An arcade racer in simulation clothing, GRID 2 has lots of surface thrills and spills to delight racing lightweights but lacks substance for those who want to dig deeper.

Dead Rising 3 is more of the same, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t compulsive, time-absorbing and – most of all – fun...At best it’s an unoriginal concept well-executed, at worst it’s an Xbox 360 game hastily ported over to Xbox One. Ignore the technical limits, however, and you’re in for a good time.

The game isn’t perfect, but it certainly comes recommended. To borrow one of football’s many clichés, PES 2014 is a great base from which the series can kick on to bigger and better things.

The accessibility and sheer amount of content gives Injustice: Gods Among Us a single-player life most fighting games cannot compete with, which makes it more of a shame that the netcode lets the package down.

And if there’s one thing you can say about Dead Or Alive 5 Ultimate that you can’t say about another other fighting game, this is the only game where you can counter a punch, snap someone’s neck and boot them clean off a cliff in one swift move.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War can be poignant and contemplative, but it does undermine itself by including a cartoonish villain. Superb art direction and a genuine interest in its own subject matter count in the favour of a game that is unremarkable in a mechanical sense.

The maps are bare and play is inherently repetitive... but this is gripping and impeccably crafted entertainment. If you’ve recently bought a new console, don’t let the basic visuals put you off. You’ll be generously rewarded if you stick with it.

Stainless Games creates another solid adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, but plays it safe by delivering a product that does little to improve on last year's game. It's the FIFA of collectible card games.

Diverse, stuffed with content and challenging, Soul Sacrifice might not be the game to save PS Vita but its attention to detail and stellar execution means it is one of handheld's best.

The smart online modes and novelty of Legends Of The Majors do enough to justify a sequel, in what's a solid if unspectacular edition of the long-running Tiger Woods series.

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.