'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.

ModNation Racers' is a huge beast of a kart racer with a never ending list of fun and challenging things to do.

The gameplay may not be completely new, then, but this kind of chemistry certainly is. There's no denying it - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is the best escort 'game' ever made; a spritely little cracker with a lot of heart.

Despite the lumbering campaign mode, Halo Wars is a brilliant addition to the series and, more importantly, to the RTS genre.

With a greater sense of brutality, speed, and gut-wrenching track design, the franchise is really beginning to take off.

You get back what you invest into this series. And whilst the story has taken a turn I knew it would, there was a true involvement by the end. I won't lie: it got very emotional.

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

Besides this awesome little cartridge, the drama of Metro City is limited on this generation of gaming machines. Maybe it's the dying out of beat 'em up games and general that has lent to this game's obscurity.

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's a perfect game for handhelds, combining the simplicity of puzzles with the addictive nature of RPGs. Even though it sounds like the result of an executive meeting gone horribly awry, Puzzle Quest is actually a great piece of synergy.

While this game not necessarily the most difficult game in the GBA library, it's still packed with solid and challenging gameplay.

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.

Catherine justifies its unique premise with unique gameplay, and works wonderfully.

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.

It’s still one of the best fighting games on the DS. While that might not be saying much in that context, it’s still got plenty going for it.

There’s an adherence to old design tropes throughout much of Broken Age, but there’s also a yearning to find a way to tell this fun story.

Hustle Kings is one of the most enjoyable and sizeable PSN games in a long time, and quite possibly the finest pool or billiards replication ever committed to a videogame.

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.

The multiplayer action is fast-paced and furious, just like Quake multiplayer should be and the single-player campaign feels just like it should, even if it is linear.

The dark, gritty atmosphere is captured perfectly. I can’t get over how great texturing looks on the Xbox 360. Tile looks dirty. Graffiti on walls looks genuine. The texturing effects in this game are beyond awesome. The lighting is also incredibly detailed.

Fun as it may be, what makes Battleheart a tremendous success is the uniqueness of its formula.

It has a much better sense of itself than previous entries, and instead of shoving touted features in your face, it simply presents them to the player and lets them loose.

It takes the best parts of MK but refuses to rest on its laurels, building on a solid blueprint to create a fighting game with its own identity and unique fighting system. It remains accessible but manages to retain a hidden depth, making for a complete package that’s fun to play no matter your skill level.

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.

Painkiller is like a cold drink on a hot day; refreshing.

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.

Runic have created a highly-accessible dungeon crawling game that's highly competitive with the best of the genre.

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.