In creating a sequel bursting with new features, Studio Japan has lost some of the essence that made Patapon such a simple, fun game. Sure, the core gameplay remains fundamentally unchanged and therefore there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had, whether you’re fresh to the series or an experienced pro.

Taken on its own merits it is a solid if unspectacular third-person action game, and about the unkindest thing you could say about it is that it is bland and inoffensive.

Succumb to its infectiously deliberate pace and there's plenty to uncover in Doodle Hex. However, if it's immediate gratification you're after, with the minimum of endeavour, then there's perhaps just a bit too much here to suit your fancy.

Scary it mightn’t be, but it’s compelling, unsettling and engaging in its own familiar, anachronistic way.

Ultimately, our issue is simple - if you’re going to shamelessly riff on a formula popularised and pretty much perfected by another massive game title - yes, God of War in this instance - you better be damn sure you do it better. And, sadly, aside from its excellent combat system, Dante’s Inferno misses the mark in almost every way.

Sure, its plot is hugely contrived, it’s occasionally frustrating and really lacking in the kind of polish we expect from big-name games in this day and age. However, it’s also undoubtedly one of the most imaginative, ambitious and exciting titles to hit a console in the last few years.

Taken on its own merits it is a solid if unspectacular third-person action game, and about the unkindest thing you could say about it is that it is bland and inoffensive.

While Invizimals' technology can't quite deliver on its ambition, it works enough of the time avoid condemnation. The real issue is the restrictiveness of the mission structure and ultimate lack of real depth to the critter combat.

If you take it on its own terms it is a solid enough title, hampered only by the PSP’s lack of a second analog stick and the terrible script. Whether that’s enough depends on whether you’re a PSP-owner looking for an uncomplicated bit of fun, or whether you’re a massive corporation trying to revive the fortunes of an increasingly overlooked bit of hardware.

A true blockbuster of a game, Quantum of Solace is loud, dumb but sadly all-too-forgettable. The Bond licence goes a good way to hiding the game’s lack of ideas and for the four hours the single-player campaign lasts there’s no denying it’s a solid blast, but ultimately there’s better ways to spend your money this autumn.

At its core it's a potentially great action game and it's very good-looking, but it explains itself so incredibly poorly and has such an awkward structure and poor checkpointing that a lot of the fun is ruined by interminable frustration – not to mention the fact that it's basically unplayable as a single-player game.

At its core it's a potentially great action game and it's very good-looking, but it explains itself so incredibly poorly and has such an awkward structure and poor checkpointing that a lot of the fun is ruined by interminable frustration – not to mention the fact that it's basically unplayable as a single-player game.

Such problems are not enough to detract from MotoGP 09/10’s successes, and there are enough of these to make it just about worthwhile for anyone desperately itching for some authentic action.

There’s a great idea at the core of Nuts & Bolts and, from superb construction tools right through to lavish presentation, there are plenty of individual elements worthy of praise. When it fails though, Banjo fails badly and the lack of any fundamentally engaging framework to support the game’s creative elements renders the game pretty much obsolete for anyone looking for something to appreciate beyond the incredibly flexible building component in isolation.

For all its promise to deliver a thoughtful take on the murkier aspects of war combined with Free Radical's proven prestige with first person shooters, ultimately Haze is a resounding disappointment that never truly shines in any department.

That sense of freedom offered aside, its design is hopelessly outdated at best and laborious to the point of perpetual boredom at worst. Once the initial lustre of Assassin’s Creed’s world wears off after a few hours, what’s left is a flimsy, soulless gameplay experience, struggling under the weight of a painfully ponderous, woefully hackneyed narrative which only serves to drag things down further.

Unfortunately the reality is something that harks back to the darker days of open world games, its individual elements uninspiring and its story a poor patchwork of clichés sewn together with juvenile smut and swearing - and it's a melancholy swansong for the once brilliant Pandemic.

Unfortunately the reality is something that harks back to the darker days of open world games, its individual elements uninspiring and its story a poor patchwork of clichés sewn together with juvenile smut and swearing - and it's a melancholy swansong for the once brilliant Pandemic.

It does little to endorse Ubisoft's claim that it's been in development for years, as underneath the admittedly high-detail visuals it's a pretty rudimentary thing. It's a long way better than bilge like the Quantum of Solace, but it's certainly got no sense of a landmark pop-cultural moment, in the way we're repeatedly told the film will.

Ultimately, our main issue with Buzz! Master Quiz is that it's an almost completely redundant package. Solo mode isn't substantial enough to maintain your interest for long and multiplayer options are so peculiarly arranged that the real meat of the series is pretty much lost.

It does little to endorse Ubisoft's claim that it's been in development for years, as underneath the admittedly high-detail visuals it's a pretty rudimentary thing. It's a long way better than bilge like the Quantum of Solace, but it's certainly got no sense of a landmark pop-cultural moment, in the way we're repeatedly told the film will.

Conquest offers much sound and fury but little substance.

Conquest offers much sound and fury but little substance.

Though the game enthralls in short bursts it’s hard to see anyone sticking with it for more than a couple of plays before moving on to more substantial fare – and as such we wouldn’t recommend anyone paying out for the full-fat asking price.

Though the game enthralls in short bursts it’s hard to see anyone sticking with it for more than a couple of plays before moving on to more substantial fare – and as such we wouldn’t recommend anyone paying out for the full-fat asking price.

For the already-converted, Labyrinth of Lost Souls is a more than solid dungeon crawler. Its fulsome selection of side-quests, items, and expansive dungeons could keep you exploring for many hours, making it excellent value. But it's hard to imagine it winning over the unconvinced or the uninitiated.

Every bit as disappointing as expected. By Capcom's normally impressive standards, this is by some margin its least impressive offering for a generation. To be blunt, Dark Void is a bland mass of half-baked ideas, generic combat and unengaging aerial action, with poor AI and a wearisome story.

Disorientating, disjointed, over-stretched and largely charmless.

Every bit as disappointing as expected. By Capcom's normally impressive standards, this is by some margin its least impressive offering for a generation. To be blunt, Dark Void is a bland mass of half-baked ideas, generic combat and unengaging aerial action, with poor AI and a wearisome story.