Chariot is quite the surprise. Its endearing style, smart design, and intuitive gameplay really hooked us, and we ended up having great fun in both single player and co-op. With a Platinum Trophy, and tons of content to tuck into, this is one carriage well worth riding.

Fibbage is a fun idea, and can be a blast if you play with the right people, but you’re not going to be coming back to it very often.

Though not perfect, Defense Grid 2 presents one of the best tower defence options on the Japanese giant’s shiny black box.

JRPG fans should definitely check it out at some point, if only as a filler between bigger things.

Padding is Alien: Isolation’s unfortunate undoing, as there are a few too many recycled moments throughout the course of its seemingly never-ending single player campaign. Still, when it’s on form, this is a nail biting affair, as you use sound and cunningly constructed items in order outwit your incredibly intelligent enemies.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor isn’t perfect. The somewhat repetitive nature of the side content and lame final acts prevent it from achieving our top score, but do not mistake us when we say this, because it’s one of the best games that we’ve played this year.

Slender: The Arrival was a solid horror title on the PC when it came out in early 2013, and that fact remains unchanged. This PS3 port is unfortunately a shambling nightmare, though, with very few elements working as intended.

The charm of tower defence games can be limited, but Anomaly 2 steps beyond this threshold to not only give devoted followers something fresh, but also provides those curious about the genre an entry point that will undoubtedly entertain anyone’s fancy for a spell.

With tight gameplay, sharp shooting, and a remarkable sense of style, Futuridium EP Deluxe is a delightful 3D shooter.

FIFA 15 boasts everything that we've come to expect from EA's annual footy sim.

It’s a unique title, with enough small improvements that players who passed on the original version may want to consider taking another look – but without cross buy, it may be a difficult game to sell to anyone other than the most devoted of tower defense fans.

There’s no doubt that Arcana Heart 3: LOVE MAX!!!!! is a bit of a niche proposition, but it provides extremely enjoyable combat that rivals the smoothness of more well known brawlers. Sadly, what brings down the experience is the dull story and cluttered screen layout that makes arenas feel unnecessarily small.

Frozen Synapse Prime is a seriously addictive handheld title that’ll keep you coming back to tweak your plans for just one last sortie.

If you could do with more Watch Dogs, you'll have a rocking good time with this continuation – but don't expect any deviations from the original title's solid but predictable template.

Poor voice acting and obnoxious back tracking let it down – but this is still on the right side of the law as far as we’re concerned.

Decent presentation and a comical plot help to balance out boring gameplay and a disappointing soundtrack, culminating in a release that neither looks good nor bad on the dancefloor.

Its pleasant presentation and relatively enjoyable online mode just aren’t enough to make up for its bland mechanics and pedestrian platforming.

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition still holds the portable Warriors crown, then, but the soul of a great PS4 musou title can still be found alive and well here.

A slew of engaging gameplay modes and a huge character roster ensure that you'll be kept busy, but once again, it's the brilliant and intense spectacle of all-out ninja warfare that'll keep you utterly glued to your controller.

With a lifespan of over 20 hours, Fairy Fencer F is a decent RPG with an eventually enjoyable plot and challenging combat – albeit in some of the wrong places. Fans of the genre will end up really liking it, but it won't cast a spell on everyone by any stretch.

Considering that EA Sports took an extra year to craft NHL 15, the wealth of missing features here is inexcusable.

Murasaki Baby is a textbook example of style over substance. The game’s twisted fantasy world certainly looks the part, but its touch-based puzzles are the real nightmare at times. There are some clever moments here, but they’re undone by atrocious controls.

Yes, the package is a little bit bare bones, and the gameplay never really mixes things up too much – but at this price, it isn’t something that you can really bleat about.

Destiny's budget was out of this world, and it's there for all to see in the finished product. Bungie's smash hit isn't the gameplay revolution that some wanted, but its accessible RPG systems, sublime gunplay, and incredible presentation over all aspects of the release elevate it beyond some of the very best shooters on the market.

Even without the ability to install mods and play on infinite worlds propped up by dedicated servers, Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition is still a strong addition to your next-gen library.

The result is a package that settles for a par score – nothing less and nothing more.

An incredibly erratic framerate, little replay value, and the lack of any real challenge throw a few wrenches in the gears, but overall, it's not a particularly bad game, even if you'll never look back once the adventure is over.

It’s Madden season once again, and there is now a reason to celebrate.

Velocity 2X is everything that a game should be. Requiring skill and dedication, it’s been built for core gamers ready to challenge themselves; for people who desperately miss the likes of Contra and R-Type. Don’t be fooled, though, this isn’t a throwback or even a celebration – this is a modern game done right, and the new standard for which indies have to aim on PlayStation.

Even though Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is buried in some slightly lacklustre content, you're definitely getting your money's worth with this shockingly robust package.

Addictive, deep, and just a little bit crazy, Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited is the perfect companion for someone looking for some on-the-move RPG greatness.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is a superb sequel that successfully builds upon its predecessor's already addictive formula.

If you enjoy a spell of Mahjong for quick bouts of puzzle solving, then this should be a welcome addition to your collection, but it’s nothing new.

PopCap deserves credit for taking an existing concept, and making it blossom all over again.

The finale to The Walking Dead’s second season retains Telltale’s crown as the king of interactive storytelling. While this is a dark and frantic romp, ‘No Going Back’ also includes some light-hearted moments, which makes those closing scenes even more impactful.

Several unnecessary complexities may hold the sequel back for some, but the strong story, engaging battle system, and brilliant character development should appeal to both casual and hardcore JRPG fans alike.

While this won’t put off those who managed to overlook the shortcomings of the previous two games, those looking to sign up for the first time on this voyage may want to seriously consider if the pirate life is for them.

Hotline Miami on the PS4 is the same intense, gripping experience that we've already come to love on other platforms, but with the use of the DualShock 4's new capabilities and smooth ergonomics, it easily lives up to the thrills of its past exploits.

Things are looking up for Trials players – literally and figuratively. Empire of the Sky is far better than Riders of the Rustlands, and stands out from the base pack as well. Furthermore, RedLynx still has another four DLC drops planned, and this latest offering has us feeling just a little less sceptical about that.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed is far from a perfect package, but it’s certainly a charming one. It never takes itself too seriously, which makes its wacky subject matter all the more entertaining.

inFAMOUS: First Light is never going to set the world alight, but if you’ve been gagging for more of Sucker Punch’s superhero series, then it will fill that hole until a full sequel charges onto store shelves.

All in all, whether you’re new to the franchise or not, the abandoned underground has never looked this inviting.

Despite its seemingly vanilla exterior, CounterSpy is a remarkably ambitious title. It makes an admirable attempt at creating a new kind of 2D stealth game, but unfortunately the results just aren't particularly compelling. While its presentation is dapper and divine, its gameplay is clunky, and the whole experience gets tiresome very quickly.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 is a light hearted RPG that allows you to shut down your brain, without ever losing its challenge.

The title’s at its best when you meander through its oversaturated scenes without purpose, but that means that it’s not recommended for everyone.

This isn’t a game for perfectionists looking for a true simulation of a busy A&E department: it’s more like a training ground for psychopaths looking to learn the ropes, shave a few eyebrows, and play with lasers.

If you’re not already familiar with the series, though, there are better RPGs on the Vita to consume your time.

Quite simply, this is an excellent action RPG.

Its lack of depth means that you’re not going to be dedicating months of your life to it, but sometimes you just want something fun, easy to pick up, and bursting with playable content. On that level, this is an absolute bargain.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a fun, fast paced brawler, with a strong retro presentation that runs out of steam all too quickly. Repetitiveness almost over shadows everything that it does well, and the ghost town multiplayer modes certainly don’t help either. That said, if you’re up for an old school beat-‘em-up – with some modern additions – then this title may still be worth rescuing.

Metrico is a visual and auditory delight: a sumptuous treat of a game with presentation that consistently impresses. However, a short running time, combined with occasionally shonky controls and a slightly frustrating central premise means that its gameplay never really lives up to its grand graphical grace.

VooFoo can chalk this down as another successful adaptation, as Pure Pool proves to be an enjoyable and astoundingly well presented interpretation of arguably the greatest pub pastime.

Niggling performance issues aside, it’s hard not to enjoy being the star of your very own fairy tale world – even if that fictional realm has a particularly odd approach to infant safety.

There’s some fun to be had here, spread across dozens of different events, and some vibrant environments. However, this isn’t an especially ambitious outing, so don’t expect it to drive away with your heart like the classics that it’s so clearly inspired by.

Of course, the onboard add-on packs and smattering of superfluous extras ensure that this is the definitive edition of an already outstanding affair – but, unsurprisingly, it’s the touching tale at the heart of the package that once again sets it apart from its peers.

Sacred 3 is likely to be a huge let down for fans of the series. By ditching the open world quest structure and loot system, this sequel has been robbed of the experience of everything that franchise evangelists fell in love with. That said, if you put aside the initial disappointment to consider what the game actually is, you’ll find a decent action RPG, which offers a great co-op experience to boot.

The game’s clearly been massively inspired by Nintendo’s moustachioed mascot’s racing games, but the execution is a furlong ahead of fellow copy cats. It’s just a shame that the release is missing out on key components, such as online multiplayer and leaderboards, as this could have been a real surprise package with the aforementioned features in place.

If you’re not an expert, you’ll find it hard to get to the content in Don’t Starve: Reign of Giants, but fans will definitely appreciate the deeper difficulty and complexity to the gameplay offered as part of this expansion.

It’s nice to come back to Trials Fusion, if only to see how many times we’ve been humiliated by that one friend who doesn’t shower or leave the house. However, Riders of the Rustlands is a temporary lure at most. With so little content included in this drop, we recommend waiting for future offerings to see if the Season Pass is even worth the investment.

Considering its low asking price, Magical Beat is a fantastic and bold puzzle game that only skips a few beats.

Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - Forgotten Wars isn’t a terrible game, and in fact it can be quite fun once you’ve figured everything out and settled into a few comfortable strategies. Unfortunately, it’s all very poorly framed by adverts and requests for real money.

Frustrating gameplay niggles aside, this is an indie release that executes a tried and tested formula well, while also building upon it with some enjoyable, fresh systems.

While some of its later puzzles are a bit too fiddly for their own good, and the overall pacing sometimes feels a little off kilter, this is still a space voyage that comes highly recommended.

The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 4 – Amid the Ruins serves up yet another emotional rollercoaster, offering just enough time between conflicts in order to allow you to catch your breath.

Another World is a short game, but it has replay value after you survive its strange retro world, and earn the perk of hindsight for a speed run.

Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty is everything that you could hope for from a remake: old issues have been resolved, the levels now flow much more naturally, and the world has never looked better.

All of the tweaks and additions – no matter how minor – help to make Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition the definitive version of an already excellent game.

Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death is a puzzler that has a healthy respect for your time.

The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy is a real hoot, but the outrageous input lag in the first title isn’t a particularly funny joke.

Constant C is enjoyable enough, but it never really ventures beyond that.

Crimsonland is exactly one video game: a perfectly competent twin-stick shooter, and nothing else. Unfortunately, the title’s quests feel a bit half-baked, and the whole thing could do with a facelift.

The DLC is let down by a dwindling online user base, but get a group of friends together, and the reasonably priced add-on will almost always hit the mark.

The simulation genre is a fine fit for the Vita, but unless you’re an avid agricultural addict, it’s difficult to recommend this particular title.

Honestly, the closing moments of this final episode caused our jaws to drop in bewilderment, and will surely inspire a great deal of conversation and debate among online theory makers.

MouseCraft is an excellent addition to the puzzle genre, which successfully draws upon the strengths of several classics, while differentiating itself at the same time.

With a career mode that’s well executed and a presentation style that’s almost without fault, EA Sports UFC comes out swinging on Sony’s newest console. Sadly, the title’s complicated controls make this a difficult title to pick up and play, but with the groundwork well laid, this new challenger hints at plenty of promise for the future.

Despite some poorly implemented good ideas, Tour De France 2014 feels a bit like pushing a BMX up a hill on a wet and windy Sunday afternoon – only without any of the fun.

Fans should know that they won't have to scour the seven seas to find the treasures that One Piece: Unlimited World Red has buried beneath its somewhat rough exterior.

We suppose that the studio should be commended for its efforts, but when the results are this laughably bad, maybe it should consider walking before trying to fly.

Resogun’s still sensational at its core, and the Heroes expansion serves as a resplendent reminder of that.

Crude, sexist, and borderline racist, Blue Estate aims low in search of laughs – and still misses the target by a mile.

The story, the characters, and the design can’t be knocked, but the presentation and the decision not to support cross-save means that there’s little reason to give Ubisoft your money again.

That Trivia Game is a poor game show title with very little appeal and even less replay value. Indeed, the title’s few redeeming features are overshadowed by poor presentation and a seriously unfair scoring system.

Codemasters is definitely moving in the right direction, but this franchise still has a few more mile markers to pass before it escapes from the shadow of the outstanding entry that got it off the starting line.

An entertaining handling model coupled with copious amounts of content make this a must-own option for motorsport aficionados, while the ability to tune the experience to your own personal skill level means that those in need of training wheels will enjoy their time in the saddle, too.

It’s not always entirely drab – a bit of mindless blasting is always entertaining in short bursts – but much like the weedy Ultra Magnus, this is still a shadow of the title that it’s trying to replace.

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn lacks a bit of the polish that we've come to expect from recent Warriors titles, but it makes up for it with the most well realised combat and best official mode that the series has seen.

It will make your blood boil at times, but even if you’ve never played a version of Street Fighter IV before, you owe it to yourself to give this definitive edition a go.

Those willing to spend their time slowly crawling into position, waiting for that perfect shot, will find an engaging experience that encourages experimentation through its enormous levels.

Enemy Front is a valiant effort with a few original twists on the familiar military format, but its solid multiplayer component and sizeable solo locales can’t make up for a distinct lack of polish.

If Atelier Rorona Plus has taught us anything, it's that you can probably mix one up out of an old piece of paper and a couple of pebbles.

Simply put, Monster Monpiece is a game that doesn’t really need to go to the extremes that it does.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a poignant and powerful reminder of the significant human toll borne of the wars that we so often act out in our favourite video games.

As a standalone experience, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Cure – Episode 2 does struggle with many of the same pitfalls as Episode 1, with its interface still a particular problem. However, it’s a more focused adventure, and lessens the emphasis on the conversation heavy sequences that proved so dire in the previous outing.

Not quite RPG, not quite brawler, Battle Princess of Arcadias manages to inhabit its own little space between the two. The positives of the combination more than outweigh the negatives of not focusing on a specific genre, and like any good royal, the game will leave you smiling after each and every visit.

The game just depends too much on its uninteresting characters, only damaged further by tedious dungeon crawling and its other half-baked aspects. We think that there’s something buried here that would have made the game a must-have, but it’s too undeveloped to butt heads with better titles in its class.

NASCAR ’14 will bump away at more casual players’ patience, but fans will have the fortitude to see each full race day through. A steep learning curve means that you’ll need to commit to get anything out of this stock racing experience, but your efforts will definitely be rewarded in time – especially if you’re a fan of real life motorsport.

Those looking for a title with engaging gameplay will be sorely disappointed by the lack of challenge, boring stealth, and hunt the clue investigations. But if you can overlook its shortcomings and throw yourself headlong into the fiction, you might just find a detective yarn with a supernatural twist that’ll keep you engaged until justice is done.