At times, everything that is great about video games. Rewarding gameplay, smart visuals and a decent attempt at innovation combine to create a game that can be great fun. However, the modest challenge and increasingly repetitive gameplay conspire to highlight other flaws, meaning most players will soon tire of the saccharine charm of de Blob and his surprisingly adult revolution before the monochrome regime can be toppled.

At times, everything that is great about video games. Rewarding gameplay, smart visuals and a decent attempt at innovation combine to create a game that can be great fun. However, the modest challenge and increasingly repetitive gameplay conspire to highlight other flaws, meaning most players will soon tire of the saccharine charm of de Blob and his surprisingly adult revolution before the monochrome regime can be toppled.

Killzone 3, like its predecessor, is in no danger of pushing any boundaries (despite the inclusion of Move and 3D support). Indeed, it feels very much like a game which has been created with a good knowledge of the competition and at times it threatens to lose its identity. However, there's just about enough top-notch shooting action in the single-player game to keep the franchise fans happy while the multiplayer genuinely feels like a step forward for the series. It's still Killzone, folks. Just about.

Bulletstorm kerb-stomps the dominant FPS orthodoxy, replacing tired old conventions with fresh new mechanics. Its gorgeous sci-fi aesthetic and fluid ultraviolent action make the game almost as fun to watch as it is to play and, although it lacks adversarial deathmatches, Bulletstorm's Echoes and Anarchy modes significantly extend its appeal.

Bulletstorm kerb-stomps the dominant FPS orthodoxy, replacing tired old conventions with fresh new mechanics. Its gorgeous sci-fi aesthetic and fluid ultraviolent action make the game almost as fun to watch as it is to play and, although it lacks adversarial deathmatches, Bulletstorm's Echoes and Anarchy modes significantly extend its appeal.

Like its predecessors, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a game that's largely about having fun with one of the best crossover casts in existence. There's plenty on offer to keep the hardcore fanatic entertained and does more then enough to satisfy such long harboured pleas and demands. But at the same time the concessions and general insanity should keep even those who don't know the difference between a Crossover Assist and a Crossover Counter mashing buttons and generally having a good time.

Like its predecessors, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a game that's largely about having fun with one of the best crossover casts in existence. There's plenty on offer to keep the hardcore fanatic entertained and does more then enough to satisfy such long harboured pleas and demands. But at the same time the concessions and general insanity should keep even those who don't know the difference between a Crossover Assist and a Crossover Counter mashing buttons and generally having a good time.

If Dead Space 2 were a sci-fi character, it would be the cigarette smoking man from The X-Files: dark, mysterious, sinister, and intense. If you're a survival horror fan then look no further - Dead Space 2 provides the genre master-class on current-gen systems. The one major detraction is a disappointingly shallow multiplayer experience.

If Dead Space 2 were a sci-fi character, it would be the cigarette smoking man from The X-Files: dark, mysterious, sinister, and intense. If you're a survival horror fan then look no further - Dead Space 2 provides the genre master-class on current-gen systems. The one major detraction is a disappointingly shallow multiplayer experience.

While LittleBigPlanet 2's main campaign is something of a disappointment, there's no denying the impressive scope of the new creator. Media Molecule has provided gamers with a formidably deep tool-set that still manages to be fairly accessible, which is fortunate really as it's almost entirely down to the users to create compelling experiences this time around.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam is not DLC in the current-gen sense of the word. Instead, it's more like an expansion pack from the days of early-'Noughties' PC gaming; a whole new tack on the full game experience rather than a set of maps that only serve to intermittently prolong a game's appeal. For these reasons alone, it's worth the asking price.

While the original Force Unleashed managed to surprise us with something that was more stimulating then the tech demo we feared and nicely introduced a new plotline, the sequel fails at virtually everything it attempts. The plot feels like a cheap way to extend the series and never delivers any twists, while the game itself is mediocre at the very best of times. A hugely disappointing experience that even the most ardent Star Wars fan will have a tough time enjoying.

While the original Force Unleashed managed to surprise us with something that was more stimulating then the tech demo we feared and nicely introduced a new plotline, the sequel fails at virtually everything it attempts. The plot feels like a cheap way to extend the series and never delivers any twists, while the game itself is mediocre at the very best of times. A hugely disappointing experience that even the most ardent Star Wars fan will have a tough time enjoying.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam is not DLC in the current-gen sense of the word. Instead, it's more like an expansion pack from the days of early-'Noughties' PC gaming; a whole new tack on the full game experience rather than a set of maps that only serve to intermittently prolong a game's appeal. For these reasons alone, it's worth the asking price.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam is not DLC in the current-gen sense of the word. Instead, it's more like an expansion pack from the days of early-'Noughties' PC gaming; a whole new tack on the full game experience rather than a set of maps that only serve to intermittently prolong a game's appeal. For these reasons alone, it's worth the asking price.

While Criterion appears to rest on its laurels throughout much of the 'Racer' side of Hot Pursuit's gameplay, effectively producing a quite bland recreation of Burnout in the process, ultimately it's the 'Cop' side of the action that saves the day. From that perspective, Hot Pursuit proves itself worthy of the name with some of the best cop chase gaming of recent times.

While Criterion appears to rest on its laurels throughout much of the 'Racer' side of Hot Pursuit's gameplay, effectively producing a quite bland recreation of Burnout in the process, ultimately it's the 'Cop' side of the action that saves the day. From that perspective, Hot Pursuit proves itself worthy of the name with some of the best cop chase gaming of recent times.

It was an impossible task to match the original and surprisingly, by changing almost everything, Eurocom came close to doing it. What they have managed to do is create the second best Bond game to-date, and given Wii owners a great shooter.

As if you ever doubted it, Call of Duty is still the best military shooter out there and by quite some margin. It seems its competitors can only watch from a distance and take notes as this juggernaut of FPS gaming ploughs a wide path towards the genre's future.

As if you ever doubted it, Call of Duty is still the best military shooter out there and by quite some margin. It seems its competitors can only watch from a distance and take notes as this juggernaut of FPS gaming ploughs a wide path towards the genre's future.

Disney Epic Mickey is undeniably the disappointment of the year for us. It was a concept that promised so much when it emerged last year but has ultimately ended up falling far short of the mark. What's more troubling than all of this, though, is that it feels like a game that's been held back from reaching its full potential; you do get the sense that it's perhaps not Junction Point's lack of talent but its lack of creative license that's led to these disappointments.

With this fifth full installment in the series, Gran Turismo manages to hold onto its legacy of genre dominating driving sims, but only just. If and when Gran Turismo 6 arrives on the PS3, Polyphony Digital might have to look at bringing more innovation to the series if it wants to pull as far ahead of the chasing pack as it once was.

While the core mechanics of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood are largely familiar, the game still brings fresh ideas to the table with some inspired secondary missions and meta-games. It's in the multiplayer that Brotherhood really beats its wings though, presenting what's arguably the best competitive stealth experience anywhere in gaming.

While the core mechanics of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood are largely familiar, the game still brings fresh ideas to the table with some inspired secondary missions and meta-games. It's in the multiplayer that Brotherhood really beats its wings though, presenting what's arguably the best competitive stealth experience anywhere in gaming.

Somewhat fittingly, this is the Fable to rule them all. Its revolutionary themes complement the series' trademark gameplay style exceedingly well, bringing a murkier side to crucial player choices that make impending decisions all the more engaging. It's still an RPG for the masses, but then it was always going to be really.

With a disappointing career mode and less-than-stellar presentation, it's a less complete package than Undisputed. I should probably drop in a fighting metaphor here, I suppose: with MMA, it seems like EA is finding its range with the jab in the first round, before swinging for the fences in the second.

With a disappointing career mode and less-than-stellar presentation, it's a less complete package than Undisputed. I should probably drop in a fighting metaphor here, I suppose: with MMA, it seems like EA is finding its range with the jab in the first round, before swinging for the fences in the second.

The simple fact is Kung Fu Rider would have fared better on a traditional joypad (it still wouldn't be that much fun), therefore making the entire game ultimately pointless. Studio Japan has blatantly given a half-arsed approach to their first PS Move title and there's absolutely nothing to recommend. Pointless, frustrating, irritating.