Dawnguard is considerably better than most of Bethesda's recent Fallout 3 DLC, but you'll be sorely disappointed if you go in expecting to find Skyrim's version of Bloodmoon or The Shivering Isles.

It's no surprise, in my opinion, that Metal Gear Solid 4 and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker went to considerate efforts to emulate Big Boss's original adventure - but neither manage to capture what made Metal Gear Solid 3 so special.

It's more than just a nostalgia trip, mind; this is a trilogy that plays great, looks even better and gels together more seamlessly than any other HD collection I've played to date.

Yager should be admired for its bravery and effort in building something different - this could so easily have been an entirely generic shooter - but it just doesn't have the fundamentals to back up its grand ideas or the confidence to go completely off the wall and truly stand out from the crowd.

Make no mistake, Resonance is an impressive achievement for its tiny indie developer: a vast and intriguing adventure game made mostly by one person, filled with mystery, and confronting issues a lot bigger than most games dare to touch. Keep that in mind and you might be able to forgive its missteps. I almost could. But not quite.

Quantum Conundrum is a fine adventure with a mechanically competent series of puzzles, and I definitely recommend it, but while the game has got plenty of brain it doesn't have nearly enough heart.

A great LEGO game - my favourite to date. The risky addition of dialogue pays off, allowing Traveller's Tales to run wild in a way previously impossible with the series.

It's typically scattershot Suda fare, in other words. Some brilliant ideas rub shoulders with some pretty terrible ones, but it's almost unfair to criticise a game for trying too hard at a time when so many publishers are determined to play their safest possible hand.

Velocity's greatest problem, sadly, is that it's a PS Mini and almost certainly destined to a life of obscurity because of it. As it stands, though, FuturLab's latest effort showcases the potential quality of high-quality, modest-price titles on a digital handheld storefront.

Gods & Kings doesn't tear down and rebuild Civilization V, but instead acts as a gentle overhaul that rounds out and deepens many of the game's core systems. Gods & Kings won't be enough to silence the non-believers, but this expansion will certainly rekindle the attention of those faithful to Civilization V's streamlined focus.

As good as Close Quarters is, then, it just doesn't have the tools to offer up anything so profound at Battlefield 3 proper.

It's this purity, balance and tactical depth that make Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown the best in its class.

Your overall experience of Arkham City isn't affected in the slightest by what's happened here, and while the core mechanics are punchy and gratifying there's a very real sense Harley's real revenge is that she managed to get you to slap down seven quid for this.

The shooting is top notch, but poor pacing and bland environments ensure you never engage with what's going on, and technical hiccups and formulaic game modes sour the multiplayer. This game proves the potential power of the genre on its device, but not the potential excellence of its own franchise.

A monumental disappointment. What's been slated as the first mature Doctor Who game is actually a frustrating, dated example of how not to make a game of its genre. An excellent comprehension of the license is completely ruined by shoddy execution.

The game's excellent presentation - it's got a vibe of one of those football magazines your friends (or even you, perhaps) used to buy when you were a kid - and responsive, tactile nature make playing it a simple, punchy delight. I might have no idea what constitutes a classic goal, but it's impossible not to notice that Score! is a quality game.

There's a scrappy little multiplayer brawler to be had with this game, but the fact DiRT Showdown feels a lot like DiRT 3 with a new lick of paint is both the game's greatest strength and its ultimate downfall.

Despite a few lengthy load times, a terrible name and an unimaginative character introduction, Gravity Rush quickly became a very enjoyable game indeed. It doesn't feel like a typical handheld title, either: Gravity Rush has the depth, length and graphical prowess of something you'd see on consoles. The mission-based structure is great for portable play and the story is worth the investment despite the many unanswered questions. It's easily the best experience I've had on the Vita thus far.

Occasionally ambitious but ultimately too afraid to deviate from the genre's well-worn formulas, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier feels like it's stuck in the past.

In many ways, Dragon's Dogma is comparable to that other recent Japanese take on the Western RPG, Dark Souls. Both are defiantly obstinate, both offer physical, tangible combat, and both try out clever ways of interacting online. And both, of course, are definitely a matter of taste. Where Dark Souls divides people through design choices, though, Dragon's Dogma's will likely divide through design flaws.

What's most galling about the whole exercise is that you find yourself wanting nothing more than a graphically-enhanced version of the Mega Drive originals.

This is not the most adventurous action RPG on the market, then, but its razor-sharp and uncompromising focus on structure and mechanics ensures it's one of the most playable. Diablo III quite simply revels in being a video game, and when a game is this well-executed it's impossible to resist those charms.

In Max Payne 3 the risk of death and restart is often too great. Why do something that makes you look and feel like an action hero, when holding back behind cover means you're more likely to survive? The shame, then, is that the difficulty encourages over-cautious play.

A fascinating first step in bringing the MOBA genre to console. Not only is it a successful proof of concept, but it's also a tremendously fun and addictive game in its own right.

Traffic Wonder is a surprise, then - it's surprisingly difficult, for a start, but it's also a very pleasant surprise that a game of such fiendish quality can exist in one of the most tedious and oversubscribed genres currently polluting the App Store.

If you've never played Minecraft before, the Xbox 360 version is by far the easiest to get to grips with.

Shoots itself gruesomely in the foot by frequently diverting you away from its best bits. On the 360 it's also a visually inconsistent game: grand views of city squares impress, but you'll be battling blocky geometry and muddy textures alongside Nazis and Communists.

The most frustrating thing of all, though, is that Bloodforge could so easily have been better. No one would begrudge the tepid level design and repetitive gameplay if it wasn't so arduous+. If Climax had halved the number of opponents, lowered the difficulty ever so slightly and let you respawn with a full health bar, Bloodforge could have been good throwaway fun.

It's one of the most painful types of disappointing game because it's very clear that it could have been something so much better, but this sodden and poor treatment of a co-op baddie-thwacker ensures Fable Heroes never manages to become the fun game it deserves to be.

This novel mix of cinematic direction, episodic storytelling, and player choice defies convention and the result is an extraordinarily accomplished piece of interactive fiction.

In a post-Minecraft industry there's clearly enough scope for a game to relish in providing you with the tools and letting you enjoy them at your own pace without the trapping of dreary context, which is clearly the kind of thing Radical wants to make, and its rigid adherence to a traditional open-world format is a shame because it simply makes the game boring.

A thoroughly decent piece of DLC, and even if it does make me yearn for a feature-shifting boxed version, this is probably the better solution for tie-in games in the long run.

It's a great stepping stone if you're looking to really improve on your overall fighting game skills, and it's a meticulously well-made effort in its own right. Just like the dominatrixes flaunting and frolicking about on the screen, though, it's just a little too weird and demanding to fall in love with.

Utterly lovely, although certainly imperfect, Botanicula is a game filled with soul and bursting with imagination.

Despite a sweeping range of improvements across the board, the core rhythms are just as entertaining in Trials HD as they are here. But it's in the way that Trials Evolution is explained and developed over its hefty course that pushes RedLynx's latest and greatest far above its much-loved ancestry.

SpikySnail's Niv Fisher worked on physics-based sims in the medical field before trying game design, and it's the impressive physics that really make The Splatters as fun as it is.

Mass Effect: Infiltrator is a generic third-person shooter that leaves out the best aspects of the franchise. While the combat is occasionally fun, it can quickly become repetitive and fiddly.

It's one of the freshest, boldest and most rewarding entrants in a genre many had left for dead, and anyone pining for a true Silent Hill experience needs to experience what Byrne has to offer. Lone Survivor deserves to be massive, because it might just be the most interesting thing I've played all year.

I just find the whole thing to be a terrible gameplay experience with the exception of the dancing.

While not necessarily as big a name as the products of BioWare or Bethesda, The Witcher 2 is still one of the most interesting developments in RPGs within the last ten years, and with a combination of additional content and cutscenes its Enhanced Edition on Xbox 360 is one of the most lovingly crafted fan-services you'll find.

Perhaps more appealing than the brain teasers is Fez's mesmerizing setting. I'm not usually a fan of low-fi aesthetics for the sake of looking retro, and initially Fez might resemble an 8-bit throwback, but upon closer inspection it's a finely detailed world simply made out of cubes with scenery as varied, atmospheric, and inspired as any triple-A title I've played.

Draw Something isn't about the game you're playing, but about the friends you're playing with. It's a very basic game, then, but the fact it's a game comes second to the fact it's a laugh.

774 Deaths is hard to recommend, which is oddly befitting for a game that's been custom built to be agonising every step of the way. If you like a challenge then it's an interesting curio you can really sink your teeth into, but give it a miss if you get frustrated easily.

It's a manic shooter designed to be played in co-op, but this is a small game from a little studio and the chance of it getting enough exposure to interest you and three of your mates online will likely prove problematic.

A spellbinding journey with catchy tunes, beautiful visuals and enough rhythm set-pieces to strike a chord while we twiddle our thumbs and wait for the next Layton and Phoenix Wright games. It hits a few bum notes along the way, but this performance is worth a round of applause.

Devil May Cry 3 is brilliant and now that this HD version is out I can finally sell off my old 60gb PlayStation 3, which I originally bought so I'd have a modern machine capable of playing it. The other games in the box aren't nearly as essential.

There's an absolutely excellent Ridge Racer game to be had with Bugbear's occasionally thrilling mix of speed and action, but unfortunately Unbounded is far too muddled and confused to be it.

Effortlessly shows why Rovio is currently on top.

A triumphant return for a forgotten hero; a dazzling, silly, beautiful adventure that mostly, but never completely, overcomes its control woes. When Pit's wings are clipped then so is his game, but in the air it's a different story. Here, Uprising doesn't fly; it soars.

Chief amongst the offenders is a combat system so outdated I wouldn't be surprised if Vetra games had it shipped it in especially from 1999. Fighting monsters, which is done by mashing your attacks and occasionally blocking, feels clunky and detached, with weapons that all feel like they've got the wrong weight.

Sine Mora, crucially with Digital Reality's contribution, strikes a deft balance between madness and shoot-em-up fun.

Just. Under no circumstances, though, should you go anywhere near this alone. When tackled with three AI buddies and a prayer, never has the name Biohazard felt more apt.

There are the origins of a fast, exciting new combat system buried underneath all the mess, and the gorgeous animations and zippy takedowns provide an immediate buzz. Yet its problems vastly outweigh its positives, and it's hard to come away feeling anything other than disappointed. This was supposed to be a bold new beginning for the series, but ultimately Ninja Gaiden 3 feels like a false start.

The mission to defreeze Javik is short, and you can beat it easily within about half an hour. If you're looking for a chunk of content as substantial as Mass Effect 2's Lair of the Shadow Broker you'll probably come away disappointed, and Javik doesn't really dramatically affect anything about the Mass Effect 3 campaign.

So it's not hard to ignore those niggles, especially when you've got an excitable eight year old in your head jumping around and making gun noises as he pretends to swing a sword about. There's a magic in that weird juxtaposition of old and new.

FIFA Street finally realises the potential of a franchise that was lacking identity. By eradicating any silliness from the past, EA has crafted a thoughtful, challenging and consistently entertaining title that celebrates the nuances of football.

Certain key aspects of the game don't feel like they've had enough time spent on them, so the result is a game that is on the right tracks but more of a taster of things to come than something Vita owners should celebrate.

The controls are effortless, the game has a zany indie personality (which has the quiet decency to bugger off when the actual game starts playing) and the electro-dystopia backdrops are fun to hurtle past at a few thousand miles an hour.

I Am Alive only really becomes a proper tale of human survival if you can look past the wonky mechanics and rough engine, if you can see past the rustic models and amateur dialogue, and if you can actually connect with the wailing cast of cardboard cut-outs. Ubisoft's vision is clear and ambitious, but it lacks the development talent and budget to be effectively realised.

Here is a package that represents exceptional value. There's little here to convert non-believers, but then this game is not for them. This is one for the fans, and few who buy it will be left unsatisfied by how the story - their story - ends.

As an experiment and a sequel... Street Fighter X Tekken is still a resounding and admirable success, and further proof than Ono-san is hiding true genius behind those scruffy cords and pudgy cheeks. In this battle of Street Fighter and Tekken, Capcom has landed the first knockout blow. I can't wait to see how Namco responds.

Essentially, Mario Party 9 is a great leveller. No matter if you play games for a living or only touch a controller when one is forced into you hand, chances are you'll be in with a shot of winning come the end of the each game. The Wii has always been about bringing people together to play, and Mario Party 9 does that considerably better than I thought it would.

If you've never fought with The End, eaten a rotting crab or climbed the tallest ladder in gaming, and if the 3DS is the only console you own, you really should acquire this game as soon as you can. When everyone said that you'd love it, they really weren't lying.

An immaculately constructed, expertly choreographed experience that tells a story in a unique, intelligent way, exploring themes of faith and fate, death and rebirth with a rare delicacy of touch. That it comes at a time where risk is routinely avoided, sent out into a landscape clouded by doubt and dominated by the safe, the tried and tested? Maybe that's the real wonder.

The snowboarding itself is solid, if lacking some of the skill required in previous titles, but it's everything surrounding it - RiderNet, Geo Tags and Harmony - that make the game such an involving experience. Its connected features take the genre to the logical next step, setting the benchmark for future extreme sports titles to follow.

Escape Plan can be a real treat, but you'll only ever get fleeting glimpses of what could have been, leaving you with a frustrating adventure that rarely gets a chance to show its true potential. Escape Plan isn't a game you shouldn't be desperate to break into.

Of all the Vita launch titles, MotorStorm RC is the most natural fit for short gaming sessions. It's ideal to jump into for a few minutes, but that doesn't prevent it from being a huge timesink once its hooks are in.

It gets the basics right and backs up its tight gameplay mechanics with tidy visuals and portable-friendly loading times - something that a few of the higher profile launch games can't claim. The dev team certainly played it safe, but going for PAR isn't a bad thing.

While it's clear Q Entertainment perfected the game's formula on their very first try, this iteration of the neon-lit puzzler is so charming and elegantly formed you'd be a fool to say no.

These clashes between East and West cause more than enough sparks to make Binary Domain one of the most interesting culture shocks in a long time. It's redolent of the late Dreamcast/early PS2 era, when games were edgier and more interesting, before they were focus-tested into oblivion.

There's a lot to like about Syndicate's mechanics and recoil-rich gunplay, and your cache of cybernetic powers elevates the game above most rote corridor shooters. But Syndicate doesn't know what it wants to be at its core, and its dry protagonist blasts through hyper-violent environments with no motivation or desire.

Touch My Katamari is still a decent series entry, and if you don't know the franchise there's some enjoyment to be found, though the authenticity and soul of Takahashi's Katamari games remains lost.

Good or bad, game or no game, you've just got to play Asura's Wrath. And, in truth, that probably says it all.

Full of gags, bawdy humour and pratfalls (what other game gives you the chance to shoot bananas at the feet of citizens for comic relief?) it's got charm to spare. Unlike Sakaguchi's biggest hit, The Last Story's title is more likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but it represents compelling proof that there's still life in the old JRPG yet.

The elementary combat system is entertaining, but ultimately overshadowed by a hopelessly contrived plot. Mr Scratch's presence could have been something special, and it's regrettable that his performance is throwaway. As with the rest of the game, a lack of cohesion and clear thought from Remedy ensures American Nightmare feels like a missed opportunity.

Then there's stuff that's just completely baffling, like the game's complete inability to match players into games that have already started - those kind of matchmaking particulars might work for a game the size of Halo, but here it just causes untold problems and a lengthy wait on the lobby screen.

Repetition is probably Warp's biggest issue. Without much in the way of enemy and environmental variety, it can start to feel like a chore at times to make your way through the facility. Puzzles and progression blend together. Unfortunately, Warp's challenging difficulty forces the game to devolve into decidedly cheap scenarios.

It is disarmingly addictive, and by far the most original game to hit the App Store in ages. Even if you're a bit rubbish at it, it's impossible not to fall in love with this funky little number.

This is the best handheld football game ever, but it'll undoubtedly be convincingly beaten once EA has got to grips with the hardware - hopefully in time for FIFA 13 later this year.

A game that's best enjoyed with likeminded fight fans, on the same couch and with the same competitive spirit. There's still room for the perfect MMA game, one that's more organic, more convincing and probably even more violent, but for now, just strap those gloves on and enjoy the madness.

This is a typical launch title in many ways - by no means as good as it could have been, but a solid effort no doubt developed under the strictest of time restraints.

At £19.99 Little Deviants might seem like a bargain, but on a platform that promises to deliver proper console gaming experiences (and does so decently at launch with a number of other titles), it feels like nothing more than a series of hit and miss tech demos.

This is an enjoyable game, and Studio Bend has proved itself capable of competently shepherding Sony's trusted franchises, but its limited spectacle and lacking script also make it the worst entry in the Uncharted series since the original Drake's Fortune.

Studio Liverpool also reasserts its uncanny ability to perfectly match a contemporary soundtrack to its games, though the amount of tracks is a little limited and there's no support for your custom tunes...The loading times, however, are simply unforgivable.

The beauty of Dear Esther is that it raises questions about content rather than mechanics.

It has neither the depth of Top Spin nor the excitement of Virtua Tennis, and is bizarrely inferior to its predecessor in almost every way.

A blast for the afternoon you'll spend ploughing through it. It's not the longest game, but everyone knows it's what you do with it that counts.

As a whole, though, it's an elegantly crafted thriller that stands out as an original, charming and beautiful adventure. As an experience it's well worth the price of admission, but sadly Ghost Trick lets itself down with its overall simplicity and the disappointment of its crucial final act.

It's a promising start, but the game's commendable mechanics are matched by numerous wonky moments, an awkward cast of characters and some wearying repetition. The Darkness II has plenty of heart, but it needs more soul.

It's a workmanlike interpretation of what makes an RPG tick, placing a spotlight on all the right mechanics and features that most titles struggle to perfect. Regardless of the game's bland exterior, Reckoning is considerably well crafted.

This is a game that'll stick in your brain by virtue of originality alone, then, but if Catherine can't take itself seriously then why should we?

While there's no denying that the core platforming is pleasant and the visuals are a cut above the majority of iOS games, Crescent Moon's charming little game lacks the creativity its presentation suggests is going to be bursting from every seam. Fun while it lasts, but a little too safe to be considered one of the genre's best on iOS.

The whole thing is wrapped up in a darling Fisher Price aesthetic and presented with wit and style. A lack of offline multiplayer and Microsoft's dodgy dictionary compromises the package, but it's got more modes than you deserve and a ridiculous 400 point price tag.

There's not much more to Triple Town, but it's easy to get hooked into a gentle rhythm of item placement and the climbing satisfaction of watching your shrubbery transform into a glorious castle. This isn't the most complex game in the world, but when the time comes to invest £2.49 it's likely you'll have already worked out if Triple Town is your perfect match.

But the most surprising thing about NeverDead is just how boring it all is. This is an utterly generic shooter with an inspired dismemberment mechanic that neither Rebellion nor director Shinta Nojiri seems to know what to do with. Lacking any kind of spark whatsoever, it becomes increasingly apparent that NeverAlive would be a more honest title.

SoulCalibur V is definitely a step in the right direction for the maligned series. Despite plenty of changes and improvements, however, the game is still too complex to be casual and too flawed to be taken seriously. Soulcalibur V might have forged its own soul, but it's not burning brightly just yet.

Puddle is a well-made game with a lot of character and a cheeky scientific feel. It's fun to see what sort of unexpected places and states you end up in, but be prepared to suffer a lot if you want the medals on every level.

It's not a watershed for the genre, nor is it a return to the franchise's glory days. This is a game for admirers (however grudging) of Final Fantasy XIII and JRPG fans in general.