At the end of the day, if you were one of those who loved gaming back in the day, then you’ll enjoy what Rad Rodgers brings. It’s not the best platformer out there, but it’s still fun and will let you kick back with a huge smile on your face. Unfortunately you may begin to find that grin slowly turning to a grimace as the confusion and lack of direction in the latter levels takes hold.

The Big Top Breakout is cheap, cheerful and worth trying your hand at escaping from at least once, but maybe even twice or more to see the other possible ways out. The whole setting is a lot of fun, the clown inspired customisation items are welcome and the jobs are well suited.

Beast Quest does just enough to make you want to keep playing. The story will keep pulling you forward, and the desire to free the beasts and have them on your side is quite strong. However, it isn’t perfect, even bearing in mind its target demographic.

Train Sim World: Founders Edition is actually quite addictive and it’s fascinating to be given a glimpse into the life of a train driver. I would have liked to have seen more scenarios and tracks, perhaps taking in the whole of the UK, but downloadable content is a thing so maybe that is coming further down the line.

Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones could easily tide you over for a good six hours or so, with decent puzzles and beautiful artwork. The sheer amount of mini-games is impressive, with enough variety to prevent them from becoming stale here, but I do fear a lot of the concepts have been used in previous incarnations many times over.

It’s clear from the beginning that a lot of effort has gone into Nine Parchments’ aesthetics, skill trees and overall progression, but this comes at a price to what you will spend most time in the game doing: killing wave after wave of enemies, with that becoming less and less fun each time.

You may initially think that 10tons have gone mad by pitting the brains of Nikola Tesla against the weirdness of H.P. Lovecraft – and you’d be right. But whilst they are mad, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are wrong and once more they’ve managed to create another addictive little twin stick shooter.

Whilst the audio is sparse, it keeps with what is needed in Q.U.B.E. 2 brilliantly, and when teamed with a cracking graphic design that has clearly had a huge amount of love thrust into it, a story that is told and narrated at a perfect pace, and not so much as a single glitch, hiccup or drop of lag at any time, anyone who is in need of a new thought-provoking puzzler will find that this is a game that delivers in huge quantities.

Accept the game for what it is – a grind to level up and improve your character and base – and there is fun to be had here. Come expecting a Metal Gear game though and you may be disappointed.

It’s fun, it’s wild, it’s a classic returning with a fresh lease on life and it’s one that any true racing fan should be getting involved with at the earliest opportunity.

Spiral Splatter is a simple game. However it’s also a good one that is brilliantly priced and should see any puzzle fan kept happy for an hour or two. I just wish it could deliver much more.

Don’t expect to be wowed by Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet, but if you’re prepared to stick with it and are a fan of the franchise, then there are just about enough positives to give it a look if it’s in the sale.

The first few hours of Surviving Mars are frustrating and the game can come across a bit disappointing; stick with it though and once you have figured out what to do all by yourself – due to the ineffective tutorial tips – the game opens up and almost becomes a completely different experience.

The cell shaded look of Sedna and the soundtrack are excellent, but the change in gameplay, some of the combat and the isometric look lessened my enjoyment. The puzzles and innovative ideas are great though and some of the world themes are interesting to revisit, but it most certainly left me remembering the original as the better experience.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance delivers a huge, complex world with a host of things to get involved in. The story is well written, brilliantly acted and expertly executed. I am worried that the buggy nature of the game will put many off and whilst the vast majority of the problems shouldn’t worry anyone too much, it can get a tad annoying.

I am hugely excited about the promise of The Council and can’t wait for the next four episodes. I hope it continues to surprise and intrigue me as much as The Mad Ones has, and the hints delivered so far begin to ramp up to a great conclusion.

All in all, Gravel, despite its best efforts, isn’t a bad game. It’s rough, annoying, hard on the eyes, and unpolished. But it is still fun to play and for a quick and dirty arcade session, there is a lot worse out there.

Even though the slow-mo shots feel controlling, and the running feels entirely unnatural, The Diaries of Agent Silent Death is a vast improvement over the previous DLC entry.

Unfortunately at this moment TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge is a game that is failing its players in the areas that it should really look to excel, and there are some desperate changes needed to bring this game up to the standard it deserves to reach.

The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe doesn’t provide the exciting extension to the Wolfenstein II adventure we all hoped for. Sure, the gameplay is the same and it’s an equally fluid experience, but content wise, Machine Games have dropped the ball with a protagonist who's too similar to B.J. Blazkowicz - but without any of the brilliant background.

I loved my short time with this delightful little game. Yes, it’s a swift experience, but sometimes the shorter packages are the best ones. The gameplay is great, but I can fully understand that this won’t be for everyone, and I think you can count that sentiment for the game as a whole.

It's not the worst game of the year because it's not broken, it all works fine and there is an interesting concept of a show here, even though we may have trodden these boards before. I found the combat sluggish and uninspiring, and some of the nightmare levels can be very generic compared to other games in these genres. But I think Past Cure is probably worth a punt as long as you can grab it in a sale and fancy trying something a bit unusual.

With a lack of identity often causing confusion about what the game is even trying to achieve, and an utterly disappointing campaign experience, there isn’t much to go on if you want an enjoyable and in-depth story adventure.

Tiles doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the table, with bog standard coloured squares being the order of the day. The puzzling nature involved is mildly enjoyable though, figuring out the ideal route of some crazy layouts. My main issue lies within the ridiculous speed needed to overcome levels featuring those darn yellow tiles and just how early on in the game it ramps the difficulty up to frustrating heights.

It’s funny, sad, compelling and in places murderously hard, but rewards extended play and is without doubt the most fun I’ve ever had with a tower defence game.

Playing Fe makes it clear that Zoink has not only created a game, but also a piece of art that is a definite reflection on humans’ relationship with nature and the need for understanding that every creature has an important place in this world.

It is most certainly an addictive little well paced game – but only really for those who wish to go cheevo hunting in the process. If you’re not interested in those, and couldn’t care less for Gamerscore, then the random world generation, random loot placement, random boss fights and random item pickups could quite possibly see you failing to see this story through to the end.

Mulaka is a great Zelda type game that is certainly decent value for money. The gameplay is good fun with an excellent mixture of puzzle, exploration, and combat. You should be aware of the bugs, and the fights sometimes do go on a bit too long, but overall it’s a great game.

By all means check it out if you can grab it in a sale and have some mates over for a night of fun and games, but otherwise Guilt Bullet Arena misses the mark. Even with that one deadly bullet it plays on.

It’s dated, it’s overly difficult and it lacks that something special to make it more than your typical rogue-like experience.

Puzzle games need ‘eureka!’ moments and Bridge Constructor Portal has those in abundance, counteracting the progressively difficult levels. So come and join the testing team at the Aperture Science Enrichment Center, where you can destroy stuff, have fun and feel pretty darn smart in the process. Oh, and we have cake!

It may not immediately strike as a must-play title, but Immortal Redneck shouldn’t be overlooked. With tons of replayability, tense fast-paced gameplay, fluid controls and enjoyable combat, this is a game that will offer great gameplay for hours on end.

There are definitely better co-op games out there, and there are better space shooters for sure, but RiftStar Raiders can still be a fun game.

It’s important to have games created like this; games that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but are happy to push experimentation and storytelling to the limits. Give me more please.

Overdriven Reloaded is a big game, packing a lot of value and gameplay hours into a small space before you’ll be done with it. It isn’t as polished as Sky Force, for instance, but the roughness is part of the charm, in an endearing kind of way.

The story, looks, and sound are great and for under a tenner it is well worth its value. The camera can get very annoying and certain levels are rock hard though, but if you like a good platformer and want something different then come and join Fumiko in her search for the online truth.

DYE or DIE? Whatever it is, it’s a rock hard game that will keep you busy for many a week – but only if you like a challenge. If you don’t, then it’ll be best that you stay away.

Mutant Football League sits within this limbo where it looks at what it can be, and just shrugs. To be fair, if somebody were to ask me if they should buy this game, I’d shrug too. It’s not the best game on the market in this genre, and I’m sure it’s not the worst. It’s just a mediocre attempt at making a spoof-esque game.

It does take a bit of practice to become competent with the gameplay especially in the reloading of your guns, and figuring out how to upgrade your wares can be confusing at first, but Mercenary Kings is still a great casual game to pick up in between the epic blockbusters, or when you have twenty minutes to kill.

Whilst The Fall Part 2: Unbound has been put together with super high production values, a stunning story and some great visuals, it is the overall length and drawn out nature of the tale that ultimately holds it back.

Don’t expect anything that will wow you, but for less than half a pint of beer, Dig Dog is a game that will keep you busy for an hour or so.

If you love Jurassic Park and/or dinosaurs, it’s a no-brainer. And for anyone else, you could certainly do worse than give it a go - after all, the quality of the pinball is rarely in doubt where Zen Studios are concerned.

Aside from answering questions, the atmosphere and overall presentation of the game certainly makes a decent fist of engaging players, but that short play time hamstrings The Station before it can ever really get going.

If you’re after a casual experience that can be enjoyed either online with strangers or offline with family and friends, then this is a great little game for you to earn those bragging rights.

It has a completely original concept, delivers a great bit of sim-based fun and comes with some wonderful ideas. But the controls can be tricky, and there are glitches that are occasionally annoying; it is these which are key to how much time you'll invest in this game.

2064: Read Only Memories possesses a great tale, and some weird and wonderful characters, but it is let down on the gameplay front. It has all the adventure, yet suffers in the point and click side of things, so take that into account before you consider picking it up.

Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame may not be quite as fulfilling as it was expected to be, but it is still a capable racer that has enough in the tank to provide at least a couple of hours enjoyment at a time.

Don’t expect to be blown away, but should you fancy spending some time with a reflective puzzler, then Samsara will get you thinking.

It starts off great, but really fizzles out despite adding new features early on to try and move things along. Still, OK K.O. Let’s Play Heroes will do a decent enough job at keeping the kids entertained for a few hours.

BLEED 2 is a fantastic game. It’s simplistic in design and mechanics, but it does the basics really well and is a total joy to play because of it.

Make no mistake, Monster Hunter World is one of the best games on the Xbox One and, with the promise of free updates, will remain one of the most played games of 2018.

A fine balance between fisticuffs, chit chat and intense situations.

you’re a fan of story, tone and original gaming then I would plead for you to enter the world of Pinstripe. You won’t regret it.

This game will only be of true interest to sim fans – railway sim fans in particular. It is maybe too expensive for the newcomer to take a punt on, but should it hit a sale, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it.

EA SPORTS UFC 3 doesn’t provide a massive change over last year’s entry other than the few extra game modes and the striking system, but the changes that have been introduced are certainly for the better.

Lost Grimoires 2 could’ve been a cut above the rest, but it lets itself down in familiar ways. It’s a real credit to the puzzling then that it’s still a very good game to chill out and get stuck in to.

Asemblance is a very short and very sweet game. It is confusing, weird and tense, but I still love it.

Win or lose, you’re going to have a smashing time, and that’s all that really matters. So grab a Senzu Bean and meet me on the Dragon Ball FighterZ battlefield for some pure, adrenaline fuelled fun.

It is hugely obvious that a whole load of love has been thrown into this game over the course of development, and whilst that alone shouldn’t be the single reason you buy it, when you combine that commitment, that passion and that love with brilliant gameplay mechanics, fantastic visuals and a story that just keeps on unfolding, you’ll get a great outcome.

The Hidden Ones carries on the excellent standards from the main game and provides a thought-provoking story with an excellent selection of side missions.

With new challenges arriving each in-game day, plenty of characters, tough choices and the perfect dark and grubby environment to match the general moral breaking tone of the game, Beholder: Complete Edition provides a rather unique experience and is certainly one that’s worthy of your time and attention.

I must applaud the developers at Y/CJ/Y for an amazing design to a game that is so small in its package, but achieves so much in its ambition.

Xuan Yuan Sword is a worthy addition to the RPG genre on the Xbox One. The game is long, with a very engrossing story and characters that you really come to care about. Sure, it’s not the prettiest game in the world, but that kind of misses the point

I can’t fault the team at Persistant Studios for attempting something a little different with Boiling Bolt, but it does come up a bit too short to ever worry the big shmup guns.

With a nice short, sharp and enticing story, a truly colourful and beautifully realised setting and an achievement list you’ll have mopped up within a few hours, there are many reasons you’ll want to add this fine story adventure to your must play list.

Circuits is not like any other puzzle game that I have ever played, but it is still one that is easy to recommended to anyone and everyone who is after something new.

Vesta is a lovely little story-filled puzzler that is powered by humour and brings enough thought as to why, what and when at all times. It’s not the most perfect game, and slight control issues, a repetitive soundtrack and massive save problems put a downer on things, but it’s still worth taking a shot at.

Grabbing three friends and playing will bring you a time that not only will strengthen your bonds of friendship, but will also determine who is the Ultimate Chicken Horse!

Raining Blobs suitably entertains in short bursts due to the Arcade mode and the mildly addictive Puzzle mode. It’s a shame that the other modes are unfairly difficult, the visuals aren’t good at all, and the idea of having loads of players on a single TV at once just doesn’t work.

If you’re looking for a cheap new adventure to get your teeth into, or are just after a loot collector that will invoke memories of the classic hack ‘n’ slash era, then Hammerwatch will happily ply you with the content required.

It’s not a game that is going to be for everyone, and there are problems with direction, getting lost, and the onset of motion sickness. But overall it works great.

The surprise success has spawned a fitting sequel in Hand of Fate 2, with deeper RPG elements, interesting lore and some really great challenges which all feel different.

Poor controls and shoddy graphics will take away any last drop of praise you have for Winx Club: Alfea Butterflix Adventures. It is literally all about the achievements for this game – one that is easily set to be one of the worst of 2018.

Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China may have proven to be a bit of a let down with its campaign, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the combat is rather enjoyable.

All in all and The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III does enough to claim its place in the pantheon of ARPG games. It’s not as polished as Diablo 3, or even as Path of Exile, but the charm of the environment and the wish to see the next level are both strong. It’s not perfect, but this third entry in the series is the best to date.

I have really enjoyed my time in the world of Albert & Otto. It’s a hard but fair platform puzzler with some great level design, innovative sections, great visuals and a cracking soundtrack. It does feel a trifle short, but I hope it sells well and allows the development team to create further episodes in the future.

What really kills Outbreak: The New Nightmare is the generally unpolished feel of the whole game. It must be said that the developer clearly has his heart in the right place by trying to revive the classic style of survival horror in this way, but it takes more than copying a classic to make that happen.

I was having a brilliant time with Romancing SaGa 2 before the glaring issues of the battle system came to light. Its non-linearity was ground breaking at the time and as a result, it certainly stands up even today. Even the soundtrack was hugely enjoyable. But those battle mechanics have ruined this game for me.

Whilst Episode Five of the Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two is a bit of a slow burner, filled with momentum killing moments, it really comes into its own once it actually gets going. The vast amount of well-voiced characters supporting Jesse on this immense task and bouncing off one another, the puzzle design and the top notch battle with the Admin, all ensure that a mediocre finale transforms into a great one.

Defunct isn’t a game that must be played, and the damn camera and poor audio don’t ever breed much confidence. But underneath the issues is a fun little title that is just begging to get out.

You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised by the majority of Dustoff Heli Rescue 2. 35 missions may not seem like a lot, but should you wish to grab all the available stars and dog tags, then you’ll need to invest a good few hours of gametime into what it brings.

It’s fine for a bit of quick shooting, especially if you’re after mini missions and quick level satisfaction. It can also be enjoyable at times, with a good range of different weapons and upgrades. But ultimately it didn’t keep me interested long enough – mostly because of the simple story, mechanics and level design.

At the end of the day, It’s Quiz Time isn’t a game you’ll be playing every single day for the next year. It’s been made for a purpose – filling time during those holiday gatherings when you’re stuck in the same room with family. And it fulfills that purpose brilliantly.

For those with patience and time for plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour, Chaos on Deponia will prove a more than satisfactory point and click adventure. If you want something a little more serious however then it’s fair to say this isn’t the game for you.

Batman: The Enemy Within is on a roll and I can’t see it slowing down. Do yourself a favour and just get involved with Telltale’s very own take on Gotham’s greatest detective.

The design, some gameplay elements and the audio are excellent, and the ambition of telling a straight forward teenage love story with some family drama thrown into the mix should be applauded.

Hello Neighbor is not a game that should be taken lightly, but it is one that will polarize the fans. I’m on the side that enjoyed it, even though at the start it was nothing near enjoyable. You will fancy it too if you can accept that it means well and forgive the game’s flaws.

All in all, the ‘A Walk in the Park’ expansion is a worthy addition to the base game. I enjoyed my time with The Surge when I reviewed it way back in the mists of time, and the expansion has the exact same feel as the main game, but has turned everything up to 11 with the addition of the new enemies and weapons.

In a not exactly over saturated strategy game market, it is worth a look, but it is so po-faced and serious about the subject matter – for want of a better phrase – the developers have forgotten to insert any fun into Numantia.

Okami HD originally had me in two minds. The start of the experience saw the old PS2 ghosts of Christmas Past hanging around like a bad smell, with long cutscenes, strange sounds and a weird camera. But when the game kicked on, I began to be amazed at the visuals, the invention and the whole experience.

I would absolutely recommend you pick up Episode Ignis. Its connection with the main story makes it the best piece of DLC for the game by far, and the spelldaggers that Ignis wields may well be my favourite battle mechanics of the entire game

Smashing blocks is great, and if only the randomness could be toned down a bit then Boom Ball 3 would be a must-buy Kinect title.

Overall and there is a decent little game found within Fearful Symmetry & the Cursed Prince. It has a brilliant concept, a nice retro design and some decent puzzling gameplay.

There’s no doubt Episode Four, “Below the Bedrock”, is a very good offering with very little downtime which helps stave off the potential for boredom. Sure, it could use a bit more humour, but the writing and voice acting is mostly good enough to convey the emotions that are running through the characters’ minds.

SOMA is a great game that brings a perfect blend of survival horror, an intriguing story, believable characters, and the constant dread of failure – things that are all too rare these days.

From the grind of a seemingly pointless Story, and the one off hits of an even more pointless Exhibition Game, you won’t find much to keep anyone other than the most ardent of hockey fans from going back - and even then it’s never going to have much of an appeal over the NHL games that are out there. By all means give it a shot with a mate or two, but the repetition will soon win over the day.

If you can get over the numerous yet humorous glitches and expect them to be patched out later, then this is a decent cricket simulator with plenty to do long after the current Ashes series finishes down under.

The levels are large and challenging, and the various missions to be completed add a welcome layer of complexity. Painting 100% of a level is a real big ask, as there is always an out of reach corner or a tree that you’ll miss. It isn’t the most varied game in the world, but even despite the control issues, there’s enough fun here to keep you playing.