A boldly inventive 2D shooter that asks a lot of its players but rewards them with one of the most versatile action games of recent months.

A delightful, humour-infused, and very British university management simulator with Nintendo-esque levels of polish and depth that’s introduced so gently you barely notice it.

The best Far Cry yet and one of the best open world shooters of any kind, with an impressive variety of missions and non-linear structure.

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.

It's a mystery why Mitchell has allowed Pang to remain dormant for so long given this consistently clever, if slightly cheap looking, revival.

The name and anime aesthetic may seem off-putting, but combined with the original this is some of the most engaging interactive storytelling of recent years.

A fantastically original racer that goes out of its way to offer unique play modes without alienating anyone that just wants a fun arcade experience.

The Definitive Edition changes nothing, but Dishonored is still bravely uncompromising in terms of the freedom it offers the player and its willingness to treat them as an adult.

The old style Tomb Raider is never coming back, but this is a more satisfying compromise than the reboot and a fun alternative to the Uncharted series.

The best version of Harvest Moon, or indeed any farming sim, ever made – even if it doesn’t move the concept on quite as far as you’d hope.

A well executed VR port of Hitman World of Assassination, that brings motion control and higher resolution visuals to Agent 47’s lightly comedic sandbox of global contract killing.

An engrossing look at pre-digital gaming entertainment that offers an attractive way to play familiar classics and introduce yourself to new ones.

You'd never believe this was actually a PS3 game, but apart from the graphics this is the best Disgaea yet.

Still the best looking fighting game around, and although this isn’t a full sequel its new features and extra fighters still make it a welcome update.

It may have been over a decade since the last official Commandos game, but this smart new mix of stealth and strategy continues the legacy with great aplomb.

The increased role-playing elements add another interesting angle to an already accomplished franchise, but the cynical attempts to fleece parents’ wallets are hard to defend.

A welcome reminder of the origins of Pokémon and while the game’s age is obvious in more than just its graphics the unbounded sense of exploration and experimentation remains as compelling as always.

Tribes: Ascend is not just an excellent first person shooter in its own right but it's a well-orchestrated revival of a franchise that has never got the recognition it deserves. Whether it'll be more lucky this time we couldn't say but just give this a go and you won't have lost anything, literally.

The details may have changed but this is still fundamentally the same game as the 1996 original. But that's kind of the point. Diablo isn't interested in innovation or subtlety; it's interested in empowerment and cheap thrills. It knows that clicking on monsters to bash their brains in with an axe is fun and its only concern is ensuring it stays that way no matter how, and with whom, you play it.

A surprisingly good port of a purposefully old school computer role-player, that proves even the most PC of games can work on consoles.

A welcome reminder of the origins of Pokémon and while the game’s age is obvious in more than just its graphics the unbounded sense of exploration and experimentation remains as compelling as always.

A solid end to StarCraft II’s five year journey, although beyond the co-op missions it offers no real clue as to the genre’s future.

There are neat graphical details, with chunks of masonry blown off buildings by grenades or tank rounds, and your tiny soldiers will automatically dive to the ground when a machinegun opens up nearby. The base game also had some excellent DLC, which will hopefully make its way to this rock solid iPad port.

A fantastically imaginative, time-bending puzzle adventure that makes full use of one of the most enjoyably interactive game worlds in a long time.

Another genuinely great PlayStation VR title, that offers innovative gameplay and presentation rather than just tech demo novelty.

A funny and supremely inventive story-driven puzzle game, with a plot based on Greek philosophy that’s delivered with the lightest of touches and a goofy sense of humour.

A relaxing, minimalist and deceptively complex puzzle-style city builder, with surprisingly challenging gameplay if you decide to test yourself against its global leaderboards.

One of the best action games ever made and although this is a competent port it’s still not the definitive remaster fans will have wished for.