Painkiller is like a cold drink on a hot day; refreshing.

It doesn’t just copy a certain plumber’s early adventures verbatim like so many before it – some of them excellent in their own right – did, but seeks to plant the seeds of growth that the genre has lacked for so many years in showing that, by imprinting its own identity on a well weathered template, incredible things can happen.

Everything feels crafted with care, and it's a fun and stylish strategy game.

It's telling that Earthworm Jim HD is most fun when it's playing with ideas that go beyond its core gameplay mechanics. But it's also telling that this wide range of inventive ideas manage to elevate the game far above its obvious flaws.

A multi-player crowd-pleaser. Mind you, even that is outshone by the benchmark title of the DC's "Virtua Tennis 2" (yes, even though I know they're practically the same game).

The gameplay may not be completely new, then, but this kind of chemistry certainly is. There's no denying it - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is the best escort 'game' ever made; a spritely little cracker with a lot of heart.

I'm pleased during this rather dull year to be surprised by Telltale's take on not only a monster that has been diluted by pop culture and monopolised for quick cash grabs (irony alert), but also on a decision making system that is constructed with functionality and maturity. As long as they don't botch the ending - I'm sticking by my guess of the final choice that came to me twenty minutes into the first episode, though I hope I'm wrong - this as one complete story will be the best of the year. Matt Sawrey was right, keep horror to the independents.

Honestly within minutes of jumping into Plain Sight I was wearing a stupid grin on my face. The aesthetic is charming, the action is chaotic and the level of depth is quite surprising.

Crysis 3 is a mishmash of Crysis and Crysis 2, which is probably the best thing we could hope for now that the series has to work on aged consoles

While I did not personally find “The Bogey Man” to be as enthralling as “Muzzled”, it is certainly one of the best games of the series and will no doubt appeal to fans and newcomers alike.

It's a safe house for the trigger happy but also an engaging tale, told with the sort of introspection missing in other games: Max is letting you in on his darkest secrets, and these are secrets to cherish.

Surprisingly, it has a lot of life to it. For a game built largely around the “blow sh.t up” gimmick, you’d expect it to lose steam after a few hours, but Guerrilla stays entertaining through most of the game, only tapering slightly toward the conclusion.

It’s an eight hour thrill ride with only a few poor missions and GTAIV’s dated gameplay holding it back. For the relatively cheap price it should be a must buy for any GTA fans, particularly those with a fondness for either Vice City or San Andreas.

It’s a punishing game but rewarding in equal measures, and will draw you in like no other racing game quite has managed so far this generation - bring on BAJA 2: World Tour.

Like a good summer blockbuster, the action is entertaining, the thinking is kept to a minimum and most of the experience is forgotten when it stops.

Despite the occasionally high frustration levels of Braid, the game is cleverly designed and often very rewarding.

Borderlands is the bastard child of Mad Max, Halo and Phantasy Star Online; and yes, I’m aware that’s three participants.

It gives you immediate fun; the 6-minute challenge is perfect for when you are waiting for someone. The return of old school scoreboard gives it replay value. It's just pure and simple, unadulterated fun.

A good game, and executed well in terms of in graphics technology, system implementation, and gameplay. If only the main quest was a bit longer and the difficulty balanced throughout, this game would be a classic.

A fun Shmup that remembers to keep things simple. The appeal here is in the core action – never becoming confused with any half-baked mechanics or over-used ideas.

For all its annoying faults, inconsistencies and peculiar glitches, the game manages to provide a solid ten hours of thrilling, kick-em-where-it-counts, shoot-em-up action.

Even if your shoot-'em-up experience is limited to Contra or Metal Slug, I still highly recommend giving this game a shot (again, gratuitous pun intended). Let's hope that SideQuest Studios's Final Prototype isn't actually… well… final.

Even with Scenario Mode taking up far too much time and effort, Tekken 6 is a pleasurable gaming experience and the fighting mechanics are as polished as you could hope.

It packs enough scares to warrant having an extra set of underpants on standby; and the mixture of stealth and action keeps things interesting throughout.

It's shockingly pretty, and has the gameplay to back it up - especially when gaming with friends.

ilomilo is a complete joy from start to finish; exactly what XBLA needed; and exactly what's needed after fighting some non-cuddly alien maggots with a size 13 boot.

A game that vastly improves upon its predecessor. The King of Fighters 2006 features a huge roster of playable characters and a fairly detailed storyline to back it up.

Pikmin 3 would be something of a rare gem in any console’s library, never mind the fledgling Wii U’s.