This could have been a great game, so it's a shame certain things are holding it back - still, it's addictive, interesting, highly enjoyable, and so credit where credit's due.

This could have been a great game, so it's a shame certain things are holding it back - still, it's addictive, interesting, highly enjoyable, and so credit where credit's due.

While Utopia City does have some unique qualities in the form of rewarding artefacts and its energy based gameplay mechanic, other areas only make it adequate for budget line expectations and out of reach for anything beyond that.

Fans of the first HAWX will no doubt derive a great deal of joy from another hearty dose of solid dogfighting, but then everyone else will feel the same sort of confused indifference towards the story and will quickly grow tired of shooting down wave after wave of jet fighters.

But what could easily become an overburdening mess of a structure is cleverly handled by the developer, and Lionheart is engaging as a result.

It's a wasted concept and it's let down by lazy execution.

Cooperative play done right!

By far, however, the greatest addition to the formula is the co-op multiplayer. Grab a friend online, and the two of you can slice, chop and smash your way through the hordes together, with plenty of missions to complete. The action is very entertaining with a second person keeping you company and you'll spend hours simply exploring and clearing out entire areas of zombies together.

Front Mission Evolved can sit well with mech game fans especially with its multiplayer. However as a third-person action shooter not very much stands out unless you quite enjoy boss battles with lots and lots of strafing, reloading, repairing and firing volley after volley of missiles, rockets and bullets.

Front Mission Evolved can sit well with mech game fans especially with its multiplayer. However as a third-person action shooter not very much stands out unless you quite enjoy boss battles with lots and lots of strafing, reloading, repairing and firing volley after volley of missiles, rockets and bullets.

In short then, Quantum Theory is just too flat, too unpolished and too unoriginal to make any positive lasting impression.

In short then, Quantum Theory is just too flat, too unpolished and too unoriginal to make any positive lasting impression.

To many it'll still seem ludicrous that sports games are worth the purchase every year, but for anyone who's ever kicked a football in their life, this is the definitive choice.

To many it'll still seem ludicrous that sports games are worth the purchase every year, but for anyone who's ever kicked a football in their life, this is the definitive choice.

To many it'll still seem ludicrous that sports games are worth the purchase every year, but for anyone who's ever kicked a football in their life, this is the definitive choice.

The majority of those tracks, of which I've kept a list somewhere in this mess of a music hall (thanks to the hordes of music-specific game controllers), still remains undigitised.

The majority of those tracks, of which I've kept a list somewhere in this mess of a music hall (thanks to the hordes of music-specific game controllers), still remains undigitised.

The greatest addition to the formula is the co-op multiplayer. Grab a friend online, and the two of you can slice, chop and smash your way through the hordes together, with plenty of missions to complete. The action is very entertaining with a second person keeping you company and you'll spend hours simply exploring and clearing out entire areas of zombies together.

It is glorious.

As of means of conquest by trade, Patrician IV is a good solid example that will offer merchant gamers something to chew on. If however you like a bit more turbulence as you lift yourself up and forge a seafaring empire then you'll likely find yourself distracted as it can get boring once you realise your convoy captains practically run everything for you, and coin is in abundance.

The combination of strategy and role-playing still stands out from the crowd and the added bonus of so many extra quests, items and units crammed together really adds value to the game.

Everything has been enhanced and improved so much, that Bungie at least deserve kudos for all the effort they put in. This is definitely the most complete Halo game to date, and well worth the money. Hell, It may even live up to its own hype.

If you can stand the time period, then this serves as a perfectly adequate medium between Hearts of Iron's grand strategy, and Men of War's more tactical focus.

If you can stand the time period, then this serves as a perfectly adequate medium between Hearts of Iron's grand strategy, and Men of War's more tactical focus.

Fans of the first HAWX will no doubt derive a great deal of joy from another hearty dose of solid dogfighting, but then everyone else will feel the same sort of confused indifference towards the story and will quickly grow tired of shooting down wave after wave of jet fighters.

Fans of the first HAWX will no doubt derive a great deal of joy from another hearty dose of solid dogfighting, but then everyone else will feel the same sort of confused indifference towards the story and will quickly grow tired of shooting down wave after wave of jet fighters.

The plot is bland and often corny, but the gameplay is mostly solid and enjoyable.

The plot is bland and often corny, but the gameplay is mostly solid and enjoyable.

NHL 11 is easily one of the most feature-packed and entertaining ice hockey games ever created.

NHL 11 is easily one of the most feature-packed and entertaining ice hockey games ever created.

Not every sport is a winner, but there's no denying that Sports Champions does a great job of showcasing what the Playstation Move has in store for us over the coming years.

It's rare that a videogame can remain just as relevant today as it did at the turn of the decade, but precisely because of the stylised graphics, simplistic physics and endless customisation options, Worms remains evergreen to this day.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a very fascinating game, with charismatic characters and gameplay. However it isn't for everyone: buy it only if you're looking for a difficult and demanding experience.

Mafia II is exactly the sequel Mafia fans have been waiting all these years for.

Mafia II is exactly the sequel Mafia fans have been waiting all these years for.

With no online play, replay value is a reverse skyrocket, burrowing deep into the Earth's crust.

Mafia II is exactly the sequel Mafia fans have been waiting all these years for.

Cooperative play done right!

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days provides what the original could not - fantastically gory action over a stunning backdrop of mob warfare and careless violence. There are still a few issues carried over that mar the overall package, but both Mr Kane and Mr Lynch now most definitely have our full attention.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days provides what the original could not - fantastically gory action over a stunning backdrop of mob warfare and careless violence. There are still a few issues carried over that mar the overall package, but both Mr Kane and Mr Lynch now most definitely have our full attention.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days provides what the original could not - fantastically gory action over a stunning backdrop of mob warfare and careless violence. There are still a few issues carried over that mar the overall package, but both Mr Kane and Mr Lynch now most definitely have our full attention.

Victoria 2 is one of those games where it's easy to expect more from it than it can actually give. Giving its dedication to history, depth, strategy etc... fans can get a bit carried away.

Get yourself a good team, and you're in for a lot of fun.

This is a must have for both fans and newcomers a like, but don't expect the second coming. This is a solid and improved version of East India Company, nothing more.

If you're looking for a fun arcade-style racer that you don't have to plop a disc into your machine to play, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is definitely a more than worthy candidate.

In the end StarCraft II didn't go changing on us in the fundamentals, and that's perhaps the greatest feature Blizzard could ever have included. What works, works and StarCraft nailed it back in 1998 and StarCraft II: Wings if Liberty nails it here and now in 2010.

Limbo is a fine example of how you can create a masterpiece, yet sell it through the Xbox Live arcade at a budget price. It may not be the longest game, but to capture the imagination of any player is something that is a rarity in gaming.

Blacklight: Tango Down turns out to be too much fun for the slowness of the matchmaking system to prove too much of an obstacle.

None of the single pieces of Darkstar are particularly shoddy (voicework aside), but mixed together they form an experience that's largely devoid of anything memorable, but also one that remains hypnotically sedate until eventual boredom sets in.

For all its faults though, Disciples is certainly something unique, and the quality of the overworld sections and general strategising may well be enough for a crowd that will inevitably seek it out anyway.

It's gets a tad dull by the end of the game, and as your character levels up, it becomes less of a challenge as well (unless you're on harder difficulties, naturally).

While it is clearly a nice game, Ancients of Ooga doesn't really do anything interesting enough to get beyond being a nice game into being a must have.

Did they hope people wouldn't notice its shortcomings? Where they conducting some kind of experiment? Did they always plan to do this overhaul?

On the one hand it brings more of what we love about Bohemia's games, gritty combat on an immense scale, with an entirely new setting, a decent campaign and some short but sweet single missions. Yet the expansion doesn't improve on the original and doesn't fix any of the problems ArmA 2 had.

What Singularity is is a AAA title masked behind a lack of commercialism, which is completely out of style for Activision, and not nearly enough time to polish the game. With another two-three months, Singularity could probably have been the best shooter of the year.

Dodgy camera and mildly repetitive dungeon scenery aside, Trinity Universe has a lot going for it. The subtleties of the Fury battle system and the humorous storylines will keep you entertained for hours on end.

Reign isn't a bad game at all, and it's surprisingly well-balanced given the tremendous scope and ambition on show; but that's a breadth that comes at a price, as none of the various elements in your kingdom ever feels completely well realised, leading to a lack of personality and ultimately forgoing that familiar Civdrive to play long into the night. If you want to test your management skills in one of the deepest strategy games of the year however, delve right in.

Had the core gameplay been better polished then Naughty Bear would have been able to get away with having only a few solitary environments to explore, but as it stands it's a hell of a lot of fun for a couple of hours, but that's your lot.

Had the core gameplay been better polished then Naughty Bear would have been able to get away with having only a few solitary environments to explore, but as it stands it's a hell of a lot of fun for a couple of hours, but that's your lot.

What little positive elements it has going for it are marred by its problems.

If there's any one thing that can be stated about Transformers: War for Cybertron, it's that you should buy this game. The single player campaign is good, and the multiplayer portion is a surprise hit.

If there's any one thing that can be stated about Transformers: War for Cybertron, it's that you should buy this game. The single player campaign is good, and the multiplayer portion is a surprise hit.

Space Ark is a decent kids game, and it will probably hold the attention of an adult for a good couple of hours, but eventually the repetition begins to grate, and staring into the hypnotic disney-eyes of the Arkonauts becomes slightly disturbing as you begin to wonder whether they can see into your soul.

Everything is competently implemented without excelling in any individual direction, but the combination and sheer variety of content and fan service has to be commended, and for once it's nice to play through a kids game that doesn't just shoehorn the cinematic action sequences into an average procession of linear levels.

Everything is competently implemented without excelling in any individual direction, but the combination and sheer variety of content and fan service has to be commended, and for once it's nice to play through a kids game that doesn't just shoehorn the cinematic action sequences into an average procession of linear levels.

Everything is competently implemented without excelling in any individual direction, but the combination and sheer variety of content and fan service has to be commended, and for once it's nice to play through a kids game that doesn't just shoehorn the cinematic action sequences into an average procession of linear levels.

Green Day Rock Band is an enjoyable distraction but wholly unnecessary especially when you look at the features announced for Rock Band 3.

Green Day Rock Band is an enjoyable distraction but wholly unnecessary especially when you look at the features announced for Rock Band 3.

All of the problems are irksome rather than game-breaking, and don't have a significant impact on what is a surprisingly deep and engaging rendition of Mark Twain's "good walk spoiled".

All of the problems are irksome rather than game-breaking, and don't have a significant impact on what is a surprisingly deep and engaging rendition of Mark Twain's "good walk spoiled".

The tragedy of Alpha Protocol is that, hidden behind the mass of technical failings is a superb action RPG bristling with choice and driven by some inspired storytelling.

The tragedy of Alpha Protocol is that, hidden behind the mass of technical failings is a superb action RPG bristling with choice and driven by some inspired storytelling.

The tragedy of Alpha Protocol is that, hidden behind the mass of technical failings is a superb action RPG bristling with choice and driven by some inspired storytelling.

To be honest there is very little that Backbreaker does wrong. Its only real drawback is that it is not an official NFL licensed game and misses out on the major draw of taking a team to the Super Bowl.

To be honest there is very little that Backbreaker does wrong. Its only real drawback is that it is not an official NFL licensed game and misses out on the major draw of taking a team to the Super Bowl.

The most telling problem though, is that even when playing with the very best squad of footballers that Pure can muster, it just isn't engaging and fluid enough to be of interest for more than a couple of matches.

The most telling problem though, is that even when playing with the very best squad of footballers that Pure can muster, it just isn't engaging and fluid enough to be of interest for more than a couple of matches.

It’s a shame that the online aspects are so hit and miss, but the new chapter helps to smooth over that complaint. It’s old school and simple, but if you can look past that you’ll definitely have a blast with Doom II on Xbox Live Arcade.

Aptly named, Blur tries to unclear the line between kart and sim, but in the process may leave many racing enthusiasts of both sorts uncomfortable.

Aptly named, Blur tries to unclear the line between kart and sim, but in the process may leave many racing enthusiasts of both sorts uncomfortable.

Aptly named, Blur tries to unclear the line between kart and sim, but in the process may leave many racing enthusiasts of both sorts uncomfortable.

More importantly, it's actually one of the best fighting games available on the market in its own right, so it shouldn't be overlooked by those who enjoy the genre but not the sport.

More importantly, it's actually one of the best fighting games available on the market in its own right, so it shouldn't be overlooked by those who enjoy the genre but not the sport.

ModNation might not be the greatest kart racer that you'll ever play, but the endless invention of the userbase will keep it fresh long past others that are put out to pasture. Highly recommended.

Remedy have proved that they’re not just a one-trick pony, creating a game that’s starkly different to Max Payne but also deeply referential to it. The clever story, great voice work and presentation all work to sweeten an already sweet deal.

Rockstar's latest feels like an actual location rather than a movie set, and it's compelling, cohesive, at once familiar and yet imbued with a sense of slack-jawed wonderment. It's also absolutely unmissable.

Rockstar's latest feels like an actual location rather than a movie set, and it's compelling, cohesive, at once familiar and yet imbued with a sense of slack-jawed wonderment. It's also absolutely unmissable.

There's no doubt about it, Split/Second is a finely balanced, visually stunning racer that loves the brown stuff hitting the fan.

There's no doubt about it, Split/Second is a finely balanced, visually stunning racer that loves the brown stuff hitting the fan.

There's no doubt about it, Split/Second is a finely balanced, visually stunning racer that loves the brown stuff hitting the fan.

Story-wise, you'll be hooked enough that you'll want to finish Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, but it's the always engaging gameplay that's king here.

Story-wise, you'll be hooked enough that you'll want to finish Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, but it's the always engaging gameplay that's king here.

Heroes of Newerth is an intriguing mix of frenetic action and tactical gameplay, showcasing some of the very best aspects of it's still-evolving genre.

Age of Conan in this state is a hell of a lot closer to the world that people envisaged prior to the original release, and Godslayer simply fills one of the final gaps and expands horizontally at higher levels. If there ever was a game that deserved an official relaunch, this would be it.

If you're at all a fan of old-school 90's shooters, Serious Sam or just superb multiplayer fun, Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter could be the perfect distraction from all the serious shooters being released in 2010.

In some respects, Splinter Cell Conviction on the PC is the definitive version of Ubi's reborn franchise. But it's a far more controversial choice for those with flakey broadband connections that just want to experience the single-player, or for anybody that enjoys conversing and strategising with other players in their multiplayer.

Dead to Rights simply coats the environment in red and its characters in force-fed grime and loathability. What's left is an experience that provides some basic action sustenance, but lacks any real purpose or direction.

Dead to Rights simply coats the environment in red and its characters in force-fed grime and loathability. What's left is an experience that provides some basic action sustenance, but lacks any real purpose or direction.