The worlds have a vibrancy that recalls the original PlayStation games, special effects are suitably dazzling and the whole affair is efficiently produced whilst making the most of the host hardware. It's close to being the sort of Spyro game that, judging by their PS3 Ratchet & Clank adventures, series creators Insomniac would have made had they still an active interest in all things purple dragon, and an appropriate way to mark Spyro's 10th anniversary.

On one hand, MAG is an ambitious experiment that has delivered on many of its promises – it genuinely offers lag-free 256 player online battles with a huge potential for team work. On the other hand, it is a game that struggles to find a sense of purpose beyond this, or a real sense of identity.

There's no denying the core concept remains fun, frantic and often enjoyable, but it feels slight and the game's long ingrained mean streak and occasionally sneering tone only serves to highlight how far the industry has come in the last decade. Peek closely enough under that shiny new coat of paint and you'll soon find evidence of rust.

Takistan is still home to an erratic framerate, temperamental engine and the kind of sloppy AI that remains completely oblivious until you start firing.

RACE Pro is a racing game for racing fans and, to its credit, never tries to be anything else.

Luckily such design oversights are quite rare, but an overall polish doesn’t change the fact that this 10 year old remake is suffering from an identity crisis. If the charm and appeal of Cornet’s world gets its claws into you, you’ll be hooked. If not, you’ll be bored before the end of the third chapter.

It is, however, hard to open-handedly recommend it to everyone: One Piece fans will find far more to like in it than non-fans, and the stylisation can be a divisive visual look.

Being let loose with the Force and given some spectacular scenarios to work with makes for an excellent game in premise, but LucasArts just haven't nailed the basics. Disappointment of the year? Quite possibly.

To conclude, were there even the slightest concessions to moderation in Skullgirls' aesthetics, and a few small but fundamental UI changes, it would be a superb entry-level fighting game which allows a player new to the genre to leap in and through practice become a master. But as it stands, the relentless sexuality on display is ineffective as parody and serves only to reinforce the belief that games are designed for young men who read FHM.

Chocobo's Dungeon does what it does best in one area only, the Mystery Dungeon area, and people unfamiliar to the formula will more than likely struggle to get into things. Having said that, it's the only game of its kind on Wii right now and by giving it a lot of time, Mystery Dungeon fans will get a lot out of it - given they don't mind the cruddy presentation.

What Afro Samurai has in visual style, it lacks in design finesse.

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.

The same flaws that have always plagued the game still persist, yet Exit is just too charming to be mad at. Its more fiendish levels are brilliant, and the visuals and general uniqueness produce a game that is simply enormously likable.

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.

And this is a shame; Fragile Dreams has the potential to be a classic survival horror, but instead its merely a slightly flawed, quirky, original and triumphantly Japanese addition to the genre.

It’s by no means a bad game, in parts it’s still devastatingly delightful and for 800MSP you could do far worse, but if you haven’t been on board before just don’t expect any fireworks.

Don't buy unless you have Pokémon Black 2 or White 2, but if you do, it's a great addition to your arsenal.

Misfires and all, it’s at least commendable that Dead Space 3 makes an effort to exhibit some fresh experimentation into what has become a truly bloated media franchise; plus the combat still shines for the most part. Sadly though, better elements like the crafting system are lamentably set against a mundane and lifeless backdrop that rarely excites, let alone spooks, on the grand level of previous games in the series.

From the moment you set sail aboard Buccaneer you get the immediate sense of quality thanks to a deliciously crafted gameworld, where beautifully sculpted islands nestle amongst the oceans, themselves as visually impressive as anything else you'll likely find in any big-budget equivalent.

This isn't a criminal case of shovelware, but we can't give it a full stamp of approval either… and so whether it's worth investigating depends greatly on how much you enjoy playing portable detective.

As a full-priced title, we simply can't recommend WWE All Stars at this point in time, though anyone that wants to throw caution to the wind and revel in the undeniable appeal of WWE's past and present colliding will still find plenty to justify their decision.

I can't recommend it enough if you can understand how unwieldy controls can actually make a racing game better. Otherwise, I suggest you stay away from Nail'd entirely, as its unintentional tendencies towards being completely off-the-wall will do nothing to appease your simulation sensibilities.

A flawed, yet incredibly enjoyable, history lesson.

While Rearmed 2 may be misguided in trampling across its legacy in certain areas, it also makes successful winks to its heritage as well as – most importantly – providing a fun, robust experience.

While Rearmed 2 may be misguided in trampling across its legacy in certain areas, it also makes successful winks to its heritage as well as – most importantly – providing a fun, robust experience.

But, whilst its flaws bring it down, the game always remains charming, consistently throwing friendly, lovable moments in your direction.

As far as sandbox games go, it is pretty rudimentary, with an incredibly limited range of mission types. If, however, you slip on Spider-Man's famous skin-tight costume expecting little more than a high-camp, sandbox beat 'em up, you will not be disappointed.

So while it’s hard to fault the efficiency of Visceral’s final product – all carping aside, the controversial license has at least been handled with a certain care given that this is a videogame and not an academic study – Dante’s Inferno is too familiar, too regressive and too content to do the necessary minimum to recommend wholeheartedly