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.

ACA NEOGEO Sengoku isn’t a game that I can recommend to anyone but the most ardent retro fiends. It has aged horrendously, and even judging it by 1991 standards, it isn’t a fun game to play.

KOF’94 stands up to today’s scrutiny, and in many ways provides a purer arcade hit than many of the current fighting games. There’s no practice mode, no easy mode, no nothing – it’s just you, your controller and your wits against a seemingly psychic AI that knows attacks are coming almost before you do.

Not only is 88 Heroes a brilliant achievement for Bitmap Bureau, but, more than anything else, it is fun to play. Maybe it can be a little frustrating at times, but that comes with the platforming territory. The varied and fun gameplay, the different level areas, the humour, and finally the music (which is a chiptune masterpiece) all add up to make a truly fantastic game.

There is an awful lot to like about ACA NEOGEO Metal Slug. Charming graphics, unforgiving skill based gameplay, pad bitingly hard bosses and a touch of slowdown combine to make a heady brew.

Put it next to EA’s Rory McIlroy title, and it looks dated and sad. But give the game a chance and the polished gameplay from all those years ago starts to shine through, and fun can be had in spades.

So 2Dark is really a story with two sides; it’s either excelling from its attention to detail, or failing because of its heavy-handedness. I’d love to say that this is a nuanced story that explores the depths and complexities of its subject matter. But really it’s a calloused story surrounded by nuanced and sophisticated gameplay. All in all, 2Dark is a rewarding experience, so long as your leave your sensitivities behind.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands does two things brilliantly; it provides a massive game full of content, vast environments and things to do, and it also is a hell of a lot of fun as a co-op game. The tactical nature never becomes too rigid, ensuring you stay in control of how best to tackle a mission. Story-wise, it’s a lot of little bits of storytelling to push you further on into the destabilisation of Santa Blanca, offering just enough to tide you over. All that really holds it back are a few bugs, the less enjoyable method of going it alone and not being able to utilise the cover system.

If you want an Artifex Mundi game, I’d point you in the direction of any other one of the market. They took a risk with Dark Arcana: The Carnival, and it didn’t pay off.

LEGO Worlds may not be built on the mighty foundation of survival and building, but the content in place is certainly a welcome addition. Whilst the quests could certainly do with a little more inspiration, it will be the infinite Master Builder possibilities, with the many thousands of LEGO bricks available, that you’ll be remembering this classic for.

NeuroVoider is a wonderful game to play either by yourself, or with three of your friends in the local co-op system. It will quite easily scratch the itch of both casual gamers and the more hardcore ones with equal coverage, especially if you hit up some of the daily runs.

Overall, I found my time with Kitty Powers fun and unique, whilst leaving my face always smiling. The package the developers have put together is really polished and tight, with some great mini-game fun to be had. I do think the price is a bit too high though and if it were under the £10 mark it would be perfect. The game does drag after a while and you lose the impact of going on the dates and playing the mini games, especially when the stakes get higher.

On one hand, I appreciate the effort in creating a plethora of creatures to defeat, upgrades, heroes and the idea of ascension to try making it further through the worlds. Whilst on the other hand, I deplore the idea of a game bearing such lazy gameplay input of just pressing a button constantly, which in itself becomes obsolete due to DPS.

Overall and whilst Death Squared may not be the most adventurous of games, it does show that simplicity can still make for a brilliant game. With some fantastic dialogue found throughout and some ingeniously designed levels, it may just be the best puzzler available on Xbox One, and with a decent selection of game modes and plenty of well thought out content, will be one you’ll be remembering well into the year.

In conclusion then, with the graphical glitches that are in place, I can’t with a good conscience recommend Verdun. If things were fixed, the pacing and style of gameplay would suit the more tactical, considered player and I can see that the Horde Mode could be fun with a few like minded friends.

Overall and there most definitely are lots of problems with this little indie game. The story is hard to follow, there are no instructions, and at times, it’s stupidly buggy. But it is only £4 and after my initial 10 minutes, I enjoyed the journey it took me on. The art style is cool, the gameplay when you get used to it is solid and the characters are endearing. For the price, you may as well give it a whirl.

Forma.8 is good. In fact, it could quite easily be classed as great by some standards, but it definitely isn’t a game that I would recommend wholeheartedly to those without patience. It is a slow title that can grate against your patience in some cases, especially in regards to its respawn points, but thankfully still has many redeeming features that plenty of individuals will enjoy.

I have really enjoyed my time with Warhammer Quest and more than happy that it reminded me of games and D&D experiences from times gone by. It is very addictive and there is a lot of content that will take you a good chunk of time to get through, but it can get very repetitive, and also gets very hard as you progress.

Table Top Racing World Tour is already a hell of an addictive little racer, but its long term charm completely relies on the online community – something that past history proves is a tricky proposition. It’s currently got just enough variety and draw to keep you going back for more, but it won’t be long before you find yourself exhausting everything the single player brings and that is when you’ll start looking for something extra. Should the online side really take off though, then, well, this could be a table top racer to challenge the very best.

For the Final Fantasy die-hards who missed out on this first time around it may appeal more seeing more of the minor characters from the main game. But to anyone not familiar with the franchise, don’t let this freebie be considered an example of the rest of it.

We Are The Dwarves has so much potential that I can’t help but feel disappointed at the way the game has turned out. Good story, great background and awesome character design are sadly not enough to overcome frustrating, slow gameplay with minimal exposition of the abilities and what they can do, insta death mechanics and any real lack of desire to carry on after the 50th death in a row from enemies off screen.