One of the greatest video games ever made. [JPN Import]

The familiarity of Vice City Stories also breeds a clawing sense of stagnancy, and the lack of a second analogue stick - while patched - does leave a rent in the application of the gameplay control.

It's really all about the experience, reading all the facts and features lists in the world isn't going to accurately convey the feeling of playing GRAW 2, the feeling of being sucked into a game world so beautifully formed and well designed that the individual features blur into the impressive whole.

On balance, I personally will probably stick with the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series. But there is definitely an audience out there for Skate.

Just be warned though, don't expect it to be an easy ride at all. War is hell, especially in Dark Conflict's case. If you're new to the series then maybe start with Dual Strike for a friendlier introduction.

Vegas is very good, the only drawbacks coming from the slightly too short singleplayer campaign which can be dispatched in about 8-10 hours.

A game that more than makes up for the protracted wait, with both a fantastic single player campaign and brilliantly worthwhile multiplayer component to boot.

This little arcade shooter is worth a decent amount of cash on its own, so its inclusion in the package only makes PGR4 that much more attractive. Oh. And there are motorbikes in it too. They bump the score up an extra few percentage points.

The game play can be tedious to the point of frustration at times, but it is novel and interesting. The game fails to create a convincing, "hook-the-player" atmosphere and only those seasoned puzzle solvers out there will come back for more time and time again.

Multiplayer modes and online support already take the game to another level, and coupled with a revitalised track-list, lovely visuals, a great new controller and and an attention to detail and polish previously unknown to the genre, what we have here is the return of a true hero.

It's a boon to Nintendo's device.

Boxing may be more of a niche market than it used to be but Fight Night Champion is still a glistening jewel in EA Sport's championship belt.

By concentrating solely on the bits people who want to play superhero games are most interested in, namely superpowers and character abilities, rather than any of the more involved economics of other MMOs, COH/V manages to deliver a pair of finely focused games that understand what their audience wants and aren't ashamed to provide it by the bucket load.

The replayability is immense and after spending a whole weekend blasting through both single and co-op campaigns, I still went back to perfect my speed and score runs as well as collect up missing upgrades and items.

It's the branching gameplay that catapults Double Agent above its predecessors and marks the series as striding forward into a wealth of possibilities.

This is explosive, balls-to-the-wall action that makes no concessions in delivering the ultimate playground in which to wreak havoc. The almost limitless potential for reckless mayhem is what makes Guerrilla such an unashamedly fun game to play, which is why this is without a doubt the biggest summer blockbuster so far this year and consequently an essential purchase. Now go on, get your ass to Mars.

The retro touches like the return of cheesy cut-scenes, the universe itself and the focus on Tiberium in its decidedly science fiction storyline have had just the right amount of effort applied to make this an incredibly refined experience.

A stimulating, compelling game of gridiron.

If you're looking for a crowd pleasing game for those Christmas parties that will still entertain long into the new year then you can't go far wrong with this; just don't blame us if you've can't get a go yourself.

It has the most evolved gameplay system, without loosing the 'pick up and play' feel every beat 'em up should have.

LocoRoco 2 could well be the most enjoyable mix of madcap nonsense and simple yet perfectly formed gameplay that there's been all year.

It's a pity that there is no new PvMP zone but I'm sure it will be added in future expansion packs.

For the best part of seventeen years consoles have been trying to emulate the unparalleled experience of playing first person shooters on the PC. For the first time Crysis 2 shows console gamers that they can have the PC experience without the massively expensive gaming rig.

I was never going to feel the same buzz playing Soul Calibur IV as I did the original: the core experience is too familiar. But the online play has been implemented impressively, and prevents this becoming a game that will sit on your shelf until your friends come round.

To be honest, Dark Mirror was so good that Sony Bend could have got away with slapping a fresh story and some new levels around the same engine and been done with it.

The game play can be tedious to the point of frustration at times, but it is novel and interesting. The game fails to create a convincing, "hook-the-player" atmosphere and only those seasoned puzzle solvers out there will come back for more time and time again.

Machinarium wants to tell you a story, it needs you to eek your way through it, and the artists have clearly sweated buckets of WD40 in creating a world originally brilliant for you to absorb, but it isn't 'free'. Your payment (besides the 11 GBP it costs) is the dying brain cells and droplets of blood forming on your forehead as you ponder another conundrum. But pay gladly my friends, because this is a kind of value you'll rarely see in any world, mechanical or otherwise. Savour it too, because Machinarium will pay you back tenfold.

When push leads inexorably to shove, there are probably two good games here. The problem is that you have to play them both at the same time. Those of us that would have preferred a pure platformer, or indeed a pure RPG experience, will suffer the most. Those that are happy to live with the combination will find a compelling experience, with well written dialogue, innovative play dynamics and bucket loads of Nintendo charm.