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

It doesn't have a lot of replayability in the traditional sense, but Prototype is worth a purchase because at the end of the day, when you've finished the main mission and you unlock New Game + there is nothing more satisfying than coming home, switching it on and punching a dozen people in half.

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.

It's not a particularly great rhythm game, nor is it really a Final Fantasy one, but for some reason the two work together well.

An extremely fun action experience that is sure to induce Tourette's to the most levelheaded gamers. It's a blast for the most part, but on occasion it defies explanation by breaking its own conventions and using shoddy camera angles and unresponsive controls to artificially increase difficulty.

Very average in most respects - everything it does right has some element which drags it straight back down. The one thing which makes the game amazing is the attention to detail given to the characters, story and the world they live in.

As a huge fan of both Dead Space 1 and 2 I thought this would be a massive disappointment, but Dead Space 3 successfully illustrates that it's tension I crave from these sorts of games, not fear. Because Dead Space 3 anchors its tension in the challenge the game presents, the player is able to customise how tense an experience they have through the difficulty settings (and it gets pretty bloody difficult). This is a good thing, and both Dead Space fans and sci-fi fans will get a lot out of this sci-fi shooter.

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.

If you've never played a game in the genre before, Ace Attorney Investigations is a great place to start - you'll miss out on the back story and character development, but the relative ease compared to the Phoenix Wright games makes it an excellent starting point, and a great addition to the series.

Nintendo Land oozes with familiarity and might even alert some of the most ardent players to gems they may have missed. With that in mind I have a number of Pikmin games to acquire and devour.

SoulCalibur V closely resembles the Modern Warfare of fighting games with an instantly forgettable story line in its single player campaign paling before a more robust multiplayer and online component. Ignore the story mode and delve deeper into the arcade, character creation and versus modes for the best experience. It's not even close to the finest incarnation of the series but it looks quite pretty and is still reasonably solid.

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.

HOI3 has a steep learning curve and it will be a struggle at first, but once you've got it all under control you can have some serious fun.

With almost every aspect of the game improved and streamlined, one disappointing thing - and something that seriously limits the game's potential - is the lack of a good ladder & match-making system right out of the box.

The single-player alone doesn't make Shank 2 a must buy, but if you enjoy horde modes with a spicy Mexican twist then Shank 2 is an unbelievably fun addition to your party game collection.

Fans of the Lego Star Wars games, fans of Indiana Jones and gamers looking for a fun distraction even the younger ones can get into will enjoy Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

If the shift powers had been less drip-fed, the puzzles more open to experimentation, the dimensions less generic and the general conceit more fully realised, Quantum Conundrum may well have blown us away as much as Portal did.

EndWar is probably the best attempt at a RTS on consoles, while it’s far from perfect Ubisoft has managed to find a way to allow you to command an army in short but explosive battles - which should suit most console owners. Even though the single-player is best left untouched and the graphics are not up to par with other new release titles like GOW 2, there’s still a lot of fun to be had here with EndWar if you’re a fan of online gaming.

If you're after a story-driven action horror title, grab Metro 2033. The AI quirks don't detract from the outstanding graphics and the overlapping voice-acting only slightly degrades the overall atmosphere.

The more I played it the less I wanted to as the story got sillier and the horror theme phased in and out. I wouldn't recommend F.E.A.R. 2 to anyone except the ultra hardcore fans of Monolith Productions - even then you'd be better off playing Condemned 2.

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.

Crysis 3 almost knocks it out of the ballpark on so many levels. The controls and visuals are certainly spot on, but the level design and pacing both have sporadic moments that let it, and you, down.

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.

The Line lacks a strong direction. There's a very powerful hint of an outstanding game sitting beneath what is ultimately a flawed experience. I can imagine it being easier to play on PC - not something you'd typically say about a third person shooter - and yet I can't see that making up for all of its faults.

The game has two main targets in sight – people who like hardcore, realistic tactical shooters and people who like World War II. While the latter group will get more out of the game than the former, there’s still enough intelligent design, still enough realism to appeal to both equally.

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.

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.

Roaming around a vast countryside in Dragon's Dogma is the sort of adventuring experience I imagined playing Dungeons & Dragons growing up. It's about hunting down great monsters, about charting areas on your own and about remembering what it's like to be afraid of the dark - and then conquering that fear.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

It's a story-heavy sequel to a game with a pretty forgettable story and the story it has is almost laughably bad. It abandons the concept of being a supervillain, but never burdens you with the responsibility of being a good guy and ultimately, it brings almost nothing new to the franchise.

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.

Our problem is where Polyphony Digital has focused their content here. 800 cars and 35+ tracks(which can be played in reverse) is super generous and no small feat to cram into a PSP. We'd trade half of them for a career mode – even if it was a cut-down version of past GT games – so we'd feel like picking the game up for a quick race was actually progressing something more than our track and car count.

I'd recommend Tokyo Jungle to anyone looking for an utterly unique take on the post-apocalyptic theme. It's the sort of game that can get overwhelming if you play it all in one weekend, but if you jump into it every now and then you'll find yourself repeatedly enamoured with the world.

The gameplay itself is great, and a lot of fun, and I can see myself bringing it out to play when friends who have the game are over, and we'll have a ball with it, but the other areas just feel a bit lacking - online in particular.

Those of you expecting a return to the Prince's former glory may be disappointed, though this is definitely a step in the right direction.

It may be strange to say, but part of me wants to live in the Shanghai portrayed in Army of Two: The 40th Day. Not the world crumbling around you part, or the millions of civilians dying part either, more so the absolute black or white dividing line between good and evil, without even the slightest shade of gray.

The whole title is actually engaging and fun to play. I genuinely enjoyed playing it despite it's shortcomings, and I find myself going back to it when I have free time. Players who want to cavort about a highly stylised Paris with a shell of a character will definitely enjoy The Saboteur - those who want substance in their period games might be better off considering 15th century Italy.

Multiplayer races do capture a bit of that spirit, but the Single Player gameplay is more exploratory in nature - and the true heart of LBP Karting lies in its creation mode. Making tracks and playing them with friends and checking out the awe-inspiring work of others is what LittleBigPlanet has always been about - and LittleBigPlanet Karting is no different.

As commendable as it is that 5th Cell have made a game that will likely encourage children to think outside the box, experiment with words, and unleash their imaginations on the screen, for those of us who have grown up and have been cultivating our love affair with words for years now, it's the most boring Scribblenauts entry ever.

The best reason to buy this is if you don't think you can hold out until God of War 3 - the other reason is if you're a huge fan of the character. You'll find that this is ultimately the definitive version of the Xmen Origins story.

The game doesn't have the depth to keep the average gamer interested, especially not for a second round - even with the branching storyline.

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

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.

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.

The accomplished combat and surprisingly decent adaptation of the story make Dante's Inferno a fine diversion while you wait for the next button-masher... One based in a different set of mythology.

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.

A must play game. It’s not a story-driven masterpiece experience like "Grand Theft Auto IV," but it is genuinely fun.

One of the biggest early appeals of Mortal Kombat was the forbidden factor, personified by that curtain that appeared around some of the earlier arcade cabinets to shield kiddies from the evisceration. In its quest for broader appeal, that element of MK is now dead and gone.

The clichéd characters, the abysmal voice acting and the repetitive, unrewarding gameplay all reinforce this idea that you are playing a video game - a poorly written, poorly made one at that.

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

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.

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.

Regardless of my feelings for The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie, its levels were longer, set in interesting scenes, and did what the Lego games have been doing from the start - paying excellent tribute to one of my biggest heroes.

At a time when Japanese developers seem to moving to more readily embrace "Westernised" gaming values, kudos to CyberConnect2 for sticking to its guns and providing a gaming experience quite unlike anything I've ever played before and one I look forward to revisiting in twenty minute blocks time and time again.

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.

The co-operative features are silky smooth with great voice chat and not a hint of lag and the inclusion of Daily Challenges keeps the content fresh and constantly evolving. It may not be perfect, but goddamn it's a hell of a lot of fun.

Nan Assault Neo successfully blends the biological with the mechanical into a twin stick shooter that just feels right.

If you're under 14, or some unfortunate pituitary disorder has rendered your hands miniscule, you can't really go wrong with Guitar Hero: On Tour. Just make sure that when you're touring, it's somewhere devoid of other people and their pitiless, judging eyes.

When I finished TBC I found myself somewhat surprised. I completed a fight with a particularly nasty assassin when all of a sudden I received a heap of achievements. I waited for the cut-scene to play before checking them out, but by the end of the video I knew what they were.

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.

All the licensing in the world can't help you if the core gameplay is faulty, and in the case of Grand Slam Tennis 2 it just keeps serving double faults. The more you play it the less you find to like about it until eventually you just wish you hadn't started at all.

The story is engrossing and playing around with The Force powers is a treat.

This departure from the franchise is an invigorating reboot that should satisfy both racing enthusiasts and action junkies alike while the decidedly robust track creation system should have the community upping the ante for months to come. Frag, destroy, create and decimate - it's all on the cards in Ridge Racer Unbounded.

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

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.

The entire experience, virtually across the board, screamed of cool ideas and massive potential but Ubisoft may have bitten off more than it could chew. The final product was equal parts sloppy and magnificent. For every moment I set the Vita down to applaud there were similar moments the air turned blue as I cursed in frustration.

One hell of a surprise. I thought I'd have fun playing it, but didn't think it would be this much fun. If you're looking for something a little lighter during this bumper release schedule and dig some fast paced intergalactic action, Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One has you covered.

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.

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.

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.

Virtua Tennis 2009 isn't a bad game - it's more fun than most sports games with three other people at hand - but it certainly isn't a good game. Go and get Virtua Tennis 3 or Top Spin 3 if you desperately need a tennis game on your Xbox 360 though - they're both better.

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.

Overall, excluding the jumping puzzles, there isn't anything particularly bad about WET. It's a fun shooter, it's clearly designed for adults, and it gives you a lot of options for looking cool while mercilessly slaughtering hundreds of people.

In a world where First Person Shooters come free with pizza (Pizza Hut gave away the Battlefield series for a while for those of you leading a healthier lifestyle than me.) The Conduit really doesn't stand out in the crowd. If anything; other, better games are sitting on its shoulders.

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.

I can't even begin to describe how much I tried to like this game...Unfortunately the execution was so unresponsive and flawed it destroyed any immersion or emotion the experience could have potentially delivered and that is a crying shame.

The Amazing Spider-Man isn't a bad game outside of its ridiculous story - it's just pointless. It's very nice looking and it is very cathartic to swing about the streets of Manhattan, but without a good reason to do it, you might as well not bother.

Perhaps the largest compliment we can bestow is that it feels very old school, like a spiritual remake of Silent Hill rather than a bold new statement.

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.

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

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.

There is some dark-ish humour but it never goes far enough and borders on embarrassingly bad in most places. Those attuned to adventure titles will feel their puzzle sensibilities tickled but definitely not itched.

If it weren't for the QTEs during cut-scenes I'd say it was nothing special but nothing brutally terrible and probably worth it if you desperately wanted something like Ninja Gaiden to play.

The environments and the reasonably compelling flashback atmosphere lend what would otherwise be a pretty poor game a glimmer of hope.

The game might look decent enough, but the overly scripted racing and under scripted plot fail to engage the player or give the feeling of a white knuckle battle to reach the finishing line. You end up barely caring about Jack's plight and when it comes to the gameplay... Lets just say if you're a fan of the franchise stick to Hot Pursuit, it's where Need For Speed shines - The Run on the other hand just crashes and burns. Repeatedly.

For an engine company, Unigine has displayed some solid design with Oil Rush. It plays just as good as it looks, and offers a less micro-intensive strategy alternative. At its heart, it's all about unit distribution, and gathering that critical mass of firepower to shift the momentum in your favour.

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.

Resident Evil 6 is as confused and destitute as its zombies, left adrift without any true direction, an action game stuck over the top of a survival horror engine.

Since we’re stuck with an unrefined and choppy experience, it’s better to dust off some classics and remind yourself what makes this genre so special. After that, give Square Enix a call and let them know.

The weirdest thing about this game - I've never had so many gripes and still found myself so incredibly addicted. I played the game all the way through - around 25 hours - in two sittings.

Quantum of Solace directly suffers at the hands of a strict movie release schedule - with more time the game could have been the Goldeneye replacement everyone has been dreaming of.

If you've ever wanted to get into a non-combat flight simulator but thought it sounded too difficult or esoteric, Flight is one to try out. After all - the price is right, and flying planes is so much darn fun!

SimCity made me connect with the Sims in my world more than any Sims game ever could - and then it made me wilfully hurt them to further my own agenda. It simultaneously made me uncomfortable with my actions and impelled to win at the same time. That's an odd feeling to get out of a game where you can deliberately unleash a giant fire breathing lizard on an unsuspecting populace.