Its tactics and strategy layers might not be the deepest in the genre. But The Banner Saga is still the sort of adventure that has seasoned warriors burst into sombre campfire song. Sing along, if you dare!

A harrowing but profound experience: Reanimal is a brief yet haunting journey to the breaking point of the human spirit.

Trying to get the maximum out of the new hardware, Bend Studios has tampered with things that didn't need fixing and thusly don't do anything for the game. In fact, the opposite is the case. (...) The experience alone, having this astonishly good-looking and perfectly well playing Uncharted game on a handheld would have been enough to justify the Vita's 250 dollar price tag. Because as soon as you learn to disregard the bad touchscreen bits you immerse yourself in this adventure and forget that you're "only" playing a handheld game.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is far more than just a remaster with bonus levels. Shadow is very convincing in his part of this excellent double pack, while Sonic Generations has held up far better than I would have thought.

This one's a real highlight: Demeo is the VR version of a fictional and extremely stylish board game ... The nice thing is that you view the action like a gaming table from above, but you can rotate the view at any time, "lean" centrally over the playing field - and zoom so far into the action that you feel like you're in a classic computer role-playing game. This transition from being far away to almost being in the middle of it all is amazingly cool.

TT Games' most recent brick-adventure once again shines with its loving sense for details and its admiration for the source material. This one is easy to recommend to young and old alike because of its typical brand of LEGO humor and the tried and tested playability.

Even with these upgrades, in 2012 the series' looks are not as cutting edge anymore as they were four or five years ago. Apart from the jump in resolution and performance you'd expect from a title geared towards gaming PCs, there's not much eye candy that would elevate this experience on the same level as other current PC titles. It still does look good, though, especially if the clouds open up and the sun bathes the detailed landscapes in warm light and stark shadows. And you should never underestimate how a game like this profits from the boost in pixel density and temporal resolution. It's still, in short, the best version of this game – if you're willing to hook up a gamepad to your machine.

Some troubles aside, in the here and now, I'll leave this one with the most glowing of compliments. Outlast's not particularly original, but its extremely effective brand of horror makes for a haunted mansion experience that's all too easy to recommend. It's almost as if this one was shoving the finger into all of the horror has-beens' faces: "Look, if you dare, what only ten people can do!" I for one can't imagine they'd like what they'd see.

If you liked Dishonored, but always thought it could have done with a more interesting protagonist and a dash more mystery, you're not only right, but also in luck: The Brigmore Witches delivers just that!

Eight months after release, Injustice is an accessible but mature fighting game with oodles of content and lots of character.

Stronghold has its very own charm. Things have been improved, supplemented and even though not everything may be perfect, for just 15 bucks you get a lot of content, a game that still works well today and you can see for yourself what the Stronghold series is all about.

The Darkness 2 then – a game that definitely doesn't get everything spot on or even tread new ground. But it shows that even the most linear of shooters hell bent on delivering maximum entertainment don't always have to go in only one direction. Under all this blood and gore there's loads of character driven interludes that show the developers' understanding of how to dress up a game as a well-paced experience.

Elite: Dangerous is not yet where it wants to be. But it knows the way and is going there with pace. For now, I couldn't think of a better place to be than its passenger seat.

Emotionally strong story told through a shallow game neglecting its own puzzle and world-building logic twice too often.

Wo Long is a good start into soulslikes. The first boss may seem too difficult at first, but will turn out to be a great teacher. Wo Long has lots of well balanced action and has an interesting tempo. The new moral system offers a clear structure that helps beginners get into the genre.

Even if the puzzles are a bit uneven in their quality, it is still one of the best hack and slash games around. In the past this series managed to elevate itself from other solidly entertaining games of that ilk a bit better, with all the glorious set-pieces and awe-inspiring moments. These are harder to find in Ascension, though. But what did you expect, when the gods themselves have already been felled? Still, this was a lot of fun, but the next God of War better have some really interesting ideas, if it wants us to really marvel at it again.

A true remake bringing back the tense atmosphere and thrilling fights using the Camera Obscura. The new Fatal Frame 2 is one of the scariest games you'll get to play these days.

Resurrection is great and just one of the many little treasures buried deep in Capcom's lair of gaming classics.

All in all, Daedalic have crafted an excellent adventure that does justice to the series, topping it all off in a satisfying manner. It even leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation in the end.

I'm hard pressed to name a racing game in recent memory that I found this engaging. Rivals is a very mature design of wonderfully open and cleverly connected arcade racing, even though the current gen versions leave quite a bit room for improvement, from a technical standpoint.

This could have been so much more than a Contra with a rewind feature, but Super Time Force doesn't always manage to fulfill its potential.

Gripping, no-frills action with annoying rough edges - but so spot-on in terms of content that the big shooters should take a leaf out of their book.

In terms of playability, then, The Puppeteer is a disappointment, too much in love with its own design. Had it not strangled the experience with an unbearably high number of cut-scenes, Sony might have actually had the chance to develop the core gameplay in a way to make this adventure worthwhile. It's a game with skewed priorities. It looks great, has loads of personality, but this close to Rayman Legends, which married its elements so perfectly, I cannot recommend Kutaro's tale wholeheartedly.

An arduous train journey, but one that is convincing and demanding in terms of gameplay and challenges you with tactical planning.

Many, many years we had to wait for the next chapter to one of the best strategy games ever. Naturally, not everything still feels as fresh as it did almost seven years ago, with Relic clearly going for a natural evolution, rather than a revolution. However, this doesn't change the fact, that, a few issues with close camera angles and the AI pathfinding notwithstanding, Company of Heroes 2 makes for an experience as tactically engrossing and challenging as its predecessor.

A very successful conclusion to the story of Max and Chloe with familiar gameplay and a few technical quirks.

In keeping with its title, the steep learning curve is a form of natural selection of its own. If you're not willing or able to drop the badass space-marine demeanor you have been conditioned to adopt by other titles, you'll regularly play a huge part in the downfall of your team. At the same, it's a hugely satisfying experience to act as a well functioning military unit or monstrous collective. I'm sure this form of intergalactic Darwinism will continue to thrive in its own little biotope.

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is another example that visual novel games don't have to rely on just static texts and images. Spike Chunsoft built some intense mechanics here that will glue you closer to the screen than some crime-dramas out there.

Never mind the (rock solid) 30 FPS and the unbearably pretentious cut scenes: This is a wonderfully fresh and exciting racing game and the best Need for Speed in quite a while.

Deep gameplay and a wealth of content make this late successor a successful continuation that targets mostly experts of the genre.

A great "remake" of a timeless classic without any real flaws. Who would have suspected with a cover this ugly?

This expansion continues to exude the of strange charm of the original, in spite of retaining all of its awkwardness. But, again, this Dragon's Dogma manages to grow in parallel to the engagement you display. You're going to sweat, you're going to get really, really mad – all of which makes your hard earned triumphs all the sweeter. You'll gaze in amazement at some of the sights the well designed Bitterblack dungeon has to offer, an island you'll just as much struggle to comprehend as Gransys before it. Maybe that is why in total I'm 200 hours into this and the original, and I still can't get enough of it.

Happy Action Theatre is not so much a videogame as it is a virtual toy. Like the LEGOs in the basement, it can be taken out at any time... For all you parents out there this is simply a must-have.

This playable tale once again dares to discuss the more substantial implications of the survival-horror scenario, a setting that was once mostly defined by scarcity of ammunition. I'd lie if I professed that The Walking Dead had anything to do with "fun" in the traditional sense, but here for once, it's a glowing compliment. I'm not looking forward to accompany these Walking Dead on their last steps to the conclusion. But I wouldn't want to miss it for anything in the world.

Ants may be tiny to us, but they live in their very own world with their own problems, dangers and challenges. Empire of the Ants conveys this feeling quite well and I am glad that there is a game that shows this perspective.

There's a lot to like about this pretty, wordless puzzle platformer, but you'll complete many of its repetition-prone puzzles on autopilot. It's heartfelt, but nowhere near as impactful as Limbo or Inside.

This great brawler captivates you with fine graphics, excellent playability and an awesome selection of fighters. (…) That´s just the way we want our portable titles to be. Well done, Capcom!

The Last Story combines the best we can expect from modern gaming-luxuries with elements we know and love from the 16-bit-days and Japanese RPGs. This includes likeable characters, a well thought-out combat-system and a story that will keep you at the edge of your seat hour after hour.

The great thing is, everybody can decide for themselves how much depth and realism they want from F1 2012. Granted, there might not be too much new stuff in this iteration, judged on its own merits, it is still a very satisfying experience, though.

It's been a while since I have laughed this hard at and with a game. From the light-hearted start to the furious finale, I spent 80 percent of LEGO City Undercover either with a smile on my lips or a big laugh in my throat. In many ways, there not being a second license on top of the LEGO brand seems to have freed up a lot of the humor that was previously untouched upon, in spite of the other LEGO games being pretty funny in their own right. But here, instead of taking on just one or a couple of films as a basis, TT Fusion just did whatever they felt like. Sometimes dryly humorous, sometimes more absurd, sometimes just incredible even – this is pure bliss on a disc.

You can certainly read a lot more from Indika, and even see some things substantially differently than I did. In particular, if you have a closer cultural connection to the region, you might pick up on details that slipped right by my western eyes. But I was completely captivated by this cool, blunt reckoning with the weaponization of religion. At the end, you can't help but feel great regret for and sympathy with Ilia and Indika (...) Odd Meter has no answer to what's next for them. It's bitter, but it rings true.

It's not quite what Kirby deserved. But Triple Deluxe is still well worth the two or three carelessly entertained afternoons between feathery clouds and cotton candy.

Age of Wonders 3 knows the ropes, so much is clear. But as soon as you get a grip on the clever AI, you'll notice this game might be looking in Civilization's direction – much too often for me to believe that's not what it wants to be – but it never really reaches those heights.

Moving about the impressive cityscape with the help of your miracle powers is a boon. But Second Son is lacking in plot, characters and worthwhile side missions, to be something genuinely impressive. Instead, it's a bit too content to tread well-known paths.

Proteus' metaphor for life is a more lonely one than Journey's and I did miss the more personal note of thatgamecompany's title. Also, the static movement hinders immersion a bit, you don't really feel like you're moving an entity through this sprawling three-and-a-half-bit world. Still, this is worthwhile for one or two goes. Games like Proteus are important – if only to show us how ridiculously reliant we are on genre denominations and categories. Or, to quote the great Frank Zappa, 'without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible'.

Relink presents an exciting world and well-developed characters and will send you into ecstasy with its fluid combat system. Unfortunately, the fantasy story lacks depth and originality to be completely convincing. The lack of cross-play is also annoying.

Fast Fusion plays just as excellent as its predecessors. This game is all about fast, precise driving and perfect utilization of the boost ... You might not put as many hours into this that you will into Mario Kart World, but at just 15 bucks you cannot go wrong with this, no matter if you play solo or with friends.

This double feature is one of the best games of this type and era...It's a revelation for everybody who was there when it first came out in the arcades and for those who just dream of simpler times. Better yet, Capcom didn't content themselves with forking it out for the sake of quickly getting another product on the market. They spent ideas, love and not least considerable resources to get this version right. You know what you're getting yourself into with a brawler like this. If that's what you're looking for, you can hardly do any better than with Chronicles of Mystara.

Ys X: Nordics is a really well-done little-big action-adventure RPG that can give you hours of fun. I guess I don't have to fear the demise of Ys after all. But still, Nihom, seriously: at least take a look at Unreal Engine 3 or something. Might help.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a visual revelation that fuses the comic charm of 1930s cartoons with the chaos of a modern shooter. While enemy variety and detective gameplay could have used more depth, it ultimately remains an original experience full of heart and humor.

Great level design and brilliant dialogue in the second act have you thrilled for the resolution of this well crafted DLC. But that's where Levine overdoes it a bit. It feels forced in a way, as the steps he has to take to get us there, aren't too believable. In some ways he even takes away some of the first Bioshock's magic in the process, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Where Fallblox was a step forward, Pullblox World takes one to the side, once again tipping its hat to a simple but entertaining core mechanic.

You´ll get an excellent Jump'n'Run featuring this special, distinct look of the early 90s and a few almost brilliant and some otherwise still great stages. If it weren´t for Sonic & Knuckles, this would be Sonic´s crowning achievement of the past.

140 is the scientific definition of a platformer. It is cold, brutal, elegant and beautiful in a mathematic way.

Moving Out might lack Overcooked's distinct charm and character. But fulfilling the various challenges and time goals is definitely incentive enough to plunge into the levels several times. If you feel like new co-op adventures or are looking for the next party fun, Moving Out 2 is definitely a suitable candidate for that.

Lots of action in an extremely atmospheric setting. The close combat could use a little more punch and the campaign could be tighter, but the character progression and expansion of the arsenal are motivating.

Forza 5 isn't a fluke. It's the product of almost a decade of refinement, evolution and an unbelievable amount of experience on Turn 10's part. In essence, this is a game without any real weaknesses.

The campaign has some weaknesses pertaining to the story and the maps, which are a bit too small for their own good. Also, I would have liked a few more clever kills and more options to follow through on my insidious plans. All in all, though, this is a typical Hitman game with quite some technical chops and solid gameplay.

An equally accessible and challenging simulation with minor weaknesses in terms of AI, difficulty and penalties, but a motivating career and promising online championship.

Despite the slight problems in the second installment, we still have two excellent twin-stick games here. I loved these games back then and still do today because they play just so wonderfully and offer a great mix of shooting, puzzling and platforming. I wish there had been more of them afterwards.

Crashing shooter strikingly reminiscent of F.E.A.R. - a fast-paced mix of quick sneaking, inventive melee combat and explosive bullet-time.

Astlibra does everything, and it doesn't always get everything quite right. But as an overall construct, running pretty much alongside our timeline, it's as unusual a genre mixer as it is fantastic.

Resident Evil Village on Switch 2 is a technically impressive port, but ultimately one that will likely only appeal to Nintendo purists.

If it wouldn’t be for the name “Ys”, this release wouldn’t exist, but since it’s here: it’s okay, you can play this. Or not. Lots of better action-RPGs out there. Many of them are also called Ys.

At 60 bucks, it's not exactly cheap and for people who already know this game from the Wii, the visual upgrade and new epilogue might not be worth the investment. If, like me, you haven't played it yet and you like Kirby, you can pick it up without much hesitation. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a magical game with typical Kirby charm, and the new content compared to the original is the icing on the cake.

Quarrel! is one of those games that comes from out of nowhere but instantly will keep you playing through a whole day without warning. It doesn´t matter if you compete against the AI or other players, Quarrel! turns out to be an intelligent and highly motivating challenge.

Maybe the games' designers will clear up upcoming tracks from some of the visual ballast to take out some of the hecticness of some races and maybe even shorten the almost painfully long loading times. The basics are there, to be sure, to dub the astonishingly good looking WipEout 2048 as racing fans' first choice when the Vita launches on February 22nd.

Stylish adventure game with mostly simple puzzles. Unfortunately, important points of the actual interesting story are dealt with too briefly.

Koei should have kept the story more compact and focused more on the mysterious protagonist instead of a quarreling China. My recommendation: If you love the Warriors series, get the game - there's a lot to like. But if you don't have a clue about Chinese history, don't play it. There are games in the Warriors series that are much easier to get into.

In the end, its faults are only minor, really. This is by far the most engrossing co-operative arcade experience I have had in a while, probably the best since Left 4 Dead 2 came around. Pulling the trigger of a Uzi in close proximity of an enemy is like shoving a rabid Tasmanian devil into someone's face. The guns really feel that exciting and dangerous - one of the key differences between a good shooter and a great one. I have a feeling this one will stay with us for a while.

LittleBigPlanet 3 doesn't care if you just want to experience the steady stream of community creations or strive to become a creator yourself. It's just a fantastic, welcoming place where you can have fun with the simplest of things.

Future Soldier can be an extraordinary gaming-experience, but it depends heavily on the conditions under which it is played. (...) This is clearly an experience, that has to be shared with friends in the cooperative modes.

It's a shame that in the end, it's quite apparent that this project started as a tech-demo. As much as the bitter-sweet music and the story of an orphaned boy, his dead mother and a king that never seems to finish what he started try to get an emotional reaction out of you, it always stays a mess of themes and symbolism. If it had something to say, the message somehow got lost under a heap of its own metaphors. If your heart burns mainly for artistic visuals, though, this graphically visionary little game has a lot to offer.

In light of the fact that both series got strong new entries over the last year, this unlikely meeting of heroes is quite impressive. The pace regularly changes enjoyably between these two distinct kinds of gaming. That they never really mesh is probably the games biggest singular issue. But, as we surely can all agree, there's way worse problems to have.

Gameplay-wise Call of Juarez: Gunslinger doesn't do too much different from all the other shooters, but the way Silas' memories shape the campaign gives it a really fresh feel. It really elevates an okay and arcadey corridor shooter to a fascinatingly told western-adventure, that has Fans of John Ford and Sergio Leone fork over the 15 bucks without hesitation.

Catherine is a truly unique beast. Funny, dramatic and disarmingly honest – for anyone who has ever stood as a crossroads in his life it would be a huge mistake to miss out on this one. You yearn for more clever games? Vote with your wallet.

Techland’s latest dive into zombie parkour chaos is at times pure gold and at others wearying routine, a tightrope walk between adrenaline rush and monotony.

This has 'future' written all over it, but I don't really feel a substantial change. Sure, more Trials is always reason to celebrate, its base gameplay and level design are too fantastic not to. In the end, this feels like a really good update.

Prototype 2 is an extraordinary, mature action game. And bloody as hell to boot.

Better than the predecessor in terms of gameplay, lots of content and - finally - without loot boxes. Only the story and boss fights don't really inspire.

Turns out, RE4 is not a timeless classic, then, but it's a classic nonetheless. And as such you shout, by all means, have played it at least once in your life. The closer to release you did that, the better. But for a mere 20 Bucks you can hardly go wrong in 2014, as well.

Although I had many visions of murdering the Moogle and will leave it to others to actually like the music, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is still a very enjoyable return to more familiar grounds. (...) It creates its own little four-dimensional microcosm full of wonders and surprises.

Even in writing this review I had to pause numerous times to play OlliOlli for just one more go.

I do agree that the biggest horror is the one you cannot see. But that's not the same as making essential puzzle pieces hardly distinguishable.

Don't expect wonders, but, by all means, do expect a great deal of polish and quite a few entertaining evenings of truly thundering shooter action that harkens back to the olden days.

Steamworld Build is an interesting and skillful mix of different genres you never knew you needed.

Is Little Inferno a game? What the heck do I know! What it is, though is quite unique experience, whose only downside I can think of is the asking price which might be considered by some to be slightly on the steep side.

A game that can be very unusual and chaotic at times, but is still enjoyable once you get into it.

Ready or Not is incredibly exciting, especially in co-op. The gunplay is excellent, the missions are exhilarating and if you don't pay attention to the smallest details, you might get into trouble. Tactics and teamwork are crucial, as is your choice of equipment. If you are looking for your new co-op obsession, Ready or Not is a very good choice. Solo players wait for the Commander mode becoming more fleshed-out.

Technically impressive spin-off with stunning vistas, solid rock-climbing mechanics and entertaining fights using bow and arrow. It plays it a bit too safe and hardly showcases some of the capabilities specific to PlayStation VR2, but does make it easy getting to terms with VR for less experienced players.

While it does get a tad monotonous and predictable by the end, this remains an atmospherically dense survival adventure in an extremely vivid world. Its controls and variety of options deserve a prize.

I didn't get what I initially wanted: A great campaign. What I got instead was something that was almost better. A multiplayer mode that birthed quite a bit of enthusiasm and some challenging and thrilling trials deeply engrained into the core gameplay.

It's a shame then, that the beginning section gets way too tedious after the first few tries and the fights are a bit bothersome. Also, the story mode needs to be implemented better, so that you don't have to literally search for it for hours on end. There's really only two ways your first contact with Don't Starve will turn out: Either you really enjoy it for a bit, just to drop it like a hot potato pretty suddenly – or you totally get absorbed in this for quite some time, looking under each and every stone, reading up on the mysteries and workings on forums and so on. As it stands, I see the majority of players in the first camp.

Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is up to a better start than War of the Roses. Torn Banner Studios have shunned any historical accuracy or character editing options, but their fighting system is easier to learn, while at the same time offering a surprising amount of depth. Dynamic rather than authentic, these skirmishes are much easier to enjoy.

Scram Kitty and his buddy on rails is a decent, but ultimately disappointing experience, that almost had me break my Wii-Tablet over my knee.

Sonic has rarely been in such good form as in Generations, Shadow has never been as good as here and the fact that I enjoy his 3D stages almost more than Sonic Classic speaks volumes.

Successful conversion of the excellent strategy game for the consoles, only the quality mode doesn't quite run smoothly yet.

At its price Mighty Switch Force is a real bargain and a must-have for every 3DS owner. Great visuals, flawless design and exiting stages.