Not the best entry in the series, but it does have some of the best puzzles. As well as a bombastic, if slightly confused, story that will leave both new and old fans wanting more.

There is innovation here and even if it’s not always in exactly the areas you’d wish it’s enough to ensure that Call Of Duty’s status as the world’s favourite FPS is still largely deserved.

Many will argue as to whether it’s a ‘real’ game or not, but Proteus’ ability to stimulate your imagination and your senses makes it a more satisfyingly interactive experience than many.

Business as usual with a mediocre single-player campaign and one of the best multiplayer experiences in all gaming – especially on the inarguably superior PC version.

Not a very good Batman game and certainly not a very interesting take on the Metroid formula, this portable dud squanders its potential on boring exploration and frustrating combat.

The change of publisher has not yet ensured a change in quality for WWE games, although the 30 Years of WrestleMania mode is definitely of interest for long term fans.

The changes to the tactics system are likely to prove controversial but this is undeniably the most accessible and realistic Football Manager ever made.

Business as usual with a mediocre single-player campaign and one of the best multiplayer experiences in all gaming – although one severely compromised by playing it on the Xbox 360.

Frustratingly shallow and hamstrung by underdeveloped gameplay mechanics, and yet somehow the fact that that an open world pirate game exists at all is enough to provide a certain amount of fun.

A poor man’s version of Arkham City, although that still leaves a fairly rich gameplay experience – even if it is the franchise equivalent of treading water.

It’s the gameplay which remains slave to the visuals and storytelling here, in this intriguing but shallow post-apocalyptic fable.

Surviving zombies is fairly easy but the real enemy here is tedium and a shopping list of design mistakes that makes this one of the worst zombie games of the year.

A usefully improved version of what was already one of the most successfully ambitious action games of the last several years, with the second screen functions proving an unexpected bonus.

The jokes and plot twists are more bizarre than ever, but even they don’t always hit their mark – and without them this is an even less interesting gameplay experience than its parent game.

The best Ace Attorney so far, with a wonderfully entertaining series of mysteries that showcase the series’ oddball characters to their very best – and make some subtle but welcome improvements to the gameplay.

It’s still not a patch on the better Mario Party games but its still one of the few video games where literally everyone can join in and have some sort of fun – from non-gamers to the ultra hardcore.

The text adventure is reborn as one of the smartest and most engrossing interactive stories of the year, and with one of the best touchscreen interfaces ever seen.

There might not be any slow motion door breaches but this is the smartest and funniest first person game since Portal, with an interactive script that is as a profound as it is constantly amusing.

It’s depressing that the one modern game that shows the most effort is also the least satisfying to play, but if Sonic is ever to work in three-dimensions Lost World gives no clue as to how it might work.

The fact may dismay parents but this is an excellent sequel that goes to considerable effort to inject new ideas and fix earlier problems – making it one of the best kids games available today.

It’s a harder sell than The Walking Dead but this first episode is a promising start, that avoids fretting over details and instead creating characters you will genuinely care about.

A hugely disappointing remake that misunderstands everything that made the original great and turns a state-of-the-art blockbuster into a low rent timewaster.

The visuals are incredible, but for a game obsessed with storytelling at all costs the dopey plot and underwritten characters in no way make up for the lack of gameplay.

A Heavy Metal comic strip come to life, this is a worthy successor to Golden Axe and a great co-op game – but it stops short of fully revitalising the genre.

New Pokémon games often introduce minor features like this but they often feel like slim justification for a new game, and are abandoned the instant a new sequel comes out. Most of X and Y’s new ideas are more substantial, or at least more fun, and help to cement this as the definitive Pokémon game of the modern age.

The best new Pokémon for a decade and a game of exquisite depth and longevity, with visuals and online options that finally do the series justice.

Impressively unique in terms of both visuals and gameplay but all the most interesting ideas seem to wash away disappointingly quickly.

The best Formula 1 racer by default, although beyond the new retro additions very little has changed in this year’s game.

For a game obsessed with OTT violence and knob gags this is a surprisingly charming and likeable shooter, if an unavoidably shallow and repetitive one.

Despite playing the nostalgia card it’s newer players that will get the most from this streamlined sequel, although even they will be disappointed by the workmanlike script.

Still one of the best survival horror games of the generation and one whose thick atmosphere and surreal sojourns work surprisingly well on the PS Vita.

There are some compelling ideas at work here and probably the closest you’ll ever get to Chromehounds 2 – but only for those already intimately familiar with Armored Core V.

An unfortunate turn to the microtransaction Dark Side causes some unnecessary problems with balancing but gaming’s odd couple remains a surprisingly successful pairing.

It lacks commitment in some areas but there are enough new features and promising new ideas to keep fans busy for another 12 months, even if this is clearly a transitionary sequel.

It has sadly little to do with the original Xbox game but this is still a competent little stealth adventure, even if the Riddick connection is of arguable benefit to it.

The most realistic and versatile soldier sim ever made, but also the most bug-ridden and inscrutable – with an initial release that is missing a lot of promised features.

Ironically the beginning is by far the worst part, but once you’ve got some headway this is the best Harvest Moon for several years and a fun alternative to Animal Crossing.

A rather disappointing end to such a ground-breaking trilogy, where all the bold new ideas seem very much at odds with the core gameplay.

The best Pro Evo has been all generation and, for players looking for a more in-depth and grounded game of football, a genuine alternative to FIFA.

A bad Zelda is still a good game by any other standard but this does frustrating little to improve its standing, beyond making the graphics look even more stunning.

A staggering technical achievement that is matched only by the depth and ambition of its gameplay – this is not only the best-looking GTA ever but by far the most fun to play.

Surreally awful on almost every level, the strangest thing about Farming Simulator is how little effort it makes at… simulating farming.

It was arguably never very good even back in the day, but playing it now The Chaos Engine’s basic action is hopelessly outclassed by any number of retro and contemporary titles.

There’s effort and ambition here but nothing can overcome the limitations of a touchscreen or the doomed efforts to replicate the first person console experience.

Atmospheric storytelling of the highest order, but the game itself is often a chore to play and abandons too much of what made the original so successful.

Repetition and overfamiliarity are always the best ways to nullify fear, but until they set in this is one of the most effectively scary video games ever made.

Possibly the best looking game of all time, mixed with not quite there combat but a great multiplayer.

An incredible work of imagination and one of the best-looking games of the generation. The gameplay can’t quite match the magic of the presentation, but it’s not far behind.

A wonderfully unfashionable mixture of old school aesthetics that doesn’t so much demand your time as steal it away without your permission.

The real test for Mercenary is whether the game would stand out if it was released on a home console, but the answer to that is probably not. The nods to GoldenEye offer some deviance from the norm but overall Mercenary does too little to distinguish itself from the competition. That there is no competition on the PS Vita gives it something of a free pass, but it still seems more like a proof of concept than a standalone game.

Another retro platformer that doesn’t deserve such lavish new presentation, where everything has been improved apart from the gameplay.

As good as Diablo is ever likely to be when playing with a joypad, but even the new local co-op options are subject to necessary but debilitating compromises.

It’s still the same old imperfections holding it back, but that doesn’t stop Rome II being the best Total War so far – and one of the most accomplished strategy games of recent years.

Shallow, sexist, and largely nonsensical. The action is amongst Suda51’s best but it’s not leveraged in any way that justifies the failings of the rest of the game.

Unwanted and unnecessary, but despite the bland third person shooting there’s an unexpectedly light touch to the script that hints at other lost opportunities.

The best non-Mario platformer ever made and a stunning work of imagination, where the visuals, music, and gameplay all resonate in perfect harmony.

Unsophisticated and sloppily made but there’s a heart of gold beneath the game’s erratic exterior, as it successfully skewers some of gaming’s more pompous franchises.

A terminally flawed experience but there are enough good ideas to hint at an action spin-off that could have been every bit as good as the real XCOM games.

Corporate greed and some avoidable flaws prevent it from reaching infinity and beyond, but this is still a game that can delight and inspire in equal measure.

Insurmountable problems with the controls stop this from being another Platinum classic but it’s still a fun game, overflowing with charm and wonderfully silly action.

Not just a terrible video game but one conceived purely out of greed and a contempt for its audience – not to mention the hapless parents guilted into furnishing Nintendo’s coffers.

Viewed on its own merits it’s a highly entertaining and feature-packed video game, and that’s all that really matters.

A solid slice of DLC with an interesting story to tell and some notable new gameplay extras, although the fate of the protagonist is unfortunately fudged.

Despite its many and obvious influences this is an impressively unique vision that offers excellent value for money and one of the best surprises on the 3DS’s eShop.

A dream come true for fans of the original but there’s nothing here for anyone else, especially given the tiresome new story elements and obnoxious difficulty.

A far less significant improvement on the original than many will have hoped for, but still an enjoyable co-op shooter with a largely unique setting.

The concept may sound absurd but the experience of playing Papers, Please shines a light not on the game’s hapless victims but on the player’s own sense of decency.

In many ways the best game on the Wii U so far, at least in terms of using the GamePad for something other consoles would find very hard to replicate.

Nostalgia hounds will find plenty to excite them but viewed under the cold light of modern day Superfrog is not, and never really was, a very good platformer.

An utterly bizarre mix of influences that tries to squeeze in far more elements than would ever be deemed sensible, but somehow manages to work despite it all.

One of the most beautiful video games ever made, but the gameplay is a far less attractive proposition – especially in this barely-altered remake.

The worldless storytelling is some of the most compelling of the year and the purposefully frustrating control system an outrageously daring experiment.

Proof that Japanese role-players can evolve without having to losing their own unique identity, although Xillia stops just short of being a full-on revolution.

A fun reminder of how first person shooters used to be, but the opportunity to marry the best of the old and the new has been studiously avoided.

A disappointing sequel that offers no significant gameplay improvements compared to its predecessors, and a notably inferior story and set of characters.

A good excuse to experiment with BioShock Infinite’s often underrated combat, but the overall experience still feels somewhat underwhelming.

Not everything works as promised but somehow that doesn’t really matter when the never-ending platform action remains as entertaining as this.

Never quite as good as the smart writing and clever ideas seem to promise, but still a thoroughly entertaining parody of the best of 2D Zelda.

Its attempted revolution of turn-based tactics isn’t quite as practical as it first seems but this is still an impressively fun, and funny, strategy game.

There are some issues with game difficultly and length, but this is one of the most successful Kickstarters so far – and an excellent retro style role-player in its own right.

A great sequel to what is still probably the best Tower Defense game around, and a shining example of how to do free-to-play properly.

A hugely effective interactive story that shows that video games don’t need big budgets or extreme violence to tell an emotional tale.

It’s still going to be a long hard struggle to turn Dynasty Warriors into a top quality action game, but this is the first sequel in a long time to feel like it’s actually trying.

A clever mix of puzzle, stealth, and action that manages to avoid most frustrations thanks to a constant stream of new ideas and a knowing sense of humour.

It feels more like a restatement of the original game than a full-blown sequel, but while its effect on the Wii U’s fortunes may be limited the fact remains there’s nothing quite like Pikmin.

Gaming’s ultimate eSport gets a well-considered makeover by the masters at Valve, although new ideas, and fixes for old problems, are currently thin on the ground.

An enjoyably old school arcade adventure that also manages to feel thoroughly modern, with a great mix of action, puzzle-solving, and almost survival horror style exploration.

An inspired mix of roguelike and platformer that dares to be fair with its rewards and its penalties for death – although not necessary its random medical conditions.

All the ingredients are there from Human Revolution, but the final dish is disappointingly tasteless – even if its main problems are the opposite of what you’d expect.

A step down from the masterful Bowser’s Inside Story, but still a wonderfully imaginative and dryly funny mix of platformer and traditional RPG.

An impressively ambitious expansion that greatly improves on some of the original’s failings, offering new ways to play while still remaining accessible and fun.

A mediocre remake of a game that really doesn’t deserve to be remembered, although it’s still fascinating to see what passed for adult entertainment back in the ‘80s.

Genuinely one of the worst video games ever made, where the dry-humping sex scenes are no less confused and impotent as the rest of the gameplay.

The whole concept runs contrary to many of the series’ strengths, but it’s still hard not to be engaged by what remains some of the best storytelling in gaming.

Not a particularly good game in its own right, but an enjoyably outrageous mash-up between three of Japanese gaming’s most prolific publishers.

Not one of Call Of Duty’s better map packs, but there are still some highlights and plenty to keep fans playing for just a few more months.

The pinnacle of arcade scrolling beat ‘em-ups and still amongst the best the genre can offer today, despite some change-chomping difficulty spikes.

When it hits its targets the game can be genuinely funny, but its aim is too haphazard and the gameplay nowhere near good enough to pick up the slack.