A stodgy middle episode for what is still a promisingly unique slice of downloadable content, but its true worth won’t be clear until the final episode.

A sequel that seems to have learned almost nothing from the deeply flawed original, and which still only hints at the wider potential for a proper sniper sim.

Judgment doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to either Gears or third person shooters in general, but with just a small change in perspective it does help to reframe it as something identifiably different. It is still the same game underneath, and we probably didn’t need four of them in six years, but arguably Judgment does more to justify itself than either of the two direct sequels.

It’s not much more than an HD update, but if you and your friends have the perseverance this is one of gaming’s most uniquely challenging co-op experiences.

There’s little attempt at innovation in Starcraft II’s first expansion, but enough refinement and fine-tuning to please fans both new and old.

It’s a not a very good advert for the Wii U but this is still a hugely entertaining open world game, with one of the funniest video game scripts ever.

Possibly the worst value for money expansion of the modern era, with little more than an hour of generic action, bad storytelling, and zero scares.

A welcome return for a significant but sadly overlooked part of Capcom’s fighting game heritage, and one of the best HD updates of a 2D game ever seen.

It’s a genuinely revolting vision of the future, of a games industry that treats its players as enemies to be bullied and manipulated – not customers to be entertained and attended to. If SimCity really was a city we’d realise we weren’t welcome and move out immediately.

A satisfying end to an impressively varied series of downloads, with a strong restatement of everything that makes Battlefield so unique.

An extremely poor port of what had been the highlight of the franchise up till now, with nothing added but plenty taken away.

For once Sonic gets a spin-off that’s well suited to his talents, but this is an uninspired homage to his glory days – with little new to offer him or endless runners.

Kratos may not be gaming’s most charismatic protagonist but it turns out he has a surprising knack for multiplayer as well as single-player action, in one of the best-looking games on the PlayStation 3.

BioWare really has saved the best till last with a downloadable expansion that not only justifies the expense but your faith in the Mass Effect franchise.

The best portable Castlevania for years and a more than equal follow-up to Lords Of Shadow – not to mention one of the best-looking games so far on the 3DS.

Star Wars and pinball fans are equally well served here, with what are arguably better tables than the actual real machines.

The best Bit.Trip game so far and one of the best ever blends of retro and modern aesthetics, in terms of both presentation and gameplay.

It may be a good quality racer but this is also one of the most offensively cynical video games we’ve ever played, and despite being ‘free’ also one of the most expensive.

One of the best iOS games for several months is a wonderfully disturbing horror story that innovates in terms of everything from visuals and interface to its macabre narrative.

A great cinematic action adventure, with one of gaming’s great lead performances, although its Tomb Raider DNA seems fragmented and even degenerative in parts.

The excellent multiplayer deserves to be the focus here, rather than the repetitive, humourless, and largely artless first person shooting of the single-player campaign.

An admirably imaginative approach to downloadable content that has a better story than the main game, but not quite enough variety in action and missions.

Exactly as entertaining as you’d expect from a collaboration between two of Japan’s most talented developers, and one of the best action games of the generation.

There’s probably no way to make After Burner interesting again without turning it into a completely different game, but there was no need for Sega to prove that fact yet again.

Koei’s scraping of the Dynasty Warriors barrel breaks through the bottom and into the floor below, with a cheap, lazy sequel to an already sub-par game.

The whole idea was probably doomed from the start but this is a disappointingly slipshod effort, with a story campaign that somehow feels more old-fashioned than the decades-old movie it’s based on.

Not so much a poor man’s Gears Of War as a tramp’s, which is perhaps why one of the few distinguishing features is playing it with a loyal canine by your side.

A worthy successor to the Descent legacy, but lacking the depth of gameplay that would’ve made it a classic of equal standing.