An ashamedly old school role-player that nevertheless does its best to attract new players and entertain existing fans.

The old style Tomb Raider is never coming back, but this is a more satisfying compromise than the reboot and an impressive technical feat.

Square Enix’s latest attempt to create a Monster Hunter clone has a lot of Final Fantasy fan service but few other reasons to explore its world.

This punch-pulling retro update is charming and beautiful but doesn’t quite have the mind to match.

A colossal achievement in puzzle gaming, with a very cleverly conceived setting and story, but the lack of variety and reward becomes stifling.

A daring, and largely successful, attempt to show the civilian side of war, that succeeds as an interactive drama even when it occasionally fails as a game.

Despite its obvious flaws the reactive story and compelling characters make this one of the best storytelling experiences of the current generation.

A fantastically well designed and presented roguelike, that makes your heroes’ mental health just as important as their physical well-being.

B-movie by name and B-movie by nature, but there’s still enjoyment to be had with the endearingly rubbish enemies and fun but vapid combat.

It has more in common with the original Homeworld than it first seems, but this new real-time strategy works best as an introduction rather than a continuation.

Some of the most natural dialogue ever designed for a video game - in terms of quality and interaction - helps to make a superior supernatural thriller.

The least scary and least imaginative Resident Evil returns, and although it’s not the worst Resi sequel it certainly is the most boring.

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

Visually interesting and competently made for the most part, but the novelty of a 2D Assassin’s Creed is already beginning to wear off.

Some of the most difficult decision-making in gaming, both tactically and morally, but occasional rough edges betray the game’s small budget and short development time.

A very brave attempt to use video games to inspire empathy and share grief over one of the most sensitive subjects imaginable.

Bringing back such an obsucre franchise is one thing but stranger still is that so little passion has been expended in reinventing this listless vehicular combat game.

A fantastically clever deconstruction of video games and the people that play them, as well as a hugely entertaining action puzzler that’s not really about ponies.

The move into 3D has produced some staggeringly pretty visuals, but when it comes to the controls and running time this usually enjoyable action puzzler suffers badly as a result.

A welcome reboot of a great rhythm action game, although the lack of new ideas and disappointing soundtrack leaves things a little off kilter.

For better and worse this is Harvest Moon in all but name, with a few useful new ideas but still the same old crop of problems.

Turok may have been state-of-the-art in 1997 but today both its graphics and its gameplay feel virtually prehistoric.

A wonderfully rich celebration of one of gaming’s more forgotten shooter franchises, although it’s unfortunate its pleasures come at such a high price.

One of the most exciting driving sims of the new generation, and hopefully a game that will only get better over the coming months.

Undertale is a superb indie role-player that proves once again that it’s not graphics that make a game entertaining but gameplay and great ideas.

Still gaming’s most realistic crime drama, as well as being the natural heir to both Shenmue and Streets Of Rage – even if this entry shows little real innovation.

Another perfectly constructed neo-arcade game from the makers of Luftrausers, which perfectly marries twin stick shooters with roguelike punishment.

A superb mix of action and strategy that should be enough to convince everyone that turn-based doesn’t have to mean slow or serious.