Some areas still need more fleshing out, and there's some things that haven't been touched on at all here that could do with some work, but Civilization V is certainly better with Gods & Kings, and there is plenty of new content here to justify the cost.

Like Master Chief himself, Infinite lets its combat do the talking while looking towards a bright future. After that initial showing, we couldn’t ask for more.

While many of the main gameplay mechanics remain like the original, many smaller changes have been made to improve the overall gameplay experience. The UI is wonderful and the varied faction mechanics allow for a good amount of replay ability. There are plenty of joyous empire building moments to be had in Endless Space 2 and it also contains a good level of strategic depth especially in multiplayer.

Yes, it feels like we’ve been here before, partly because we have. But when it’s executed with such finesse, is that such a bad thing?

It’s far from an essential purchase, but hardcore Crusader Kings 2 fans will probably want to pick this up for the custom kingdoms alone. For everyone else I’d advise giving it a miss unless you’re very interested in the period setting.

Another fantastic game from Obsidian, the formula they have created from Pillars has served up another brilliant RPG for people to sink their teeth into for hours of Tyrannical enjoyment.

Exciting, clever and ultimately addictive.

Building on its predecessor’s mixture of RTS and RPG elements, SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest provides an engaging recipe that we don’t often get nowadays. A stand-alone expansion in the traditional sense, exploring its 20-hour long story campaign means uncovering a plot with significant consequences alongside a handful of charismatic companions. Whether delving into ancient ruins as a party of four or leading armies on the frontlines, Soul Harvest’s unique blend of RTS and RPG is one worth experiencing.

With the release of Revelations, Ubisoft have finally turned their initial concept into a truly unmissable game. Pulling the narrative together alongside some vital gameplay additions, this is the best, most complete Assassin's Creed title to date.

Tempest Rising wears its C&C influence proudly, and while this overreliance on tradition limits its full potential, Slipgate Ironworks’ overall effort is remarkable and must be celebrated.

Grid 2 is a racing game that rewards skill without punishing you for the tiniest mistakes, letting you master a simple system with a forgiving attitude. It may stray too close towards the easy side of the scale at times, and it'll be interesting to see how the game works online (which unfortunately wasn't tested in this review), but its career mode is well worth playing and you won't be satisfied until you've mastered every single corner.

The Evil Within 2 is an excellent game and a wonderful survival horror, perfectly mixing Silent Hill and Resident Evil 4 while correcting all the flaws of the original. The story’s better, the locations flow together well, the more open areas are fun to explore, and the ability to choose between action and stealth is very welcome. It’s also incredibly creepy with truly wonderful monster designs. The combat can be a little frustrating, especially early on, and occasionally the stiff Resident Evil 4/Gears of War-esque controls make things a little tougher than they need to be, but in general The Evil Within 2 hits the mark. If you’re looking for that ideal horror game to play on Halloween, this is the one to go for.

While this is certainly a return to form for the franchise, the game doesn't quite escape the shadow of the original, with the forced narrative aspects sometimes overtaking gameplay. Nevertheless, when judged by its own merits, Amnesia: Rebirth is a quality horror title made by passionate developers out to tell a disturbing story. At the end of the day, I'd recommend this one to any horror fan up for some interactive Cosmic Horror this Halloween season.

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

The writing is getting tighter with each pass and the folks at TellTale really seem to know what they want from the series and where they’re going with it, and I’m happy to be along for the ride!

It isn't the greatest, but it keeps making strides to reclaim its former glory.

The big draw here is the inventive Necromancer class, which is just heaps of fun, but both the two new races and the range of smaller changes, like the new options for a peaceful victory, are smart additions that will make Age of Wonders 3 feel fresh again to even the most jaded player. Take note, developers; this is how you do a good expansion pack.

With the release of Revelations, Ubisoft have finally turned their initial concept into a truly unmissable game. Pulling the narrative together alongside some vital gameplay additions, this is the best, most complete Assassin's Creed title to date.

The original Hand of Fate took a lot of different styles of gaming and brought them together successfully to make something really unique. Hand of Fate 2 improves upon nearly every aspect of the original, providing diverse new challenges that help build the world around the Game of Life and Death. The new scenarios, the success checks that come with them, the companions, and new encounters and gear cards all add hundreds of unique touches to the game that make every card flip an experience. Meanwhile, despite a few small flaws combat is as smooth as ever with the new weapons and companion abilities allowing players to find their own preferred way to dispatch the wide array of opponents they come across. Luck is a fickle mistress and this game isn’t shy about stomping out your quests like a merciless tabletop game master in any part of your endeavors. That said, Hand of Fate 2 rewards the determined and stacking the deck in your favor to overcome its challenges makes this quest well worth the effort.

A very fun game for the buck. It’s a nice addition to the season arc, and likely my favorite of the four.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, expansion or no, is the game Duke Nukem Forever should’ve been – all ridiculous lines, over-the-top moments, glorious cheese all the way, with plenty of moments where you feel like the greatest bad-ass in the world.

Clever ideas are interspersed with components that fail miserably, making this the definition of 'mixed bag'.

From Dust is a magical experience, but it could have been just that little bit more. The Xbox 360 controls aren't as precise as we would have liked, meaning that putting down dirt in exactly the spot you wanted can be tricky. The camera is also completely awful, only allowing you to look from two viewpoints - a 35 degree angle, or from the top. Restrictions on the camera are always a bad idea, period.

Combined with The Knife of Dunwall, The Brigmore Witches and the story of Daud is exactly what Dishonored’s DLC needed to be – a fun side-story with an interesting character that adds to the main story but doesn’t take anything away.

A taste for micromanagement, high difficulty and a tactical way of battling is essential to enjoy Disgaea 4.

Enjoy it for the looks, the controls and cuteness of it all and enjoy it for the simplicity, most of all.

Despite its short-length, bland level design and forgettable bosses, The Darkness II is a thoroughly entertaining blast from start to finish. Who knew dismembering hordes of enemies would be such a guilty pleasure?

God of War: Ascension is a decent addition to the franchise. Combat remains sharp and puzzles are more intricate than ever. Unfortunately, a lack of interesting source material never shakes off the feeling that the stakes are lower here. This is easily the weakest God of War title to date, but when you consider the immense quality of the previous five games, it's perhaps to be expected.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake successfully captures the soul and voice of a classic while improving on the presentation and scope, but shoddy combat often brings those commendable efforts down.

New characters are introduced in a way that will make players struggle as they try to balance their allegiance to those with more familiar faces. Whereas, Clementine’s flashbacks will leave players hungry for more information about her movements between Season Two and Three. The Ties That Bind encapsulates everything that I could possibly ask for in The Walking Dead, improving on all the issues that I had with the previous season and adding things that I didn’t even know I wanted.

The story tries to be too dramatic in parts, with a few out-of-place dark moments and a slightly unsatisfying ending that seems entirely written to tell me off for saying that Rufus was a selfish unlikeable dick (you’ll see).

In the end, Gathering Storm brings a few new toys to the sixth entry of the classical turn-based franchise, but does hedge a few bets on the natural disaster part of the deal. While those are an interesting addition, they are not meaningful enough to spearhead a whole expansion – and certainly not at the full prices charged by 2K.

By offering players a choice between the Hammer and the Anvil, Relic has prevented the British army from feeling like a retread of the formula established in the original game. An excellent addition.

If you’re an adventure fan and not a terminal coulrophobe Dropsy is well worth picking up, just because it tries to do something different.

There is definitely a case that some of the structural improvements and additions should have found inclusion in the original title, but all of them are well thought-out and implemented, adding longevity and replay value to an already deep title.

Life is Strange 2 isn’t re-writing DONTNOD’s rulebook when it comes to gameplay, but the tale being told this time around is a far bigger statement than their last. And it’s only just begun.

If Sleeping Dogs started life as an unloved orphan, it's now an adult that can hold its head high.

Remnant 2's revamped archetype system and improved world generation breathe new life into what otherwise remains an iterative sequel that sees no need to fix what isn't broken. Great gunplay and creative weapon mods fuel its addictive moment-to-moment gameplay, while offering enough reasons to keep clearing dungeons, grinding materials, and upgrading or trying out new guns...But as much as it's a better game than its predecessor and one whose action scratches that itch for a challenging third-person shooter, less than ideal optimization, forgettable characters, and clumsy writing, alongside a suite of hit-or-miss bosses keep it just shy of greatness.

Fortunately by being just generally being more challenging for both stealth and action gamers Knife of Dunwall is a decent piece of DLC no matter how it’s sliced. There may be only two real missions over five levels but there’s so much packed in those levels that I spend a good few days exploring them, and was left fully satisfied.

For Company of Heroes veterans, Company of Heroes 2 feels a little like coming home.

It’s ok, but it’s probably not the best piece of DLC they’ve put out.

A side-expansion of game mechanics and an interesting alternative experience full of indigenous Chinese and wild (but tamed) animals.

Ash of Gods: The Way is a compelling card battler RPG with a visual style and story that carries the game through its later lulls.

Despite the oddities, the head-scratchers and the disappointments, there are some moments of pure brilliance that reminds us just why we were playing in the first place.

A worthy purchase certainly, but only if you’re prepared to accept Far Cry 3.5 rather than Far Cry 4.

Rampaging counter-measures aside; Battlefield 2142 is the latest and greatest release in the series and is well worth every pound/dollar/euro.

For those with the time and patience however, World of Tanks looks to be an ever-evolving title with ambitions to stay fresh for the foreseeable future (new nations have been added since launch, and Risk-style clan-based world warfare is reportedly coming soon).

By far, however, the greatest addition to the formula is the co-op multiplayer. Grab a friend online, and the two of you can slice, chop and smash your way through the hordes together, with plenty of missions to complete. The action is very entertaining with a second person keeping you company and you'll spend hours simply exploring and clearing out entire areas of zombies together.

Penarium is an excellent game that delivers quality fun with or without friends.

PES 2012 plays an extremely entertaining brand of football, largely sweeping away the complaints of the two previous versions in the process. There are problems for sure, but it's nice to know that whichever of the football titans you choose this year, you'll get a decent result.

The best way to treat Kiwami is like the 2nd season of a show. It might reuse animations or games, but the budget saved from that allows for a greater focus on the new stuff. It’s both different and comfortable. It’s not the perfect introduction to the franchise, nor the most unique. Nevertheless, if you loved the world of Yakuza 0 and crave more serious crime dramas that let you bowl with your eyepatched rival, Kiwami is a wonderful port for an interesting game. So long as you can forgive minor design hiccups, you’ll be sure to have a blast in Kamurocho.

The real winner here ends up being folk who never experienced the original Dragon’s Dogma. With this release you have an opportunity to experience one of the most refreshing, exciting and different Japanese RPGs of the last decade in its most complete form, and at a bargain basement price.

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.

I have no idea where the story is going next, and I'm itching to find out.

Luftrausers is a great a time-waster, a great test of your leet twitch skills, and a game that doesn’t assume too much and just lets you enjoy yourself.

A gigantic and compelling RPG experience. It's not quite ready to topple the big guns of the genre, but despite feeling "inspired" by every RPG or fantasy ever made it manages to offer a unique and entertaining alternative. Even if it does add yet another surly scantily-clad elf girl to the genre.

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.

Since I never played the earlier games, I can’t make the call as to whether or not this game was worth waiting 11 years for. Saying that, I’ve been waiting since I saw the game at GamesCom last year to get my hands on it, and it was definitely worth it.

Total Chaos’ remake can be orthodox to a fault, but it’s a polished evolution of a fascinating blend of survival horror and shooter that never lets off the gas.

While Ubisoft may have fundamentally failed to grasp the commitment behind learning actual guitar, the product behind it is sound. It may be a steep initial outlay to play, but if you're serious about learning guitar, this one will put you on the right path, while entertaining you in the process.

Besides some remaining rough edges, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is a near-perfect RTS package for old and new players alike.

If this were a TV show, one watch of this and any TV network would commission a full series – much like any adventure game fan who tries this will almost certainly follow this series throughout its run - provided it sticks to a somewhat regular release schedule.

Fortunately TT Games are not content to rest on their laurels as they've managed to pack in an exciting, thrilling and funny adventure with lots to explore and hours of gameplay to make the whole package feel not only fresh but epic to boot.

It’s a shame that Focus haven’t done more to ease people wanting to jump in to AirLand Battle who’ve bought the original game, but in all honesty this is worth the money, even if Focus don’t follow the same DLC plan they did before.

Without the Steam Workshop Natural Disasters is a nice little DLC that adds more depth to an already fun and interesting game. Giving long time players a little more spice. With the Steam Workshop and the scenario creator players will have an almost unlimited number of cities to play and scenarios to beat as players create new and interesting challenges for each other. It brings with it complexity and a difficulty level. The ability to fail at your job and the end of a game that has previously had no end. If at first you find that Natural Disasters isn’t for you, give it some time and try out the player made content. It’s the end of the world as we know it…and I feel fine.

WRC 9 will come with the racing sim action you’ve come to expect from the franchise. This also means that it’s not for everyone and can get bogged down in micromanaging in its career mode. It’s not for everyone, nor does it sell itself for the uninitiated. But if you enjoy the cars, the managing, the challenge, WRC 9 will be your cup of tea. Everyone else should find something enjoyable but nothing that’ll hold your attention for long.

The best is still getting better then, but the pace of improvement might need to be addressed.

A homage to retro classics is one thing but having gameplay that’s both challenging and fun makes Axiom Verge special. If you grew up in that era, you’d be a fool to miss out on this and if you’re new to the genre, I can’t think of a better entry.

NBA Live 10 is a step in the right direction for the series. The gameplay and graphics are heading towards offering the best package for the next-generation consoles – especially now that 2K Sports stunk it up with NBA 2K10.

Burial At Sea: Episode 2 combines a cool fan-pleasing story, enjoyable new gameplay (that you'll wish Bioshock had attempted more), wonderful level design, a satisfying conclusion to the series, and I haven't even mentioned how great Rapture looks and sounds.

Total War: Attila is the return to form that the series desperately needed.

Ninja Theory has been successful in using the talent that they have had at their disposal to enhance the gaming experience making Enslaved one of the best surprises of the year.

For a game that can take mere moments to complete, there's an impressive amount of depth to Sniper Challenge.

Tales of Berseria is a strong return to form from Bandai Namco and this return to form has produced one of the best Tales games out there in terms of story and overall quality.

From top to bottom, JYDGE is a heck of a run-and-gunner. It takes a minimalistic approach to story to give players the simple charm of the futuristic law enforcer that reminds of good ‘80s and ‘90s movies of the sort. Then it melds that environment with a slick combat system that keeps on giving and taking until your jydge is a cavalcade of murderous tools with which to deal out deadly justice, and for which every player will find their own preference. Moreover, levels are relatively bite sized experiences, so it’s an easy game to pick up, play for a bit, and then back out as you see fit. JYDGE is deceptively simple, but its brutal brand of law enforcement has a surprising amount of depth to offer.

While A World Betrayed is not as expansive as Mandate of Heaven’s prequel expansion, it adds two new factions that play completely different from any other in the game so far. If you love 3K and could use a more novel experience on your next playthrough, definitely give A World Betrayed a try.

To be honest, Absolution is a bit of a weird game in general – if you take various components individually, there are a lot of fun and unique elements to the game. Start to look at it as a whole product though, and you can't help but feel as emotionally detached as the people you end up killing. It's way more narrative driven than any of the previous games, and that has a natural effect on where you go, and what you do when you get there.

With the exception of ranked play, it has everything it needs for the early running. For what we played and how much fun we had, we hope it’s an experience that only continues to grow.

Revenge of the Titans is what you get when you inject some real indie love into a tired genre - style, innovation, experimentation and instant playability. Some may find themselves frustrated with a customization approach that leaves room for epic failures, but most will find the open-ended nature of it all quite refreshing.

It's a unique window into the world of the iconic TV show, with splashes of brilliance from one of the finest developers of this generation.

If you've forgotten just how much fun Gears' 2 multiplayer can be, whether co-op campaign, Horde mode or straight-up ranked play takes your fancy, now would be the time to step back into the fray.

1701 offers a nicely presented and deep strategy for gamers looking to sculpt a Caribbean styled empire, with fantastic artwork and interesting gameplay I would highly recommend this for players in the gaming mood to build, rather than destroy.

There are some issues but overall this is a unique experience that deserves to be played.

Conscript's more grounded setting had lots of potential to help it carve its place within the confines of the genre even if it sticks quite adamantly to established conventions. It has moments when it successfully paints how grim the life of a World War 1 soldier could have been, but it ultimately fails to strike that fine balance which crucially keeps you on edge and horrified but curious and willing to push on and discover how opening that next door might alter the protagonist's fate.

Sword of the Stars is unique from other turn-based space empire titles out there, the enormous sizes of the galaxies and their shapes set it apart. Players of the original will already be familiar with this but for those still in the dark, space is all 3D here and not just in terms of pretty graphics.

Running meaningful industries in your city is like playing a game within a game. Suddenly feeling like an entire county builder, it’s safe to say that the unstoppable force of Cities: Skylines just got a whole lot bigger.

It's rare that a videogame can remain just as relevant today as it did at the turn of the decade, but precisely because of the stylised graphics, simplistic physics and endless customisation options, Worms remains evergreen to this day.

Vermintide is fast, furious fun, and its supporting systems do a great job of dragging you back in for just one more go.

It's not perfect, with slightly clumsy partner AI and awkward flying mechanics for Superman featuring prominently, but any game that makes you continue to smile long after you've finished it, is a special game indeed.

Get yourself a good team, and you're in for a lot of fun.

The lack of a competitive online mode also reduces the replay value, although you can compete indirectly by getting high scores, and you can even visit other player’s islands.

As a straight-port with added multiplayer, developers Denki have done a decent job with Quarrel. Moving forward, there's plenty to build on in order to establish this as a successful series. When it comes down to business, Quarrel does its best to puff out its chest, but loses breath quicker than expected upon first playing. There's no doubt this is a charismatic, challenging and fun way to spend your time, if you don't mind some irritating tendencies along the way.

Instantly accessible, free for the base game, an active community that's happy to accommodate new players and a combat system that's got plenty of room to grow, Funcom have whacked this one out of the park.

Orcs Must Die is fun but in a limited, begrudgingly acknowledged sense. It's lacking a spark: something compelling to make you play beyond the first five minutes, or even through the first five minutes.

Valiant Hearts, by using the war as a backdrop and avoiding too much direct conflict, pays tribute to the 16 million that perished in The Great War 100 years ago and does it with humour, pathos and melancholy.

A fun game, especially for rogue-like veterans, who will get its dry British wit and genre in-jokes. The game is basically the next generation of the true rogue-like, much like Fatal Labyrinth was before it.

Future Soldier suffers from a sense of split-personality. It tries to follow in the footsteps of the popular crowd, employing predictable set-pieces and hopelessly manufactured scenes of controversy that lack any intelligence.

There's no doubt about it, Split/Second is a finely balanced, visually stunning racer that loves the brown stuff hitting the fan.