Unbounded may not have much to do with the things that defined Ridge Racer, but if you can get over that, you'll discover an energetic, entertaining racer, with gratifyingly destructive environments, challenging gameplay and interesting online. Ridge Racer was due for a reboot, and here it is.

Unbounded may not have much to do with the things that defined Ridge Racer, but if you can get over that, you'll discover an energetic, entertaining racer, with gratifyingly destructive environments, challenging gameplay and interesting online. Ridge Racer was due for a reboot, and here it is.

A reminder of just how good hanging out with friends and playing multiplayer in the same room can be. It's certainly not all it could – or perhaps should – be, so we can't help but be a little disappointed, but ultimately it's still a blast.

The environments are huge, the plane list is long plus it looks gorgeous and sounds great. The action is thick and visceral; aerial stoushes can go from tense, one-on-one affairs to grand, epic encounters against swarms of enemy fighters and bombers.

The environments are huge, the plane list is long plus it looks gorgeous and sounds great. The action is thick and visceral; aerial stoushes can go from tense, one-on-one affairs to grand, epic encounters against swarms of enemy fighters and bombers.

I do have some complaints; namely a short campaign (seven hours), cowardly AI Spartans, an undercooked plot, and it's obviously disappointing that Bungie is no longer at the bleeding edge of graphics technology (as it was with Halo and Halo 2) but at the end of the day we've got an absolute treasure trove of gameplay for shooter die-hards.

A deeply flawed game, where the story is the highlight - and far more engaging than most. I certainly enjoyed my 11-12 hours with Mafia II, and those looking for an authentic-feeling mob tale should definitely check it out. This one is more than the sum of its parts.

A deeply flawed game, where the story is the highlight - and far more engaging than most. I certainly enjoyed my 11-12 hours with Mafia II, and those looking for an authentic-feeling mob tale should definitely check it out. This one is more than the sum of its parts.

It's clunky and frustrating and (occasionally) dull, but it's also solid and addictive and (occasionally) beautiful. Like I said: a game of glaring contradictions.

A hugely impressive achievement. It takes everything we loved about the original game and improves upon it.

Alan Wake is not quite the revelatory experience we hoped it would be, but it’s a solid and entertaining game that’s rich in atmosphere, with good combat mechanics and an intriguing story.

A momentous gaming experience; one that marries artistry with supreme design rarely seen. If there's a textbook on how to be referent to a classic genre while always pressing forward, Red Dead Redemption is the byline. Wonderful.

A momentous gaming experience; one that marries artistry with supreme design rarely seen. If there's a textbook on how to be referent to a classic genre while always pressing forward, Red Dead Redemption is the byline. Wonderful.

Playing co-op with other humans truly brings the game to life. Whether your hunting squad is running like a well-oiled machine, or you're all screaming abuse at the one guy who keeps dying, the unpredictable nature of play always make co-op feel like an occasion.

It's a game that prides itself instead on the glories of the chaos you create, the freedom of exploration and a goof-off action story to keep you in money, weapons and women. It's not for every gamer we wager, but if you're in need of a dose of true sandbox action, there are few better ways to invest your buck.

It's a game that prides itself instead on the glories of the chaos you create, the freedom of exploration and a goof-off action story to keep you in money, weapons and women. It's not for every gamer we wager, but if you're in need of a dose of true sandbox action, there are few better ways to invest your buck.

Red Steel 2 really isn't a complex game. It doesn't need to be, of course, but it would be nice if it had better storytelling and more interesting characters.

Even if God of War III isn't going to cause a massive rethink on the way you play action-heavy platformers, Kratos has earned an enviable position at the head of his genre's ladder - and we don't think there's going to be another hero quite like him, in a series as consistently outstanding as this, for a very long time.

It’s a massive game with a ridiculous amount of content. That said, bigger isn’t necessarily better. A slightly shorter game with a more unified design might have worked better.

This game represents some fine character development and storytelling. The further in you get the more involving it all becomes, and when you finish you’ll be raring to start all over again, and that’s always a great sign.

Drop in multiplayer campaign battles add a human element to proceedings. However, the freeform campaign mode feels limited in only offering four nations to choose from.

In raw gameplay terms, BioShock 2 improves on the original in everyway, with a deeper combat system, a broader set of enemy types and the addition of a fully-featured multiplayer mode.

In raw gameplay terms, BioShock 2 improves on the original in everyway, with a deeper combat system, a broader set of enemy types and the addition of a fully-featured multiplayer mode.

Mass Effect 2's greatest strength once again falls upon the beauty of its universe and the carefully interwoven character dramas underpinning the action. It's a fascinating and hugely enjoyable experience that serves not only as a reminder of how wide the valley between a 'great and an 'excellent' game actually is, but why BioWare is still one of the most vital and important developers out there today.

A great action RPG. Solid, ever-evolving combat meets solid, ever-evolving puzzles in some really evocative environments. There are a few clumsy or lacklustre moments – the flying sequence is dull, for instance, and this isn’t in any way a revolutionary game, but it is good fun and it is well-designed.

A great action RPG. Solid, ever-evolving combat meets solid, ever-evolving puzzles in some really evocative environments.

While it’s a little rough around the edges we enjoyed this game more than we thought we would. It’s far from perfect, but it’s great to see Pandemic going out with a bang.

While it’s a little rough around the edges we enjoyed this game more than we thought we would. It’s far from perfect, but it’s great to see Pandemic going out with a bang.