It's definitely going to be punishing to casual players or people who simply aren't that good, but if you do manage to get to grips with it, it's very rewarding. It can sometimes feel a little grindy, especially early on as you're trying to save up money to perfect your first load out, but other than that this is one good looking and well-made man stabber.

It’s perfectly pleasant and enjoyable brand of cartoon violence will probably see a good few hours of your time fly by as you swipe your way through adorable, glowing-eyed samurai enemies.

Make no mistake this is a tremendous homage to classic RPGs but that means it also comes with a few caveats.

I quite liked Heretek due to the way it adds up to the base campaign while simultaneously making use of your characters and giving you new ways to progress. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to get back on the metal shoes of a Tech-priest, look no further – Heretek might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Ancient Enemy isn’t bad, and is one of the better ways you can reinvent Solitaire-esque games. But it is still a Solitaire-esque game, and that makes it hard to recommend to anyone who isn’t a fan of the genre. Add that with the resistances and inventory mechanics slowing down the game proper, and it’s a tough sell. If everything I mentioned here sounds appealing, give it a shot. Everyone else, proceed with caution.

Bite-sized gaming at its best.

With its genre-fusing game play and cheeky yet surreal take on ancient history it really is one of a kind.

For those of you looking for something different, Majesty 2 is definitely one to try out. The humour is light, if sometimes cheesy, and the gameplay is certainly intriguing. Whilst it’s not without its flaws (but then what game isn’t?), this is still a highly accessible title. If Majesty 2 was an 80's TV show, I’d certainly watch it.

A cult classic, a rare and crazy gem that demands your full attention from start to finish. The conversion from Wii to PS3 hasn't been entirely without fault, but it's still well worth picking up, especially if you never experienced it the first time around.

Unfortunately while it gets the mechanics right the overall design is a far cry from Dark Souls. The world itself is plain, unimaginative and uninteresting. The level design is cramped and maze-like. The enemies are mostly stock sci-fi robots which aren’t that fun to defeat. If you’re desperate for a new Souls-style game and like the idea of the sci-fi setting, set your expectations low and you could totally enjoy The Surge. We on the other hand got bored of it very quickly, and we can imagine a lot of gamers feeling the same way. Shame.

I am extremely glad of Serious Sam 3's existence. It serves as a timely reminder of how shooters don't need to be highly restrictive rollercoasters that heavily manipulate the player in order to create intensity and epic spectacle.

But is it worth the initial investment? Due to the impressive groundwork laid by the excellent character creation and combat, I'd say yes.

Anno 2205 has so much going on and makes all of your tasking varied and interesting. One game is three different building sims with real-time strategy naval battles peppered in and everything moves in a way that makes it compelling and addictive instead of overwhelming. It’s an ambitious improvement in a lot of ways over Anno 2070. Unfortunately, the technical issues keep it from being the perfect entry in the series that it wants to be.

The focus on unique weaponry and customization at the moment provides Loadout with a degree of compulsive appeal. But without Annihilation mode, it's debatable whether there is any long-term depth on offer here.

For fans of space-faring simulation games, it's more or less a must.

Block N Load offers an intelligent blend of tactical play and madcap carnage that hits the spot in a way that Ace of Spades never did.

Bugsnax is a feel-good adventure with a lovable cast, a rich variety of tasty prey to hunt, but thoroughly unremarkable gameplay.

Instilled with an obvious reverence and applied knowledge of the genre, The Journey Down is an adventure game made by people who love adventure games. The ride's a little bumpy at the moment, but it's surely going interesting places.

This game has made a very successful transition to PC. Its levels are well-designed employing interesting mechanics that make it challenging, yet equally rewarding to play.

Whatever your feelings about Cars, arguably Pixar's least popular movie series, you can't deny the quality of Cars 2: The Video Game. It's everything that typical movie games aren't, being fun, content-rich and technically solid.

For $20 on Steam, it's a hard deal to beat.

While I consider myself a veteran of strategic RPGs, frequently I found myself frustrated by Aarklash and annoyed by the lack of depth to many of the systems that support the combat - looting and equipping characters has ever felt so much like a chore, while the puzzles you'll face are an unwelcome obstacle, lacking entirely in originality or ingenuity.

There are a fair number of things to like in Cognition and it certainly represents a promising start to the series. While it's not quite up to the "modern adventure" standard set by The Blackwell Deception at least Phoenix Online are trying, and I was pleased to see and feel how much thought and effort had gone into all the components.

While in truth, it’s possible that some might tire of its regimented systems and board game esque beats, the fact remains that Renowned Explorers still stands as one of the best surprises of the year so far that wannabe adventurers of any age can enjoy.

A welcome addition to the strategy genre, offering a few new ideas sprinkled over a solid base of classic turn-based gameplay.

An incremental upgrade to Dead Rising 2. It's still great fun, but just be aware this is little extra than more of the same.

Things feel like they're going to start hotting up in Cognition, and while nothing's blowing me away in general I am enjoying the series. However, certain things definitely require a strong polish, and I hope Phoenix Online has time to make improvements before the next episode.

While Star Wars Battlefront is by no means a triumph, it’s not a disaster either. It nails the Star Wars atmosphere perfectly, with an incredible sense of spectacle and some of the most awe-inspiring moments in multiplayer gaming.