In the movie Skyfall, James Bond is accidentally shot off the top of a train as he pursues a bad guy and falls into a river below. All the stages in 007 Legends are the spy's sort-of memories of previous missions as he plummets into the river, all based on previous films. Honestly, he'd be better off being totally knocked out. 007 Legends is awful. [Christmas 2012, p.82]

Despite the heritage, and the memories of the time (if you did play it) promising a nostalgic trip, it's a reminder of how far we've come. In the end, Doom 3 just feels old. [Christmas 2012, p.81]

Though Zero Escape comes with reams of text, it's all well written, thoroughly addictive stuff that encourages multiple playthroughs to see its 24 endings. Any Vita owner looking to try something different is advised to make the leap of faith and scoop this up immediately. [Christmas 2012, p.81]

You'll never powerslide around a corner. Seems odd, doesn't it? Kart racers in general have implemented this move since day dot, and while it's one missing attribute that sets Race Stars apart from the competition (apart from the official licence, of course) it feels weird and frustrating. Tight corners need to be taken wide as the karts are especially stubborn in the twisty bits. [Christmas 2012, p.80]

The bargain basement price should entice fans into reliving their glory days but offers very little else. [Christmas 2012, p.80]

Orcs is unrefined in spots, but Cyanide punches massively above its weight in terms of production values and thought-provoking storytelling. Go in expecting some rough edges, but also expect to be surprised. [Christmas 2012, p.78]

LBP Karting doesn't run a perfect race, but it definitely earns its podium finish thanks to a glorious track editor. It mashes together the approachability of ModNation's DIY editor with the overwhelming possibilities of LBP's 'if you can think it, you can create it' motto. [Christmas 2012, p.77]

Epic Mickey 2 smacks of the brilliant game designer many of us admire as Spector attempts to redefine what has defined his great games for years within the confines of a world that can't really allow it. The end result is it's a compromise that, by default, isn't able to wholeheartedly please anyone. [Christmas 2012, p.72]

Like its forebear Skylanders Giants won't tax the skills of the mature hardcore gamer. But it is a worthy expansion that'll keep the youngins amused on the TV, and in the schoolyard, for hours. [Christmas 2012, p76]

If you can ignore the eyesore low-res video feedback of the PlayStation Eye, the book itself and the creative crap it spawns looks sharp, well animated, and it grows in complexity. Likewise the interactive stories and narration are top-notch stuff. [Christmas 2012, p.76]

If you're desperate for some dungeon dwelling, get a PS2 and play Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. We know the process of eBaying that equipment is going to be a pain, but we guarantee you it'll be less of a pain than playing this. [Christmas 2012, p.75]

There's no faulting the quality and content. But yeah, wait for a serious price drop. [Christmas 2012, p.75]

Though neither of these games can eclipse the love and attention lavished upon other Kojima projects, they're still decent examples of their genre. [Christmas 2012, p.74]

The 2008 original was dubbed 'the PlayStation's Zelda' and received wide critical acclaim. Despite that, Okami was criminally underplayed and its shallow sales triggered the collapse of a great developer. It'd be an absolute sin to see that history repeated here. So buy this classic. Wolf it down. [Christmas 2012, p.74]

Battle Royale is an otherwise tightly designed and technically accomplished fighting game. Consulting our crystal balls – not a euphemism – we see it acquiring a small but dedicated following on the tournament scene. It'll never be as big as Street Fighter or Tekken, but it'll always be present on the periphery. [Christmas 2012, p.70]

Although each year's Call of Duty has always been a package deal, Black Ops II represents a watershed moment. It's bulging at the seams, not only because nearly every team that's ever worked on Call of Duty has had a hand in it. The engine has been tweaked, multiplayer and CODcasting are both revolutionary, single-player has a decent lifespan and offers more than the same roller-coaster but on a tougher difficulty setting, while Zombies is mental comic relief. [Christmas 2012, p66]

An excellent PlayStation Mobile title for less than a dollar. Do get. [December 2012, p83]

If you have an existing library of Rock Band tracks you'll dig this. [December 2012, p83]

Joe Danger 2 is tough, especially in the exclusive-to-PS3 bonus levels. Tough, but not unfair. You'll need to memorise the courses as you fling your vehicle through the air, and each of machines feels beautifully weighted and satisfying to control. [December 2012, p83]

The multiple inescapable tutorials that open Worms Revolution's campaign are an ill portent: for series veterans they're insulting, and the new mechanics introduced don't seem like anything special. It's not until you've played a few games and dipped into the campaign proper that the merits of Revolution become clear. [December 2012, p82]

Marvel vs Capcom: Origins is a bland and unexciting update of a couple of classics that have long been superseded. [December 2012, p82]

The formula's barely changed since Just Dance 3. Brightly coloured representations dance on screen, you follow with a Move controller in hand. Or you can do as we did towards the end and sit on the couch and wave it as convincingly and energetically as you can. This works just enough to keep the score counter ticking up, but you'll never hit the max number of stars or nail the new and tough sub challenges that way. These sub challenges ask you to achieve a certain rank in specific part of songs. We just want to let our aching arms recover. [December 2012, p81]

Great design and syrupy animation. Busy without being chaotic, and humourous too. [December 2012, p81]

Leaving you with no indication on how to progress might have been quirky, innovative game design in 1996, but in 2012, it's an exercise in pure frustration. Replaying the initial laps over and over again, just so you can have another crack only makes matters worse. The original Saturn version of the game is on offer too if you are so nostalgically inclined, but it still doesn't manage to escape the fundamental inadequacies NiGHTS possesses. [December 2012, p80]

Controls have been upgraded to include a more intuitive feel, with the right stick now used for ball control as well as shooting. The old button controls are still applicable, it just depends if you want to keep up with the times, as well as how much flare you want to add to your floor game. [December 2012, p80]

New Little King's Story could have been a surprise hit. But, as it stands, all its charm and whimsy is marred by poor menu design and technical issues that aren't game-breaking, just a royal pain in the butt. [December 2012, p78]

Quirky but has been done better and many times before. Wait for Ni No Kuni instead. [December 2012, p78]

In some matches it almost feels like the AI is taking the piss, effortlessly stringing together combinations and reversals, when it is nowhere near as easy to do this yourself. There's a lot of assumed knowledge and familiarity with the franchise, which can be disconcerting to newcomers. Positioning is key for finishers and signature moves and can get frustrating when your opponent is whaling on you almost effortlessly. [December 2012, p77]