Sorcerer King’s fatalistic themes are tied cleverly in to its mechanics, resulting in the first game in the Elemental series that really feels like it has a distinct identity.

Nobody Saves the World’s form switching and punchy, responsive combat carries the game where its other elements let it down. The star of the show is its surprisingly dynamic twist on aRPG mechanics that makes figuring out builds to counter the dangers of its dungeons rewarding enough to warrant spending 20+ hours killing monsters and helping its sometimes oddball NPCs.

Once I got into a mission I found it hard to stop until all my plans worked out, and even defeat often had me immediately coming back to try again. That's the mark of an addictive, fun game, which Jagged Alliance: Back In Action definitely is, but it just doesn't do quite enough to earn the really high marks.

There are small issues with the HD conversion – especially in the menus – but this still feels like one of the more accomplished HD collections this generation.

The turn based combined with RTF is unique and fun, providing a little time for thinking and not so much twitchy trigger finger.

All in all, Heroes of Might and Magic VII is a solid addition to the series.

Not a bad game then by any stretch, but hopefully the last small iteration before Sega's inaugural next-next-gen outing.

Story-wise, you'll be hooked enough that you'll want to finish Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, but it's the always engaging gameplay that's king here.

Not a bad game then by any stretch, but hopefully the last small iteration before Sega's inaugural next-next-gen outing.

A bit of an odd beast that isn’t as major as previous DLC, but still fills an important gap in WWII history.

It's good that Focus offered a significant discount to anyone who had already bought Cities XL, as otherwise there would be little here to entice old players. New people to the franchise who've longed for a decent city-builder should definitely try this out though.

It might not have the longevity of a full action-RPG or the combat depth of the best side-scrolling beat-em-ups, but the balance that Lionhead has struck between accessibility and quick 10-15 minute bursts of fun is hard to resist.

Costume Quest 2 has better quests and a more interesting story, and a better designed world. It’s still got the excellent writing, sound, and music that’ll keep most people happy, but it was the battle system that needed an overhaul most and it hasn’t had it.

You won't be buying AvP for its single-player though, and if you are you may find yourself sorely disappointed. Rebellion has built AvP around its multiplayer, which is both well-constructed and surprisingly well-balanced.

Some of the challenge of the original Zuma is clearly gone.

On a basic level Hard Corps: Uprising is excellent, retaining the Contra spirit yet giving it a new lease of life. As such, series fans and old-school throwbacks will probably love every minute of it, regardless of cost. However, it does get bogged down a little by the strangely bad voice acting, downloadable content concerns and its meek attempt at catering for a broader, less experienced audience.

With 100 buildings, twelve scenarios and thirty vehicle types, we're hoping that the game will be well supported by an active modding community as well as post-release DLC. At the moment actual content is a tad sparse, but at a knockdown price of £14.99, you're getting a lot for your money.

For all its faults though, Pirates of Black Cove is a very endearing game.

Gatling Gears offers several hours of enjoyable carnage and it's doubly fun with a friend, but it settles into a routine early on and sticks to it.

Explodemon is great fun for a few hours, providing interesting puzzles to blast your way through and many a secret to uncover. Repetition swiftly sets in, however, and you may well find yourself not bothering to play through to the end. Still, it's worth grabbing the demo to see whether you're into the concept.

Some of its more unique spin on things do shine through, such as City management, but others like the added adventure/discovery element just get lost amongst the need to survive.

Chronicles might be a little tame in places and lack enough variety to keep you interested for long, but it has a charm I feel the other Assassin’s Creed games now lack.

The Next Big Thing, then, is not exactly what it says on the tin - but we still got plenty of laughs out of it. If you're on the prowl for a point-and-click adventure, this will easily tide you over until the next Telltale title comes knocking. Never before has a game produced a character who was so... disconcerting.

It's not quite deep enough, and the difficulty curve ramps up to an insane degree pretty quickly.

For those after a fresh twist on a near-expired genre, MicroBot offers enough action to get your heart pumping.

I like this title quite a lot. I've sunk in a pretty hefty number of hours, and I can see myself sinking in more.

With better skill progression, a better take on combat hit percentages (like, removing them and relying on other methods to determine hits), a bit more originality, and a bit less linearity, Mutant Year Zero would have been an easy recommendation to just about anyone. Still, it’s a game that I really enjoyed and hope to see future content for. If you like tactical battles, RPG mechanics, and weird universes, you should definitely check this one out.

Yes the second episode isn't anywhere near as much as a challenge as the first, featuring puzzles that you'll solve by just walking around and clicking on things, but all the choices you'll be deciding and seeing how they turn out still make The Walking Dead a delight to play – and those choices are well-implemented, causing massive changes to the group and how they react to Lee.

No Man’s Sky has very clear problems. Its mechanics are insubstantial, with the crafting and inventory management systems being a particular exercise in tedium. Yet its scale and beauty is unmatched by any other game I’ve ever seen. It does things no other game ever has. It’s tempting to call No Man’s Sky “decent, but not great,” but that undersells both the game’s successes and its failures. No Man’s Sky is incredible, awe-inspiring, and profoundly disappointing.

A great Viking game, but as far from a true Assassin’s Creed game as there could ever be.

With some more creative level design and a fully fleshed-out campaign, Star Hammer could have really been something special.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope's retina scorching vistas and fast-paced swordplay, you'll be well served.

Two Point Museum inhabits the same space as the other entries in the series, confidently maintaining approachable levels of depth. Although its campaign comprises fewer stages, they're more involved. Managing staff, finances, and exhibits comes with a good amount of familiarity. Still, I always looked forward to creating the next cultural hellscape that only vaguely resembled an actual museum and still functioned. While expeditions get old much too soon, the six exhibit themes on show alongside the oddball humor of item descriptions and radio shows do the heavy lifting, succeeding to offer enough reasons to see the campaign through and dabble in the sandbox mode. Two Point Museum continues to capture that olden Bullfrog charm expertly, but the series is starting to feel like it's not far away from belonging in a museum.

Nevertheless A Nest of Vipers ups the ante considerably and makes for a fine build-up to the finale.

It’s the best damn football game ever made, but only by a gnat’s whisker, and if anything that whisker is merely the updated seasonal player data which separates it from Pro "Evolution Soccer 5."

With a long campaign, randomly generated side missions and many cards to collect, Prime World Defenders offers fans of the Tower Defence genre a lasting and varied challenge, with new elements being added throughout.

Nobodies is one of those little games that won’t blow your mind, but is an enjoyable romp nevertheless. There’s some neat puzzles thanks to its twist on adventure game logic alongside some devious black comedy. If you can forgive some tedious puzzles at times and some glitching, this is worth your time. Just don’t be surprised if you get stumped.

Although the action in the final scenes is some of the best the title has to offer, the delivery of the narrative's closing stages is rushed and ultimately seems rather weak.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands plays it safe, never leaning enough into its fantasy elements or bringing any significant changes to the Borderlands formula, but offering more of the fun looting and shooting the main series is known for. It boasts better writing and humor than Borderlands 3 while throwing in interesting spells and class powers that spice up its otherwise familiar combat system. Repetitive dungeons and a tedious endgame drag it down a bit, but if you’re looking to shoot dragons instead of bandits and sift through an endless stream of guns and items in search of the one that works slightly better with your build, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has got you covered.

Much care has been taken with character, monster and environment design, so even if it is all a bit boring and repetitive, and insists on making obvious statements, it sure is pretty to look at.

In terms of bringing old-school Call of Duty up to modern standards, Call of Duty: WWII does fairly admirably, but at the same time every end of it feels like something is missing. The campaign is a tour and spectacle of the terror and intensity of the conflict as the Allies fought their way into to the Eagle’s Nest, but the forgoing of nearly all outside perspectives in favor of an all-American campaign feels narrow in comparison to previous COD outings that have tackled this subject matter. Likewise, multiplayer is as tight as ever and War mode is a solid addition that we hope to see built upon in all further Call of Duty content, but the hub feels tacked on. Zombie Mode is still Zombie Mode and fans will find a lot to discover and challenge in the new scenario, but the stark tones might put off the more lighthearted fans of the mode in its previous incarnations. COD: WWII is far from the worst of the series and players will find a wealth of well-crafted moments and design here, but a few too many oddities and omissions keep it from being the best that Call of Duty has ever offered.

Watch_Dogs 2 is definitely a good game, especially compared to the first one which was a dull game. It’s got a lot of personality, especially in terms of the cast of characters, and humour is always welcome in open world titles. The missions may generally boil down to “go somewhere, sneak past/shoot guards, hack something, get out” but they cover fun subjects and are never less than entertaining. Nevertheless the online side is aggravating as all hell, the controls aren’t quite receptive enough particularly when driving or shooting, and being able to kill loads of people doesn’t really jive with the DedSec ethos.

A decent choice for any PS3 owners looking to get off the sofa this Christmas.

The plot is bland and often corny, but the gameplay is mostly solid and enjoyable.

The plot is bland and often corny, but the gameplay is mostly solid and enjoyable.

All in all, Conquistadors is a pretty solid game – the New World is full of wonder and danger, and there’s just enough RPG in the mix to make you feel like a real explorer, dealing with realistic problems.

It's an old school platformer, in a macabre horror world populated with tricks, traps and freakish foes. The difficulty of the game veers between perfectly pitched and pretty damn frustrating, marring the experience somewhat for those of us lacking the heightened reflexes of a supernatural monstrosity. Despite that, it's a finely crafted package worth experiencing for fans of the genre and those craving a challenge.

South of Midnight’s strong story and presentation make the most of its overlooked mythology and oft-forgotten setting, but don’t embark on this journey looking for top-tier action-adventure game design.

The narrative acts as a small, mostly harmless, reward in between lengthy bouts of grinding, largely pushing you from area to area. Barren locations and unappealing textures do kick things down a notch when exploring its world, but you’ll forget about them as soon as you enter combat and bask upon the detailed, epic monster models and their special attack animations. It’s not perfect, but underestimating Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin would be a disservice to fans and newbies alike, as it’s a fully-fledged turn-based RPG that also has a lot of the mainline entries’ DNA baked into it.

As it is I believe Kholat is still worth playing but just be aware that frustration and tension will be present in equal measure.

With improvements that feel more incremental than innovative, 2K Australia have stepped up and provided a solid and long-lasting if technically safe entry in the Borderlands series and yet, it's one which stands out almost singularly on the merit of it's breathlessly entertaining cast and rowdy narrative.

I suspect that some players will encounter balancing issues when playing out in the wild, but winning a game after effortlessly zipping across the map and summoning Asuryiani troops as backup can be extremely satisfying, so I’d say that the Craftworld Aeldari DLC is a worthwhile package if you’d like to keep conquering Gladius in new and interesting ways (so long as you can spare the cash).

Planet Coaster 2 offers a genre-best box of creative tools and community-driven features and expands on its predecessor on almost every level, but chances are you won’t be as enchanted by its management systems, which continue to be a thorn in Frontier’s side.

While the game does deliver a nice bundle of challenges and like a larger number of other adventure titles now it comes with a FPS feel, you could still do better.

With the customary spit and polish the engine will receive over the next year, Champions Online certainly has the potential to turn into the best superhero MMO out there. For now, that mantle still belongs to City of Heroes, but having played both games throughout beta and release, this is certainly a more daring title in the initial stages.

It’s clearly not perfect, but in a world increasingly dominated by time-consuming, social-life ruining games, it can sometimes be a lot of fun to hop back in time with a tight, ultra-responsive twin-stick shooter whose humble charms magnify in the presence of friends.

Although not all of its features are as fleshed out as they could be, Humankind does hit several sweet spots, both in terms of combat and management, having enough going on to push you to click that next turn button. While it probably won’t be a “Civ killer” – not that it necessarily aims to be one –, it’s clearly a game that historical 4X strategy fans looking for a different spin on the subgenre’s formula should definitely consider trying out at some point.

Hitman’s latest episode has some impressive moments, but Marrakesh feels limited compared to the sprawling, interconnected layouts of Paris and Sapienza. It’s part of an increasingly great game and still provides some solid stealth action, but don’t be surprised if you’re not coming back to this one for more than a few tries.

Game of Thrones is really beginning to kick in to high gear as things start to possibly look up for the Forresters in Sons of Winter, but most importantly the characters start to get much-needed shots in the arm.

We Were Here Forever gives no quarter in its cooperative puzzling, fully trusting players to get on with it and work together. At its peak, the wondrous structure of this game is simply sublime, and perhaps the most invested I’ve felt in a co-op game since Portal 2. It doesn’t always hit those highs, and matchmaking was personally hit and miss, but We Were Here Forever generally dazzles.

If the prospect of slowly picking apart the mechanics of giant stealth sandboxes is exciting for you, then Hitman should provide a wonderful experience. But if you’re a one-and-done type of player, then you should look elsewhere.

After a run-and-pass arcade footballer, then pick up PES. Anything else, then FIFA's ahead by a long shot.

On the one hand, it’s a fun, addictive little game that’s a good homage to a classic genre. On the other hand, as of publication there are still quite a few bugs and entire features that just haven’t been implemented yet. Coupled with the lack of a truly competitive element this game will probably only entertain hardcore fans of the genre.

It's a decent stab at resurrecting the atmosphere and sense of foreboding that the series was once known for, and if it wasn't for those frequent technical hitches, it could well have been one of the best in the series. As it stands, it's a very, very good survival horror title.

Apart from those silly puzzles, a rushed ending and the absolute conviction that Revolution made a colossal mistake in splitting the game into two (and did it poorly anyway), Broken Sword 5 is still a good game and a worthwhile new chapter in the classic series.

After a run-and-pass arcade footballer, then pick up PES. Anything else, then FIFA's ahead by a long shot.

KING Art and THQ Nordic have breathed a life into Black Mirror that it most definitely was lacking in 2003. The mystery and suspense are still there and the puzzles are diverse and challenging, but the house has taken on an excellent visual redesign. Exploring and investigation is an intriguing endeavor and the ghostly moments provide a fascinating highlight to puzzle solving and plot advancement. If that wasn’t enough, the story is chock full of interesting characters with passionate voicing that make the story that much more interesting throughout the game. We certainly wish the animation was a little better in both gameplay and cutscenes at times because it hurts the mood the game is trying to build when the cracks show. That said, when everything is in proper working motion, Black Mirror is a suspenseful horror adventure that will tickle brains with its puzzles and exploration and quicken pulses with its dark story.

After a run-and-pass arcade footballer, then pick up PES. Anything else, then FIFA's ahead by a long shot.

Age of Empires 4 does a lot well, building from the roots of the AoE franchise. Fans of the original games will find the improved graphics to be welcome and the gameplay to maintain the same fast-paced feel. History buffs will also find themselves delighted by the historical campaigns and the changing art style of the buildings as they progress through the ages. The only real downsides are the ease with which you can lose your rhythm, and the almost mandatory use of hotkeys in multiplayer due to bad pathfinding and unit AI.

There’s plenty to enjoy with Afghanistan ’11 but there are several issues with in the game itself including a lack of depth to some of the core features. While as a strategy title, it will hit the mark for most, things like political aspect of the game are shallow at best and often feel like an untapped gold mine of interesting gameplay. The game does create a solid difficulty and provides a challenging experience with AI that doesn’t cheat like in most other strategy titles. Enemy AI cannot see landmines. There have also been several improvements and changes to reflect the setting and type of warfare, so respect has to be given to the developers for not just creating a carbon copy of Vietnam ’65 and placing a desert skin over it.

You won't be buying AvP for its single-player though, and if you are you may find yourself sorely disappointed. Rebellion has built AvP around its multiplayer, which is both well-constructed and surprisingly well-balanced.

Finally significant progress has been put into place, as the game's backbone is starting to feel sturdy enough to carry the weight of expectation.

Finally significant progress has been put into place, as the game's backbone is starting to feel sturdy enough to carry the weight of expectation.

There are some pretty serious issues with Warlords that really cannot be overlooked. That is not to say there is not a wonderful experience to be had because there is, but it is a case of fully understanding what you are getting into. This will not be a walk in the park, it’s a serious time investment that will become frustrating at some point along the way. Once you get past the obvious issues, underneath the ugly cover is a game that gives you the freedom and space to do what you want. It’s a title that can be engrossing and fun that will literally eat hours of your life away instantly. Hopefully in time some of the smaller issues, like the bugs and UI issues can be patched but I would really like to see a rework of the controls.

Blacktail isn’t going for revolutionary status, and most of the things it does do are slight by comparison to the hitmakers of the genres it inhabits, but as a package, it’s a delightfully dark fairy tale-infused adventure that keeps you invested throughout.

Still, there’s plenty more to keep them satisfied, and the game’s rough presentation and slightly disappointing campaign are easy to forgive when the basic gameplay is so solid.

So minor licks of new paint aside, Worms World Party Remastered remains much as it always has been then. Twee to look at and evolving little in this latest instalment but still horrendously entertaining all the same, it’s difficult to be too upset with Team 17’s newest release when it maintains the core of the series so commendably well.

While the game does a fairly good job of staying challenging, it can be repetitive in terms of the opposition. It’s simply an unfortunate circumstance of progression of the enemy threat doesn’t always keep up with the thrill of learning the weapons.

It’s a shame that the online aspects are so hit and miss, but the new chapter helps to smooth over that complaint. It’s old school and simple, but if you can look past that you’ll definitely have a blast with Doom II on Xbox Live Arcade.

The first time that I was the exploder instead of the explodee I think I scared my fish with the hollering. It’s so fun to see the pieces go flying!

Dungeons 4 doesn’t raise the bar for the dungeon-building subgenre, but it’s a delightful fantasy romp that harkens back to less complicated times, and that’s quite valuable on its own.

As Far As The Eye is an interesting title, but it feels more artistic than functional. It is a perfectly serviceable game and it has lovely production values, but this is not the kind of title you look to for depth or range. On the other hand, if you want a specific, focused peaceful survival experience about tribes making their way to a safe place and don’t mind this being more of a puzzle than a proper strategy game, definitely give this little indie title a try.

FEAR 3 would just be considered an okay shooter with a terrible story and poor attempts at horror, if it wasn't for the wealth of unique side-options it brings to the FPS table.

It is best not to come into Sonic & Knuckles looking for redrawn sprites or HD graphics – this is a faithful port that doesn’t try to crush anyone’s memories of how the game performed in the ‘90’s.

Beautiful, well written, but aggravating. That’s The Banner Saga in a nutshell.

If you’re looking for a fun, clever little strategy game, you could do a lot worse than pick this up.

I like Wasteland 2, I really do, but I can't help but think it's not quite the masterpiece we were promised.

Sanctum 2 at the very least improves on every aspect of its clunky predecessor, offering smoother and more enjoyable gameplay and living up to the great promise offered by the premise.

I can’t give Deponia Doomsday an unequivocal recommendation. Its protagonist is a major drag and a lot of its humor is straight-up lame. But by the same token, I can’t deny that it drew me in and made me care by the end. It’s a totally solid adventure game, and if you prefer a little extra bite in your old-school adventures, then it will be right up your alley.

The Conjuring House offers up some classic old-school Gothic horror, the kind that relies on the tension it creates along with the atmosphere that builds naturally. Sure, the gameplay itself may be a little dated, but the game does so much work in creating a legitimately unsettling experience that it’s easy to excuse the constant need for finding this or that. If you genuinely enjoy being scared or you want to make someone you care about suffer and not be able to sleep soundly for a few nights, then The Conjuring House ought to do the job pretty well.

There is more than enough content here to keep avid adventure and puzzle gurus occupied.

Bedlam is a pretty amazing balancing act on multiple fronts. It has a feel that fondly reminds me of Oregon Trail, but with more head shots and acid-scorched bones.

It’s a decent expansion, but the weak colonial nation AI brings it down – they are supposed to be able to start wars and stuff on their own, but I haven’t witnessed that much autonomy so far.

Total War: Warhammer 3: Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs introduces a much-needed new race and units, potentially signaling a faster pace for post-launch content. While not every mechanic introduced is as impressive as the flames of Hashut and the campaign revisits some familiar tactics, it never truly disappoints. The diverse roster of units is the true highlight of this expansion.

Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes is now a solid fantasy 4X game with plenty of mechanical depth for those who delight in tweaking parameters, if still lacking that certain spark to elevate it into the top tier of the genre.

If you're at all a fan of old-school 90's shooters, Serious Sam or just superb multiplayer fun, Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter could be the perfect distraction from all the serious shooters being released in 2010.

Ultimately, we can’t help but feel that you’ll play through the rather short campaign, and while you’ll probably have a great time doing it, you’ll shrug your shoulders and either give multiplayer a quick blast, and/or go back to Call of Duty or something.

Not essential, but a very solid expansion.