Childrens games have their own merit, but it's unacceptable to dumb down the controls without adding charm, varied gameplay or even some kind of gimmick. Bolt just manages to be an uninspired button-masher with last-gen graphics, and there are many other games out there that suit a younger audience than this.

A non-commercial license that's been turned into a terrible monster without hardly any positive traits. The cynics within us think that this game was the reason why the entire league broke down.

Shaun White Snowboarding doesn't manage to be either a interesting simulation or a fun arcade game, and feels more like a hoverboard game than anything. The bleak graphics and shoddy physics don't help either, and the online modes are the only real saving grace.

As a parkour simulator, Mirror's Edge is a force to be reckoned with, revolutionizing the first person genre with its fluid motions and the gaming market with its distinct design. But as a platforming and action game it leaves a lot to be desired, and theunforgiving control and haphazard placement of checkpoints are infuriating. Mirror's Edge could and should be amazing, but doesn't manage to be better than good.

The intensity of the battles and the powerful use of sound is what makes World at War really shine, together with the impressive multiplayer options (including the amazing Nazi Zombies mode). But at the end of the day, the clichéd World War 2 setting stops this game from achieving greatness.

It's the voice command function that makes Tom Clancy's EndWar really shine, and it brings a fluidity and ease-of-use that will hopefully become the standard for console RTS games in the future.

Pandoras Box has truly been opened by Spark Unlimited. The graphics are sub-par, with immense slowdowns and juttering refresh rates. Also, the online community is nowhere to be found, rendering the multiplayer experience useless.

With its gorgeous celshaded graphics, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm manages to blur out the difference between anime and games, and creates a seamless gaming experience that is both delightful and fun to play. The only real downside is the simplicity of the controls and the lack of online modes, but who cares when fighting is this enjoyable?

Though Valkyria Chronicles is one of the first real strategy games for the PS3, it doesn't play it safe. With original watercoloured graphics and gameplay choices, such as the command point structure, this war is not one easily forgotten.

With its mix of both the settings in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, the latest 007 game manages to stand out from other license games. But only a little, as many other elements - like the graphics, gameplay and online settings - are nothing more than average.

Everything in Resistance 2 is bigger - all the way from the giant bosses to the 60 player online games. The arsenal is well-balanced and the gunfights are intense. Some more innovations would have been appreciated, but the shine and polish that Resistance 2 shows is more than enough for a recommendation.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa's many and varied minigames manage to avoid falling into the pit that's usually reserved for license games, and actually delivers an enjoyable experience for both parents and kids.

Old fans of the series may not be expecting a game like this, but Fallout 3 is ambitious and more than lives up to the high standard it sets, and will be enjoyed by both newcomers and veteran Fallout players. Bethesda have managed to create a sturdy strategic element to the first person perspecitve but have ultimately failed in creating believable characters, which may disappoint some.

Despite fulfilling all the promises they made to fans of the first game - split screen action, more vehicles on screen and larger levels - Evolution Studios haven't really dared to do too many new things. The graphics haven't been sharpened enough and the game feels more like MotorStorm 1.5 than a sequel. Fun, but not much more.

Fans of motorbike racing will love this game, with its realistic settings and physics handling. But other players will find themselves torn between the arcade and simulator settings, that are either too easy or too unforgiving, making this a difficult game to get into. Online 12 player races are a blast though.

Heaps of new songs, a solid online experience and well-constructed drums make Guitar Hero: World Tour an enjoyable music game that works well at parties. Some more streamlined menu controls would be nice, but overall the game delivers an excellent multiplayer experience.

10 hours of gameplay with crazy humour, a fun story, engaging characters and great turn-based rpg action? Yes please!

PlayStation 3 players are in for a treat when they descend into Rapture for the first time. The story may be linear, but it's extremely engaging, and the 1950's design is sublime.

The simple controls and arcade playability make up for the repetitive gameplay and the low-quality graphics. Both the story and the boss battles make this an enjoyable experience that doesn't need to rely on a movie license to stand on its own two feet.

Far Cry 2 feels little like the original, but its political story and expansive vistas still make it stand out as a game of its own. The large story mode and full-fledged online capabilities make Far Cry 2 one of the best first person shooters of 2008.

Whilst being colourful and sweet, Eternal Sonata has a few archaic gameplay elements that are totally unnecessary, such as insta-death battles and a slow-paced story. However, as far as role playing games go this isn't bad. It's just a pity that the game doesn't break very much new ground.

Whilst improving on practically everything that wasn't up to par in the original, this sequel is really only marred by it's delayed release schedule in Europe. A must for all music lovers out there.

Age of Booty is a competent multiplayer real-time strategy game that uses its pirate setting well. It is best played among friends on levels you designed for yourself or with strangers over the PSN. Single player levels are ok in itself, but offer no more than a tutorial and very basic gameplay.

This return to classic tactical multiplayer without vehicles should be welcomed by fans of the series. Newcomers may love it, but without a singleplayer campaign expectations should include readiness to work hard and die a lot. The game looks, sounds and feels nice, headsets work fine, servers are full, and regular patches will hopefully take care of those pesky little bugs.

With its mash-up of Event Horizon and the first two Alien movies, Dead Space creates a visceral and haunting experience that verges more on action than on horror. Despite its low replayability and linear story-telling, Dead Space is an excellent example of what an action game should be - a combination of high-adrenaline sequences and innovative design statements, in this case the brilliant user interface and the necromorph monsters.

The terrain alterations in Fracture are more than a gimmick, and actually change the way the game is played in more ways than one. The game promises to change the way we approach obstacles and manages to fulfill that promise completely, making this new-fangled feature one to look out for in future games.

Newcomers beware. If you're not familiar with 2K's basketball games you'll need to spend an awful amount of hours to get into shape. Apart from the online and quickplay modes there isn't much to look forward to, and this years iteration will only satisfy old fans of the series.

It's an amazing feeling to be able to play MegaMan again. The story, the music and the courses all live up to the myth, but why does it have to be so hard?