Simply put, if you’re in the market for a chess game, you’re not really going to find anything much better, especially if visuals are your thing.

At the end of the day, Jump Stars hits the party scene with great intentions. If you’re going to play it fleetingly, hitting it once a week or so, then you’ll find it will well suffice. But expect to play it and enjoy it on a more consistent basis and you’ll probably be left a little bored by the repeating aspects.

Offline, everything in Tekken’s garden is rosy, but online it looks like someone has been at it with the weedkiller.

It’s very sad to say that Friday the 13th: The Game, after all the hype and excitement of a game that could have truly represented the incredible franchise, is the most unstable, unreliable and underwhelming game I’ve played in a long time.

If you want something different, and of decent quality, put on your snow boots, grab a flask of warm coffee and venture out into the cold.

At the end of the day, DiRT 4 is left as very good racer that is let down by the odd visual and audio issue. If you’re a gaming petrol head who is prepared to look beyond those though – and can consider turning off the repetition of your Spotter – then you’ll most definitely like what you find.

Episode two is a bloody good continuation of the Guardians of the Galaxy adventures, with genuine laughter, plenty of happiness and occasional sadness to be had.

The return of the Wang in a deeper adventure. Fast, furious, bullet spitting, katana swinging fun.

It’s a great puzzler, even though some of them can be near impossible to work out. I like the way it sticks to a tone and a style that is unusual, and whilst there is no tutorial, and at times you will find yourself lost at what to do, all you need to do is step away, make a cup of tea, have a moment and then come back to it.

Phantom Dust is the very definition of a game of two halves. The underground hub sections are dull, with little in the way of signposting or hand-holding to make the time spent there as small as possible. The overground mission sections are fast paced, tactical and, above all else, fun to play with a myriad of ways to approach the missions.

There are no two ways about it – allowing for personal tastes – SUPERBEAT: XONiC is either going to be a huge hit or a massive miss.

If you’re looking for something to get your teeth into, something with a nice progression system and loads of content that will keep you busy, then Crossout is the game for you.

You shouldn’t expect great visuals, and please don’t hope that there is a stunning soundtrack to pull you through, because quite frankly there isn’t either of those things. But if you want some quick fun and have got some mates in tow, less than a quid from each of them is never going to break the bank.

The final episode of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier ties most of the loose ends up, has a great middle, but is sandwiched by mediocrity at best. ‘From The Gallows’ is only worth grabbing if you’ve made it this far already.

Star Balls won’t be on any game of the year lists come the end of the year. Its achievements are glitchy and/or broken, its save system is unknown, sound effects’ archaic, and it is cheaper and more suitable on mobile platforms. But it has solid physics, a unique charm and never tries to sell itself as more than a simple casual game.

As a gaming experience it is frustrating, has no variation in pace and I’m not sure how successful its outcome is. There are amazing cut scenes and some good sound work, but I left wanting to find out more about this horrific case and its consequences.

The game is certainly not a bad showing of a top down survival 4X title, but when compared to other similar titles in the genre, there isn’t really anything to pull the player back in for more.

If you’re looking for something that combines both the platforming and puzzling world, whilst trying something a little different, Embers of Mirrim is for you.

It is really a fresh take on an overdone genre, and is certainly a masterpiece in what can be achieved if you are prepared to think outside the box.

The option to rotate characters on the fly works well, whilst whizzing round in a little space ship, landing on different planets and trying to navigate your way through the platforming levels, with friends alongside you, should be a hell of a lot of fun. But, the difficulty and unjust feel that comes about means it will probably be more suited to the sadistic maniacs who are happy to put up with a tough life.

If you’re looking for something new, with a hint of Worms about it, you can’t go wrong with killing a few robots for the sake of TV entertainment.

RiME is a game that feels perfect to play, from the very start right up to the epic finish.

This is not a bad game by any means – although it can be as frustrating as hell – but the amazing world design feels second fiddle to the lacklustre gameplay and it would have been a lot better to focus on the exploration, or even make it an out and out stealth experience.

Not original, but a deep, challenging romp through loot filled dungeons awaits. What more could you ask for?

Overall, Lock’s Quest is an exceptional example of how to do not only a phenomenal remastering, but how to tell a story that is supported by the gameplay. If it weren’t for the difficulty one could face because of the isometric view and the awkward conversation timings, this game would be the perfect little title. Throw in the fact that it has really improved on the DS version, and you have a game that nails the Active Tower Defense genre, right to its cold, cold heart. It is definitely one for both Casual and Expert gamers, though it might be substantially harder for the most casual ones out there, even on the normal difficulty setting.

Dragon Bros takes very few hours to beat, and it doesn’t really have lengthy enough levels to constitute having only 20 or so of them. Maybe more of it will come down the chute post game release, but at the moment, it feels more like a start-up rather than a fully developed title.

Injustice 2 is accessible to all, introduces a diverse roster of characters and provides plenty to do. Don’t delay, join the Injustice League today.

Victor Vran Overkill Edition is a worthy addition to the genre. It doesn’t out-Diablo Diablo, but thanks to the care put into the levelling and loot systems, it is undoubtedly worth the time to explore.

As A Walk in the Dark comes with such a low price, it’s definitely worth a punt, especially if you like platformers. The world it creates is evocative and superbly designed with an amazing soundtrack.

The first 15 minutes of Onigiri does all it can do to put you off. Press on through this however, and there is a surprisingly deep game to be found, one with a very good story centered around good and evil.

Portal Knights is a great game that is definitely worth the price tag. If it came delivered as a full price title, I would still have highly recommended it.

Don’t bother yourself with Deformers; it’s too pricey, sparsely populated, and not really fun to play anyway.

NBA Playgrounds rids the sport of all the annoying rules, allowing gamers to enjoy the raw and stripped down version of basketball, albeit with a lot of quirkiness thrown in. Given the lack of stuff to do though, and the price tag, I’d be inclined to say hold off for now.

The Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels expansion is another stunning addition to the Horizon experience. If you are done with everything that has come before it, and need some new races to get involved in, or just want some fun for you and your mates, then the price asked is a good one.

Should you drop in on the tower of Spellspire, then you’ll no doubt enjoy what 10tons have created. It’s good fun, it’s hugely addictive and it comes with enough content to have you still playing some months down the line.

Narcosis is a solid game with a great premise, some excellent voice acting and a great story. The problems I have are with the central premise, which is the pacing of being underwater, and the unwieldy aspects, which this evokes.

Enter The Gungeon is nigh-on perfect. The hits are fine, the gunplay is wonderful, the animation and designs are fantastic, and it really needs to be picked up and played by anybody who isn’t looking for something really casual.

The art style is generally pleasing to the eye, but the lack of enjoyable content means that it’s likely to be the only thing you’ll remember from the game. With an already diminished player base, there are plenty of other similar local multiplayer titles on the market that offer a lot more.

I would highly recommend giving Seasons After Fall a play, no matter whether you like platforming, puzzling or just foxes.

So it must be said, Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is more than a disappointment. The main heroes are likeable enough guys, and the world you get to journey through is a decent one with plenty of collectible opportunities. The problem is, there are too many glitches, stutters, pauses and loading screens for the duo to ever become really loved.

Prey is what you would expect to find should Bioshock and Dead Space cross paths. With a great story that is full of choice and multiple endings, a fantastic atmosphere and some of the most unique enemies seen in a horror game, this is one game that’s fully deserving of praise.

For the price, Demon’s Crystals is a fine playthrough. Okay, so it may not have the depth of other twin stickers and it’s seriously missing an online component which would no doubt have been hugely well received, but for the price of a beer, BadLand Games have delivered a massively fun experience.

For some, this will be the Holy Grail of retro gaming, and if you are one of them, you’ll want to follow Elliot on a trip down memory lane.

The Surge is a game that can be mentioned in the same breath as Dark Souls, something which is high praise indeed.

Lethal League tries to take dodgeball to the extreme, turning it into a fighting game which runs at a ruthless pace. If you’re happy to play rounds that generally last for a few hits at a time, then you’re in luck, but anyone like me will grow bored of the ‘whack, whack, next round’ procedure over and over again. Allowing for slight variation in hits and having special abilities helps to a certain degree, but for there to be any longevity, one must distinguish what’s going on when the pace quickens to get the most out of it.

World to the West is really worth checking out. I enjoyed the work that Rain Games have put in and I really believe they are making interesting work that embraces the past with a modern twist. The price might be a tad high, but there’s a lot of quality clearly on show here.

Planetbase has all the requirements of a top simulation experience, but the overbearing difficulty and need for perfection throughout makes this title feel more like a chore than anything else.

With the gratuitous violence that is included, it certainly isn’t a game for everyone but if you are comfortable with the destruction of humanity in your cybernetic hands, then BUTCHER is a game well worth keeping on your radar.

Human: Fall Flat is certainly one of the better puzzlers to arrive on console and though it’s a real shame to see a lack of attention being shown to the co-op offering, that mode in itself may just be some of the best local multiplayer fun available on Xbox One.

As it stands, Bit Dungeon Plus is a decent little Rogue-like game that is a good pickup for those that want a little bit of challenge. It would be supremely better if the developers actually told you what certain stats did, or if you could actually keep your extra lives in between sessions of your run. But the equipment system is nice, and the respawning Demons really help extend the playtime of each run – without making it feel too monotonous. It could definitely use with a bit more polish, but the raw game is still, on the whole, pretty decent.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is a game of two halves. If you can look past the glitches, there’s a good game fighting to get out, and one with a lot to offer. This is a big game, and with the free roam map and variety of approaches that can be taken, one that offers a lot to the player. However, glitches that require a mission to be restarted, or for you to fast travel out of the area to get out of them, are not really on in this day and age. It is due to these that I have had to really think about my final score – do I score on potential or actual experience? In the end – as usual – I’ve had to put my actual experiences ahead. If CI Games manage to patch out the glitches, this game will easily get a half or full point more. But without it, it can be classed as nothing but average.

Little Nightmares is a well created, superbly executed affair. I’d prefer it to be longer and I have to admit to not only being disappointed, but also shocked, at its short length. In fact, unless you’re going back through things for a second, third or fourth time, just in order to pick up all the collectibles, then chances are you’ll be done with the five chapters and then everything Bandai Namco and the development team at Tarsier Studios have given you in no more than a few quick hours. I guess the price reflects that though and when something is so good, perhaps it’s best to keep it at an enjoyable length. If you’re after a tense game that will have you questioning every little moment from start to finish, then Little Nightmares is most definitely for you.

Save the Ninja Clan isn’t the most unique title on the market, but it has more than enough to warrant recognition as its own game. Sure, it is incredibly reminiscent of Super Meat Boy, but as a game everyone enjoyed so much, that really isn’t a bad thing. For just $2.99, this is possibly one of the best value for money titles you’ll buy this year.

Overall there is a lot of fun to have with Flinthook. If you like fast paced action games with a retro twist, then this is going to be one of those five star games that you’ll love. If you hate these type of games, and you know who you are, I would say give it a go and persevere, because it does reward the effort. There is a lot of game here for an indie title and even though I’ve put in many hours, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. This doesn’t matter though, because I know I’m going to keep coming back, just to put on my space hook, get me some space pirate booty and complete a Raid or two.

Lost Grimoires: Stolen Kingdom delivers an interesting adventure involving alchemy, transmutation recipes, mini-games and a new take on Hidden Object scenes.

Infiltration brings with it an exciting environment full of fresh ideas, such as the use of height and depth, but the opening cinematic really doesn’t help the whole thing feel as free flowing as it should. The gameplay aspect obviously isn’t affected by this and the open areas bring for some great ranged opportunities to take down the masses of enemies, and many will find it as a fairly average DLC offering.

Today I love Race The Sun. Tomorrow though? Well that may well be a different story. But at least I’ll only have to wait 24 hours before loving it again.

The Disney Afternoon Collection is a perfect conversion of the originals, so if you are a fan of super hard retro gaming, this will be right up your street. For everyone else, the pure, unadulterated gameplay that goes into these titles should be the main hook.

Outlast 2 isn’t a bad game, sure it has its moments that can feel terribly unfair, but in this day and age, that’s something you should expect from a horror game. The story on offer is fantastic and any fan of horror would be kicking themselves if they didn’t try out the gritty and thrilling experience that is found within Outlast 2. From the enemies, to the environment, to the blood and guts and to the scares, everything in Outlast 2 adds to the unique experience that this game brings.

‘N Verlore Verstand is a mixed bag of blessings and curses. I’m a big fan of unusual games that think way outside the box. But I do like small threads of structure and narrative to hold on to. It’s interesting that the developers call their levels ‘scenes”, because they are just that; a collection of different scenes to experiment with. The exploration elements of the game are great, but the jumping mechanic is poor and leads to deep frustration in its latter parts.

If you love taking charge, want to manage worlds, balance budgets and take on a heavy load in your quest to become god, then this is the game for you.

Overall, Thicker Than Water didn’t just hit a speed bump, it went for a Sunday drive in quicksand. Almost everything is done without urgency, or intensity, and the writers picked wildly inappropriate times for characters to discuss things which are the least of anyone’s worries when there’s a hunt going on. What could’ve been a bad episode, received a lifeline in the form of an enthralling and engaging final chapter of episode four.

The Dark Souls plot is as mysterious in its conclusion as it was in its beginning. Of course there are a myriad of scattered clues, references and story points scattered throughout the Ringed City. And I’m sure there’s a myriad more I’m yet to discover.

Use Your Words is a great way of entertaining the entire family for a good couple of hours. Whilst you may have played that old board game to death, knowing all the answers it brings, Use Your Words mixes things up so much that no matter how many times you play it, the responses you see, and the joy it brings, will always be varied.

Maximum Games have a solid premise throughout Troll and I, and the game can be made much better with patches, but ultimately Troll and I will be lost to the vast majority of players who are unwilling to see the game for its good points opposed to its potential.

Overall and whilst Crawl may not be what every dungeon crawling fan is used to, it certainly offers something new for local multiplayer fans. With surprisingly capable bots on hand to fill the empty spaces should you be flying solo, you’ll find a perfectly enjoyable game for a quiet afternoon session in this cracking title.

The Sexy Brutale is definitely one of the more original ID@Xbox games that we’ve seen recently. On one side there is an incredibly dark and sinister side to the game solving, sometimes described in great gory-detail, murders. But then ultimately it is a game of hope as Lafcadio tries to prevent his friends re-living their nightmares day after day.

The story will hook you in and keep you playing, some of the puzzles will have you banging your head on the wall (or sneaking onto Youtube for a look at the solution), and the animation and personality of the characters will have you really caring what happens to them. If you never liked this type of game, this probably won’t change your mind, but for everyone else, the crazy world of Thimbleweed Park comes highly recommended.

Late Shift does well to ensure any choices you make impact on the story, either immediately or later on. It really lives or dies by the success of the live-action part though and in truth, my enjoyment varies dependent on the decision making and the subsequent acting out of the following scenes, with only the lead delivering an almost faultless performance.

All in all, Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom is a phenomenal game that deserves to be played and enjoyed by anyone who is a fan of RPG action games.

Episode One of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series is not the best opener to a Telltale series I’ve had the pleasure of playing, but it’s still a very strong beginning to a story about a crew of opposite personalities gelling together.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is an astonishingly beautiful game to both look at and play. Its story is as charming as ever and the gameplay doesn’t ever over-complicate itself. The large variety of stages have enough to keep things interesting, while the amount of creatures to play as, with their unique skills, and ability to change from modern to 8-bit graphics at the touch of a button is marvellous.

Whilst the new DLC may only be one mission in length, it goes without saying it is a welcome addition and brings more quality content to an already fantastic game. With a new location providing a fresh experience from what we have become comfortable with, and impressive level design and enemy placement providing plenty of different routes in which to put together a plan, this is one content add-on you certainly won’t regret forking out for, even if you do think the price is a little on the high side.

LEGO CITY Undercover manages to create a charming and humorous experience for all the family, with a definite old school cop show vibe in style, writing and soundtrack. It provides childish jokes and slapstick style to bring on the laughter, as well as cheeky parodies which are easily recognisable.

I’ve really enjoyed my time with this very unique game. Yes there are pacing issues and it does outlive its welcome once we get about two thirds in, but for the price, there is a lot of game on display here.

With just enough replayability to suit all, a delightful visual representation, a soundtrack which delivers the goods and some very clever, funny, ideas in place, Frima have nearly brought the house down with Talent Not Included.

So, is it worth investing your money and time in either the Snowbound or Elite Class DLC packs for Mantis Burn Racing? Well, if you’ve found yourself maxing out everything that the standard career brings, then it’s a bit of a no-brainer and you’ll want to get yourself involved asap. The cheap price and free-ness of Snowbound warrant that at the very least.

Whilst the videos included in Vol.2 once more offer decent content, they don’t quite compare to the first content drop in the Banned Footage Vol.1 DLC. It’s also worth noting that even though both DLCs are available as part of the Season Pass, those buying them separately will find a £4 price increase for this one. Given the slightly lacking quality over the first Banned Footage Volume, that feels rather unjust.

Overall and it’s fair to criticise Capcom for not including the extra content into the main game, especially with it being available just a few days later, but the content on offer is certainly enough to have me feeling happy with my Season Pass. A couple of videos and an insane difficulty level may not be what everyone values as £25 well spent, but the content on offer is thoroughly enjoyable and certainly ties in well with everything found in the earlier biohazard experience.

With enough fresh content to call back the interest of veteran players and a unique experience that should be welcomed by new players, Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition finally gets the opportunity to really shine.

Punch Club may not be the fighting experience we were expecting, but what’s missed on the fighting side is more than made up for by the exceptionally well worked management aspects of the game. It can take a while to get to grips with just how everything works, and just how you’re going to find time to fit everything into the day, but those that spend enough time will quickly find themselves enjoying one of the best management sims currently available.

Strap on some cans, turn the volume up to 11, and you’ll quickly find out how much satisfaction can be found with the visual and audio masterpiece that Aaero is.

Four Sided Fantasy is a brilliantly complex puzzle game. Now this might not be the game for everyone and a few will give up after the first hurdle, but that would be a shame because it has so much more to offer. The design, sound and concept are original and unique, whilst the price is perfect and makes it well worth a punt.

Does the ending of ‘Above the Law’ entice me in for the next instalment? Truthfully? No. But that’s fine, because the rest of the episode is bloody great, mixing walker slaughtering with heartfelt conversation to create the ideal balance. I’ll be there for episode four of what has so far been an impressive season

All in all, weird control system and all, ‘Nam 1975 is a game that deserves attention. It has a real “one more go” appeal, and for £6.39 it is hard not to recommend it. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s a worthy challenge, and I think it’s stood the test of time pretty well.

Yooka-Laylee has done what everyone, developers and players, had hoped it to do and brought the 3D platformer kicking and screaming into gaming mainstream again, spearheading the revival. But it’s also so much more than expected.

I highly recommend playing Blackwood Crossing. Look, you will know whether this is the kind of game you might like by looking at the trailer or screenshots, but it’s game about character, story and atmosphere, rather then high action. Even through it’s a tad short and the price is north of the £10 mark, it’s a beautiful, life affirming gaming experience that I won’t forget for a long time.

At the end of the day, and if you’re after a relaxing puzzler which will provide a decent test that you can take at your own pace, then Noodle and Doodle will happily sort you out. You may not ever want to really test yourself by collecting all the coins, because some are pretty damn frustrating to hunt down and reach, and the Time Trial option will only really appeal to those who have friends sitting on the leaderboards too, but the basic game is so damn good that neither of those options really hold it back.

The tone, and the story it tells, is done in a superb manner and whilst the controls can get clunky at times and some of the level design is occasionally annoying, if you can get over that then you’ll want to take a deep breath, hold your nose and discover the secrets of Anoxemia.

If Blue-Collar Astronaut allowed for a bit more in the customization stakes or just provided more diversity, then things would feel much more worthwhile. But hey, to its credit, I did get to experience an astronomical amount of debt to pay off.

SkyKeepers is a very solid, well put together 2D platform adventure title. The gameplay is nothing short of good and it can be great fun to play. That said, the constant battles and the increase in the difficulty arc became a real problem and dulled my interest quite considerably. But fans of this type of game will love the skill level required, and for them, death will only make them stronger.

It is always an exciting time to see a new release from the guys at the Virtual Air Guitar Company, but Air Guitar Warrior for Kinect isn’t one that I find myself as happy to recommend as I had hoped. With a shocking motion detection system that messes with the controls when aiming directly above or below, and an incredibly tough difficulty curve for the later levels, the early fun never really continues.

The Inner World deserves your time, and for the price, it really shouldn’t be missed. Take yourself to this world of zany characters and have a chuckle for a good while, all whilst testing your problem solving skills.

It’s fun to explore this extended dungeon, but it offers nothing over the existing ones in the main game, where you have a Gladiolus tailored to your playstyle.

If your love for all things Marvel or Capcom is strong, then Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is no doubt worth a look, but for everyone else it depends how much of a hardcore fighter you are and whether A.I. is enough of an opposition to keep you entertained.

The scope and fun of the game shines through, and if you give it a chance, Andromeda will reward you with an enormous amount of satisfaction.

Styx may not be the most anticipated stealth adventure of the year, but it’s definitely one you should be checking out If you’re a fan of the genre. Gameplay can unfortunately start to feel repetitive after a string of deaths, but those happy to take their time will find an adventure to enjoy. Unfortunately, with a lack of excitement past the main missions, Styx doesn’t have what it takes to match the big guns like Hitman in the stealth market and the A.I. could also do with being a bit more human-like.

There should be no doubt that long-time fans of the series will be happy to finally have FlatOut return, but it will be more for the lack of anything like it available on the market right now, rather than the quality of the game this time round.