It’s a superior game to Conviction, but it won’t be held in the regard as the original Splinter Cell or Chaos Theory. It’s spread too thin and too focussed on trying to cater to everybody than exploiting what it’s best at.

It’s a game everyone should be thrilled exists in a vibrant and daring independent scene, tapping a reservoir of fascinating themes and content that mainstream games dare not touch.

The delivery may need a little work, but Gone Home’s story is one that’s well worth being a part of. It’s dense, rich, striking and moving; few games this year will leave quite such a mark, and despite a few missteps, it could well prove a watershed moment for interactive storytelling.

To embrace Disney Infinity is to buy-in to the whole package: collecting the physical toys, building in the Toy Box, enjoying the Play Sets. Without interest in all its components, its appeal is diminished.

It’s a terrific journey, culminating in a moment that weds narrative and mechanics to captivating effect. It is something of a shame that Brothers doesn’t entirely capitalise on its central gameplay idea, but it never truly fumbles it either.

True, it’s flawed, occasionally messy, and could do with being a little more accommodating to beginners. It also happens to be one of the boldest and most original visions on any system this year, and surely cements Hideki Kamiya’s place among the great game creators of his generation.

Admiration and respect is due for how N-Fusion has compressed Deus Ex into its iOS form. But as a general rule, straight replicas of traditional console and PC games on touch devices is folly. Despite the developer’s best efforts, the devices have neither the grunt nor control palette to stand up to the task, resulting in a fiddly and pared-back experience.

By turns exciting, disturbing and maniacally enjoyable, Hotline Miami is a true pleasure. Whether it’s a guity one or not is on your conscience.

Denser, deeper and more intricate than its predecessors, it’s a sequel that understands refinement isn’t simply a case of adding more, even if it’s arguably as generous and complete a package as we’ve seen from Nintendo in a while. Yes, it’s a game about multitasking, forward planning and time management, but it’s also a game where you command sentient carrots to headbutt a crawfish to death. Ah, the joy of simple pleasures.

Company of Heroes 2 cruises when it should be sprinting, and when you couple that with the fumbling of the tone and setting it becomes a very difficult game to recommend.

It would be disingenuous to suggest that The Last of Us is immune from blockbuster video game excess --the total number of kills at the final stats page will still run into the many hundreds-- but it’s one of the few games to try and make some kind of sense of it without compromising its quality of action...In that, and so many other things, The Last of Us is a triumph.

Every time you open your 3DS to play New Leaf, you know you’re almost certain to experience something new or surprising. And how many games can you say that about?

Watching my kids play through Diggs Nightcrawler it was interesting to see how strong a connection they had to both the genre and the play style. Certainly, playing a game with a book feels a very different way to spend time that sat staring at their handhelds.

Last Light is the rare shooter that lingers with you once you’re done with it.

It's definitely worth a try thanks to the great exploration and fluid combat systems, just make sure you have plenty of patience on hand.

Everything added is a disappointment, and everything retained only succeeds as much as it did before. It’s not often that a sequel completely fails to build on the successes of the game that came before it, but Riptide achieves that defeat with a cynical lack of ambition.

I ended up hooked, playing it for hours, and I'm almost certainly not done. I also made a video of myself performing brain surgery in a moving ambulance, which I can't link to in a Telegraph review because I have a mouth like a sailor.

That rare kind of game that treats you with respect, once you’ve earnt it. It’s a strange feeling to be left floundering without any attempt to help you up, but it’s stranger still to then discover that you’re perfectly capable of helping yourself up, and discovering how capable you really are. Starseed Pilgrim is quietly affirming, and eminently rewarding. It’s genuinely beautiful, from the inside and out.

Several occasions while playing Star Trek, I was ready to call it a write-off, whether it’s the bugs, the terrible signposting or the fact it’s just plain dull. But then the game surprises with a section that’s not half-bad...And it is so infuriating. Not because Star Trek is ever hard, but because it could have been good. And it’s not.

This is a fizzy, exciting brawler that’s easy to pick up and even easier to like, all bolstered by an authentic and reverent adaption of the DC Universe.

Intelligent Systems has produced some fine games for Nintendo over the years; Awakening can proudly sit next to fellow strategy gem Advance Wars as the studio’s best work to date.

To EA’s credit, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 --like all the PGA Tour games before it-- is still a very good game. But perhaps the imminent next generation of consoles will see the series receiving the overhaul it needs.

It's just slightly too bogged down in filler, slightly held back by some cumbersome and awkward systems, and just doesn't quite hit the mark all the time. When it does, though, it's a fun, hilarious experience, worth checking out if you own a Wii U, but not quite on par with the best TT has to offer.

Heart of the Swarm sits halfway between an expansion and a sequel, yes, but also halfway between casual and competitive, singleplayer and multi, offering a huge amount and not really all that much at all. It’s bombastic and reserved, overwrought and beautifully finessed.

Any gripes with the action are washed away when the narrative flexes it considerable muscle. It’s a fabulous piece of storytelling, thick with foreshadowing to a gut-punch of a finale. Most importantly, like BioShock before it, Infinite could only work as a video game, finessing the art of player agency and interaction. Proof positive that with the right talent and drive, games can plough their own narrative furrow. And excel at it.

This is a game unlike any other. Incomparable, yet instantly accessible. The best Nintendo games have a marvelous knack of building the perfect worlds for the perfect heroes and this is the foundation on which Luigi's Mansion is built. Cracking.

It’s Gears at its very best, fierce gunplay mixing with a fabulous ebb and flow across smartly designed maps. It’s nothing revolutionary, rather existing elements melded into a satisfying whole. It’s the kind of thing that makes Judgment a more long-term investment than its campaign demands, but even the single-player’s familiarity and conservatism can’t take away from the base thrill of pulling the trigger or revving that chainsaw.

The Monster Hunter series continues to be brilliant but a little impenetrable, despite efforts to remedy that very issue. How much you’ll get out of the game really depends on what you’re willing to put in - if you’re short on spare time or patience, maybe give it a miss. But if you like the sound of really learning a game for once instead of just drifting through it, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is essential.

Nothing /quite/ works as it should, and when Simcity is built on those systems from the ground up, that’s an incredible shame. There’s so much to like, but there’s so much that will frustrate, and it’s hard to recommend you brave the many ailments.

Mirror of Fate is an excellent entry into this new Castlevania canon. It treats its plot with as much reverence as a home console title, while capturing more of the feel of classic Castlevania than Lords of Shadow. It's an excellent companion piece to Gabriel's first adventure, and a thoughtful, well-designed handheld title in particular.

A highly-accomplished if not completely fulfilling rampage. There’s a base level of quality that hasn’t slipped from the excellent God Of War III – this looks even better, puts things onscreen that are, somehow, even bigger. But this technical muscle isn’t given the best stage on which to oil and flex, thanks to a story that simply idles the roaring engine of death that is Kratos, and keeps the series ticking over until the next, more substantial step forward.

Year Walk is a small but perfectly formed piece of digital entertainment that shows there’s much more to iOS than endless runners and free-to-play timewasters. A game this distinctive, this different, this thrillingly new is the best possible demonstration of the format’s versatility; indeed, of the narrative power of the interactive medium.

There's no denying that, for me at least, it was as fun as it was irritating, as stylish as it was silly. It could've used some tweaking, some more suitable level design in places, and perhaps more thought gone into making the game a cohesive whole. It's not close to Platinum's best, or Kojima's best, but is a game worth checking out, even if just as a rental.

While Bientôt l’été may lack the potency of Tale of Tales’ best work – the subversive, disturbing The Path is this writer’s personal highlight - there’s something to be said for a game that so boldly goes against the grain.

While it may occasionally frustrate, Antichamber is a wonderful experience. There are vague hints of a plot, but it's a plot about self-discovery and making progress, about learning how to overcome challenges and find your way through life's confusions.

This is a compelling experience, the inspired outgrowth of a new complexity in the environmental design of videogames.

The failure of Aliens: Colonial Marines runs deeper than a clumsy stab at sliding into the Alien canon, though. It’s not just a poor Aliens experience, it’s a poor game. There’s a stiffness to the movement and a lack of feedback to the vanilla weapon line-up that’s unexpected from Gearbox Software.

The oddest thing, however, is how a game that's so breathlessly paced for a good 12 hours succumbs to bloat. As Dead Space 3 creaks towards its denouement, you get the feeling that Visceral packed the first three quarters of the game with such incident, they ran out of stuff to include in the final stretch. It's never dull, but never as consistently engaging either.

Strike Suit Zero isn't a game for the faint-hearted. Strike Suit Zero is tough. Really tough. And while it's this challenge that makes it such a compelling space shooter, it's the very same thing that will drive away players in hordes.

Considering Double Fine nailed the whole 'characters with differing abilities' concept so well in the brilliant Stacking, it's bizarre how poorly it's been pulled off here. Disappointing as a puzzle game, inconsequential as a platformer and far too reliant on players having the patience to traipse around, The Cave ends up feeling extremely hollow.

Small cavils aside, though, Ni No Kuni is a heartfelt ode to the kind of gaming experience that's in danger of vanishing altogether from the landscape. It would take a hard heart indeed not to get lost in some part of this ravishing exercise in escapism.

Combat is fast and fluid, but it's also wearyingly repetitive, and even with the new weapons, there's a distinct lack of variety.

An inventive, compelling online brawler, the likes of which you won't have experienced before. It is technical and spectacular enough that it accommodates both skilled players and those who just want to mash some buttons and watch the sparks fly.

At its core, Temple Run is still a breathlessly exciting game. Equally, however, it's hard not to feel a little cheated by a decidedly unambitious follow-up that has its eye firmly trained on your wallet.

While it remains to be seen if this level of quality can keep up over its five acts, Act I of Kentucky Route Zero is a beautiful, melancholy start to what should be a fantastic series.

As DmC progresses, it becomes clear that it is a phenomenal action game in its own right, with an interesting alternate take on the fiction and a sublime handle on action gaming. A title that taps into the kind of action the likes of Platinum Games are known for. Ninja Theory has shown they know how to weave superb action, biting dialogue and a brilliant visual style into a wonderful, cohesive whole. A blistering start to 2013.

The final twenty minutes of the game are sublime.

Despite its niggles, WWE Universe is a terrifically flexible mode that offers endless hours of enjoyment for the committed. For the more casual player, and the lapsed wrestling fans WWE 13 is aiming for, the main draw is the Attitude Era mode. It's flawed, sure, but many of its foibles can be forgiven when you're playing out moments that recall a time when professional wrestling was fresh, fierce and relevant.

It's worth battling through those initial tricky moments with the controls because, as a game, Vice City is still enormously entertaining. Great characters and great stage-setting never lose their lustre and, even ten years on, this is still Grand Theft Auto at its mischievous best.

Perhaps most impressive though is the level of polish found here...characters are quick to bounce back if they do happen to get stuck on the destructible environment, and the environmental and level design has been tweaked to perfection, eliminating a lot of the series' problems.

The art, too, is wonderfully realised, both making the world a dangerous but curious place, and giving a great deal of life to the characters. Just look at Clementine's expressiveness even without words. It plays right into the hands of its comic book counterpart, and leaves the game anything but lifeless.

Battle Royale isn't the most original of games, then, but it's far more accessible than most fighters, rich in fan-service and PlayStation history, and a fun party game to boot. It may never particularly surprise or break any moulds, but it's a seriously fun, well-crafted brawler, and well worth a look, particularly for fans of the franchises it houses.

A great little racer with some excellent track design and a pretty unique feel to its racing. It's just a shame it's a tiny bit too punishing in places, with a multiplayer that doesn't quite match up to its single player.

So no, it's not another Wii Sports. It isn't a game-changer, nor is it likely to be nearly as successful as a seller of hardware...But it might just be the better game of the two.

It's a game that shows there are a few tricks even Mario hasn't learned quite yet. The plumber is back at something approaching his very best, and that's something audiences – and Nintendo, with a new console to sell – will be particularly delighted about.

While Vaas is one of the best video game baddies in some time, with fabulous dialogue performed with unsettling verve, he is not the star. The island that lies behind him is...Rook Island is a magnificent creation.

It loses a lot of the adult tone of the original, but it's far too frustrating and convoluted for kids (or all but the most patient of adults). It looks great, and there are some nice ideas, and a few great puzzles, but it's all let down by sloppy execution. Even the songs are miserably bland, which for a Disney title is especially disappointing.

Hitman Absolution is a fascinating case of an error of judgment costing a game its heart. For Absolution, that mistake was placing a focus on a story that didn't need to be told and nobody wanted to hear.

There's a more nuanced approach to family inclusiveness here than in most games aimed at this age group, and - perhaps helped by the confidence in the power of words that bleeds through the whole Potter universe - a touching emphasis throughout on the importance of becoming wise.

Don't make the mistake of confusing the near-future setting and the attempts at branching narrative for innovation. It's more like Treyarch has had a spring clean and got the decorators round: Black Ops II is still ostensibly built on the same foundations that powered 2008's Call of Duty 4 and every annual instalment of the series thereafter. The thrill of Call of Duty's rollercoaster ride is starting to diminish, then, but few will feel too short-changed by buying this year's ticket.

It's [a] tough and punishing game, but in the best way possible. Every loss compels you onward in the war and the story. Where most games are frustratingly punishing, XCOM delivers a masterclass in challenge and escalation.

If you're willing to go off and do the optional activities, then Assassin's Creed III's single player really shines, and there's just so much content here that even despite the negatives, it's well worth your time. Couple that with another consistently excellent multiplayer component and you're left with a game that may leave you frowning on occasion, but nonetheless one that still has a lot of fun on offer.

Rather than re-inventing the series in their image, 343 has treated Halo 4 with kid gloves, settling for familiarity and mimicry of what has gone before. A reassurance to long-term fans, rather than a battle cry that one of gaming's biggest blockbusters is there for the re-crafting.

This is a thrilling, charismatic, feel-good racer. They are the definitions that matter.

Like any commercial videogame Skylanders Giants asks for a substantial investment from its players, but it rewards this with an experience to match.

An interesting, slow-burning adventure game well worth your time.

Approached with an open mind, and accepted for what it is rather than what it isn't, a guided tour of Albion proves surprisingly appealing.

The best change is an interesting contradiction that gives you more control, while taking some away.

However you choose to approach Dishonored, it's a game that asks you to think, plan, be smart. It's a wonderfully empowering game because of this, as you lurk in the shadows knowing the powers you possess and the options you have. It's elegantly designed to make the most of those tools, but isn't afraid of changing the rules in order to keep its (admittedly quite predictable) story bubbling along.

There's no doubt that Konami need to rip out the entire front end of PES for essential modernisation, but the best menu system and career mode in the world mean nothing without a fabulous game of football at its heart. That's what Konami have focused on this year, getting it right on the pitch. That focus and a new-found determination to not be left behind is stamped all over PES 2013, an excellent and long-overdue return to form.

While it isn't perfect, Dust is a generous and smart addition to Xbox Live's thriving Arcade.

A beguiling soundscape, layered over artwork that varies from thick comic-book strokes to sheer psychedelia.

There's plenty of depth here to challenge even the most experienced tower defence player but Fieldrunners 2 also has a learning curve that beginners will be able to follow. It's a must-have for your iPhone.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a single-player construct through and through, and tossing in an extra player doesn't do it many favours, particularly in the limited confines of a handheld screen.

Bigger, better, less reliant on established formulas, but manages to feel like a totally natural follow-up to the 2010 original. And it's exactly the game it should be, too. It's not War's chaotic, tightly-packed adventure. It's a lonelier, more barren trek through dead lands.

The game is pretty much a must-play for anyone interested in videogame narrative or the debate on virtual violence, and the sheer subversiveness it brings to one of the most profitable and least nuanced of gaming genres is certain to be influential in future. But dubious mechanics, cursory multiplayer and niggling design shortfalls all weigh heavily in the other scale. Spec Ops may turn out to be less notable for what it is than for what it inspires.

Fiddly bits notwithstanding, Thomas Was Alone is a game crafted with real love and attention. It shines through most prominently in its neurotic set of blocks, a cast so delightful you'd give them a cuddle if they weren't all sharp edges. Mind you, I'm not sure Chris would like that too much. But even that grumpy old square would admit that spending time with Thomas is, actually, a whole lot of fun.

This is one of the most compelling, enjoyable episodic games around. It is a shame about the technical problems, but that's not to say it's not pristine in many ways. A clever interface, a vibrant art style and a simple, atmospheric soundtrack compliment what is a wonderful, harrowing, human story.

While some may be horrified to discover that the gurning Lego figures now come fully voiced, in context it makes perfect sense.

Erratic, smart, puerile, limited but never less than a lot of fun, Lollipop Chainsaw is something of an endearing mess. Too often its satirical tone can run into trouble, and Grasshopper's hyperactive approach to game design can infuriate as much as it impresses. But Lollipop Chainsaw's quirky edge and strong writing carries it through those shakier moments, leaving a candy-coated video game in possession of a sharp bite.

Tribes: Ascend is a worthy successor to its forebears, bringing the same inimitable, hectic play style married to graphics that will stretch even the most capable machine.

It certainly gives a great deal in the first few hours. Though it's repetitive, the mechanics are solid and the concept itself works fantastically.

Dragon's Dogma is one of those rare games which is brilliant, broken, amazing, infuriating, and one you absolutely, unquestionably have to play.

An extension that creams off the outwardly silly side of throwing cars around muddy tracks, and packages it up in a bright, boisterous party bag. It may lack a little single-player finesse, but then, you can't have a shindig without a crowd.

There's a great deal of content here for the money, and a set of high-level weapon unlocks, combined with challenges to complete on every mission, should keep you coming back to the single-player or co-op games as to the online versus modes. Dismal story aside, this is a solid, professional, deeply enjoyable product. Like the Ghosts themselves, it's so good at what it does that you run the real risk of not noticing how superbly it's doing it.

Trials Evolution is a must-have for Trials die-hards, and a perfect, comprehensive starting point for the uninitiated.

There's perhaps a little too much repetition of particular rhythm tasks --and some are certainly more successful than others-- but Rhythm Thief is a joy from start to finish. And with a huge amount of collectibles and post game content, provides a package that should form part of any 3DS owners library.

With an excellent time-management mechanic, some great dungeon design and an emotive love story at its heart, Pandora's Tower is an action-RPG well worth checking out.

Where a great narrative drives forward a game with beautiful crafting and insightful detail, occasional repeat conversations and low-lit confusion make it a little disjointed in places and can break the otherwise powerful immersion.

There'll always be limitations on console, and it's highly unlikely the game will ever compare to it's PC counterpart, but this is an impressive port and a brilliant game regardless. It's made even more of an ominous time-glutton by having you sprawled out on the sofa, pad in hand, mind, so be careful.

It's a wonderful little game but it will eat your life. Don't say I didn't warn you.

A terrific compromise that brings action and story together in a fabulous work of craftmanship and sky-high production values. So it may not have the scope of Rockstar's most famous oeuvre, but it more than makes up for that in focus, detail and raw thrills.

While Sniper Elite V2 is too patchy to recommend wholeheartedly, its brief flirtations with excellence and its core sniping make for an enjoyable, bloody waltz through Berlin. It won't replace Call of Duty or Battlefield, but its slower, sneakier twist on the military shooter is a welcome concept, even if it doesn't always hit the mark.

A brilliant game that is nonetheless difficult to recommend to everyone, then. But those with an eye for detail and a fair amount of patience will be rewarded with a deep, engaging and entirely idiosyncratic experience. Just don't go in expecting your hand to be held at any point.

The Witcher 2 is a tough game, no doubt. Dare I say it, too tough. The Witcher 2's finest draw is in its tale, rather than its action, so it seems a misstep to give players a regular kicking even on the easiest setting.

What Birds of Steel does right, it does far better than any similar game on consoles. If Second World War flying is your thing, you'll find a dizzying amount of content here for the money.

The problem with Unbounded is that it doesn't seem comfortable sharing its secrets with you. It's called Ridge Racer, it looks like Burnout, and anyone who has played an arcade racer will, not unreasonably, expect a certain handling model...Unbounded is not that game.

One of the most accessible entries in this most cultivated of genres. It's gorgeous and welcoming, built on time-honoured design but given a contemporary sheen, making it arguably the first truly modern 2D shoot 'em up in many a year.