Battlestations: Midway has the potential to blossom as a multiplayer game, primarily online. With everyone free to jump between units, it can become chaotic, but that's half the fun.

Adapting one of Hollywood's masterpieces was brave, but it's a pity the game designers lacked the courage of their convictions, choosing to shoehorn Grand Theft Auto into the mafia setting.

There are a large range of weapons and opponents are smart. Unfortunately, the lengthy espionage sorties are often not as gripping and the change of pace is jarring.

Activities such as poker tournaments, capturing felons, gold mining, animal herding and hunting provide variety but their appeal is short-lived.

The learning curve is steep but mulling over the rules becomes part of the addictive charm.

With intensely interesting lore and characters, an awe-inspiring aesthetic and one of the most mind-crushingly dull gameplay loops I've ever experienced in a high-budget video game, Hideo Kojima's supernatural epic is pretentious and profound, filled with tedium and terrifying wonder.

Puzzles are kept to a minimum but due to the repetitive ship interiors and the absence of a map, players will spend plenty of time meandering.

Some locations are dreary trudges through dull space-station corridors, but others show more imagination, such as giant pinball tables and underwater in Atlantis.

One of the most disturbing games of the year. In a good way.

It's a brief ride and the action can become repetitive, but the sharp humour keeps you smiling.

If you can get past the dated graphics and sound in many of the games, you may discover that the gameplay is still as dastardly as ever.

Freedom offers countless missions and roleplaying elements such as mining, fishing and gardening.

This flashy package makes great use of Nintendo's classic catalogue to spark nostalgia, break the games down for a new audience and make the joys of speedrunning accessible. But once you've given your best effort in the 150 or so challenges there's not a lot to do, besides local couch competitions and checking in for the weekly trials.

Combat is instantly gratifying, reminiscent of the spectacular fight scenes in the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Simple controls let players concentrate on timing, with extravagant moves unleashed as countermeasures to clumsy enemy advances.

Though the replacement of authored characters with procedurally generated avatars has mixed results, Watch Dogs Legion is unique among GTA-style open world crime games as a result. The city is vast and beautiful, your options for vigilante havoc very broad and the potential for it all to explode into a memorably janky anecdote generally sky high.

The outrageous characters, puerile sight gags and sarcastic commentary provide some chuckles but the jokes are repeated too often. Fortunately, the controls and ball physics are hard to fault.

Navigating the menus and many options can be seriously intimidating for the uninitiated, thanks to some complicated design features.

Computer-controlled opponents offer a solid challenge and matches are often tense and exciting.

A fun football simulation for newcomers and the best FIFA of recent years. Even so, competitor "Pro Evolution" still has the virtual World Cup firmly in its grasp.

The touch-screen controls are perfect and two-player action wonderful fun. But often chain reactions come from luck rather than skill and there is a lack of variety in the different play modes.

Total Overdose may be another unashamed clone, but its amusing Mexican underworld storyline and crazy acrobatic moves make it a load of irresistible fun.

The action can be hard to follow, but fans will appreciate the realism.

The biggest concern is that the game's conclusion leaves many unsatisfying loose ends.

But while the adventure is lengthy, the feeble multi-player modes will not sustain interest.

The overall presentation has a polished televised look, but unfortunately it still doesn't have race commentators, just the roar of 21 angry engines.

One of the most enjoyable romps through Gotham in years.

Gripping and gritty, but will leave you wanting more.

One of the most disturbing games of the year. In a good way.

More variety in the dozen multi-levelled chapters would have been welcome.

Creative Assembly has deftly crafted an excellent RTS that sits somewhere between the worlds of consoles and PC, but it's clear that both worlds have to stretch a little to accommodate.

Blood Money gives the assassin even more flexibility, with abilities such as climbing, disarming opponents, hiding, using human shields, staging mock accidents and sophisticated distraction techniques.

A fun football simulation for newcomers and the best FIFA of recent years. Even so, competitor "Pro Evolution" still has the virtual World Cup firmly in its grasp.

Playing Travis Strikes Again is an experience I'm glad I had, even if I wouldn't recommend it as a fun game. As a biting reflection of the ridiculousness of hardcore video game fans it's less successful than previous games, and its smaller scale makes the still-repetitive fighting even more dull. But the weirdness remains, and the Kafkaesque story of the Death Drive console paired with Suda51's signature takes on Japanese and American culture — plus the frequently enjoyable mish-mash of retro aesthetics — makes for a satisfyingly eccentric game unlike many others.

The fact that the characters are so annoying makes it quite enjoyable to see them meet their makers, but it's wise to protect them for as long as possible.

A very deep and realistic space simulation, but one that is too slow for most gamers to appreciate.

Total Overdose may be another unashamed clone, but its amusing Mexican underworld storyline and crazy acrobatic moves make it a load of irresistible fun.

That rock is the rocking arcade rally game "Rallisport Challenge 2," which offers better visuals, a more tangible driving sensation and arguably the best online support ever seen in a racing game. That hard place is "Richard Burns Rally," which has established itself as easily the most realistic (not to mention difficult) rally game. In the wake of these two triple-A titles, Colin McRae 2005 comes off feeling a little too tired to remain the pinnacle of rally gaming.

The action can be hard to follow, but fans will appreciate the realism.

But if you know the difference between a Mame emulator and a Lame encoder, this could be right up your eight-colour alley.

Like a bizarre mixture of WWE Smackdown and Benny Hill, God Hand is one of the quirkiest, silliest and funniest games to come along in some time.

Mission objectives are not always clear and some youngsters might get lost or frustrated at the lengthy travelling between missions, but there is always something fun to see or do.

These pinball tables are well-designed, the ball action realistic with familiar Metroid elements smartly integrated.

An intriguing mystery, but more mental challenge and lasting appeal would be welcome.

Mission objectives are not always clear and some youngsters might get lost or frustrated at the lengthy travelling between missions, but there is always something fun to see or do.

A fun football simulation for newcomers and the best FIFA of recent years. Even so, competitor "Pro Evolution" still has the virtual World Cup firmly in its grasp.

An abundance of multi-player options adds depth, and 30 weapons ensure battles are exciting.

Combat against dim-witted goons can become repetitive but missions offer diversity.

Total Overdose may be another unashamed clone, but its amusing Mexican underworld storyline and crazy acrobatic moves make it a load of irresistible fun.

Convincing physics have been brought into play to improve the feel of passing, crossing and shooting - a feature that brings FIFA more in line with the current simulation champ, "Pro Evolution Soccer."

The Xbox 360 version Icon tested features 12 beautifully recreated courses, astonishingly realistic player animation and convincing crowds that even react when you hit a wayward drive in their direction.

Opponents cheat to keep every race competitive but it can be irritating, especially when rivals destroy your car within reach of the finish line.

The outrageous characters, puerile gags and crass commentary provide chuckles but the jokes soon become stale. Player reactions after each point also quickly become tiresome.

There are a couple of perplexing flaws in the design, such as the inability to go prone or jump over low walls and fences, but suspend your disbelief and you'll be gripped.

The fact that the characters are so annoying makes it quite enjoyable to see them meet their makers, but it's wise to protect them for as long as possible.

Navigating the menus and many options can be seriously intimidating for the uninitiated, thanks to some complicated design features.

When alone, there are plenty of races and time trial competitions to play but having to replay challenges over and over in order to progress is frustrating.

Unfortunately, the emphasis on economic management and the lack of precise unit control means combat lacks finesse. Like real-time strategy games of old, the best tactic is usually to simply amass a huge force and crudely rush at overwhelmed opponents.

The levels are so big and detailed that it's a wonder they don't bring your console to a crashing halt.

Overall, this is a pleasant surprise best suited to gaming newcomers and fans of the show.

The story and dialogue never cease to entertain. Objectives include rescuing prisoners, killing fearsome scarecrows and playing Cupid. But, although the developers want to ridicule, the action remains conventional.

Major change comes on the battlefield. With the introduction of game mechanics from Dynasty Warriors, players can now directly control troop manoeuvres.

Frantic battles with thieving rodents conclude each level but soon become repetitive and don't add much to the package. Nor do the small collection of simple multi-player mini-games, which include food gobbling contests and a shooting gallery.

Newcomers to the trials and tribulations of Jack Bauer are unlikely to be impressed by this game's generic shooting and driving action. But fans of 24 will be quaking, thanks to the authentic atmosphere and gripping story, set between season two and three of the TV series.

Navigating the menus and many options can be seriously intimidating for the uninitiated, thanks to some complicated design features.

Not as ground-breaking as the original, but still a rewarding experience.

But youngsters will need help completing some tasks as it's not always clear what to do next. Boss battles can also be demanding, requiring both button bashing and touch-screen scribbling.

Despite the game's terrific combat, Sudeki is sadly let down by a plodding story, clumsy dialogue and forgettable characters.

It feels uncanny and exhilarating performing high-speed leaps.

Gripping and gritty, but will leave you wanting more.

With a rather abrupt final sequence it does seem to rush to its climax, but despite its brevity, this is an unforgettable trip through the realm of Kong.

If you're happy to pay the fees and have no trouble socialising online, a fun alternative existence beckons.

When alone, there are plenty of races and time trial competitions to play but having to replay challenges over and over in order to progress is frustrating.

Unfortunately the core combat that makes up the majority of the game soon feels more like chore combat.

It would have been good to see the game's accessibility for beginners complemented by combination moves for more skilled players.

While conventional, Ty 3 is diverse family fun at a wallet-pleasing price.

The best in the series to date, this brain-over-brawn tactical shooter successfully delivers all the action of a first-person shooter at just half the pace.

Purists may cringe at the pause option, allowing players to assess levels and assign abilities without fear of Lemmings bumbling into trouble, but it helps pinpoint creatures in a chaotic herd.

What initially seemed a rather mundane movie/ game tie-in, is actually quite fun, and will captivate kids with its simple gameplay and colourful graphics.

The action can be hard to follow, but fans will appreciate the realism.

A minor improvement over the original, with just as many silly sci-fi shenanigans.

My Time at Portia is a slow game, to the point that digging around in the mines or waiting for bronze plates to smelt can be mind-numbing. But in a way its builds are kind of like knitting; repetitive and slow but visibly building towards a satisfying, tangible product. Plus, there's enough surprise in the living world, the creepy mines and dungeons and the wide fields to keep things from getting too stale for too long.

With a rather abrupt final sequence it does seem to rush to its climax, but despite its brevity, this is an unforgettable trip through the realm of Kong.

The fact that the characters are so annoying makes it quite enjoyable to see them meet their makers, but it's wise to protect them for as long as possible.

Floating island environments are intricate and beautiful but paper-thin characters and an evil empire revenge yarn are disappointingly dull.

Pinball may seem like an anachronism on the high-tech PlayStation Portable, but it can offer short bursts of fun wherever you go.

The intriguing storyline, scary setting and unique battle system make for a frightening and memorable experience.

The action can get a little clumsy due to that bane of third-person games, an uncooperative camera. Despite this the gripping storyline should keep players battling all the way to the finale.

Replay value is the weakest link, but the bonus missions attempt to offer some variety. It is best enjoyed in small doses.

When alone, there are plenty of races and time trial competitions to play but having to replay challenges over and over in order to progress is frustrating.

It's a brief ride and the action can become repetitive, but the sharp humour keeps you smiling.

Split Fiction evolves Hazelight's co-operative and excellently manic two-player gauntlet gameplay, last seen in It Takes Two, this time also blending sci-fi and fantasy worlds to make for one of the great modern split-screen experiences. However, the cringey writing and one-note storytelling is almost more grating this time around, given the entire narrative is supposed to revolve around authorship.

The story and dialogue never cease to entertain. Objectives include rescuing prisoners, killing fearsome scarecrows and playing Cupid. But, although the developers want to ridicule, the action remains conventional.

The 3D view tends to slow the pace of the game as you struggle to find your targets, resulting in play that's not as frantic as it should be. But aside from this frustration, Worms still has a magic touch.

The arcade-style fist fights can get a little repetitive but DC Comic fans should get a thrill out of teaming up their favourite characters.

This sequel repeats just about every mistake the original made, but in spite of that I fell in love with its sprawling world, goofy characters and thrilling aerial acrobatics all over again.

Tactical combat on a grand scale, but of questionable value to owners of its predecessors.

The touch-screen combat, for the most part, works well. However, once the difficulty begins to increase, flying your craft through obstacles and shooting specific targets becomes frustratingly fiddly work, as you frantically tap and flick the stylus pen.

With a rather abrupt final sequence it does seem to rush to its climax, but despite its brevity, this is an unforgettable trip through the realm of Kong.