Guerrilla has generally lived up to the crazy amount of hype surrounding the development of the game, and in the end, has offered us a very competent First-Person Shooter, with confident execution on all fronts.

The best part of this adventure is the characters, with Ceville, Ambrosius, the undead pirate and the lisping demon all possessing the potential for further development. I would welcome them back in a slightly more humourus and random comedic sequel.

The biggest chunk of praise needs to go to Swordfish, though, who have managed to take what – on paper, at least – is an awful idea and turn it into a decent shooter, even in a very crowded market.

The biggest chunk of praise needs to go to Swordfish, though, who have managed to take what – on paper, at least – is an awful idea and turn it into a decent shooter, even in a very crowded market.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope brings appealing sci-fi imagery to the Xbox 360 catalogue of RPGs. It’s not the best JRPG on the system, but what it does is give players a game with an addictive battle system.

An absolute rotting putrid corpse of a videogame.

The only real “achievement” of EndWar is its voice command system.

Anybody actually paying attention to the narrative will appreciate the gasp-inducing ending, and anybody under twelve will appreciate the abundance of inappropriate costumes that come included. For everyone else it’s a good, if not quite great platformer, that complements the main game while not exactly revolutionising it.

I will say that I have spent enough time on this game to encompass my two playthroughs of Mass Effect, or both of the Knights of the Old Republic titles. And I can honestly say that, in comparison, I didn’t enjoy one minute of it. Good-day.

Blue Dragon Plus is not a bad game. Despite its failings, it manages to be a perfectly competent RPG, but it does nothing to excite the imagination or stimulate the player. If it were a colour, it would be beige.

A grand achievement that gives the player a new take on how conventional RTS games play.

Street Fighter IV is not just a top notch next-gen version of Street Fighter, it is in essence what Capcom always wanted the Street Fighter franchise to be.

Street Fighter IV is not just a top notch next-gen version of Street Fighter, it is in essence what Capcom always wanted the Street Fighter franchise to be.

Guaranteed however, is a game that will now act as the benchmark for downloadable content, an engrossing and emotional supplement that augments the original in every way possible, essential for any GTA fan, and a damned good investment for anyone else.

I honestly did not really mind that the game closed without fully explaining itself; the problem was that as the credits rolled my mind harked back to earlier points in the game, trying to give those supposedly standout moments a second thought, and realising none of them really stood out firmly in my mind.

I honestly did not really mind that the game closed without fully explaining itself; the problem was that as the credits rolled my mind harked back to earlier points in the game, trying to give those supposedly standout moments a second thought, and realising none of them really stood out firmly in my mind.

I honestly did not really mind that the game closed without fully explaining itself; the problem was that as the credits rolled my mind harked back to earlier points in the game, trying to give those supposedly standout moments a second thought, and realising none of them really stood out firmly in my mind.

And while there are plenty of popular titles that could have been added to the collection, including Earthworm Jim, Gunstar Heroes, Splatterhouse 2 and 3, and perhaps a few games from the SEGA CD and Saturn consoles, there is still more than enough bang for your buck here. It may not be the ultimate collection fans wanted, but it’s still a jam packed look into a time when the Genesis does what Nintendon’t.

And while there are plenty of popular titles that could have been added to the collection, including Earthworm Jim, Gunstar Heroes, Splatterhouse 2 and 3, and perhaps a few games from the SEGA CD and Saturn consoles, there is still more than enough bang for your buck here. It may not be the ultimate collection fans wanted, but it’s still a jam packed look into a time when the Genesis does what Nintendon’t.

Double the score if you have a totally puerile sense of humour.

Great character models, professional voice acting and initially enjoyable combat can’t make up for the other graphical and design mistakes.

Some gamers might enjoy this for what it is: a simple hack and slash game, with some annoying design flaws, and frustrating boss fights that will test your patience.

Some gamers might enjoy this for what it is: a simple hack and slash game, with some annoying design flaws, and frustrating boss fights that will test your patience.

R-Type Dimensions is a worthy attempt in catering to series fans, shooter fans, and retro fans at the same time. It’s easy to get into, but quite hard to master.

It has taken a while to arrive, but Football Manager Live has delivered not only an excellent online management experience, but an excellent online FOOTBALL MANAGER experience, remaining loyal to previous games while catering for the massively multiplayer market, which as anyone who has ever lost a job/wife/life to them will agree with, is a very, very good thing indeed.

It is one of the most perfect examples of bite-sized gaming, giving you a pleasant feeling of accomplishment even if you were just looking to kill time for 5 minutes.

What EA Black Box have achieved is near enough the ultimate lazy Sunday afternoon with your friends and a bunch of skateboards.

What EA Black Box have achieved is near enough the ultimate lazy Sunday afternoon with your friends and a bunch of skateboards.

Whether it’s the cute aliens, the bright and impressive visuals, or the moments of humour, it’s hard to criticise the game too much.

How the developer of Star Wars: Battlefront and the publishers of the Battlefield series let this one out the door in this state I will never understand.

How the developer of Star Wars: Battlefront and the publishers of the Battlefield series let this one out the door in this state I will never understand.

Persona 4 is the Playstation 2’s new king of JRPGs and is awesome sending off for the system. Every single man, woman and child who has any interest in the story or has even the tiniest interest in the RPG genre has to check it out.

Very much a ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ game. At best it’s an entertaining and strangely compelling shooter with simple but fun gameplay. At worst it’s repetitive and fiddly with no real draw.

It’s excellent to see an action platformer on the Wii that is an original concept, and doesn’t fall prey to many of the routine mistakes of the innumerable other shoddy efforts that have been pushed out onto store shelves. However, I fear that Mushroom Men will fail to find its target audience and be overlooked, as the fact that it failed to make it into the Wii’s top 40 games in its first two weeks on sale appears to prove.

Harking back to Elika for a second, I have to admit she is a fantastic addition to the series, and as gimmicks go she is significantly better than The Sands of Time.

Harking back to Elika for a second, I have to admit she is a fantastic addition to the series, and as gimmicks go she is significantly better than The Sands of Time.

On the whole, the game is still full of fantastic little touches that you can’t help but love, all presented and executed in a simply timeless fashion. You can’t ask much more than that.

Of course, it won’t make cooking any more entertaining if you already find it a bit of a chore, but if you just want to be entertained you could also sit back a look at Gordon Ramsey curse his way through an episode of The F Word.

I still don’t understand how Lara can use her guns underwater or why she insists on kicking priceless vase’s, but niggles aside Tomb Raider Underworld is actually pretty fun in places. It’s just a shame that this so called update was is so horrendously out of date in comparison to something like Uncharted which trounces Underworld at every turn.

I still don’t understand how Lara can use her guns underwater or why she insists on kicking priceless vase’s, but niggles aside Tomb Raider Underworld is actually pretty fun in places. It’s just a shame that this so called update was is so horrendously out of date in comparison to something like Uncharted which trounces Underworld at every turn.

Lips disappoints by lacking in features in almost every area, and although the microphones set a new standard for future singing games to strive towards, the functionality is often worse than games nearly half-a-decade old.

A highly playable version of Metal Slug on the DS, and regardless of the steps back to suit the hardware, the end result is not all that bad. You can’t help but wish for more, although for any game to be truly special on its eight iteration is a very big ask.

Football Manager 09 is the most complete football experience you’re likely to find for a good while, at least until 2010 comes out.

Every aspect of Left 4 Dead has been refined and tweaked to perfection. It’s addictive and atmospheric, and it contains undoubtedly the best co-op gameplay we’ve seen yet.

Every aspect of Left 4 Dead has been refined and tweaked to perfection. It’s addictive and atmospheric, and it contains undoubtedly the best co-op gameplay we’ve seen yet.

A steeping stone for the series, one that offers hope that EA can achieve better things in the future.

A steeping stone for the series, one that offers hope that EA can achieve better things in the future.

Compared to expansions for other games I would say that WotLK has a lot more content and this content is of a consistently high quality.

For the people on the lookout for a new RPG to play and especially the ones who are awaiting Blizzard’s Diablo 3, Sacred 2 might just pass the time for you. It won’t replace your Diablo 3 thirst, but it will give you something to play in the meantime.

It’s safe to say that despite its short (and irritating) story mode, repetitive gameplay and terrible indoor sections, Mirror’s Edge is a real kick up the collective arse for the first person genre.

It’s safe to say that despite its short (and irritating) story mode, repetitive gameplay and terrible indoor sections, Mirror’s Edge is a real kick up the collective arse for the first person genre.

There is a warning for fans though, when you play it, make sure you’ve got some happy pills with you, just to be on the safe side.

Like Jurassic Park, Rare have revived a long extinct franchise, taking the DNA of the originals but mixing in new elements. Unlike Jurassic Park, however, N&B doesn’t end with everyone getting eaten by the revived bear and his bird sidekick.

In contrast to last year’s effort, none of the game’s high points are as memorable, and in addition, quite few gunfights start to border on routine as you get further into the game. For that reason, combined with the selection of other erratic blemishes named above, World at War is a notably less appealing game.

In contrast to last year’s effort, none of the game’s high points are as memorable, and in addition, quite few gunfights start to border on routine as you get further into the game. For that reason, combined with the selection of other erratic blemishes named above, World at War is a notably less appealing game.

Gears of War 2 is almost the epitome of a videogame sequel. It offers essentially the same gameplay experience as before, and yet at the same time it has been improved and expanded in almost every aspect.

The only real “achievement” of EndWar is its voice command system.

The only real “achievement” of EndWar is its voice command system.

The Minotaur says with his sad cow eyes glistening “Don’t worry guys, everything will be alright”, but the Minotaur knows it’s not going to be alright… it’s not going to be alright at all.

The Minotaur says with his sad cow eyes glistening “Don’t worry guys, everything will be alright”, but the Minotaur knows it’s not going to be alright… it’s not going to be alright at all.

Valkyria Chronicles is a game that deserves to be played by everyone. It’s so innovative, fresh and blends different features of other genres so well that you’d think Sega WOW had already done this before.

As with most movie licence titles, QoS is an average experience, plagued by problems, that will undoubtedly sell well due to the advertising campaign and corresponding blockbuster.

History will best remember Red Alert 3 as being a good multiplayer RTS. At worst it’s an embarrassing parody of the 1996 classic. For a game whose ancestor was the original Red Alert, many will feel underwhelmed by the overall package, but you can’t argue against the well-proven mutliplayer gameplay.

It’s a game that provides action, adventure, exploration, interaction and excitement in a beautifully realised Armageddon that provides so many unexpected moments, but somehow manages to remain consistent and believable.

It's a game that provides action, adventure, exploration, interaction and excitement in a beautifully realised Armageddon that provides so many unexpected moments, but somehow manages to remain consistent and believable.

Regardless of the sometimes-weak combat, this is role-playing at its finest.

It’s not going make your mind EXPLODE, but it’s a really nice little game with plenty of charm and a clarity of design that you rarely see these days - especially on the DS, stuffed full of shovelware as it is.

The developers should be applauded for creating a profoundly personal work that still overtly appealing to the audience at large. But even though it is not the best platformer out there, the game can quite easily be classed as something entirely original for the genre, casting off a brand new tangent filled with wondrous sights and provocative ideas that are enchantingly imaginative and creative enough to be considered truly exceptional.

Tornado is a title that started with a solid base of fun gameplay mechanics and interesting level design and then buried it under a mound of inexplicably terrible design faults that seem like they were created to generate annoyance.

Shortcomings aside, for a game that everyone thinks of as a shameless copy of Rock Band, Guitar Hero: World Tour has come off extremely well, and throws in more than enough good ideas of its own (and some slightly rubbish ones, admittedly) to make itself a worthy contender to the rhythm-action throne.

Shortcomings aside, for a game that everyone thinks of as a shameless copy of Rock Band, Guitar Hero: World Tour has come off extremely well, and throws in more than enough good ideas of its own (and some slightly rubbish ones, admittedly) to make itself a worthy contender to the rhythm-action throne.

Fable 2 would be a superbly accessible entry-point into action RPG’s for any casual gamer, but more experienced players may feel let down by the concessions to simplicity that have been made.

It falters in just enough places to make you think before you hand over your money.

It falters in just enough places to make you think before you hand over your money.

It falters in just enough places to make you think before you hand over your money.

Ultimately, Wii Music is the equivalent of Leonardo da Vinci saying he’ll paint the Mona Lisa for you, but then deciding to challenge himself by using a Etch A Sketch. Yes, I am sure the clever old codger could work out something, but you’re sure as hell not going to take a vacation to Paris to view the end result.

The game is not criminally poor, and nowhere near as painful as having red hot needles shoved into your eyes, but at times you get an insidious feeling that those involved put as little effort as possible into delivering the final product.

This is a worthy sequel with a look and feel that are more polished than last year’s effort.

The sheer amount of things to do is a key factor that prevents it falling into the trap of the same old routines other space games have fallen into. X3 is deep, complex, insanely huge, annoyingly but yet rewarding.

Saints Row 2 is a huge improvement over its prequel in every manner, and has successfully carved its own niche in the sandbox crime genre. The co-operative play is almost certainly one of the best such experiences available on consoles, and the sheer variety of things to do in Stilwater is so deliciously satisfying that the technical hitches can be overlooked. It’s so fun, it’s almost criminal.

Saints Row 2 is a huge improvement over its prequel in every manner, and has successfully carved its own niche in the sandbox crime genre. The co-operative play is almost certainly one of the best such experiences available on consoles, and the sheer variety of things to do in Stilwater is so deliciously satisfying that the technical hitches can be overlooked. It’s so fun, it’s almost criminal.

Immersion is one of Dead Space’s top specialities and the sound follows suit. Exploring the Ishimura is a pleasure to the ears in a sort of freaky way.

Immersion is one of Dead Space’s top specialities and the sound follows suit. Exploring the Ishimura is a pleasure to the ears in a sort of freaky way.

This game isn’t fantastic, but certainly will hold your attention for a while, through a mixture of compulsive gameplay, and energetic atmosphere brought on by the games fantastically manic tunes. You can’t go far wrong if you fancy a multiplayer game.

FIFA is the new home of the hardcore football gamer.

FIFA is the new home of the hardcore football gamer.

World of Goo falls into a special category that only a select few games fall into. Do you remember when you first got your hands on Super Mario 64, the excitement that oozed out of you when you picked up the pad and controlled Mario around in 3D for the first time? Or when you were pulling out the Master Sword from its stone placement in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time? These were special moments in a gamer’s life and playing World of Goo deserves to be placed alongside such events.

Still, if I had to name the thing I personally love the most about Cubello, it’d be the fact that it actually got me using my Wii again on a regular basis, after I’d previously lost all interest in it.

World of Goo falls into a special category that only a select few games fall into. Do you remember when you first got your hands on Super Mario 64, the excitement that oozed out of you when you picked up the pad and controlled Mario around in 3D for the first time? Or when you were pulling out the Master Sword from its stone placement in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time? These were special moments in a gamer’s life and playing World of Goo deserves to be placed alongside such events.

It should be noted that the idea of terrain deformation is a good one, and one that deserves to be expanded on, but this time around its implementation is significantly below par in execution. So much so, that I’d be hard-pressed to recommend the game to anyone - even as a rental.

It should be noted that the idea of terrain deformation is a good one, and one that deserves to be expanded on, but this time around its implementation is significantly below par in execution. So much so, that I’d be hard-pressed to recommend the game to anyone - even as a rental.

So, Dark Horizon isn’t a horrible game. It’s just not a very good one, either. While nothing about it is particularly offensive, it still absolutely fails to generate any interest in a genre that, in most people’s eyes, stagnated a long time ago.

How am I supposed to warn people who choose to play that they may end up with a urge to smash their controller with a sledgehammer due to the intense anger this game may cause? And crucially, how am I supposed to tell them that it is all truly worth it in the end? I really do not know!

Considering the initial shock of a Sonic RPG, and the potential, I think that SC could’ve been a bit better in most aspects but TDB definitely lays solid foundations for the probable sequel. It really is an RPG but delivered Sonic style; fast and fun.

At best, the fact that the game is not afraid to tackle such a broad range of genres is a good sign the developers are confident enough to branch out, and endeavour to create something truly different. However, to be successful they really need to stop being so random and haphazard, and attempt to refine their ideas into something worthwhile - particularly at a time when there are so many high quality games available elsewhere.

All said and done, I would happily pick up WipEout HD as a full priced game from any store, as it is just that damn good. So for a paltry £11.99 it should be considered a absolute steal.

Speaking of unlockables, I would also like to have being given the chance of getting to mention the likes Time Attack, which is supported by online leaderboards, and Endless Attack, which is probably the most hard-hitting survival mode ever included in a game in the history of time, tasking players with getting by as many screen as possible before unmercifully dying.

A nice evolution of its predecessor rather than been a true revolution of the developers efforts from last gen.