Its relative ease makes redoing the challenges very pedestrian, and worse yet, replaying the same dungeon also means reliving all the pre-faffing-about to get there. You have to endure many of the same conversations, cutscenes and menial tasks you already know of and know how to do. Regardless of what decade you played it in, that is not fun.

If you're a multiplayer fiend and like the thought of mowing down zombies with chainguns, this is definitely worth checking out. The thrill of obliterating hordes of screaming bad guys that just want to gobble up your brains really is quite unique and fun. Just don't expect to be getting very good value for money because there's really not very much inside the box.

Trusting other players for quality levels is risky business, but making your own is creative heaven.

If you’ve played any side-scrolling games, chances are you’ve incidentally played this one. Odin Sphere is undoubtedly fun, but its 40-hour quest etches too long to repel the armies of repetition. It’s charm and aesthetic character are the real arrows for its quiver - the crux to get your attention and to keep it.

It's not the most amazing thing ever by any stretch of the imagination but if you like the idea of a suped-up Snake, with a bunch of modes, and don't want to lower yourself to lugging a dated mobile phone around with you, it's hard to beat.

There's still enjoyment to be had here, but it probably won't occupy you for very long. If you do need a five-minute time waster, there are other, better games out there for the iPad. Wispin is far from terrible - and has a couple of really awesome ideas - but in such a crowded marketplace, you need more than that.

Ultra Street Fighter, while good, doesn’t quite live up to that Ultra name. The new mechanics and balance changes will keep the game fresh for months to come, but the new characters - which are largely the reason this is a paid update and not a patch - bring next to nothing to the game.

Although it's odd that they put more work into the enemy ships than the players’, this minimalist approach to the graphics suits the gameplay style by keeping the action smooth, the download small and audio and gameplay as the dominated features.

Crisis Core has an addictive quality about it because you really need to know what happens next, and you’ll most certainly want to see the next glorious cutscene.

Does it offer anything amazing on a platform that's becoming increasingly weary? No. It doesn't even try. Forget the kinaesthetic Wii remotes, you could easily play this game on a jury rigged calculator.

Stunning art and music design, but shallow when it comes to depth of meaning and gameplay.

Does what it sets out to - just don’t expect a revolution, Dance Dance or otherwise.

Hardcore golfing fans (and I do mean hardcore) will probably find this a contender for game of the year, but for everybody else there are more charming, accessible, and fun golfing games on the market.

I can’t help but feeling that, while a good deal of effort has gone into enhancing the essential Viva Piñata experience, the limitation of things I can put in my garden when there is so much on offer really does kill my buzz.

Play it because it’s different, play it because it’s a far cry from anything you’re likely to in the coming months.

Skyrim is still a great game that everyone should play, but it could’ve used more than a paint job.

This isn't a game that will convince non-golfers to take up the sport, whether virtually or otherwise, but if you're a fan and need a golfing fix on the go, you can do a lot worse than Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 for the iPad.

A fantastic series comes to an uneven, disappointing close.

While the graphics are certainly less polished than what you’d find in the PSP version, they still retain the typical Worms feel.

With Buzz! Quiz World however, the future is pretty much set. It now fits nicely, and willingly, in with the other continual release titles. You know the ones. The same music based games with another new song list, or the same sports game with another team roster.

Arcade fun, short and sweet and cheap like a short sweet cheap thing.

It's by no means a terrible game, but the plot's lack of cohesion, the frustration factor of some of the puzzles, and the inappropriate content has tarnished what could've been a triumphant jewel in the DE crew’s crown.

Rime is for those who appreciate Team Ico, That Game Company, Abzu, Never Alone, or any peaceful-minded game where emotion plays centre stage. Granted, it doesn’t have the same finesse, as the mechanics have little to do with anything else. The developers clearly had a story on their hearts, but didn’t sync it to the rest of the game. Subsequently the gameplay often feels like a reluctant participant to a particularly touching tale.

Heavy decisions and fun action, but a poor end to an overall enjoyable season.

For $18.95 [NZ], it’s a decent purchase for hardcore fans of platform puzzlers. But the fairly short lived gameplay and ruthless difficulty curve might deter anyone else. Despite being called a puzzle game - Stealth, Inc relies more on quick reflexes and thumb agility, than problem solving and mental dexterity.

As licensed games go, it's above average - but given that the film series it is based on was last seen at the cinemas over 20 years ago, it's a bit of disappointment that it still feels a bit rushed. It could have been (and based on pre-release media, seemed to be) so much better.

On the surface, there doesn't seem to be too much different between Rock of Ages and its sequel. Rock of Ages II plays very much the same and fills the same niche. However, it is a much nicer game with better defense items and a lot more polish. Sadly, I found that Rock of Ages II couldn't keep my attention unless I had someone else to play with.

A pretty, short, next-generation God of War-alike with quirky gameplay.

What changes you do find in Tiger Woods 08 are positive; however, it’s just the fact that there is more polish needed to make this title really stand out.

This might be one title that is best left in the past, where rose tinted glasses and time itself can protect it from the games that it no doubt inspired. Those which have long since (and far) surpassed it.

Halo Wars 2 retains itself as serviceable fun, if only by being unbearably approachable, and enjoyably Halo.

If you’ve played the real thing, you’ve all but played Hasbro Family Game Night’s version. Aside from a few differing modes and an online portion it is an extremely authentic replication of the game many of us have played at some point in our lives.

The game is very playable and is an absolute bucket-load of bloody fun. And who doesn't fancy joining the undead for a night, or sending a few of the blood-sucking freaks back to their graves for good?

Siren is nothing new but is a short, spooky distraction.

There’s an interesting mix of characters and environments to keep the gameplay fresh, and the soundtrack is a delight. It doesn’t hold up so well as a single-player experience because of the repetitive nature if you have to do everything yourself, but it’s a great party game with some friends.

A solid trio of games, let down by two lesser entities and a control scheme that can be laggy.

This is definitely the weakest iteration of Vegas 2; if you have a PS3 or 360, it’s easy to recommend those versions over this one, even if the controls aren’t quite as tight.

There is an innocence to it all that is hard to describe, as if the game comes from a time more pure and simple.

It was alright. Casual handheld game, for sure, arcade-ish and replayable. It’s nothing gripping, not by a long drive (see what I did there?). On the huge plus side though, when you hit a perfectly spun ball with precision timing, the ball does take on a distinctly familiar blue Super Saiyan aura.

Still visually striking, but poor voice acting has undone much of the gravitas it once had.

It's a Fire Emblem game, which means, yes, while it's diabolically hard, the gameplay is solid. More than solid – it's worthwhile.

Little Nightmares achieves a lot with atmosphere, but doesn’t achieve much as an interactive experience. What it does could be done to the same effect as a film, painting, or even a creepy children’s book. It looks like a Wallace and Gromit story that went awry with depressants, which so happens to be its best feature. I wouldn’t say Little Nightmares is pointless as a game – if it wasn’t one, I may have never experienced it. But I would say it’s atmospheric goals are underutilised in a medium privileged with active participation.

As licensed games go, it's above average - but given that the film series it is based on was last seen at the cinemas over 20 years ago, it's a bit of disappointment that it still feels a bit rushed. It could have been (and based on pre-release media, seemed to be) so much better.

Adults who are happy to channel their inner child for a while will have a few hours' worth of fun with Treasure Seekers; kids may find it fuels their imaginations and provides some good fodder for Christmas holiday play – in and out of the house.

For $1.29, there’s no argument: it’s well worth helping Volty. Just be aware that it’s a little bit clunky mechanically, and that you’re largely on your own when it comes down to figuring out what to do. It’s pretty tough, but still recommended if you like a challenge.

Driving and customising the buggy is a lot of fun, but not at the expense of tight parkour.

I want to finish the story, but not play the game to do it.

Whatever you do, don’t just play the first 10 minutes of it. You’ll be utterly disappointed and will immediately wish you purchased another game. The biggest issue many will face is that there is no clear objective, and not a lot else to do other than walk around. But if you do play this, you’re going to need to stay committed - otherwise you’ll end up throwing your Vita against the wall.

Despite being a good, beautifully stylised game, Shu suffers from being too short. The price of $20 is well suited but this is a game you will most likely only play the once before pushing it to the back of your gaming draw. Not only is it going to sit at the back of your mind as a fond memory; sadly you’re not going to bother recommending it to anyone either.

Despite all of these comments and my own personal opinion, this review isn't telling you what football game to buy this year. Both FIFA '11 and PES 2011 are completely different games and play to their own strengths and weaknesses.

There's good in here, but too much mediocre or just plain bad moments to recommend paying full retail price for the game.

Whether you consider Quantum Break a game with episodes, or a mini-series with interactive segments ultimately doesn’t matter - it’s an experience. It may use an unproven formula, but that blueprint is also the main attraction that piques one’s curiosity, even if my own started to waiver amidst a story too interested in its own keywords to talk about anything more depth-inducing. With a dire need to be amongst the blockbusters, it’s an inoffensive, non-threatening tale with big-name actors who try so seriously to make it otherwise. And while not an one interesting story in itself, Quantum Break has an interesting way of being told.

There's a lot of caveats here, though, and if you're going into this hoping for the fun of Orcs Must Die! but in a multiplayer context, you're going to be disappointed.

Fans of Call of Duty games will probably be shocked by the level of realism thrown into Dragon Rising. At times this level of detail can be overwhelming. It is gritty, painful, depressing and raw. Just how war should be. But at the same time, the game can offer an enjoyable experience to the more serious gamer.

Sniper Elite 4 is conflicted and unsettled. Here’s a series that would benefit from Fumito Ueda’s school of thought; design by subtraction – stripping out everything that doesn’t support your primary philosophy. The only part of the game that gets close to doing so, is also the part most won’t pay much attention to.

Plenty of promise, but this game is going to require some decent updates over the coming months.

The game crashes. I mean, it crashes a lot. Oh, you finished a level? Let’s return you to the Xbox home screen. You’re loading a new level? There you go, back looking at your pins. Oh, you’re on the last shot of an extremely difficult level that you’ve been trying to conquer for more than an hour? LOL, SEEYA.

Overall Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate should please fans of the series - it has plenty of variety in characters. As for anyone else looking to get into the series, this title suffers from the same repetition as the other musou games. You can have quite a bit of fun by making the characters spout unwholesome lines though.

AwesomeNauts is a great multiplayer game and although it lacks a story mode, the singleplayer practice mode is still compelling - despite a the odd AI quirk.

As it stands, though, you'll need to be really hankering for some old-school gameplay to enjoy 3D Dot Game Heroes. I wasn't able to manage it, but I suspect there are quite a few of you out there who would actually enjoy this game from start to finish. You know who you are.

But what you do get - a quick, smart, fun challenge that you can sit down and play with your mates while you're waiting for the pizza to arrive - is definitely not to be sneered at.

Destiny isn’t a bad game, by any means. If you like sci-fi shooters, you’ll get a good 20 hours of enjoyment out of this. But that’s really all it is; a fun, forgettable shooter that plays it safe and sticks to what’s been proven, with nothing to really set it apart from it’s peers.

I'd say it was a pleasant experience, but forgettable.

A solid JRPG, which suffers from the occasional frame rate drop; it seems the developer Gust were so focused on adding costumes, they neglected to optimize it for the PS Vita’s hardware.

If you're a hardcore Puzzle Quest fan you'll probably be disappointed initially but once you get past the graphics, sound and some of the gameplay (!), the twists on the game are a smart extension on what came before it.

An intimidating and mixed VR experience, but could appeal to fans of the ‘whodunnit’ genre.

Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness does a lot of things a little differently from the generic western RPG. Unfortunately, some things work better than others. No doubt the system will be refined with the sequels to come.

Newcomers might be flummoxed by the dynamics while seasoned gamers will quickly crack this, but you could do a lot worse if you're after a platforming fix. [Dec 2008, p.70]

Overall, SingStar Vol.2 is a step in the right direction, if only because it’s slightly better than your average sequel on the PS2.

A perverse dichotomy; RUSE either goes too far, or not far enough.

An irritating bug severely holds back this setup episode.

Although it has dated visuals, it comes through on a gameplay front - for fans at least. The battles feel epic due to the number of drones on the screen. In the end, that’s what these titles are all about - epic battles that keep these titles going.

A fairly enjoyable title that's let down by a few glitches and questionable design decisions. The best things it has going for it is the budget price (around $60) and that the majority of the game is the classic Metroid-style exploration.

If you've still got a 14" monitor or are looking for something to play on your GeForce 2 equipped monster of a PC (this would probably work well on a netbook), Din's Curse is a pretty addictive way to flit away the winter hours.

It does get a little tiresome, however, with so few options and - more importantly, perhaps - the lack of variety in the look of the maps.

Aside from difficulty finding a quick match, and the fact that it’s a year old game that looks a lot older as it’s being sold at full price, Don Bradman Cricket offers plenty for those that don’t have the 2014 version.

All in all, the lineup of songs isn’t terrible – it just lacks any compelling set of standout songs that hold everything together.

This is the game to get if you're set on buying a Move controller or two. It's a shame that we couldn't have more involved experiences at launch, but Sports Champions should tide you over until the mythical bunch of 'second generation' Move games arrive.

A combination of an average shooter (that won’t appeal to shooter fans) and a (tension and atmosphere barren) survival horror game.

For those who like their adventures on the darker, twisted - but still humorous side, Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes might just tickle your fancy. A worthy successor to the original.

Fans of the series may want to pick this up to get another taste of what used to be an amazing franchise, but be forewarned that it's not what you're hoping it to be and that you should probably steer clear.

Repetitive and unashamedly fun (but a lacklustre port to PS4).

Packed with extra activities, secret areas and a decent if not overwhelming adventure, The Legendary Starfy will no doubt have satisfied all those eager gamers waiting for it to appear in a language they could understand.

By design, Thieves in Time is a fairly simple experience, so if you want more of a challenge, maybe it’s time to graduate to something that’s going to stretch you a little more. I personally need more from a game at this stage of my life. Sorry Sly, it’s not you, it’s me.

Atelier Sophie isn’t at its best when doing particularly anything. It may only appeal to an alcove of anime fans, being so jovial you can practically hear it wishing you a merry Christmas. The broad stroke of the content can be experienced with any other JRPG, and better so. But if the home-bound, alchemic twist appeals, you may have a game worth persisting for.

Same lovable formula, but not much else.

While Zone of the Enders sometimes feels like a retro grind, The 2nd Runner is stylish and engrossing.

A pretty solid product, but it would have made a better impression had it been a little less punishing.

The game is also limited by what is missing. There is no Wimbledon, no Williams sisters and no Ana Ivanovic, and although Roddick and Murray might draw some interest from the US and UK, they don’t have the same effect at this end of the world. And there is also the fact that it’s a sport sim.

In Sheep's Clothing was something of a letdown, especially compared to the calibre of the previous episode. It's an exposition-heavy hour and a half that does little to move the plot or develop the characters, and would have better as a concise, 15 minute introduction at the start of the final part.

If you enjoyed Dead Nation and are the kind of player who wants that high score challenge, then Road of Devastation could be the perfect expansion to scratch that twin-shooter itch for you.

Symphony is a good game, however the longevity of the title will really come down to the depth of your playlist.

This is a well thought out game with a huge amount of complexity. Unfortunately the steep learning curve means the ladder to the top looks almost impossible to climb when you first begin.

Evolve is a great, but sadly unreliable, experience.

There is little doubt that many fans have been calling for this kind of Sonic the Hedgehog game for a long time. If you are one of them, it'll leave you happily wallowing in nostalgic bliss. Or, if you're like me, the frustrations and the annoying bloody music may just be enough to convince you to give up on the whole retro gaming thing for good.

800 points seems pretty steep for such a tiny amount of content but then again, what is there is a heck of a lot of fun to play. You'll need to make your own mind up as to what value that represents.

Maybe the most enjoyable typing game ever, but it’s clichéd story elements hold it back.

Technically the title is extremely impressive too, so if you're looking for a title to sell PSPs to your friends, this might do it.