Grey’s Anatomy: TVG is an interactive novel where nothing depends on the player. The choice is but illusion. An actor says a few lines, makes an appropriate face, and the story resumes its course. Cue 200 more scenes of cel-shaded doctors phoning it in.

There is a deep chasm between Halo Wars and its PC brethren. Yet Ensemble's swan song is strong enough to entertain a hardened RTS vet for a weekend or introduce newcomers to the genre.

Blue whale is one of the largest animals on Earth. It is also one of the closest to extinction. Empire: Total War is one of the last blue whales in the ocean of brainless multi-platform clones, and second-rate RTS rabble.

Zero - that's how many fresh ideas Killzone 2 brings to the table. Had it been released alongside Soldier of Fortune or Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, it would have made a big fuss. Today, after Call of Duty 4, Gears of War 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode Two, its gameplay looks weak. Very few enemy variations, cliched situations repeat over and over again, and there is not enough story to fill a Saturday morning cartoon.

Even if you turn a blind eye to simplistic puzzles and short gameplay, or squint at the scenes lifted from classic LucasArts adventures, you will still have a hard time enjoying Ceville.

It’s hard to expect a breakthrough game from a studio that botched half of the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series.

The only big drawback is the hacking puzzle which is required travel between star systems. You have to replay this timed mini-game as many times as there are stars in the sky – literally!

Colorful vistas and ear-pleasing music are the few things that bring Drakensang closer to its eminent North American brethren. Alas, it is not enough for a good game, especially the one that wants to become the RPG of the year and gain a cult following. One would need talented writers and interesting game design for that.

Emerald City Confidential is a good-looking, atmospheric, light-hearted fairytale with stellar writing, perhaps even too stellar for a casual game.

Dawn of War 2 was thisclose to perfection, but strength failed the developers right on the homestretch.

Before its release, The Lost and Damned was pegged as an “epic” expansion, but in reality it is more of a B-sides album - a compilation of songs that will never become runaway hits, but are essential to understanding a musician’s work. The story about Johnny who quarreled with Billy and then duped the Italian Mafia is too weak and clichéd to stand on its own. The dialogue is still witty, the satire is razor-sharp as usual, but TLAD is just a Band-Aid for the gaps in the original story.

It took CITY Interactive just a year to churn out a sequel to Art of Murder (and produce AoM’s clone, Scorpio Ritual, at the same time). Without belittling the many flaws of Hunt for the Puppeteer, I have to admit the studio’s progress. Sleepless nights and the publisher’s whip have pulled up the series to the level of a second-rate blockbuster.

Zombies in jungle and abandoned temples – that’s a nice setup for a Left 4 Dead campaign. Unfortunately, Rebellion is not Valve. “Repeatedly press button on-screen to survive torture”, says a hint message during one of the interactive cutscenes. Oh I wish there was a button to erase Shellshock 2 from my memory.

Static images can't convey the splendour of colors or the intoxicating feeling of flight, they can't thaw icy shards of winter in the heart. Whether you're cynic or romantic, give Flower a try.

The biggest problem of F.E.A.R. 2 is the triteness of its gameplay rather than dumbed down enemies. Four years ago, F.E.A.R. stood out in a crowd with its then-novel slo-mo effects and bold AI. Nowadays you can find all this even in value-priced shooters from Poland.

Warfare is a flawed game, yet it will go down in history as the best offering from the late GFI Russia. At least it's not a boring pseudo-realistic strategy crawling with bugs, like their previous efforts, but a solid, interesting and even somewhat charming game. Too bad it's not about Russians.

X-Blades has nothing exciting to offer, although it is hardly a shoddy game. The interface is comfortable; the music is full of pep. Sometimes it’s fun to run into a crowd of stupid lizards and hack them all to pieces. Alas, thirty minutes of boring click-fest and humdrum bloodbath on each level will war down anyone.

Those who unlocked all roads in Test Drive Unlimited will appreciate the scope of Burnout Paradise. Just like on Oahu, you just want to aimlessly drive around the city, poking your nose everywhere, set local records from time to time, and enjoy incredibly diverse soundtrack. If only I could see this world from inside of my car!

By opting not to use the comprehensive ratings system from Trials 2, RedLynx drastically shortened the lifespan of Monster Trucks Nitro.

Operation Anchorage offers three hours of uninspired action, turning Fallout 3 into a mediocre low-budget shooter without a trace of role-playing.

A fantasy version of "Star Wars: Battlefront 2" with all the boredom intact. It’s like a poorly made pasty – too little jam, too much unleavened dough.

Mirror’s Edge feels like an 8-hour ad for another, much more thought-out product. It has many things that blockbusters are made of: stylish visuals, elegant stunts, and great music. All it needs is to firmly land on its feet.

Saints Row 2, like its protagonist, has been in a coma for the last three years. Just like many other failed GTA wannabes, it offers bland story, cardboard cutouts instead of interesting characters and tons of mini-games. Stillwater is not a city – it’s a theme park.

Tyler Bates' excellent music, great voice-overs and amusing banter of Jason's companions are the only things that elevate Rise of the Argonauts above value-priced drivel.

Weak, bland-looking Prince of Persia clone, filled with bugs and uninspired action. Treat your kids to the movie instead.

Were it not for obtrusive hints and copy/pasted design, Prince of Persia would have taken its rightful place in our Hall of Fame.

It's basically a remake of GTA 3 with a bigger budget, a new cast of characters and solid storytelling. And it's still incredibly captivating.

Light brain teasers, minimal violence, furry characters… Just the thing for kids 3-5 years old. But the first four battles will bore even a child.