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.

While 1001 Spikes’ extreme difficulty may pose a barrier to some, masochists will enjoy every minute of this punishing platformer. Tight controls and massive replay value make this a brilliantly brutal experience – and one of the PS4’s better side-scrollers to date.

The game’s occasional lack of identity prevents it from receiving the very top marks, but don’t let that put you off this romantic release.

The Wolf Among Us: Episode 4 - A Sheep’s Clothing may feel a little flat due to a lack of compelling content, but we’ll have to wait a couple of months to find out if the groundwork laid here pays off.

For an idol management game with promise and potential, it's a shame to see Neptune and her friends hit such a bum note – and a really repetitive bum note at that.

PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate is an outstanding compilation of two PSN classics, which serves as a reminder of why these fluid-focused shooters were originally so much fun.

It’s downright frustrating, then, that the title in its present state has so much potential, but asks for gamers to invest their time and money on the basis of what it could be.

PlayStation Vita Pets is not exactly a prize-winning pooch, but it’s definitely the pick of the litter in a genre that’s renowned for its mediocrity.

Watch Dogs isn't a hack job, but it isn't the next-gen revolution that many were expecting either. It's a game largely made up of mediocre bits and pieces, but is elevated far beyond the sum of its parts by its brilliantly dynamic sandbox and often gripping mission design.

A bit more visual and auditory polish might have elevated the experience, but as it stands, the title is a worthy addition to the ubiquitous genre.

This is a competent game, but it’s barely a refinement of a release that you’ve almost certainly already played.

This latest edition’s clumsy controls will obstruct your enjoyment at times, and while the top-notch puzzles and vibrant visuals will certainly tunnel through some of these issues, the input problems will still chip away at your patience like a pickaxe as you progress.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is a surprisingly strong shooter that aspires to be more than its premise should allow.

If you were a fan of the original, this is definitely worth the double dip, and you’ll have lots to do in addition to the usual monster hunting. As for those that haven’t had a chance to experience this series yet, this makes a great starting point – though the learning curve can be a little steep at first.

Mugen Souls Z is, on the surface, a shallow but agreeable JRPG that hides a deeper, heavier set of systems for genre fans that care to search for them.

Transistor is an absolute triumph: a stunning sensory experience that buoys its lofty ambitions on a rock solid strategic core.

If you’ve never played the first two titles in Sony Santa Monica’s seminal series before, then you’re probably better off sampling them on the PS3 first – but if, for whatever reason, you need to take Kratos on the go, then this Vita version represents a more than adequate gift from the Gods.

This is fun for an evening if you’ve got some buddies nearby, but without an online option and with a pretty tiring cast, you’ll quickly tire of this comic book clash.

In spite of the usual technical troubles, the quality of the writing in The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 3 – In Harm’s Way is too good to ignore. Indeed, incredible storytelling and character development leads to one of the best chapters in Telltale Games’ library, and after a slightly slow start, this season is now moving at full force.

While there’s nothing horribly wrong with the experience, there’s just not enough here to recommend it, especially when there are more engaging and polished experiences readily available.

This is an entertaining distraction at a decent price, and is definitely deserving of an ever ready spot on your device.

It successfully straddles the line between accessibility and authenticity, but presentation issues let it down. Still, if you’re eager to experience the basic thrills of bagging a buck without needing to bathe yourself in real animal urine, this may just about be worth the punt.