Jump Force could have been another great fighter but is held back by dreadful animation, a tiresome main hub, questionable mechanics and a lackluster story. Fans looking for the next great thing in Anime Fighters will likely be left unimpressed and wanting.

I honestly believe that the team at Spiders wanted to deliver the very best game that they are capable of producing, and sadly I think that is exactly what they have done. The Technomancer is not a bad game, but it is devastatingly mediocre.

As movie tie-in games go, this is actually rather good. It flows well, is visually impressive and maintains sufficient pace and excitement to keep the young player tuned in for many hours.

A classic RPG that you will either love or hate, and there are no two ways about it.

Submerged is underwhelming. It squanders a promising opening, and its slight mechanics will no doubt give ammo to those who question the validity of exploration titles.

This one's strictly for the under tens. Big kids would be well advised to revisit the original Viva Piñata for their 'party animal' fix.

A noble attempt at bringing the Winter Olympics to our lounge in video game form, however as with previous attempts it seems to fall short of being entirely satisfying.

The very definition of shovelware, Transformers Prime is a woefully undernourished release that damages both the Wii U and Transformers brands. A budget downloadable than a full title, it's debatable if Prime should have even seen a release on handhelds, let alone Nintendo's flagship console.

As movie tie-in games go, this is actually rather good. It flows well, is visually impressive and maintains sufficient pace and excitement to keep the young player tuned in for many hours.

Admire Spiders for their ambition, but as with its prior efforts this is again a case of reaching too far and spreading too thin. The result is a game that feels incomplete despite its comparatively short length for the genre.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint doesn't do anything new but still provides a lot of fun, if you're willing to slow down and play tactically. The game falls short in many areas and doesn't quite keep up with it's competition but shooter and stealth fans will have a blast. Performance issues do hinder the experience and some questionable design choices left me baffled. If you're a huge third-person shooter fan and love open-world games, you wont regret giving it a shot, provided you check your expectations at the door.

Start the Party uses the PlayStation Eye and the Move controller to deliver a forgettable line up of twenty augmented reality party games. Simply put: Casual gamers deserve better.

If you got bored with hack-n-slash games a long time ago – and I place myself in that category – then Samurai Warriors 3 just might be the game to pique your interest again with its mixture of huge battles, strategic planning and historical significance.

We tried to like this game - we really did. The promise of online play, four person co-op play and a potentially gripping storyline all offered some great possibilities. Unfortunately, Haze never really fires the imagination and its numerous quirks ultimately leave you frustrated.

Despite some quality visual design, Crimson Dragon is a rough-shod, clumsy experience that yields little gameplay depth or variety and frequently threatens to nickel-and-dime players.

The Amazing Spider-man draws too much direct inspiration from the Batman: Arkham series, implements it too unevenly to warrant much praise.

It's a cynical release, devoid of entertainment, that should be avoided at all costs.

In one word: mediocre.

Woolfe paints a pretty picture, but the gameplay leaves much to be desired.

Whilst often frustrating and lacking in complexity, Lord of the Rings: Conquest still has a limited appeal for die-hard fans. For everyone else, it's a real disappointment.

Not the step forward for TV-to-game titles that we'd hoped. Only really dedicated fans of the show need apply.

Some great concepts and plenty of potential, but ultimately the game lacks polish and pizazz. One thing’s for sure; this ain’t no Rumble in the Jungle.

This could have been a good game if it wasn't for the hard to follow story and repetitive gameplay, as it takes away the incentive to play the game through again with the other heroes.

Knack is not at all indicative of the PlayStation 4's potential. The gameplay and the storytelling are banal even by last-gen standards.

Do yourself and the industry a favour and seek out the original.

A decent (albeit uninspired) title which, while hardly pushing the Xbox 360 - or your IQ - to its limits, offers pretty good value for money.

Berserk has its moments – the Berserker Armor is absolutely hilarious, and getting to play as Zodd is awesome – but a few glimmers of amusement aren't enough to save it. The game doesn't have a lot to offer anybody – newcomers to the series will be left in the dust, long-time fans will be turned off by the clumsy adaptation, and anyone looking for a decent action game should grab a copy of Nioh instead. It's likely this will end up as just another forgotten footnote in the series' troubled history of adaptations.

Not the step forward for TV-to-game titles that we'd hoped. Only really dedicated fans of the show need apply.

A James Bond movie tie-in that unfortunately lacks any of the gadgets and fun aspects we expect from 007. Treyarch have created an enjoyable shooter that fails to live up to expectations, and is far too short to be considered anything special.

It has a refreshing visual style and looks fun to start with, but FaceBreaker is let down by frustrating and shallow gameplay.

Rush Bros. is a game with many good ideas. If only they'd been executed properly.

It's not bad as a bundled freebie, but it struggles to justify its 800 Points (approx. $13) price separately. There is very little game here to keep you occupied.

It has a refreshing visual style and looks fun to start with, but FaceBreaker is let down by frustrating and shallow gameplay.

The multiplayer integration of Fallout 76 opposes the core tenets of the Fallout games at every turn – utterly undermining the core formula. What’s worse, it then fails to justify the multiplayer in any way. Buried beneath the bugs, network issues and multiplayer allowances, it is possible to see what could have been a wonderful single player experience in a fascinating time and location – but one that we will never experience.

A great-looking game let down by poor storytelling, repetitive gameplay and cheap, frustrating puzzles and traps.

This is a game that feels like an expanded tech demo.

Xotic is terrible in most respects and unremarkable or flat-out boring in all others.

Web of Shadows is an improvement over previous Spider-Man titles, but still lacks the punch we expect from such a popular movie-based intellectual property. A poorly told story coupled with mediocre and often repetitive action sequences have thwarted this titles chances of blockbuster glory this Christmas.

Not the step forward for TV-to-game titles that we'd hoped. Only really dedicated fans of the show need apply.

It's the official game of the event, but unlike the real thing there's nothing particularly ground-breaking about Beijing 2008. What you see is what you get, and with nearly 40 events it's a lot to cover. Unfortunately they're mostly similar to play and the awful controls ruin what could have been a solid title.

It's a shame because Raccoon City is not entirely unpalatable, most of its flaws seem as though they could have been ironed out, but it's doubtful whether it can seriously compete on its own merits with comparable titles currently on offer.

This version is an mildly enjoyable if sanitised cue ball sim that lets you get close to the action and pull off some pretty fancy shots – perhaps a little too easily at times.

Sniper 2: Ghost Warrior is a well presented game, but its lack of variance quickly diminishes any entertainment and turns it into a chore.

Syberia 3 is an utter failure. It is the only game I have played in the past few years that I found no joy in at all, and the few things it gets right are almost instantly overshadowed by a mountain of irritation and frustration. To have this game wear the title of Syberia feels like a cruel joke, or a case of mistaken identity. Avoid.

Carmageddon: Max Damage ain't no Cadillac, but it's no jalopy either. Rather, it's just alright: fleetingly frustrating, often enjoyable, but never transcendent the way killing pedestrians should be.

Daylight incompetently piles on the clichés and delivers an experience that is far more likely to induce boredom than anything resembling fear.

Even though there’s heart and care put into the game’s style and use of myth, the same isn’t true for the rest of it. It runs fine and the combat is functional, but it won’t leave a huge impression. If you’re fond of Norse Mythology and don’t have much time to spare, Fimbul might be up your alley. A single playthrough is enjoyable enough, but filling up the story thread and replaying the same battles repeatedly isn’t worth the effort.

It's the previous two iterations simplified, with a world conquest mode added. It's flawed, yes, but also fast-paced and believable. Doesn't quite capture the magic of the original though, nor does it reach its own potential.

A largely uninteresting game populated by awful characters that is a chore to play, NeverDead deserves to spend eternity alongside those infamous Atari 2600 ET cartridges, or perhaps digesting forever in the belly of The Biggest Loser's loser.

This could well be a surprise hit for those willing to invest the time. Despite a lack of polish, there's a relatively deep story for fans of mythology.

This could well be a surprise hit for those willing to invest the time. Despite a lack of polish, there's a relatively deep story for fans of mythology.

Voltron: Defender of the Universe lacks anything beyond the main campaign, save an arena mode DLC available for an additional 240 MSP that really should have been included in the main game. It is also too short.

At the end of the day, it is frustrating enough for New Zealand sports fans and gamers that rugby and cricket titles are so few and far between, and that they will never be made on the sort of budgets that Madden or Pro Evolution Soccer enjoy. To then be presented with such a cynical, half-hearted effort as Rugby World Cup masquerading as a legitimate contender with a full-retail price tag only adds insult to injury.

Good work on the controls and on the board, but the virtual media is simply not suited to such a game style. After a larger puzzle your eyes will hurt from the strain of peering at the screen, and the fun seems to have been lost.

Some will be satisfied that merely having Duke's name attached to the box equals a safe punt. Those suitably enamoured in this respect may possibly be content long after the end credits roll. However, casting a critical eye to this title reveals serious fundamental flaws that Duke, by the mere virtue of being Duke, cannot possibly fix.

Although Aliens vs Predator: Requiem is pretty straightforward, you’d probably enjoy it if you are just after a mindless shoot out.

While its arcade-style gameplay is enjoyable, LocoCycle is wrapped in racist, lowest-common-denominator presentation that doesn’t succeed at being funny or scandalous.

It has combat in both its campaign and competitive modes that feels extremely appropriate, and there’s a generous amount of very “Aliens” content here. Just expect the plotting and atmosphere to feel slightly stale throughout.

Only the most ardent Sonic fans need apply. For the rest of us, some good gaming memories should just remain that: memories.

The Cartel isn't a Call of Juarez title; it's an extremely average paint-by-numbers shooter channelling the Juarez fanbase for a modicum of credibility it simply doesn't deserve.

This could well be a surprise hit for those willing to invest the time. Despite a lack of polish, there's a relatively deep story for fans of mythology.

Ubisoft may have been overly optimistic with their chances of entering the arcade football market. The concept of Pure Football is solid, but ultimately it needed a lot more work prior to release.

Being released just a year after the first Saw game has resulted in an uninspired and recycled title, bringing with it the sense that this is just another shameless tie-in rushed out to capitalise on the license.

This game fails to be a really great conversion of a traditional "search and find" style game. The digital medium feels unsuited to a game such as this, and it can be frustrating peering into your TV set looking for some of the more tricky items. The game is much better when played in co-op either locally or over LIVE, as it makes searching more fun and also speeds up the game.

Rodea the Sky Soldier has the odd interesting idea, but numerous gameplay problems betray its troubled development.

Both Deathly Hallows titles are a disappointment, and it's abundantly clear that there was never enough quality content to fill two instalments from the outset. Again, the poor collusion between a game studio and official licensing channels has produced a weak platform to support such a vibrant fantasy as Harry Potter.

It's a nice attempt, but ultimately falls short of the entertainment we'd expect from such a title. In a market saturated with similarly designed games, this one does little to stand out.

Many elements of MilitAnt's core design are flawed, so it's no surprise that the game as a whole is pretty dire.

Bombshell is a broken, boring action game with a tin ear for humour and action that rarely rises above tedium.

We've come to expect mediocre games derived from motion pictures, but Terminator Salvation is about as bad as it gets.

NBA Live 14 delivers an unambitious, sporadically exciting basketball simulation held back by its slavish adherence to replicating the televised game.

It's unacceptable these days to see the framerate just about crawl to a halt in every cut-scene shown between levels, and it's certainly unacceptable to charge full retail for what would barely pass muster as an XBL or PSN release.

It's difficult to say anything positive about the single-player, but there's a bit of fun to be had with the co-op. Overall however, Rise of Cobra is yet another disappointing movie tie-in.

A clear attempt to cash in on 49 years of Bond goodwill and the gaming ignorance of many of the Christmas-present-buying public, 007 Legends is a game that belongs in the previous generation, but even then it would have been tough to recommend.

Add Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse to the list of licensed games that fail to deliver an experience that challenges, entertains and stands apart from its source material.

The impression is of a blown-up iOS game rather than a game developed and designed for the PlayStation 3 console.

A poorly produced game with little to offer any Tony Hawk fan.

Battleship is one part generic and one part simplistic. The link that binds the two parts together is exasperatingly cumbersome, and that's probably the biggest problem with the game. It starts out fun, but quickly gets repetitive: The same old story.

Even the most ardent of fans are likely to stab you in the throat if they find this in a stocking come Christmas, so do yourself a favour and avoid.

Kung Fu Rider is essentially a terrible example of what Move can offer. Whatever you do, don't judge Sony's new motion sensing hardware on this title.

It's a muted, ungainly piece of work, the bare minimum for a ridiculously inflated price tag.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 is a shocking game in every respect. It's not even bad-good. Avoid, or ask for your money back.

Take one part stock standard racer. Add speed. Add blur. Remove control. Speed Racer.

A fantastic step up from the basic Nations released a couple of years back.

If you're a dedicated NBA fan then there might just be enough here to keep you occupied. If not, there are better alternatives on the market.

A nifty way to squeeze more mileage from your Buzz! buzzers, and to fend off that dreaded school holiday boredom. Overall a polished product which offers quality entertainment, although bear in mind it’s strictly for the kids.

The single-player campaign involves a riveting and emotional story, and the inclusion of co-op is fantastic. The game itself however is heavily weighted towards multiplayer, as was its predecessor.

The original PAIN was a moderately successful PSN release that simply lacked depth. Developers Idol Minds have now rectified that with the Sore Spots addition, but it appears to be a case of too little, too late.

A very short game with a fairly original visual approach. Foreign Legion is a fun-ish third-person shooter but unfortunately lacks enough content to get you hooked.

New Carnival Games is a rainy weekend hire at best.

Don Bradman Cricket 14 is one of the best cricket games to come along in a long while. A solid title, it'll keep the hardcore happy, but it might prove too complicated for the casual player.

The rules and dynamics established by the Exodus Wars tabletop game set Fractured Empire in good stead, but uninspired production and a desperate lack of unit types hold the game back.

Xenoverse blurs the line between video game and anime. Despite a few issues, there’s tons of replay value here, and fans can finally fulfill their dream of putting themselves in Dragon Ball.

Sorcery smartly updates only the gameplay side of its source material, allowing the original writing to shine through. Though likely too simplistic for hardcore gamers, players looking for a quiet, absorbing role-playing experience will find much to enjoy.

Defect is an appealing and well-designed build 'n' destroy space shooter that lets you get creative, then challenges you to one-up yourself via a unique mutiny mechanic.