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.

Provided you can make it through the disappointing introduction and swallow your outrage every time Kaine makes a show of bending over, Nier is a classic action RPG with some refreshing elements and a reminder that streamlined gameplay need not mean a restrictive experience due to its minimal but innovative weapon and ability upgrade system.

Of course, it’s impossible to avoid the fact that the omission of the myriad of domestic club sides and competitions that form the spine of normal FIFA titles will mean that interest in the game is sure to wane once the Soccer City stadium has emptied for the last time. But the fact that 2010 World Cup is better on the pitch than FIFA 10, combined with the diversity of its modes and its host of official content mean it’s the best piece of tournament merchandise you’ll buy this side of Brazil 2014.

Dark Fall: Lost Souls is aimed squarely at the Myst crowd: if you like taking your time pondering over clues, taking meticulous notes and solving some brain-bending puzzles, then you’ll render a considerable degree of enjoyment from the game. If not, then its tension and suspense will be lost on you thanks to the snail’s pace it takes and the distinct lack of anything remotely exciting happening.

Telltale Games have created a charming little adventure – a rare low budget gem tucked away amongst the PSN dross.

Some people will hate Splinter Cell Conviction just because it’s different – you know what, it’s there loss. Bar a few pacing issues and a little too much emphasis on gunplay towards the end of the game, Conviction nevertheless delivers a fantastic experience that is great when played alone and nothing short of terrific when played with a friend.

The game will let the experienced player build a unique team and lead them to glory in the league or against like-minded PSP owning friends. But it's a game that a huge portion of the playing public simply won't enjoy due to the lack of actual sport in what looks on the surface to essentially be an American Football game.

Lead and Gold’s biggest problem is how it doesn’t take advantage of its setting in a meaningful way. The Wild West was such an iconic time, and has been immortalized in countless classic movies and books, but the game doesn’t really get across that creaky old west vibe that it should.

Maybe if it had a modicum of quality – I mean you would think that the extra development time provided by the wait for a new publisher might have led to a more polished, refined experience, sadly, just as in the case with nearly every other primetime TV tie-in, Prison Break: The Conspiracy is little more than a rushed, poorly developed title with very little in the way of a saving grace.

And, well, that’s about it. You jump between islands (well, still shots of islands), you give and receive arbitrary gifts from Zack and the other girls which supposedly determine who will and won’t be your friend (these girls really are quite shallow y’know) and you play a bunch of dire mini-games. If that sounds fun – Paradise is the place for you, or Zack Island, or, whatever it’s called.

Having said that, if you’ve played every other racer and are just gagging for more speed, you can’t go terribly wrong with Anarchy. Just be sure not to aim your expectations too high for a game that implements every other feature from every other racer to a slightly lesser degree.

It’s still polished, still clever – shame it isn’t anything particularly special.

Just Cause 2 isn’t a bad game, but it’s not brave enough to see its expansive vision come to fruition. The next gen freedom it offers is scuppered in favour of strictly linear progression once you’ve chosen which of the missions you’d like to do next.

It’s is a huge-improvement over its erratic predecessor and the kind of top-notch, no-holds-barred, sandbox action game many people hoped Mercenaries 2 would be a couple of years ago.

Red Steel 2 has been carefully crafted from top to bottom, and with the exception of a few balancing issues and a weak storyline, it manages to excel, both as a game in its own right and as a showcase for what can be achieved with the Wii MotionPlus hardware.

How To Train Your Dragon does some things very well, and when you’re actually engaging in the battle sections of the game, it can be enjoyable. That said, this takes up a mere 40% of the experience, the rest being the titular ‘Training’ and upkeep of your dragon, along with all of the other menial tasks to get involved with.

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.

It’s like a favourite toy: well-loved, and good for a quick blast of nostalgia now and again, but nothing else.

Infinite Space is a good idea, and it does what it sets out to achieve.

Online Tiberium Twilight can be a fantastic experience, but it comes at the expense of a shallow and dull single player game. Together with some draconian DRM protection these things work against what should have been the crowning achievement in the C&C saga, a game that was destined to go out in a blaze of glory, yet one that will end up causing a huge division of it’s numerous fans.

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.

If you’re the kind of person who loves to watch dramas like Survivors, Coronation Street or EastEnders on TV and are disappointed by the overuse of violence in modern games, then I recommend this game as there really aren’t many other titles like it that focus solely on drama. However, if, like me, you prefer games that blow your mind – steer clear of this one.

Well worth the pricetag and, frankly, essential for fans of the original.

Resonance of Fate, like so many eastern RPGs before it, is not in any way a bad game. In fact, it's actually quite a good game, and if it was the first of its kind or even a member of a rarer breed, it might be considered something of a masterpiece.

An absolutely fantastic remake.

The undeniable truth about Eye of Judgement Legends is that without the use of real life cards, the game simply doesn’t stand up on its own. Every element of the game has been carefully constructed, from the effective aesthetics to the longevity present; it’s a real shame that forgiving the game’s lack of depth is near impossible.

The linear beginning may disappoint hardcore players but Final Fantasy XIII is a journey from start to finish and it is worth losing a few days or weeks over.

Will Yakuza 3 prove the break out hit that Sega hopes it will be? Probably not – It will however remain a cult game adored by those who embrace its quirky but wholly undeniable charms.