All in all, Dead to Rights: Retribution is a solid action title, elevated above many others by dint of a canine companion who finally manages to make having a dog in a videogame completely worth it.

Although home to some of the longest load times since the Commodore 64, ModNation Racers is nevertheless a hugely entertaining kart racer and certainly the first major threat to the Mario Kart throne since Diddy Kong racing way back on the N64.

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.

The story might be forgettable, the cut scenes are unimpressive and the first few hours are extremely slow. Get over these faults however and Ruse reveals itself to be an intuitive, complex but nevertheless accessible experience.

Still Life 2 is a well thought out game with lots of action to keep a player engaged and want to come back to solve the mystery. What I don’t understand is how after four years, a game this good could have so many avoidable bugs?

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.

It’s SR2, but with more awesomeness. It’s still cute, it’s still funny, and chances are now you can even run it on your netbook. If you think you might like it, chances are, you’ll love it. You’d be missing out otherwise.

Obviously it’s not for the faint hearted, but anybody who wants an intense shooter with a twist should really consider taking a trip down to the Metro.

Supreme Commander 2 is a much better venture than I originally expected, and overall it’s a very enjoyable RTS, despite the odd problem or two that crops up.

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.

Blur is very much a straight forward welding of the kiddie Mario Kart style racers with adult-friendly realism. The result is something that is far beyond expectation. The action is fast, unrelenting and 'on-the-edge-of-your-seat'.

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.

Appealing to a multitude of fans, including those of Marvel, action-RPGs and multiplayer, most gamers should feel little hesitation in giving Marvel: Ultimate Alliance a try.

Despite a lack of online play, Project Sylpheed is as good a space shooter as you are likely to find. Its perfect balance of depth and accessibility really pushes the game to the forefront of the genre.

A marvellous title that'll have the kids enthralled from start to finish. It's loaded down with quality and a brain-stretching depth that most games in the genre fail to manage.

Smooth animation, a fantastic soundtrack and plenty of variety in the use of combat and force powers make this a game that's engaging and fun to play through.

Online issues aside, Colin McRae: DiRT is a fantastic driving game in so many ways.

MLB '08: The Show is everything you'd expect from a handheld baseball title.

If you are an ABBA fan then SingStar ABBA should be at the top of your list this Christmas - it's an essential addition to your collection. There hasn't yet been a game in the series that has been this focused and downright fun for people who enjoy the artist in question, and for that ABBA deserves as much praise as a karaoke game can get.

A great bike racer; with fun gameplay, sharp visuals, good sound effects, rock & roll music and enough adrenaline to keep you pumped, this is definitely one game that stands out from the crowd - and if you make a space for it on your games shelf, I'm sure you'll agree.

Lumines is taking over my life, but this is where the main flaw lies; the better you get, the longer it takes to complete one round. It's not unusual now that I've cracked the 100,000 points mark for one play to last an hour, which kind of defeats the whole quick blast of gameplay on the bus quality that games of this type usually have.

A groundbreaking title and surely a genre-creating one at that. It takes the immersion and realism of first person games to new levels and weaves the action into one of the best science fiction storylines yet seen in a game, with plenty of big twists before the end.

Sure, it's not one of the three things I'd take with me to a desert island - those three spaces are reserved for a helicopter, a trained pilot and a good flask of Yorkshire Tea for the ride home - but Castaway is something that I'd look forward to playing upon my safe return from the island.

The gameplay in D-Day is tactical and challenging but remains fun throughout and this is a satisfying combination. RTS fans will pick it up easily but there are some great additions to the genre too, such as your troops' range of special abilities, the interactivity with the environment that allows you to destroy or occupy (and fire from within) buildings and the bonuses you receive for adding differently skilled men to vehicle crews.

Worth a purchase for sure. Obviously younger audiences are going to enjoy the game more than older players, but for any self-respecting Incredibles fan, the story and the teamwork gameplay is enough to warrant a look.

And as a repeated plea to skeptics, don't pass this up just because it 'looks like Metroid' - pick it up because it's as intriguing, and in some ways more so, than Nintendo's excellent franchise.

It may not have the best graphics or story, but it's still great because it shines in the area it really cares about - tactical realism.

Very few games allow you to jump right in and experience everything it has to offer from the start if you want to. Those looking for a superb and exciting adventure can't go wrong here, especially if you're into pirate simulators or Sid Meier titles.