It's well worth the hefty XBLA asking price, and if you don't already own this on any of its other platforms, or just want to relive the experience in glorious HD, Resident Evil 4 should be high on your "must play" list.

At its core though, RAGE is a triumph for id Software. The game's strengths far outweigh its shortcomings and for shooter fans looking for a challenging, visceral experience that isn't akin to shooting fish in a barrel, you're going to find it here.

Despite some art direction issues and the lack of a tutorial system, dedicated players will have some fun here.

The single player campaign is an exercise in banging your head against brick walls until they break. Depending on the quality of your friends list, the long-term value of Rock of Ages probably lies in the chaotically level playing field of human-versus-human multi-player.

A fantastic game which showcases why this series is at the top at the moment. It includes several great additions but no major overhauls from last year, which isn't a bad thing as FIFA 11 was a superb game.

Ultimately this is a solid, although quick, flight down memory lane. If you're new, then welcome to the world of Lylat Wars 64 (Sorry, Star Fox 64), and if you're an Arwing veteran, it's time to relive the experience again. Definitely well worth the purchase.

Beyond mere roster updates, Madden 12 features better tackling animations and visual effects, and gone are any new gimmicky additions; developer EA Tiburon instead focused on improved AI and crafting a more involved franchise mode.

Gears 3 is filled with plenty of wow moments not just visually but also in how the story is driven to its climatic conclusion.

The forgettable story is forgiven when the package of fast, furious and fun driving is brought back to save the series from obscurity. Reflections, you are given a pass for Driv3r, this one's a keeper.

Apart from the overly long boss battles with no mid-point checkpoints, the fact that by the end of your time with Hard Reset you'll be an expert in disposing of endless waves of robots without having to replay as many sections as earlier on, speaks in favour of this approach. In other words you won't be reloading quick saves when battles don't go your way, so man up and stop being such a pussy.

It's just a shame that Insomniac Games seemed so hell bent on pushing the dramatic angle that got in the way of a great example of a solid first-person shooter.

As a fan of all-things zombie, I went in with high expectations and found that the game ticked a lot of the right boxes. Throw seamless drop-in/drop-out co-op into the mix so all of this can be enjoyed with friends or randoms and the appeal is a whole lot stronger, particularly considering the clever variations between quests.

In keeping with the chocolate bar metaphor, even apart from these issues, and the hefty price tag associated with the premium content, once you bite past the tasty yet somewhat odd MMO shell there's still a delicious RTS core to savour. Mmm, Age of Empires.

With other games offering multiple story paths and upgradeable characters Deus Ex no longer stands alone in its field, and it's not perfect by any means. But, with the mix of different choices, multiple paths and wholly addictive game play mechanics it's hard to put down.

If the developers had stuck to just sailing and ship-combat, Pirates would be a charming game. Unfortunately, it's only half of one.

What makes this so immersive is the extraordinary animation and artwork. Everything feels alive, from the pulsating creatures that line the walls, to the slick and swift movement of the boss creatures.

There isn't even an opportunity to crack some skulls, as the Red Skull himself plays a brief scripted cameo, giving way to other lacklustre character steroetypes to flesh out the basic "evil guys take over the world" style storyline.

Sure, there are some minor kicks to be had in three player co-op, but they're very short-lived and fraught with frustration. Call of Juarez should have stuck to its guns and remained an Old Wild Western. Avoid this like you would the real po-lice.

Combing two previously uncombined genres results in a challenging, strategic and addictive experience, which makes up for any storytelling shortcomings.

A richly detailed world that has been unmistakably crafted with love and is well worth its 1200 MP price tag. It exudes all the addictive familiarity of an every-man action-RPG, but it's presented in such a clever, charming and original way as to raise it to must-play material.

Le Tour is the sort of monotony that shouldn't come near a videogame, but the developers have banged together a decent, if not flawed title that I did enjoy.

Shadows of the Damned will not change games, or gaming. But it will make you laugh and will keep you engaged for some time. It's a solid 10-hour experience for anyone versed in the genre, and if you're into upgrading and collecting, you could squeeze a bit more out of it.

Ocarina of Time's poise and pacing were utterly perfect, and that hasn't changed at all for this iteration, despite the passage of time since release being some 12+ years (it's not quite 13) - a testament to the timelessness of the game.

For a story that talks of falling into lunacy, it's interesting that the game's quality matches the mind of its antagonist; Alice is a cracked mirror; you can see what it could have been, but you're stuck with what it is.

It may not be as wholly engaging or enticing in its storytelling as previous F.E.A.R. outings, but I'm still keen to jump back on the action cloud of a game that's infused with a horror lining.

The superb design and incredible visuals provide more than enough reason to continue to return to a game that's the best reason so far to own a Kinect.

With most of the action taking place in castles, forests, caves, factories, mountains, swamps and numerous other locations, there are very few dungeons to be found at all within the game. Which overall speaks volumes for potential expectations one may have with the game, and in failing to meet them could be an unfair catalyst in dismissing what is a fun, polished, and streamlined action RPG experience that deserves your attention.

DiRT 2 sacrificed a lot of its soul in the hunt for a wider, more youthful audience. DiRT 3 has halted this 'fun at the expense of realism' devolution, picks the perfect line between core and arcade, and ends up setting the pace for my favourite driving game of 2011.

Although Armageddon excels in the destruction stakes, combining it with some adrenaline-pumping action and cool special abilities, it leaves you feeling empty with its less-than-enthralling story – well less-than-interesting really – and level after level of tedious objectives.

What many had hoped would be a glorious trip down memory lane, is a muddled affair that lacks spit and polish across the board. Hail to the king, baby? No. Sadly, it's more akin to, 'Fail to the king, baby.' And I'm genuinely disappointed that I couldn't love the game more.

Only worth playing in co-op, where the fluid controls, half decent mechanics, some basic teamwork, and mindless action elevates what is decidedly mediocre into something that although average, can be a lot of fun.

Whichever way you look at it Infamous 2 is an electrifying sequel that consistently improves upon every single facet of its predecessor. Couple this with the near-limitless, free DLC potential of the new UGC system and this is one shockingly good must-buy for any PS3 enthusiast.

It provides a compelling and mature story, great combat (eventually), all wrapped up in what is clearly one of the most visually impressive games to be released in a long time.

Despite some welcome attention to detail in this port, it's still not enough to raise it to the heights of 'must play' for an action RPG whose charm, humour and some genuinely interesting ideas aren't strong enough to battle against how unchallenging it is and how repetitive a lot of tasks can become.

Though it may be thin on the extracurricular activities, Cole Phelps' journey from flatfoot to crime-buster is the interactive equivalent of a good whodunit book. Once it begins, you won't be able to put it down.

A great game becomes a good game due to its length and lack of innovation.

And that is Brink in a nutshell: the potential to traverse the digital battlefield in an entirely new way that affords the player more combat options. Couple this with the well-balanced classes (including the higher-level abilities) and the distinct lack of camping equipment (there's really only one sniper rifle in the game), and this is a different breed of first-person shooter: faster, sexier and made for online play.

Disjointed, numbing, vexing, joyless, and dull, Thor: God of Thunder is the quintessential action movie video game adaptation.

Whilst its hordes of mindless, generic, evil kamikaze AI make for great target practice, there isn't much else on offer if you're a veteran third-person gamer.

Unfortunately, the genuinely entertaining humour, strong cooperative play and a surprisingly great soundtrack of familiar tracks do more to make me wonder about what could have been than push Red River into 'must-buy' territory.

It's great that MotoGP 10/11 adopts a more realistic simulation approach to the game, but I found the handling of the bike frustrating in certain situations.

Portal 2 is a triumph in every sense of the word, a wonderful experience from start to finish and one that you won't soon forget.

By far the best wrestling game I've played in the past few years. The lack of depth in match types and singleplayer mode is unfortunate, but the game is seriously fun and a joy to play. Add in the nostalgia factor with the old school wrestlers, and this game is a must for all WWE fans.

An addictive, not-too-shallow bite of strategic game play for fans of fifteen minute sessions. It could have easily been a DSi game sans 3D, but that 3D screen certainly looks a treat during the action.

Developer Relic also seems to be having a lot more fun with the loot this time around, as players can even equip some of their heroes with rare items that sound ridiculous but in practise turn out to be quite awesome. Like a machine gun that has a chance to call in an artillery strike.