If you're willing to put in a good 5-6 hours learning the foibles of the interface, and then spend the rest of your time with the game wishing it was better, there is something to be said for the setting and the heart of the action that lies beneath. It's just not enough to overwhelm the tide of poor UI decisions that unfortunately sit dominant on top.

All Zombies Must Die is a solid shooter with RPG elements and a decent level of character upgrading. Unfortunately, it's let down a little by the monotonous missions of 'kill that' or 'collect this'. Rachel isn't a particularly likable either - of course, you don't have to use her at all!

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is an essential purchase, and more content worth experiencing than just about any other game released in the past year.

There is fun to be had on the streets of San Paro though, and as the price of entry is precisely zero, there's absolutely no reason not to give it a try.

A solid puzzler but little else. What it sets out to do, gameplay-wise, it succeeds in, providing admirable and occasionally fiddly conundrums to cudgel your grey matter with. However, outside of that, there's little to charm you, little to make you 'love' the game, rather than just like it.

What is unforgivable is that All Zombies Must Die! commits the ultimate video game sin by becoming boring. Much like the classic example of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, (that's right, I went there) quantity must not come at the expense of quality or even a basic level of enjoyment. It's a real shame because with more variety and less padding AZMD could've been so much more.

It may carry a lot of the same foundations as other MMOs but BioWare has given the genre something it has desperately needed - actual RPG - and that can only spell good things for us all.

On its own merits, the PC version of Insect Armageddon is a strong port of the most modern and proficient Earth Defense Force yet. The downloadable version is even cheaper than its console counterparts too, currently "e-tailing" for £14.99 on Steam.

Some flaws still exist including some poor camera control problems reminiscent of the era when this was originally created, but in general this is a really impressive HD remake of an underrated, under played classic that deserves the attention – and something that other HD remakes could definitely stand to learn a thing or two from.

As far as the 360-specific additions are concerned, there are a few extra environments and characters for you to get your teeth into, but the core of Joe Danger is resolutely the same as its PS3 cousin. And for once, that's a fantastic thing. If you enjoyed Trials, and if you like Sonic or even Tony Hawk, you owe it to yourself to give this a try.

We're off the opinion that the worst that can happen to a game is it being uninspiring – Northern Crusades isn't a bad game, but neither is it a particularly good game. It simply is and it's hard to give a passionate answer either way as to whether it's worth your time.

It's a comfortable Action RPG that makes up for its shortcomings with addictive fun, cool three-player co-op and a goddamned giant talking eagle. Just push a few boundaries and hire a scriptwriter next time Snowblind, please.

Trine 2 is a rare and beautifully cut gem of a game, and makes for a wonderful end to a season of extremely strong releases.

Xtreme Legends, though, is a proposition only for the hardcore Warriors fan or at a bargain basement price. With the original Dynasty Warriors 7 now reduced, picking up this package that arguably has less compelling content and asks for the original disc for some of its modes seems crazy. If you're just looking for some mindless hacking and slashing, though, this'll do fine.

I am extremely glad of Serious Sam 3's existence. It serves as a timely reminder of how shooters don't need to be highly restrictive rollercoasters that heavily manipulate the player in order to create intensity and epic spectacle.

Rayman Origins is the best 2D platformer this year, one of my favourite ever made (it's up there with Yoshi's Island), and the one game out in November everyone should play. I don't care if you've got other games to play – this one will make you feel good inside.

Rayman Origins is the best 2D platformer this year, one of my favourite ever made (it's up there with Yoshi's Island), and the one game out in November everyone should play. I don't care if you've got other games to play – this one will make you feel good inside.

Saints Row: The Third is a consistently thrilling and addictive streak through the sandbox genre's most popular avenues, even if it is as shallow as the 'GTL' lifestyle it strives to promote.

Saints Row: The Third is a consistently thrilling and addictive streak through the sandbox genre's most popular avenues, even if it is as shallow as the 'GTL' lifestyle it strives to promote.

What's here is entertaining enough, but you can't shake the feeling that the end product could have been so much more fulfilling with just a little more conviction and/or development time. Whatever their reasons though, I'll be crossing my fingers for a sequel; the concept is brilliant.

What's here is entertaining enough, but you can't shake the feeling that the end product could have been so much more fulfilling with just a little more conviction and/or development time. Whatever their reasons though, I'll be crossing my fingers for a sequel; the concept is brilliant.

Finally significant progress has been put into place, as the game's backbone is starting to feel sturdy enough to carry the weight of expectation.

Finally significant progress has been put into place, as the game's backbone is starting to feel sturdy enough to carry the weight of expectation.

An utterly rubbish game.

Jurassic Park: The Game gets the licence utterly perfect, offering a thrilling rollercoaster ride (sometimes literally) of dinosaurs, tension and action, but still wise enough to slow down, let you and the characters catch their collective breath, and unwind with a simple puzzle or two.

Jurassic Park: The Game gets the licence utterly perfect, offering a thrilling rollercoaster ride (sometimes literally) of dinosaurs, tension and action, but still wise enough to slow down, let you and the characters catch their collective breath, and unwind with a simple puzzle or two.

Although it doesn't push any boundaries, Just Dance 3 is a decent addition to the much-loved series.

If you've never played Overkill before this is the definitive version of a great game. It's something that might only be played once but will be remembered fondly after that fact as a fun experience. It's hilarious, sometimes disgusting, sometimes ridiculous and almost always fun – especially when playing with a friend.