A charming, cartoonish action role-player that’s probably not going to make Sand Land the next Dragon Ball but is a fun and unusual adventure in its own right.

A loving homage to old school shooters but one that refuses to take the steps necessary to become its own game, even with the excellent new co-op modes.

Its enemies might be mindless but while it’s very one note the gameplay in Zombie Army 4 offers some surprisingly engrossing co-operative action.

A very clever spin-off that subverts your expectations about Tactics games by replicating the gameplay and visuals of Metal Slug through the medium of a fast-paced and surprisingly innovative strategy game.

The combat has it’s moments but it has very little to do with Final Fantasy, although the awful storytelling is all too familiar from the rest of the Final Fantasy XIII series.

A cheekily entertaining download that turns an extremely simple idea into a disarmingly nuanced, and effortlessly charming, multiplayer battler.

Still one of PlatinumGames’ most imaginative and exuberant action games but the refusal to improve the controls or accessibility doom the remaster to further obscurity.

It may beat Gran Turismo for realism but the real trick here is making driving a Koenigsegg seem dull.

A minor entry in the venerable city building series, which has some interesting ideas and visuals but too little in the way of gameplay depth.

A fun and energetic fighting game that does its best to cater for both casual fans and fighting game veterans, although its roster has some strange priorities and the single-player content is very limited.

A fascinating look at the early days of one of the most consistently interesting Japanese role-playing franchises, although for many it will be just a little too old school.

Packed with jokes and DC fan service but the Lego formula is long overdue a complete revamp, because it’s starting to ruin concepts like this that are otherwise ripe with potential.

The Tales franchise still feels like a great combat system in need of a much better game, especially given the banal script and dungeon design that mars this latest entry.

Another great movie tie-in from the creators of Toy Story 3 and one of the best Mario Kart clones for years.

A surprisingly competent attempt at making a lost sequel to the movies, with some excellent action and ambitious but flawed storytelling.

A spirited attempt at innovation and some competent driving mechanics are not enough to escape the shadow of either Mario Kart or the previous Sonic & Sega racers.

Not as compelling as its predecessor, but as a four-player alternative to the Lego games this an enjoyable enough attempt at a Tomb Raider lite.

An enjoyable, likeable mash-up of dungeon crawler and dating sim undercut by simplistic combat and a short running time.

Pac-Man Vs. is a genuine classic that deserves a bigger audience, but the high price and limited selection of other games makes this an expensive retro indulgence.

The best Need For Speed in several years, which may sound like mild praise but despite a lack of variety this is a fun arcade racer hybrid that respects its roots.

Nowhere close to the arcade perfection of Resogun or Nex Machina, this undercooked action platformer lacks the precise controls and instant appeal of its stablemates.

Even a high-quality remaster such as this can’t hide the fact that Assassin’s Creed III is too much a product of its time and has little to offer modern gaming.

One of the most interesting video game settings of the year and while the game has numerous issues the strong combat and inventive quest design make it well worth persevering with.

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

An almost heroic debut for the explosive penguins, spoilt only by a foolishly inflexible control system.

Many will argue as to whether it’s a ‘real’ game or not, but Proteus’ ability to stimulate your imagination and your senses makes it a more satisfyingly interactive experience than many.

A poor swansong for Pandemic, with a few novel ideas spoilt by a host of badly copied gameplay mechanics.

A strategy role-player that is filled with clever ideas and inspires great empathy with your characters, even if the battle system is a few steps behind XCOM.