Even if you find yourself irked by the tone, it is impossible to ignore the passion and creativity that went into creating Sworcery.

The game as a whole doesn't stand up quite as well as "LocoRoco's" brilliant simplicity but it's still a wonderfully original experience.

It’s only the inclusion of a much slicker set of tools to allow the recording of machinima movies and the sharing of customised content that prevents an even harsher score. While there was a significant step up both technically and in gameplay terms between The Sims and The Sims 2, the same can’t be said of The Sims 3 compared to its predecessor.

An evolution of the core Call of Duty concepts rather than a revolution for multiplayer shooters as a whole, Titanfall feels, in a way, like a hyper-budgeted mod that will only truly see its aims realised in the inevitable sequel.

Super Hexagon is hard enough to infuriate, but its competent design makes it inviting as well. This game will invite you to have one more try (taking less than a second to restart), and it'll invite you to immerse yourself and play instinctively too: for a game like this, that's the greatest invitation of all.

It is extremely impressive, on both technical and artistic levels. With that degree of sheen does come a lack of edge, of course, and Tomb Raider is not a brave game. Nor is it one that’ll likely live long in the memory, but while you’re walking in Lara’s muddy size fours, it is spellbinding.

It's an impressive feat for sure, but to focus solely on that would be unfair to both the talented studio and venerable franchise: there's so much potential unexplored here, and occasional glimmers of ingenuity in Ready at Dawn's efforts show a developer that should be able to do better.

This is a game that can be played alone against the leaderboard and friend high scores, or in large groups, with everyone shouting and hollering at every comedic mishap. It's a game that seems tailor made for Xbox LIVE Arcade and we can't recommend it highly enough.

Utterly unique.

If you've been waiting most of your life for a visually upgraded Punch-Out!! that plays just as you remember it from the NES and SNES, your dreams have been answered. This is exactly that, and packed full of the kind of charm you'd expect from a Nintendo product.

The multiplayer and campaign go to great lengths to make themselves more inclusive for new players, and yet the requirement that you already own Wings of Liberty ensures that very few of these people will play it. For a campaign this excellent that’s a huge shame, but the damage is more substantial when you look at the competitive multiplayer.

Through a blend of a Metroidvania structure and a dutiful nod to its side-scrolling past, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a lean and assured mechanical treat.

It's a nice touch to actually have to build things in a game featuring building blocks, and adds to the game's overall tongue-in-cheek feel.

It might not be too cheap at 800 Microsoft Points, but it's an exciting and cinematic ride while it lasts.

By brewing such a potent mix of different ideas, PuzzleJuice's unique blend manages to stand out from the rest. Anyone fit for the challenge will find a satisfying game that lasts.

The game's excellent presentation - it's got a vibe of one of those football magazines your friends (or even you, perhaps) used to buy when you were a kid - and responsive, tactile nature make playing it a simple, punchy delight. I might have no idea what constitutes a classic goal, but it's impossible not to notice that Score! is a quality game.

Crytek's fourth game is their most confident to date, carefully balancing silliness, seriousness, and spectacle, and despite looking like a laundry list of bad shooter clichés at first glance the end product is surprisingly fresh-faced and triumphant. Switching to New York gives Crytek what it desperately needed: a credible sense of menace to go alongside gorgeous technical fortitude and impressive artistic direction.

Foregoing genre-advancing substance and texture for impeccable style, Ghost of Yotei feels like a cowed shadow of its full potential. Those looking for a departure from checklist-oriented open-world gameplay will be disappointed. The title lands as generic, risk-averse, rigid, and safe.

It's hard to see the majority of people wanting to play any other multiplayer shooter until the next CoD is released, such is the quality of what's on offer here.

Feels like such a thorough piece of fan service, it's difficult to see how NetherRealm Studios will ever be able to follow it up, as it feels like there's little left to do. Still, for now that doesn't matter. Mortal Kombat feels like the return of an old friend - a thoroughly unhinged friend, but one we're delighted to have back.

I’ll happily trade 10 minutes of frustration for those brilliant instances where everything just slots into place.

GalCiv2's sandbox mode is a control freak's delight.

Animal Crossing is less of a game than a way of life; and life is something you have to experience for yourself, rather than have it described to you vicariously.

Some games just feel like they are a perfect fit for a device, and Rayman Fiesta Run is an example that proves the point. Lowering the barrier of entry to simple touch based controls, this is casual gaming done right: inclusive, immediate, and great fun.

It's a game that's more respectful to the ethos of the series than its narrative canon, and as such it's more sure-footed in its systems than its storytelling. That's a surprise coming from Ninja Theory, which waits until the very end to match that early moment of daring. It's likely to prove every bit as divisive, but would a developer this ballsy want it any other way? Not in a million years.

Still, the presentation is as charming as ever, and bar a few niggles, the experience as a whole is extremely enjoyable.

What's brilliant about Football Manager is how accessible it is, and how it caters for so many people, and this is about the most accessible version of the game yet.

The best dance game out there. In terms of visuals, features and competency of controls, there's nothing better. It slightly bothers me, though, that I had more fun with Just Dance 3.

The visuals play more of an important role than just eye-candy.

Bastion is the perfect game to kick off Microsoft's Summer of Arcade, capturing that certain something that Limbo and Braid had in previous years.

Complex systems are made simple, by committing their clutter to muscle memory, and play—good play, at any rate—requires that you, like Selene, ride its enigmatic loop.

It took two decades and change, but a team of developers has shown they understand what made the old Sonic games great with Sonic Mania, even if nostalgia is sometimes too much of a driving force.

An impressive PSP game and a considerable improvement over the first GTA outing on the system.

Part puzzle game, part retro experience, part mindfuck, I haven't played anything as engaging and interesting as Pony Island in a long time.

Mortal Kombat 11 sees the franchise at its strongest yet, with finely-tuned scrapping and an ample amount of content providing one of the most rewarding fighting games of the generation.

Unquestionably a huge success. A short campaign aside, it does everything GRAW fans would want from a sequel and once again confirms Ubisoft as one of the leading next-gen publishers.

In Max Payne 3 the risk of death and restart is often too great. Why do something that makes you look and feel like an action hero, when holding back behind cover means you're more likely to survive? The shame, then, is that the difficulty encourages over-cautious play.

Not only are the controls and attributes of the gameplay itself consistently representative of the chosen sport, but everything from the gloriously dynamic soundtrack and the competition commentary through to the selection of legendry skaters and the division of challenges into schools of skating hits the nail on the head with prowess.

There are some fantastic environments and old school style puzzles in Resi 7. The final section stops being survival horror and becomes a bit of a clunky linear shooter, but the first few hours are scary enough to put you off Louisiana for life.

In an era when triple-A blockbuster games often drown beneath a desire to make things more explosive or complex than before, Rise of the Tomb Raider shows how it should be done. This is captivating romp that should cement Lara as a modern gaming icon.

Given your avatar's snazzy new wardrobe, base of operations, minions and the righteous euphoria associated with being a force for good, The Knights of the Nine is well worth the 800 Microsoft points.

Dark Conflict remains one of the best games on the DS, is perfect for a lengthy commute, works brilliantly online and, for us, comes out on top compared with Dual Strike.

If you're short on patience or have a nervous disorder, then you should approach Rearmed with caution. If, however, you love the genre and harbor fond memories of the original, then this game will seem like a gift from the Eighties God of Shooty Bang-Bang.

DJ Hero is possibly the best rhythm action game I have ever played. There's not a dull track in the entire game - hardly surprising given how much superstar DJ input FreeStyleGames has enjoyed.

It lacks variety, both on and offline, and sometimes it strikes a difficult balance between arcade racing and simulation. (It's also far too easy to abuse the rewind function, a problem made worse by the sometimes unclear checkpointing). But there are very few other racing games that can boast such impressive fundamentals, and certainly not very many with a world like this wrapped around them.

This is an XCOM refresh – resetting the rules of the game you once knew, and encouraging you to play it in ways you’d never tried to. In my mind I’ve merely dabbled with these changes, and still have so many ideas I’d like to try. I’ve played it for 27 hours.

Luigi's Mansion 3 is a beautifully animated adventure with satisfying puzzles and gadgets; it suffers slightly for its length, but a deep well of charm and humour win the day.

Luigi's Mansion 2 is a joy, showcasing a love for characterisation and wonderful attention to detail that gives the game an inimitable personality. It never outstretches the limitations of the 3DS, but continuously proves the system's lofty capabilities.

DJ Hero 2's multiplayer modes might not strike as anything special, although it is a social and accessible game, but the robust content is tailored to be the most hypnotic single-player rhythm game on the market.

Guitar hero 3 should most definitely be praised - for its almost entirely original recording song list, for its attempts to introduce something new into a near perfect formula, and for picking up where Harmonix left off effortlessly. The songs are diverse, hard-rocking and challenging, but in all honesty, these new tracks are the most exciting new thing about GH3.

Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon is a masterful return to form for the series that incorporates the modern design philosophies of From Software. It’s a dystopian world with a brutally gorgeous aesthetic and refined gameplay elevated by exceptional boss battles. Any fan of the series new or old will find something to love.

The core gameplay mechanics are as good as ever, the presentation has been toned down for the better, there are some brilliant new multiplayer options, and everything feels more streamlined than before. Well worth adding to your playlist.

The number of options you have on how to tackle each situation makes for some great unscripted moments, and the visuals and sound help create an atmosphere that wouldn't be possible on older hardware.

Complex systems are made simple, by committing their clutter to muscle memory, and play—good play, at any rate—requires that you, like Selene, ride its enigmatic loop.

It’s no doubt the most authentic. The biggest problem is how inaccessible it is. As a Brit who understands how the sport works, and who played Madden back in 2000, the game can still be a mind-bending, frustrating exercise in trial and error.

A generous and competent addition to Bad Company 2.

The perfect expansion; it gives you the chance to be good and become Sheogorath's Champion but also lets you be periodically evil, killing and torturing, you can even be the Oblivion version of Frankenstein and create you own monster.

Rymdkapsel is an addictive, hypnotic waste of time.

Splinter Cell was in need of a refresh and that's exactly what Ubisoft has delivered. Conviction manages to tweak the tried and tested formula without ruining the stealth gameplay, delivering some of the best action gaming I've played this year.

DiRT Rally, then, isn't a true successor to the DiRT series you might know and love, but it's a better rally experience if you're willing to put in the work.

A brilliant racing game. It's got some issues still, with the lengthy load times and a fair amount of re-used content from PGR3 likely to turn away a few gamers, but it remains the Xbox 360's premier racing title.

While anyone who already owns the first release might find the budget price too much to pay for one new city and a few new vehicles, newcomers will find over twenty hours of offline play, and an online mode that could be played for months.

But with one massive, graceful, Welsh-tinged sweep, the combined might of Level-5 and Studio Ghibli has reinstated credibility to a flagging area of gaming. It's taken years of craft and - likely - a hell of a lot of money, but Ni No Kuni is a wonderful, wondrous experience and will keep you captivated and enchanted for dozens of hours.

Once again, the violence is extremely well-rendered, and there's no doubt that Undisputed's beatings are among the most visceral in modern gaming.

The co-op career and battle modes are great fun, but had the new tracks been released for GH2 as downloadable content, we would no doubt have had just as much fun.

The Sly Collection is a top-notch compilation of some of the most beautiful platformers ever made. Would somebody in the UK please buy it this time around?

The Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo is a depressingly cumbersome way to play the game. A Game Cube controller, or Classic Controller, is the minimum requirement. The hardcore won't touch the game without a fighting stick.

There's just not quite enough meat on Fight Night Champion's bones to recommend it to owners of previous games, however, and Champion mode itself is little more than a brief diversion you can bash through in an afternoon.

The Outer Worlds is a kooky space opera with beautiful aesthetics, a deeply engaging cast of characters, and a tightly focused storyline. Kick the hornets' nest, smoke the insects out, or sneak past: your choice might just topple a mega-corporation or two.

The number of options you have on how to tackle each situation makes for some great unscripted moments, and the visuals and sound help create an atmosphere that wouldn't be possible on older hardware.

If you're a hardcore fighter fan, you'll be annoyed by the button layout and the associated lack of precision. If you're a newcomer who has yet to play Street Fighter IV, you're better off picking up one of the previous editions; it'll cost you little more than a tenner, rather than the £30 you'll pay for the 3DS version.

Regardless of such niggles, Diamond and Pearl are among the best Pokémon titles so far, if not the best. Visually the game is fantastic, ably juggling 2D and 3D elements, and the soundtrack is catchy, upbeat and distinctly Pokémon themed.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is slight in terms of storytelling – the one area seemingly skimped on to keep costs down – but everything else here is worthy of a full retail release.

The double agent element gives the game a slightly unique feeling, but at times it's hard to shake the thought that you're playing a Chaos Theory expansion pack; albeit a very attractive one.

One of the best Star Wars games of all time, Jedi Survivor delivers on everything Fallen Order set up and then some. A space-faring epic full of twists and turns, with rock-solid combat, and a gorgeous universe holding numerous secrets mean the Jedi games are unmissable for any Star Wars fan.

Starfield is the enchantment and wonder of space bottled and fleshed out into something grand and ambitious, thoughtful and attentive, janky at times, often funny, but always charming.

On one hand it's addictive, polished, satisfying and action-packed. On the other hand the campaign lacks variety and the meta-game has no real bearing on anything. But through it all a tinge of disappointment can't help but be felt - one that nags as you play the game.

It's a not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, just a slightly poor use of the license.

Battlefield 3 isn't quite the Call of Duty killer many were wanting, then, and it's especially jarring to view EA's 'above and beyond the call' marketing brouhaha in light of the fact Battlefield 3 falls to its most damning lows when it's trying hardest to compete with the latter.

Blowing things up is cool, and no game lets you see the destruction caused better than Volition's latest.

It delivers on every front, with great action, deceptive strategic depth, stunning visuals and incredible multiplayer support.

It’s no doubt the most authentic. The biggest problem is how inaccessible it is. As a Brit who understands how the sport works, and who played Madden back in 2000, the game can still be a mind-bending, frustrating exercise in trial and error.

It'll teach you things, broaden your horizons, and give you a damn good time; think of it as the Mrs Robinson to your brawling Benjamin Braddock. As Taokaka might say, meow can you resist?

Hotline Miami is a fair game, as much as it is hard, and you always know why you're dead, even if it was a fickle turn of the controls.

Okay, so the main bulk of it is yet another rendition of a game we all know by now, but it's easily the best rendition of that game that we've seen so far. When you factor in the Music Studio and all the creative doors that it opens, it's clear that this is by far and away the best rhythm game available on the market today.

Multiplayer is Rocket League's priority, and it delivers.

We defy you not to enjoy Pure. In an age where simulation reigns supreme, Pure's over the top arcade fun is a refreshing change of pace. Somehow Black Rock has managed to make a game that is infectious, spreading the joy to all who touch it, even to onlookers who gather around the TV in awe at the incredible visuals.

Some will think the game too short, the gameplay repetitive and the experience too similar to the original to warrant forking out another £20, but those people are heartless grouches who no doubt spend their time scaring children and trampling on daisies. For everyone else, LocoRoco 2 is the most uplifting game available, not only on the title-shy PSP, but on any platform.

A quality MMORPG expansion, no doubt about it. With two new classes, a massive new area to explore and the Legendary Weapons system, there's loads for fans to get stuck into.

Crytek's fourth game is their most confident to date, carefully balancing silliness, seriousness, and spectacle, and despite looking like a laundry list of bad shooter clichés at first glance the end product is surprisingly fresh-faced and triumphant. Switching to New York gives Crytek what it desperately needed: a credible sense of menace to go alongside gorgeous technical fortitude and impressive artistic direction.

In reality, this is a reserved effort from Namco Bandai, and feels almost as if Project Soul has merely dipped its toe in the next-gen water for fear of causing too big a splash. It's gorgeous, and an essential purchase for any fighting game fan who likes aggressive counters and weapon clashes, but it's no fighting game revolution.

Frostpunk 2 is a worthy sequel that ramps up the grit and immersion, but sheds some of the original's magic in the pursuit of innovation.

The developer, Insomniac Games, has a similar storytelling confidence to that of Naughty Dog—a natural cinematic ease, bolstered by money and technology, which gives equal weight to ground-level struggles as to those beyond the rooftops.

Given it's not the most technologically-taxing title in existence means the transition has been made flawlessly; if you want to experience Dennaton Games' debut how it was intended, there's nothing for you to be overly worried about. If anything, especially on the Vita, you'll be pleased with how much sharper it all looks.

In reality, this is a reserved effort from Namco Bandai, and feels almost as if Project Soul has merely dipped its toe in the next-gen water for fear of causing too big a splash. It's gorgeous, and an essential purchase for any fighting game fan who likes aggressive counters and weapon clashes, but it's no fighting game revolution.

I find it easy to ignore Forza Horizon's traditional multiplayer when the single-player is so captivating and enriching.

Batman: Arkham Shadow is a stunning virtual reality game, and a damn-good workout. Yes, you feel like Batman, but the game is more than just a simulator for Dark Knight roleplayers. It’s proof that any game concept can be adapted to a VR platform with enough care and skill, and it’s proof that VR has the sauce many claim it doesn’t. If you have a Quest 3, you need to play Batman. If you like Batman, you need a Quest 3.

Slick, well produced, and involving, and most importantly it is very hard to put down.