It may lack substance in the long-term, but it provides an experience which is admirably oriented towards pure intuitive fun, presented in a way which is great to look at and humorous in tone.

Castlevania means well, providing marvellous visuals and setting a superb atmosphere. But it suffers from hideous amounts of revisiting.

Despite being hampered by a well meaning, but ultimately interfering, plot, Far Cry 3 has evolved into a decadent, playful and exciting title. Be it quality programming, dumb luck or a mixture of them both, the game plunges you into a thick, gloopy world of sugary gameplay, shimmering visuals, intoxicating audio as well as a great deal more. It's long, stupid and buckets of fun - just what you need to burn away the winter blues.

There is no denying that Corruption lacks the substance that made its prequels so awesome. Despite the near-perfect motion controls, the experience just isn't as exciting anymore.

Is Guild Wars 2 a revolutionary MMORPG? Not quite. It is, however, a good game and some of the best value per dollar spent currently available.

While I did get some enjoyment from playing it, especially the first 20 hours or so, I’m left craving something more substantial, probably something that invloves the words "Fantasy" and "Final".

L.A. Noire is a fairly dull detective game unnecessarily superimposed on an open-world. Most of the time players spend while playing L.A. Noire is doing things that are boring, mindless, rote.

Let me make this clear, through capitalization: ANY GAME THAT DOES NOT SAVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU KILL A BOSS AND SEE THE ENSUING CUTSCENE HAS A BROKEN SAVE-GAME SYSTEM. I don’t care if it’s supposed to make the game more intense, it’s stupid, moronic, ridiculous, pointless and otherwise detrimental to the overall quality of the game.

The surprises aren't there and neither is the awe one feels the first time they booted-up their copy of BioShock and laid eyes on Rapture.

Fortunately for everyone, Street Fighter’s core gameplay still prevails and that is really all fighting games are about.

Falters where others have persevered, the weak link in the trio that make up the Castlevania GBA series.

The story is laughable; one could argue about the themes of escapism and loss of innocence, but a group of kids getting sucked into a book pales in comparison to what this game's predecessor showed off.

Tearaway may not be the best first-party game currently available on the Vita, but it certainly is beautiful, ambitious and worth a look, if you’re willing to weather the foibles mentioned above.

It re-establishes the game's hold on the WWII shooter sub-genre and although it may not be worth a purchase for the singleplayer alone, the multiplayer makes it a worthy addition to any collection.

If you enjoyed the original Kingdom Hearts you'll find some enjoyment here too, but sadly it is not the classic it could have - and probably should have - been.

Football Manager, enjoyable as it still remains for the most part, is beginning to enter the Heskey years of its existence: it still does its job more effectively than any other striker on the market, but the tired formula is beginning to show.

Even after a few years, Onimusha: Warlords is a decent game with some truly impressive qualities. Sadly, it’s also impressive how short this game manages to be.

While the campaign is nothing to keep you entertained after a couple of play-throughs the well put together online mode will have you playing for much longer. Resistance will fit snugly in any PS3 owner’s collection.

Try to play it seriously and only anger and frustration awaits. It’s lovable in attitude for a short while but once you begin repeating cycles it soon runs out of fuel. Much like the car now abandoned on that highway.

It is still a great game, with a well-developed and interesting plot, a great balance of action, exploration and character development and a great representation of the Star Wars universe, but I feel it's incessant similarities to the first game don't do it any favours and technically it could be a lot tighter.

Its nowhere near perfect online play continues the classic case of being bummed from losses or wins thanks to lag and being S.O.L. if players have no fellow Street Fighters to game with locally.

Football Manager joins the rest of the sports titles this year in flogging a dead and diseased corpse to milk yet more cash from its demanding fanbase.

This isn't anything new for players to experience. It's the same old formula in a new package, with a new name and new ways to animate the whole process.

Instincts had quite a bit going for it (good graphics, comfortable controls, unique setting) but then does a great job of screwing it all up and making you not care (repetitive levels, stupid enemy designs, slight unfinished feel in places).

Whilst I questioned the mechanics of a game like this being the most valuable component, I am finding time and time again that when juxtaposed against the more alluring and decorative Call of Duty, I would rather spend my time prone in a ditch with my teammates on Battlefield 3.

A throwback to the classic games that created the genre. It comes bundled with a strange, obscure narrative and a flawless paint job, but the homage to the old lies there, in plain sight, beneath the sparkle.

In short spells, Battle of the Bulge is an engaging strategy game with enough depth to satisfy anyone with a passing interest in World War II history. The developers have clearly paid great attention to detail to make it authentic and ground it in the history it seeks to simulate, but you're left wanting more from a formula that clearly has huge potential.

The interesting decisions and the gripping characters still manage to hook their addictive claws into the player and almost make it easy forget about the game’s many shortcomings. In this case, “almost” is good enough.

It is a beautiful, vast and incredibly well-presented game, with a small number of nonetheless extremely detrimental design decisions. It’s undoubtedly worth trying (if only to marvel at the technical and visual wizardry) but there’s a lot of unfulfilled potential here, and here’s hoping Ubisoft are paying close attention for the next entry in the series.

For my liking, Red Faction Guerrilla has too many inconsistencies to be considered grade-A material, but then maybe it was never designed to be that way.

It’s just so cluttered by other stuff that it ends up being a slog to get through once you’re nearing the home stretch.

Trine 2's a fun physics-driven platformer worth playing both for its involving co-op and vivid use of color. It doesn't present any hugely substantial leaps forward beyond the original formula but if you're looking for more Trine and have a group of friends looking to join in, it's sure to provide a more than sufficient experience.

There's no denying that gamers can walk away from the experience feeling a lasting good impression of the revamp. The new direction of the franchise holds a lot of promising potential and Ninja Theory still comes out showing that the duties of keeping things new and fresh are in capable hands. Here's to new beginnings.

It’s disappointing there are no missions that allow you to employ all of your squads together, as this would’ve been particularly rewarding and beneficial in the final conflict.

It doesn't do a very good job through the story mode at introducing newcomers to the mechanics of the game and it can quickly devolve into something that hardly resembles a "sweet science" when players aren't sure what they're doing, but once you get the hang of how the game works, it's a thing of beauty.

What it does do well it does with confidence, but uncharacteristic issues prevent it from being top of the class.

It's precise, practical, ticks boxes and has been too quick to shed its defining credentials; credentials that made the earlier games a must buy for any enthusiast. Killzone 3 feels generic, rushed and greatly unloved by its creators. A huge, huge disappointment.

Depending on the player's level of experience with the series, F1 2012 is either a sincere virtual representation of the world's most technical sport in a substantial package, or a finely-tuned forward and sideways step in the reinterpretation of F1 2011.

Value matters, and though the game doesn't give the completely non-linear gameplay I was hoping it would, the excellence of the early game makes Crysis: Warhead an attractive title for those who enjoyed the original.

The Touch Screen is both used and abused, offering a few poorly executed trick concepts and a slew of customization options for the creative artist in all of us.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is a fun game. However, PC gamers looking to squeeze the most out of their gaming rig will be disappointed by the dated mechanics underneath the game.

This isn't the definitive Bond experience and you sure as hell won't be grabbed by the story, but for those times when you feel like taking on the world in style, this is it.

While it solely focuses on only one type of loot and isn't as big as Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage is another solid addition to the Borderlands 2 experience.

It's a generous buffet of the finest experiences the genre has to offer, the problem with this being that each offering is a discernibly weaker imitation in comparison to the original source it is drawn from.

The gameplay is mostly involving and the graphics are impressive. Though the game is far too short and the lack of variety in the enemies is disappointing, I can’t help but recommend this game.

In the end, Pure still tastes fairly good but you know it’s been diluted.

If you can treat and accept it as a balls-to-the-wall action blockbuster, Resident Evil 5 is, if nothing else, a great looking and decent entry into the third person shooter genre with a great co-op mode that’s worth at least one play through. It’s just a shame Capcom has forgotten what it is to make me scared of the dark.

It's still worth buying UT3, for those who enjoy modding and hacking. For everyone else: there have been far better PC games this season.

This War of Mine is a soul crushing thing to consider as entertainment. It is going to make you feel bad and absorb the consequences of your actions. It exists as a piece of indie expression that shows the actual grayness that is inherent in all conflict. There is no winning.

Maybe Midway will release a follow up with the same graphic engine, but with cleaned up gameplay and some two-on-two action. If that happens, I could definitely see my friends and I spending hours upon hours reliving all our old NBA Jam memories.

It excels in some unlikely areas, with lovely presentation values and intricately detailed backdrops. It's a fun diversion and while it's not entirely up to par in terms of mechanics, it also doesn't make itself redundant by centralizing all the focus to the one area that's already been perfected.

Missile Command for the iOS generation. It succeeds in matching that arcade simplicity and yet feels designed chiefly around the efficiency of Apple's portables.

Dr. Reuben’s inaugural experiment is no failure, and just like with all well performed experiments, Crush delivers a satisfactory result and serves to enlighten us on what the bright future holds.

Even at budget price there’s not much that any self respecting Xbox 360 owner will be missing other than a few pretty explosions and half a day spent marveling at spring from building to building, the novelty of which rubs off pretty damn quickly.

It's a good indie project. Lucky Frame have proven they're capable of finding the middle ground between the most disparate concepts and they've just about pulled this one off.

Resistance 3 stands as a whimpering end to a franchise that never quite found its stride. With a little more risk and less reliance on the successes of its peers Resistance 3 could have become the jewel in Sony's crown.

It’s good and esoteric in an entirely worthwhile way.

As solid as ever and the best it’s been in quite a while. I just won’t be holding out hope for next year.

It’s a game that instantly endears itself to all who strap on the Wii Remote providing fun in short bursts and while the games main character is on the slightly chunky side, WarioWare: Smooth Moves regrettably doesn’t carry as much weight.

Just another pretty good game.

For hardcore racing nuts, Race 07 is probably equal to a second coming. It's detailed, intense, has multiple racing league licenses, and features racing both online and off. However, gamers who are used to having their disbelief suspended for a bit while their Ferrari does 250MPH down a city street and drifts perfectly around the block are in for a bit of an ass-kicking. The difficulty level in 07 is brutal.

The game is incredibly repetitive. You get the standard different worlds of jungle, sand, sky, etc. but other than the colour palette and decor there wasn't anything unique about any of them.

The last push and final confrontation are a union of repetition and frustration, overstaying its welcome and almost undoing the good work. Bookended by a flat beginning and ending, it's the entertaining centre of this adventure that is its strong suit.

If you missed Diamond and Pearl or you just find yourself shaking in anticipation every time word of a new Pokémon release reaches your ears, then don’t miss out on Platinum, as it acts as a small step up from the package that the 2007 titles delivered.

A truly different experience in many respects, but the repetition is frustratingly similar to that of countless other games.

Why couldn't Midway just have added the option to play full court two-on-two as well as the one-on-one? It just doesn't make sense.

There's enough content and variety here that it serves the purpose of party-oriented multiplayer well. The truth is – in the right setting – YDKJ can be light fun, but it never goes any further than that.

While not a groundbreaking game, it's interesting on its own merits, with a good setting and a colorful personality to match.

However, it’s most definitely a great step for the genre in terms of storytelling that will hopefully be properly mimicked and expanded by another developer or in a sequel.

Like many sequels, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise excels at adding additional content to an already workable premise, but fails at properly expanding on the core experience beyond the original.

Despite being an oh-so-easy-to-dislike game of movie, King Kong is a strong effort, and although it never reaches the pinnacle of the sub-genre alongside the likes of the legendary Goldeneye or The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, it can proudly sit on the next tier beneath them.

Trenched follows a well-worn formula with dustings of humor and a self-aware annoyance at its own conformity. That gives it an edge. What it loses out on is the creative soul of past projects, the manic energy of something like Psychonauts.

It's decidedly old-school, but if instant-gratification action is what you're after, don't hesitate to pick up the 360 version of UTIII.

Even a dip in quality towards the end can't abate the feeling that Tales of Monkey Island has found a second wind in its sail.

The apocalypse could’ve been more.

It's a massive chunk of more of the same, basically. If that's what you're looking for you'll be more than satisfied, but lapsed players shouldn't expect anything intriguing enough to drag them back in.

It's levels and puzzles have little if any appeal. Its continual emphasis on completing tasks and finding items seems more of a tedious job than some fun gaming.

Call of Duty 3’s unique ideas aren’t enough to separate it from the rest of the pack and it doesn’t maintain the incredibly high standards set at the start of the game.

Despite showing its age, Stranger's Wrath HD is still a wholly original, refreshing title when compared to many modern offerings.

'Be a Pro' is interesting, but far from reaching its true potential. FIFA 08 is like many a top team’s season; plenty of the sublime, but some glaring errors hold it back from greatness.

A great game taken in the spirit of an extreme sports hybrid, that's also partially grounded in reality.

What it inherits from the original are often its greatest strengths. It’s the inconsistencies that do it harm. They’re so close to something truly special here, and I’m confident that 4A Games’ next will be something to behold.

It is all so persistently delightful to experience, so charmingly quirky that Botanicula has the power to melt away any frustrations resulting from the occasionally poor section of gameplay.

It may be a repetitive task too far to be truly great, but it shows that a little bit of colour certainly goes a long way.

The gameplay is fun, the animations are great and there’s a lot to do both online and off. However, this is really HSG5, and the omissions from previous HSG games leave the package feeling somewhat hollow.

If you're into having your tears tugged at, this will definitely be a change from nights spent curling up on the couch spectating those romance flicks that no one else gets. If you're someone who winds up stuck with the aforementioned individual, originally promised beer and tricked into the awkward Kleenex duty, no guilt will be harbored from missing out.

As it is, there’s not enough right with it to grab the interest of an ice hockey rookie like me. The graphics look a bit dated, the sound is ok, the controls are smooth, comfortable and as simple or as complex as you want to make them.

Even with all of its issues Bomberman Ultra! can still be a blast if you have a bunch of like-minded friends nearby and six extra DualShock 3s, but for those potential online bombermen and women out there, better wait for a patch or the inevitable sequel.

This really typifies the message which From Dust projects. The natural world is unfathomably more complex and diverse than man can comprehend and so fighting against it is like holding sand – eventually, it'll slip though your fingers.

Newcomers to the genre may be put off, but the ethically ambiguous questions faced do present a certain kind of draw.

It's not perfect, but it's a great action game with a unique setting and cast. PC gamers looking for a game that doesn't require an upgrade or a rebuild should definitely check it out while they're waiting for their DX10 video cards to arrive.

If you treat Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning as a shorter, story-driven experience, you'll have a much better time of it than the completionist who chases every single side quest.

Borderlands has a lot of growing to do. The concept is strong, but in execution, it just doesn’t work very well.

It's a beautiful pretender; but ultimately, beauty is only a surface attraction.

It doesn't know whether it's a hack and slash game or a tactical masterclass, and although it attempts to combine these, it doesn't do so convincingly.

Even before I really understood why the things on screen were doing the things that they were doing, it was clear that the developers had done a fine job of coupling the visuals with just the right sound.

As a whole, Rochard is a mixed bag. If the story wasn't so prominent and terrible, if the characters weren't so unlikable, this could have been an amazing little experience. As it stands, it remains a mediocre representation of what could have been.

LostWinds reeks of wasted potential.