Largely missed opportunity. Those who loved the original for its setting and style will be disappointed and put off by the direction the series has taken.

With Final Fantasy XII being such a revolution to the series, creating the series’ best battle system in the process, Final Fantasy XIII feels like a massive backwards step.

A game that in spite its solid design and adherence to the extreme sports game blueprint, just seems a bit too formulaic. What’s missing is that intangible ingredient, which keeps the player coming back for more.

With a few adjustments this could have been something special. As is, it's a bland, archaic mess.

Despite the more comprehensive set of drawn out challenges, it doesn't have the long-term appeal and playability of that title, or the "charm" of "DOAXBV's" well-established character roster.

A game that runs out of steam far too quickly for its own good. What begins as an intriguing and fun game rapidly goes downhill.

You should buy this game only if you like stabbing your hands with bits of glass like Batman does in Arkham Asylum. Either that, or you’re fairly confident the PSP’s build quality will ensure it surviving forehead-screen interface.

In terms of its game mechanics Duels of the Planeswalkers is a great conversion of the card game with an excellent interface in place, but unfortunately the heart and soul of the game have been torn out. What’s left is just a shell of the Magic experience; it looks and sounds like Magic, but has little of the depth, challenge and satisfaction that the physical version offers.

Granted the game looks and sounds great, but it has no substance to it.

It’s unfortunate that so much of the game world is so irredeemably broken.

Not matter the hyperbole, Army of Two is a single player game that has been hastily dressed up for co-op.

Although Tenkaichi does offer genuine enjoyment, if only briefly, it comes as small consolation for the relative merits of recent prequels, and while eager young gamers will be enthused, those looking for a more brain-busting and evolutionary experience shouldn’t expect too much.

A fairly awful experience with just a literal handful of inspired moments, and since these moments are so heavily scripted, you are better off just watching videos of it instead. [JPN Import]

For people with DSs, there are at least ten better rhythm games on the system, and for Guitar Hero fans, this is nothing but pointless.

There are around ten hours in the single player mode, but it begins to grate after the first. Chances are the remaining time will be spent purely to earn some 360 Achievement Points. Entertainment? Tedium.

Like the game’s aiming, Killzone misses the mark by a mile. Afflicted with so many niggling problems it has ended up a shambles of game which barely delivers on any front.

The use of the third dimension with a few of the special weapons is a bright point in what is mostly an uninspired, placid and, in the main, perplexing experience.

Viking: Battle for Asgard falls too far below the benchmark set by those that have gone before.

It’s certainly fun in short bursts and does provide some interesting mental exercise, but this more of a GCSE than a degree.

One of the most disappointing sequels in gaming history.

Although there are a few clever mini-game ideas worth seeing, overall it will not hold your interest for long, which is disappointing since the whole concept of using the DS touch screen to control your way around the kitchen seems so natural. [JPN Import]

Any serious puzzler would be strongly advised to look elsewhere for their fix.

Despite the gesture of configurable weight distributions, however, the bikes still feel both twitchy and clumsy. Opponent AI is more tempered than before, but few gamers will stay long enough to perfect their grasp of the games flawed mechanics.

Neo Contra isn’t a terrible game; it simply fails to get the balance between running and gunning right, resting far too much emphasis on the latter. It’s fun for a quick blast, but doesn’t offer enough depth or difficulty to warrant extended play.

Children of Mana is ideal as a pick-up-and-play game, if you fancy a quick whizz through a monster-inhabited tower or two, maybe on the bus or train. But playing it at length feels like the most tedious, level grinding and repetitive waste of time, particularly when you consider that the DS has so much more to offer in terms of RPG actioners.

Who would want to buy this game? Only Sado-masochists who enjoy shoddy frame rates, huge loading times, unintuitive controls, poor menu design, bugged gameplay and boring storylines. It could have been good, that's what infuriates most of all.

What was shaping up conceptually to have been the definitive Batman game to date, simply ends up being little more than a disappointing cash-in, complete with spoiler-laden (and bafflingly unskippable) clips of the movie between levels, film trailers, and even some unlockable costumes for good measure.

Being blunt, Kane and Lynch: Dead Men is a sickly mess of a game with the multitude of negatives undermining every positive.