaug was far better than An Unexpected Journey.

Don't think of the game as a free-to-play one. It's actually very expensive if you want to be competitive, and so it's a premium game. It's worth it, but go in expecting it to be a big part of your gaming hobby going forwards.

3 Stars of Destiny is a perfect example of what of a classic styled RPG should be like in this day and age as well as exactly what can be achieved with something like RPG Maker when in the hands of talent.

Dragons and Titans not only fails to go out of its way to attract new players, but it fails at providing a basic online experience, even if the idea of duking it out on dragaonback sounds enticing.

I just wish the level design better lived up to its potential. Skater Cat is a charming, enthralling game inhibited by a bloated amount of lesser content that regrettably comprises most of the experience.

So, again; fried chicken is awesome. Choc mint gelato is delicious. Combining the two is not the great experience that does justice to either flavour.

Phil Fish has forced me to put more thought into playing a video game than I would have initially liked, but I feel like a better gamer for it. I used to think that the joy of exploration and unbridled sense of discovery was lost to the games of consoles past, but Fez has not only proven me completely wrong, but it has given me hope for the future.

Despite being a wonderful mix of eclectic and refreshing ideas, Cloudbuilt's difficulty relegates it as a hard sell to all but the most dedicated speedrunners and challenge gamers.

It has a style of play that allows it to be incredibly challenging if you are going for as many stars as quickly as possible, but it also allows you to feed Om Nom and move on to the next level - handy for younger players.

Despite being limited in scope and the very definition of a cult game, Deception IV: Blood Ties is a darkly comic and entertaining game.

I wouldn't spend money on it because it's a shallow grind hiding under some very pretty character design. In other words, it's great, but only at a cost of nothing.

Between the permadeath aspect, the random floor layouts of the dungeon and the smooth gameplay with retro style graphics, Quest of Dungeons is a blast to repeatedly play through.

TowerFall harkens back to the day when you could play a game like GoldenEye 007, when the person next to you got punched in the shoulder for besting you. This is a game with plenty of laughing and pointing at the screen. TowerFall is not deep in options or features, but the frentic gameplay makes for a surprisingly fun time with your friends and family.

Pure Chess on 3DS boasts a decent presentation and plays far more competently than many other video game adaptations, but I suspect this port may be the poorest version yet of an immaculate experience.

What FTL boils down to is a brutally difficult and very rewarding roguelike and it is one of the finest examples of the genre.

Combat feels faster and more fluid than most other similar games.

This is a meaty game, and for people that enjoy good anime plotlines and fun characters, it's essential.

I don't think I've ever played a game as soulless of Jett Rocket 2.

Although I do feel the main mission is too short, it feels like a stand-alone experience that will connect to something much greater in the future. My only gripes with Ground Zeroes, a prequel, is its length, so you can only imagine the game changer The Phantom Pain will be.

It's one of the most compelling stories to come from a videogame in years.

There is no way that I could advise people to pick this game on any system other than the Vita. It’s not to say that the Steam and PlayStation 3 versions are bad games, some slight control issues aside, but you’re going to find a lot more enjoyment if you’re playing a mobile game on a mobile device.

That gameplay, complimented with the excellent visual style and the charming music itself, makes for a heck of a compelling little game, that offers a load of content to boot. Portable games just don't get better than this.

The Vita has no shortage of quality JRPGs on it, but Final Fantasy X HD Remaster should certainly be in the running for being the finest. With a rich narrative, quality gameplay, and a now in portable form, it's one of the finest games in the entire franchise.

The sheer weight of content that is packed into the game can't be understated; this is a big, chunky game that demands a lot of time to work all the way through it, but every step of the way is a truly entertaining one.

For something that looks like a college project that aspiring game developers pulled together to hook its claws into you, you really do need to give it a solid couple of hour's play first. Screenshots just don't do this one justice.

Cube Tactics is quick and sometimes intense fun little game that is quite enjoyable to play for hours on end. Just one more level.

Fans of the shooting genre might be tempted to overlook this title because of the cute design, but they would be doing themselves a disservice in doing so.

A chess champion won't be too challenged, but more casual fans of the game will be...It's just a pity that the online is so inefficient on the Wii U. As I said at the start; Pure Chess is the least version of a very, very fine game indeed.

Inazuma Eleven is by no means a perfect game; I can't see any reason why it had to be touch screen controlled, nor is there any excuse for why the soccer action itself is so poor. But, as a sport-themed JRPG, it's a niche kind of game, but an entertaining one.

Constant C is filled with creativity, laughter, deceiving level design and ruthless platforming segments; it’s charming aesthetics only mask the brutality of the gameplay that’s hidden beneath the surface.

It's always difficult to rate niche games like The Witch and the Hundred Knight, and this one moreso because it takes a certain degree of patience to mentally work into the game before it becomes enjoyable as a twist on a dark fairy tale. But I enjoyed myself and found the combat engaging enough to be confident that niche JRPG fans will get a kick out of it.

Those who love cutesy platformers and are willing to cast cynicism aside will be well served, but just like the green dino himself, may find themselves with an insatiable appetite for something more sustaining by the game's end.

It's not the longest game, but it is a wild and entertaining ride while it lasts.

Weapon Shop de Omasse is a deeply intelligent game, and it's certainly part of a fine heritage of philosophy that has made for compelling experiences in the past. But we can chalk this one up to the collective learning experience of the game development industry; it's fine to feature philosophy and to shoot for comedy, but you simply can't rely on that carrying the game.

The game is ultimately over far too quickly for its own good, but that's the sign of a truly entertaining game; I simply wanted more. I really can't see anyone not enjoying this, regardless of your tastes as a gamer.

Ultimately the irreverence of Final Fantasy X-2 means that the quest isn't as memorable as its predecessor, and while it's good fun, it's also not something to play on rotation. But combined these two games are incredible value, and a great alternative to the XIII series on the PlayStation 3 for people that were put off by those more recent Square Enix games.

At roughly ten times the price that these kinds of games usually ask over in the mobile world, it's difficult to see where the developers have justified the premium price, because what we have with Pokémon Link: Battle is a nice, but ultimately unremarkable match-3 game with much less content (yes, even with 700 critters to catch) than its immediate rivals.

At its core, Democracy 3 is a mass of pretty spreadsheets that visualise an intimidating amount of data systems that are all linked to one another.

This carefully crafted feel extends to the player as well; there’s a definite feeling of weightiness to your actions, and consequences will rear their ugly heads should you make rash decisions.

If you enjoy some online competitive play, this is a great way to get your fix. If you were already a fan of the Awesomenauts, then it is hard to recommend against this updated version.

I think that is perhaps the testament to what Telltale Games does best with its stories - when the team can put an emotional punch in there that simply resonates for hours or even days at a time. This was an excellent episode that did precisely that for me.

As a purely single-player experience, Art Of War compares poorly to those games with robust multiplayer features, such as Ticket to Ride or Agricola. It looks the part of a premium board game on the App store, however, so if the idea of a more complex version of Risk appeals to you, you can't really go wrong here.

That balance is why its predecessors were so popular, and that's why the sequel is certainly going to be a major hit.

This isn't my kind of genre at the best of times, and I don't think it's the finest example of the genre, not as long as its core potential - to offer strategic combat - is ruined by obnoxious players. But I do think this is a well-crafted game and it's a fair call to say it's the finest attempt at a serious, "hardcore", free-to-play experience out there is probably justified.

This is by far the worst anime/ manga game I've ever played, and a real tragedy, because it manages to look appealing from start to finish, and could well have been a definitive Dragon Ball experience.

Putty Squad is not a bad game, and with the relative lack of titles currently released on the PlayStation 4 it does fill something of a void. Still, platforming enthusiasts with PlayStation 4s do have access to Rayman Legends, rendering it rather pointless to grab Putty Squad unless you're an absolute genre purist.

Tales of Symphonia Chronicles may only offer up one game of utter brilliance, but it carries the package just fine on its lonesome.

The idea of a role-playing game built on the South Park universe is borderline genius.

The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot is an incredible game that is just so much fun to play whether you are diving head first into someone’s Castle or if you are working on your own Castle’s defences and trying to get things just right.

There's no denying that Archangel is pretty, but in every other way it's a case of unfulfilled potential.

The adventure doesn't have great replay value, but the first time through it's long enough, and the price of admission is absolutely worth it.

If the story and art style doesn’t interest you, then the combat will absolutely draw you in.

Europa Universalis IV is the finest strategy game on the market. And it just got better.

Most importantly from my perspective, Aveline is the most worthwhile female lead character since Ubisoft's own Jade from Beyond Good & Evil.

Unepic is a solid game that holds up very well throughout. It offers up a stiff challenge, while maintaining a sound sense of humour, and will go down especially well with those of us that remember (or still play) all-night Dungeons & Dragons sessions.

While I won't expect it to be a Mario Kart killer, I do still have hope that those console versions of the game, at least, fix the technical flaws and are free of hostile microtransactions. If they can do that then I'd have no problem recommending this to Kitty and My Melody fans.

Photo Finder is easily the weakest entry in the Chibi-Robo series and lacks the same vision and atmosphere of its forerunners, but it still has the love Skip always pours into its quirky adventures.

Coupled with the bright and charming visuals and you've got a game that, as I said at the start, was very unfairly maligned.

From the second that I stepped into the game's world and into the first village that would become a base of operation for a few subsequent hours, I was hooked as wave after wave of nostalgia hit me.

There's a lot of content in Blackguards, but memorable moments are few and far between. This is a game that feels like it has a lot of ambition, but it's held back sharply but budgetary constraints and, perhaps, an engine so unfamiliar to the development team that they couldn't compensate for its inherent flaws.

This isn't an especially memorable game, doesn't utilise the capabilities of the Wii U to any meaningful degree, and is nothing more than a brief diversion on the way to something more.

Not a bad game, it is just a frustratingly average game. It knows what it wants to do and sticks to its strengths, it is just that those strengths are lacking for depth and may prove boring for gamers looking for a bit more action in their adventures. Still, if you set your expectations accordingly, there is some fun to be had here while it lasts.

While Bardbarian's gameplay isn't innovative, it's tight enough to warrant your attention. The game would have been far more enjoyable as a shorter, five hour title but as is, getting the upgrades needed for progression can take twice that long, and that's more patience than a lot of casual gamers should be required to have.

When a game nails the gameplay this cleanly, everything else that OlliOlli gives players is icing on the cake.

Genuinely good fun, and a true retro rush for people that grew up with classic RPGs.

Overall Zombeer has the potential to be much much better if the mechanics can be fine tweaked in a patch to make things smoother. The lack of story in a first person shooter isn’t the end of the world, zombie apocalypse or not, but how well you can move through the apocalypse could well be.

Echo Prime doesn't ask for too much commitment from players, but the experience is much shallower as a result. Casual players will be able to look past the repetition due to their shorter, more spaced out gaming sessions.

At its core, Danganronpa is a melting pot of various philosophical puzzles that pulls together in such a way that it connected with me on a very deep, very real level. Without giving the ending away, the ultimate fate of all the characters (including Monokuma) left me more than a little shaken, and any game that's able to connect with me at that kind of primal level must be worth the investment.

Toukiden is the most beautiful and playable "Monster Hunter clone" to date.

As a stand alone game it doesn't quite work, but with so many diverse characters with their own motives at play, they do make for a fascinating lot. I am really looking forward to seeing what Episode 3 has to offer.

It has just enough little nuances to set it apart from the vast ocean of similar puzzle games available across the digital oceans and it’s yet another solid indie title in Vita’s ever-growing catalogue.

While the game makes great use of the 3DS overall, the one area that is worth mentioning is that it lacks any 3D at all, which and it did surprise me, but the game still looks great and the dual screens work very well having the persistent map at the bottom.

I'm just glad that by JRPG standards Celceta is reasonably focused, allowing me to complete it and move on to the next game, neither having been bored nor especially inspired.

It's a pity that a lot of players have been so fixated on the perceived gameplay weaknesses of each of the games in this trilogy, because in doing so they've really missed the broader philosophical richness of the story of Lightning and her ragtag crew of allies and antagonists. Ironically, those people will also find Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII the weakest game in the series, when thematically speaking, it's actually the most powerful.

Gigantic Army is a great new entry for Astro Port's line of shooters. If there was one complaint to be had, the game does stand on the short side of the spectrum although there is a refreshing lack of filler.

Aside from the shoddy visual style that is actively counterproductive, Bloody Trapland does a decent job of offering challenging level design in a manner that is less cynical than most.

I found this to be a visually interesting, dynamic game, but not an especially engaging one.

Rayman Legends on the current generation of consoles is the best platforming experience of this early 2014 year.

Overall this is a decent game with a deep combat system and some replay value if you want to explore the levels fully and find every hidden item. A weak story with a nasty potential glitch keep this game from being as good as it could have been. Fans of classic Castlevania games should especially enjoy this experience.

I was absolutely wowed by this game the first time I played it through because I was paying so much attention to the cut scenes and redesigned Lara Croft was a joy to behold...But having had a year to sit and consider the game's broader meaning, the second time around the game's flaws are all the more apparent.

It's a competent chain reaction game backed by lacklustre design and writing. The excessive violence might turn off some and the lack of challenge will turn off others, but for people looking nothing more than cheap fun can do worse than OMG Zombies!.

Garrett is a wonderful character, and the city and plot of Thief hold all kinds of potential, the game looks gorgeous on the PlayStation 4 and is mechanically very tight, but all of that potential is dampened by the developer's somewhat overzealous desire to dictate just how the game should be played.

Coldfire Keep is genuine, and for dungeon crawler fans, that makes it worth a look.

Because Tropical Freeze is so charming, and because the platforming is so wholesomely engaging, it's easy to forgive the fact that is really isn't enough of an enhancement on the previous game to be called something new.

So this isn't the finest work from Tin Man Games, but if you're a gamebook addict, then the sense of humour might tide you over until the next one can hit the App store... hopefully with dice rolls put back in.

Senran Kagura Burst's strength is its sheer pace and energy. It's exciting and flashy, and thoroughly entertaining. I haven't enjoyed a brawler this much in a very long time; if only certain writers had given the game a go before dismissing it for something it isn't.

A short and fun game that I felt was paced well and can be picked up even when you only have a few minutes to spare before heading out to do something else. This in turn is a good thing because the difficulty spikes in the game In some ways this was a great idea because sometimes having to spend 30-50 minutes on a level to only fail in the last few minutes and then need to restart the level would not be fun.

It combines some of the finest production values we've seen on the iPad to date, with some streamlined, but truly entertaining empire strategy elements.

I appreciate the maturity that GUST is bringing to the Atelier franchise. In fact, I really, really appreciate the maturity that the developer is injecting into its flagship series, and frankly, I can't think of a better quality traditional JRPG out there than this one.

While I appreciate that MercurySteam wanted to do something different with the Castlevania franchise, I feel like the entire team, from director through to writer, through to the level designer has failed to grasp what makes Dracula such a wonderful character. It's not because he's a incredible force of evil. Dracula isn't a random monster; he's something more primal than that, and in failing to represent that, the developers have failed to do the Dracula story justice.