Borderlands: The Handsome Collection gives a truly magnificent game and its fun if flawed sequel a new lick of paint... and gives us an excuse to play them through again.
Come on you apes! You wanna live forever?
Dragon Ball Xenoverse captures the brutal thrill of soaring aerial anime battles better than practically any game I've ever played, all while allowing us to genuinely enter the Dragon Ball universe as our own character by participating in key canonical events and crazy 'what if?' scenarios.
Loadout lets you create the ridiculous bespoke boomstick of your wildest dreams, but is far from a one-trick pony. Manic old-school shooting, tight map design and a superb in-house engine make for a seriously impressive F2P effort that surpasses any number of full-priced downloads.
Lara Croft And The Temple Of Osiris is a superb cooperative puzzler, pacey shooter and a rip-roaring adventure. The replayable campaign is a bit too short to make the most of the abundance of loot, but it's a blast while it lasts especially in local co-op.
Akiba's Trip is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. What was marketed as shameful fanservice is actually an anarchic, innovative, big-hearted and even-handed love letter to all things Otaku and geeky, propped up by stunning localisation and a great cast of characters, and that makes up for a fair few clumsy shortcomings with its uninhibited cheeky sense of fun.
Shadow Warrior is still as savagely brutal, tough, slick and satisfying as ever, but its riotous gameplay has only matured with age. The console version is a great new opportunity to savour the joys of exploring huge levels, finding secrets and annihilating entire armies of ravening demons with ridiculous firepower.
Guacamelee! is the Big Enchilada when it comes to MetroidVania platformers, and the Super Turbo Championship Edition is very much the ultimate version. Though riotous fun factor and eyepopping Mexican flair sometimes disguises a few unimaginative challenges, its personality and satisfying gameplay will lock you in for the duration.
Watch Dogs is a revolutionary sandbox that redefines player freedom and choice... that was subsequently eaten by a big bloated open-world game that takes less risks than it should.
Titan Attacks! is a fantastic SHMUP that packs nostalgia in spades, yet feels fierce, fresh and fun in the execution. Gorgeous visuals, addictive upgrades and unpredictable enemies bring Space Invaders bang up to date in style.
More an overhaul than a director's cut, Strike Suit Zero's console debut feels like the definitive version of Born Ready's space sim: the game we all wanted it to be. Empowering mech handling and rebalanced gameplay makes a universe of difference, turning frustration into fun and challenging action in the main.
Mercenary Kings is a royal retro rumble; an outstanding sidescrolling shooter with the depth and longevity of Monster Hunter. Though unwelcome repetition and grind can set in after long stints, grabbing some mates for local co-op fun with ridiculous customised boomsticks never gets old.
Outlast is terrifying no matter what platform you play it on. Tense, punchy, jumpy and beautifully-paced, Red Barrels' debut is one of the most effective horror games of recent years.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. LEGO. Marvel. Super Heroes. It's about time, frankly.
State Of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is the definitive way of experiencing this fiercely unique zombie sim and a true highlight of the survival genre. Though still rough and ready, it's undeniably a complete package.
Storm Island is a mud-churning, rain-drenched, power-sliding delight that more than earns its expensive asking price. So long as you love your racing brutal, dirty, off-road and more than a little airborne, that is.
Any track racer can make overtaking feel exciting, but Forza Horizon 2 also makes driving an absolute joy in and of itself. Superb cars, gorgeous scenery and a generous economy make up for a few missteps, meaning that the first big automotive release of the season will also be one of the best of the year.
Avernum 2: Crystal Souls is an enormous, expansive and peerlessly written RPG that succeeds both on the strength of its world and its innovative campaign structure. So long as you're willing to read and exercise a little imagination, that is. Spiderweb have refined their winning formula over the last two decades and the result is pure roleplaying quality.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 is an excellent remake, retaining the quirky parody story of the original Hyperdimension Neptunia while bringing everything else up to date. Enhanced combat, visuals and gameplay systems make for a great portable RPG, while the short dungeons work better on Vita than they ever did on PS3.
The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing II is a quality dungeon crawler offering solid action, hours of fun and an anarchic upbeat personality - for £11.99. Here's hoping that the third game turns the trilogy into a single superior RPG and underdog success story.