Extremely easy to use interface and excellent tutorials. Download service sounds promising.

The best Dead Rising so far and purveyor of some of the most entertainingly absurd weapons in all gaming – just don’t expect any depth or longevity.

It's inconsistent and never quite fulfils its potential but this is far more inspired than it first appears and one of the best Wii games of the year.

Much more than just a homage, Consortium might be rough around the edges but the dialogue system and freedom of choice rivals that of any other game.

More than just a Doom clone and despite faltering during what should be the game’s highlights this is an enjoyable romp for both metal and shooter fans alike.

A wonderfully imaginative and beautifully presented interactive anime, but one that cannot maintain a regular enough supply of surprises to justify even its short running time.

The art and character design is likely to put off as many as it attracts, but underneath is one of the most forwarding-thinking new fighting games of the generation.

It's not subtle or clever, but this unashamedly uncomplicated shooter is one of the best of the year.

On paper it does everything XCOM does and more, but poor balancing and overcomplicated rules means it’s just not as much fun.

An extremely solid space combat simulator that struggles in terms of storytelling, and doesn’t entirely justify its open world approach, but still offers an enjoyably unique experience.

A seemingly impossible port is carried off surprisingly gracefully, with the old school shooter action working very well as a handheld game.

Even for those that would never normally dream of playing a basketball sim this is a great game, although it's best played in small doses.

An inspired use of the usual vampire clichés with some fascinating moral decisions to make, that always impact the game world and its combat in unexpected ways.

One of the few successful attempts to mix politics and gaming is far more entertaining than you'd think.

Irredeemably shallow but effortlessly entertaining, this unexpected tribute to a lost genre will make a beat ‘em-up fan of anyone.

A heartbreaking ending to a fascinatingly ambitious interactive story, that handles the build-up to its final dilemma with impressive confidence and heart.

By Nintendo standards this is no classic, but by anyone else's it's a fun and accessible 2D platformer.

One of the best Kirby games ever made and while the formula hasn’t changed as much as it first seems it’s also one of the most enjoyable co-op titles of recent years.

The best portable Silent Hill game never made with great first person combat and impressive presentation.

A competent but shallow and overfamiliar attempt to replicate Assassin’s Creed style open world adventure in the world of 13th century samurai.

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.

An appealing riff on the Pokémon role-playing formula which, while a little too safe, has enough small deviations and improvements to justify its existence.

A spruced up, lightly streamlined refresh of the classic Ukrainian shooter-meets-survival horror series that retains every bit of its uncompromisingly bleak character and individuality.

It’s a strangely meditative process though, thanks to the plinky-plonky music and ambient sound effects; along with the slow pace of the game supplying an almost ASMR feeling as you fiddle about with the number of spots on each hexagonal tile to get them to add up, whilst feeling absolutely no time pressure whatsoever. It’s a great little game, even if it occasionally dances over the fine line between tranquillity and dullness.

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 polished Metroidvania infused with Africana, whose linearity and overreliance on rote-learning action sequences undermine its otherwise high standards.

A surprisingly lean and mean sequel which amplifies the bloody thrills of the original through its impressive presentation and flexible mechanics.

There’s a disappointing lack of invention in the paper thin story and characters, but the combat and witty dialogue is as good as the series has ever been.