Pandora feels more like an actual place than a virtual battleground, thanks to Gearbox's attention to detail in this game...I mean, when was the last time you cared about the name of any gun manufacturer in any shooter you played recently? Listen, I've played the heck out of the COD: MW titles, and I've used a TAR-21 more times than I care to mention, but I couldn't tell you who manufactured it... The gun-makers in Borderlands 2 don't even exist, for goodness sake, and I'm already brand-loyal to one of them.

If you've never played LittleBigPlanet before, then this PS Vita version is the ideal introduction. In fact, it's the ideal introduction to games in general, as it will teach you the basics of how to make them, as well as providing you with a huge dollop of entertainment.

There's a lot to like about The Wreckateer; it's a fun, if slightly lightweight offering, and its Kinect controls are well implemented. But as good as it is, The Wreckateer won't win over anyone who isn't already convinced by Kinect. It looks like players may have to wait for the next generation of consoles before that's even possible.

Right off the bat, the world contained in Fall Of Cybertron is far more impressive visually than that of its predecessor.

A game of assured construction, stimulating myth, and welcome challenge, a warm celebration to the games of our childhood that, in its brightest moments, matches them.

While Sleeping Dogs works from an established palette, it's an absolute blast to play. Like the Uncharted series, the focus here isn't to break new ground for the medium through innovation. Instead, the aim here is to make the player feel like an action hero in a piece of blockbuster entertainment, while remaining fun to play throughout. Sleeping Dogs is not the most original game you'll play all year, but it's easily one of the most enjoyable and it's arguably one of the best.

This comeback is exactly what was needed: pared down, cheap and distilled to its irresistible essence.

It's a game in which an early sense of delight and intrigue soon turns to weariness, the standout scenes and ideas failing to compensate for an increasing sense of deja vu with each new wall run and puzzle, wrapped in a tired storyline that does little to propel you forward. In the end, it's the zombies that make you flee to the conclusion, rather than the design that draws you towards it – a subtle distinction perhaps, but a crucial one.

New Super Mario Bros 2 may not do anything we haven't seen in a game before, but it oozes such quality from every pixel that if you don't derive pleasure from playing it, no matter what your age or gender, it's difficult to think of any game that would satisfy you.

Inversion is a tiny bit frustrating. It's a nicely crafted game with some good ideas, which nevertheless seems unwilling to claim an identity of its own. If you liked Gears of War, you'll enjoy playing it, but you might find its sheer familiarity a bit annoying. And if you like third-person shooters that don't require superhuman skills, you'll enjoy it, too. But if you're looking for something futuristic, cutting-edge and distinctive, keep on looking.

As a piece of merchandise, this does the job it needs to. As a video game, it's anything but Brave.

The new DLC contains a couple of mechanical flaws, its story feels undercooked at times and, because this is a Bethesda game, it is by no means bug-free. But if you already own a copy of Skyrim, buying Dawnguard isn't so much a good decision to make as it is a no-brainer.

It's not an easy or forgiving game. Disappearing platforms require excellent timing, and not thinking ahead can often mean leaping on to a platform already occupied by one of the many alien invaders, sapping one heart from your meter.

Even with abilities that are steadily upgraded as you progress, The Amazing Spider-Man never feels quite as precise as you might wish thanks largely to quicktime instructions that come too thick and fast for the timed responses.

Close Quarters has a nice balance of new geography, modes and tactics but not enough to really excite.

Quantum Conundrum feels like the PC's answer to a smartphone app – a simple idea, well executed but never quite reaching the level of a "real" game. You'll play it for a few hours, enjoying the experience and then suddenly think: "Well, that's enough of that," and never go back. It is what it is; a small slice of casual gaming at a slightly inflated price.

While there's some genuine heart and originality in Spec Ops: The Line, the experience of playing the game is just too hit and miss for me to recommend it unreservedly.

Lego Batman 2: DC Heroes isn't groundbreaking but it is consistently fun, and while it might not take top honours for best Batman game of all time (that belt is still held by Batman: Arkham City), it's easily the best Lego game we've seen in years.

A decent game that has been horrifically let down by one sub-standard element.

Unfortunately, any sustained period of time spent actually playing The Eternity Clock will leave you with a similarly desperate feeling. Doctor Who games have always set very specific problems.

DiRT Showdown isn't going to change the world – it's a frothy, tongue-in-cheek driving game with pretensions towards nothing beyond providing entertainment. But it does that in spades, with considerable technical accomplishment.

GR:FS is so nearly a landmark game. It's busting with great gadgets, challenging and unusual to play and committed to a true co-op spirit that most rivals have long since abandoned. If only it looked a little better, had a few more maps and U-Play made it easier to find a quick online match-up with your mates. Even so, it's a worthy alternative to any FPS and puts the Ghost Recon franchise right back at the cutting edge.

Dragon's Dogma has everything that RPG-heads crave – you can lose yourself in tinkering around, collecting items, finding arcane quests and seeking random enemies for days. It's reassuringly complex, and astonishingly well-executed given that this is Capcom's first attempt at such a game.

For single players, it's an entertaining and gorgeous-looking dungeon hack but it's a bit short, extremely linear and hardly pushing any boundaries. Playing online (and Blizzard isn't really giving us a choice) makes it a better balanced and more compelling challenge, with all the potential to be the kind of lifestyle substitute that Diablo's legion of hunter-gatherer fans should relish.

The key to the game is the pitch perfect control system. A customisable auto-targetting system lets players select between hard or soft auto systems, the latter subtly guiding your reticule rather than aggressively yanking it toward specific enemies. Both are smart, seamless and intuitive, allowing newcomers to acclimatise to the turbo-charged pace.

While its plot may be undernourished, the campaign does contain a series of worthy action set pieces, and really, it's not a bad way to spend an afternoon. But the single-player's main purpose seems aimed at familiarising players with Starhawk's mechanics before setting them loose in the game's online battleground, which, as has been mentioned, is where its true longevity lies.

If you're uninitiated in the ways of Agent 47, this may be a little bit of a wobbly entry into the series, but it's certainly worth it of you're a huge fan of the franchise.

Like Sim City and Civilization before it, it is a sandbox that not only facilitates but also actively nurtures experimentation and creativity. That is much more rare than it sounds, and so much more valuable.