Rematch sees French studio Sloclap’s first foray into sports mesh elements of Rocket League and classic Be A Pro modes, to form a lighthearted football experience with a bright future. Mais oui.

Gorgeous cutscenes give Justice League the epic feel that an all-star block party deserves.

As solid as the core gameplay is, it's hard to shake the 'been there, done that' vibe of the whole package.

Great modding and a decent game engine can’t disguise the tired story and simplistic driving.

Once you've unlocked Mecha Frieza and have maxed out the skills of your favorite characters, the single-player modes are pure tedium.

While some gripes remain about the slightly confusing character skill progression, Amped 3 delivers a solid, next-gen entertainment bonanza that howls with the soul of a true snow beast.

Dementium: The Ward is almost perfection, performing as a fantastic feat of first-person survival, and oozes with a truly, truly frightening aesthetic. Even if it's not the first in its genre, it's the most satisfyingly original game we've seen on the DS in some time.

Delivers all the goods where it counts most. It’s hard as hell, but won’t frustrate you to the point of despair. Its sense of humor is still charming - even though we wanted more of it - and it looks great to boot.

The Saboteur is a charming mess. Yes, the unpolished gameplay can be frustrating and, yes, the storytelling can be silly. But as soon as we drove through the gorgeously stylized Paris – then jumped out of our nitro-fueled racecar to snap a unsuspecting Nazi’s neck – we didn’t care anymore. For us, the good overwhelmed the bad.

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge on PS2 may not be as robust as the previous PS3 versions of MotorStorm or as handy as the PSP version of Arctic Edge (what with the being portable and all), but it’s not a bad racing game to have around if the PS2 is your only option.

A well-thought-out online mode lifts Nintendo Switch Sports from being a sheer nostalgia trip, to an experience well worth the investment.

Cloudbuilt should have been an addictive competitive speedrunner, but its imprecise controls and brutal checkpoints mean that only the most patient and dedicated players will press forward in this uniquely frustrating game.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope will deliver a ton of Japanese RPG goodness.

For the few, the proud and the masochistic, however, your game has arrived. Good luck, and for the love of god, use that optional wrist-strap. PSPs are expensive.

There's no getting around the fact that Tiger 08 brings very little to the table that hasn't been done before, though, so you may want to poke around for last year's version. You'll save some dough and hardly notice the difference.

The world opens up nicely as you play as well, gaining things like a flying Ikran to soar high over the trees, or opening up the map to introduce new areas and ecosystems just as you're starting to get comfortable with what you know. There is an occasional lack of clarity with things like guidance not always being crystal – wooly tracking missions being a prime example. However, the vibrancy of the world and the pure alienness of almost everything you encounter make Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora an enjoyable place simply to exist in, with all its otherworldly environments and creatures adding freshness the mechanics lack.

A game that takes patience and an appreciation for the more unforgiving elements of platform titles. Dying time and again at the hands of the same trap starts to get old fast. However, there's no denying that the game's puzzles are of the more inventive variety in the platformer genre, and with its quality narrative, Pid's worth getting invested in.

While we aren’t impressed with the changes (or lack thereof), with the price reduced to $29.99, current-gen gamers are still getting a great game, and for half the price of the 360 version.

Its handful of setbacks are just about evenly balanced with its improvements, so Galactrix still offers an addictive, puzzle-meets-RPG experience that won’t disappoint most fans of the original PQ, as well as anyone looking for an accessible game that still packs plenty of substance.

Rain is packed full of interesting ideas and themes: the visual aesthetics, the characters, the metaphors being woven, the mechanics. All of these are pleasing in their own right and could have warranted their own small title, but ultimately their sheer number overwhelms and muddles the delicate nature of the story trying to be told.

Nights into Dreams HD is a great entry point for gamers who've read about the series over the years, but might be curious what all the fuss is about. In some regards, it comes off as a tad simplistic, but it's easy to see where the qualities of the game lie, and why it gained such a cult following over the sixteen years.

With gorgeous visuals, inventive puzzles, and a fresh creative take on the platformer genre, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a welcome addition to the Xbox arsenal.

It still looks great on the hardware and accurately represents the popular anime/manga series, but the statute of limitations for similar last-gen sequels expires now - it's time for Atari to take this franchise to next-gen consoles and put some real force behind these extraordinary characters and settings.

The moment-to-moment action may be better than last year's game, but this is nothing more than a glorified roster update. Only Career Mode fans have reason to celebrate.

What Toxic Commando does, it does very well – but most of it has already been seen elsewhere. Carving through zombies is fun, but by failing to leverage the idea of superpowered protagonists, the threat of fatigue after completing the story for the first time looms large, which isn't ideal for an online game like this.

If you factor into your plans the possibilities of your commands not being followed perfectly, you can have a slow-burn, satisfying experience.

It may be incomplete, narratively speaking, but Lego The Hobbit is just as content-packed as any other game in the series, and is a great experience for Lego and Middle-earth diehards alike.

Spot-on Wolfenstein atmosphere combines with gleefully vicious weaponry to serve up a tasty smoothie of good old-fashioned Nazi-frying. It lacks in the new idea department, but it has fun aplenty.

The graphics are what you'd expect from a PS2 game, with a nice gloomy futuristic style. For only $20, The Red Star is a great example of why the PS2 still rocks, and why old school gaming is far from dead.

There's a half-decent time to be had bashing your way around Stranger of Paradise's dungeons, but routine level design, rough edges and messy narrative delivery stop the experience evolving into a compelling adventure. Despite its efforts to create ordered systems, chaos has the final word.

Though you'll need multiple copies of the game to share the experience with friends (definitely a bummer), this is one of the few DS games that could make that investment worthwhile.

But let everyone, regardless of skill level, have the tables you’ve written on the back of the box with no strings attached. They paid for them.

The Big Air Edition doesn't make any aesthetic strides (same drab-looking riders and set pieces, same soundtrack), but otherwise, it's a sharp upgrade - one that improves the out-of-the-box experience for newcomers, while adding enough fresh content for veteran shredheads.

Papo & Yo is undeniably one of the most unique PSN games you'll encounter. It makes brilliant use of symbols, metaphors, and beautiful presentation to tell a very dark and personal story about abuse, addiction, and consequences. And in that sense, it renders the gameplay issues -- from unwieldy controls, tedious late-game segments, and slightly one-note mechanics -- all the more unfortunate.

A Machine for Pigs gets rid of some of these scare tactics and leaves you with a diluted experience that’s neither frightening nor as memorable as the first. Since the darkness is never a problem anymore and your threats are almost non-existent, you might wonder if there’s anything to be afraid of at all.

Beautiful visuals, a likeable Assassin, and fully customisable skills and equipment: you’ll spend months on your virtual trip to the French Revolution. Mind your head.

The only real beef we have is that the XP system means it's never long before a few veteran players have pumped up their characters and become virtually untouchable, clubbing everyone else like baby seals. But it's empowering if you're one of the vets, to be sure.

Action Henk borrows great ideas from classic time trial games and delivers a decent, challenging campaign. Multiplayer isn't very fun, though, and it's all been done better elsewhere.

As entertaining as Rocket Knight’s jetpack mechanics and gameplay are, the whole experience still winds up feeling pretty standard.

Imagine Forza Horizon 5 rebuilt with LEGO and that's pretty much what you're getting with LEGO 2K Drive. Visual Concepts has delivered an exemplary open-world racing game that's family friendly without being too simplistic, and one which works superbly in split-screen co-op.

So is this the definitive version of Tetris for the current console generation? Sure. But is it so much better than the WiiWare release so as to warrant another, way more expensive, purchase? I'm going to say no.

Assured creativity and a smart eye for systemic refreshment make for a confident and classy expansion.

Including the famous CBGB venue feels like a desperate grab for legitimacy. Problem is, it doesn't fit with the Simmons-narrated rock 'n' roll fantasy theme at all and therefore comes off as little more than a cynical ploy for street cred.

By the end of the campaign we were satisfied with the admittedly-average story, but the stale combat and chaotic multiplayer that are supposed to sell this game just aren't built well enough. On the cheap, you could probably do worse than this, but we can say for a fact that you can do a hell of a lot better.

Deadly Creatures isn’t quite spectacular, but it is a solid experience that never runs out of ideas and will keep throwing in surprises, satisfying combat, and a decent challenge.

Blood Bowl’s soul lies in its tactics. It’s built for its existing fan-base, though anyone with a passing interest in strategy games can pick it up and get a lot of enjoyment from it.

Even on the Xbox 360, the only major improvement seems to be in the graphics, which aren't as big an upgrade over the Xbox and PS2 versions as they could be.

While we're having some fun with MLB 2K11, we can envision a scenario where the "new baseball game" sheen wears off and we lose steam quickly. It takes a special game to keep our interest over the long haul, and 2K11 may not have enough to grip us tightly and never let go.

While certainly no visual stunner, Tiger 08 does offer plenty of good times for virtual golfers on the Wii. Just be sure to pack some patience in that bag of yours - you'll need it.

The action is bloody and satisfying, the story plays out like exceptionally well-written fan-fiction and the spirit of the movie and its characters are intact.

For those migrating away from Friday the 13th: The Game, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre could prove to be a welcome alternative. While this new multiplayer horror game certainly shows promise, my earliest hours with the family have been hindered by needless friction. It's occasionally thrilling, but often frustrating.

A sometimes grotesque, always engrossing take on the survival game, woven together with a twisted tale, weird weapons, and giant, charging porcupine pigs.

Horrifically brilliant, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is simultaneously what you want and don’t want VR horror to be. A blood-drenched fairground ride of cackling delight. Step right up.

Quite playable, even with these weaknesses - A sub-par Ratchet & Clank game is still better than almost any other platform actioner out there - it's just that we expect more out of this series.

From gameplay to graphics to sound, there's a lot to enjoy with Bionicle Heroes - just don't expect to be blown away. If you're a fan of action games or giant robots, this game is sure to keep you satisfied.

Feels like a game from a different era, and despite half-steps to make it more approachable, is painfully frustrating in ways that probably can't be changed without altering the core of the game. If you can get past that, NGSP is a deep, lengthy adventure, with combat that's still one of the best in 3D action gaming history.

GoldenEye lost some charm moving from being one of the few first-person shooters on the Wii to the shooter heavy PS3 and Xbox 360, but there is something here for Bond fans with a variety of gameplay modes each with something to offer – if you can get over a few bumps.

800 feels like a lot to pay for the sequel to a game that was free with your system, but hey, you can't complain that you aren't getting a lot of content for the cost. Just as long as you already loved the original game.

If you're looking for an MMO with voice chat, heavy weaponry, and absolutely no elves, Auto Assault is likely the one. The game delivers on its promise of massive combat action in a twisted shadow of the world we know, albeit for a monthly $15 subscription fee and some steep tech demands.

If you’re interested in Republique purely as a tech demo, its smooth animations, realistic models, and excellent touch-controls would have you raving. Unfortunately, the story is so shallow and the central character is so bland that, despite a top-notch supporting cast, Republique’s narrative simply can’t carry the weight of the game.

With its simple learning curve, snappy controls and quick match times, there's no doubt that World Tour is built for on-the-go gaming goodness.

While the levels are interesting from an artistic point of view, getting through them is a little too typical. Ultimately, the gifted art design in Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars can’t hide the fact that you’ve played much of this before – it just didn’t look as good then.

The biggest disappointment, and the feature most DS-ownin' FIFA fans have been waiting for, is a lack of online support so you cannot compete online or update the already outdated roster. There is a multiplayer mode which allows up to four gamers - two per team - to play locally, though it requires multiple cards.

Code Vein's lackluster combat is held up by great character customization, and its boring world is driven by a memorable story. It's clunky and uneven, but fun.

Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite has a solid core and Infinity Stones make fights tactical. If only it didn't have to live up to the expectations set by its excellent predecessors.

A series of semi-amusing, unconnected activities: sounds a lot like a sandbox, which, once you graduate middle school, loses its charm unless you can bring your gat.

Its handful of setbacks slightly outweigh its improvements, but Galactrix still offers an addictive, puzzle-meets-RPG experience that won’t disappoint most fans of the original PQ, as well as anyone looking for an accessible game that still packs plenty of substance.

The basic mechanics of Pokemon remain largely untouched – it's still catching, battling, and training as you remember it – and while that may be enough for many devotees, Generation 9 is a tougher sell for those who need more of a reason to engage with the series, impacted as it is by technical issues, mechanical oversights, and a lack of vision. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should have been a bright and bold entry that sets the series up for future expansion, but an attempt to modernize while staying loyal to the past hasn't really succeeded in doing either one – and the headache doesn't help, to boot.

But it still doesn’t quite play like Guitar Hero. The touch detection is too spotty, the custom controller is too uncomfortable and that intoxicating illusion that you’re actually playing an instrument still isn’t there. But, if you need a portable way to get your rock on, this is remains the best way to go.

The control mechanics feel more like the real thing than anything on a console that's come before and the presentation, while over-the-top, is just the kind of thing people look for on a Nintendo system.

Provides a decent distraction for a few hours, but the $10 (800 MS points) price tag is a bit steep for a fairly simple puzzler. Aside from Master Shots mode, some neat physics, and the fact that you're playing with goo, the rest of the game gets dragged down by the lack of variety and overly straightforward gameplay.

The beautiful settings, excellent puzzles and killer boss battles easily make up for the game's few shortcomings. If you can get past the cover, you'll find an adventure worth taking – one that might just be the sleeper hit of the year.

Even with its problematic moments, Commander’s Challenge has hours of tough and intense gameplay to offer console owners with a hankering for more Red Alert 3 action.

Perfecting a true-to-life golf swing resembles an experiment in OCD, akin to trying to tie your shoes while turning the stove off six times. But it's nothing short of a tragedy that it doesn't live up, both visually and in approach, to what came packed in with the Wii at no charge.

Sometimes Nintendogs + Cats can feel like homework, and other times it can be a sweet little distraction where you spend time with adorably well-realized puppies and accurately uninterested cats.

It’s a big time commitment and it’s really text heavy, but if you’re even remotely into JRPGs, Ar Tonelico 2 is easily worth it. Then again, if endearing, well-written characters and well-crafted turn-based battle systems aren’t your thing, well, it’s your loss.

A great game for those out to revisit Dead Rising 2 and those who avoided the series until now. It fixes or at least improves on several major issues with the series, making Capcom's zombie slayer more fun than ever.

Spot-on Wolfenstein atmosphere combines with gleefully vicious weaponry to serve up a tasty smoothie of good old-fashioned Nazi-frying. It lacks in the new idea department, but it has fun aplenty.

A positive example to other developers, that better things are possible if you merely put in the effort.

Don't force us to play the minigames to expand the already-uninspiring campaign. It's sloppy game design, and it drags Bee Movie Game even further into the mud.

Minecraft Legends has good ideas, but it's ultimately held back by the decision to root its strategy action around a central hero. With a limited field of view, few command inputs, and uninteresting AI, Legends fails to generate compelling combat cycles or opportunities for creative thinking.

Despite the re-hashed ideas, there are more than enough unique tweaks to the formula to warrant giving Gyromancer a spin.

Jumpship's debut is a fantastic sci-fi tale with an intense atmosphere and wonderfully touching narrative, even if there are a few puzzle and movement frustrations.

Between the excellent new controls and the already superb gameplay under the hood, The World Is Yours is one of the best games on the Wii these days.

This Cowboy RPG generally doesn't mosey too far from the old dusty trail, but when it does (hex battles, spurs and... well, that's all we can think of) it's a good thing.

Sometimes Nintendogs + Cats can feel like homework, and other times it can be a sweet little distraction where you spend time with adorably well-realized puppies and accurately uninterested cats.

Okay, the story isn’t winning any Pulitzers, but Kirby Squeak Squad will certainly please the kiddies, yet may only whet the palate of those aching for the next great side-scrolling throwback.

Steep looks stunning and offers plenty to do and see, but unfortunately gets repetitive too quickly.

Fortunately, it's easy to detach yourself from DarkStar One's story and immerse yourself in the moment-by-moment excitement of traversing a sometimes-hostile galaxy in a hot-rod of a ship.

For $5 there's enough fun to be had with Young Thor to justify the price, but if you need your games to be highly polished then you'd best look elsewhere. The combat is extremely uneven, and the controls can be imprecise at times.

The co-op heists of Payday 2 hijack new-gen, bringing with them a gym bag full of updates and DLC, but also some familiar problems. Great for newcomers, but non-essential for seasoned criminals.

There's not much longevity there, but it's a good ride while it lasts. The gigantor multiplayer matches should keep you and your friends emptying clips for a good while though, and that's exactly how it should be.

To analogize from another sport, UEFA is Anna Kournikova to "Wnning Eleven"'s Martina Hingis; one of them is knockout gorgeous with decent enough skills to hang around but never dominate, while the other may not be so easy on the eyes yet consistently wins championships.

If you can overlook the control issues and often totally uneven difficulty (the second boss should under no circumstances be way easier than the first, in any game, ever), and turn a blind eye to the asinine plot and characters, Shank does have its moments.

Possessor(s) takes a good story idea and builds its world well, then stretches it far too thinly over a mundane, buggy, and depressing Metroidvania template that just isn't fun for far too many hours. The story's decent, but so many similar games are demonstrably better.

Tales of Xillia 2 is a frustrating brew of boring JRPG tropes and needlessly repetitive busywork. Don’t let this be the first Tales game you start with.

Even if it doesn't revolutionize wrestling games, WWE 12 is the best wrassler around and mixes things up enough to not feel stale. It owes much to SmackDown, but everything it borrows is still great, just slightly used. If you wanted a completely new wrestling experience, wait for the next challenger to WWE to give it a shot (and probably fail).

Disney Infinity 2.0 tries to do too many things, and ends up not being very good at any of them.