Somehow, the game is once again a significant improvement over last year's iteration and if you're a football fan FIFA 11 is a must: EA have shown they can draw blood from a stone and they've done it with style.

Codemasters really deserve a huge amount of credit for making their first outing into F1 territory such a success.

In a sea of tepid first-person shooting sequels, Civilization V shines so brightly you won't realise it's already midnight.

Liars and Cheats is the third downloadable content pack for Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption. The pack contains a variety of new features to expand the Free Roam multiplayer world including player vs. player poker and liar's dice. The pack also adds a new multiplayer game mode called Stronghold and introduces horse racing.

The campaign attempts to wrap itself in the dramatic cloak of human tragedy but fails to deliver on that emotive promise.

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

For new players, H.A.W.X. 2 offers the ability to jump right in and take the fight to the skies, but if you've never been a fan of this genre before, H.A.W.X 2 won't do enough to change your opinion.

A faithful game conversion of the popular animated TV show, The Brave and the Bold casts a familiar hero in a series of madcap adventures with friends and foe alike. It's not perfect, but it sure is fun.

If you want an RTS that requires a command to be issued every second then you're still going to need that PC, but in the meantime R.U.S.E. in an acceptable distraction for those willing to skirmish online.

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.

Yes, there are moments of brilliance here - Archery, Bocce and Gladator Duel do absolutely demonstrate that the technology is sound - it's just presented in such a bland manner that you could be forgiven for thinking Move was only ever designed to be a curious peripheral targeted at the EyeToy market, and it wasn't until Microsoft's arm-flapping last year that they decided to take it mainstream.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is an opportunity missed. For all its ambition, wit and comic aesthetic, it feels rushed out the door.

Birth By Sleep is an epic PSP title that provides an excellent (if a little belated) entry point for the series. The original Kingdom Hearts was a bit convoluted for the uninitiated (like myself) and Birth By Sleep has piqued my interest in all things Square Enix once again.

Why they've decided to take one of their hallowed intellectual properties and tamper with it – to make it ape the games of two upstream platforms that are just now trying to slink downstream – is anyone's guess.

Worms: Reloaded is a very welcome return to form for Team 17. Reprising the game's classic 2D battlefields, Reloaded pits two customisable platoons of comic worms against one another in hilarious trajectory-based warfare.

Gamers who loved the original Mafia despite all its flaws will no doubt embrace the story and flair that this title has, however others expecting another sandbox free-roam title will be dreadfully disappointed, because that, it is certainly not.

Mafia II is tightly story-driven, extremely linear in execution, and designed to drive the player through a cinematic experience that is the very essence of the game. The world compliments the story, it's not designed offer much beyond the fifteen or so hours of gameplay inherent in the plot.

Boasting a low price tag and the promise of more Lara action, The Guardian of Light seems too good to be true.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is a formulaic third-person co-op shooter that fails to meet the grade. Where the game does try to be different, it frustrates gameplay and pulls the uniform score downward.

A solid effort but not particularly original.

Retro fans will feel acknowledged and loved but everyone else may miss the hype.

Blizzard have stuck to what they know with this sequel to one of the most beloved RTS titles of all time. Don't expect any revolutionary twists to the classic gameplay - although what is included is imbued with the kind of perfection you've come to expect from one of the best developers in the world.

For fans of puzzling games, Limbo can certainly help you with that head-scratching itch. However, for those with only a passing interest in the genre, Limbo's difficulty curve, its lack of gameplay direction and its depressed setting could prove a barrier to enjoyment.

Simply put, anyone with a capable PC should download this and try it.

Some of the jokes can be hit or miss, and the inventory management system leaves something to be desired but DeathSpank is a well presented, highly amusing loot-crawling adventure.

It's an excellent chance to relive the heady days of the point-and-click adventure, where games were written with intelligence, humour and precision rather than large explosions and endless DLC.

For every positive aspect found in Crackdown 2, there's a handful of negative ones. The game is frustratingly bland, lacking in innovation and it really feels like less of a game than the title it's meant to follow on from.

If you want the full flight/action WWII experience on the Wii then pick up a copy of Blazing Angels: Pearl Harbor. However if you've got a tenner to spare or some Wii Points to use up – and from the perspective of value for money – this is well worth a look.

Singularity cherry-picks the best concepts from a wide range of FPS titles and stitches them together in a credible, and ultimately successful way.

The experience is silly, charming, engaging and fun - the best LEGO game to date.

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.

There's a lot here for fans of the Transformers to admire, but strip away the pop culture veneer and War for Cybertron is a slightly above par entry in the annals of gaming.

Toy Story 3 isn't without its problems, but anyone seriously considering purchasing it to expand their Toy Story experience this year won't be disappointed.

It presses all the right buttons to create a fun, varied and emotional side mission.

Another year, another Rock Band release. Following on from the success that was The Beatles: Rock Band, it's back to basics for this Green Day homage.

Essentially, if you're relatively new to golfing simulations then I'd highly recommend starting with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 or even 09. If you're a seasoned player who wants to cast off the training wheels and take that step up in realism then Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is the game you've been waiting for.

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.

There's certainly no shortage of racing titles vying for your attention this year, arcade or otherwise. Blur however combines the thrill of high-speed racing with well considered combat, and can easily be regarded as one of the better examples of the arcade racing genre.

Despite all these criticisms, UFC 2010 is by no means a bad game. As a matter of fact, it's still pretty fun. Thing is, I can see the incredible game that it could be, and am disappointed that it's not quite there yet.

But if you're not playing a kart racer with friends either online or split screen, you're not experiencing the best the genre has to offer. Against other players, the field is leveled and ModNation holds its own.

This is one sequel which bucks the trend by taking an already good concept and building on it, raising the bar in the process. Simply put, it's better than the original because there's a lot more to do, and everything meets or exceeds expectations.

The game’s sense of scale is extraordinary and lovingly detailed. Not a single asset in any of the expansive episodic settings feels misplaced. At night, the mist, the shadows and the trees bleed together to create a game world that is equally beautiful and unsettling.

Red Dead Redemption is not just the definitive sandbox gaming experience, nor simply the best Wild West videogame (hardly a challenge), it is developer Rockstar's crowning achievement to date.

If you're looking for something a little new in the racing genre then you can't go wrong picking this little gem up.

This game is not a step forward for Ubisoft or the Prince of Persia series and anyone expecting new and groundbreaking experiences need not bother.

Some stunning visuals and audio mixed with an enjoyable multiplayer experience is quickly forgotten as the poorer design choices found in Capcom’s Lost Planet sequel impair what might have been a great experience.

Together these features make Skate 3 a robust installment in the series and without a doubt, the best skating game currently on shelves. But whether there’s enough here to draw in new audiences is another matter.

Dead to Rights: Retribution is a decent shooter, but it simply has nothing new to offer, and doesn’t do a particularly good job of presenting itself.

On balance, Nier is a varied and engaging experience that for JRPG fans, is certainly worth a look.

It's probably the best fighting game out at the moment.

The jump from FIFA 10 to EA 2010 FIFA World Cup might not be a big one, but the refinements presented makes the entire experience worthwhile.

If you're an old fan of the series, Climax is a good way to bring the nostalgia up-to-date, but for those used to getting more out of current-gen titles than an arcade sense of speed, it may not be worth the asking price.

I'd suggest that if you managed to make it through the entire game the first time around, then you owe it to yourself to purchase The Passing. Sure, it's short, but the mutation mode is set to add a heap of gameplay over the coming months, so get on board sooner rather than later.

A platformer that admits it (probably) doesn't need an epic story.

If you have the patience, then Monster Hunter Tri delivers the kind of gaming satisfaction that very few others can.

Splinter Cell: Conviction is an exceptional game that packages together some entertaining content. The fun co-op multiplayer pads the short single-player out nicely.

You can appreciate what BioWare are trying to do, but personally I am tired of collecting new crew members. I have a fine and full crew; so for myself, right now I would rather have more missions that develop the main story further or give me new ways to interact with the current crew members.

Just Cause 2 is an amazing title and certainly looking to be one of the best sand-box games of the year. It may not reproduce Grand Theft Auto IV's immersive storyline, but the level of fun to be had in Just Cause 2 is virtually unparalleled.

If you thought first-person shooters couldn't be done justice on the Wii (and I was in that boat) then Red Steel 2 will make you think again. It's stunning on the eye and gets your blood pumping both with the onscreen action and the physicality required to play it.

It's not that Settlers 7, when viewed in it's entirety, is a necessarily bad game. The difficulty curve will be seen as a challenge for the more grizzled player, and having a challenge is obviously preferable to a cake-walk. It's more that the game doesn't really know what it wants to be.

The fact that this game offers so much content - much more than many releases today - and all for an extremely low 800 Marketplace Points, I have to say, check out the demo: you may be pleasantly surprised.

It could be a fun game for those who want to try something different. There’s a melting pot of DoTA and Dawn of War features than does provide an enjoyable multiplayer experience. But if you are a long time fan of the singleplayer campaigns, I must warn you that EA have unleashed a metaphorical Rodney Hide on the franchise you love.

It's pretty much what we expect from this epic franchise, but the limited scope and fairly mundane ending hasn't rounded off this franchise with the dignity it deserves.

The best experience with this title will be had by someone who enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins until the very end.

As with all JRPG titles, you'll either love it or loathe it. Resonance of Fate does require a higher level of dedication than most, however.

While it’s not really anything new, it provides a chunky stop-gap in lieu of a real new Pokemon title. Playing it, you’ll get the sense that Gamefreak are rehashing the classics to get their crosshairs tuned for the next generation of Pokemon.

If you were not taken by Dawn of War II's unique take on the RTS genre, then this will probably not change your mind. However if you loved it, or perhaps enjoyed Company of Heroes but haven't given Dawn of War a try, this could be a more affordable entry point for you to get hooked on this wonderful series.

If you like your games huge with a sort of sandbox feel to them then you definitely can't go wrong with Yakuza 3.

A good starting point for newcomers to the franchise - and indeed the genre; however fans and veterans may see it as an RPG in a strait jacket.

Easily the best FPS I’ve played in a long time. Dialogue that makes me want to watch a feature film starring these guys. A virtually flawless single and multiplayer experience.

It’s almost everything we want in a PC shooter. DICE’s latest installment in the Battlefield series sets the bar – we just wish there were more developers trying to surpass it.

A worthy RTS game, but not a worthy successor to the crown.

I would happily watch Heavy Rain “the movie” in theatres, but the fact that I get to watch and control it on my PS3 instead is very cool.

While the game retells the campaigns of its namesake in somewhat linear fashion, developers The Creative Assembly have retouched and introduced a number of new gameplay mechanics that create a much more intricate experience than any Total War game to date.

The single player mode does ramp up the difficulty early on in the piece so don’t expect to blitz it like many arcade racers, it does present a worthy challenge. But as with the mighty Mario Kart, Sonic & SEGA All-Star Racing has its focus firmly on the multiplayer whether it be online or splitscreen with some mates.

It's a case of third time's a charm for this DLC. Simply put, it's a must-buy for any Borderlands fan.

If you were a fan of Braid, or like puzzle games in general, I really can recommend this one. The puzzles themselves are neat (if not hair pulling at times) the presentation is superb, and it's certainly something a little different.

It’s as good a shooter as you’re going to get on the PSP until Sony find room for a second thumbstick.

Full respect to the developers for attempting to bring together a game that allows players to approach the storyline from three very distinct directions, unfortunately it didn't all come together as it perhaps should have with the implementation falling short. Aliens vs. Predator is fun and entertaining when its good, but dull and frustrating when it is not; with more of the latter.

2K have one again proved that Rapture, through all it's wild, twisted and crazy moments, is an unforgettable place to be. You may think you've seen it all before, but that's no reason to deprive yourself of what is most certainly one of the best titles of the year.

Each of Hell’s nine circles are realised with care and character, but without innovative gameplay and with some downright outmoded game mechanics, there’s not quite enough here to distinguish Dante’s Inferno from the raft of action adventure titles available to gamers today.

Level 5 has chosen to follow a tried and true formula, rather than risking anything radically different. We can safely say White Knight Chronicles will appeal more to JRPG fans than mainstream gamers.

Hustle Kings is an easy to pick up pool title accessible to the masses on PSN. Despite a few shortcomings, it'll keep fans entertained for some time to come. It is an excellent virtual pool game, nothing more, nothing less.

The first of two scheduled DLC packs for Assassin's Creed II, we can't help but think the content within should have made an appearance on disk when the game was released.

Much like the first Mass Effect, you can ignore everything that is wrong with Mass Effect 2, because it is just so good at everything that it does right. The faults are not as glaring as they were in the last game and you will be so enthralled with the amazing story, characters and combat that for the most part, you won't care anyway.

It certainly is refreshing to get a game that isn’t a terrible console to PC port.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a game you're going to either love or loathe. If the original tweaked your interest then this is a must-buy.

The question MAG makes us ask is, does this title herald the approach of massively multiplayer online games for next-gen consoles? It's a bit rough around the edges, but with any luck we'll look back on MAG and admire it for its ambition, and consider it a step in the right direction.

Besides flying around (which unfortunately is not as exciting or fun as one might hope) it is a pretty standard and dull third-person shooter.

Many of the issues with the original title have been addressed, but the brevity and lack of replayability make this co-op third person shooter a strictly-for-hire title.

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.

An excellent platforming hack'n'slash title that pits the best elements of some of our favourite games against the forces of Hell during the apocalypse. An epic title that is well polished and well implemented, even if the game mechanics feel a bit familiar at times.

Bayonetta is a refreshing and somewhat surprising addition to an already extensive catalogue of action games. A must-buy for any anime gaming fan, and an excellent representation of the genre.

Bayonetta is a refreshing and somewhat surprising addition to an already extensive catalogue of action games. A must-buy for any anime gaming fan, and an excellent representation of the genre.

Gearbox have gone slightly astray with this DLC, it's certainly not on the same level as their previous effort.

The Saboteur had potential, but is let down by a weak combat mechanic and some terrible stealth/AI issues.

A fun multiplayer and solid single-player, but certainly feels its age. Perfect for gamers who miss the original, and for those who want a taste of classic PC gaming.

There's just really not enough here to warrant more than a cursory glance.