An admirable effort to make a serious Sherlock Holmes game, but the low production values and needlessly obscure puzzles hinder the ambitious storytelling.

If you've never played a Pokémon game this is an excellent place to jump aboard, and you can add at least one extra point to the score as a result. But for anyone else this is an easy to ignore stopgap.

One of the most pointless sequels ever put to cartridge, and although the core Pokémon gameplay still shines through this is easily the worst version so far.

If Resident Evil wants to be an action game then so be it, but it needs to be a good one – not this linear, patronisingly simplistic time waster.

Ambitious, unpolished, and very demanding – in short an impressively authentic update of the '80s classic and an action strategy hybrid almost without compare in the current generation.

Minimalist gaming at its finest, with graphics and presentation out of the Stone Age but evocative sci-fi action that's tense, tactical and instantly addictive.

It's unlikely to ever outsell Angry Birds, but Bad Piggies certainly outthinks it – with a clever mix of physics-based puzzling and experimentation.

A disappointing port of one of the Wii's best games, although still a clever and entertaining mix of Pikmin and The Settlers.

Considering it's been almost seven years since the last game Dead Or Alive 5 has shamefully few new ideas, and makes you wonder whether the series didn't belong in the big league after all.

One Piece fans will enjoy the novelty but only Dynasty Warriors groupies will be able to bear the typically mindless gameplay.

An evolution of last year's FIFA is enough for EA to win the battle of football games, but it may need to step up its game next year with PES improving.

One of the best smartphone games of the year, with stunning cartoon visuals and gameplay that's as easy to control as it is to become addicted to.

Probably the best dungeon crawler in the world, including Diablo III. And what it lacks in storytelling and originality it makes up with pitch perfect design and pacing.

An evolutionary improvement on the original and by consequence one of the best co-operative first person shooters ever made.

One of the best remakes ever, not because of its loving recreation of the original Half-Life but because it dares to change and improve it.

But despite all that it gets right we do wish that Guild Wars 2 had been bolder with the art style and the setting of its game world. Or that it had pushed its combat system even further and created something genuinely unique. Although the fact that it has no subscription fee is an unqualified positive that needs to be adopted as standard before free-to-play ruins everything.

The best LittleBigPlanet has ever been, and although there are still problems with the platforming mechanics at least it's easy now to build around them.

It may not have changed very much from last year's entry but what small improvements there are still makes this the best F1 racer of the modern era.

We do sometimes, even if it is briefly, get the feeling we're playing a classic PES game from the series. Still rough around the edges though.

Not the silly novelty it might sound like but one of the most enjoyably addictive and cleverly original action stealth games on the PlayStation 3.

It looks and sounds as amazing as it ever did, but even if the control issues are a little more obvious now this is still a fantastically energetic and imaginative arcade game.

As gaudy and over-the-top as the '80s itself, but not quite as shallow. This masterful reboot of the granddaddy of scrolling beat 'em-ups has real punch.

Some of the best map design DICE has ever come out with and a combat experience no other game can match. Useful range of new vehicles and Tank Superiority is great.

On consoles it's merely good, but with a full complement of 64 players this is the best, and biggest, that Battlefield has ever been.

It doesn't even try to reinvent the fighting game genre or itself, but this is still the most enjoyable – and accessible - Tekken has been in years.

Don't let its low price or simple visuals fool you, this is the most demonically addictive game of the year and it takes no prisoners.

One of the best stealth games in years and an accomplished 2D platformer in its own right, with a near perfect balance, of depth, accessibility, and bloodshed.

Another quietly competent downloadable compilation, with five new competitive maps that show Call Of Duty at its close quarters best.

Hearthfire is certainly a download that shatters preconceptions, but only in the sense that it never really allows you to do any of the things you thought it would.

A superbly effective combination of the very best of Persona's storytelling and character design, with one of the best 2D fighters of the modern era.

For a Japanese role-player this is a fun, accessible romp, but it stops short of reinventing its ways out of any of the genre's more long-standing issues.

Harmonix are still the masters of their craft but this feels less like a rebirth for Rock Band and more like a cash-grabbing backwards step.

Despite some interesting visuals and world-building BioWare just can't escape from the shadow of Mass Effect 3's ending, or the now overfamiliar action.

The best episode yet, that ups the ante in terms of not just the zombie threat but how you interact with some of gaming's most convincing characters.

The new content is exactly as good as you'd hope, but the PC version of From Software's classic is also exactly the sort of technical mess you probably feared.

Easily the best Transformers game ever, but also a tantalising glimpse of how to transform current action games into something more inventive and imaginative.

It doesn't even try to reinvent the Counter-Strike formula, but this is easily the best version for consoles and a refreshing retro alternative to the modern military shooter.

It's not original, and its often unfocused, but the willingness to always offer just one more piece of loot and one more giant boss battle makes Darksiders II a hard game not to enjoy.

The end result still doesn't have the personality or verve of Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption, the novelty of Assassin's Creed, or the crazy acrobatics of Just Cause but it's a better action game than any of them. Clearly that's not necessarily a priority for open world games but it's nice to see it can be done all the same.

A Diablo clone set in a Fallout style world sounds like a great idea, but the changes this makes to Blizzard's formula are genuinely apocalyptical.

If you don't like Spec Ops or Face Off there's nothing for you here, but if you do then these new maps, and the excellent Chaos mode, are a lot more hit than miss.

Clever puzzles, immersive presentation, and an intriguing plot combine in one of the most ambitious and original smartphone games of the year.

Getting such an odd idea to work is worth praise alone, but Hybrid feels more like a hypothetical experiment than a genuinely useful innovation.

The PS Vita finally gets something to sing about with a beautifully conceived mix of platform action, striking visuals, and perfectly orchestrated music.

It looks like Cannon Fodder, and to a degree it plays like Cannon Fodder, but this bizarre sequel lacks the heart, soul, and mind of the 16-bit classic.

A clever spin on the MOBA genre that strips away the complications and nerdy presentation to create a fast-paced but deceptively complex action strategy game.

An impressively silly mishmash of game styles and historical references that still manages to entertain despite its lack of depth and variety.

One of the very few pre-smartphone games that is still worth playing, even if this new update only does the bare minimum to keep it relevant.

Rather than fixing the issues with the PC original the console versions only seem to add more problems, as a pirate's life is made to see even more frustrating and repetitive.

Somebody must still love Spy Vs Spy given the amount of effort that's been put into this remake, but the retro charm wears off extremely quickly.

Arguably the most disappointing Super Mario game ever made, and one that certainly doesn't deserve the world 'New' at the beginning of its name.

The cinematic atmosphere is highly impressive throughout, but that's about the only thing that is in this weirdly inconsistent 2D survival horror.

One of the best Tower Defense action hybrids so far, with considerably more depth than the original - even if it still looks like the same game.

The creature editor is still fun, but this is no more a video game than the first version and considerably less value for money.

A distressingly old school movie tie-in which instead of making imaginative use of the movie's setting creates only a bland copy of the Lego games.

The closest thing so far to a 3D Angry Birds game, but although the Kinect controls are fine it's the gameplay and visuals that need adjusting.

The creator of Final Fantasy creates… a not very good smartphone mini-game, with annoying controls and all the longevity of a terminally ill butterfly.

The best Pokémon spin-off for years and an engrossing mix of family-friendly warmongering and engaging turn-based strategy.

The closest thing to Ikaruga on a smartphone and despite the psychedelic presentation one of Jeff Minter's more lucid shooters of recent years.

It looks like Ice Age 4, it sounds like Ice Age 4, and it plays like the frozen carcass of a 5,000 year old mammoth.

Gameloft's cloners have excelled themselves in replicating all the basics of Batman: Arkham City on a smartphone - albeit only at shallow, surface level.

It's not clear what the four year wait was in aid of but despite only a few, small, new ideas this is still one of the best Tower Defense games on any format.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in name only, this will infuriate old timers reliving their youth and seem archaically simplistic to everyone else.

There's barely a single idea here that hasn't been borrowed from elsewhere, and usually done better - but as a compendium of other people's puzzles it still has its charm.

The problem with the latest Kingdom Hearts is not a lack of new ideas but that almost all of them are awful, and that's before you even consider the script.

An open-ended puzzler whose only real restrictions are how imaginative you're willing to be in wielding its wonderfully bizarre gadgets.

It may not be fair to compare it to Angry Birds, but it is fair to say this is a slick but slightly listless clone of The Incredible Machine.

A clever 2D platformer that doesn't muddy the waters with overcomplicated concepts or controls - but still has time for some great 3D effects.

The fact that it's free-to-play is almost the only point of interest in this derivative shooter - and even that is far less appealing once you get into the details.

Combat and storytelling are boring beyond belief, but what's worst about Inversion is that you can sense the far more interesting game it could've been just beneath the surface.

Some truly innovative ideas that all MMOs would do well to take notice of, but they and the intriguing narrative are wasted on the tedious and derivative combat.

A hugely ambitious space strategy that rivals even Civilization in terms of presentation and addiction - despite a few rogue elements.

There's an obvious love here for the genre, and retro gaming in general, but as strategic role-players go this is far from a grandmaster.

As mindlessly entertaining as any lightgun game, and with lots of zombie-themed nostalgia - but none of the pacing or showmanship of the best of the genre.

Indie gaming sires another 2D classic, with a platformer that offers more freedom and intrigue than almost anything else on Xbox Live Arcade - or beyond.

It may well end up being Nintendo's last game on the Wii, but it's an impressively subversive swansong that is neither as crude - nor as easy - as it looks.

A cleverly orchestrated souvenir of Final Fantasy at its best, that also can't help but remind you of the series' most common failings.

A laughably bad ghost story whose broken technology and shallow gameplay cannot sustain even its meagre two hour running time.

Despite its obvious gameplay failings this is still one of the scariest video games ever made, and this Wii edition a surprisingly effective update.

An even more impressive mix of horror and personal drama than the first episode, with intelligent writing, crowd-pleasing gore, and… far too many bugs.

An even more bare bones collection than on home consoles - even if it does include the best portable version of Snake Eater so far.

Definitely the best Spider-Man game for several years, but it falls short of the character's full potential and the high watermark of Spider-Man 2.

Its headline feature is easily its worst but there are enough other new extras to make this a costly but still diverting return to the land of Skyrim.

Not just an Olympics tie-in but a proper sports game, with the majority of events finding a good balance between realism and enjoyment.

One of the most daring marriages of narrative and action game ever seen, and yet still the end result never fully satisfies as either a game or story.

Not an encouraging start for the first Harvest Moon on the 3DS, with a game that struggles to justify not only its own existence but that of the franchise as a whole.

There have been far more than just three Ratchet & Clank games over the years but it's still a franchise worth celebrating, in one of the better HD collections so far.

The new additions are all positive but, apart from the reintroduction of religion, extremely trivial - which makes this an interesting test of the Civilization faithful.

Its similarities to Portal will be obvious to everyone and in terms of puzzles this is very much its equal, but in terms of script and characters… not so much.

Battlefield 3 does a good impression of Call Of Duty, but this isn't an expansion that plays to the series' strengths or offers much value for money.

The multiplayer options are impressively comprehensive and as Diablo clones go this ticks all the necessary boxes, except the ones for imagination and innovation.

It's still not a full reinvention of the Lego template but it is one of the most enjoyable uses of it so far, with an open world Gotham and a cast of characters to rival Arkham City.

Its heroine may be the only thing that's not rough around the edges, but this is another fascinating mess by Suda51 and a great arcade style actioner.

There's a decent a story to be salvaged here, and one that could happily be adapted for the show, but as a video game this fails miserably.

Its flaws are frustratingly obvious, but this has some of the most enjoyably original gameplay and visuals of any game this year - on the PS Vita or otherwise.

More of the same has rarely been so welcome, with this unusually elaborate, if still obviously reheated, download.

First person shooters clearly do work on the PS Vita, but proving that fact is the only real achievement of this otherwise insipid portable experience.

Another failed Doctor Who tie-in, but one that's especially disappointing because of how much it gets right in terms of the dialogue and visuals.