'Niche' doesn't come close to describing the bizarrely pretentious Echochrome, which positively oozes self-importance from every pixel and line of code.

Fun to play in the short term, especially over the course of a mission or two, there's a repetitiveness to the gameplay that fails to entice players to experience the campaign for hours on end.

The presentation sets the tone brilliantly and drags the player through, but sadly the gameplay is largely forgettable.

An average tie-in that's not without its merits, and one that will appeal to fans of the film and a younger audience. Jaded older gamers however will find very little to sustain your interest.

The fact remains that F.E.A.R evolved shooters back in 2005, but there appears to be very little progress in the four years since with F.E.A.R 2.

Light, amusing, and fun in short bursts, Cooking Mama seems like such a suitable title for Wii. Unfortunately, the overall result is hampered by an imprecise control system that throws skill and any sense of weight or meaning to one side, along with a lack of structure that leaves the game little more than a novel yet ultimately trivial experience - ideal for the Wii demographic it seems.

The arcade gameplay failed to excite, whilst the lack of depth in gaming modes, vehicle customisation and in general the whole game ensure the final nail has been placed.

Much like the original, it's only a matter of days before you'll whiz through each of the acts on offer. Unlike the original, because the focus on score is by all accounts lost, the urge to keep coming back and improve scores is gone completely.

It’s a very simple concept, if you’re a Pop Idol fan then you’ve probably already put in your pre-order for this game, if you’re not then it’s better left staying away from this game it’s simply too shallow and doesn’t last long enough to warrant more then a rent.

There must invariably be a demand for this sort of title in the West otherwise it wouldn't be worth the expense of localisation, marketing, and distribution, but surely it's a case of having played one title in either Warriors series, you've played them all.

The real problem is that it has been done so many times before that at some stages in the game you get that déjà vu feeling you played the same location, executed the exact move and experienced the same sequence of events but this time it's a Kangaroo you are sharing it with and not another endearing character.

Being a fan of the series it hurts to see the Leisure Suit Larry franchise brought up to date like this, a lot more thought and effort was needed instead of just relying on the boobs.

It would've been nice to see Omega Software's Warriors series move forward with Orochi but unfortunately it seems to have stood fairly still in its mediocre hollow of repetitive combat/strategy gaming. Not much fun even if you were playing it on a very rainy day.

As a light-gun game it’s too awkward and as a FPS it’s just too damn slow and unresponsive.

Strip away the unique “qualities” of the game and you’re left with an average racer that’s sadly left wheel-spinning on the grid compared to Ridge Racers on the Sony PSP.

Like the movie, the videogame isn't as bad as some have made it out to be, and whilst it's far from being a perfect experience, it's also got some solid ideas and elements that'll keep a certain section of gamers hooked.

Wonderful in its mediocrity, it's not a bad game but you could easily lose it in a crowd, even if it had blue skin.

Aliens vs Predator occasionally offers brief moments of entertainment, but it's ultimately let down by an unimaginative approach to the single-player mode that never quite manages to match the terror, suspense and brilliance of the original movies.

The cinematic presentation will certainly appeal to casual gamers; however the sheer repetition, poor AI, lack of depth and longevity issues should be a major concerns to anybody else.

As for gameplay, the controls are well defined, but it does not give the sense of holding the pool stick. It feels more like you are controlling a science project because of the stiffness, but they are precise.

The ultimate issue in front of Dark Void is the fact that it doesn't know whether it's a third-person shooter or an arcade flight game, and does a pretty mediocre attempt at both. An uninspired approach to the design of the game's stages and challenges ultimately leaves Dark Void dangling in the chasm of mediocre shooters.

Basing Rep Bonus upon the choice of weapon you decide to use and whether it's the suit or body armour, there's a great sense of 'risk & reward' to the game; it's just a shame the actual action doesn't require you to put that much on the line, with its entirely predictable nature.

Mercs 2 is nothing short of a monumental disappointment.

A poorly implemented game idea that is by far beaten by Dave Mirra’s BMX game, which incidentally in its first incarnation had much more expansive levels than this game.

If you're a Guitar Hero-loving Aerosmith fan then go and get it already - add a couple more points to the final score! For everybody else, it could be one to miss; after all, Guitar Hero World Tour (and the DS' On Tour) isn't too far away.

We were genuinely hoping that de Blob would cater to all types of gamers, but ultimately found ourselves disappointed by its lack of development and attachment.

A reasonable action title that manages to serve a purpose on the Xbox 360. Unfortunately the game quickly suffers from issues of repetition.

Tak isn’t the worst platformer we’ve seen and will certainly appeal to the younger gamers out there; however its sheer insistence on the generic platform formula is enough to deter most people.