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.

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.

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!

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.

"Resident Evil 4 in space" doesn't cut it - Dead Space is neither as ambitious nor as engrossing as the Gamecube Goliath. But it's still an expertly realised, slickly implemented survival horror experience.

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.

Immensely playable both on- and offline.

One of the best series in handheld history is back for more, a refined and updated experience with the fantastic addition of online play.

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.

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.

That voice command system might be the slickest thing about EndWar, but the underlying Total-War-esque framework of turn-based strategy and real-time tactics is worth a thumbs-up by itself.

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."

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.

While the ability to sing to your own music collection has its problems, overall Lips is absolutely brilliant fun, as well suited to a Saturday morning with the kids as it is a late return from the pub.

Geometry Wars 2 is a better game, not just because of the new modes but the emphasis on fun and novel ways to enjoy an otherwise linear experience.

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.

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

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.

On one hand you have a bright, colorful, highly addictive shooter that'll flex those twitch gaming muscles a bit. On the other hand the game is very short, and if you're not a hardcore fan of the genre, and don't care about leaderboard rankings and hunting down Achievement points, then there won't be any incentive for you to bother with the game after completing it once.

With a little more originality, and gunnery to match Lara's athletic prowess, Tomb Raider: Underworld would rank among the best the genre has to offer.

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

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.

Relentlessly unoriginal but well turned out.

If I had the option, though, I'd still prefer to simply buy the songs I like rather than buy the full retail disc.

Yep, it's a fun game. Nothing earth-shattering, but more of the same fun and frolics you would associate with a Ratchet and Clank game.

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.

Wall-E is a much better game than many could have hoped for.

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.