There's a workmanlike shooter dug in behind the bugs and blandness, but why bother unearthing it, when you could be playing Shadow Complex or Costume Quest? Best avoided.

Patently unterrifying, Dead Space 2 is nonetheless a feat of paradigm-splicing worthy of Frankenstein himself. The scars of creation are visible on its flanks, repurposed muscles and organs bulging through the skin, but somehow everything works in harmony. All told, Isaac Clarke can do without his day job.

Patently unterrifying, Dead Space 2 is nonetheless a feat of paradigm-splicing worthy of Frankenstein himself. The scars of creation are visible on its flanks, repurposed muscles and organs bulging through the skin, but somehow everything works in harmony. All told, Isaac Clarke can do without his day job.

LittleBigPlanet 2 makes no bones of being part of an on-going project, reaching back into the still-blossoming folds of its predecessor not to paint over or recompose, but to straighten out, to rearticulate, to clarify.

Still, an opportunity has been missed. EA has the resources, and DICE has the talent, to put together a fantastic Vietnam game, one that delves rather deeper into the setting than weapon rosters and track lists. Instead, the pair have treated Vietnam as a Flavour of the Month.

In a generation where Nintendo seem ever-more preoccupied with hardware innovation and its expanded audience, Retro's dependable high-quality output bodes well for the future.

It's damn good, and not just in a "good for the Wii" kind of way. Of course it doesn't match the likes of Modern Warfare 2 and Halo Reach shot for shot, but it provides a thrilling eight hours worth campaign that offers a worthy diversion from any current HD alternative.

It's a game built round a single mode, in effect, but with its hefty community presence, asymmetrical flex and raw kinesis, it offers more entertainment value than racers many times its size on paper.

It's a game built round a single mode, in effect, but with its hefty community presence, asymmetrical flex and raw kinesis, it offers more entertainment value than racers many times its size on paper.

Black Ops reveals a franchise travelling in two directions at once, simultaneously more relevant than ever and among the most redundant of shooters.

What PD have delivered is unquestionably a phenomenal achievement and will represent countless lost hours for petrolheads the world over, but the GT series is no longer the gold standard for driving games. If it takes Yamauchi and his team another five years (or more) to better GT5, the brand runs the risk of being left in the past.

It's taken multiple console generations, various rebuilds of Sonic Team and more miserably failed experiments than Eggman's R&D department, but it's finally here: a Sonic game worthy of genuine praise.

The world is huge and meticulously detailed, the mechanics are captivating, and for all the bugs the rewards of persistence are considerable.

The world is huge and meticulously detailed, the mechanics are captivating, and for all the bugs the rewards of persistence are considerable.

As an exercise in giving shape to the ego of the person playing it, it's second to none; as an attempt to realise the conflicts and compromises of high statehood, it falls short.

Dead Rising 2 is a serviceable follow-up, and another unique addition to the ranks of zombie bashers. Its uniqueness is of the rough-and-ready variety, however, sparked by colliding clichés, and for all Fortune City's lashings of sugar, glitter and grey matter, many will find that unevenness hard to bear. Recommended, but watch your step.

Everyone involved in this project from greenlight, to the cunning PR strategy, to bravely naming the game Sonic 4, to the polished final product, should be immensely proud – and now, fans who've stuck with Sega and the Sonic series through thick and thin, can be too.

EA Sports MMA is a deep, well-rounded, well-structured sim, chewy enough to keep a veteran of the genre occupied but not so chewy that laymen will bounce off.

EA Sports MMA is a deep, well-rounded, well-structured sim, chewy enough to keep a veteran of the genre occupied but not so chewy that laymen will bounce off.

Dead Rising 2 is a serviceable follow-up, and another unique addition to the ranks of zombie bashers. Its uniqueness is of the rough-and-ready variety, however, sparked by colliding clichés, and for all Fortune City's lashings of sugar, glitter and grey matter, many will find that unevenness hard to bear. Recommended, but watch your step.

It's quite dreadfully competent, sufficiently more-ish that you're in danger of forgetting that you could do better, like a packet of supermarket brand tortillas.

Highly refined and just a little faded, Civilization remains the classiest act in the "4X" marketplace.

Proof at least that 'serious' strategy simulation, often excitably proclaimed 'dead', has plenty to offer given a willingness to tear out dead wood.

The last thing the unloved flight combat genre needs is a specimen that sticks to its guns.

It still feels like a budget project, a slice of throwaway fun jury-rigged to a more significant release, but this time there's no Halo 3 to hide behind, and the downsides are too conspicuous to ignore.

It's not just an incredible PSP Metal Gear – it's an incredible Metal Gear and an unexpected leap forward for the series.

Yes, Blur has borrowed ideas, but it has assembled them with great care, expanding and improving on them in many cases.

A whiff of expansion packishness aside, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is another breath of fresh air in an oppressively and perhaps misguidedly 'mature' gaming climate, a chubby, blue-eyed God among chest-bumping, photorealism-brown, cover-seeking insects. Whether you own a Wii or not, there are, quite frankly, no excuses.

In Redemption, Rockstar have succeeded in taking an over-subscribed genre and realizing it with such atmosphere and boundless possibility that it fluently captures the thrill of the Wild West, and with that they’ve taken the Red Dead franchise into the big league, proud to stand alongside the best work they’ve ever produced.

In the end, though, there's only so much we can praise an exercise in teaching old dogs old tricks. Forgotten Sands is exactly one step back for one step forward. Let's hope a flying leap is on the way.

Lost Planet 2 is a mongrel of a shooter – huge, vivid, intricate, feature-heavy, unfailingly cheesy and, at times, a bit broken.

Super is the perfectly refined poster child for an entire genre, and is once again one of the best games this generation.

Super is the perfectly refined poster child for an entire genre, and is once again one of the best games this generation.

A merciless, intimidatingly featured, almost grotesquely involved role-playing timesink, perched balefully atop a platform whose users take to higher difficulty settings about as readily as pigeons take to cactus plants.

Paradise fails on every level. As a collection of minigames it’s woefully inept. As an adult Animal Crossing-style gift-swap holiday it’s devoid of personality and any sense of interaction. As a pervert’s plaything, it’s about as arousing as a Chanel 5 softcore skin flick – the PSP supports MP4s, download the real thing if that’s what you want.

Red Steel 2 is complex without being incoherent, innovative without being off-putting, and one of the finest brawlers we've played full stop.

As fans of S.T.A.L.K.E.R will testify, Ukrainian games offer a distinctly unique flavour. From the obvious, such as the mere act of witnessing a range Russians behind the crosshair as opposed to always underneath it, to that less definable ambience created by different cultural input, Metro 2033 is a fascinating take on a well-explored theme.

The highlights of this iteration are all in the technology; as potent and polished a hack-and-slasher as God of War 3 can be, the myth of its continuing relevance in design circles has worn thin. Series fans should and will invest, as there's fundamentally nothing broken here that wasn't broken before, but don't come expecting a bold rebirth, and don't come expecting the game of the year. Kratos is a frequent visitor to the Underworld; perhaps it's time he stayed there.

DICE has essentially repeated one of 2008’s better party tricks, rolling out a hearty, well-defined shooter that offsets limited solo enjoyment value with immense online replayability. If we must dwell on the profundities of blowing stuff up, this is the way to do it."

Heavy Rain isn’t a film, or even a game trying to be a film. It’s proof of just how compellingly a game can use film, of how gripping a warmed-over scenario or humdrum script can become in the hands of a skilled design team. It filches ideas from cinema, doubtless – what big budget character-driven release doesn’t? – but it’s because it’s a game, in the final analysis, that it’s marvelous.

It’s unlikely the idea could survive another sequel without stretching the universe too far, but for now BioShock 2 is an unmissable journey back into a suffocating, intoxicating world.

There’s nothing broken about Dante’s Inferno, and much that’s enjoyable, but it’s more an act of homage than a game in its own right. Like the shade of the Roman poet Virgil, the Ghost of Sparta keeps Visceral company throughout its underworld adventure, but unlike the former, Kratos casts a very long shadow.

Ultimately your purchasing decision rests on your comfort with the Wii Remote as control method. If you are a die hard SMB professional that truly mastered the Wii Remote and you’re longing for 70 plus levels of challenge, the main game will satisfy that.

Mass Effect 2 succeeds ultimately on the strength of its world and BioWare have created one of the most beautiful, fantastical, consistent, comprehensive and coherent universes seen in science fiction, let alone video games.

Mass Effect 2 succeeds ultimately on the strength of its world and BioWare have created one of the most beautiful, fantastical, consistent, comprehensive and coherent universes seen in science fiction, let alone video games.

The potential is there for a third game to capitalise on the series’ positive features, but until that day, the 40th Day stands as a perfectly competent but ultimately disposable title.

The potential is there for a third game to capitalise on the series’ positive features, but until that day, the 40th Day stands as a perfectly competent but ultimately disposable title.

Darksiders is a fine example of giving gamers what they want and doing it well.

In an age of endless bald space marines, colour pallets that know nothing beyond brown and grey, and gritty urban sandboxes, Bayonetta is a breath of fresh air.

In an age of endless bald space marines, colour pallets that know nothing beyond brown and grey, and gritty urban sandboxes, Bayonetta is a breath of fresh air.

Spirit Tracks is still such a polished and wonderful game that its faults are only relative to other entries in the series and is therefore still better than 99% of all handheld games out there.

It’s a good purchase if you loathe intricacy, enjoy reliving foreign policy quandries in sci-fi guise and are eager to get to grips with Cameron’s universe, but the Next Big Thing it most certainly is not.

However tighter its act, however convincingly it integrates player-imposed logic with a pulsing, subversively organic 15th century milieu, Assassin’s Creed 2 feels a little vacant. The second game in the series is palpably its best, but it trades too heavily on prior successes and introduces comparatively little of actual worth.

Darkside Chronicles is a vast improvement on its predecessor and offers the dedicated RE follower an archive of unlockable memories, reading materials and fan service in an especially well-presented package.

In the Left 4 Dead series, the perennially over-performing Valve has put together yet another classic franchise, and while the absence of fundamental overhaul obliges me to be sparing in my praise of the sequel, it should serve you long after Modern Warfare 2’s charms have faded.

Shooting the PSP’s anaemic line-up full of proven material may seem sound commercial sense on the face of it, but for my money the last thing the increasingly sidelined machine needs at this point in its life is more leftovers – even leftovers as delicious and nutritious as LittleBigPlanet.

NSMBW bends over backwards to be inclusive and somehow manages to succeed.

With another memorable single player mode to look back on, in addition to the excellent Special Ops mode and more multiplayer goodness to look forward to, Infinity Ward has once again come up with a cinematic masterpiece.

What The Lost and Damned did with grime and grittiness, Gay Tony does with glitz and glamour, and I love the colourful, Algonquin-led carnage in this series finale.

If you are the kind of beat ‘em up fanatic that has regular access to like-minded individuals for local bouts, Tekken 6’s deeply rewarding gameplay and overflowing character roster will provide endless hours of entertainment, in the same way previous iterations have – This is after all what competitive fighting games are all about and Tekken 6 is one of the best.

It’s an exemplary product, really, but also a very expensive one – that’s the only thing to keep in mind before settling in for a weekend alone with an awesome new peripheral, incredibly loud music and beautiful new patterns to master.

There’s no doubting Forza 3’s status as the finest racing simulation on the 360, though it is still trailing in Gran Turismo 5’s slipstream for the title of finest racing simulation ever.

Ratchet and Clank might be living on borrowed time, but between the gags and the glitz we’re happy to forgo collecting a little longer.

However, the PSP’s traditional but less constricted control setup and higher storage threshold lead to a more playable, content-rich experience than either the DS or (in all probability) the App Store release.

Jack Black and Tim Curry hold the wonderfully delivered if slightly predictable story together until its conclusion, though at only eight hours or so it’s left to the unexpectedly interesting multiplayer to add longevity rather than the repetitive side-missions and fetch-quests.

Lacklustre finale aside, this is everything you could ask of a headline third-person shooter and more.

Staunchly challenging, yet incredibly rewarding, Dragon Rising might deter some due to its unremitting devotion to realism, while upsetting others with its co$nsole-friendly tweaks.

Demon's Souls is undoubtedly a tough nut to crack, but if you're prepared to dig beneath its hard shell, you'll find a game that is compelling and deeply rewarding in equal measure.

It’s a graceful, carefully contained experience, heavy on finesse and features but oddly short on competitive spirit.

Drop-in local multiplayer, though a decent laugh on higher difficulty settings, can’t quite save Dead Space: Extraction from solid rental status.

My biggest objection to Arctic Edge is also what I most like about the game: it’s the same old Motorstorm in pocket-sized form, a solid “diet” reissue of a sensationally stupid racer.

Controlling armies of the undead really shouldn’t be this dreary.

Halo 3: ODST is by no means a flawless game. It provides little in the way of surprises with only minor changes to enemies and arsenals.

Slightly Mad has thrown away the novelty numberplate, lowered the chassis and tightened the wheel nuts, among other such intelligent-sounding automotive expressions. Forza and GRID still have the edge in terms of raw playability, but EA’s old roadster is closing the distance.

Given this and a stab at serious inventiveness, Mini Ninjas might have drawn abreast with LEGO Star Wars, rather than sidling warily around the perimeter of essential purchase.

Arkham Asylum is the kind of eventual coming-to-form which renders years of half-arsed franchise transplantation not just forgivable, but worthwhile.

So for your money you’re getting one of the best games of the last generation, a dark and difficult sequel, and that most uncommon of beasts, a “hardcore” Wii game.

Never bring a chainsaw bayonet to a game of cloaks and daggers. The new maps are great, but that stealth sequence should have stayed dead.

Bound in Blood is a slow but steady cowboy crowd-pleaser which rides close to the beaten track. An excellent story is left to shoulder much of the entertainment value while the gunplay sits back in the saddle. Never less than competent, but not essential.

Faster, tighter, better balanced and - astonishingly - even glossier than its older brother. The career mode still needs work, the AI could be sharper and offline punch-spammers have it a little too easy, but otherwise this game is every inch the champ.

Ghostbusters is a good game because it's everything it should have been.

A fine game for those with psychopathic tendencies, Prototype's relentless sadism may prove too much for some. Still, unleashing a superhero without worrying about consequences is an insane amount of fun. With the greatest powers comes no responsibilities!

A good tennis game, let down by a frustrating slow campaign and terrible loading times.

But it's The Sims to near-perfection, crafted with love, calculated to give the most enjoyment to a player and as involving, as simple to get into and as downright fun as it has always been.

With its karma-driven electric fisticuffs, open-ended parkour antics and stylishly broody ambiance, InFamous is a game worthy of Sucker Punch's slick PS2 releases, and a great addition to the PS3's increasingly formidable exclusive line-up. Shame about the story, but there's plenty to do by the wayside.

Heavy odds, tricky acrobatics and a whisper-thin health bar combine to make Bionic Commando an action adventure of such unrelenting sadism you'll want to chew your nails out, but also an action adventure that, once you crack it, rewards your labours like few others.

An offer we can probably refuse, despite the great script and solid sim-management blueprint.

Ninja Blade is certainly a game with two different sides, but fortunately each side has enough to recommend it - the glamour of the QTEs, the workmanlike derivativeness of the combat - that you can forgive this rather jarring division.

Brainless fun in small doses, but so many spare parts in the long run.

Another worthy addition the GTA cannon, Chinatown takes all the best the previous games had to offer and adds plenty of own ideas into the mix.

With its fixed inventories, imposing but predictable level and boss design, and occasionally wooden controls, this tweaked, tropical, co-operative remix of Resident Evil 4 is a game you'll either love or hate. We choose the former.

Brash, loud, funny and ultra, ultra violent, MadWorld is something of a shock that it was released on the Wii. Thing is, it probably wouldn't be the same on a standard controller. As it stands, this is a great game, highly recommended and with only a few problems to its name.

An elegant, lustrous RTS which channels the Bungie spirit to great effect, but takes only a few, baby steps beyond the principles laid down in the developer's Age titles.

Very much the well turned-out but unremarkable flight sim we first thought it was, despite mid-development flashes of promise.

Insultingly easy, repetitive, unfunny, strained, shallower than it thinks it is and certain to sell loads, simply because it's got Sonic on it and it's advertised on TV. If you care about what you play, don't play this.

If it isn't the War To End All Wars some have prophesised, Killzone 2 is definitely the exclusive FPS your PS3 has been waiting for. While the intensity of the spotlight Guerrilla brings to bear on how you go about shooting stuff occasionally leaves its scenarios in the dark, those intimidating good looks, chiselled hide-and-seek engagements and savage online modes are plentiful compensation. After almost five years of infamy, the franchise has taken revenge on its critics

This isn't just a prettier SFII - it's the absolute king of fighting games.

This isn't just a prettier SFII - it's the absolute king of fighting games.