Copycat is a game that tackles some serious issues, but its characters are hard to warm to and will make you angry at times. Still, being a cat and doing cat things can be fun, despite clunky controls and unspired gameplay.

Like R-Type Final 2 before it, R-Type Final 3 Evolved is a game that some will likely adore. In the grand scheme of things, though, it’s not the pinnacle of the shoot ’em up genre that it once would have been. Those who already own R-Type Final 2 might feel like this should have been offered as an upgrade rather than an updated re-release parading as a sequel. And while the visuals have been spruced up and more content has been added, notable core issues haven’t been addressed to create more widespread appeal.

Red Wings: American Aces isn’t going to blow your socks off; chances are your time with it will be quickly forgotten once you’ve moved onto the next title. It does offer plenty of fun while it lasts, though, and also looks pretty nice thanks to its comic-book styling. Add in the fact that it doesn’t cost a great deal, and have a game that fans of arcade-style shooters should certainly check out. Especially if you particularly enjoy dogfights.

Ad Infinitum doesn’t really offer anything new to the genre. Narratively, it simply drives home once again that war is hell and that families are complicated. On the gameplay front, there’s the usual mix of exploration, stealth and puzzles, and a lack of conventional combat. But while it lacks originality and innovation, there’s something somewhat compelling about it. It has some great creature designs, too. While it won’t blow you away, if you’re after a creepy game to waste eight or so hours with, you could do worse. Whether you’ll play through it again to reach another ending, however, is questionable.

It’s to Neighbours Back From Hell‘s credit that it still offers an original experience. Furthermore, it exudes the same sense of humour as 90s British sitcoms such as Bottom with its somewhat violent and madcap humour that’s also a bit risqué at times. It’s just a shame that the gameplay gets tiresome so quickly. If you fondly remember the original titles and fancy reacquainting yourself, you’ll probably have a good time with Neighbours Back From Hell while it lasts. Newcomers might somewhat enjoy it too. But it’s quite forgettable once it’s over.

Saviorless is a beautiful game: its 2D art style remains gorgeous throughout. It's just a shame that its gameplay doesn't stay as enjoyable. What starts out as a rather fun puzzle-platformer eventually devolves into an exercise in frustration thanks to one hit kills and too much reliance on trial and error.

Some may revel in the challenge provided by Volgarr the Viking II, but most will probably find it simply unfair at times. Repetition is also a problem when the game's stages are so large. Still, it looks rather nice, and at least Undead mode allows players to brute force their way through, albeit with repercussions.

In many ways, Iron Crypticle is old fashioned to a fault – the lack of persistence and awkward 8-directional movement and shooting mires it in the past, bereft of any modern gameplay enhancements.

Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition is an important game that’s worth experiencing. It’s just not a particularly good one.

Circuit Breakers is incredibly good fun. It might not entirely scratch my gaming itch but if you’ve got a love of arcade action or you’re after a pick-up-and-play game to dive into for a few minutes at a time, Circuit Breakers is absolutely the time-waster for you.

If you’re revisiting it on console or playing for the first time, Dex certainly have something to offer. It has a satisfactory – albeit derivative – story with a fairly strong script and it is mature in its approach. However, the static gameplay, technical issues and unbalanced experience frequently overshadow the attraction of the game.

This grim, pixellated gorefest successfully channels the spirit of 8 and 16 bit shoot-’em-ups but doesn’t stand up to sustained play; spend too long with Butcher in one sitting and it starts feeling like an infuriating grind.

Pathologic 2 is an engaging and disquieting game, one that has the potential to be something really quite special. But its survival mechanics are unnecessarily suffocating and take much of the joy out of it. Until Pathologic 2 is cured of that particular problem, be prepared for an uneven slog.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is a generic 3D platformer, but one that also provides a decent amount of fun. There are some issues to overcome, but if you want a Christmas-themed game it's perhaps worth picking up at a discount.

In short bursts, it’s entertaining enough, and offers a nice palate cleanser between more involved, demanding games. Just be prepared to do plenty of grinding on your quest to unlock all the upgrades.

Despite its issues though, Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom is overall, an enjoyable experience.

If you’re willing to put in the time to fight your way past its flaws, then you’ll get some enjoyment out of How to Survive 2, but there are better zombie shooters and survival games out there.

In the end, I enjoyed some of my time with Twelve Minutes. Its story is genuinely gripping, and the cast’s performances are excellent, solidifying the game as a believable world. In many ways, developer Luis Antonio has created something truly remarkable here. But so much of Twelve Minutes is an exercise in frustration and repetition. You’re going to need a lot of patience to keep going, and ultimately, I’m not sure if it’s entirely worth it.

It’s just a shame that Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time‘s combat hasn’t been given a little more care and attention to ensure that it flows better. With there being so much of it, its clunky nature drags the game down a fair bit. Still, if you’re a huge Samurai Jack fan who wants to spend some more time with the character, it’s worth a play. But if you have experience with the likes of Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden, you will find its gameplay lacking.

As much as I could criticise the game for its shortcomings, B-Movie dialogue and writing, alongside movement control issues and inconsistent/erratic/badly designed logical item puzzles with equally poor flag conditions for the branching paths and endings, the game was quite enjoyable.

At its core, Rocket Riot is a standard, though well made, twin-stick shooter. There is a lot of content in the form of levels, characters, and challenges, but it’s still not enough to keep the game interesting for long periods of time.

If you’ve already played Two Point Hospital to death and desperately want more content – you’ll need to have unlocked at least seven hospitals in order to to play this – then Pebberley Island is worth a look. It’s more of the same, with a sandy spin, and there’s nothing crashingly wrong with that. But, going by the DLC’s price tag – £7/$9 – I expected Pebberley Island to shake things up a little more.

It’s hard to fully condemn Legend of Mana Remastered, because the original game’s choices are unusual, and some players will certainly find merit in its hands-off approach to steering the gameplay. Others, however, will undoubtedly find the lack of direction infuriating. So, Legend of Mana Remastered won’t be for everyone then. Its combat and lack of engaging narrative holds it back, but its soundtrack – both the original and rearranged version – is truly a standout feature.

If you really are new to fighting games, Fantasy Strike is worth giving a go. But you’re probably going to want to move onto something a little more advanced fairly quickly. It’s a well made game, but the action just gets too repetitive too fast because of its limited movesets. I just can’t help but feel that Fantasy Strike is a little too simple for its own good.

With a beautiful world to explore, an interesting narrative and a rewarding sense of player agency, we really could have loved The Last Alchemist. But convoluted systems, tedious controls and the lack of controller support sadly make it rather cumbersome to play, sucking out much of the enjoyment to be had.

Inspired by classic horror movies, Lakeview Cabin Collection offers up multiple episodes, each with their own characters, locations and challenges to overcome. The problem is that it's obscure to a fault, but with many fun interactions to discover along the way, some will find it entertaining.

If you’re a fan of games that don’t hold your hand, you might get on well with Strayed Lights. Well, as long as you’re also on board with combat that’s focused around matching enemy colours and parrying attacks. This is a unique title with a striking visual style, but like Marmite, it’s an acquired taste. For all the reasons some will appreciate it, others are only likely to find boredom and frustration.

Overall, Capcom were just too ambitious with Resident Evil 6, and unfortunately this port doesn’t really do anything to address any of its glaring issues.