Blood on the Sand has been developed to plough straight down the middle and appeal to the largest possible demographic; it's a jack of all trades, and master of none. It's not as bad as his previous game, disastrously melodramatic movie attempt or second album. It is, however, entirely standard.

Despite its issues, Crush 3D offers a slickly presented, quirky and idiosyncratic experience that delivers spatial puzzles that will definitely stretch your grey matter. Unfortunately, it can also test your patience as much as your lateral thinking, a factor that isn't helped by an annoyingly up-beat soundtrack. So, while Crush 3D's mechanics are wonderfully illusionary, its biggest trick may be in hiding such an exacting and demanding puzzler underneath the breezy, happy-go-lucky presentation.

Even when it's at its most curiously punishing, Swarm is dexterous enough to reward those who put the time into learning its methods and also satisfies with the type of cartoon violence that makes for a very endearing and well-made game on the whole.

The most damning aspect of Gotham City Impostors is that the tutorials and the NPCs stand out as the main highlight, which for a multiplayer focused title is a considerable problem. Add to this the slightly whorish way in which DLC is pushed to the fore, and you have a game that sadly lives up to its title; in other words…it feels like something of an imposter.

At 800 Microsoft Points, some might turn their nose up at this Kinect-enabled version of the mobile favourite, but Fruit Ninja Kinect genuinely doesn't deserve such quick dismissal.

Yet despite this, and despite it being a blast to play, we can't help but feel that Crackdown 2 doesn't quite achieve the greatness that fans of the original were no doubt hoping for.

Homecoming is an assured and welcome entry into the series that will be appreciated by fans of survival horror, though to gamers unfamiliar with the ways of Silent Hill, it may come across as slightly anachronistic in the face of such efficiently tooled thrill-rides as Dead Space.

Despite all of the criticisms, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation isn't a complete disaster and if a portable slice of Assassin's Creed is what you a looking for then there is some enjoyment to be had. Even so, it remains a huge missed opportunity with its attempts to expand the horizons of the series nearly all fizzling out, not through any conceptual problems but through lacklustre and often glitchy delivery.

Minor technical quibbles aside, it’s all at once charming, engaging, innovative, interesting and humorous and perfectly pitched at its target audience (namely kids and adults with kids!), not to mention reasonably priced.

All this adds up to a game that feels somehow stuck between being a full blown new Ratchet and Clank title, and a smaller co-operatively focused side story, and as such it doesn't quite satisfy as either.

As it stands, it ably showcases the potential of motion controls and takes you on an enjoyable ride, but it's a ride that ends all too soon and that doesn't give you much reason to go around a second time.

The Legend of Kage 2 pays homage to its 22 year old father extremely well, with a traditional feel that should really excite fans of the side-scrolling genre.

Fun, challenging and frustrating in just the right measures, the collection highlights the respect Sonic holds as an old-school entity, even though the years that followed spelt disaster and led to his dethroning as a modern icon.

Flawed and silly, but also ambitious and heartfelt, this is a game with a clear vision, like it or not, that follows through with utter conviction to the end.

Ultimately, whether or not Red Sun Rising succeeds or fails is a question of how much the player is enticed by either its historical setting or relatively niche genre. Awkward controls and a thunderous difficulty may threaten to spoil what is a WiiWare title of unrivalled depth and value, yet if you're ready to battle unforgiving AI, you'll find plenty of bang for your buck.

Metal Slug 7 is what it is; a resolutely old school, unashamedly non-progressive and brutally tough side-scrolling shooter and, in many respects, SNK should be applauded for bringing an authentic Metal Slug experience to the DS.

Ultimately, H.A.W.X. 2 is a must for Tom Clancy and flight-sim fans.

Altogether more successful than other recent Xbox 360 forays into the lifestyle gamer territory (You’re In The Movies anyone?), Lips excels because it feels like there is a clear vision underpinning the franchise, one that has gone from the first idea to the final design with a cohesion lacking in the actual tracklisting.

It is bound to have its critics then, but when you get to see Darkstalkers’ Morrigan fighting alongside Ghost and Goblin’s Arthur and a grandfather-clock, salt and pepper-shaker tossing Dynamite Cop, it’s almost impossible to stop yourself falling just a little bit in love with the whole affair.

For all the added modes and interaction, simply strapping yourself into the seat of a Bugatti Veyron and unleashing power on the asphalt roads to no pre-destined destination is what makes Unlimited 2 memorable.

Section 8 isn’t very good. It’s bland, generic, lacking in original ideas, poorly executed in nearly every department and you’ll probably grow bored of it within the few essential hours it takes to complete the awful single player campaign.

Overall, Danger Alliance offers a good looking, well produced and accessible turn-based strategy experience that can be recommended if you're looking for a light-hearted strategy-based distraction.

As it stands, Griptonite offer fun, but disposable thrills which amount to a title tough to recommend outside of series completists. On the other hand, if Ezio the Hedgehog speed-running and stealth are what you need, this might yet become a worthwhile discovery.

The five sports are well executed and there's plenty to keep you playing – from the core events, challenges, online scoreboards and multiplayer. In many ways it feels indicative of motion-controls reaching a maturity of sorts; sure, the carefree magic of its youth may be fading, but it still delivers a polished and satisfying, if slightly uninspiring selection of sporting goodness.

It is frequently nail-biting but falls short of being consistently engrossing, but Codemasters have stayed true to their ethos of simulation – at the cost of spectacle – which is worth examining if you tire of being an one man army.

As a pitch, EDF2025 sounds like buckets of fun. But once the novelty inherent to the concept wears off, EDF2025 is boring, and it long outstays its welcome.

Even when it's at its most curiously punishing, Swarm is dexterous enough to reward those who put the time into learning its methods and also satisfies with the type of cartoon violence that makes for a very endearing and well-made game on the whole.

If Croteam had added in some extra content or thrown in The Second Encounter it would be an essential purchase, but instead it ends up as something I’d only recommend if you’ve got cash to spare.