Thankfully shipping without some kind of half-arsed multiplayer, Risen is the kind of game that will probably get played by fans of the genre but overlooked by everyone else, which is a bloody shame really, as there is a decent game behind the niggles - and one that impresses more often than it disappoints.

Anyone who is a fan of the original Resident Evil can overlook these issues as a great game experience is guaranteed. For anyone else, there really isn’t that much of interest other than the opportunity to delve back into the ageing, but still awesome Resident Evil 5.

If only the missions required a bit more intuitive thinking from the player, this could be a stellar PSP title. As is, make sure you’ve played both the excellent Syphon Filters before opting for the lesser option that Fireteam Bravo 3 sadly is.

If you’re a huge fan of anything AvP then it’s sure to be a definite “Yes”, as the game pays the kind of homage to the franchise you might expect it would. If, on the other hand, you’re a devotee of one or more of its’ many components – Aliens, Predators, sci-fi or first-person-shooters – then you’ll need to give the decision much more serious consideration.

Strikeforce isn’t going to change the world by any means, but it does make the Dynasty Warriors franchise relevant for the first time in years – an amazing feat in itself.

It’s simplistic, it’s fun, and it’s hectic to a degree that’ll alienate anybody who’s mind isn’t at least vaguely superhuman at some subconscious level – but if you’re willing to push yourself to the limit, to click and think faster than you’ve ever thunk before, then you’ll find a surprisingly deep and intense passtime.

While Darwinia+ may not be perfect, it’s great to see a game that’s not afraid to defy convention succeed so convincingly and remind us that it doesn’t take triple-A budgets and big name developers to produce a true gem.

Bioshock 2 is another epic piece of story-telling laid over a set of core mechanics that, for now, still feels fresh and ahead of the curve.

Bioshock 2 is a fun game. There’s nothing here that’s groundbreaking, and if you’ve played the original you’ll fit back into the sequel like a comfy pair of slippers.

All in all Dante’s Inferno slowly falls into dangerous territory – it goes from being an excellent hack and slash into a mediocre hack and slash far too quickly, and when it’s not being repetitive it’s being relatively annoying.

Sure, the game is a superb effort as a charity drive, but I see it more as a social experiment.

If you’re willing to look past the look and feel of a shooter that’s past its heyday, what you’ll find in Pripyat is GSC’s magnum opus – an undeniable masterpiece built from years of trial and error, building and adapting new elements and ideas into the original STALKER template.

Star Trek Online can be considered an impressive piece of fan service but, as a game, is a disappointingly unimaginative and shallow example of the MMO genre with severely flawed, poorly thought out mechanics that do little to draw players away from the powerful embrace of WoW.

The shooting elements have been watered down to accomodate MMO players, and the persistance has been watered down to accomodate FPS gamers. High Rez have attempted to make so many compromises, they just seem to have fallen short accross the board.

Whilst it would be easy to dismiss XIII outright for such foibles, it’d also be unfair. There is a good game in here, challenging, difficult and when it all goes right quite fulfilling but it remains a game that can only really be recommended to whose who already dabbled in the original XIII Century and are looking to continue where that game left off.

It's true that this game is a gem in its genre - you won't find a better hotel management simulator without a great deal of searching - but I'm not saying this is a perfect game with no room for improvement.

All in all, there are better sports games and better fantasy games out there, and the fact that there aren’t many “fantasy-sports” games is probably all that will save Blood Bowl from being completely overlooked.

It’s forty-plus hours of top-notch combat, incredible voice-acting, emotional provocation, stunning graphics and exhilarating gameplay of a standard that simply hasn’t been achieved before as a complete package.

While the game may alienate some players, anyone interested in the Capcom back-catalogue or indeed Japanese animation would do well to seek this game out.

From its solid controls, crisp, user-friendly menus and huge array of customization options to its emphasis towards player progression and large scale teamwork, MAG might just become the serious contender to the genre heavyweights that Zipper and SCEA hoped it would be.

An unfortunate miss-fire from what appears to be a genuinely bright and talented new developer.

Vancouver 2010 isn’t a bad game, what little it does, it does very well, but what we have here is a skeletal frame, lacking even the slightest morsel of gristle with which to fill up our fun bellies.

The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces may well be short, but that doesn’t stop it from being the greatest and most electrifying flight sim on Wii. And for that reason, it deserves your attention.

It’s perhaps fitting that Bayonetta should be released on the first launch day of 2010 because not only does it raise the bar for action games for the rest of the year to come it is already, without exaggeration, a firm contender for game of the year.

Alien Breed Evolution is a blast from the past, and for all of its graphical splendour and next gen licks of paint, it still feels ever so slightly dated.

Despite the slight stumble with the nightmare sequences, where you feel just a few tweaks would have made player experience match developer intentions, the only real issue with Shattered Memories is its incredibly short length.

In the end, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about the last of the Tales of Monkey Island, but, like the finest of the four chapters before it, Rise of the Pirate God stands as a faithful recreation of a world and a cast of characters many players have longed to return to.

Given the wealth of cheap games on the go currently it’s difficult to see how Magnetis is supposed to stand out amongst the giants of the field. Rather it’s simply a poor second runner that might provide a few minutes of entertainment better spent elsewhere.

Saying whether Rogue Trooper: Quartz Zone Massacre is worth picking up is tough, as while I undoubtedly had fun with the well executed controls, which utilise the best aspects of the Wiimote and nunchuck to their full potential, the game just doesn't have that overall polish that is needed in such a competitive genre.

Altitude's simple premise hides behind a deceptively difficult game, but one that's easily learned and enjoyable to engage in. Although there's plenty of content here, more might have been better, but what is here does last, just so long as it's taken in the right doses.

It’s a rare luxury that not many films have, and if you, like I did, feel compelled to play the game after seeing the film then I can happily tell you that I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with what is on offer.

If you want to learn more about yoga, pick up a book, check out the internet, buy a DVD…..anything but this.

To be frank, Tekken 6 features the most complete and rewarding fighting experience on PSP, and is a must buy for any fan of the genre.

Fortix is driven by a sound gaming mechanic that’s almost difficult to criticise. “What you see is what you get”, “Does exactly as it says on the tin” etc, what is easy to criticise though, is the difficulty that gets much too intense for a game designed for 5 – minute bursts, as well as a visual presentation that’s just downright ugly. Combine this with a total lack of clever features and we have a game that’s just a borderline stinker.

It’s really hard to criticise a game that is actually very good. But the principle stands. It is frankly immoral to demand money for something that has simply been regurgitated. Thus Serious Sam HD is a reprehensible example of commercial greed, and for that deserves our eternal scorn.

There's allot I like about the game, it looks pleasing to the eye, sound and music is of a consistently high standard and there are some features that prevent the whole thing from feeling like a tired retread of other games before it. As a hybrid however it occasionally missteps and fails to fully succeed in blending two different types of genre's into one cohesive whole.

Blast Off isn’t a fully-fledged game, but it never aimed to be one in the first place – it is mini, after all. Small, cute, cheap, addictive, and great fun. At this kind of price tag, deprive yourself of your portion of fries at McDonalds this week and Blast Off into the unknown instead.

Echoes may well be the best download only game on PSP; an essential purchase.

Needless to say, Assassin’s Creed II is a game full of intrigue and mystery that will keep you engrossed from the awkward opening to the epic finale.

Darkside Chronicles is definitely the best Resident Evil themed Arcade Shooter for a long, long time.

Left 4 Dead 2 is a near perfect slice of gaming heaven, set in gaming hell.

LittleBigPlanet isn’t in any way a shoddy port; it offers an experience that is on a par with – and in some ways exceeds – the full console experience.

For all its flaws, terrible graphics and Wii friendly gameplay mechanics, Jambo! Safari is still an extremely enjoyable experience.

It's definitely worth trying though, and you may very well find yourself hopelessly addicted. With thousands of online challenges, as well as a rampant moding scene, you'll be playing this for awhile.

Braid is a true masterpiece, something which will be regarded as a milestone in gaming not for any great technical feats but for the fact that it showed us that, even though not all games may comfortably fall under the classification, some can truly be regarded as art.

Buzz! Quiz World continues the high standards of the series so far, the timing making boring New Year parties a thing of the past. For those who never quite liked Buzz, there are no major changes to the formula, but for anyone with a taste for quizzing, this is yet another essential purchase.

The mini-games are what holds this title together and you do get you focused for a short time because of them, but the rest of the game lacks options/choices in game play and rewards are poor for putting the time in to see your results.

There's plenty not to like here, but equally, if you've got a couple of friends and a few hours to spare then Phantasy Star Zero will serve as a great time multiplayer RPG.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the defining first person shooter of the current generation and it’s hard to imagine that anyone will better it anytime soon.

It’s living proof that history is written by the victors, because when people look back over the records of 2009, they’ll find more than a couple of paragraphs in Infinity Ward’s distinctive script.

Still, if you haven’t played Pro Evo on the PSP before, PES 2010 offers up as solid and entertaining a game of football as you are likely to find for your Sony handheld.

It’s a sluggish, unintuitive, stumbling mess of a fighter, with only a handful of redeeming features, none of which raise it much further from the gutter of ineptitude it resides in.

If you're a clubber or even have a mild interest in mixing some tunes then this is surely worth a few hours of your time.

With more content, a slightly less steep learning curve and less strict system requirements it'd have been a no brainer.

While Insomniac have embraced their PS2 series, retaining what made those games so enjoyable while bulding upon them twofold, Jak and Daxter have been left to suffer on the PSP. With so many great PSP games this Christmas, it’s hard to recommend this.

The formula may be starting to show it’s age at this point, but as ever the great team at Traveller’s Tales has worked hard to keep this latest addition to the Rock Band canon fresh and inviting by doing what it does best; deliver a wacky and comedic spin on an existing format, full of unlockables and tweaks that will keep kids entertained for hours.

Pro Evo 2010 delivers as exciting a game of football as you are likely to find anywhere, it just happens to be wrapped in the finest looking packaging that the series has ever had to offer.

Overall then, PES 2010 definitely makes some noticeable improvements on last year's game, but, both on and off the field it still lacks the complexity and polish of EA's rival offering.

Until Battlefront 3 arrives (Hopefully!), Elite Squadron will keep you happy for a while, but overall you won’t be interested for too long. A decent attempt, but it’s not what I wanted personally from a Battlefront game.

With an estimated 40-60 hours for a relaxed, fairly expansive play through, and the choices of origin, class and race to ensure at the very least two to four replays, Dragon Age: Origins may well be one of the most addictive, satisfying and life-swallowing RPGs that you can play offline.

Band Hero is not the result of a series selling out or losing its identity. Instead it is proof that the developer has recognised a key gap in the market and has rather competently filled it.

Football Manager 2010 like its forbearers will keep you entertained for hundreds of hours due to the wealth of options available and depth of its leagues.

Although it still posses many of the same problems, and it's difficulty spikes range from mildly difficult to insanely impossible, with a strict attention to historical detail and missions designed to test you strategic skills to their maximum, Red Tide can be an immensely rewarding game, but one that does require a great deal of patients and discipline.

As a third-person-shooter on the PSP, Ghostbusters The Video Game is a distinctly average offering.

While a welcome online patch is currently in the works, it still doesn’t excuse the game shipping with such glaring issues. The meagre campaign mode is another thorn in the side of Tekken 6 and as such, the game simply fails to stack up against the slick perfection of Street Fighter IV.

Overall, I love the game and its uniqueness but I think it should have been left on the DS.

While not perfect, DJ Hero is still a worthy addition to the rhythm-action genre, bringing many fresh ideas to the table, but still not realizing its full potential through the absence of creation and freestyle elements.

The auction, the user generated designs, the multiplayer modes, and then the desire to earn experience and credits to buy new motors and new upgrades will keep this title funky fresh and roaring to go.

I’m saddened by this game as after being an avid lover of the DS version this just didn’t come close.

All you really need to know is that Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time is at the very least on a par with Tools of Destruction and, as such, it’s a game that you need to experience.

It has the potential to be marvellous, and it's still a cracking, deep strategy that deserves your attention, but until some new content is chucked into the mix it's best to leave this for a while and let it pack itself out with new stuff to make your online adventures that little more worthy of your money.

Fairytale Fights isn't a terrible game, it's just a repetitious one made all the more maddening thanks to huge list of missed opportunities.

Let’s be honest though, at the price point Torchlight is retailing at, you really shouldn’t be expecting polish. Hell, if you’ve been lucky enough to pick it up at the ridiculous price it went for during some of the winter sales, you’ll get your value for money as long as it boots to the menu – and while it may not be polished, and may be missing a few things that will elevate it beyond Diablo, Torchlight is still undeniably good fun. Incredibly basic, pure, simple, primal fun. And I love it for it.

Changes are for the most part slight and minor, but Privateer’s new campaign structure does make for a new, refreshing playing experience.

It’s a shame that that fun really isn’t enough to cover some of the kinks, but Borderlands is still a really fun game. With a bit of polish though, it could have been great, and that’s a shame.

Still, at least EyePet is cheaper and cleaner than an actual pet, meaning no more early morning, family strolls ruined by arguments over who's turn it is to carry the little plastic bag of stinking shame.

Like other game's of its' ilk, Vempire's greatest strengths are the simplicity to its' fast paced, concentration demanding play, which make it ideal for short bursts of action; while the inclusion of the artifacts and minions add the opportunity for some deeper moments of thought.

Tower Bloxx looks and sounds the part with its bright, colourful backgrounds and cheap and cheerful music.

Tropico 3 definitely shines out as a polished, well designed example of management simulation. While the campaign itself is a little short, the real appeal is in establishing your own personal benchmarks, beating other players’ scores online and earning in-game accolades through achievements.

For the time being at least FIFA 10 is The Special One.

While it may upon the surface seem like a backwards step for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wards to revert to its decade old roots, it’s really nothing to be scared of; the game is fun, amusing, over the top, and perfect for playing on the go.

For forty notes there are far better, far prettier, far more-captivating and far better-crafted RPGs than Way of the Samurai 3, and bearing that in mind it’s hard to think of anyone other than the most avid games collector to recommend it to.

You'll jump, you'll sing, you'll pelvic thrust like you've never pelvic thrusted before, and eventually you'll probably trip over and hurt yourself.

Compared to the first game, Space Invaders Extreme 2 is not a huge development. This is no bad thing however, as the Space Invaders magic is still present here.

Machinarium is a solid and thoroughly enjoyable point and click adventure and while it's not without fault, these are passing annoyances rather than sticking points that will sour the experience.

Brutal Legend is a conundrum, a game I wanted to love with all of my heart, that starts off on one path at an exhilarating pace, but then jumps off, and gets bogged down in ideas and concepts that it didn't need to trouble itself with.

Uncharted 2 is an exemplary title and one that smacks of a developer at the peak of its game. From every piece of cover and set-piece thrown in fiendishly to catch you unaware, to the expertly crafted multiplayer maps and top quality cut scenes, it is clear that a innumerable amount of dedication and painstaking precision has been squeezed out of the team to help make this the PS3's crowning moment.

If you are a platform fan, retro nut, or if you want something that won't insult your child's intelligence, then you will be hard-pushed to find a title that exudes the same level of charm and finesse.

Fundamentally the game is broken, and so any set dressing, from the squeaky tones of Toad, or the way that Knuckles reacts when he wins a race, this is a game that Wii owners should avoid.

Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics isn't a bad game, it's just not a particularly good one either.

Still, if you're a fan of Eastern RPGs this is likely to appeal deeply to you, whilst the more westernized gamer will probably steer clear despite the obvious Western influences that Softmax has bravely taken on board.

In short, Ju-On The Grudge is a pointless approximation at a movie tie-in, the name alone being pretty much all there is similar between the two interpretations.

Half-Minute Hero is the most entertaining pixelated panic attack you’ll find on your PSP, and a game where time is very much of the essence.

There's work that clearly needs to be done, and if Monte Cristo pull out all the stops over the next few weeks Cities XL might approach something closer to it's true potential than what is currently on offer. As it stands, in it's current state, there's still not enough that justifies repeated visits once the free 7 day trail expires.

It is clear that despite being a slick, atmospheric and incredibly well-paced shooter, Dragon Rising will be doomed to obscurity outside of the series core fan base when Modern Warfare 2 drops next month. That said, this is definitely worth seeking out if you are serious about your shooters.

Its appeal may be niche, but for those who appreciate a challenging and ultimately very rewarding game in a genre that's poorly represented not only on the PS3 but in this entire console generation, Demon's Souls is an absolute must have. [JPN Import]

This is a puzzle game wrapped up in a failing license, garnished with shoddy movie tie-in controls and a brazen lack of bravery.

Zombie Studios should be applauded for what they have achieved with Saw. Although it has its fair share of problems, Saw’s mix of timed puzzles and atmospheric surroundings combine to create a game that truly captures the spirit, tension and horror of the series upon which it is based.