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.

It combines fighting and stealth in an elegant manner, gives you just enough freedom to make you forget there's actually not all that much of it there. All in all and tonal inconsistencies aside, it's one of the best engineered games out there.

No matter if you just miss the old days or if you are wondering why shoot´em´ups were a big thing back in then: Sine Mora is the way to go.

Rayman Legends is still the same enchanting, cheeky and all-around wonderful platformer, made by people who are absolutely in love with the genre. These guys still can think of something to say where most everyone else is content to endlessly quote the classics.

Take it as an old-fashioned, well-known fable. It might not make the grandest strides to evolve its formula, but for many, many players this will be a very pleasant homecoming, indeed.

I don't usually count myself in the group of people who frequently wished they were younger. But in this particular case I'd give a lot to be able to see this world and its magic through young and unspoiled eyes, to be able to take it all in unfiltered. The influence Studio Ghibli exerts over this is so strong that it single-handedly might make Ni no Kuni that defining game for a young and Japanophile generation, not unlike what those Final Fantasys of old managed to become for us. And because I hold those so dearly, I couldn't think of a bigger compliment. I salute Ni no Kuni.

You will try and fail, just to try again in an instant. Donkey Kong's relentlessly addicting simplicity scratches an itch that the more playful Marios and Raymans just don't.

On paper, the changes might sound subtle, on the pitch though, they really influence your way of play. FIFA 14 wants you to play clever, and the AI, refined controls, better ball physics and richer animation all work in support of that.

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!

It is a symbiosis of elements from the old titles and a lot of Uncharted. As such, free-form exploration, puzzles and tombs to raid meet big-screen action and frenzied shootouts. It could be a great way into the future for Lara, one you couldn't really picture before. For now, this really works.

It's a great package that doesn't push technical boundaries. It held up good enough, though, to still be a more than worthwhile buy if you have not experienced I yet. But it's not one of those remasters you want to play again because you "never experienced it like this".

The mix between intriguing storytelling and near-perfect game design elevates Alan Wake to an extraordinarily finely crafted experience. Even if should you shelf it after its 10-15 hours and never take it out again: This one playthrough will be a lasting experience. Alan Wake is something special that enriches the world of gaming.

Like Minecraft, the biggest difference to most triple-A titles lies in Terraria not wanting to tell you a story. It's waiting for you to craft one of your own. Think of a "normal", big action-adventure game as a glass of your favorite beverage. Terraria just gives you a pitcher and a bunch of ingredients to brew one of your own. Some people will prefer a walk to the bar, to get something prepared in advance. Others will happily go ahead and create the drink of a lifetime.

I couldn't wish for more. The faster pace really does wonders for FIFA 13. It might take a while until you get used to it, but that's a couple of hours well invested as you get much more dynamic, tense and unpredictable game of football.

Gearbox has consistently built on the strengths of the first game and managed to capture the sort of gravitational pull that always sucks you in for another go. Sometimes it pays to not change a winning formula all too much.

This series has accompanied us through the better part of this past year, made us afraid, brought us close to tears and made us question why the hell we were even playing something this depressing. The Walking Dead's answer was one of the most striking ones of this generation of games: Clementine! She's that glowing light that pulls you through the harshest of tortures. She's the heart and soul of this remarkable little game. And when the lights go down on episode five, Lee finds the most sincere of words for her – speaking not his, but the players mind. That is, if you can bring yourself to utter them. What is it that he says? You should really find out for yourself.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition is the version to get, if you have the luxury of choice and prefer inviting friends to your house to playing online. A few buddies on the same couch playing Tekken Ball and / or the in more than one way appropriately named mushroom mode, is a real winner.

Joe Danger 2 is one of the few 'smaller' games that manage to be challenging and decidedly indie, whilst looking like they have more money and manpower behind it than Hello Games will probably ever want to throw at a project. It's a throwback to a time where videogames were allowed to have bright blue skyboxes, when dinosaurs and robots were the coolest antagonists you could think of and policeman or firefighter the best job you could ever wish to have. Dish out 1.200 Points for it, be grateful and look forward to whatever Hello Games will invest their considerable talent and passion into next.

Granted, there's no real competition as of yet, but Sonic and Racing All-Stars Transformed on the Wii U easily takes the role of a really, really good Mario Kart game. It is the definitive game of this sort - and not by virtue of being the only one. The plumber will have to give it his best shot to regain his pole position on his own console.

PES Productions demonstrates a deep understanding of how to go about recreating the feel of exiting and modern soccer. Hopefully, next they will show us how good it can look, too. Until then, I´m pretty happy to sink my teeth into this one.

Capcom strays from the well-trodden Street Fighter IV path and finds – thanks to the support of the Iron Fist champions – a marvelous new interpretation of the idea of street-fighting.

Puristic stealth, thinking instead of simply reacting, having a plan and seeing it unfold thanks to near-perfect controls – that's how Mark of the Ninja creates its own little sense of addiction.

Whatever Visual Concepts has in store for the next generation: I can wait. The enhanced defense and the overhauled ball handling will make this year a short one.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is perfect. It is. There will still be many philosophical discussions, if it is better than Tekken, Street Fighter or some other fighting-game, but the reason for that is that all these games have reached such a high level of quality and none of them has a clue how to break out to the top.

Let us hope that the next generation of consoles will bring back games enchanting and inventive like this one, marrying the joy of being different to the tradition of good, sturdy game design. Until that day, buy this one!

Who cares that some of the secondary activities are a terribly run-of-the-mill kind of affair? Between the skill tree, the unpredictably busy AI and the chaos nature tends to bring to the encounters you'll live through some of the most dynamic firefights in recent memory. It marries an immaculate stealth model, which couldn't work better if this was a third-person game, to a satisfying gunplay. A combination that will please more player types than Dishonored on the one hand and something like F.E.A.R. on the other ever could.

Nintendo crafts levels like no one else. They take their well-known motifs and themes and don't necessarily surprise you every time, but they always excel at reshaping them in a highly lovable and entertaining fashion. If that´s what you want out of New Super Mario Bros U, this is the best humanly possible result. That this might not be enough for some fans of the franchise speaks volumes about the three decades that princess spent in "another castle".

The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 is a wonderful, groundbreaking and lasting experience. So good, that a few visual cutbacks can't diminish the joy of playing.