It’s just more of the same, but isn’t that what we all wanted? The whole thing is executed with real style and class, and deserves to be huge.

Superbly designed with a compelling world and narrative to explore.

By combining classic Strider elements with a new Metroidvania structure and speedrun tilt, Strider in 2014 is fresh, relevant and fun.

A comprehensive reworking that does its grand legacy proud, bringing it up to the date in blistering fashion and polishing it for a new generation is all Creative Assembly could ask for, and it's precisely what they've done.

Sure, the series may have taken a few missteps in the past few years, but this does show that somewhere, away from the Star Wars character cameos, unbalanced, ludicrous custom fighters and overblown story modes written by the writers of some children’s cartoon - the soul still burns.

This is a traditional Ratchet & Clank game that sticks to the humour, imaginative weaponry and gadgets what has served the series so well over the years. It might be short on new ideas but this still feels fresh and it's a lot of fun.

The Wolf Among Us Episode Two: Smoke and Mirrors doesn't always live up to the promise of the first episode and is marred by some technical issues. However, The Wolf Among is still an intriguing and stylish murder mystery that has us eager for the next episode.

It certainly won't appeal to everyone, but ShootMania casts off the unnecessary reliance on perks and weapon loadouts for a multiplayer shooter experience that is considerably more involving - and rewarding - than any Call Of Duty game.

People who missed Revelations the first time around will find an enjoyable and fully fleshed out Resident Evil experience - while not spectacular, it's certainly closer to the original games in terms of atmosphere than the modern outings. RAID mode and Infernal difficulty also offer compelling reasons for Revelations veterans to grab the HD version.

The tiniest slice of why gamers love Metal Gear Solid, but not enough to make up for the high price.

Payday 2 is the best multiplayer game you'll play this year, but as a result should be avoided if you love to play single-player.

Grid Autosport is undeniably a great racing game at its very base and that will appeal to fans of Codemaster’s best efforts, but sadly there just isn’t enough depth of content to draw in those that would consider themselves on the fringe of the racing game genre.

The brilliant Dead Nation moves over to PS4 with slightly better graphics, a couple of cool new features and... well, that's it.

While a sequel to the first game in the series, A Brighter Darkness does more than doff its cap to the original, bringing tweaks to the gameplay that offer fresh ways to play with the best loved characters making a welcome return.

A tranquil amble from the Swiss Alps to the middle of the Mediterranean, blemished by an overzealous approach to all things cinematic.

A good but underwhelming entry in the Arkham series that often feels more like an update than a true sequel.

A punishing tactical JRPG in a deceptively cute wrapper, The Guided Fate Paradox is for those who love Disgaea but wish it was just a little more complex. The difficulty of dungeons ramps up at an overwhelming pace, and doesn't ease off.

WWE 2K14 excels in terms of fan service and is generous with content, but the game at its core is severely lacking.

Like Spinal Tap said, there’s a fine line between clever and stupid. Shadow Warrior treads that line carefully, but not before chopping everything to bits. Good stuff.

The next step in the ArmA franchise makes it slightly easier for newcomers to jump in and mods to create for it, without taking anything away from the hardcore.

An enjoyable - if ignorable - single-player campaign with some fantastic graphics coupled to an excellent multiplayer mode.

A thoroughly engrossing tower defence game with a couple of unique twists of its own.

There's enough new – even outside of is sombre atmosphere and unique art style – to make The Bridge an entertaining puzzle game.

Whilst another sturdy entry in the series, and Clan Wars will be the quintessential Worms game for the near future, we're thankful for Team 17 taking a break from the series.

A fairly barebones fighter, but an entertaining one all the same. In time, it could be an excellent Xbox One exclusive.

Dustforce can often be frustrating, but its well-designed levels elicit a sense of flow that can make Dustforce incredibly satisfying. Dustforce will make you angry, but if you're prepared to put the time in to learn its levels, Dustforce will give you something back.

As it stands, Remember Me is a series of mediocre gameplay ideas stapled to a pretty, hollow shell.

A decent co-op addition to one of the PS4's best shooters, but not exactly inventive.

An average puzzle platformer that is saved from mediocrity by strong visual and audio design.

A Machine For Pigs is an almost flawless exercise in lurking horror that’ll send shivers down your (wait for it) swine.

While the £8.99 monthly subscription charge is hard to justify for any game, this one does a fine job of combining everything we love about the single player experience in a multiplayer environment.

There's nothing else quite like Deadly Premonition. Part surreal story, part murder mystery, part survival horror, it might swing from great to awful and back with alarming regularity but it's always entertaining and always captivating.

Laidback and enjoyable compared to the frantic and difficult nature of the original, DuckTales Remastered is a textbook example on how to pull off an HD remaster with love and care.

When Thief remembers to be a stealth game, to focus on the kleptomanic joy of cleaning a place out unseen, it's great. Unfortunately, Thief tries to do too many other things and does them badly, preventing a good game from being a great one.

It’s such a shame to see Quantic Dream make the same mistakes they’ve made in the past, because it feels like Beyond: Two Souls could be shaping up to become by far the best thing the developers have done until that hope is destroyed by the games’ poor second half.

Whether you're buying it outright or getting it free from PS Plus, Mercenary Kings not only provides something new to get your teeth into, but has plenty of reasons to keep coming back for more.

A sub-par strategy RPG paired with a selection of Namco Bandai's, Capcom's and Sega's most cherished franchises.

An often exhilarating and tense fighting game that's let down by flawed grappling mechanics.

Funny, intriguing and effortlessly charming, Broken Sword 5: The Serpents Curse is an old fashioned point and click romp that feels like a breath of fresh, Parisian air.

No, Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition is not a deeply cerebral experience, but in its defence, it never purports to be. If you're not a fan of chopping stuff up, DW8 is unlikely to change your mind but if you enjoy a little hack 'n slash every now and then, you could do a lot worse than Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition. Unless you already have the original Dynasty Warriors 8 version, of course. In which case you're probably better off hanging onto your cash.

The team behind the original Earth Defence Force games finally deliver the sequel that fans have been waiting for. Others may take some convincing, but EDF 2025 is undeniably good fun.

Undoubtedly a game that has been through development hell, but nonetheless a surprisingly entertaining - if flawed - Mass Effect style shooter.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch is a game fettered by artifice and a noticeable absence of failure animations suggestions a game unfinished. Send Octodad back to the kitchen, he's not quite done yet.

Due to its mature, breathtaking narrative, perhaps we sometimes forget that BioShock Infinite is, at heart, a true FPS. Clash in the Clouds, on the other hand, will shoot you in the face if you try to forget it.

The covers tend to drift into cruise ship territory too often but given the extensive song library, eclectic choices and millions of options, Wii Karaoke U gets away with it.

Cloudberry Kingdom stands a tier below Super Meat Boy, Ms 'Splosion Man and N+. It's good fun but multiplayer aside, it lacks the spark needed to really make it stand out among the competition.

Dynasty Warriors 8 is hardly a revolution for the series but the overhauled combat, compulsive Ambition Mode and wealth of content will leave long-term fans happy.

At £15.39 it’d be unfair to criticise Strike Suit Zero too heavily. PS4 gamers might not have the same love for the genre as PC gamers, but if you remember the likes of Rogue Squadron or Descent, this is definitely one for you.

Burial at Sea is a game that struggles with Bioshock’s legacy and while, generally speaking, it’s unfair to judge a game for what it is not, when you have a game that borrows as heavily from its predecessor as Burial at Sea does, it’s impossible not to be disappointed by what is an inferior imitation.

A heroic remastering of the decade old Fable shows the new generation has a lot to live up to. Definitely worth a play to see gaming’s modern heritage at its sharpest and brightest, with extensive remodelling and cleverly integrated new controls and gameplay additions.

An unsubtle, explosive idiot of a game, that's actually far smarter for knowing it's so stupid. Lovely labyrinthine levels, huge guns and even huger guts, it's a bit of a corker.

You'll likely know by now whether or not Deception 4 is for you, but there is an intriguing idea here waiting for you to discover if you do.

MXGP is a surprisingly intense racing game, thanks to the almost superhuman levels of concentration demanded in order to succeed. It's rough around the edges but good fun once you get to grips with its unique racing style.

Sniper Elite 3 is a marked improvement over its predecessor and provides a fun, tactical third-person shooter experience.

An over-simplified equivalent of the console Civilization game that doesn't even beat its predecessor.

It's a playful excursion into basic mercantile capitalism, striking the same tones as games like Euro Truck Simulator, turning the apparently mundane into tangible entertainment. Built upon sturdy foundations, and executed effectively, Rise of Venice is a simple game with simple core, but enjoyable all the same.

Plenty of depth there for those willing to make the most of it, but too many barriers for those not already predisposed to like it.

Dr Luigi is a solid example of the Tetris-like puzzler, but doesn't do anywhere near enough to justify the price of admission.

Yoshi's New Island delivers a solid slice of Nintendo platforming, though fans of the franchise will find little that's truly new here.

Defiance does enough new that you won't be disappointed providing you know what you're in for. There's something compulsive about its quest grinding, but at the same time they do lack the variety and depth of world necessary to make an MMO everlasting.

Killer Is Dead packs the style and swagger that's defined Suda 51's output to date, highlighted by the smart, well-designed boss battles. It's only really let down by awkward pacing and the padding between those boss battles.

A good attempt at bringing a handheld game to a home console, although one let down by the same problems that affected the original. Not a bad game, but one with untapped potential.

As great as SimCity is - and, it really is - a combination of unnecessary server issues and hiccups with the Glassbox engine tar what would otherwise be the best SimCity game yet.

Gods Will Be Watching can be frustratingly difficult, but it's also fresh, unique and aesthetically impressive.

It's feisty, fun and co-op friendly, so as pick-and-play brawlers go, there's little to complain about with Sacred Citadel. Make the trek on your own, however, and it's a slightly different story owing to a rinse-and-repeat sameness that's harder to deny when it's just you eyeballing the same old swarms of enemies over and over again.

Awkward combat, frustrating stealth sections, lack of originality and a hammy story are a few of the many nails in Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2's coffin.

In Team Sonic’s attempt to move on from the old days, every new idea has been thrown into the mix and the game slowed down to allow for this...It’s just not very Sonic and the core of what makes the early games great – speed and simplicity, have been lost in this Lost World.

Fuse is two games. As a four-player co-op shooter with friends, it's light, frothy fun that ticks along at remarkable pace with inventive weaponry. On your own, the AI of your team-mates drags the entire experience down and kills the fun.

Warface is a perfectly fine free to play shooter that looks nice, but it does very little to differentiate itself from certain other military shooters that are on the way.

Content-wise this is more than worth it's full priced retail release however, but a lot of assets are reused – whether from the original or repeated themselves within the game – so you will revisit locations of uncanny similarity.

Battlefield 4 is more problematic than it has ever been, but if you’ve already pledged your allegiance by paying for Battlefield Premium, then Naval Strike is a pretty stunning reward. When it works.

I wouldn’t call it broken as such, it’s just so … meh. Not terrible, just far from mind-blowing. The big map is literally the coolest part of it. If you want a brilliant open world racer, go for Forza Horizons 2 instead.

Zeno Clash 2 is a much bigger game than the original, although it’s not quite as open world as you’d have been led to believe, as you’re still confined to certain areas while you go roaming.

Game & Wario’s a game, a label it wears proudly in its name, and it delivers entertainment in spades. Get it.

It's a Greek myth that best describes the experience of playing Crytek's Rome-em-up: that of Sisyphus. Ryse: Son of Rome's hack and slash action does offer some fun, but the repetitive nature of its combat will eventually grind you down.

Simplification and removal of some key components harms the game, though there’s still some great stuff here for younger gamers and those willing to grind their way to it through the tedious story.

Contrast is a picturesque, romanticized vision of 1920s Paris that masquerades as a graceful platformer, falling flat on its face at pivotal moments.

A quaint idea with a neat gameplay mechanic but poorly executed.

Zombie Studios has certainly got the visuals and rampant multiplayer matches down, but the entry price is too high for most players to pay if they want to succeed.

Lost Planet 3 gets the hard stuff right and is ultimately likeable, but its gameplay just isn’t capable of sustaining any warm feelings you might harbour for it.

The party atmosphere was always going to suffer by not being on a big TV in the lounge, but Mario Party: Island Tour fails more miserably than we had imagined. For only the most hardcore fans of the series.

With little to no improvements made over the home console editions, Epic Mickey 2 on Vita remains an underwhelming experience and one that is difficult to recommend. More effort on gameplay and less on simply jamming Disney characters in our face would have helped.

Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day is a serviceable but uninspired sidescroller. It appears bizarre and distinctive, but in reality, is a dull game that offers appalling value for money.

Not nearly next-gen in any aspect and not even all that fun to play.

There are a lot of faults here – the messy map design, the awkward cover system, the surprising co-op fumble – but Army Of Two: The Devil’s Cartel manages to make its core action of shooting things engaging and fun, and that’s what will pull you through the game.

The game is an ambitious experiment in fusing two close genres, but instead of creating some ferocious chimera of an RPG, all Nippon Ichi has succeeded in doing is spawning a sad Frankenstein of a game that doesn’t belong here or there.

It is a budget RPG and it feels like one, but that's not always a bad thing.

Without any real ambition or challenging design powering it, Halo: Spartan Assault is bland, unremarkable and far too safe given the potential of a twin-stick shooter spin-off.

Pac-Man and The Ghostly Adventures is just dull. There’s nothing really terrible about it (apart from the voice acting) but that could be its biggest crime. It’s milquetoast. Or milqueghost.

A poorly structured and mechanically inert oddity that, for the most part, barely qualifies as a traditional videogame. There’s no challenge, no pith, no invention and ultimately no point.

Pokémon Rumble U is a crushingly basic and boring game, even by Pokémon spin-off standards.

LocoCycle makes a welcome effort to provide the player with enough variety to keep things interesting, but there’s so little depth to its systems and such a lack of consequence to everything that you do...As a result, LocoCycle rarely manages to rise above passable.

This is the horror game equivalent of one of those Asylum film straight to video releases. That it comes from some of the people responsible for Condemned is just depressing.

Star Trek is a bargain bin purchase for fans of the franchise and little else. It's average in every sense of the word, but even that is marred by a number of flaws and bugs.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is fun 80% of the time and utterly loathesome the other 20%, the difficulty spikes goring what could have been a light, frothy, tongue-in-cheek zombie hack and slasher.

An arduous game fraught with inept combat and tedious characters, you'll be lucky to even get halfway through DARK without baying for blood.

Though there are flashes of interesting ideas, none are fully realized and they are hidden behind a technically shoddy and boring shooter.

There was no need to sully the name of Rollercoaster Tycoon with this release, but nostalgia aside this is still a sub-par social game with minimal gameplay and a heavy-handed focus on in-app purchases.