It's pretty easy when it comes down to it. If you're looking for an offline experience, look elsewhere. Battlefield 3 has a decent singleplayer - it's certainly better than some other games I've played recently - but it's not mind-blowing. If it's the best multiplayer game in the world that you're after, get your affairs in order. You're re-enlisting soldier.

It's the best treatment of a comic book character outside of graphic novels ever. It's the best Action Adventure/Open World game ever. It's the best game I've played this year. And finally, it's the best superhero game you've ever played.

Great for those moments when you have time to spare and you can outdo your previous performance. For most it will be just that - a great game to play for a bit, but not particularly addictive. In some however, it will inspire marathon gaming sessions into the early hours of the morning, bettering your scores and those of others.

It's not just a racing game, it's a collecting game as well. The combination works spectacularly well - though I can't help but feel that the game could learn a little from the Formula 1... even small edits to the tracks we've all driven hundreds of times would do wonders.

The threadbare story is filled with pointless motivations, poorly realised characters and bad dialogue - so cross out 'wanting to know what happens at the end'. The way the game challenges you is by simply sending more of the same at you and hoping you run out of ammo. It doesn't have story, it doesn't have gameplay - so why would you keep playing?

Dark Souls won't be for everyone - that is guaranteed - but if it hooks you it won't let go. When you do stop playing - for work, school or to get some plasterboard and caulk for the brand new holes in your wall - you know it will only be a matter of time before you go back.

All over, F1 2011 is a fantastic simulation of the greatest motorsport in the world. It's sacrificed a little more game in favour of a little more sim this year - but the spirit of F1 is there in oodles, and for any F1 fan this year's game is a must buy.

Die-hard fans of the anime can feel free to throw an extra [10 points] onto the final score, but with repetitive cannon fodder enemy types, a nonsensical plot and some of the blandest and most repeated ad nauseum backgrounds I've ever seen in a video game, it's hard to justify going any higher. A little more care could have really made a difference. Pity.

While its cover and suppression systems and tanks are outstanding, there are far too many bugs throughout the single and multiplayer game. While broken animation and even the bizarre leveling bugs can be ignored to an extent, the constant framerate and sound dropping - not to mention outright crashes - make RO2 too frustrating at the moment - and sadly it's only going to get worse as more people get fed up and move on to something else.

Gears of War 3 is the absolute business. It plays extremely well on your own, as part of a co-op experience or if you've got the minerals to jump online and leave your mark.

Apart from being set in the Warhammer 40k universe however, it doesn't really have its own voice - but Relic now have a basis to build on. If you like the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Marine is a must buy - but if you aren't familiar with it you might want to leave Space Marine aside.

A game unlike no other. Every minor failing in gameplay or plot was cancelled out by a graphical marvel or auditory explosion.

Dead Island is ambitious - even ignoring the technical aspects, Techland attempted to make a game which would cater to people who wanted visceral combat and decent enemies, people who wanted an immersive game with dozens of hours of gameplay and people who just wanted somewhere to drive over zombies and blow stuff up. Dead Island accomplishes all of that and while it has some issues, for the most part it does it with style.

Tropico 4 carries similar almost A-grade production values to its predecessors, is thematically identical, is bug-free if not entirely polished visually and it has a raft of new features for you to enjoy - it just struggles to earn that numerical update to its name.

A little more spit and polish could have significantly elevated the title to the ranks of the FPS elite. The old school gameplay was a winner in my book; just don't expect to be wowed by the plot or anything else.

Generic story elements aside however, Xenoblade Chronicles is an outstanding game - without a doubt one of the best JRPGs available on the current generation of consoles. If you are a fan of JRPGs this game belongs on your shelf - here's hoping Nintendo Australia keep bringing such excellent titles to our shores.

The most fun you'll have behind the wheel this year. It feels different from anything you've ever played before and you'll find yourself itching to complete every single task it asks of you. After knocking it out I'm still eager to take it for another spin and you can't give a game a better endorsement than that now, can you?

There's the real sense of consequence to your actions, and it's something we've not seen in games for a long time. The augmentations are diverse and interesting enough to also force you into making some legitimately tough decisions.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet's biggest boon is that tries to do something different, and it does it well. It falters early on with unintuitive tutorial sections - at a time in the game where it needs to be as intuitive as possible - but this forces the player into the deep end, and it's probably not a terrible thing considering how the game plays out.

The most forgettable, bland, fractured game I've played this year which only gets points for some interesting concepts albeit extremely poorly executed. In a year boasting Duke Nukem Forever, that's really saying something.

From Dust needs a mouse, at the very least. It's hard enough to draw with a mouse - but most people can manage it to some extent. Painting mountains on the world with an Xbox Controller is utterly horrible. Worse still, the game suffers from the same sort of problems many RTS games do - scrolling around the game world isn't as intuitive as it should be.

Those that have smashed through their first playthrough can unlock and jump in to Master mode, a significantly harder version with tougher enemies and a mirrored world to mix things up a bit the second time round.

Definitely a must-play game. It delivers some truly great music, a narrative built around your own actions and a huge bang for your buck.

Suffice to say, if you can live with the juvenile humour and mental blank slate which makes up Garcia's education, Shadows of the Damned is an awesome game with great gameplay and graphics and it's a hell of a lot of fun.

No, F.E.A.R. 3 isn't scary - but considering the length of the singleplayer and the strength of the multiplayer, I don't think it really matters.

The co-op and multiple story branches are a compelling reason to go back through the story at least one more time and while the sometimes terrible companion AI make single player incredibly frustrating at times, Dungeon Siege 3 does a great job of balancing action and role playing - making it feel like more than just a mindless clickfest.

They would have been better off just remaking Duke Nukem 3D, as it had some interesting level design at least. If you took Duke Nukem out of Duke Nukem Forever it would have been one of those games you see for sale at discount stores, the kind you didn't know existed and people only buy as a joke.

The addition of UGC, the less angsty - but still serious - storyline and plethora of new abilities make inFAMOUS 2 a much better game than its predecessor.

It's well paced, offers cool vehicle sections to break the routine and still has you wanting more at the end.

Some of the design choices are incredibly confusing and you might not want to play it again for a couple of months, but it does an excellent job of bringing Geralt's world to life.

With slick graphics, a slew of racing modes, challenging courses and a crazy take on multiplayer, DiRT 3 is a remarkably playable title that successfully manages to juggle casual, hardcore and multiplayer modes and gives you a more than solid argument to take them for a test drive.

From the multi-threaded plot down to the variety of suits Cole wears, LA Noire has an unmistakable charisma about it - it's a fantastic game. A few anomalous missteps hold it back from being 'the next big thing', but if it was perfect to begin with they'd have nowhere to grow. As it is now, I really want to see what Team Bondi do next.

The AI makes playing on your own a pain in the arse and the netcode ruins the multiplayer. The story is actually pretty interesting but at the end of the day you don't play these sorts of games for the plot, and Brink doesn't deliver where it should.

The 3rd Birthday is one of the PSP's better games and it's just a shame they had to muck things up with its ridiculous plot and juvenile fan-service.

If you do have friends with the same console who are willing to pick up a copy of the game, it's a no-brainer. In terms of execution, Operation Flashpoint: Red River demolishes all comers - and thanks to a heavy dose of replayability, I'd even recommend it over Portal 2's coop.

The only other gripe - and this was true for Portal as well - is that Portal 2 has zero replayability...It's more Portal, not a better Portal. Regardless, if you're looking for a challenging puzzle game and a great coop experience, Portal 2 is a must buy.

A guilty and brutal pleasure with a rare sense of honour, humour and is perhaps the most quintessential Japanese title you'll ever play.

While Okamiden might not provide a significant challenge, it's still a fantastic game, with an outstanding atmosphere.

Any fan of wrestling - old or new - with friends should pick up All Stars (and a case of Stone Cold's favourite beverage) - though it doesn't have the same strength for those playing alone.

If it's the genre you're after, grab Lara Croft instead, or maybe dig up a copy of Hunter: The Reckoning from last-gen. If you're a die-hard Ghostbusters fan, there's a passable fix to be had here – just don't expect too much.

Game Freak wanted to reel people back in with Pokémon Black, and they have made an outstanding new addition to the series.

Crysis 2 might not be exactly the sequel most people expected after Crysis, but it's definitely an improvement. There's room for more, but the game delivers an absolutely stunning atmosphere - and even if the middle of the game bogs you down the ending will definitely pick you up.

The Multiplayer is fine how it is, the way I see it. As long as it maintains a healthy community of active players, it'll be around for a while.

The Multiplayer is fine how it is, the way I see it. As long as it maintains a healthy community of active players, it'll be around for a while.

One of the most complete sports simulations I've played and by far the best in the series. If you're after the quintessential boxing experience, you've found it.

If you were like me and worried about Dragon Age II, you can relax. It's not quite the same game, but where it's different it is better.

By and large, PixelJunk Shooter 2 is actually a better game than the first. There are more toys, more variety, online play (in theory) and arguably a better use of colour and sound as well. The drawbacks actually arise out of being a massive fan of the PixelJunk games and expecting more.

It goes beyond making you smile to that level of cuteness where your cheek muscles feel sore from the big smile which won't leave your face and you feel a rush of energy like you just had a shot of hard liquor. If you have any interest in platforming games at all, get Kirby's Epic Yarn.

Bulletstorm's best gag is that it'd be light years better if it didn't attempt to have any story at all. The story it does have is so clichéd they could almost credit Home Brand, and a large portion of the humour is written for 14 year olds. The skillshot system, the leash and the core game though - it's a fresh and interesting take on the FPS genre. There's genuinely more fun to be had playing through the Echo mode than there is putting up with the half-baked story in singleplayer.

These minuscule gripes aside, Guerrilla Games has done and outstanding job in crafting, what is easily the best FPS exclusive for the PlayStation 3, and a rollicking ride in it's own right.

Pretty much exactly how I expected it - epileptic, frantic fun. Sure, it has a few balancing issues (Sentinel) and it might be a little too frantic at times, but at its core it's a great fighter for those who don't have the patience to learn SSFIV's endless move lists.

I wouldn't suggest purchasing a DS for Ghost Trick - it isn't a system seller. While it's definitely worth experiencing, it is more a story than a game and while I've reread plenty of my favourite books more than once, some time needs to pass before I can.

As much as I loved powering around Ibiza and Hawaii in a Bugatti or Ferrari, it doesn't make up for the tedium of earning cars through repetitive, samey races against underwhelming (and teleporting) AI, the Z grade voice acting and the half-arsed attempt at injecting story into a game which very literally didn't need it. Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a wreck.

Breach is barely worth the effort, a plodding experience that sucks you dry of your time offering very little long term reward and a minuscule amount of instant gratification.

I started Magicka over from the beginning six times in my attempt to give it the best possible chance I could. In the end though, I can't possibly suggest anyone spend any money on a game released in such a broken state, whether it's ten dollars or ten cents.

The game plays like it was borne of a scientific experiment designed to test the best methods for delivering interactive horror fiction.

An absolute essential addition to your collection if you own a PSP, and is quite possibly the finest title to fit in your pocket to date.

The bottom line is that Raskulls is a devilishly unique, polished game with a flair and charm missing in most. Worthy of a purchase unless your aversion is something fundamental (like not being on Xbox Live). Raskulls is a superbly crafted platformer which should appeal to everyone.

The biggest flaw in Epic Mickey is that it's on the Wii - without having waggle controls and limited camera control forced upon it the game would be nigh on flawless.

It requires a significant investment of time before players will begin to enjoy themselves. It has loading times which are pretty bad at best and unacceptable at worst. Oh and for a lot of the game the only thing you'll be racing is your own PB time.

If you're after the definitive Bond adventure, Blood Stone 007 isn't it, stick to GoldenEye 007 instead.

Series newcomers will be a little confused story wise, but they'll have the benefit of experiencing the game's combat at its highest level; the combat might be a secondary system in the AC series, but at least in Brotherhood it's delivered in a satisfying manner.

It's a solid effort from a veteran of arcade PSN titles, and unless it's a part of some meta joke from Creat Studios about it flying under the radar, it's definitely a title which deserves a little more love than it's received.

The important thing is this: this is a game made not just by a fan of the genre, but by somebody who understands when something is fun... and when it needs to be cut entirely.

And so it is Fallout: New Vegas is both playable and enjoyable. It's variable too - Hardcore mode, playing a super dumb character, ramping up your charisma and speech from the beginning - all of these will result in a vastly different experience when you play the game.

Coming in at about 16-20 hours for under twenty bucks, DeathSpank Thongs of Virtue surpasses its predecessor in every way, and though it does suffer from minor frame-rate issues in the latter sections, it is one of the most rewarding and fun-filled bits of gaming I've had, and I eagerly await the next instalment.

For the people who know what to expect, Dead Rising 2 will be a fantastic zombie slaying experience. It's full of humour, satire and atmosphere and as long as you play by its rules it's also full of fun. Those who go in expecting a free-for-all genocidal rampage will be disappointed - at least they will until they realise what they're supposed to do.

Platformers shouldn't have half-arsed interpretations of physics. They shouldn't have a continue system which is for all intents and purposes simply an inconvenience generator. And they shouldn't have half-thought out continue systems, designed solely to annoy.

Though not perfect, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is one hell of a ride.

The short length of the single player is a little disappointing, as it is a good time.

Stealing God of War 3's slightly adjustable camera and a little more imagination with scene dressing could have eliminated my only gripes with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - the fixed camera and invisible walls. Still, with satisfying combat and great puzzles the journey to the end of Castlevania is absolutely worth it - and the destination is spine-chillingly awesome.

F1 2010 ran the risk of merely being merely a competent racer - fortunately it tried to be something more... and in most cases it succeeded.

Do not buy Blade Kitten. The best case scenario is Krome didn't know what they were doing with this first game but have the experience to make the second one decent. The worst case scenario involves the developers slapping round robin high fives for their excellent work and retexturing it for a 'sequel'.

The lack of progress with the AI continues to be an anchor on the series, but on every other count the game is an outstanding experience, well worth the money.

You can (and should) basically ignore the singleplayer portion of Halo Reach. If you must 'experience' it make friends with a diehard Halo fan, let them deal with the litany of gameplay problems and enjoy the story with their guidance.

The sense of dread washing over you as you crouch in a corner in almost total darkness with your vision swimming, heart pounding and breath comes in short gasps as a humanoid creature with flayed skin instead of a jaw stands just metres away from you is more intense than any other video game has managed and if you even marginally enjoy the horror genre you owe it to yourself to pick it up.

By walking the line between Sim and Arcade, H.A.W.X.2 manages to represent neither and alienate both.

Valkyria Chronicles II is a great game. While it feels a bit more like a spin off than a sequel to the first Valkyria Chronicles story-wise, the gameplay is even better and much more involving.

Some people might lament the nature of an open-world game with so little to do outside of the storyline - they're missing the point. Outside of a lame ending, Mafia 2 is a driven, focused mobster game, well worth the price of entry. If you're a fan of shooting, driving and mobster stories, go and grab Mafia 2.

At just under twenty bucks, Shank is great value for money. The look and score is sex on legs, the gameplay is solid and racking up combos is painfully addictive.

As the multiplayer is the only reason to play Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days and as the multiplayer is almost pointless without a group of people you know aren't idiotic yelping pre-teens, there is no point in purchasing the game - unless you can convince your friends to purchase it as well.

If you aren't familiar with the difficulty of the Castlevania games previous to SotN you will probably see Castlevania HD as nothing but an exercise in frustration. If you want to get into Castlevania you can pick up the excellent Symphony of the Night from the Xbox Live Marketplace - and while it doesn't have multiplayer you're much more likely to have a good time.

StarCraft 2 doesn't really do anything to grow the RTS as an actual game - much of what SC2 does better is in the area of matchmaking and social networking, which betters the player experience. The gameplay is very similar, with most changes existing simply to meet current RTS standards.

What the game doesn't skimp on is the variation in the puzzles - though primarily physics based brain teasers, the game features its fair share of mind-bending timed based and even AI exploiting challenges as well.

An outstanding game for the asking price.

Gameplay-wise there is a hell of a lot to do, with the focus primarily being on the endgame - you can still continue playing after beating the final boss and a lot of side quests even require it.

For a game to go to so much trouble to replicate its predecessor in so many ways it is downright amazing that it should fail so spectacularly. Co-op and competitive multiplayer adds an extra dollop of playtime, but if you've never played the first game you will have a much better time for a lot less money - and if you have played the original you will only end up hating both Crackdown 2 and yourself for wasting your time on this garbage.

Singularity is a game which uses the concept of time travel less as a game mechanic, plot driver or interesting concept and more as a distraction. This philosophy carries across the entire title - graphics, story and puzzles all seem to simply serve as filler to keep your attention between shooting things.

The game has oodles of charm however, so it won't feel like a chore for long - TT Games have done an excellent job melding the fun and cute Lego universe with the Harry Potter universe.

It could have piqued interest and numbed the pain of the incredibly dull gameplay. In the end, Naughty Bear gives you the bear necessities, and very little else.

Fans of Transformers - real fans, the people with the cartoon series and die-cast toys - will probably get a huge kick out of the story behind Transformers. They might even get enough out of it to overlook the insipid level design, borrowed gameplay elements and sloppy AI.

Though its fundamentals are starting to show their age, Earthworm Jim HD was really satisfying to knock out.

The biggest problem with Peace Walker overall, is that it would be an amazing console title. The controls have been well worked out, but they would have been flawless on a DualShock 3 with a second analog stick for camera control. There is so much stuff packed into the game, with the Extra Ops, Mother Base, Monster Hunter Island and all of the other bonuses that it seems a shame to cripple it with the limited hardware of the PSP.

If you can deal with the frustration of the stealth gameplay, and don’t mind RPG elements or the fact you have to play through it at least twice to get true value out of the game, this is a definite buy and if you have the option I would buy it for the PC.

An expertly refined, craftily created fighting game which builds on an already outstanding base to deliver an all-around outstanding experience.

An expertly refined, craftily created fighting game which builds on an already outstanding base to deliver an all-around outstanding experience.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a fantastically refined title, a worthy sequel to its predecessor and a must own Wii game. Gripes about difficulty only exist in the context of the title's own simplistic tutorial system - platformers should be challenging, and so SMG2 does right by gamers on this front.

What Alan Wake is then is an outstanding piece of writing. The replayability will come from your drive to find all the manuscript pages you missed previously - you’ll need to put together each element of the story. You’ll want to just get lost in Alan Wake - and if you decide to pick it up, you’ll find it hard not to.