This handheld version is meant to be less life-sapping and somewhat shallower, but you don’t go around offering weak lager to alcoholics, do you?

FFX/X-2 HD is everything you could want in a hi-def remake – a beautiful re-imagining of two games that are now a bit more brilliant than they already were. Even the music’s been tweaked – it’s the same classic soundtrack, only slightly richer. Everything you loved about the gems in the series over a decade ago, modernised with fanatical devotion and helpful – rather than horned in – PS Vita touch controls.

It only avoids the worst score I can give by virtue of the fact that it (just about) functions. Rambo inspires more anger than biting your tongue just after you’ve stubbed your toe.

Just keep this endgame glory in mind when pressing through the chore-like opening.

Periodically, a malicious doll-like girl appears to stress-test your sphincter.

Much of the risk here is in keeping your precious resources in check: you don’t just need a decent health bar to make it here, but also good reserves of water and serviceable light levels. Find the right balance of those elements, though, and you’re in for a satisfying nugget of platform mining action.

Among the most enjoyable episodes Telltale has released – it just doesn’t let you take ownership of events to the extent previous episodes did. A thrilling two hours rippling with tension, but interactivity is becoming marginalised in favour of an cinematic pacing. You won’t use the pad much – and you won’t care.

Every combo is a perfect and unique snowflake, though some are more conducive to high-score chasing, while others are just a mad curiosities.

Gorgeous, and instantly satisfying to control, inFamous: Second Son shimmers across the screen in a way that simply wasn’t possible on PS3. The core missions lack sparkle, but this sandbox yarn is heroic in full-flow.

Yaiba is guilty of the most heinous crime: creating difficulty not with precision combat, but with myriad borked design calls and some utterly broken camera work.

Ground Zeroes offers a couple of evenings of essential PS4 stealth. And really, who could put a price on that? Other than Konami… who plumped for the overly stingy one. Rich in depth and quality, if not quantity, this prologue provides an exciting peak into a potential PS4 classic. Just steel yourself for a bite-sized Big Boss.

Uncompromising in its challenge, this supremely balanced slasher destroys your fingers and delights your soul with its unrivalled sense of triumph through trial.

Brimming with some of the best dialogue and characters on in a game, The Stick Of Truth is only let down by needless framerate issues and a lack of additional locations beyond South Park itself.

Yes, the game is in the middle of the series timeline, but the devs do themselves a disservice by drowning a rich experience in an ocean of complexity. [March 2014, p.92]

Looking for a content-crammed explore-'em-up for your Vita? Well, dig no further. [March 2014, p.92]

Unevenly brilliant and infuriating, CLOS2 combines incredible, tight combat and some spectacular visual treats with ropey stealth and a clunky narrative. Thankfully, the good outweighs the bad.

Thief is worth it for the setting and hardcore stealth, but it’s marred by some poor AI and passive gameplay.

Capcom revives one of its most hallowed franchises and conjures up one of the most rewarding side-scrolling slash-‘em-ups in recent memory. Loud, proud, and always a blast.

The pounding beats and explosions of colour that used to punch you square in the brain fade into the background as time slows and TxK arrests every second of your attention the way few games ever can.

The shooting just happens to be glorious so you end up shooting until you realise you haven’t done anything that resembles ‘skill’ in around 50 levels, and you’ll go loopy. EDF 2025 is proof it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.

The main problem with Lightning Returns; it’s a game so desperate to refine each individual element that they’ve become disparate. There’s undoubtedly stuff here worth exploring – the cerebral combat, fan-serving storyline and grand finale to a three-game story – but despite Square Enix’s intentions, it’s not a world you’ll make time to revisit.

There are themes within this that I’m simply not good enough a writer to dissect (and I doubt few will do it justice). It’s incredible, considering the broader perception of video games, what Naughty Dog has managed to achieve in certain areas here.

Somewhat limited by its own mechanics this is still a masterclass in videogame horror. The overuse of its core ‘run away and hide gameplay’ lessens the impact overtime but the visual and aural execution are flawless, making for a terrifying opening few hours, an unpleasantly distressing close and a satisfying exercise in fear throughout.

Prettier and choked with superfluous PS4 control additions, yet still the same brilliant game underneath. Never played it? Buy this. Want to re-play it? Stick to the PS3 version.

Final Exam is for completionists only. [Feb 2014, p.94]

A good narrative could have saved Saint Seiya from bargain bin oblivion. [Feb 2014, p.94]

Attention to detail is one of the strongest points of this compelling RPG. [Feb 2014, p.94]

At 5.45, this is still a big ask for a mobile title retailing for 1.99 over on Apple's side of the gaming fence. [Feb 2014, p.94]