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

Still not quite essential, but the best of the three downloads and an effective final chapter for the most successfully difficult video game of the modern era.

A great concept with a perfect mix of retro modern gameplay and aesthetics, even if the idea never evolves to have real legs.

A twisting and engaging portmanteau tale of the unexplained, set in a London that’s refreshing in its finely observed normality.

One of the best Sonic The Hedgehog games never made, although the level design and combat isn’t quite up to the standards of Sega’s best.

Macabrely original murder ’em-up that defies categorisation, and its numerous rough edges, to make being evil more fun than in almost any other game.

In terms of pure gameplay this is perhaps the best serious detective game so far, but the issues with the script and characters remain more than a one pipe problem.

A partially successful soft reboot, with some of Telltale’s best storytelling – even if many of your decisions still make precious little difference.

Despite borrowing so much from so many different games Capcom’s Western style role-player remains very much its own game – with plenty of interesting ideas of its own.

Not quite premiere league but Nintendo’s unexpected foray into football management dares to do things differently, and in some cases better, than its rivals.

A good start to what is likely to be one of gaming's most important new sports franchises.

A New Frontier is definitely Telltale’s best attempt at serious drama since The Wolf Among Us, but it still makes mistakes that other series have already learned to avoid.

A perfectly competent Advance Wars clone, but until the free multiplayer DLC turns up it’s only the half the game it should be.

The story mode’s 100 levels offer a stern challenge, with the action quickly becoming frenzied but also a little repetitive.

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 almost classic just misses out for a second time, but this is still a successful attempt to show that real-time strategy can be done differently.

It may be Far Cry by any other name but if you’re an Avatar fan, that’s always dreamed of exploring Pandora for yourself, this hits all of the right notes.

A worthy follow-up to the cult classic original, with a great mix of Japanese role-playing and beat ‘em-up elements – even if the storytelling is sometimes hard to follow.

Behind the bizarre concept is one of the best scripts of the year, and a game that subverts your expectations with effortless regularity.

While it’s undoubtedly accomplished and has console-grade production values, it’s never as feverishly gripping as its inspiration. Its viewpoint feels too narrow, and it has a nasty habit of letting the controller go unresponsive at the worst possible moments. It also only shows Xbox button prompts even with a DualShock connected.

The original Yakuza has been remade into a sequel to its own prequel, but although it’s perfectly competent it feels outdated compared to the newer entries.

A welcome return for the pioneering space adventure, but despite a solid start it will need a steady supply of new content and tweaks to reach elite status.

A stylishly presented, adult-themed adventure that explores the night life of Paris in thought-provoking but agreeably quirky detail.

It’s a good, solid game even if its central shoot/loot/craft loop begins to bore long before you’ve navigated your way home.

A modern day alternative to Gauntlet, whose innate shallowness and overreliance on random generation is balanced out by some fun combat and great co-op action.

An unexpected, but largely successful, change of pace as Norse melodrama meets strategic role-playing.

A decently tweaked iteration of EA’s domineering football sim, but while the changes might not be seismic they are all positive.

A fascinating cosy experiment, packed with memorable characters and sharp writing, but which occasionally stumbles in the execution.