There may well be a half-decent game lurking beneath the facade of tired jokes and nods to RPG tropes and stereotypes, which Citizens of Earth then insists of portraying anyway, however it’s far too caught up in its own bravado to realise it.

Unfortunately, its tower-defense half fails to offer compelling strategic options, and that lack of depth, compounded by the lack of content, keeps the game from having much lasting appeal.

For old, war-tested Stronghold players Crusader 2 is a triumphant evolution of the game that they've held dear for the last twelve years. For the rest of us though, there is perhaps no better time to see what all the fuss is about.

When it’s fun, it’s really fun. When it isn’t, it’s still totally competent. The final thought will have to come down to whether or not building and knocking down castles sounds like a fun way to spend an evening. If so, then perhaps Stronghold: Warlord is a castle worth besieging.

If you want to be scared out of your mind for an hour or so, feel free to get Slender: The Arrival. If you consider that the only prerequisite for a horror game, it gets top marks. Trouble is video games have to have more than that, and this is where The Arrival falls down.

It’s essentially an enhanced remake of the original with new 3D graphics applied. There’ll be a certain feeling of monotony when playing through the title, so players shouldn’t expect a fantastical time that revolutionizes the genre.

I had hopes for Yesterday, but they were beaten out of me during its absurdly short playing time. I got actively angry at the game at several occasions just because of the leaps of non-logic I was supposed to take.

Blacklight: Tango Down turns out to be too much fun for the slowness of the matchmaking system to prove too much of an obstacle.

This game is an interesting take on a well worn piece of history, making it relatable to a wide audience. While learning the game can be a bit frustrating, both puzzle fans and strategy fans will find something to enjoy after you get the basics down.

Unless someone really likes archaeology or must possess every adventure game ever created by man, then it’s doubtful anyone would bother to give Barrow Hill a glance.

While it’s no mega contender, it does have its charm and could easily be one of those games you find yourself visiting time and time again.

Dungeons is not what we were expecting, and that's completely fine with us. With clever and enjoyable gameplay that turns the tower defense genre on its head, this one is a real keeper.

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.

It gets its hooks into you prompting you to return in drips and drabs. Fans will love it as ever, but if you've never experienced the world of Gundam or Dynasty Warriors, this is the perfect game to bring you into the series.

Two Worlds succeeds at what it sets out to provide – a poor man’s Oblivion and a simple, unrestrictive introduction to role playing games.

It is what it is…a fairly mediocre game aimed at being a marketing plug on a movie franchise. With those expectations it succeeds, and for a random afternoon of whack a mole with a turtle and a golf club it’s enjoyable.

All in all Supreme Ruler is a solid game.

As with Avernum, HoMM3’s sheen has not been dulled by the vitiating properties of time; instead, its unique blend of roleplaying and strategy is just as alluring 15 years on.

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.

Jade Dragon adds precious little to Crusader Kings 2, which would have benefitted much more from a playable and visible Chinese region. This expansion feels far too feature-bare for its price tag, and even at a smaller price point none of it feels really impactful. Even when you have access to the China menu, you’ll likely find yourself progressing via other means.

Overall, WTF is a capable fast-paced game clearly aimed at fans of East/Gundam-style robot fights than more Western/weighty robot realistic representations. The game has a serious problem with feedback that never really goes away, but it should provide enough meaningless fun for anyone who’s really interested in the subject matter.

Jurassic World Evolution: Secrets of Dr Wu is a highly entertaining and worthwhile expansion to the main game, if you enjoyed Evolution. The five new dinosaurs are fun, the missions are some of the best in the game, and the Tacano Research Facility is a tight and truly unique level unlike any other - it’s about research and things going Jurassic World-level wrong, with an entertaining story to boot. If we’re going to be brutally honest though, in terms of actual newness there isn’t a lot in Secrets of Dr Wu. The expanded feeders and other changes make the game better, but they’re in the patch.

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.

While Orwell’s Animal Farm stays true to its source material, its repetitive and unclear gameplay weakens a stylized portrayal of the book. It’s not the worst way to spend a couple hours thanks to replayability and excellent narration, but it’s not compelling to get every ending and collect every stamp. You’ll get a lot more out of reading the book than you will from the game.

It's a shame because the technology underpinning both Spore titles is undoubtedly a fantastic achievement, but it looks like we'll be waiting a while longer before Maxis manages to find the right outlet for its creative tools.

WRC 5 is a completely competent, inoffensive racing game, but it lacks the features that have become standard in the genre. Whether you’re a fan of simulation or arcade-style racers, there are many better alternatives out there.

Despite still having a few issues Risen 3: Titan Lords is a vast improvement on Risen 2. The combat could be better but doesn't cripple the game this time, the world is more interesting and easier to get around, and there's tons of stuff to do.

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.