Fez may not be as polished as its pairs, the Limbos and the Braids, but it's the indie gem we were expecting it to be. It's an ode to 8bit clichés for sure, but also a puzzler that will appeal to all the thinkers and explorers alike, filled with cuteness, an awesome soundtrack and atmosphere, and quite a load of secrets to uncover.

Zeno Clash II is really a twin brother to the first one: same peculiar art direction, same slightly below average production values, same gameplay ideas. Its unique world remains its strongest asset, by far, but its bugs and gameplay shortcomings will quickly get on the nerves of those who aren't mesmerized by its universe.

I really thought that Blood Dragon would quickly become too much, but I'm surprised that it was able to make me laugh all the way through this heavily deformed and 80's enriched Far Cry 3. It goes in all directions, and at great length, to charm all over-the top, punchline riddled, references fans. A smart and refreshing stand-alone take.

Soul Sacrifice is not a kind of chimera born simply from Monster Hunter and Demon's Souls influences, because Keiji Inafune breathed a real soul into it by integrating the concept of sacrifice with the narrative, the gameplay system and the multiplayer philosophy.

Mars War Logs isn't free of shortcomings, and not all of them can be explained by the low budget of the studio. Some are design mistakes, or skewed ideas. But its basics are pretty solid, and this RPG, as well as its universe, are ambitious and realistic. Its shortcomings should really be overlooked, for a sequel with more means would probably be even more enjoyable.

Don't Starve is brilliantly titled. This rich and smart rogue-like defies you to explore and survive an equally cruel and alluring randomly generated world, but I suspect that the "Don't Starve" advice isn't for your character but for yourself: the game is so enticing and brilliant that those playing it will soon find themselves skipping the real life meals to continue playing.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Completely aimed at eSport, Shootmania offers a gameplay that will not please everyone. The weapon system will be hated by many, loved by some, who will praise that skills is everything in this FPS. A good title but aimed at a niche market.

God Mode tries to find some kind of Painkiller gameplay, but it can't really make it. It is to much repetitive and limited. The whole experience would deserve some refinements... like changing this damn "standing still" sensation.

If you liked Dead Island, then you are sure to love Riptide: it's the same! All the elements are back: the survivors of the first game (plus a new one), the tropical atmosphere, the gameplay (more melee-oriented)... but also this problem of redundancy that you'll feel very quickly after a few battles and missions. A good game for all the fans of the first one, but they will pay the full price of a new episode to play an add-on.

Who would say no to more background for Dishonored ? Especially if it's about taking control of a character as interesting as Daud, master assassin... There is not so much new stuff in The Knife of Dunwall, but more difficult levels that stealth fans will love.

This Sacred spinoff is basically a hack'n slash game. Its easiness makes it a short game, but it is not too expensive and still quite pleasant to play, with family or friends on the same screen.

Do not tell me that true fans of DC Comics would get their money's worth with Injustice. And fighting game lovers either. Love does not mean accepting everything, and we can't be enthusiasts about the pitiful appearance that the Mortal Kombat studio gave to Superman, Wonder Woman and their pals. Yes, the gameplay basics from MK and the being-a-superhero feeling remains cool, as do the destructible stages, but the script and the presentation of the story mode, the stiffness of the animations and the poor art design do not allow Injustice to be mentioned within the good-fighting-games list of this generation.

With LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins, the 3DS was not far from getting its "GTA for children", with humor and a ton of things to collect. But the city is a bit small, and the graphics are limited... The game is quite easy but the formula is still really cool for the kids.

Quotation forthcoming.

Defiance lands on Earth with a significant number of flaws: Pay to Win PvP, average graphics, repetitive gameplay... But the base looks solid for a brighter future, especially if you decided to watch the Defiance TV series and if you are hooked by this universe.

Rather than dying out while burning only through its ardent fans' hearts, Fire Emblem's flame spread by letting the players decide the temperature of the challenge, without cooling down its blazing gameplay. On the contrary, it even flared up with the intensified support system, the inflamming bonds created between the warriors and the warm wireless options, although just missing online battles to shine forever.

Dead or Alive 5 + is an excellent port. This PS Vita version offers superb graphics and the gameplay is identical to the PS3/Xbox 360 versions.

Quotation forthcoming.

For those who love pixel art, point'n click adventures and puzzle games, Finding Teddy is like a trip to Wonderland. It is short, but this beautiful mix works perfectly.

With Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires, we will again beat up Chinese soldiers, 1 Vs. 100, over the hours. In addition to the impressive selection of characters and stories, the new way of creating heroes is quite nice. They have also added a small amount of strategy (alliances, diplomacy...), but it is quite limited, unlike the battle arenas, which are larger than ever. Graphically, it is the equivalent to a game at the end of the Xbox life... yes, the first one. Finally, no major changes to the series: the fans will be pleased, the others, those who moved on to something else a long time ago, will remain unmoved.

Though its basic game design idea (trying to reach the bottom of a well as fast as possible) may be nice in theory, its execution in Splash or Crash is terminally ill by design. Its prohibitive price for only 10 look-alike levels, the possibility to choose, right from the get-go, an indestructible ball, and the lack of precision of the 3DS stick combined with the absence of a gyro-based control option make it absolutely worthless.

We'd have hoped that if a third iteration in the series was done, it was with the overall goal of surpassing the quality of the two average previous games. But the Devil's Cartel ends-up being a sub-par TPS, bugged, limited, uninspired and even lazy in its game design.

This is, by far, the most otaku game I've ever come across. So much so, that its blend of pervy silliness and fan service for hikikomori lovers can run on one's nerves pretty quickly. And since this RPG hasn't got much else for itself than its busty manga babes and pseudo games system (in truth, a pretty empty one) when you factor in that it's ugly, poorly produced, and has frame-rate issues as well as the dullest plot ever, I don't see how it could appeal to anyone.

With HarmoKnight, Game Freak delivers a very nice rhythm platformer. Its only real shortcoming may reside in the lack of identity of its jazz, rock or samba tracks; none of them really stands out.

It's hard to accept that such a title can exist in 2013. It's probably the best candidate for worst game of the year.

To sum-up LEGO City Undercover to a simple GTA with bricks would be a shame. Full of satire fore previous Telltale LEGO games and rich without any franchise to support it, City Undercover is able to charm with extensive content, no violence, and several layers of subtext for all to enjoy. It's a trans-generational game, and a good one at that.