There’s probably no way to make After Burner interesting again without turning it into a completely different game, but there was no need for Sega to prove that fact yet again.

Koei’s scraping of the Dynasty Warriors barrel breaks through the bottom and into the floor below, with a cheap, lazy sequel to an already sub-par game.

The whole idea was probably doomed from the start but this is a disappointingly slipshod effort, with a story campaign that somehow feels more old-fashioned than the decades-old movie it’s based on.

Not so much a poor man’s Gears Of War as a tramp’s, which is perhaps why one of the few distinguishing features is playing it with a loyal canine by your side.

A worthy successor to the Descent legacy, but lacking the depth of gameplay that would’ve made it a classic of equal standing.

A superbly judged revamp of Fire Emblem that final elevates the series to classic status and in the process creates one of the most engrossing and accessible strategy games ever.

Bad movie tie-ins are hardly a new phenomenon but never before has so much potential been wasted on so uninteresting a video game.

This is a sequel afraid of what its predecessors stood for and too timid to focus on and perfect their strengths. It’s a real shame that it’s the game’s creators that seem the most scared in Dead Space 3, rather than the players.

The game’s limitless options and boundless enthusiasm have never been so impressive, but it’s further away than ever from fulfilling its potential as an actual video game.

Frustrating and confusing almost by design, Antichamber is nevertheless one of the most intelligent and imaginative puzzle games for years.

You can see the basis of a good game here but Omerta gets almost everything wrong, from the shallow gameplay to the bland, characterless gangster atmosphere.

A superior Mario Kart clone and certainly the best Sega has ever produced, especially in terms of the teary-eyed nostalgia inspired by its endless retro cameos.

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.

Even Absolution's harshest critics may be surprised at how badly some of these games have aged, but warts and all this is still a fascinating collection to play through.

There's nothing even slightly revolutionary here, but five decent new maps – including one for Zombies – is perfectly welcome anyway.

Grotesque and disturbing, and that's not just in terms of the tawdry use of Japanese schoolgirls but the result of a flawed but oddly effective horror game.

A clever mix of Pac-Man and Qix, together with retro modern presentation and an addictive high score challenge.

Not necessarily the best version of the game, but it's definitely the cheapest – and a still superb mix of role-playing, puzzle and strategy action.

The Wii U version has slightly less control issues than the original Kinect game, but also less of the novelty – although it's still mindless comic book fun while it lasts.

A beautiful-looking space combat sim with many fine ideas… all of which are almost ruined by horrendous difficultly spikes and the galaxy's stupidest spaceship pilots.

The mechanics could well help to rejuvenate the adventure genre, but the story and puzzles of The Cave are nowhere near as entertaining as they should be.

The Wii U could've enabled a mini-revolution in karaoke games, but that'll never happen with the minimum effort and budget at work here.

A fascinating experiment in alternative storytelling, filled with bold new ideas and some stunning visuals and music.

One of the worst video games of all-time, although to even classify it as interactive entertainment is to flatter this most appalling of Final Fantasy spin-offs.

Whether you know it best as Puzz Loop or Zuma this is an imaginative variation of the puzzle formula, even if it's a self-consciously weird one.

Its B-movie charm is beginning to sag and this revamp of the Xbox 360 hit fails to make the most of its enhancements – or charge an appropriate price for them.

Whether it justifies all 170 million of its downloads is open to question but there's no denying this sequel is prettier and even more addictive than the original.

One of the best Japanese role-players of the generation and a gloriously beautiful game by any standard, both visually and emotionally.

A slight step-down from the previous add-ons but sill leagues above most other DLC, even if the whole great white hunter shtick sometimes seems ill-advised.

There are some great ideas here, with clever use of the dual screens, but the game in which they find themselves is far less entertaining than it should be.

A near perfect segue from console to iPhone, and a game that understands the pros and cons of touchscreen controls a lot better than most.

An almost entirely successful reboot that still offers deep and flexible combat but in a more accessible and approachable form – and really, the new Dante's not that bad.

An inspired reinvention of multiplayer brawling, that carves out a whole new action genre for itself and those brave enough to learn its ins and outs.

One of the most acclaimed games of the '80s gets the modern makeover it deserves, with an experience that still feels as daringly ambitious now as it ever did.

Team Ninja has done everything to please fans short of making a brand new game, but despite its successes this too often feels like an awkward compromise.

Not much of a sequel but no matter how small the refinement this is still one of the best portable strategy games currently available.

A staggeringly cynical clone of DayZ, which fails utterly on every level imaginable – and with only the most unreliable of promises that it will ever improve.

The mix of influences seems like they should work very well, but the limitations will frustrate both shooter fans and Minecraft addicts.

As a spiritual successor to Guardian Heroes this somehow manages to copy all of the flaws and leave out half of the positives, but it's still a fun beat 'em-up all the same.

Another inspired mix of Metroidvania and traditional puzzler, and certainly one of the best games on the 3DS's eShop.

As fascinatingly addictive as its premise is perversely mundane, but whatever the setting this is one of the best new puzzle games of the year.

A good value compilation for what remains a stunningly ambitious mix of interactive storytelling, compelling action, and sci-fi spectacle.

A daring experiment in minimalist gameplay and storytelling, although that doesn't forgive the repetition and high price tag.

Somehow this manages to be the best superhero team-up game of the year, even though its management style is fairly simplistic.

Such an old school role-player that most of its influences predate video games, and although an acquired taste it's clearly a refined one as well.

A minor effort from Suda51 and Digital Reality, but with some clever presentation and a peculiar atmosphere that enhances some fairly ordinary action.

This is not a perfect game, and it never has been, but Persona 4 has always been our favourite Japanese role-player and this is the definitive version of it.

One of the most interesting things to happen to both massively multiplayer online games and shooters in years, and already a hugely enjoyable game in its own right.

More a re-release than an enhancement, but still a fascinating reminder of how engaging a good role-player can be even without modern graphics.

A Fisher Price version of Earth Defense Force could have been fun, but this doesn't even try to offer any lasting entertainment, let alone value for money.

An extremely successful attempt to reproduce Dota style action strategy on consoles, with a game that's considerably more accessible than its inspirations.

Still a fantastically well-designed action adventure, but this is easily the worst version of the best superhero game ever made.

More accessible and better value than the PC original, and with the same beautiful 2D visuals – Trine 2 sets the Wii U's eShop off to an excellent start.

Grand Theft Auto and a touchscreen device continues to be the worst team-up since Cannon and Ball, but if you've only come for the nostalgia some of the magic is still there.

The most disappointing Mass Effect 3 download so far, which once again emphasizes overfamiliar action instead of meaningful storytelling.

By far the best Skyrim expansion so far, and although the dragon-riding is disappointing, having a whole new world (or at least island) to explore is almost as good.

A horrible disappointment that not only fails to capture the magic of its predecessors but seems oblivious to what made them popular in the first place.

A flawed mix of shooter and Tower Defense, but a far great failure as an anniversary celebration – since it seems certain to decrease the chances of there ever being another.

The story mode has some technical issues but overall this is an impressive effort for a launch game, with the GamePad adding some genuine value to the experience.

Not only is this is very clearly FIFA 12, not 13, but it's not even a very good version of last year's game – with missing features, pointless additions, and flawed visuals.

The best version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 so far, although by such a small margin it still doesn't excuse the game's conservative attitude to the fighting game genre.

Not the best version of Mass Effect 3, but also not the worst – indeed it's only the lack of the other games and their DLC that makes this difficult to recommend.

It looks and sounds the part, and it's definitely a better game than The Power Of 2, but this disappointing 2D platformer isn't half the game Castle Of Illusion was.

The Wii U adds nothing to the experience, but neither does it take away from what is one of the year's most feature-packed and enthralling epics.

Certainly not the worst HD collection so far but considering only one of the games was ever any good it's unlikely to be enough to garner many new fans.

A return to the very worst standards of video game tie-ins, with terrible gameplay and an equally incompetent attempt to mimic the show's humour.

An excellent follow-up to 999, with a thought-provoking plot, compelling characters, and some of the hardest choices this side of The Walking Dead.

Despite a highly emotional finale this is arguably the worst episode of the season, although the overall storytelling remains some of the strongest in gaming.

Another meaty chunk of downloadable content for Borderlands 2, with a great mix of play styles and some wonderfully OTT quests and characters.

A clever demonstration of all the Wii U's features and, more importantly, a mini-game collection that can keep any gamer – from casual to hardcore – equally entertained.

Not quite a killer app but certainly the best New Super Mario Bros. game so far, and an occasionally inspired 2D platformer in its own right.

Easily the best Far Cry game so far, with a near perfect mix of open world exploration, action, impressively ambitious storytelling, and one of gaming's best villains.

Another top notch Lego game and one that surpasses other Tolkien tie-ins, and most other movie adaptations, in terms of both fun and, unbelievably, authenticity.

It's a competent clone then, certainly better than others that have been attempted over the years, but nothing more than that. Clearly the PlayStation deserves a vastly more significant game to honour its influence on gaming. Copying Nintendo's own celebration seems not only wrong-headed but borderline offensive. In this case fans definitely deserve better.

A 3D platformer so bad it brings to mind Bubsy 3D rather than Super Mario 64, in what is a considerable step down from the already mediocre original.

In many ways Absolution is as effective a franchise reboot as we've ever seen, retaining almost everything that was good about the originals and while making the game more accessible for new players. It also has most of the same problems, or at least swaps them out for new ones, but maybe that at least will convince sceptics that IO hasn't sold out.

A superior Mario Kart clone and certainly the best Sega has ever produced, especially in terms of the teary-eyed nostalgia inspired by its endless retro cameos.

Whether you classify it as a game or not there's some very clever technology at work here, but it's hampered by boring mini-games and a meandering story.

The very worst thing about Declassified is that in reporting its failure we feel like we're writing an obituary for the PS Vita itself...This was make or break for Sony's portable, but such a shamefully underdeveloped shooter disgraces both the PS Vita and the Call Of Duty franchise.

Formula 1 crossed with Mario Kart is almost made to seem an inspired idea, but the restrictions of the licence drag this promising racer down.

Overall Black Ops II is the most ambitious and innovative Call Of Duty for years, but it's also the most inconsistent. But that may well be the short term price for trying to do things differently.

A disappointingly direct reboot of the ground-breaking original, with none of the same ambitious appetite for innovation.

One of the least worst Kinect games this year, which although it suffers from all the usual control issues is at least mindless fun while it lasts.

An odd couple crossover that is not only a loving homage to Star Wars but, more importantly, the best Angry Birds game so far.

A cheekily entertaining download that turns an extremely simple idea into a disarmingly nuanced, and effortlessly charming, multiplayer battler.

The customisation and creation tools are impressively powerful, but the disappointingly dull racer that's been built around them doesn't provide much inspiration.

A wasted opportunity to redeem PlayStation Move, with a horribly uninspired range of sports that barely work any better than back when they were Wii Sports games.

The best WWE game of the generation… but only because it successfully pulls upon your nostalgia strings, helping you forgot how mediocre the gameplay is.

The most significant update for Football Manager since its revival, with a suite of options to suit everyone from dedicated veterans to complete newbies.

The story set-up is good and there are some interesting new gameplay features, but almost all of them are squandered by sloppy design and technical issues.

As familiar as the system may seem there's no denying its addictive qualities, or the increased freedom it gives you to customise the play styles. But there is an unavoidable price to be paid in terms of Halo 4's sense of individuality.

The definitive version of one of the most beautiful video games ever created, not to mention the best Zelda game that never was.

A successful blend of Need For Speed and Burnout that lacks a little in personality, but certainly not in terms of content or online action.

A hugely successful sequel, that's as surefooted as its hero when it comes to handling its enormous scale and near endless range of features.

A bad idea, poorly realised. Not only does this sully the already tarnished name of Silent Hill but it's a tediously poor dungeon crawler in its own right.

The definitive version of one of the best video games of the last 10 years, as well as a perfect example of downloadable content done right.

Wonderfully strange, outrageously violent, and unexpectedly intelligent. Hotline Miami is indie video game design at its very best.

Depressingly banal in every way, it's not impossible to be entertained by Warfighter but it is impossible to be surprised by it.