Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is a deep, engaging, and incredibly intelligent visual novel. It's a shame that the game doesn't do more with the hardware, but its meaningful player decisions, taxing puzzle elements, and unforgivably mature themes fuse to create one of the best Vita titles so far.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault has some interesting ideas, but repetition and poor level design let the single-player campaign down. The innovative multiplayer mode represents the mini-adventure's strongest asset, but it's unlikely to hold your attention for very long. PlayStation's most enduring duo have seen better days, but this is still a likeable celebration of a fantastic franchise.

Jetpack Joyride would be far more appealing as a PSN title, complete with Trophies, online support, and leaderboards, but as PlayStation Minis go, it's not to be missed.

Hitman: Absolution represents a stellar return for Agent 47, incorporating the best elements from previous titles, while also experimenting with plenty of new ideas. Some of the additions are a little rough around the edges – the narrative stumbles over its ridiculous characters, and the checkpoint system discourages experimentation – but it's still a refreshing experience that challenges your thinking and rewards perfection.

Though the single-player campaign is far from a strong point of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 due to its clumsy narrative, ill-judged sections and short length, the online multiplayer still hits all of the right targets. Some crucial changes ensure that it's a decent fit for a range of skill levels and more flexible than before, and the Zombies mode has been improved once again. It might not fire on all cylinders, but as a multiplayer game, Black Ops 2 is still in the upper ranks.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted's impressive selection of vehicles and vast open world should satisfy your high-speed hunger. With an impressive multiplayer suite, slick gameplay, and stunning visuals, this racer is a real treat. If you're a fan of the genre, Criterion's latest deserves a place at the top of your personal most wanted list.

With a shockingly brief single-player campaign, and an enjoyable but inconsistent multiplayer mode, your enjoyment of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified will depend almost entirely on your desire for a portable entry in Activision's blockbuster series. The title delivers a satisfactory first-person experience, but falls seriously short in substance. Sony Cambridge will, in all probability, better this effort in virtually every area with its forthcoming Killzone: Mercenary, which ultimately makes the shooter hard to recommend.

F1 Race Stars tries its best to adapt the F1 license into a fun and quirky racer, but it ultimately fails to deliver a charming take on the typically serious sport. As with other titles in the genre, the game really shines as a way to pass the time with your friends, but the frustrating, luck-based gameplay effectively cancels out all of the things that the release does right. Younger fans of Formula 1 will love seeing their favourite drivers rendered as cartoon caricatures, but when it comes to race day, gamers of all ages will be left frustrated by the title's complete disregard for skill.

SuperBot Entertainment has meticulously merged three generations of platform lore into a four-player brawler that's both approachable and cunningly complex.

LittleBigPlanet Karting's shortcomings undermine its ability to provide a compelling racing experience. With unbalanced weapons, ruthless AI, and clunky menus, it leaves you pondering what the game actually has to offer – aside from the in-depth creation mode and dulcet tones of narrator Stephen Fry, of course.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a real sleeper hit. Save for repetitive level design, a basic online component, and some questionable voice acting, the game is magnificent. It may take longer than most to appreciate, but it never fails to deliver.

If you've always wanted to play the Dreamcast version of Under Defeat but have never felt brave enough to stump up the large amount of cash to do so, then this PS3 update is the answer to your prayers. It offers not only the original edition, but a spruced-up HD variant as well.

Wonderbook: Book of Spells is magical – but it doesn't have enough content to match its otherwise exemplary ideas. If you – or a family member – are hungry for more background on the history of Hogwarts, then this is a must-have package. But while it represents a rare sojourn in sorcery for unworthy Muggles, it casts an Imperio charm that's disappointingly short-lived.

Though its approach doesn't always succeed, it's comforting to see Ubisoft experiment with the franchise so it doesn't become stale; Assassin's Creed III may not deliver on the revolution that was promised, but it keeps hope alive that we might see one in the not-so-distant future.

Okami HD is a timeless classic, full of charm, subtle ingenuity, and beauty, remade in stunning HD, yet sadly it's embellished with some graphical issues. It's a must-have for first-time buyers, but offers little improvement for those who have already enjoyed all 40+ hours of the game on other platforms.

BreakQuest: Extra Evolution is one of the most addictive block breakers since Shatter. With a treasure trove of gorgeous stages, a fantastic soundtrack, and a pocket change price-point, this is one PlayStation Mini that you can't afford to miss.

Ragnarok Odyssey falls short in a few areas, but there is still enough quality gameplay to encourage you to persevere through the repetitive missions and slow character progression system. Fans of the RPG genre in particular should check out this title, while everyone else might want to adopt a more cautious attitude before approaching.

In many ways, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is suppressed by Ubisoft Sofia's own outrageous ambitions. The plot meanders between ingenious and incomprehensible, sadly settling on the latter for great chunks of the single-player campaign. The gameplay is recognisable and confidently recreated, and there are moments when Aveline's pocketable adventure threatens to outdo its console counterparts – but the experience is mired by a communicative murkiness that's not entirely unlike its depiction of the Louisiana bayou's bogs.

Repelling Viking invaders alongside your neighbours – figuratively in solo play or literally in multiplayer – taps into an old-school nostalgia that's enjoyable in short bursts. The game's lack of ideas make it frustrating in long stretches, though, and although the cross-platform functionality between PS3 and Vita is neat, solo players might want to give this game a miss.

Sports Champions 2 is some of the most fun you can have with a PlayStation Move controller in your hand. The title is accessible enough to make it a perfect fit for parties, but it boasts enough depth to keep enthusiastic gamers occupied long after everyone's gone home. The activities are largely well selected, and the calibration improvements are technologically impressive. It's just a shame that online multiplayer's still absent, otherwise this would have been an unmissable release.

Despite its impressive art direction and intense sense of style, Killzone struggled as a PlayStation 2 title. On PS3 its issues are accentuated, with shoddy gunplay and repetitive environments amongst its most notable flaws.

Smart As offers an enjoyable mental workout, which is complemented by some outstanding connectivity features. It's a shame that so much of its content has to be unlocked, but what's included is fun and thoughtfully designed.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz is packed to the rafters with great content, but lengthy load times and clunky menus break its flow. The original game remains the best in the series, but this is still well worth a roll.

For all its style and silliness, Dead or Alive 5 is a fairly conventional game. The ridiculous story mode is an enjoyable distraction for an afternoon – but it's not enough to keep you hooked. Unless, you're a fan of the fighting mechanics in general – which, aside from a few minor tweaks, are largely unchanged – there's not a lot to get excited about here. Well, certainly not from a pure gameplay perspective anyway.

WRC 3: FIA World Rally Championship has more than enough content to keep you busy with its 83 tracks, 50 drivers, and 37 cars. But, despite being the official game of the World Rally Championship, it has many issues that strip away its authenticity – the most problematic of which being poor track feedback. The title's more than competent as a casual off-road racer, but unfortunately for developer Milestone, Codemasters already has that genre locked up with its exceptional DiRT series.

007 Legends' greatest failing is that it cherry picks moments from Bond's illustrious history but fails to show why the character has engaged and fascinated for so long, all the while lacking self-generated value as its own game. Die-hard Bond fans will leave underwhelmed - if not peeved - by its treatment of these films, and the lowest-common-denominator approach to gameplay is downright bland. Thunderbore.

Resident Evil 6 steers Capcom's survival-horror series in an even more action-oriented direction – and comes up short in some places as a result. However, if you can forgive the troublesome camera and woeful partner AI, there's still a lot to like about this third-person shooter.

Derrick the Deathfin is a real heartbreaker. It's agonisingly obvious that Different Tuna tried really hard to make something special, and as a player you're rooting for them – but the base gameplay just isn't good enough to keep you hooked. If the graphics grab you, then the price is low enough to make this a worthwhile gamble, just don't dive in with any unrealistic expectations.