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

Lost Sphear takes a little too long to really get going. Dungeons are tiny, its characters paper-thin, and the story far too predictable in its overuse of already overused plot elements. It’s a JRPG that struggles to add anything of value, perhaps to the point of reminding us why the natural evolution of the genre happened in the first place. Despite this, it’s rapid pacing is perhaps its biggest achievement. Even the smallest session can lead to a feeling of progress. Things start to feel a bit too repetitive in longer sessions, but playing in smaller bursts helps stop its generic tropes from grinding you down. At $50, though, it’s far too much to ask for something that purposefully refuses to reinvent the wheel. Even if it promises 40 hours over the last game’s 20.

MotoGP 09/10 is a solid, enjoyable racer that manages to capture the feel of charging about a track on a Superbike without being inaccessible to newcomers to the series.

A pretty funny romp that never quite finds its speed both as a shooter and as a comedic story. It’s unlikely you’ll be bored with High on Life.

M2H and Blackmill Games have executed their concept so well that the most glaring criticism is that there is not more. With such good a foundation as Verdun, it would have been nice to see a greater variety of maps, or perhaps even some different objective based modes. While it should be noted that fans of run and gun in faster-paced shooters may be frustrated with the game’s more methodical pacing, Tanneberg is a satisfying tactical shooter.

The increase in class variety is welcome and each combatant has a certain novelty value, but Deadliest Warrior perhaps doesn't bring enough to the table to fully elevate itself above Medieval Warfare.

It's almost as if the guys that made this game have been playing classic video games from the time before saves were invented and wanted to give you a taste of those early days of home gaming but with the saves added in.

Serious Sam is another unfortunate casualty in this constant cycle of re-releases; it should have stayed in the past with all of the fond memories.

NHL 2K10 talks a good game with it’s brilliant TV-style presentation and is almost every bit as comprehensive as its competitor, but when it comes down to the clutch, 2K can’t quite seem to ‘squeeze it’ where it really counts.

Order of War does little to justify a purchase above the likes of CoH or Dawn of War II. The campaign modes are light on depth, and most seasoned players will breeze through before heading back to the heavy-hitters.

While it is clearly a nice game, Ancients of Ooga doesn't really do anything interesting enough to get beyond being a nice game into being a must have.

It’s a charming, lighthearted game of resource gathering and production. Unfortunately, it’s only really fun when things work smoothly and easily. Figuring out mistakes and solving problems - which should be the core of a good strategy game - are built around solving pathfinding issues, and Valhalla Hills doesn’t do much to make those problems more palatable.

Most will come for the original game, which offers a decent amount of challenge and length and a great deal of variety in its levels. Just go into it knowing that the original game was released back in 2003 – and in spite of the HD upgrade, it feels like it.

Disciples: Domination is a flawed, by-the-numbers strategy RPG that shows some creativity with its units and certain boss mechanics, but lacks enough depth and variety to sustain the amount of fights it throws at you across its decently lengthy campaign. Its writing lacks a consistent tone, its world fails to grip you, while Avyanna only stands out as one of the most unconvincing protagonists to date, making Domination a functional but rather forgettable second entry in the series.

To put it simply, I Am Alive is one of the most important releases this generation. Ubisoft should be commended for producing a title that challenges many adult themes. The effort is an amazingly brave and thought-provoking one, resulting in a product that is memorable and undeniably unique. People will be talking about this for years to come, and with good reason.

Those who fully appreciate the fast-paced, arcade action may not be fully appreciative of the attention to detail paid to the planes on show. Likewise, those who fully appreciate the attention to detail, may be disappointed to not be given a deeper flight simulation with which to fly their historical birds.

For all its comical charm, Jack Keane does not quite reach the heights of the games that inspired it.

At the end of the day, Aliens: Fireteam Elite doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a game that clearly knows what it wants to be. It’s not the most sophisticated co-op shooter out there and won’t exactly blow your mind with its uniqueness, but if you want to spend an evening shooting up Xenomorphs alongside friends, it has you covered.

Alice: Madness Returns may not win awards for genre innovation, but it's the most darkly fun and gloriously batty game I've played since Psychonauts. I can't think of any higher praise.

The repetitive minigames that occupy a significant portion of the gameplay in Zipp’s Cafe tend to hinder its charm, despite the narrative potential that flickers through its admittedly dry dialogues. While the game succeeds to some extent in immersing players into its expansive setting, the lackluster routine of food and drink preparation, coupled with insufficiently developed characters, makes it challenging to feel drawn into becoming a frequent visitor.

Quake Arena Arcade is Quake III: Arena again, except this time around there is no-one to play against. If you've already played Quake to death, there is no need to pick this edition up, even for the exclusive maps. The lack of players online is a clear sign that Quake fans would really like something new for a change.

While it is too short an experience it’s a great, unique one and I urge anyone who likes fun games to give it a go.

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

Without online multiplayer, all the stages and possessing visuals that are inferior to the console versions, Dead or Alive 5 Last Round manages that rare and horrible thing of making PC players feel like second-class citizens to their console brethren and in doing so, succeeds in heavily tarnishing what is actually a pretty incredible fighting game in the process.

Finally the game that many 2K Sports fans have been waiting for, and at the very least, the gameplay and presentation is exciting and engaging.

So that's basically it. If you enjoy your puzzle games and like to work your brain on challenges ranging from simple to break-the-desk frustrating, then Safecracker might just be for you.

As a tower defence shooter hybrid, Excubitor has the potential to be an adrenaline-charged, strategic masterpiece. However, a number of aspects have let the game down and this left me feeling disappointed.

ShadowHand takes an old game with a reputation for dullness, and dresses it up in an elegant Victorian English RPG coat. Somehow miraculously, it works really well. It isn’t a reinvention of the wheel, but the sense of personality the game pack in addition to being simply fun definitely makes it worth the time and money.

The story's fairly competent and ties into the film well, but the lack of Andrew Garfield or even a remote sound-alike ruins its chances of feeling like the movie it's supposed to tie in to.

Despite my lacking interest for the Cossacks game titles, I was surprisingly impressed by the game play (not that I can remain patient for long with turn-based games), though slightly disappointed at the immense strain the game causes to lower end systems.

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.

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.

On its own merits, the PC version of Insect Armageddon is a strong port of the most modern and proficient Earth Defense Force yet. The downloadable version is even cheaper than its console counterparts too, currently "e-tailing" for £14.99 on Steam.

We can’t remember the last time a game disappointed us so much. Petroglyph are a gifted RTS developer filled with industry veterans, and their last title Grey Goo was superb. 8-Bit Armies though is not.

Shadowgate is a faithful update then, but Zojoi have squandered the opportunity to actually update the gameplay too.

The ability to drive everything and anything combined with the detailed levels and highly flexible units makes it a very realistic experience for an RTS and it's not far off being the modern-warfare version of "Company of Heroes."

Enjoyable but highly flawed.

LEGO The Hobbit has plenty of charm and plenty of content, but it's hard not to feel like the series is lacking some of the verve that it once had.

In the end, Empires Apart is a very capable game, but it looks surprisingly like an Early Access title. It does feel a bit like Age of Empires, but its focus on multiplayer and lack of content may put a lot of people off. If you liked the gameplay provided by Age of Empires, you should definitely take a look at Empires Apart.

If you’re looking for an interactive board game with role-playing elements, a ton of stats and moderately interesting writing you could do a lot worse than Blackguards.

Night Call is interesting in ways most games aren’t. It’s a game that humanizes people that usually get mockery. It’s so good at this that it overshadows the serial killer stuff. It can lose its steam thanks to some repetitive gameplay, but its shorter length prevents it from dragging on. Its design choices will turn away action-oriented players, but it’s a pleasant surprise if you want more compassion in your crime fiction.

White Night’s biggest achievement though is clearly the terrifying atmosphere that pervades throughout its duration. Though certainly not absolving the game of its other flaws, the sense of dread and fear is palpable and in a genre which has largely neglected the finer aspects of its craft, White Night stands out as an exceptional, yet mechanically imperfect proposition.

As an action-RPG, perhaps there is a better option available if you've yet to play through Darksiders, but Nier still manages to stand on its own accomplishments – as varied in mechanics and quality as they may be. For that reason alone, I'd suggest giving it a try.

Strange Brigade is enormous amounts of fun whether you’re playing in co-op or single-player, and you’ll more than get your money’s worth from it.

Brink is an extremely confused piece of software, that isn't quite sure exactly what it is, or what it's meant to be doing. When it gets into its stride and the gameplay flows, there are moments of beauty to behold. For the most part, however, it's all a bit irksome, as you battle with server issues, single player modes that aren't really single player at all, and a severe lack of direction.

Overall Vanguard isn't a bad game, but it doesn't really bring anything new to the table of the MMO industry.

Nova-111 is a clever, albeit brief puzzle adventure romp, featuring an intelligent fusion of setting and gameplay elements. The phase-shift and time manipulation have been done before, but Nova-111 wraps it all together in a charming and humorous package that should provide you with an evening or two of decent entertainment.

In all, Kill It With Fire is shockingly fun for its simplicity. A game that wields excessive violence against the spider menace as many have wanted to do for so long, or perhaps at least joked about doing. The environments are very quaint and nice, which makes the surprising amount of destruction gamers can pull off all the more entertaining and appreciated, and the spiders that fill them are smart and sneaky little buggers since they can and will hide behind objects… including debris if gamers are a bit too eager to blow everything sky high. Definitely a worthwhile title if you want to kill some spiders.

MotoGP 10/11 will disappoint anyone who enjoyed last year's game. In short, the 'all-new handling' the game uses as a selling point makes for a game lodged between two conflicting race genres.

Though it's competently made and packs in a good amount of content overall The UnderGarden makes for a fairly dull experience.

An involving game, with interesting varied strategic options and challenges thrown at the player.

Gauntlet needs fun, badly.

Men of War: Assault Squad 2 won't be for everyone, but there's something endearing and impressive about its utter lack of concern for your well-being.

Fans of the first HAWX will no doubt derive a great deal of joy from another hearty dose of solid dogfighting, but then everyone else will feel the same sort of confused indifference towards the story and will quickly grow tired of shooting down wave after wave of jet fighters.

For a full-price game, though, Wahammer 40K: Armageddon feels lacklustre and slightly cheap, more of a re-skin of Panzer Corps than its own beast, and lacking the sense of grandeur that the setting requires. There’s a great turn-based 40K out there somewhere, but this isn’t it.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 will most likely receive a cult following for its kooky characters and general offbeat atmosphere, and the solid multiplayer options will keep many coming back. A word of warning, however - give this one a rent before you go the whole hog, as the baffling physics and numerous technical oddities are sure to kill this ride for many.

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.

All in all, Bejeweled Blitz LIVE is a great puzzle game on Live, and is one of the few games that is perfect for marathon online sessions, or just a quick five minute round to kill some time.

This is a must have for both fans and newcomers a like, but don't expect the second coming. This is a solid and improved version of East India Company, nothing more.

Same old same old, then - Alien Breed 3: Descent is not the sequel we were hoping for, dragging the series out rather than building on it. Still, for Alien Breed fanatics, the story will at least provide closure and more of the same.

It may not quite master its new perspective, but Trine 3 is still a charming, light-hearted romp that’s well worth your time.

A superhero game where heroes are quite fragile, Marvel’s Avengers is constantly in doubt of where it wants to go and ends up arriving nowhere.

Zero’s not a bad game. The opening train sequence is one of the coolest parts of the entire series, and while the character swapping mechanic isn’t the deepest gameplay addition, it adds a sense of cooperation missing from the other games. But its poor pacing and excruciating inventory management problems keep its unique additions from having the impact they should. The visual upgrades and improved control options help to make revisiting it a bit easier, but its flaws stand out all the more now, a decade-and-a-half later.

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.

Overall the game is well done and will be very much enjoyed by fans of the classic X:COM games and anyone who enjoys tactical combats.

A little more imagination and Galactic Assault could have been a far more valuable addition to the overfull alien battle strategy genre.

The Callisto Protocol is one of the year’s biggest letdowns. It is joyless, contrived and feels unfinished, as if the studio rushed it out prior to Dead Space Remake’s launch on January 27, 2023. Like Black Iron itself, I can’t help but feel the project was abandoned at some point. It feels so wrong for a game that looks and sounds this great to be so devoid of spark and quality control. It’s fitting that after traversing every tight nook and cranny, the only feeling left once the credits have rolled is that of having life squeezed from you.

So yeah, it's only for people who are really, really (repeat for a while) really into their tough platformers or those who love Rayne's exploits so much, they can't live without experiencing this.

If you like the idea of Resident Evil 4 crossed half-and-half with Silent Hill then The Evil Within is the game for you. Just be prepared to put up with 30 FPS.

It's very traditional, very solid and in gameplay terms doesn't offer anything new to the genre. Behaviour have, as mentioned, attempted to keep things fresh, but there's only so much they could do if their remit was to create a generic platformer.

Battlefield 2042 should have been a massive, triumphant return for the series but, as much as it scratches that itch for both small and large scale combat, it brings some unnecessary changes to its core formula while missing the mark with some of its ambitious new features. With enough support, the great first-person shooter underneath might fully surface in a few months’ time, but properly enjoying it at launch requires jumping through several hoops.

The Long Journey Home had so much promise but Daedalic forgot to make it playable. They focused on the big picture, on the huge epic universe, without realizing that it’s the small stuff that’s important.

A short, sharp cooperative puzzler with a fun time-spanning twist. The Past Within sees Rusty Lake go all out to make the purest kind of cooperative experience possible, and ends up doing a fine job.

There’s a lot to love with The Occupation. It’s got humanity, tension, and plenty of little touches that make finding that extra bit of information exciting without the usual violence you’ve come to expect from stealth games. However, its focus on no manual saving and real-time gameplay will be a dealbreaker. It’s not for everyone, but anyone craving consequence and narrative in their stealth game will find a challenge worth facing.

There are sparks of inspiration here and a beautifully realised setting, but beneath that veneer of intrigue lies gameplay that just doesn't cut it with the best. There's just about enough to enjoy in this broken version of 80's Seattle, just expect to be frustrated in digging out the treats.

When you finally begin to put the aerial maneuvers together and to great effect, as you’re dodging incoming falcons, stopping in mid-air to shake that tailing dragon, or barrel-rolling to produce near-miss fire.

Despite lacking the scripted set-pieces of a so-called 'AAA' game, Insect Armageddon does a remarkable job of showing what a focused team can produce on a minimal budget.

There's certainly a rich simulation in here for those that do so (and those already in the know), but getting there can be tough.

It’s certainly worth picking up Battlezone: Combat Commander if you like the central premise of an RTS/FPS mash-up as it’s still one of the best games in the Action Strategy genre, but if Rebellion or Big Boat make a proper Battlezone 3 then we hope it’ll focus on the fun more than the frustration.

What's here is entertaining enough, but you can't shake the feeling that the end product could have been so much more fulfilling with just a little more conviction and/or development time. Whatever their reasons though, I'll be crossing my fingers for a sequel; the concept is brilliant.

As engaging, addictive and fun as the previous games. Unless you really don't like firearms, it will appeal to fans of the series, and even newcomers might appreciate the improved degree of direction you're given at the beginning.

There is no denying that fans of the series can and will appreciate the options available and will spend hours customizing and creating the ultimate robot. With a stronger story and more attention to detail as well as a simplified difficulty level this mech could have been the ultimate warrior.

Granted, it’s a HD remake of a 2002 game, and when the new wave of space sim games come – X: Rebirth being the first in November – it’s going to get completely overshadowed, but it’s a great way to pass the time till then.

If you honestly loved Just Cause 3 and want to carry on the war that game started, along with balloons to send cows into the stratosphere, you’ll mostly be happy with the sequel. For the rest of us, it’s never as good or insane as it needs to be, and every part of the excitement is tinged with frustration.

It is good, but the Vietnam setting doesn't fit the template as well as World War II, and I would strongly advise newcomers to play the original Men of War first, otherwise that first mission may well put you off for life.

Level design is cramped and unfair, the controls are imprecise, the interface is from a completely different genre of game and is extremely cluttered and unhelpful, and the whole thing is just painful. 2Dark is extremely frustrating, extremely badly designed, and extremely not fun. I’m glad it wiped my saves. Avoid.

SEV doesn’t bring anything new to the table but it is a refinement of the genre. It has all the features you’d expect or want from a turn-based space strategy game and it does them all very well.

A good management game with superb visuals, offering enough freedom to let you build your own merchant empire in the Caribbean to your heart’s content.

Beyond an amusing style and excellent presentation the game is as deep as a particularly dry puddle, and while I have nothing against games that offer simple thrills Shoot Many Robots doesn't make levels interesting enough to make them feel anything but repetitious – and the occasional Survival levels only exacerbate the problem, not offer a reprieve.

Even for a budget title, Lollipop Chainsaw has plenty of shortcomings. Repetitive combat, bland levels and an insistence on sexual humour will leave many players disappointed. That said, it does produce a few moments worthy of your time.

For less than a fiver, it’s a bargain, if for nothing else but to experience the bizarre feeling of absolute frustration and absolute relaxation in tandem, courtesy of well-structured, taxing level design and Cody Cook’s beautiful soundtrack.

I really don’t want to rag too much on Rise of the Triad given it works so hard – and often succeeds – to just be an even-more-ridiculous modern-looking remake of a classic FPS. In many ways Interceptor have done exactly that, but in others I really wish they’d been more ambitious.

Just keep in mind you'll need to go in with plenty of patience and a willingness to search outside the game if something obscure trips you up. If you can get past that, and you like a bit of simulation, you're going to have a lot of fun.

Save your money for Far Harbor.

Space Ark is a decent kids game, and it will probably hold the attention of an adult for a good couple of hours, but eventually the repetition begins to grate, and staring into the hypnotic disney-eyes of the Arkonauts becomes slightly disturbing as you begin to wonder whether they can see into your soul.

As an action-RPG, perhaps there is a better option available if you've yet to play through Darksiders, but Nier still manages to stand on its own accomplishments – as varied in mechanics and quality as they may be.

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.

Though it's competently made and packs in a good amount of content overall The UnderGarden makes for a fairly dull experience.