The action is bloody and satisfying, the story plays out like exceptionally well-written fan-fiction and the spirit of the movie and its characters are intact.

Minor gripes aside, though, Reflex is the most fun you'll have being caked in mud.

The whole collection plays out like the unlockables - tons of entertainment and worthwhile content that's slightly soured by the difficulty of getting to it.

Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers is a fabulous, unique gaming experience powered by a fantastic gameplay hook.

The most playable FIFA – oops! – in years. This is an encouraging new start for the EA Sports FC franchise, with Ultimate Team innovations truly standing out, and PlayStyles adding a smart new wrinkle to the on-turf action.

WWE 2K14 is at its best celebrating WWE history, so it’s forgivable that the game wants to hang on to its recent past instead of blazing a trail to the future. In a transition year like this one, it works as a fitting capper to another gaming generation of wrasslin’. However, 2K hopefully has something more original in the pipeline.

Its handful of small setbacks are just about evenly balanced with its improvements though, so Galactrix still offers an addictive, puzzle-meets-RPG experience that won’t disappoint most fans of the original PQ, as well as anyone looking for an accessible game that still packs plenty of substance.

The game takes patience and plenty of top-grade monster scouting.

With a few key adjustments to play-calling, frame-rate, and physics, it's possible that the Wii U could host the most interesting Madden version next fall. In the meantime, Madden's debut on Nintendo's brand-new system is good for a bit of fun but won't last for the long term.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a hilarious, fan-focused continuation of the series' core values. But lacking any truly evolution, it makes for a fun diversion rather than a meaningful new chapter.

Yakuza's story has the intensity of a page-turner - not surprising, as it was penned by a novelist - and the gameplay backs it up. Kazuma Kiryu's tale is an addictive blend of mystery, suspense and brutal violence.

The final and strongest entry in the rebooted trilogy, this adventure sticks to Lara's strengths while embracing its dark side.

Horrific in completely the wrong way, Outlast 2 is a night-vision journey into frustration. An intriguing story just can’t save the infuriating misery that awaits.

Unusually addicting and accessible for a serious sports game, Top Spin 2 offers a lot of gameplay for a very reasonable $40.

Unfortunately, NHL 2K6 barely seems like a next-gen game. The graphics are cleaner and slightly prettier than the last-gen versions, but there's no wow power here - you wouldn't be surprised to see this game running on Xbox.

Unrelenting difficulty aside, Nanostray 2 for the Nintendo DS is a top-notch shoot-'em-up that will give you your money's worth.

An excellent, painfully brief piece of storytelling, with some decent characters and a lot of heart.

A solid retro collection for those looking for stone-age thrills. There are enough good games to care, the miniature '80s revival bit is fun, and the $20 price tag is just about reasonable.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit brings back that sense of wonder we all felt when we cracked open our first video game and realised there was another world behind the screen. Only now that other world is in our living rooms.

The biggest issue with the single player campaign was that half way through, we started earning money faster than we could spend it and had massive space stations, capable of repelling nearly any attack, at every world. That said, if there's a Star Wars fan out there who doesn't want more ships, vehicles, and heroes to play with, we haven't met him yet.

Fae Farm is a low-stakes, inclusive, and supremely cozy farming sim that delivers some uniquely interconnected features in a neat and accessible way. It's a narratively charged, explorative experience, and a shining example of devs having learned from the mistakes of other farming sims.

Allowing the Wii remote to more closely simulate a computer mouse would have increased the game's fun factor even more, but after spending enough time on the game's campaign, gamers are encouraged to delve into multiplayer, where the price tag pays for itself over and over again.

But assuming that last issue gets resolved in the coming weeks, Worms is a fantastic addition to your Live Arcade library

It's not going to set the hardcore world on fire, but it's a nearly perfect party game, and there's room for that in this world.

A bizarre coming together of Smash Bros. and Mario Tennis that strangely works, even if the Adventure mode occasionally frustrates.

Despite the various quibbles with the port quality, Tales of the Abyss is still a superb RPG. It's got excellent combat, a secret-packed world to explore, and a wonderful cast of characters you'll come to love adventuring with.

It's a game destined to find an audience among that rare action junkie with extensive patience, or Elder Scrolls fans who are tired of swinging swords in the first-person. If you're someone who falls in that category, jump in.

One of the best 3DS games to date, Paper Mario: Sticker Star updates an already great series for handhelds by expertly cutting the fat to make for a digestible portable adventure. RPG lovers might balk at the changes, but after the first few hours they'll realize that this is just the next evolution in a series that was always quietly innovating its genre.