Carving your way through a level in Broforce is chock full of muscle flexing carnage, and it’s brilliant for it as explosions rock the screen and you tear through the scenery. Though inventive, some of the boss fights halt that fun, and the way co-op deals with lives is too unforgiving, but it’s always throwing out something new, whether it’s a different looking environment to blow up, a new type of enemy to blow up or another new bro to add to the team and blow things up with.

Rock Band 4 is fundamentally an excellent update to what was arguably the finest rhythm-action game of the last generation. However, it currently feels like it lacks ambition, and some features haven’t been given the update they could have had while others have been removed.

Overall, a competent platformer that plays it safe, but one that is also painfully drawn out.

In the end Bedlam has an interesting premise at its core and dialogue that will amuse for a while, but it gets same-y very quickly in each environment. Perhaps if the game started more quickly and had you hopping genres a little earlier in the game, it wouldn’t outstay its welcome quite so quickly. As it is, it can only really be recommended if the genre-hopping idea has you weak at the knees.

How much you get from Transformers: Devastation will depend entirely on how fondly you remember the original cartoon. Non-fans will find an competent, if short, beat ’em up which is perhaps a little over priced, but die hard fans will be yelping, punching the air and reliving their childhoods by transforming in to a semi truck and chasing Ravage as he pounces across Cybertron.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 should be remembered not just as a bad game, but as an indicator of the industry’s hubris, where games are continuously released in a broken state. It’s a shame, because if there was more time then Robomodo’s efforts may have eventually led to a fantastic skateboarding game. Instead a classic franchise has been tarnished and an audience scorned.

Even if Prison Architect didn’t come with a thought provoking, if short, campaign, it’d be easy to recommend to anyone with an interest in management sims. That addition not only brings some depth to the game, but it also serves as one of the most enjoyable and comprehensive tutorials I’ve ever played in a game.

Elite: Dangerous is a phenomenal piece of simulation software, masquerading as a game. I felt like Mal Reynolds, Captain Picard and Luke Skywalker at various points, while at others I felt like a delivery man who was able to make a cup of tea whilst travelling to the next drop off. The emptiness of space can be overwhelming, and Elite: Dangerous revels in that a little too much, but for the brave, or foolhardy, it offers an experience that is unlike anything else on Xbox One.

It’s everything you’d expect in a Blood Bowl game, with a great tutorial for newcomers and a coat of paint, looking as good as the Citadel Minatures you’d see in the window of a Games Workshop.

Sadly it doesn’t feel like the Saint Seiya: Soldiers’ Soul truly captures what made the anime such a success.

A very addictive time and resource management game which can easily make the hours fly by as you play just one more day to hunt for that elusive item you need. However, the addiction can slowly turn into frustration at not being able to find what you need or by not knowing what you need to do next due the lack of any hints.

If you’re a basketball fan, then NBA 2K16 is definitely worth picking up. It has all the experiences you would want in a basketball game, and is easily one of the more entertaining sports games to pick up.

There are also a few returning issues with the controls, with the dash skill being an particular annoyance; it’s designed to speed you around each dungeon but instead you have continually re-engage it every time you turn a corner, leave an area, or enter a room.

It doesn’t always get that blend quite right, and the price of entry is very high, but it’s an excellent first attempt that’s full of nostalgia and more than a few moments of brilliance.

Overall, SuperChargers is a competent sequel and one that’s bound to keep the Skylanders fandom transfixed for yet another year. Where previous iterations have kept the series afloat using fun albeit superficial gimmicks, this latest edition feels more like a genuine step in a new direction.

Having managed to reach but not successfully beat Oryx for the first time, it already feels as though the boss battles have the kinds of game mechanics and the inherent but not unduly unfair difficulty that will help to sustain interest in repeated plays in a few months time.

Happy Home Designer captures some of the Animal Crossing magic, but not enough to make it an essential entry in the series.

Disney Infinity 3.0 steers the series back on track after last year’s small spanner in the works. It’s a fun and enjoyable game that never outstays its welcome while also striving to innovate within the existing framework.

It makes you think about what it means to be alive, and indeed how you classify life, and is a brilliant example of just how far video games have evolved.

Lumini is short, but sweet. What the game lacks in content is easily made up by the blissful audio and artwork, which absolutely make this a little gem of a game.

There is little to redeem the myriad of fundamental flaws and inadequacies that are apparent throughout.

The Golf Club Collector’s Edition is a well-featured and enjoyable game, only held back by the lack of licensed content and performance issues that hamper the fun.

Dropsy manages to subvert your expectations, and has managed to create a main character you can feel for, even though he doesn’t speak. Dropsy just wants to make people happy in a world that is filled with problems, and by helping them he can achieve his goal.

Avalanche Studios is known for creating a series of games that are incredibly entertaining, but Mad Max doesn’t have that same kind of pull. It isn’t a bad game and there is entertainment to be had, but the lack of variety in this world and some drawn out moments keep it from greatness.

There are moments in Gauntlet: Slayer Edition that shine. Whether it’s successfully taking out a room full of enemies with your three co-op partners or, even better, single-handedly, because your friends already died and now they owe you a debt. These are the moments that people will play for despite its repetitive nature, but that repetition is ultimately the deal-breaker and the other issues only serve to reinforce that there are other games in the genre that do it better.

At its heart, Runbow is a game to break out during a big gathering, rather than play on your own. Nothing is more fun than hooking up controllers and playing with a whole bunch of your friends for a night, and Runbow offers that in spades, provided you have all the Wii Remotes and attachments at your disposal.

Kojima has also done an excellent job of integrating this story into the well worn universe, wrapping up almost all of the loose ends within, as well as tying it to the events that are set to follow in a way that ought to please fans.

Personally I feel the random element is a little too on the nose, but like all good board games, there are going to be those who really dig that particular feature. Armello’s a fantastic example of a gateway board game and also a great way to spend an hour or two with friends who may not be able to get around a table.

Zombie Vikings is a fun beat ’em up that has some excellent moments of humour, with distinct feeling playable characters and a moderate level of difficulty. While the single-player alone is good, the multiplayer is where Zombie Vikings truly stands out. Zoink Games have shown once again why it is a studio worth keeping an eye on.

Forza Motorsport 6 is beautiful, meticulous, dramatic and generous. It is arguably a faultless piece of driving software, and on top of that, Turn 10 have definitively proven that the Xbox One is an exceptionally capable machine when in the right hands.

It was definitely an experiment worth trying yet the action gameplay does little to hold up its side of the bargain.

Mega Man Legacy Collection feels incomplete. It doesn’t feature any of the games that launched after the heyday of the NES era and even then brings them to modern systems with performance warts and all. Yet somehow with the six games it does bring to the table, it provides enough for fans to indulge in with challenges and archive artwork, while also bringing in new players with conveniences such as the save system.

When the cogs start turning, Nobunaga’s Ambition becomes this intriguing spectacle as clans employ a variety of strategies in order to adapt, survive, and expand. Although far from perfect, this is likely the best grand strategy title you’ll find on a home console.

Although familiar, the combat takes on a new feeling thanks to the change in setting. That said, I’m sure those who have played previous One Piece adaptations won’t get that same sensation.

It reimagines many of the ways you interact with the game’s papercraft world and it expands and builds upon some of the ideas in the handheld version, yet never strays too far from what was already a wonderful experience.

It’s Nintendo’s love letter to the fans, not just giving them the tools to create and share Mario courses, but wrapping it up in a wonderfully presented package and teaching them everything they could possibly want to know. The beauty is that some fans will inevitably be able to go beyond that and pull off some tricks that Nintendo haven’t even thought of yet.

Madden 16 builds on last year’s fantastic entry in the franchise, and while there’s more refinement here than revolution the improvements are meaningful, with the addition of Draft Champions a huge success.

It feels like you are fighting the game every step of the way, and this is frustrating because of how much promise there is underneath all the problems. Given more time I’m sure Yanim Studio could have nailed this on the first attempt, but instead Red Goddess: Inner World’s bugs dominate against the gameplay.

Tamsoft may have upped the ante on a number of fronts, yet it’s the core gameplay where this sequel suffers most. It’s all well and good creating an offbeat world in which to put players, but Onechanbara is missing the depth to keep them there.

Its dated looks, slippery controls, and occasional bugs don’t exactly help, but the lack of originality compared to both Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and Speedrunners just highlight the problems with this copy and paste effort. Go play Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams instead of this.

Tomb Raider fan or not, Lara Croft GO is a must-have and will hopefully continue to expand in the months to come.

Deep Crimson evolves a number of Tamsoft’s original concepts, while tying everything together in one neat package, but it’s just a shame that the combat system lacks any sort of depth or zest. What’s worse is that it feels as though this stems from the developer’s overriding focus on sexualising its line-up of characters.

It’s a shame that Pure Hold’em doesn’t come with a few extra modes and more customisation options, because there’s a large, poker-shaped hole in our current next-gen games lineup. Rather than capitalising on the lack of any competition right now, it merely offers a competent package of one style of poker.

Devil’s Third’s singleplayer campaign is dumb, misogynistic, shoddy and borderline broken at times, but its multiplayer may well be its saving grace. While it remains lo-fi and decidedly rough around the edges, there’s some fun to be had and an experience that could see it gain something of a cult following on Wii U.

Lost Dimension is a well thought out tactical RPG, but it’s the traitor system which is the star of the game. It constantly makes you second guess your choices as you progress, but it comes at the cost of a compelling story.

There’s very little you haven’t played before in the campaign and the new cinematics and voiceovers do little to assist the bare story, but the gameplay is still great, it looks and sounds fantastic, and fans will no doubt enjoy playing the formerly PC-exclusive section they missed the first time.

Nova-111 should definitely be played by those who enjoy games with unusual and interesting concepts. Despite a few flaws, it remains a great game, featuring some superb moments and while the first few levels are a slow burn, the pace soon becomes manic. I’m personally very excited to see what Funktronic Labs create in the future.

With its immersive world, branching narrative, and lifelike character work, Until Dawn will have players on the edge of their seats while pounding them with jump scares and a bone-chilling soundtrack. Having previously worked on ports and smaller titles for Sony, Supermassive Games have shown that they can play with the big boys and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

There’s a lot to enjoy here in a well-rounded package, with plenty of replay value thanks to the range of different heroes, collectibles and high-scores to aim for, as well as the online and offline multiplayer options.

As an educational tool, Beyond Eyes did a great job of teaching me of the struggles people face when their vision is impaired... As a game though, Beyond Eyes is about plodding through a maze with barely any meaningful plot until right at the end.

Curses N’ Chaos is a good arena brawler that throws you right into the action. It may not be the most graphical intensive games out there, but Tribute Games has created something that you can get engrossed in really quickly. You will die a lot to make progress, and that may not be for everyone, but if you like your brawlers, then Curses ‘N Chaos is certainly worth a look.

Coming off the back of Thomas Was Alone, Volume is a much more ambitious and expansive project, and there’s little sign of this being a difficult second album. It can miss the mark in a few areas, depending on how you play, but this is a clever distillation of the classic stealth genre wrapped up in an excellent retelling of a classic English legend.

While Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment is an enjoyable budget release that offers hours of anime adventuring, it’s tainted by inexplicable performance issues that simply shouldn’t have made it to the PS4 edition of the game.

Priced at around a tenner, The Castle Game is a fun slice of tower defence action that packs in decent amount of replay value.

While there are some games included that you’re unlikely to make repeated visits to, Rare Replay offers an incredible retrospective of one of the most iconic game studios of our time.

As light on gameplay as it is, Everbody’s Gone to the Rapture is as beautiful as it is thought provoking.

Actual Sunlight is one of the strongest text-driven video games I’ve played.

The first episode comes across as being too eager to show you everything all at once, instead of taking things slower and allowing you to absorb what just happened. The script is good but has moments that don’t seem that logical, but in spite of this The End Of Peace is a decent start to the series.

The only real hurdle to clear when offering a recommendation for Galak-Z is the difficulty. The ship is fun to use but it takes a long time to master, and the game does require mastery of movement to progress into the later stages. That paired with resetting progress to the beginning of the season and losing all your upgrades sometimes feels like a bit much, particularly after enduring a steep and lengthy learning curve.

Funk Of Titans isn’t a bad game but it doesn’t do anything interesting either. It is an incredibly easy game to beat, and the gameplay itself is very, very repetitive.

It hasn’t been the easiest journey for Skullgirls to the PlayStation 4, but with 2nd Encore, Lab Zero have turned in the definitive edition of a high-quality fighting game that not only has bags of character but matches it with both technical and enjoyable action.

As much as I wanted to fall in love with Submerged, it’s standing proof that a game needs more than good looks and a unique angle to win me over. With the ’emotional’ story-driven approach slowly receding from the frontline of gaming, I’m left craving fun and challenging experiences that have us do more than haplessly roam within the confines of a digital sandbox.

Where episodic gaming has usually left me nonplussed, King’s Quest has had an enthralling effect, leaving me in eager anticipation of the next chapter.

As far as Diablo clones go, it isn’t of the same calibre as Path of Exile due to its rather simplistic nature and the overabundance of the six primary enemy types, but it does feature some neat gameplay twists of its own. It’s worth a look if you are starved of action RPGs, with the emphasis on action.

Whether looking to relive a forgotten favourite or simply in the mood for an old school action platformer, The Legend Of Kay is more than just serviceable. It’s a fun, inspired take on the genre that plays well despite its lack of ground-breaking features.

There is some issue with the final portion of the game with a couple of spikes in difficulty, but overall Q.U.B.E Director’s Cut is a fun and accessible title that offers a fair challenge. If you’re into puzzle platformers then you should strongly consider picking this up.

There were several very powerful moments, with Dontnod’s mature approach to the subject matter and ambiguous decision making key, as they tackled the theme of life and death that ran throughout. Alongside some great puzzles and use of Max’s time warping power, this is the best episode yet.

N++ is a further distillation and refinement of what made N and N+ cult classics in the first place. Rather than replacing those games, it expands upon them greatly, with a bafflingly vast array of levels that come to test you mastery of the game’s pure platforming, and the tools to make even more.

In this madcap steampunk rendition London, a city of ludicrous buildings filled with robots and traps, the key is learning how to quit while you’re ahead. It’s all too easy to slip up and foolishly get spotted – and yes, the occasional glitch or quirk of procedural generation can feel unfair – but it makes each success all the more tense and rewarding.

Although its poor presentation and gameplay will grate on most gamers, there are still occasional glimmers of enjoyment, often derived from building up insane scores while nimbly dancing around the bull.

It’s hard to say whether this episode of Telltale’s Game of Thrones series is a genuine standout piece of work amongst their other stuff, or is simply elevated due to some of the other episodes in this series being far less exciting. Nevertheless, it’s still a thrilling experience, and looks to be working towards a superb finale for the series.

Despite the welcoming gameplay and often outstanding graphical representation of the courses though, enthusiasts and series stalwarts may soon feel that while progress has been made in some areas, this may not be the experience they expected from the first PGA Tour of a new console generation.

It may not be the longest game, but if the supernatural intrigues you even a little, then this one case worth taking.

Tembo the Badass Elephant could have been so much more than what is offered. SEGA seemed to be searching for a successor to Sonic with Tembo but at the same time wanted to get a piece of the market for particularly hard games, forgetting to make it fair at the same time.

Despite the huge flaws, there’s still something that kept drawing me back to play a bit more, to destroy a few buildings or beat one more Kaiju. It’s not smart or clever, nor remotely modern, and it’s mostly repetitive and dull. But it’s Godzilla – a giant nuclear accident that is as likely to destroy you as protect you.

Astebreed is a remarkably well-built indie title, which nails both the mecha genre and its anime flavouring.

Cast of the Seven Godsends will find its audience among those wanting that Ghouls n’ Ghosts experience, but in its current state it is largely unplayable thanks to the frame-rate working against you all the time.

F1 2015 doesn’t have many of the features and game modes that we’ve seen over the years, and this feels disappointing given delays during development, but it gives a solid basis for future growth. With lush visuals, tight car handling, good racing and a sprinkling of fresh ideas, this is exactly the fresh start that Codemasters needed.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: Generation V makes for a sound handheld role playing game. Although some will find it hard to connect with the characters and universe, it’s hard to fault Generation V’s fluid combat and presentation features.

Where this lack of complexity would usually hamstring many games, here it works as a boon.

While Whispering Willows is an interesting experience it is a short one at three hours.

With a little more refinement, Ronin could easily have been an enjoyable romp. It certainly looked the part and in the initial stages was a slick action platformer, but by the time the game reaches its conclusion, there’s little motivation to continue. It may be short, but finishing Ronin feels like running a gauntlet by the skin of your teeth.

MotoGP 15 is still an accomplished racer, but it offers little to draw fans in, compared to last year’s entry.

Manga die-hards are bound to get a real kick out of J-Stars Victory VS+. The level of fan service here is on point and there’s a solid fighting game to back it up. That said, after just a few hours it begins to lose steam, becoming less and less appealing as something you’d want to play for long sessions.

This was a game with a lot of depth and variety to the scenarios it put you in, and that’s great fun to play cooperatively. Though it still has its flaws, the added content and changes that have been brought together in the Crimewave Edition build upon the original release and mean that there’s plenty of reasons to sink back into a life of crime.

Batman: Arkham Knight is bigger and bolder than its predecessors, but it’s not better. The plot has some good twists and the exploration of Batman’s character is well done, but overall it doesn’t draw you in like the events of Asylum and City.

Having played literally dozens of Warriors spin-offs, sequels, expansions, and ports, Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3 has perhaps been one of the most surprising. By dramatically altering its story-telling method and making a few welcome refinements, it stands out as the franchise’s best handheld instalment to date.

There’s nothing wrong with modernising older games. However, therein lies the problem for Miracle Cure: it’s just a modernisation.

Despite a few technical problems and design missteps, the variety, and thoughtfulness, of the myriad mechanics make it a pleasure, as you advance through each world exploring every nook and cranny.

LEGO Jurassic World strikes an excellent balance between delivering a nostalgic take on a beloved series of movies, whilst incorporating the brand new Jurassic World storyline.

Feel[s] more like a flashy RPG Maker project than an actual published title.

I genuinely feel that, while it’s not a perfect representation of drawing/painting, Art Academy: Atelier does an excellent job of teaching you the process of creating a piece of art.

As with any book, you’ll want to take Steins;Gate out and about without being tethered to a desk or sofa.

it’s a competent action game that has made a beautiful transition from its original PC roots and one that will no doubt garner a new console-based coven.

It’s hard to replicate Portal’s success, and in the process of following a very similar narrative to that which can be found at Aperture, Magnetic: Cage Closed loses its way on more than one occasion. Thankfully, the magnet gun is fun to use, and most of the puzzles are smartly crafted with a great sense of accomplishment, pacing and difficulty.

However, Sons of Winter is certainly a more enjoyable episode than the previous two, with some decent character development. It often gets to the point much quicker with a lot less filler in between, while also taking characters to new places and surprising you along the way as we head towards the series’ conclusion.

If you’re a fan of musuo combat and witty humour, and you don’t mind some repetition when getting your fight on, you could do a lot worse on Vita than Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed.

There are definitely plenty of similarities when comparing it to Pokémon, yet labelling Fossil Fighters Frontier as a clone would be perhaps a little too harsh. Its developers have made genuine attempts to spice up the JRPG blueprint with vehicles, mini-games, and other interesting features. However, many of these feel tacked on with no real impact on the overall experience.