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

Some of the best multiplayer action money can buy. In fact, it's a testament to how good the multiplayer mode is that this title scores as high as it does, given that Killzone 3's campaign plot is undercooked to the point that it's actually still bleeding.

The game has a learning curve which is less a curve and more a brick wall you'll run into at high speed the first time you take the game online and find everything you thought you knew was wrong. Typical middle-of-the-road players can spend weeks looking like they've never played a video game before in MVC3 but at least they'll still look brilliant, albeit in an uncoordinated fashion.

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.

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.

First Strike's maps did a terrific job of throwing Call of Duty's strengths into sharp relief.

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

Mario Vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem is the sort of title Nintendo does very well. It's charming, fun and cleverly constructed. And even if it's not what I expected, it's a reminder that I should endeavour to make the portly plumber more of a fixture on my gaming landscape.

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.

Combining surreal challenges with mind-bending gameplay and packaged with some of the most delightful visuals to ever grace a console, ilomilo is one of the best titles in XBLA's steadily growing catalogue.

One of the most exciting titles available. It is, in short, a game any sort of player – casual or hard-core – will take a shine to.

One of the most exciting titles available. It is, in short, a game any sort of player – casual or hard-core – will take a shine to.

Football Manager requires a certain level of commitment. If you can make that commitment, I can see that there's a rewarding experience to be had but I don't think I can do it. Almost two decades after I started playing, I'm more comfortable with Fifa and with the lighter iPhone version of Football Manager. But a whole new generation of students are about to get their minds blown.

Both more terrifying and more fun to play than its incredibly impressive predecessor. Dead Space 2 is not – and never could be – a game to suit everyone's taste, but if you're a player willing to risk a few nightmares for the chance to immerse yourself in pure terror, it's one of the best horror games available for this generation of consoles.

The puzzling, while fearsomely inventive and effortlessly pleasurable, unfortunately doesn't fulfil its obvious potential. But if you are possessed by Ghost Trick's charms, you will find an affecting, charismatic game with a whole lot of spirit.

And when you can create your own movies (including voice acting), upload a top-down shooter in the style of Zombies Ate My Neighbours, or take down a giant robot by throwing jam in its face, what's the occasional floaty jump between friends?

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.

How disappointing to see such potential wasted. What a shame to see a developer so clearly uninterested in their own project. Such is the lack of invention and variety on offer, The Force Unleashed II can't help feel like a cursory cash-grab, more akin to DLC than a fully fledged retail product.

The fact that Rock Band 3 is both easy to pick up and play while offering an intricate learning tool is a remarkable thing.

The fact that Rock Band 3 is both easy to pick up and play while offering an intricate learning tool is a remarkable thing.

The fact that Rock Band 3 is both easy to pick up and play while offering an intricate learning tool is a remarkable thing.

It's initially quite fun, but truth be told, steering with an invisible wheel gets a bit old after a couple of hours and the game has few pleasures to offer besides.

It only remains to be said that when it comes to adventure games of this type, the God Of War series towers above other offerings in its genre.

On the whole, Splatterhouse achieves what it sets out to do, even if it is spoiled in parts by some sloppy execution and technical niggles. It's mindless, tasteless and ultimately throwaway, but as the mask often intones: "I could say I wasn't enjoying this ... but that would be a lie."

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 Shoot is hard to dislike, hard to like, and hard to care about in any way.

Unrewarding then, but never frustrating.

There's a temptation to end this review with a play on Jigsaw's famous 'I want to play a game' line, but to call Flesh & Blood a game would be doing a disservice to games, and 'I want to play a train wreck' doesn't have the same ring to it.

There's a temptation to end this review with a play on Jigsaw's famous 'I want to play a game' line, but to call Flesh & Blood a game would be doing a disservice to games, and 'I want to play a train wreck' doesn't have the same ring to it.

I have no hesitation in saying that Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom is one of the most memorable, enjoyable games I've played this year.

Fighters Uncaged is an appalling, joyless makeweight trying to grab some of the Kinect pie before a fighting game that actually works comes along. Avoid it at all costs.

It took the best part of two decades to find room for innovation in so elegant a formula, but Hot Pursuit does it – bending it as far as it would go without breaking what made it great in the first place.

If you're absolutely desperate for a Wii shooter, especially a multiplayer title, then Goldeneye is worth a look.

The most triumphant comeback you could hope for.

For anyone else interested in or already on board with RTS games, Starcraft II isn't just an amazing, it's required reading.

Brotherhood is the franchise's best entry to date and one of the best games of 2010.

Sonic Colours is truly a highlight of this year's DS releases, and a much-demanded return to form for Sonic. The quick-fire nature means it's perfect for its hand-held platform, and if you're only going to pick up one Sonic title this year, Sonic Colours DS is definitely your best bet.

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

As party games go, Kinect Sports is infectiously good fun. It's highly doubtful that this title will be enough to woo Wii owners over to the Xbox 360 on ts own. But for players who already own Microsoft's console and a Kinect sensor, it's more than worth a look.

But while I wouldn't have minded a bit more MC Hammer, Dance Central has managed to get me to wave my hands in the air like I just don't care. No mean feat. And it keeps the wife laughing, and whatever makes her happy, makes me happy. Sort of.

As much as the red-blooded manly man who exists inside me (however fleetingly) wants to pigeonhole Kinectimals in the casual-core-for-kids category, I just can't do it. This is because, in the interests of journalistic integrity, I have to admit to having been completely disarmed and won over by the experience of interacting with the cute cuddly, virtual cubs in the game.

A long overdue return to form, with a focus on what made Sonic fun in the first place. He's always been fast, but it's good to finally see him speeding in the right direction.

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.

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

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

It's cowboys and zombies; what could go wrong? Answer; very little, and while Mr Bleszinski's tweet contains a kernel of truth that the undead can be a "go-to" for lazy developers, the quality of Undead Nightmare puts it out of the firing range of such criticism.

For all its faults and a clumsily handled denouement, Fable III is heavy on the fairydust, charming you enough to forgive such foibles, drawing you back into its wonderful world. So maybe true to form, there are a few unfulfilled promises, but there's that bewitching dose of all-important magic.

This is a game with plenty to recommend it, and even if a lot of its best aspects are holdovers from its predecessor, the game's engrossing new story, gargantuan new map and plethora of new quests combine to form an experience that will appeal to most core gamers.

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?

An absolute delight.

Disappointing too is the roster of worlds you visit, and the lack of exploration in each.

It takes a special game to make you appreciate losing just as much as winning. EA MMA does it every time you step into the ring. Now that's a knockout.

So what we have is a game that should be kitsch, daft fun but instead is dull, broken and mildly sexist.

But it never crosses the threshold into greatness, either in its visceral thrills or in its sober, but ultimately a little bland, tale of the soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan.

There's a strange juxtaposition between restriction and fun, and I still don't feel they've accurately nailed it.

It's a rollicking adventure and a story well-told, held back by limited mechanics.

One of the best looking games released all year and in terms of sheer specatacle, there are few titles that can match it. This is a fast-paced, high-octane and resolutely hard-core shooter, which makes no concessions to casual gamers. It also happens to be one of the best games of 2010.

But it's the first title in years to rekindle a passion I had for the series,the one I had back when I were a lad and Pro Evolution Soccer ruled the football landscape with an iron fist and cheeky grin. Now it's finally back on track.

Players who are prepared to forego closure for intrigue are in for a treat.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a solid start for the franchise's reboot and while it's far from perfect, it's easy to see where MercurySteam could take a sequel in order to achieve true greatness.

Fifa 11's improvements evolve rather than a revolutionise the franchise's already impressive strengths and overall it doesn't feel like a massive step forward for the series. However, with its depth of customisation, superb gameplay, awesome visuals and fantastic online and career modes, Fifa 11 is about the most complete package fan of football video games could want.

It's also the most resolutely hard-core Guitar Hero title to come off Activision's assembly line in a while; anyone can breeze through the easy setting on this game, but expert level on Warriors Of Rock turns some of the tracks into visceral finger-bleeders.

One of the best strategy games released all year, and once it's installed be prepared to lose many hours of your life to the quest of global domination.

Halo is their story, and with Reach you feel they have just closed the book. It may not have the lasting impact of Combat Evolved, but as a refinement of the idea --the essence-- of Halo, it is their finest work yet.

If you've never played PVZ before on any platform, then purchasing it is a no-brainer because it's hands down one of the best video games ever made for any platform.

A remarkable experience.

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

Sports Champions is really rather good on the whole. Table Tennis is exceptional, Archery is great and games like Gladiator Duel and Bocce are fun while showing off some of Move's potential.

While it may lack the grunt, confidence and sustained excitement to truly compete with the industry's big hitters, H.A.W.X 2's missile-ducking, bogey-outmanoeuvring nonsense is a rare thrill.

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.

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 800 MS points it's a bargain; with its gripping story, engaging new characters and fun new weapons, Minerva's Den is a product the late Andrew Ryan would most assuredly approve of.

Luckily [the checkpointing is] never quite that bad, and the compelling narrative, stunning action setpieces and beautifully realised game world more than make up for the few shortcomings.

You will rarely find a game that offers such phenomenal value for money, even at full price I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It's an exciting reinvention for a heroine whose light has unfortunately faded in recent years; an exciting parade of action, puzzling and exploration elegantly crafted with fresh direction, all while retaining that familiar Tomb Raider ethos.

As much fun as there is to be had in the multiplayer, it doesn't include any new developments or references to the game's main plot and suffers from the absence of its titular characters. The fact that the campaign only takes around five hours to compelete further fuels the sense Dog Days is an incomplete and flawed package.

What I've taken away from my time with NFL 11 is a new appreciation for the sport itself. It's genuinely exhilarating stuff.

Alan Wake fans will want to check it out, if only for the morsels of story it gives them.

Limbo is a game that cheerfully deals in oxymoron, its awful beauty framing macabre humour. But for all its disparate elements, for all the varied puzzles and shifts in tone, there lies a game of a single, unwavering vision.

DeathSpank may not be perfect, and it may take many of its gameplay cues from other titles, but it's a fun and entertaining romp which is well worth a look.

Even as a solitary pursuit, Dragon Quest IX is an absorbing and accessible voyage through a world founded on traditional JRPG philosophy, but executed with craft and style that is wholly universal.

Crackdown 2 is immense fun, but this is thanks to the fact that its core gameplay remains largely unchanged from its predecessor. In a way, the game feels more like a slightly more evolved version of the original Crackdown than a true sequel.

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.

"Hmm, I was thinking probably an eight." I reply. "It's great fun and beautifully made, but it can be a bit awkward at times." / "I think eight is a bit stingy." Vikki says, curtly. "I mean, it's the best Lego game yet isn't it? You should give it a nine."

Fun for about an hour. It's not good, the virtually identical sections are hardly exciting, and there's a lot less variety in the mayhem than you might be led to believe, but it is an enjoyable, compulsive score-chaser. But it's deceptive. It lures you in with promises of something it never delivers.

But it's not just for geeks like me, even if we will get the most out of it, as High Noon have crafted a highly polished, highly entertaining third-person blaster in its own right.

A world with a sense of humour and fun that will appeal to children and adults alike. A bit like a Pixar film, then. How about that?

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.

But there are times when it all comes together majestically.

As a happy note of homage to the 90s classics, Joe Danger will especially appeal to everyone who grew up during the same period – though its delights are universal. Its frustrations never compromise the sense of fun.

While the new features are certainly interesting, the series hasn't moved on significantly enough to make it a must-have title. That having been said, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is the best Tiger Woods game to date.

It's a harrowing tale of ambition which far exceeds its boundaries, of broken promises and broken game mechanics.

Creating such beautiful chaos isn't easy, especially in a racing game, but forming some kind of order out of it is even harder. In marrying the simulation sensibilities of a hard-core driving game with the ferocious combat of a kart-racer, Bizarre has done both. And in doing so, brought us the most exciting new racer in years.

Undeniably the finest UFC experience on any console to date. Graphical glitches aside, UFC 2010 captures the brutality and epic nature of the sport like nothing else, providing the perfect game to display its deep and satisfying fighting system.

For a game that runs so wild with imagination, it's remarkable to witness everything executed with such elegance... Nintendo has drawn a giant, gleeful gallery of magnificent pictures and painted within the lines, all intoxicating detail and colour. It's a toy box full of childlike wonder, but with a grown-up sensibility, where the pieces all fit.

Remedy has created a superb video game that uses one of the best written characters in the medium all year to tie its plot, themes and gameplay together seamlessly. Thrilling, frightening and genuinely compelling, Alan Wake is a nightmare players will not soon to forget.

An awe-inspiring game. The gameplay and structure may be beginning to show their age a little, but the storytelling, characters and world-building is on a par with the best the medium has to offer. It's a sprawling and engrossing experience, epic in scope and size and offering a gigantic amount of playing time. With their latest open-world game, Rockstar have produced nothing less than the finest recreation of the Wild West on a console, and one of the best video games of this year.

This is a game best enjoyed in short bursts, or in the multiplayer. At its best, it's an intoxicating cocktail of high-speed thrills and explosive action. It may feel slightly shallow after several hours of play, but give it a brief window of your time and you're looking at some of the most intense and gleefully maniacal racing available.

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.