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.