We can see some hardcore puzzle addicts playing this (and probably being very good at it), but for the average gamer it represents little more than a curiosity with little long-term appeal.

Even the positive multiplayer aspect can’t be recommended because it is just nothing new. At around six hours to play through, and with only a moderately intriguing storyline to follow, this is about as thin as F.E.A.R.’s welcome will wear without breaking.

If you steer clear of the completionist grinding, this RPG is fast-paced and the simplistic combat is enjoyable and rewarding once the challenge kicks in.

Plain and simple: if you buy Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires, you’re saying it’s ok for this lame excuse for a video game series to continue dragging everything else down with it. It’s even less amusing than it used to be now that it’s infecting next-gen consoles.

This game has basically been done before and been done better. Even for hardened action RPG fans who are looking for their next fix before Diablo 3 hits, it would be difficult to recommend much about Loki that would provide them with any sort of new buzz.

It’s automatically a better game than any in the "Dynasty Warriors" series, but still comes a distant second place to Phantagram’s own "Kingdom Under Fire" titles.

It has some decent ideas and concepts, let down by bad enemy A.I. and very repetitive gameplay.

The biggest problem is that Shadow Ops apparent efforts at achieving a cinematic feel have fallen well flat and the FMV is disappointingly bland.

As a game it’s fairly average, but the presentation is top notch.

Play 3 is sadly little more than a humdrum selection of shallow mini-games that make you feel like you’re going through the motions when playing them.

There is little atmosphere and it’s about as immersive as playing one of those silly Osama Bin Laden-killing flash games in your web browser.

Shadow Ops is a rather bland, generic FPS that – aside from some good sound and all-round high production values – offers absolutely nothing in the way of originality.

For the sake of the video game industry, don't buy Goldeneye: Rogue Agent. It's a benchmark for bad ideas badly implemented.

Boiling Point is an amazing piece of work, but is like a piece of art that will never be finished. We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it, despite its flaws, as it is the very definition of freeform adventuring.

It's really the co-op mode that saves the game from utter mediocrity. Nevertheless, the abject blandness of pretty much every other facet of the game holds it back from being decent enough to purchase.

It’s nowhere near being a hellish failure and it’s possibly even worth a go when it’s cheaper, but on its own Infernal is little more than a good looking tech demo for Ageia’s PhysX cards, a fantastic endorsement for mittens, and the perfect gift for overly religious relatives.

The single-player mode is surprisingly entertaining, while single-DS play is perfect for car journeys. And, provided you have a dictionary on hand, it can even be pretty educational.

There’s certainly enough depth here to entertain most combat veterans and with a little more in the way of new content it would no doubt have done better following on the success of Battlestations: Midway. Overall an entertaining history lesson that doesn’t let a few minor flaws spoil the fun.

It is built on an entertaining concept, but let down by poor presentation. The dreadful frame-rate makes it almost unplayable in places, and that is unforgivable in a commercial product, especially when the graphics, sound and story could all have been so much better.

Dynasty Warriors is as stagnated as ever and now carries the weight of a niche franchise upon its back. An overhaul is long overdue.

The Crash Bandicoot games seem a little stuck in a rut, and despite some apparent efforts to expand the gameplay, Mind Over Mutant does nothing to pull the series out.

If there’s one thing that can’t be doubted, it’s Wario’s credentials as a Master of Disguise – he’s managed to take a sub-par puzzle-platformer, and make it look like an inventive spin on a well-worn genre. Sadly, this particular disguise doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

It’s as though no effort has gone into the gameplay beyond what merely works, and little thought has been given into making either the main single player or multiplayer modes fun or worth pursuing.

It’s still the most complete virtual poker experience you’re likely to come across, but it falls short of what it could have been. Cool ideas like the ability to change your player’s facial expression are all but pointless, and the online play doesn’t really seem to have taken off.

It has to be said though – as a game, LSL is pretty thin. The mini-games are weak and become pretty repetitive. Happily though, the bawdy comedy that plays out while you’re going through the motions, especially during the conversations, do make it all worthwhile.

The graphics are worse, joypads are a poor substitute for keyboard and mouse control, online play is laggier and there aren’t enough people playing. And to rub it all in, you can pick the PC version for a good deal cheaper.

For the most part it’s an enjoyable if unremarkable shooter, where satisfying gunplay and alien carnage struggle to overcome a shallow plot and quirky controls.

It just seems that not much thought has gone into the level design and gameplay beyond “could a five-year-old play this?”.