Portal's influence is on evidence at every turn, but Magrunner still retains quite a bit of individuality, enough at least, to not come off as another clone. Still, the certain something is missing from this, which I found mainly to be down to the game not playing the horror card more decisively.

And yet I spent quite a bit of time with this, because when things are going well, Knights in Tight Spaces feels just as satisfying as its cool predecessor ... I just hope developer Ground Shatter will streamline the concept a little to ensure quicker battles, speed up the start a little and make the game a little less restrictive on the meta level.

Granted, gameplay-wise it's just more of the same in different drapes, and it is kind of short as well. But yet again, Irrational manages to surprise you in a manner that's worth the entry fee alone. But you can't shake the feeling that, ultimately, this DLC will be judged by how its second episode will fill in the gaps that this episode's narrative so tantalizingly leaves.

Beyond: Two Souls is an interesting experience I don't regret making. But still, there are too many problems to forgive – structurally, story-wise and in character. Even people who didn't mind the issues with Cage's earlier games, Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain, will have a hard time turning a blind eye to Beyond's shortcomings.

It‘s a solid expansion pack that somehow got inflated to full-game dimensions. Resistance is anything but essential, and it brings the series‘ qualities and (age-related) faults into sharp focus.

It's a nice idea for sure, but Mercenary King's parts just don't come together in a satisfying way.

They say familiarity breeds contempt. In the case of The Sims 4, that's certainly true for quite a portion of the audience that'll decide to sit this one out. The rest still believes familiarity to be a prestage to attachment and, sometimes, even love. Which camp do you sit in?

Almost everything Unity does better than its predecessors comes with a caveat we wouldn't have to talk about today if Ubisoft had shown more will to renovate the basics. Still, you get what it says on the box, thanks to a solid multiplayer even a bit more. This year, that's good enough for me. But I'd be lying if I said I was still excited about what this new generation holds for Assassin's Creed.

This is, essentially, this generation's Beyond Good & Evil. A charismatic, engaging and refreshingly peculiar game that's among the most beautiful of recent years.

It feels great to blast though the hordes of zombies and monsters and especially the big guns will leave you with a wicked smile. If you haven't played it on the Wii, own a Move and are not averse to the one-sided gameplay, it´s an easy buy.

EA Sports UFC is more talent than real contender. 2012's Undisputed 3 still looks great, gives the new kid a bloody nose in the octagon and is only a fraction of the newer games' price. Posthumously the THQ game still lives up to its name.

I’m glad to have finally played Mask of the Lunar Eclipse as it’s a fine sample of classic survival horror following the style and motifs made popular by the Ring movies. Game mechanics are clearly outdated though, both regarding exploration as well as combat, and fighting the apparitions is more of a matter of landing satisfying combo hits than it has to do with overcoming spine-chilling terror.

It's an attractive game, then, and easy to pick up, but also a tad too static and shallow in its tactics. You're not making the biggest mistake of your life if you give this a chance. But at the same time, you could just as well finally try and finish XCOM in 'Ironman' mode.

Styx: Master of Shadows may not be as pretty as the last Thief, but as a stealth game it comes in ahead of the former master. Bigger levels, more options to traverse them, more powerful tools to use and Styx himself is just a better character. Too bad that jumping often results in trial and error due to some flawed mechanics.

Don't let the minimalistic visuals fool you, as a strategy game, Panzer Tactics HD knows every trick in the book.

If you're looking for a good game for young and old alike, this will keep you entertained for quite a while.

The Serpent's Curse just feels rushed. The well-researched plot takes its sweet time to truly get going and when it does, it's already over again. So, taken by itself, this first episode feels pretty average. It's up to the second half to pull the chestnuts out of the fire.

It gives me no pleasure to dismantle a game that many people fondly grew up on. But in case of the ToeJam & Earl collection none of the two titles has aged particularly well.

The physics of driving a bike are as great as ever and optionally being made accessible to less involved players through Arcade Mode. The engaging career, however, is hampered down by its basic presentation while the game is also lacking content - some of which to be added later.

If such an arcade-cabinet had existed near my home 20 years ago, my parents would still be paying off the debts I would have accumulated by feeding it quarters. Even if you take into account the shortcomings, The Simpsons Arcade is along Turtles in Time as one of the best Beat 'em ups out there.

Sure, the combat is a bit more static than it should be in this day and age and the paper-thin story is as simple as the characters are free from the burdens of personality. But still, the atmosphere of this idealized Caribbean with all of the Bruckheimer-Disney-innuendos always manages to drag you back in. Hardly a contender against Witcher 2 or Skyrim, Risen 2 still manages to cater to its own niche with ease.

Overall, Daima does a lot right. The main story and fights in particular are well staged and always fun, with the mass battles standing out in a particularly positive way. The game also scores points for its sense of progression. The experience only falls apart when you stop focusing on the main story or battles and start looking for entertainment outside of them.

Audiovisually enchanting adventure on a submerged spaceship with likeable characters, which is not entirely convincing in terms of narrative and has little depth in terms of gameplay.

Crass horror fare by way of fast, gripping stealth action. The Outlast Trials especially shines co-op.

Little Nightmares 3 remains an audiovisually impressive dark fairy tale — rich in atmosphere but lacking in innovation. The co-op mode adds real value, yet it can’t disguise that the series is treading water in terms of gameplay.

Its fresh looks and swashbuckling attitude ultimately don't change the fact that this is a game better enjoyed in small dosages. I love endless combo series as much as the next guy, but Foul Play's fighting engine and general run of play are a tad bit too simple to merit longer sessions. That said, this is one hell of a likeable game, if this sort of brawler floats your boat.

Even though Lightning Returns can seem a bit unfinished at times, it has by far the biggest heart of all the games in this trilogy.

You are better off to tolerate the cracks in the façade of this game and use them to dig deeper into it. Then, I Am Alive will have the desired impact. We need more broken, bleak and bitter games like this.