You certainly can’t fault Defiance for lack of content, then. Sadly, what you can fault it for is being an ugly, buggy and monotonous shooter with a tenuous link to a mediocre sci-fi TV drama.

A technical marvel this is not, but beneath the detritus lie some good ideas, at least. Open-world survival horror is a scintillating concept, conjuring images of casing out suspects at will, perhaps stumbling upon situations that blow the mystery wide open by chance. The reality’s much grimmer, of course – with so little to do between missions except tedious driving challenges, you often find yourself sleeping through the day to hurry it along.

What Star Trek does well is to achieve a serviceable level of entertainment. However it never stands out thanks to derivative design and occasional shoddy corners. If this was a cheaper, downloadable title I’d score it more favorably but this is competing in price and scale with bigger and more impressive games with a well practiced bag of last year’s tricks.

It’s the price that makes this a tricky one to recommend, rather than the content. For first-time buyers this £20 bundle (which includes the original game) is a bargain, but for the hardcore player it’s designed for, that same price is a big ask when you already own the main course. Veterans should knock a point off, but curious bystanders have the perfect excuse to enjoy an offbeat gem.

Underneath the ever-jiggling and moaning surface, Dead or Alive 5 Plus is a solid and addictive fighter with plenty of compulsive brawling to enjoy on handheld. [May 2013, p.115]

It plays like Street Fighter, but can't look it square in the eye. [May 2013, p.114]

IF you're into this kind of thing, you'll probably play it until you go temporarily blind. [May 2013, p.109]

A bit like go-karting. [May 2013, p.109]

A hugely compelling adaptation. [May 2013, p.109]

The Show remains the most authentic sports series of all time. FIFA can't touch it. [May 2013, p.108]

Delivers a visually exciting experience. [May 2013, p.107]

What this package lacks in character, it makes up for in fan service, content and incredible mechanics. [May 2013, p.104]

For a couple of pounds more than the cost of a burrito, it’s a tasty morsel of personality – but prepare yourself for a technically demanding challenge.

A winning piece of minimalist game design that manages to do a lot with a little in an industry which far too frequently achieves the exact opposite, and it deserves much praise for that.

By far the game’s biggest problem: a crippling lack of invention. Riptide exhausts through repetition. Your flooded playground lacks the visual variety of the first game’s Banoi and missions never blossom into fresh concepts, merely escalating in difficulty and frustration.

Be it throwing chattering teeth with The Joker or hogtieing Doomsday with Green Arrow, there’s a constant playful charm in doling out moves. And unlike Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe, Injustice boasts a stable netcode, where streamlined matchmaking and lag-free fights make for a solid online offering. A pretty heroic effort all told, then. But one that falls short of super status.

This has the rare, old-fashioned appeal of being a real pad-passer. [Apr 2013, p.110]

Unfortunately, there’s just no hope for this one. Sure, it looks like a game – and we all love games – but the rot has taken hold and it’s too late to save it. You should go on ahead and we’ll put this sorry thing out of its misery.

If Half-Life and the original Deus Ex stand as the apotheosis of the narrative-driven shooter, and Bioshock brought the genre to PS3, then Infinite is the latest game to join these hallowed ranks. This is a masterpiece that will be discussed for years to come, and praise doesn’t come much higher than that.

For all of its novelty value, there's no chance of it leaving your feet on fire. [Apr 2013, p.119]

There's a pleasingly deep character creator to fiddle about with. [Apr 2013, p.118]

Sadly, the frantic combat is never as graceful as it should be. [Apr 2013, p.117]

Repetitive and not exactly original. [Apr 2013, p.111]

Never bad. [Apr 2013, p.111]

There's enough gore-spillage here to satisfy that Japanese horror hardcore. [Apr 2013, p.109]

If you’re looking for a satisfying sneaky experience, then last year’s Sniper Elite delivers far more than Ghost Warrior 2, which is already destined to be filler for the pre-owned shelves at your local retailer. The odd joyful kill can’t make up for its appalling visuals, and this frustratingly hollow experience misses its target entirely.

If you can overlook the presentation problems, there’s a clever game of strategy here that just about makes this a war worth enlisting for.

Skyrim is a game you really make your own, and building a home in Hearthfire is a natural and enjoyable extension of this concept. It’s not quite up there with the excitement of slaying beasts and looting dungeons, but homebodies will love it nonetheless.