Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands marks Ubisoft’s intended return to an old gameplay formula, mixing platform elements with hack-n-slash fights and a wise sprinkle of puzzles. The idea is good and suggestive too, but some minor shortcomings and – most of all – a very limited longevity have jeopardized the final outcome.

Bigger, better and meaner, Army of Two: The 40th Day represents an overall improvement from its previous installment. It’s a spectacular urban guerrilla simulation, with good textures, complex scenarios, solid framerate, and… a lot of humour!

The Saboteur may not be a top title, but it’s got all the elements you would expect from an action game, including stealth elements and driving sessions. And it is also quite enjoyable! And if you like dark atmospheres and WWII backgrounds, then we definitely recommend it.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 combines both action and RPG elements together pushed by the wind of innovation and the ever so strong appeal of the Marvel universe. Complex but easy to play, it guarantees hours and hours on end of real fun.

Guitar Hero Greatest Hits doesn’t add too much to the GH franchise when compared to World Tour, Metallica and Aerosmith, although its pleasant cosmetics, made of cartoon-style characters and colorful effects, and a well-known control system are a guarantee. Either you are a huge fan or have never played at GH before, this is your meal of the day.

We’ve gone to Hell and returned, and although we couldn’t help having the feeling of being constantly watched by Kratos lurking somewhere in the shadows, we think that Dante’s Inferno is a game to play… from top to bottom.

At first glance, a game like Mini Ninjas seems more suitable for casual gamers and children. But when you actually get a chance to play at it, you suddenly realize that you are either the former or the latter… Or both at the same time! In spite of some gameplay limits, this is just plain fun!

It is never easy to create a multiplayer gameplay experience. It is even more difficult to put that same gameplay in a wide open arena where gravity is absent. And it is so much more difficult to use gravity itself as part of the gameplay experience. But Shattered Horizon did it all quite well.

Wolfenstein is a standard FPS, nothing more, nothing less. As you know, good sounds and graphics don’t make up for an overall lack of variety – not entirely at least. This lack affects most missions and some aspects of the gameplay resulting in a repetitive action system. It is still a good game, but we’d have probably thought better of it if it wasn’t for the expectations a name like Wolfenstein carries within.

Champions Online may pose no threat to WoW, but it still is a solid MMORPG. We were quite happy with the action-oriented control system, the mission pack and the overall gameplay structure. The graphics is good too, but you’ll need high specs to really enjoy it.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games offers many enjoyable sports disciplines to be played alone or in the usual party mode, which can be real fun. Nevertheless, the control system should have been better, and some of the competitions are not so involving.

The biggest problem with Divinity 2: Ego Draconis is that it’s been released soon after Dragon Age: Origins. Although it has better graphics than Bioware’s title, it lacks some of its depth, and its gameplay is sometimes too simplistic.

Fallen Earth is truly a nice MMORPG. In spite of its mix of well-known and overused gameplay formulas and storyline ideas, some of which are very close to Fallout 3, the end product is really various and immersive, and its 5000 square kilometres map is simply astonishing.

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is nothing but a mediocre title. In spite of its hack & slash action and effective multiplayer system, it doesn’t make you feel as involved as it should, due to a shallow storyline, a poorly adapted interface and a number of bugs deriving from the bug-filled PC version. Yet its RPG gameplay is quite rich, partly compensating the poor technical level.

Avalon Code is an atypical J-RPG thanks to its innovative gameplay. The adventure on which the game is constructed is enjoyable and interesting, while the fighting sessions nicely fit into the storyline and break the monotony – and are fun too!

Action games lovers will find that Bionic Commando tastes like their favourite piece of cake, but not quite so. Fun to play, difficult enough to keep you motivated and technically valuable, it is unfortunately mined by a narrow structure, an improvable control system and a set of bonuses and objects that are a bit too difficult to obtain.

Global Agenda's developers Hi-Rez Studios have wisely mixed together MMORPG elements with FPS action resulting in an amazing online experience, which reaches its apex in the Conquest mode. It is not perfect, it must be said, but we've enjoyed it a lot!

Virtua Tennis 2009 is like a missed chance. Technically speaking, the programmers have done a good job, and who has never played at VT before could really enjoy it. But if you’re an aficionado of this franchise, this will look to you like nothing more than a restyling. And a polished look just isn’t enough for a fully priced game.

Wet was a difficult project from the start, and that has undoubtedly affected it, in spite of Bethesda’s intervention. The hectic gameplay and the nice “Tarantino” atmosphere are not enough to cover up the poor texture and animation quality.

Poor style and graphics don’t make a good game, so Formula 1 Wii should not be a good game. Yet it is not a complete disaster… On the contrary it is actually quite fun to play and should be savored as a starter before the main course is served on PS3 and Xbox 360.

At first glance, Section 8 won’t make you scream out of enthusiasm, mostly because its graphics are not entirely up to next-gen expectations. But design was not the programmers’ purpose. They rather had in mind to tailor up a brand-new multiplayer gaming experience, filled with loads of new ideas and original solutions. And that is what they have definitely obtained!

The technical differences between the Wii and other next-gen platforms are well known to everyone, so don’t expect from The Conduit the same graphic or level design. Yet, you may well expect polished textures, great effects, and, most of all, a superb control system which perfectly fits into the typical FPS gameplay approach. And as we said, it’s an FPS. On the Wii!

In spite of some shortcomings such as the hectic camera, Assassin's Creed 2: Discovery is a good adaptation of some of Assassin’s Creed 2’s gameplay aspects. It is not a sandbox game, but it is still quite remarkable, especially graphics-wise.

SBK hasn’t found the rival we were all expecting to see. Yet Moto GP 09/10 is still a good raging game and quite good fun to play as well. If you are a huge fun of this genre, and cannot wait until the next SBK, then this is your ride!

It is very frustrating when you have the chance to enjoy a game so much, but it all ends way too soon… Need for Speed: Nitro is just this: great gameplay, awfully short.

Cities XL fills in the void left by SimCity, since it turned more attention towards human interaction. Its building and management systems are incredibly varied and complex, giving the player complete control over the city’s growth. And the possibility to share online the whole town with other players in an interactive manner guarantees longevity to the gameplay.

The PSP version of F1 2009 is far better than its Wii counterpart. It is not a top racing game, but it’s definitely the best you can get on Sony’s portable right now.

Nier is a typical wannabe action-shooter-RPG: the dev. team put so much into this project that the end result turned out to be a rather confused mash-up. Still it's got some charm to it that might even convince you, for some unknown reason, to play at it for hours. Try it before you buy it!

Lost Planet 2 is more like a large multiplayer expansion of the previous iteration rather than a real sequel. Unchanged when it comes to most of its dynamics, it boasts very good graphics and a supreme online structure. Pity the single player campaign appears somewhat shallow and almost pointless.

Cursed Mountain is one of those rare opportunities to see the horror genre on the Nintendo home system, so all fans should at least try this game. Having said that, we cannot ignore the unrefined gameplay and the unreactive controls.

FUEL didn’t meet its goal. Actually it went quite far from what Codemasters had promised. Although it is evident that the dev team has put a lot of effort in creating an innovative and fresh concept, and has produced a vast free-roamable terrain of proven technical quality, some unfortunate gameplay solutions and a improvable AI have mined the overall experience.

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is an evocative game, filled with all the oriental charm you’d expect from a high-level adventure game made in Japan. Yet, some serious flaws in the game design – its combat structure above all – hinder the overall experience, relegating this title to a small niche of fans.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers doesn’t stand up to the task of representing the Final Fantasy saga on the Wii. Actually, it’s not even a good RPG after all, non even on the Wii where role playing games are notoriously lacking.

FUEL didn’t meet its goal. Actually it went quite far from what Codemasters had promised. Although it is evident that the dev team has put a lot of effort in creating an innovative and fresh concept, and has produced a vast free-roamable terrain of proven technical quality, some unfortunate gameplay solutions and a improvable AI have mined the overall experience.

Star Trek Online could have been so much better… Unfortunately there are too many areas where the game structure suffers from a certain lack of depth. We would recommend it only to real Trekkies.

NHL 2K10 is just above sufficiency. In spite of Visual Concepts’ experience, it still lags behind NHL 10, especially as far as the online mode is concerned. There are some animation glitches too, affecting the overall gaming experience.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince didn’t really manage to offer something new when compared to its previous iteration, and we suspect not much effort was even made in that direction. It still preserves most of its appeal if you are a big Harry Potter fan, though.

Although Aliens vs. Predator had on its side such charming alien characters and a glorious videogame past, in its new iteration something must have gone terribly wrong, resulting in and old-looking, old-fashioned FPS you’ll soon get bored with unless you are a huge fan of the franchise.

All C&C fans can be upset by rights. In spite of some interesting changes involving both the gameplay and the story, Command & Conquer 4 ends up being too much arcade and shallow, having focused so much of its structure only on combats.

Many good ideas like the free approach to each mission and the character design and a valid storyline are not enough for this RPG. Alpha Protocol was a troublesome project from the start and that has inevitably affected the outcome.

Even though the storyline is quite interesting, giving you once more the chance to be the assassin as Altair, Assassin's Creed 2: Bloodlines suffers from some technical glitches that inevitably hinder the overall game experience.

Although Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron takes more than a simple hint from its predecessor, it introduces a new and much more varied mission structure, making the game much more fun.

King of Fighters XII would be a great game had it been made a few years back. Unfortunately, sleek and very well-drawn characters are not enough to make up for a 2D fighting game nowadays. Yet if you like this kind of gameplay, you’ll most definitely appreciate the huge list of attacks and combos, and the rich backgrounds.

Heroes Over Europe could have been so much more... The arcade approach to its gameplay has huge potential, but this very approach ends up affecting its structure with far too many unrealistic outcomes shaking your wings as you fly and fight in the crimsom Ubisoft skies.

Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires didn’t meet the target. Non significant innovation has been introduced, to the point it risks to be just another forgotten warrior. Being a fully priced expansion, we recommend it only to real fans.

Although Dead to Rights: Retribution is somehow enjoyable to play at, we cannot help having a déjà-vu feeling. Substantially, it is a remake of the 2002 edition, updated to modern technology and consoles.

James Cameron's Avatar: The Game is graphically stunning… if seen in 3D. Otherwise its graphics are just very good, like most next-gen games nowadays… Other than that, its gameplay is affected by quite a few gameplay shortcomings – including a very annoying camera. Just another tie-in.

First of all Risen is an RPG made for RPGs lovers. Thus, it’s definitely not a casual game for it demands effort, patience and time before the player can master its wide structure and all of its various elements. A large and fully explorable island and the frequent decisions you’re asked to take make this game almost endless.

On paper Dark Void was a Sci-Fi colossal: an interesting storyline, and a varied vertical gameplay seemed fairly good assets. Unfortunately, it all turned out to be a shallow blend of old ideas, slow and repetitive action, and limited longevity. That without mentioning the bugs.

SAW is a good idea for a tie-in but nothing more than that. It got lost somewhere in its own asylum, in those dark corridors and repetitive riddles.

Unbound Saga looks like a great game, but the looks ain’t everything! Once you enter in its the comics-inspired world you soon realize that the nicely painted environments are too crammed and claustrophobic. After a few missions you also realize that the only variables in the gameplay are the enemies and the very environments.

In spite of some minor glitches and the DS’ obvious technical limitations, C.O.P. The Recruit offers a rich and enjoyable gameplay alongside a sandbox structure, and a living and breathing virtual world.

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings doesn’t reach a level of excellence, but it does offer good textures, a plausible illumination system and a good serving of effects, all very effective in reproducing the movies’ typical atmosphere. The original implementation of the control system is also another great asset.

Instead of the necessary change of pace and quality in the series, Way of the Samurai 3 represents its negative continuation.

Once again a video game dedicated to the Olympic Games is nothing more than a shallow attempt to put several sports disciplines into one single box and make it fun at the same time. Impossible! Yet Vancouver 2010 can be surprisingly enjoyable if played with friends.

Fairytale Fights is one of those games you can either love or... luv! Wondering around the woods in a red hood slashing all living creatures into tiny pieces with splashes of blood pouring all over adds a unique flavour to it, one that will inevitably bring you back to your childhood memories. Well, not quite...

Terminator Salvation could have been much, much more than this. Far from being a mere spin-off, it offers a satisfying technical level, a nice atmosphere and all the robots previously seen in the movies. But it’s way too short to be worth the ticket. It would have probably been a hit had, it been on XBLA or PSN.

It’s a shame to see how a massive franchise such as the one represented by Star Wars can still go oh! so bad. Star Wars The Clone Wars Republic Heroes is poor under all aspects, including the most prominent one, i.e. the gameplay...Only children will enjoy it.