Lovecraft’s work intrigues people, it immerses them and, given the right circumstances, can scare the crap out of them as well. Unfortunately most attempts to turn these ideas into gameplay fail miserably and Darkness Within is just another example of how not to do it. The game mechanics fail to create any kind of immersive experience that the graphics could easily have supported.

All the pedigree and ideas are here to make Hammer & Sickle a veritable feast of turn-based feast action. Unfortunately they’re all lost in a flawed and poorly executed example of cashing in on past glory.

It’s not like Ubi to release such a generic and obviously flawed game such as this, but it’s not unprecedented either and we can only hope this unfortunate blip is the worst that we’ll see for a while.

As a rental, Lost: The Video Game might entertain a handful of die-hard fans for four or five hours, but it has no replay value.

If you’re really keen on an officially sanctioned and more importantly legal nostalgic journey – especially if you’re fond of scrolling shoot-em-ups – then the Namco Museum 50th Anniversary collection does have its merits.

It’s most successful at emulating the film’s atmosphere, particularly with wise-cracking Jack Sparrow taking centre stage, but the gameplay feels unambitious and ultimately stuck in a rut.

The whole thing takes about 10 hours to play, and with little to no replay value, this doesn't exactly represent fantastic value for money. Overall, the Da Vinci Code game is like a disappointing pleasure cruise, with one or two sunny islands floating in a big, grey sea of tedium.

As it is, X-Men: The Official Game is “officially” a horse’s turd of an experience that’s approximately as painful as Wolverine’s claws inadvertently sliding out while he’s wiping his arse.

There’s a few hours of play in it, but no real fun. L.A. Duel is blander than a petrol station sandwich, but thankfully less likely to leave you blowing chunks by the side of the road.

As it is, X-Men: The Official Game is “officially” a horse’s turd of an experience that’s approximately as painful as Wolverine’s claws inadvertently sliding out while he’s wiping his arse.

As it is, X-Men: The Official Game is “officially” a horse’s turd of an experience that’s approximately as painful as Wolverine’s claws inadvertently sliding out while he’s wiping his arse.

This type of game has been done so much better in the past and we just can’t think of anything that makes it stand out – not even the tacked on multiplayer which feels like exactly that.

This could, and indeed should, have been a market leading game, blowing people away with clever tactical shooting action. Instead, it’s flawed and with the exception of the co-op mode, has nothing to make it shine.

Dawn of Magic does everything in the RPG book by-the-numbers, only it seems to have used all the wrong numbers.

So there you have it – a darts game that offers a fairly miserable experience for non-darts fans, but uses the licence well enough to divert the attention of a fan of the televised sport for ever-so slightly longer.

Superman Returns: The Videogame is an embarrassment to video games, not to mention the Superman franchise, and is a new low for the quality of movie tie-ins.

Littered with occasionaly glimmers of hope, Vivendi’s attempt to create a true killer-app sadly falls flat, with most of the game feeling uninspired and largely by-the-numbers.

This could, and indeed should, have been a market leading game, blowing people away with clever tactical shooting action. Instead, it’s flawed and with the exception of the co-op mode, has nothing to make it shine.

Everywhere that the "WarioWare" series succeeds, Ape Academy fails spectacularly. Where one provides a blisteringly fast succession of well-designed quickfire mini-games, the other serves up a painfully slow collection of loading times interspersed with faulty, bland nonsense.

If the game really interests you, go ahead and get it. You probably won’t be disappointed and it even has online play, though goodness knows why as you’ll be lucky to find an opponent.

Superman Returns: The Videogame is an embarrassment to video games, not to mention the Superman franchise, and is a new low for the quality of movie tie-ins.

Littered with occasionaly glimmers of hope, Vivendi’s attempt to create a true killer-app sadly falls flat, with most of the game feeling uninspired and largely by-the-numbers.

Far too simplistic and lacking in challenge to be even vaguely capable of recommending, even at its budget price.

Restricted Area is not astounding, or flashy, or new, or even particularly exciting to most gamers but it is at least decent, reasonably priced and fairly enjoyable if you like cyberpunk and combat RPGs.

Perhaps most importantly, it’s fun. Repetitive and glitchy in places maybe, but that hook will keep you reeling out those sweary one liners at hostages and putting security guards’ faces through vending machines until the conclusion.

Pirates: Duels on the High Seas feels more like a game for mobile phones that you can pick up for a fiver than a twenty quid DS game. It shows very little imagination and no new ideas, as though the developers have drawn themselves a very small box and made no attempt to think outside of it.

Removing micromanagement is one thing, but when the gameplay goes out of the door with it, it becomes a serious case of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Two Worlds isn't fit to be put on the same shelves as Oblivion, or any other game. It does bring a new meaning to the term RPG, though, as in Real Piece of Garbage. Just....no.