A pristinely polished package that owns old-school twitch shooting. Not only does it look ravishing, but the new vehicles and features round it out as a near faultless package. Our only main concern is that its chaotic gameplay lies on a road well trodden, and the game's prized mode – Warfare – at times feels as much laborious as it us fun.

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

Charming and clever in equal portions, Brütal Legend is a classic example of cohesive game design...In an age of ever-increasing monotony and creative stagnation, a game like Brütal Legend is brash, proud, subversive and triumphant - and it deserves to succeed. Get on board, crank it up and make it so. Two horns up.

While Mario Kart Wii is an enjoyable sequel we can't help but be a little disappointed that the same level of effort Nintendo put into Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros. isn't mirrored here.

Suffice to say, MCLA is the sequel we were hoping for; a ballsy, fast, challenging racing game set to a killer soundtrack. It may be a little frustrating at times, but it gets an awful lot right. Plus, it makes L.A. an appealing place, and that’s harder than you might think.

We're confident in saying that the flight simming genre has been given a second lease of life almost singlehandedly by this one developer. Kudos to Eagle Dynamics and its beautiful rendition of Kamov's deadliest chopper.

There's a real sense of cohesive design and polish at play here, something that we feel is missing from ports of PC titles. This is truly a console RTS, rather than a rethink on an existing title and that shines through in the intelligent interface, the interesting campaign and the multiplayer and co-op friendly gameplay.

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift has been a long time coming - and has had other off-road contenders like Pure nipping at its heels - but the old magic that made the first one a ripper is back, with more vehicles, loads more tracks and a better implemented online feature set. Unless you hate off-road car games with a venomous passion this is pretty much a must-have.

On the surface, Saints Row is an easy game to hate. Actually, I have a feeling that a lot of players and reviewers will write this game off for the sheer stupidity at play at all times. But to do so would be a big disservice to a game that tries hard to do a lot of things and show you a good time. Did we have a good time? Definitely.

There are few flaws. It's incredibly addictive, sure, but that's not a bug; it's a feature. Likewise, you can't save, or even pause the action mid-mission. Thus the stakes are raised, and the experience heightened. Each new challenge is maddening at first, and a cakewalk in hindsight — and each hunt is a thrill.

It's big dumb fun, Saints Row 2 isn't going to redefine any aspects of game design - but in doing so it does deliver on Volition's biggest promise: Saints Row 2 isn't Grand Theft Auto.

An adventure that, for all the self-important dialogue and forced morality, is unquestionably worth your time - particularly for fans that can differentiate between action/platformers and stealth/RPGs.

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.

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.

Gamers who invest time in trancing out to the rhythmic beats and understanding the intricacies of Hero Classes and Rarepons will find a lot to love about Patapon 2.

This is a game you have to own because it presents its brutal killing, incessant swearing and bleak world with such humour and such style. It’s tongue-in-cheek the whole way, and at times quite hilarious. Great fun, too.

It has as much depth as we can ask for a true real-time RTS based in Ivalice, with some of the best production values this side of a first-party Nintendo release.

Suffice to say, MCLA is the sequel we were hoping for; a ballsy, fast, challenging racing game set to a killer soundtrack. It may be a little frustrating at times, but it gets an awful lot right. Plus, it makes L.A. an appealing place, and that’s harder than you might think.

Ninja Gaiden II is not quite the sequel we were hoping for. It’s very good, and it’s still built for those with an iron constitution (aka those prepared to replay sections over and over again until they get them right), but it’s also lazily designed and far cheaper than the original game.

As much as we enjoyed our time as Prince and even gave into the somewhat forced love story, we came away wishing for a little more to do. Still it's by far better to do a few things really well than to try your hand at everything and succeed at nothing. Prince of Persia is arguably the best classic adventure game of 2008 – with a little room to improve.

It is slick in production, providing a lot of what one could reasonably ask for in a fighting game. The game is as accessible as ever, pretty to look at and arcade-perfect to a T.

Unique to a fault. It's adventurous, dark, silly, and it'll keep you up at night whether you want it to or not.

For Wii Sports diehards, Wii Sports Resort will be worth a look, but for the rest of us – especially those who’ve thrashed Bowling to death already, this is a patchy offering more notable for its missed opportunities than its successes.

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.

The biggest demo you'll ever play. There honestly is more to do here than in many full-price titles, despite the fact it's merely a teaser. It's barn-stormingly beautiful and feels sublime.

The value of the game is really dependent on your passion and commitment.

Parents will love it; it gets their kids off their butts and into sports – even if it's still in front of the tube. Kids will go for the micro-games and competitive elements. Stay-at-home mums can work out pent-up anger and health-nuts might use this as the excuse they need to buy a Wii. Old people will still scratch their heads, though.

The game is thoughtful in design, mostly clever in its handling of pacing, upgrading parts and keeping you on track as you work your way towards the final encounter. But it's just not as fun or interesting as it should be.