Involving, if at times perhaps too keen to handhold, The Serpent's Curse has the intrigue of a novel and the sedateness of an afternoon stroll. An acquired taste undeniably, but one worth trying.
PES 16 is very close to the game long-term fans have needed and demanded. It inexplicably manages to match terrific, absorbing gameplay with awful presentation everywhere but on the pitch.
Inventive and beautiful, even its clear flaws cannot take away from what is simply a brilliant game.
Arkham Knight is very close to being brilliant.
Narratively, Sons of Winter is a definite improvement over the earlier episodes, and has a much easier, confident pace.
The high point for narrative-driven open-world RPGs.
As good as S&S2 threatens to be, the wireless connected elephant in the room overshadows proceedings, offering a tantalising glimpse of what S&S2 could have been rather than a celebration of what there is.
It's not an easy life, and this is not an easy game; some will find it greatly rewarding, but they are likely in the minority.
Sword in the Darkness is a step in the right direction for the series. Sharp, unhurried yet eventful, the disastrous consequences of small decisions means that every conversation is conducted with the utmost care.
The characters are starting to grow, the plot to thicken, and the intrigue to whisper in darkened rooms.
Let down by deep flaws and an inability to convince the player that there is a huge amount of substance behind the bravado.
Game of Thrones has a lot of potential judging by this first effort, but needs a lot more polish before it really hits new heights.
Hampered by the lack of licenses but aided by a sleeker, more refined edge, PES 2015 does its talking on the pitch.
FIFA 15 is an excellent addition to the canon, and improves on the weaknesses of FIFA 14 while implementing engine changes as the series moves into a new generation of hardware.
The story-telling is getting better; the narrative slicker, the choices harsher.
Amid the Ruins, perhaps later than anticipated for this season, finally brings The Walking Dead to the peak of its own exceptional high-standards.
Perhaps age and the formulaic (for better and worse) nature of The Walking Dead means that it is becoming harder to really appreciate the nuances.
Featuring unnerving tension, unremitting cruelty and a disarming level of brutality, The Walking Dead series has become a vanguard for narrative shocks and rollicking set-pieces.
As great as the characters are, as absorbing as the choices and moral directions continue to be, the series is in danger of becoming formulaic.