You wanted more of the same? Then Crossfire has got you covered. It's an add-on that doesn't bring much new to the table and does little to enhance the core strategic gameplay. That notwithstanding, it still is perfectly solidly playable and quite challenging.

In the end, it's quite a shame, because whenever you think you've seen enough of One Piece: Pirate Warriors all of the sudden Ruffy and friends make your belly ache from laughing again or dazzle with superbly choreographed special moves that fit the Dynasty Warriors formula quite well. I'm not usually one to judge a game on basis of what it could have been. But this material just begs for a title in which you get to live the actual adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, instead of just their battles in a solidly playable but ultimately mind-numbingly generic fashion.

Tokyo Jungle is a game of many small errors, PS2-level graphics and a fighting system that lacks depth come to mind most prominently. Still, I wouldn't want to miss the experience. Where else can you sent a group of cats with pink beanie hats to fight a towering elephant?

Sackboy still doesn't do his actual running and jumping in the same league as Mario or Rayman, then. But at the same time this is by far the best toolbox for gaming creativity this brand ever spawned. How much you will appreciate this package almost entirely depends on how much time you are planning to spend building, constructing and mucking about with this aspect of the game.

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.

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.

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.

The 10-Euro-asking-price is really not that much and even with its downsides, Jet Set Radio is still one of the most unique concepts.

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.

Nonetheless, keep your chin up, Emobi Games. The first step has been made. 7554 brought Vietnam on the map of games developers. The next step is an actually good game. And you´ll get there. Someday.

A little bit too efficient, a bit too distant from the player, but still I´m very happy Port Royale 3 exists. Its a game that gives you a lot of options for your actions without forcing you to use them. You can labor all day if you want to or just instead take five for a whole hour without having too watch your trade-empire crumble instantly.

The combat can never play out its strengths due to the botched balancing. The same goes for the otherwise solid mechanics behind abilities and crafting. The gameworld is one of the weakest in JRPGs in years, the design was made with child-compatible cosplay in mind and the rest moves through the unhealthy middleground of a genre that still tries to find a way to the future and nowadays celebrates its greatest successes with 2D-touch-titles. Solid maybe. Hardly world-shattering.

Secret Files 3 is a classic point´n´click adventure that will satisfy most of its audience. It stands on its own, walks a good pace and shows a lot of routine. But I seriously doubt that I will remember much if anything about it in six months.

Even an unconventional title like The Secret World struggles in a market full of great alternatives without those monthly payments.

For years, Dust: An Elysian Tail will be a testament to what one person is able to create. But it also shows how problems in a game can sometimes be missed by the creator as well as the players.

High Moon Studios achieved for Transformers what Rocksteady managed to do for Batman. This is the way licensed-games are done right.

But these problems fade from memory when Quicos adventure, after about three hours, reaches its mesmerizing, moving climax. You'll sit there, speechless, lump in throat, in wonder about the emotional impact of this brave little game – letting a fantastically cathartic final song wash you out of the game. It wasn't always fun and you're not even sure you want to play it again. What you're sure of, though, is that you just witnessed something that has made videogames a bit more mature.

Back to the drawing board to think about, where the fear really comes from and exchange some of the too numerous and crude puzzles for gameplay-value. In this form, it can´t even be recommended for the small price.You get better horror from Slender or the the first two Exmortis without having to pay for it.

Structurally and narratively I wish the developers had had shown more courage. But this kind of thing can happen, I guess, if you concentrate on getting your core mechanics spot on as much as United Front did. More of a rigidly controlled experience than a real sandbox, you can't help but notice that this type of game is not what it once was: Once open-world games were the fresh-faced poster boys of interactivity and do-as-you-please attitude. Now they're becoming more and more stale and antiseptic environments. It's not Sleeping Dogs' fault alone, and the game does impress at least mechanically most of the time, but it never manages to surprise.

Nothing on offer here is bad per se. It is very competent in all of the disciplines you'd expect a title with this pedigree to be competent in. But somewhere along the fast track into store shelves Mario's magic got lost. Coming out shortly after the much fresher and more inventive 3D Land didn't do it any favors. And as a successor, six years after the first NSMB, these little updates don't do enough to justify the '2' in the title. This might just be the first Mario game that has you playing it mostly because of twenty year old automatisms.

This is not exactly the worst port in the world, but the only glorious thing about it is its sheer existence. But nonetheless, PC-gamers should still be grateful, even if it does not offer the kind of technical improvement that they are used to and have to battle a few odd bugs. But since these are mostly restrained to graphical issues which can be fixed – not always thanks to FromSoftware ... – neither the score nor the conclusion have to be changed: Dark Souls is THE game of the last few years.

It challenges you, it gives you room to breathe, but also a purpose and of course it´s fun for every minute of it, which is all that counts in the end. You don´t have to invent everything again to get that. Not, if you have mastered the craft like Vigil Games obviously has.

Still, Deadlight has many visually striking and mechanically satisfying moments in store for you... In some ways Tequila Works might just have reached their goal: The punishing qualities of their game does indeed evoke its older cousins – Flashback and Another World. It's just a shame that they had to use the wrong means to do so.

Even though Dyad doesn't quite teleport you into the epic worlds of a certain man by the name of Tetsuya Mizuguchi, it doesn't lag behind much either. It even manages to evoke a new type of game experience, which high-score enthusiasts will gladly - and fully - embrace.

Actually, Wreckateer is so good that you can't help to ask yourself why Rovio Entertainment hasn't yet gotten around to launch their disgruntled poultry at Microsoft's motion sensor.

There's nothing wrong with the design of the levels or the gameplay in and of themselves. It's just that OMD!2 feels more like a sizeable update complete with co-op integration. It is a good game, though, which manages to best its predecessor. Soloing veterans of that game should think very hard if the amendments are enough to buy this sequel at launch.

I could tell hour-long anecdotes about my adventures in this weird world. Find another Spelunky-Player and these spin out of control – into endless amusing conversations. It may not be for everybody, but once it's got you hooked, it won't let go of you for days.

Just ignore the uninspired, meaningless and simply unnecessary main character and you´ll find a cute and entertaining puzzle-game, in which it is still up to Rovio and the community to discover the full potential.