And that's L4D2 all over: in every game, the world ends a slightly different way. You'll find a different route to take, you'll hear another dud story from Ellis, you'll try a different weapon combination, or a different tactic in the finale.

Loses gag-traction, but still a laugh.

Better than expected, worse than it should be. [Feb 2010, p.111]

Sadly, we've Scene It all before. [Apr 2010, p.107]

Plenty of fun for seven quid. [Jan 2010, p.114]

This is a textbook example to other developers of the love, care, attention, polish and guile needed when crafting a sequel. An essential purchase for all FPS fans. [Ryan King]

Perfect for quick blasts of fun. [Jan 2010, p.112]

It hits its target audience just as precisely as Band Hero, but with a lesser degree of cynicism. Our misgiving is that it doesn't really feel like a Lego game, as the building experience is limited to making bands and customising their home. A good one for Christmas, so long as you don't expect it to last long into the New Year.

There's no denying that PES 2010 is an excellent game of football - it's just that PES's 'E', Evolution, is more suited to its chief rival.

It's difficult to describe a game with so many choices and different paths, but making them all feel meaningful is what Dragon's Age excels at. Complex it may be, but it's more focused than Fable II, better in combat than Mass Effect, and richer than The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. If you've got the patience, it's a cracker.

Karaoke strong, but guitar weak. [Jan 2010, p.109]

This is the old-school, full-bore ultra-violence that many people felt was missing from Niko's adventures. It's less a brooding crime epic and more a particularly ludicrous episode of Prison Break.

From giant pandas to Streets of Rage-inspired brawling, this is the most complete fighting game available to-date.

The only downside is that at £100, it's asking you to put your wallet on the line for an experience that offers the same thrills as GH, but still represents a big gamble if you didn't get on with that series. It's just a fraction too expensive for our liking.

Once again Turn 10 has produced the biggest and deepest racer on the Xbox 360.

Entertaining in small doses but that's about it. [Feb 2010, p.111]

Cutesy gore and not a lot else. [Christmas 2009, p.94]

You'll have more fun watching the cartoon. [Apr 2010, p.106]

Much more than the sum of its parts, but unfortunately said parts are only an okay FPS and an okay RPG, both fairly no-frills and functional. It's a roast dinner without gravy followed by an apple pie without custard. Nothing's wrong, but you can't shake the nagging feeling that something's missing. Borderlands is a good time, but it should have been a great time.

So beyond the handful of menu options with flashing "NEW!" logos next to them, and the potential of the Story Designer to deliver some hilarious content, Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 doesn't do a great deal to progress the series. The sweat isn't even noticeably shinier.

The best in the series by some distance.

Way of the Samurai's freedom is also its biggest problem.

We're happy to sing this game's praises. [Jan 2010, p.113]

Adventure fans point your clicker this way. [Christmas 2009, p.105]

Short and sweet but still satisfying. [Jan 2010, p.115]

If you're a metal fan, you'll love it. But if you didn't have to prise your fingers out of the devil-horn pose to play, you'll finish it in a day and feel underwhelmed.

You can almost hear the developer laughing manically as it adds yet another 50ft, bright pink, killer Angler Fish to the mix and forces you to sit through more pouting and tantrum-heavy dialogue. But it does have that combat system, detailed garish character designs and drags you kicking and screaming along for the ride - even if you have ridden it a hundred times before.

Where the mild things are. [Feb 2010, p.111]

Dull, frustrating and deeply dated cash-in. [Jan 2010, p.113]

Charming but infuriating puzzler. [Feb 2010, p.113]

Impossible to play without laughing. [Christmas 2009, p.105]

More than anything, it's a game that, even after completion, we want to keep returning to again and again, adding different ingredients to the freeform formula and seeing what kind of explosions we can create. We can guarantee you won't have played an FPS quite like this on Xbox 360, but now that one's arrived, you certainly should. [Nov 2009, p.84]

An amazing new low for platforming games. [Christmas 2009, p.102]

Not a patch on the big screen version. [Jan 2010, p.115]

Much improved, but still behind 2K10. [Christmas 2009, p.93]

On top of its game - this is the one to get. [Christmas 2009, p.92]

The most boring natural disaster you'll ever see. [Apr 2010, p.107]

Mindless fun, best played with mates. [Christmas 2009, p.104]

Those who've already purchased the DLC might look at that £40 price tag with concern, but - make sure you're seated - we reckon its quality, not quantity that matters most here. And ODST has bundles of in both it's superb single-player and sublime online modes.

That ambition is hamstrung by a development budget that would struggle to cover a six-pack of crisps and an engine that is best at simulating the mid-point of cataract formulation. [Apr 2010, p.109]

It's a giggle, but it won't last long. [Dec 2009, p.107]

Excellent value. [Dec 2009, p.106]

It may sound like Prince of Persia locked, loaded and with a bad attitude, but WET manages to raise itself above such a me-too premise through pure charm.

It's this balance between arcade and sim racing - two apparently conflicting styles - that gives Shift its edge. While it doesn't quite hit the heights of Project Gotham Racing 4 or even RACE Pro, it's a huge leap forward for a series that had definitely lost its way. We're feeling the need for speed all over again.

The best ice hockey game yet. [Nov 2009, p.96]

With IL-2 asserting impressive air superiority in the last month or so, there's no reason to pick up this ropier and less satisfying interpretation of the same conflict. Technically unimpressive and snooze-inducing, it's less "chocks away" and more "chock this in the bin".

There's an overall lack of personality to the game - there aren't enough control quirks to master or career goals to aim for. While EA's NHL 10 rewards you at every turn for digging into the game, NHL 2K10 has nothing new to offer but the chance to ride a Zamboni machine and polish ice.

Another great slice of comic book action.

Vocally and visually brilliant, but lacks story.

Inoffensive, intelligent and beautifully presented, Mini Ninjas is a refreshing reminder that good game design isn't the preserve of games with guns and swears in. Take advantage of IO's altered state while you can.

IL-2 feels like two separate games: one a solid, fun arcade flyer, the other a testing simulation of true aerial combat circa Hitler-times. It's inevitable then, that if you're at all interested in planes, or just want to embarrass yourself at a different altitude, IL-2 can hardly come more recommended.

Exceptional racing with brilliant atmosphere.

Completely towers over the rest. [Dec 2009, p.107]

New ideas, but the payoff is disappointing. [Nov 2009, p.94]

The genre's star might be fading ever so slightly, and this game is no revolution, but it does deliver great music and a more refined band experience.

A decent diversion, but far from a black belt. [Nov 2009, p.98]

A brilliant experience. No other license-shackled developer has understood their subject quite as well as Rocksteady, and this is without a doubt the definitive representation of the Dark Knight.

Shadow Complex is a stunning demonstration of what you can squeeze onto the service. Play it, marvel at it, and hope that it's the future of downloadable games.

Popcorn shooter that's fun but unoriginal. [Oct 2009, p.88]

Heaven for the fans, tough love for the rest. [Oct 2009, p.86]

With such layered and near-endless challenges, not to mention the addition of a remarkably powerful level creator, you'll be firing this up for a quick blast for years to come. We don't say this often, deeply cynical as we are, but if for some ludicrous self-abusing reason you only buy one XBLA game this year, make it Trials HD. [R. King]

Don't get us wrong, the 3D makeover turns it into a responsive and thoroughly modern duff-em-up. We just wish the fun lasted a little bit longer.

A boring, brain-dead waste of time. [Oct 2009, p.82]

Lots of items, not much excitement. [Nov 2009, p.108]

The reason it works is it's so damn accessible.

Great new maps, but deleted scene too short. [Oct 2009, p.92]

A great series addition for fans and newcomers. [Sept 2009, p.79]

The cruelty of the levels can be frustrating, but you'll keep coming back. The infinite lives and near-instant reloading of checkpoints means stress always loses out to the classic "one-more-go" syndrome.

Even with its signature gimmick disabled, it's actually not too bad.

Finer than a hundred pieces of eight. [Sept 2009, p.90]

Surprisingly slick with excellent online play.

Our brains just shut down after a while. [Nov 2009, p.99]

Battlefield action polished until sparkling.

Great fun but over-the-top style can wear thin. [Oct 2009, p.93]

Still awesome online. [Aug 2009, p.94]

It's a distinctly average game from Harry, so a fittingly average mark for him as we give him a "five".

Bound in Blood is like a Wild West theme park: corny, but at least there's constant gun smoke and plenty of bad guys being put to rights. It's not a must-buy by any stretch, but it is bearable.

For those who fancy something different. [Apr 2010, p.102]

This game originally came out on PC back in 2007, and it really has no place on Xbox 360 in 2009.

Ironically, Fight Night Round 4 may be the best argument for banning boxing yet. After all, when a game can get this close to the fluid, organic technicality of the real thing, why does anyone need to get hit in the face?... Solid, satisfying and totally revolutionary. [July 2009, p.81]

Almost exactly what meets the eye. [Sept 2009, p.89]

There are few titles that are as charming as Overlord II, and only in this distorted fantasy world could playing the bad guy be so fun, engaging and - most importantly - guiltless.

Judging by the amount of new content, this is more of a stop-gap than a sequel. Hardcore fans will be best off waiting for the next installment, because this add-on feels desperately half-hearted.

The best DLC for Fallout 3 so far. [Sept 2009, p.84]

An excellent slice of '80s nostalgia. [Sept 2009, p.88]

Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits is a brilliant full-band revival of some of our favourite songs from the series, which may not have made it to a straight sequel. With it being a lighter, stop-gap package, though, we'd recommend picking it up in a few months' time at a more agreeable price.

Prototype is something of a mixed bag. It's not quite the empowering experience we hoped it would be, but there is something satisfying about leaping off the Empire State Building and slicing a man in half as you land with a giant mutant arm-blade.

VT has always been a party game, and it pulls that off well enough to excuse the rough edges. If the more technical Top Spin 3 is posh dinner in polite company, this is a pie and a pint with friends - a little boisterous, maybe, but you don't need etiquette to have a good time.

If you utterly exhausted last year's effort and are waiting for the revolution the series now sorely needs, keep on walking.

A classic, but one best left to history. [Oct 2009, p.95]

The complete lack of boundaries means it's a totally unique challenge, in which standard racing skills often need to be thrown out of the window. Despite this, with such exciting technology at its core, we can't help but hope that Asobo gets another roll of the dice to create something truly, and consistently astonishing. [June 2009, p.84]

Not overly ambitious, but rather charming. [June 2009, p.94]

Great platforming, shame about the rest.

Entertaining enough for what it is. [Jan 2010, p.113]

A great sim, but poor supporting features. [July 2009, p.95]

Do yourself a favour and pick up a decent shooting game, or a head injury, anything's better than this - because otherwise you'll only encourage the creators to churn out another similarly disappointing movie license in six months time.

Ultimately, what should have been a very entertaining game is spoiled by levels that are too short and too uninspiring. It's like having a really cool motorbike but only a couple of miles to drive it on.

Behind the dreary single-player campaigns is a game that'll provide you with a strong distraction, for as long as other people are playing it.