Life is Strange: Before the Storm, despite a great second episode, ends feeling rushed and loses the focus on Chloe and Rachel's relationship.

If it wasn't so mercilessly difficult then Killzone: Liberation would easily give current PSP benchmark Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror a run for its money.

I can't recommend Final Fight enough. It's the perfect port of a retro classic; the original game buckles under the pressure of the fan service that's been added to it. But it's also got online co-op, making it a hugely enjoyable beat-em-up even by modern day standards.

A relentless assault on the senses, with grandiose set pieces that would make Michael Bay gush with delight. The racing itself doesn't offer a tremendous amount of depth, but the destruction unfolding around each event offers an edge-of-your-seat experience that more than makes up for it.

If the idea of Pac-man surviving a monster invasion sounds good, add this to your growing PSN collection.

Valiant Hearts doesn't make the most of what it's got: the four playable protagonists (the dog is essentially a tool for fetching things) each offer different perspectives on the war, but their stories are predictable and too dependent on coincidence to really engage...No matter. Valiant Hearts may be confused, but it's also brave.

It lacks the insane large scale combat of the superior PC game and is more akin to something like Star Wars Battlefront, but if you find the right group of people, online matches can be a lot of fun.

As positively nostalgic as all of this is, it's not surprising to find that Sonic Generations' emulation of past greats extends to its duration. Despite the fact that there are nine main stages per Sonic, seven bosses and ten side-missions per Zone, it will take an experienced fan just a few hours to blast through to the main ending.

It's a game that is over fairly quickly, it misses a trick in combat because Remedy didn't pillage its most famous creation, and it features live action scenes that are best described as enjoyable nonsense. Yet it is just that, enjoyable. Really, really enjoyable once you get to grips with all the powers at your disposal (and level them up). Quantum Break is a glorious use of current-gen power, with the visual fireworks on show making the combat feel positively joyous. As thoroughly entertaining as the whole package is, Quantum Break feels like it managed to reach only 80 per cent of Remedy's potential.

While far from revolutionary it is a solid and balanced football game on a handheld generally lacking in technical muscle and raw power.

Stretching your limbs across the battlefield to stop an impending throw is good fun, but there's absolute anarchy when you throw in an extra body. The mediocre mini-games, and antiquated single-player further block the punch of Arms.

That the game feels overly familiar is undoubtedly a good thing.

It brings a classic game world up to date, throws in simple but intuitive controls and doesn't rely on constant fire-fights to bring excitement.

A game that comes frustratingly close to excellence without ever justifying such a tag. Though the gameplay has depth and simplicity, it often feels more like a multiplayer game with single-player tacked on, than a genuine single-player title in its own right.

In relation to the other titles on the Live Arcade, it's a high price, but this is a game that you'll be coming back to months down the line, making it an essential download.

Does it succeed? Well, I don’t know—I’m not an astronaut—but I can report that it has a pleasing gravity.

It might be a simplified version of Hitman, but it does simple very well.

The Godfather feels pretty dated but it's still a solid and often entertaining free-roaming action title. The Wii game includes some pretty solid controls that for once haven't been simply tacked on to an existing release.

Graphically light years ahead of everything else in the turn-based genre and is easily on a par with the best looking real-time strategy games, such as "Dawn of War."

Doesn't quite live up to its Star Wars cousins, mainly due to the fact that Star Wars is simply a more memorable series, but it's still a brilliant adventure and great fun.

The game isn’t above jolting you with the odd jump scare, but it’s far happier to politely trouble your sleep.

Possibly a spin-off too far, Persona 5 Tactica conceals a reasonably fun tactical turn-based strategy game behind a wearisome visual novel-style story.

If I was wearing a hat, I'd doff it to the DS development team at Nintendo, who for me can do no wrong... or rather I would, except that I need both hands to control DK, so maybe it's best that I'm not wearing one. This is though, another definite winner from the big N.

For all its stumbling blocks, much of the core Operation Flashpoint experience has survived the transition from PC to console. For this achievement alone, Codemasters deserves our respect.

Dead Nation adds a lot to the standard twin-stick shooting affair, with welcome dungeon crawler mechanics, co-op play and social features that are likely to attract a solid little community. For anybody whose patience hasn't been gnawed to pieces by zombies this past year or so, Dead Nation is easy to recommend.

The biggest complement that I can pay to Stranglehold is that when I'd finished it, I wanted to jump straight back in and play through again.

Doesn't quite live up to its Star Wars cousins, mainly due to the fact that Star Wars is simply a more memorable series, but it's still a brilliant adventure and great fun.

So, I'm happy Transformers Devastation exists and thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with it, but it's not quite the game I imagined as an idealistic child. For one, it's not based on the original animated movie complete with soundtrack. And secondly, it's four hours long.

Quantum Conundrum is a fine adventure with a mechanically competent series of puzzles, and I definitely recommend it, but while the game has got plenty of brain it doesn't have nearly enough heart.

If you've already experienced the charm of Pikmin you're better off waiting for the tweaked second game, but if you missed out on the GameCube and fancy some easy to play real-time strategy there's no reason not to pick this up in preparation for the sequel.

Thanks to the strength of its stories, its fat pack of content and its irresistible charm, even those initially resistant to the prospect of another three terms at Hogwarts are likely to be won over.

It's great - I can see myself playing it for months to come - but it is just Call of Duty with a fresh lick of paint, and with competition as stiff as it is, no one could blame you for sitting this year's game out. But to do so would be to miss out on one of the finest Call of Duty campaigns yet, and an online multiplayer that stands up with the best of them.

There's a good experience to be had but it's hard to shake the fact that this is a bit of a niche title.

Regardless of that feeling of déjà vu, Carbon is another solid racer from EA, and the Auto-Sculpt feature is absolutely fantastic, not to mention the impressive car roster and functional online component.

If you aren't a fan of the silver screen steer well clear, because the pleasure inherent will be alien to you. Otherwise, the return of the Jedi of quiz games is of Oscar winning quality.

It's a fairly simple adventure with equally basic RPG combat, but that's exactly why it works.

You could consider the game’s numerous glitches as a kind of meta-contribution to this aesthetic, but, having laboured through a number of instances where my HUD was obscured by the lingering letterbox format of the kill cam, or where I have been inexplicably insta-killed, I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer a patch.

Once you get over the fact that playing EndWar makes you look and sound like a bit of a twat, you start to have quite a lot of geek-fuelled fun ordering your army about the battlefield, but we can't help but feel that EndWar is more proof of concept technical showcase than fully fleshed out triple-A title.

Despite an inviting, off-kilter world and quality writing, Avowed abides by an almost arcane dedication to process and formula that drains it of its weird, compelling marrow. It's good, easygoing fun, though it won't linger long in the mind beyond the credits.

PES 2009 is a good game, but the times they are changin', and we're afraid that Konami is being left behind. Time for a reboot, Seabass.

When Metro's credits rolled, and as I looked across a vast landscape to see the results of my actions, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment, partly because it was over, but mainly because there is such obvious room for improvement. Metro 2033 comes recommended, but falls a little short of claiming a place among the genre's elite.

For every devilish puzzle that you crack, there's a moment of annoyance due to the clunky controls or slow character movement.

Looking down the scope and holding your breath to line up that perfect shot in Sniper Elite 4 is exhilarating, as are the subsequent Kill Cams. It’s just a shame that the poorly delivered story and wooden characters get in the way.

The secret stories Father Lafcadio uncovers are lovely, but you won't always enjoy the process of uncovering them. Still, a series of elegant murders, with elegant stories, in an elegant mansion is enough to show anyone a good time.

Despite minor blemishes, Fabledom is nothing short of enchanting.

It's the first game I've played that nails the personality of the bots and it genuinely delivers a solid gaming experience alongside the nostalgia.

Compared to the recently released "Saints Row," The Godfather feels pretty dated. It just doesn't have the variety or presentation to match THQ's made for next-gen offering, with the driving being the biggest disappointment.

An extremely competent hack 'n' slash that achieves exactly what developer Raven set out to do: deliver a real Wolverine experience. This isn't the feral X-Man as family-friendly super-hero, but a full-on blood thirsty killer.

The Gunstringer is the best 'proper' game I've played on Kinect and stands as a decent title regardless of platform or peripheral used, but it's a little shallow and is asking for a lot retailing at £29.99.

Heavy Weapon might be distinctly unoriginal in what it does, but it's a fun, action packed experience that is ideal for Microsoft's online service.

While it can look nice under the right conditions (usually during well-lit cutscenes or when the sun goes down), Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is the least impressive new-gen remaster I've seen so far. And as somebody who played through the entirety of the game upon its original release, the visual tweaks on offer here did little to convince me that I need to play it, or more importantly pay for it all over again.

Despite its failings, Hitman's first episode offers hours of classic play before you even consider the secondary targets, time-limited contracts, and the prologue, which features a smaller yet feature-complete training mission. What's here represents a strong start, and a fine return to the more traditional Hitman play that fans have been clamouring for. Elsewhere, it needs to improve.

Headlander is entertaining, looks and sounds excellent, and gives off a cool vibe, but this isn't quite a classic.

ZombiU has more than enough value as a solo experience to strongly recommend. It's a hell of an achievement for a launch title from a third-party team getting to grips with strange new hardware – who'd have thought that not Nintendo but Ubisoft would have created the defining Wii U experience?

Still, if you're still a plastic guitar aficionado then Warriors of Rock is undeniably fun; it just severely lacks in ambition, and its ostentatious new coat of paint is little more than a sleight of hand designed to trick you into thinking you're in for a different ride this year. You're not.

Smaller in scale than HoYo's other gacha games, Zenless Zone Zero is off to a good start. While the game suffers from pacing issues and a lack of variety, the combat is excellent in ZZZ. It helps it's backed up by an intriguing story and solid gameplay.

I can't recommend Monolith's sequel highly enough. It might not have the jaw-dropping visuals to rival Killzone 2, but it's a hugely satisfying shooter that'll have you clinging onto that controller or mouse throughout its tension-filled campaign. If you like your combat meaty and with a solid dose of supernatural scares, there's every chance this will rank as one of your favourite games of 2009.

Where Solar Ash goes from an intriguing ambient platformer to one of the year’s most fascinating releases is in its fixation on living as an act of being stuck.

Furi is an interesting game, if not an essential one. When it works it nails that moreish blend of challenge and reward. However it's easy to find yourself being frustrated.

It's incredibly difficult and frustrating in places, but it's still a recommended purchase if the idea of carving up skin, lasering tumours and drawing five-point stars floats your boat.

I would prescribe The Pathless to anyone feeling numbed and locked by our days of inanition; it’s perfect if you feel your home becoming an isle on the edge of the world.

Doesn't quite live up to its Star Wars cousins, mainly due to the fact that Star Wars is simply a more memorable series, but it's still a brilliant adventure and great fun.

The gaudy graphics and overbearing colour palette will also be off-putting to some, but on the whole Revolution is a fantastic puzzle game that not only marks the high point of a brilliant series of games, but proves that the Wii-mote can offer fantastically precise control over and above providing novelty.

While the game insists on holding your hand a little too tightly and the time limits can cause a lot of unnecessary stress, de Blob 2 remains a solid platform game with an interesting mechanic at its core.

You can't compare this to the GTAs and the Tomb Raiders of the world, but as a fun way to spend a few minutes every day, it's worth considering.

Assault Horizon can be a frustrating experience at times, but when things are going to plan - when you've waited to the very last second to pull off an evasive manoeuvre or taken out two bogeys at once with a few well placed missiles - you'll be left with an intense feeling of satisfaction.

It would have been nice to see more additions, perhaps a few new areas and some different bosses (all the boss fights are the same as in the parent title, which is disappointing), and an extra 50 seconds per level might not have hurt to have a dawdle for secret areas and star coins. Despite these caveats, it proves just how smart and ahead of the pack Nintendo are with level design and gameplay.

FIFA Street finally realises the potential of a franchise that was lacking identity. By eradicating any silliness from the past, EA has crafted a thoughtful, challenging and consistently entertaining title that celebrates the nuances of football.

A fascinating first step in bringing the MOBA genre to console. Not only is it a successful proof of concept, but it's also a tremendously fun and addictive game in its own right.

But the harsh reality is that the excellent story is rather let down by the constricting control scheme.

For those that have grown up with video games, 3D Dot Game Heroes is a celebration of everything that encapsulates the concept of retro. It wraps you up in a blanket of nostalgia and whisks you off to a world that just isn't seen in video games today.

A smart series of puzzling occult cases, The Darkside Detective has a very distinct sense of humour that you'll either love or hate.

A brief but striking title, one that doesn't outstay its welcome, perfectly pitched at the digital market.

In Tales of Kenzera: Zau, grief and acceptance tug at your heart between bouts of refined combat and slick traversal. While seasoned Metroidvania fans will want more diversions and mystique, the game’s platforming abilities and challenges do justice to its setting.

By the end of the game I was bored silly, and considering the scope of what was going on that shouldn't have been the case. Sadly, bar a few exceptions – a Jurassic Park-style hunting section in long grass, an open-ended assault on Ceph AA emplacements – I'd rinsed and repeated the same thing so much that I couldn't care less.

And yet, despite these glaring, obvious faults, Destiny is utterly capable of draining the hours away, via its excellent combat and its PvP. Flawed, yes. Fun? Certainly. A total failure? Not really.

PES 2008's gameplay is a big improvement on last year's effort. PES fans can forgive the poor graphics, the God-awful music, the embarrassing presentation and lack of licensed teams because the core of the game is so mind-bogglingly brilliant.

It's the first game I've played that nails the personality of the bots and it genuinely delivers a solid gaming experience alongside the nostalgia.

The important point is that the infantry-based action here is largely excellent, provided that you have the will-power to endure countless defeats. Death is never far away in Dragon Rising, and if you've not played a game like this before there's a good chance you'll love the lashings of tension that accompany each and every mission.

Thanks to the strength of its stories, its fat pack of content and its irresistible charm, even those initially resistant to the prospect of another three terms at Hogwarts are likely to be won over.

Demonschool is the renaissance of classic Shin Megami Tensei design principles in a tight-knit retro package. Charming side content and colorful students will captivate players into its pre-established world, filled with stylish horror and strategic action-oriented battles. Whilst its fast-paced plot may leave some struggling to keep up, its simplified UI and protagonist Fayes' energetic disposition help guide you through every new development. Its streamlined approach to strategy makes it inviting to anyone who is looking for a short yet clever tactical RPG.

Tacoma is a quiet, lovely, yet slightly melancholy exploration of humanity struggling in a corporate vacuum, and one that proves Fullbright still has an eye for detail.

It's also a much more entertaining single-player experience than the other party games available for the Wii, although clearly doesn't offer the depth that a Rayman platformer would have.

With a bit more ingenuity in the puzzles, more made of the time travel and a little more graphical "oomph", Raven and Activision could have had a real gem on their hands. It's still well worth a look though.

RoboCop: Rogue City is a game dripping with love and appreciation of the source material, made by RoboCop fans, for RoboCop fans. But frustrating late game combat and clumsily resolved story beats raise questions of whether it's for everyone else, too.

The single-player Career won't take all that long to complete, but with a hugely entertaining multiplayer mode both on and offline, there's a good chance you'll continue playing for a while after.

Despite its faults and playing it very safe, Assassin's Creed Mirage is a step in the right direction for Ubisoft, an exercise in concision and a solid attempt to rekindle what made early AC games memorable.

Yager should be admired for its bravery and effort in building something different - this could so easily have been an entirely generic shooter - but it just doesn't have the fundamentals to back up its grand ideas or the confidence to go completely off the wall and truly stand out from the crowd.

For a 22-year-old game it stands up remarkably well, but it's a shame that a few omissions prevent R-Type Dimensions from being all it could have been.

If you like the idea of generally not doing much, exploring and looking at lots of sea creatures, dive in. If the idea of shooting a gun at a fish to heal it and not blow its face off sounds bizarre, avoid.

Add in the two-player Wi-Fi option and what you've got here is a brilliant game, and one that is an absolute must for all DS owners. Quite simply: if you've got a DS, get this!

The game coaxes out hearty chuckles and swear-laden outbursts in equal quantities, but there's no denying that the resulting blend of emotions make for a memorable experience.

Make no mistake, Resonance is an impressive achievement for its tiny indie developer: a vast and intriguing adventure game made mostly by one person, filled with mystery, and confronting issues a lot bigger than most games dare to touch. Keep that in mind and you might be able to forgive its missteps. I almost could. But not quite.

If you fancy singing along to some classic tunes or have grown tired of the tracks included on previous releases, SingStar Legends is an essential purchase.

I want to like Plain Sight, I really do. It's effortlessly cool and carries off a unique concept with style and flair. Sadly though, I never found myself enjoying it all that much.

So, let's sum up: lag so frustrating you want to gouge your eyes out with a spoon, tiresome deliberate disconnections that make a mockery of the ranking system, and a d-pad designed to make you jump around the screen like some deranged monkey on speed. Not particularly positive.

It's a game that comes across more as GH with a different musical focus, rather than as a new IP in its own right. Band Hero is far from being a bad game, but somewhere along the line it seems the new franchise's focus became a little confused.

It's Rock Band, but with Green Day songs. If you like Green Day and you like Rock Band, you're going to like Green Day: Rock Band. Go figure.