Still, it's breezy, colourful presentation and general silliness make Kinect Adventures easy to like.

Effortlessly likeable.

In Super Scribblenauts, 5th Cell have done a fantastic job at refining and expanding upon a fantastically fun toy. However, without a campaign that fully takes advantage of this impressive creative tool, the game remains just shy of true greatness.

The film truly is a millstone around the game's neck. If this game was called Cosa Nostra or Organised Crime 101 (or something similar) it would feel like a far stronger title altogether. Its open-world game template may be well worn but The Godfather II contains some excellent ideas, and the way it integrates them through a smooth control system is admirable.

Of course, a totally linear game is nothing without its plot, and The Whispered World doesn't disappoint in that respect. It's a relatively unique take on the 'reluctant hero saves the world' tale, with the kind of memorable ending that'll divide opinion straight down the middle.

It's an experience like no other, if not always for the right reasons. I adored it, but I couldn't tell you in earnest that you will feel the same. But I will tell you this: you absolutely must play it. How else would you ever know?

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a single-player construct through and through, and tossing in an extra player doesn't do it many favours, particularly in the limited confines of a handheld screen.

It’s a superior game to Conviction, but it won’t be held in the regard as the original Splinter Cell or Chaos Theory. It’s spread too thin and too focussed on trying to cater to everybody than exploiting what it’s best at.

Erratic, smart, puerile, limited but never less than a lot of fun, Lollipop Chainsaw is something of an endearing mess. Too often its satirical tone can run into trouble, and Grasshopper's hyperactive approach to game design can infuriate as much as it impresses. But Lollipop Chainsaw's quirky edge and strong writing carries it through those shakier moments, leaving a candy-coated video game in possession of a sharp bite.

Mini Ninja’s toybox is generously and imaginatively stuffed but, unfortunately, the same can’t be said of its playground.

Rage is a game that would have benefitted from being streamlined, with additional FPS levels replacing the awkward driving. It should have been an id game. Instead it occupies this weird halfway-house between Borderlands, Motorstorm and Doom, not quite an RPG, not quite a racer and not quite an FPS.

Really, with the levels of customisation as huge as they are, the player's enjoyment is only held back by their lack of imagination.

A fascinating, unique take on the action genre bogged down by vapid soliloquising and a stuttering flow. A game that cultivates the past of a series while looking to the future, but perhaps doesn't know when to shut up.

At its best, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon hits a glorious balance of careful tactical play and explosive bombast. It's frustrating because it comes so close to perfecting the formula, only to throw it away by growing tedious when it has the opportunity to shine.

For pure chilling atmosphere, Silent Hill still succeeds with strong plotting and disturbing art direction. Few games can creep you out and leave you thinking about their story after the credits have rolled as much as Silent Hill can and the latest title is no exception. It’s a good game, there’s no doubt, but you just feel this Homecoming is perhaps a few years too late.

Wooly World’s gentle accessibility, then, can be its biggest strength or most obvious weakness… depending on who you are. Either way, there is no doubting the craft.

The game is pretty much a must-play for anyone interested in videogame narrative or the debate on virtual violence, and the sheer subversiveness it brings to one of the most profitable and least nuanced of gaming genres is certain to be influential in future. But dubious mechanics, cursory multiplayer and niggling design shortfalls all weigh heavily in the other scale. Spec Ops may turn out to be less notable for what it is than for what it inspires.

The film truly is a millstone around the game's neck. If this game was called Cosa Nostra or Organised Crime 101 (or something similar) it would feel like a far stronger title altogether. Its open-world game template may be well worn but The Godfather II contains some excellent ideas, and the way it integrates them through a smooth control system is admirable.

Another brave and ambitious effort from the consistently inventive Eden Games, then, but another flawed gem. If anything, Test Drive Unlimited 2 teaches us that it's not just the open world you create, but what you do within it that really forms its identity. A shame then, that despite coming across like the coolest guy at the party, deep down, TDU2 is still not really sure who it is.

A nearly game; good ideas and intentions scuppered by a desire to cram in as much stuff as it can. Yet despite this, Infinity still provides a lot of fun.

Irritations aside, there’s rarely a dull moment and a delightfully ludicrous storyline with high-camp villains frames the action nicely. As such, Bionic Commando at its best is a macho, cheeseball 80s action movie that Arnie or Sly would have been proud of.

Limited and occasionally scrappy, Dr Kawashima may not offer the perfect medicine, but its gentle brain teasing and enjoyable body twisting means that the idea of "mathercise" perhaps isn't so scary after all.

The multiplayer is so much fun that it's almost enough to forgive the game's solo-mode shortcomings.

The cats don't have the same level of interaction that the dogs have, generally just sitting around the house with general disinterest, regarding you with mild disdain and plotting world domination. Just like real cats then.

The cats don't have the same level of interaction that the dogs have, generally just sitting around the house with general disinterest, regarding you with mild disdain and plotting world domination. Just like real cats then.

The cats don't have the same level of interaction that the dogs have, generally just sitting around the house with general disinterest, regarding you with mild disdain and plotting world domination. Just like real cats then.

Space Marine can't compete with the genre leaders in terms of spectacle, budget and direction. And one has to question the wisdom of releasing in such close proximity to Gears of War 3. But for Warhammer 40k fans, or those who just can't wait to engage in a little alien slaughter, Space Marine's solid genre mash-up should prove a satisfying battle ground.

Shadows of the Damned's erratic, slapdash nature leaves you slightly dazed. But despite some alarming dips in quality, despite the game never quite reaching the level of brilliance you hope for, you will be glad you played it.

Really, with the levels of customisation as huge as they are, the player's enjoyment is only held back by their lack of imagination.

Wheelman isn’t exactly the smartest video game out there. In fact, it’s quite possibly the dumbest game I’ve played in a long while. However, it’s wickedly self-aware of its own silliness and revels in it, leading to the kind of guilty pleasure that can only come with such a willful grasp of absurdity. And smashing things up, of course.

The combat, and it's worth noting that this makes up the majority of the game, is superb. It's not particularly deep nor clever, but it's immensely rewarding, as too are the scripted first person sections which exist purely to, yes, let you punch things in the face.

On a technical level, then, Wolfenstein is a game that swings wildly in quality on an almost minute-by-minute basis, and a rather vanilla multiplayer offering doesn’t do much to quicken the pulse.

A highly enjoyable game in its own right and it succeeds at being pure, rollicking entertainment. Players who are prepared to look past its derivative gameplay, will find its silly characters, ridiculous plot and even some of its technical flaws may just be part of the reason they continue playing it long after the first couple of hours have passed by.

This sensibly-priced curio is one of the best and most original Kinect games to date, and enormously entertaining in the short bursts of play the device is designed for. Perhaps most refreshingly of all, it can be played while seated; couch potatoes discouraged by the activity demanded by most motion-based titles may have just found their ideal Kinect game.

The noticeable improvements aside, there are some very real problems with the core gameplay of PES that aren’t easily forgotten. The engine is well past its sell-by-date, its clumsy brand of football is given a real thrashing by FIFA in realism and too many aspects of the package remain disappointingly unrefined.

The game's chief appeal really is wrapped up in Alec Mason's capacity for devastation and whether or not the endless opportunities to cause widespread mayhem (albeit in a good cause) are worth slogging through some of the game's drawbacks is down to the appetite for destruction of each individual player. Those who demand in-depth plots, revolutionary gameplay and a twist around every corner won't have much use for Red Faction: Guerrilla. But if you enjoy blowing things up, this well may be one of the best video games ever made.

Nier is a twisting, turning journey of erratic quality. It's one of the best, worst, most broken, most perfect games I've ever played.

El Shaddai isn't perfect, then, but it's got a lot going for it because of the sheer energy that's gone into its construction: energy you can see in the focused poise of its combat, and in the game's astonishing desire to top itself with each new vista it flings before you.

With its varied combat, ridiculous story and outlandish weapons it's a fun and engaging title and it's a real pity that that Activision haven't given it the attention it deserves. If you're willing to overlook its shortcomings and enjoy old school running-and-gunning, Singularity is an immensely satisfying romp.

As a game in the here and now, The Forgotten Sands can feel dated, its hero outshone by glossy new kids on the block like Nathan Drake.

Ubisoft’s insistence on releasing what is, frankly, an unfinished product is inexcusable. Players falling through floors, obnoxious NPCs interrupting cutscenes, characters turned into terrifying grotesques as they are rendered without skin. All have been exposed in Unity’s litany of bugs. You could be lucky and not see any of them at all, or they could come and spoil your fun entirely.

Whether it was time constraint, requirements of the 007 license, or a developer stepping out of their comfort zone you can't shake the the feeling there's a great action game bubbling under at Bizarre, but Blood Stone isn't it, limited by a lack of variety and reliance on the tropes of its genre. But it is a well-constructed, entertaining and wholly-polished blast.

The AI is one of Crysis 2's biggest problems. It's utterly atrocious, to the point of parody at times.

To blow COD out of the water, they will need a more polished game than this. Perhaps the next-generation will provide it.

Whilst FM10 tries its hand at all aspects of football management, it isn’t entirely successful in all its pursuits and does end up lagging behind its older, slightly more mature brothers.

It certainly gives a great deal in the first few hours. Though it's repetitive, the mechanics are solid and the concept itself works fantastically.

But you'll plow through most of what the game has to offer to a single player pretty quickly. And while multiplayer could have been king here, WWE All Stars is also notably lacking in both online and off...But it does offer a silly, accessible and effortlessly entertaining brawler that will particularly appeal to lapsed WWE fans.

uDraw Studio isn't everything it could have been. But as a solid, entry-level art studio, it's a welcoming canvas. Ideal to encourage children to get creative without scribbling on the carpet.

With its beautiful presentation, well designed levels and two adorable titular characters, A Boy And His Blob is a game that rewards and appeals in equal measure. Would all curmudgeons now kindly leave the room on tiptoe.

Sure, you’re left with the nagging sensation of unfulfilled promise, but away from the circus of its development and that (perhaps unreasonable) weight of expectation, Broken Age will, in time, be a game many players remember with genuine fondness.

It’s a very well crafted video game that entertains far more than it frustrates, and while it borrows heavily from several prestige titles, it weaves their characteristics into a cogent whole that serves Darksiders style, drive and narrative well.

The result is a game spread too thin, with a bulging selection of modes to play but none of which entirely nail their raison d'etre. In itself this feels an unwinnable decision for EA to make; bringing in new modes to innovate takes time away from developing other areas that the fans want bringing up to date. Something has to give. And perhaps this year that something has just been too much.

Nintendo's manic revival of Wii Sports could use more variety, but its lively appeal is a joy for the whole family.

It's unlikely to make any Game of the Year lists but Dead Island 2 provides plenty of low-brow thrills.

It is probably best summed up by a battle with a beast in the game’s denouement: a suffocating struggle in the dark, punctuated by fierce assaults on the senses that goes on for ten minutes too long, losing its lustre in the process. By turns thrilling, terrifying, thoughtful, thoughtless and tedious. A strange game indeed.

Perhaps inevitably, on PS5 the game itself almost feels like a secondary concern to the tech demo but developers Insomniac deserve credit for delivering an experience at once both familiar enough to appeal to fans of the first game but also with a strong identity of its own.

Outside the lacklustre story, I can't help but feel that some of its shortcomings are down to the ageing DS hardware that has never really excelled at producing fully functioning 3D environments.

If the Arkham games are Christopher Nolan levels of invention and genius then Gotham Knights is hanging out down in the DC Extended Universe with Zak Snyder and Aquaman. Set your expectations accordingly and there’s enjoyable entertainment to be had.

The game doesn’t outstay its welcome over its 12ish hours, which is, truthfully, something of a blessing.

Survive isn’t the lifeless husk of the Metal Gear series many thought it would be with its creator no longer running the show. When it gets its groove, it’s something very special indeed - its story, world, and freedom for exploration and creativity are all remarkable. The problem is that it'ss difficult to ignore the malingering corporate influence that has filled the gap in Kojima’s absence.

There are a lot of good ideas here, but they haven't found a way of comfortably sharing a bed together.

Part of how much you reap from Resident Evil 3 will be down to your nostalgia for the series, part of it will be if shooting the embodiment of a virus in the face with a rail-gun is just what you need right now.

Type-0 is a consistently interesting experience despite not always being one that hits the notes it's aiming for. It's an example of how wonderful games can be when they focus on a particular form of design, but simultaneously, it stands as proof that even those mainstream games labelled 'mature' struggle to provide a narrative of wider cultural value.

It's the overall lack of challenge and depth which proves to be the major sticking point.

A game that keeps you strangely grounded, when it should be making you soar.

Sucker Punch's PS4 tribute to Akira Kurosawa is gorgeous to behold but its sparse open-world and bloated mechanics has it falling short.

While Bientôt l’été may lack the potency of Tale of Tales’ best work – the subversive, disturbing The Path is this writer’s personal highlight - there’s something to be said for a game that so boldly goes against the grain.

A lack of variety doesn’t stop this being a wholly welcome return for Amplitude. It has a thumping heart and soul, a timeless nucleus of gameplay that I hope Harmonix has the opportunity to build upon. A euphoric finger dance across a fizzing, abstract space.

The voice acting is generally solid, and Laurence Fishburne is excellent. And there's optional Facebook connectivity if you're into that kind of thing, with the game posting a single-entry summary of the in-game achievements you've earned every time you finish a session.

Due to its shortness of length, repetitive (and at times annoying) gameplay and non-existent re-play value, its hard to justify paying the full recommended retail price for it.

If the combat is Andromeda’s most pleasant surprise, it is the alarming drop-off in the game’s writing that is of most concern. The dialogue, in particular, is unusually flat and laboured for a Bioware game, while Andromeda often fumbles what should be its biggest moments.

Reflecting on the nature of revolutionary uprising he comes to the conclusion that everything is ultimately ok as long as you die smiling. Similarly, if that’s all you really want from an open world shooter then Far Cry 6 will not disappoint.

It’s enormously frustrating. Second Son feels so close yet so far to being the PlayStation hero Sucker Punch and Sony want it to be. It’s likeable, fizzy and nearly always moderately entertaining, but is held back by the mundanity of its missions and a lack of the ambition needed to make it great. A diverting superhero adventure that just isn't adventurous enough.

It's all a bit laboured, a bit tedious, and it's the kind of co-op game that's more fun based on who you're playing with, than on what you're playing. It sits in this awkward middle ground between Borderlands and Left 4 Dead, never remotely matching either but never quite crossing into the territory where you should be avoiding it.

Ultimately, it lacks the action set pieces that helped to push the FPS genre to where it is today.

Its controls are a little ropy and its depth severely lacking, but these aren't concerns that will trouble the audience it's aimed at. Not only that, but it's tremendous entertainment value. Just ask my other half. She hasn't laughed this much in ages.

Unrewarding then, but never frustrating.

So will I be renewing my subscription this month? Probably not. But my month in Metropolis and Gotham was an extremely enjoyable one.

I’ve had a lot of fun with it, both chipping away at Adventure Golf on the train and playing a few rounds with the kids at home. But it is forgettable for a Nintendo game, meaning it isn’t long before you move onto other things. The recently released Clap Hanz Golf on iOS, for instance, which has the kind of oomph that an arcade golf game should have. And the kind Mario Golf: Super Rush is curiously lacking.

The learning curve makes it likely you’ll want to blast through again at least once with your flight skills finally under control. And this is when Star Fox Zero is at its best: a thrilling, fleeting and flawed joyride.

But these hopes were dashed in the final third where poor design, repetitive waves of enemies and button-bashing gameplay took all that my enjoyment and curdled into a numbing disappointment.

Wargroove is a very enjoyable game but one which still feels rough around the edges.

It's just a pity that when compared to the franchise's most recent successes, Band Hero comes across as both a bit of a cash-in and more than a little soulless.

Factor in the graphical glitches, rampant texture pop-in and generally asthmatic performance levels, even when running on a PS4 Pro with settings optimised to favour smooth running, and there really is no end of reasons not to love Borderlands 3 (and don’t even think about Googling developers Gearbox Games’ litany of employee relations history)...And yet... love it, I do. Guilty as charged.

For now, though, FIFA 21 plays a very good game and it's clear the devs have been paying attention to criticism. Headers appear to be effective once more and off the ball movement has seemingly been rebuilt from the ground up, with two new mechanics attempting to address the deficiencies of team-mate AI. The first lets you manually direct runs with a flick of the right stick. The other allows you to take direct control of a runner by pressing in both sticks at once and then timing the return pass as normal. It’s tricky to master and feels a bit like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time but does introduce a welcome set of skill-dependent attacking options.

Polly could use a new bow.

It’s a convincing facsimile, which makes trying to save it from Albion and its assorted cronies a more compelling task. And Legion’s big gimmick is that you can play as, well, anyone. Construction workers, lawyers, YouTube stars, retired cage fighters, Anarchists, football hooligans. All are served up by Ubisoft’s smart procedurally-generated trick, each with their own look, background and sometimes even voting record.

Fans of the film series may find the video game adaptation of Jigsaw's latest round of lethal morality tests diverting, but true blue console horror fans are better off waiting for something with a bit more bite.

The example of difficult second album syndrome that most readily came to mind while I wandered these wastelands is the Stone Roses, who spent almost five years trying to outdo their era-defining, genre-defying debut only to emerge with a bloated classic rock retread that effectively ended the band’s career. That’s not to say Horizon Forbidden West is gaming’s ‘Second Coming’ – but it’s not the second coming of gaming either.

It's definitely worth a try thanks to the great exploration and fluid combat systems, just make sure you have plenty of patience on hand.

It is a genuine shame. There is a real sense of creative energy crackling at the edges of Watch Dogs and a mechanical aptitude in its systems that make it enjoyable enough to play. Parts of the game irritated me greatly, but I rarely found it less than entertaining, and there were moments that brought a real thrill. Watch Dogs immediate success almost guarantees a sequel, and Ubisoft have plenty of strong points with which to build upon. But I would also like to see more conviction in their own ideas, rather than avoiding difficult questions and settling into a pattern of familiarity.

A few tweaks are needed, but things are on the right track.

There's no denying that, for me at least, it was as fun as it was irritating, as stylish as it was silly. It could've used some tweaking, some more suitable level design in places, and perhaps more thought gone into making the game a cohesive whole. It's not close to Platinum's best, or Kojima's best, but is a game worth checking out, even if just as a rental.

These flashes of inspiration can't stop Start the Party from being an extremely fleeting experience.

In keeping with the period aesthetic, Black Ops Cold War feels like a throwback in all senses of the word. It’s unlikely to be remembered as a Call of Duty classic but throw in the multiplayer mayhem of Zombies too and there’s enough here to help keep the lockdown blues at bay. Which, frankly, is the most any of us can ask for right now.

The most disappointing aspect of Rugby World Cup, however, is just how threadbare it is in terms of modes.

Due to its shortness of length, repetitive (and at times annoying) gameplay and non-existent re-play value, its hard to justify paying the full recommended retail price for it.

A mostly good adventure, then, but not without some major foibles. There’s no doubt Battlefront 2 is better than its predecessor but we do miss some the latter’s purity – guns, for example, still feel excellent to fire, but there’s so many of them now that you feel like you’re in Call of Duty shooter territory. Amidst a forcible loot system it creates a slight sense of soullessness that could see DICE’s latest effort risks fading into the background as another decent shooter that misses its mark. This is Star Wars, though, so there’s no doubt they’ll get another shot.