Another masterful mix of interactive story and brutal action, and which despite the short running time still packs an emotional punch.

The definitive version of Tempest and as such one of the best arcade games ever made, even if it’s only a minor improvement on previous versions.

There’s no attempt at pretence: this is a Monster Hunter clone through and through, but such a good one it actually does some things better than its inspiration.

Compounded by the nonsensical script and one-dimensional characters it’s as if the game is specifically designed to feel as shallow and disconnected as possible. Lightning Returns might be an enjoyable enough folly for fans, but there’s very little here for anyone else.

Not quite Scary Movie but certainly not the video game equivalent of Airplane, although the fact that it even tries to be is almost recommendation enough.

Spring cleaning has never been so entertaining in this well presented and cunningly addictive physics-based platformer.

The storytelling is as well up to Telltale’s usual standards, but waiting three months for such a short and relatively uneventful episode is unavoidably anticlimactic.

Repetition and overfamiliarity are always the best ways to nullify fear, but until they set in this is one of the most effectively scary video games ever made.

A great alternative to Candy Crush and its clones, that’s just a few tweaks – and a visual makeover – away from being a classic puzzler.

Dungeon Keeper is not a video game, not any more. Instead it’s just a virtual beggar, constantly demanding your spare change and offering nothing in return.

A good HD remake but the game itself doesn’t really warrant the attention, with too many unfulfilled promises that even its sequels failed to make good on.

That the controls are frustrating and imprecise is kind of the point, but what’s less forgiveable is how poorly Octodad seems to understand its own premise.

A disappointing evolution of the Budokai Tenkaichi template, which despite some interesting ideas seems intent on making itself as shallow and simplistic as possible.

Not one of the best map packs Call Of Duty has ever seen, and yet for some reason one of the most expensive. Being Michael Myers is fun though.

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.

Authentically retro but then many games are these days and Legacy’s dungeon-crawling action is not nearly as entertaining as the best of its rivals.

Clever, funny, and thought-provoking, but even without the weight of expectations this is a surprisingly insubstantial and ephemeral experience.

Extremely short, extremely dull, and extremely expensive for what it is. Dead Rising 3 may not be the greatest launch game ever but it deserves better than this.

A surprise new champion for the PS Vita and a cleverly designed mix of skateboarding and 2D platforming that will appeal to everyone.

Much more than just a homage, Consortium might be rough around the edges but the dialogue system and freedom of choice rivals that of any other game.

The original 3DS game is sacrificed on the altar of microtransactions and grubby monetisation, almost erasing any sense of fun in the process.

A superb multiplayer game with some of the best virtual sword-fighting ever seen, giving you the best reason to crowd round a PC since a kitten did something cute on YouTube.

A competent and unexciting update to a competent and unexciting puzzler, which is not nearly praise enough to forgive the optimistically high price.

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.

The story set-up is good and there are some interesting new gameplay features, but almost all of them are squandered by sloppy design and inconsequential action.

Microtransactions rear their ugly head once again, but they’re not enough to take the shine off one of the best portable Ridge Racers so far.

The action side of things is weak but as an interactive meditation on mortality and predestination this is an impressively thought-provoking indie experiment.

Exactly as entertaining as you’d expect from a collaboration between two of Japan’s most talented developers, and a relatively good – if extremely belated – PC port.