Old school graphic adventure that doesn't pull its punches with either the puzzles or the gorgeous art.

The level of whimsy may seem artificially high but this is an inventive and fun puzzler - and a great opening salvo for Xbox Live Arcade in 2011.

An enjoyable homage to old school Metal Gear Solid, but a lack of challenge and an overbearing story means it isn’t quite a stealth classic in its own right.

It’s the same old EDF in terms of graphics, gameplay, and the swarm of (mostly intentional) bugs but online co-op and a mountain of content means it still holds a special charm.

We’ve enjoyed Odyssey more than any entry since Assassin’s Creed II but it’s still frustrating that the franchise has done so little to improve the gameplay fundamentals upon which everything else depends. Although at least the one thing you can always say about Assassin’s Creed is that it definitely offers value for money.

It’s not the world’s most radical sequel but Train Sim World 4 is a sizeable update for the virtual train set, with plenty to please new fans and old.

If there is a complaint it’s that Tessa has a severe case of verbal diarrhoea, but you can tap to skip dialogue if it gets too much. It’s a good story with original music and pleasing sci-fi artwork.

A competent Left 4 Dead clone that seems to have gained little from the association with John Carpenter, but it is a sensibly priced diversion for those that want a new co-op shooter to play with friends.

It’s a strange and beautiful game, although one you’ll need to approach with an open mind and absolutely no sense of hurry.

The worst FIFA game for over half a decade, and clearly inferior to PES 2016. And yet it’s still not a bad game in itself, with some welcome new features.

Still a courageously original action role-player that breaks almost every rule in the role-playing book. Although what it really needs is a sequel, not another remaster.

A useful expansion that unlike most doesn’t ignore the failings of the original, although even with the improvements Beyond Earth still isn’t as engrossing as the real Civilization.

Still the same innovative-but-flawed puzzler as on the DS, but now far cheaper and with even more attractive visuals.

A clever reinterpretation of classic Monster Hunter action in the form of a Japanese role-playing game. Although it can often seem a little too oversimplified compared to the mainline titles.

Another engrossing example of traditional Japanese role-playing, that’s still accessible enough for anyone to enjoy – as long as they’ve played the first one.

An excellent remake of a not-quite-classic survival horror, that nevertheless makes a convincing argument for the continuation of the series.

The mismatched marriage of Mario Kart and PGR results in a racer that's less than the sum of its parts.

An uneven mix of the overfamiliar and the surprisingly inspired, but the gorgeous graphics alone make this a Metroidvania to remember.

The Darkness II is a good game, but whether you consider it a good sequel will depend entirely on what you liked best about the original. If it was the storytelling and exploration then you may find this disappointing, if it was the OTT violence and bizarre Darkness powers then this is still a hell of a lot of fun.

The cops ‘n’ robbers theme often does more harm than good to the Battlefield formula, but this peculiar spin-off has just enough tricks of is own to be worth a collar.

Probably the best Mario Tennis game since the N64 era, but the trick shots can still frustrate and the story campaign is a disappointment.

The Layton legacy works perfectly well on mobile, with an endearing new lead and what by all rights should be regarded as a great value-for-money download.

One of the best remasters so far makes surviving the Russian apocalypse more horrifying than ever, although none of the changes address the games’ more fundamental issues.

An improvement on the earlier echochrome and another abstract but engaging puzzler for the PSP.

The most enjoyably one-note VR game for a long time, that turns its simplicity into a virtue and whose cathartic ultra-violence is strangely therapeutic in these difficult times.

A trip down wrestling's memory lane that ends up being a lot more fun than any of the more serious sims of recent years.

Loud, brash, brightly coloured tracks with a rousing selection of cars and racing styles in a game that’s much more about fun than serious simulation.

Some of the best car chases in recent gaming memory and a stunning post-apocalyptic world, although when Max gets out of his car he becomes more mediocre than mad.