There's difficult, and then there's maddening, and sometimes Ethan Carter tips too far towards the former.

The visual overhaul makes this the best looking Pokémon yet. Naturally, the amount of Pokémon on offer is almost insurmountable and will have you catching them all for quite a while, but be aware, they are a needy lot.

It's the audio that steals the show though.

It's a fairly simple adventure with equally basic RPG combat, but that's exactly why it works.

Even with its previous-gen roots, Burnout Revenge is a brilliant Xbox 360 title that deserves a place in your collection. If you own or have played a lot of the Xbox or PlayStation 2 version, it's a much harder decision to make.

If you're a fan of the X-Men Legends games that have appeared over the last few years you'll know what to expect from Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, but you'll probably still be surprised at how polished and lengthy the game is.

Minor gripes aside, Homecourt is a deliciously addictive baller and a commendable next-gen Street effort on EA's part.

It's a game that expertly sustains a feeling of dread, and knows when to ratchet up the feeling of being utterly overwhelmed, first slowly then suddenly in a way that induces sheer panic, much like Resi 4 before it. But detective Sebastian Castellanos is no Leon S. Kennedy.

Neat ideas like the inclusion of actual world records, and the option to gamble the potential points you could win from an event round off this tidy compilation.

The high-score hunting gameplay makes for an incredibly addictive retro gaming experience, and the sleek presentation gives it a modern appearance and feel.

Strike Suit Zero is a wonderful reintroduction. Though its obviously-not-AAA budget is betrayed by the lo-fi storytelling device of dishing out exposition via radio chatter, and it has an obsession with making you take out turrets on things, it’s pretty fantastic, and one of the best titles on next-gen right now.

Depth way beyond that of any other action game released this year, sleek presentation and some of the best levels ever created in a video game.

It's still an excellent football game that is perfect for newcomers to the series, but just don't expect it to be all that different to PES 6.

Hard-hitting, fact-paced, and action-packed. NHL 24 has hit the sweet spot between challenging and enjoyable.

Yet another supremely playable title with oodles of replay value.

What is without doubt the biggest disappointment of all is the online implementation. It's currently woefully behind what we've got in Forza 2 and PGR4, lacking even basic support for custom races. Support for up to 16 players is excellent, but without a friends list or any proper match making you're left to pick from the 35 events currently listed.

Sleeping Dogs may not offer anything particularly new and certainly nothing groundbreaking, but what it does do is deliver sharp, thrilling and just downright enjoyable action to savour. Other open-worlders have tried to veer from Rockstar's path, some have even tried to lampoon it, but Sleeping Dogs has shown, confidently and emphatically, that you don't always need to change the rules. You just have to know how to play.

Rocket Riot is a simple game in all areas, but the core gameplay is great fun and the visuals have a retro feel that gives the game a trendy appearance.

You already know if you'll like GSC's newest entry in the series. If you like Call of Pripyat, you'll like this. If you didn't, Heart of Chornobyl rarely hides any true improvements to the formula. It's exactly what fans expect, albeit with a fancy, oftentimes gorgeous, new lick of paint and some modern sensibilities, but it's Stalker through and through - for better and for worse.

It's the first game I've played that nails the personality of the bots and it genuinely delivers a solid gaming experience alongside the nostalgia.

The wait for a new Jak and Daxter game has been a long one, and we're still waiting for the series to arrive on the PS3 (blame Uncharted and its success for that), but this PSP outing doesn't disappoint.

It's challenging, often frustrating, but wonderfully satisfying. Buy it. Play it. Get the t-shirt.

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.

As long as you're not offended by strong language and an extreme amount of blood (trust us, there's been nothing like this on any console before) Overkill should be added to your collection as soon as possible. For a lightgun shooter you'll get a great deal of time from the main campaigns, and there are plenty of unlockables and multiplayer modes to keep you coming back.

From the moment it starts, subdued colour palette aside, this is the series as you know it. By the time you find and build the dildo gun, you'll wonder what the fuss was about.

If you like SingStar and like the thirty tunes listed above, you'll love it. The majority of the tunes are the kind that everyone knows most of the words to, and the collection is far more balanced for males and females than some of the previous expansion packs.

With Nioh 2, Team Ninja has done a better job than anyone else at making smart innovations to a treasured design template.

It's a breath of fresh air to the racing genre and features some of the best online integration to date.

Death Stranding is filled with things that must be seen, a sprawling, genre-spanning sci-fi adventure from a developer like no other. It's tackier clumps of writing and stunt casting seem overwrought, but its direction and its stars shine brightest.

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.

A worthy addition to any Wii owner's game collection. It may be unusual, insistent on clinging to a long-gone gaming era, and incredibly hard at times, but by including every major Metal Slug game, is without doubt one of the finest platform shooter titles yet released.

If there is something lacking in Deathloop, it has to do with emotional staying power. As one egghead, in a scratchy projector film, began to unreel the mythology (“Long ago, the isle of Blackreef experienced a cataclysmic event which tore the fabric of”—and so forth), I realised that I couldn’t care less. Blackreef can go hang. I suspect that the only things that will stick with me—the only things coated with enough Residuum to survive a hard reset—are Colt and Julianna. And maybe that isn’t all bad news. I may replay it at some point, and when I do I’ll be even more like Colt, waking on a beach with the vague prickle of familiarity, and the need to break free.

Luigi's Mansion 3 is a beautifully animated adventure with satisfying puzzles and gadgets; it suffers slightly for its length, but a deep well of charm and humour win the day.

With some impressive combat mechanics, an excellent game world, some of the most disturbing enemies ever seen and tight production values, Dante's Inferno delivers the goods.

On one hand you've got a fiendishly hard single-player game that taxes the mind as much as the reflexes, and on the other there's a more considered two-player game with a slower pace and more tactical play. Either way PixelJunk Monsters is another fine addition to the PSN line-up.

Around Every Corner might not reveal who's on the end of that blasted walkie-talkie, but it ends with such an almighty bang you're bound to return for the final fifth.

A game about a game within a game, Legendary Gary is weird and cool and utterly, genuinely unique. Some parts may be frighteningly familiar, and surprisingly emotional.

Art of Rally is that rarest of things: the video game as essay. Now and then, the medium throws up chewy cogitations on the nature of choice and of play—usually so inward-gazing as to cause neck ache—and you feel like saying, “Would you kindly shut up, and let me get back to it.” But the developers have instead filed a report on something they love, taking the delicious murk of their favoured sport, scouring it clean, and schooling us lightly in its history. The danger of doing that, of course, is in boring us, but Art of Rally, while a glittering reflection, is anything but dull. To do something dangerous with style may be art, but Funselektor has done something dangerous with art, and arrived at pure style.

Octopath Traveler is a deep, diverse, interesting, sometimes risque and sometimes funny JRPG that you should play.

Condemned delivers an experience that's worlds apart from what is usually on offer for PC gamers. At its core it's about as simple as a game could be, but it's presented in such a deranged and immersive way that it's hard not to get caught up in it all.

Refining most of the series' hallmarks make Black and White 2 top of their class, but they highlight as many ageing qualities as they do endearing ones.

It's cheap as chips, is perfect for the odd half-hour commute and, most importantly of all, is solid fun. A bizarre, and successful experiment.

The new studios pay both respect and homage to the original releases by valuing their clarity above all else.

Don't get me started on the ending. This pretty much nailed the coffin shut on the game's fate as a good but not stunning title. You'll have to experience it for yourself, but it simply didn't deliver what it should have. It left me wanting more, which Ubisoft may well see as job done, but gamers don't buy games with the hope that they're completed within the next few years; they want a conclusion straight away.

Sunken King is a promising start to Dark Souls 2’s DLC: if From Software can build on it, and address the traversal issues of this pack, we could see some of the best moments in the series to date.

Treading an all too familiar path with little in the way of major changes, Black and White 2 will satisfy the itch while we wait for a true 3DS successor, but this tried and true formula is well overdue for a few more evolutions of its own.

Sand Land is a charming ARPG romp thanks to its madcap cast of vehicles that manages not only to faithfully adapt Akira Toriyama’s vision, but to expand on it in his trademark style to create something that will delight newcomers and old-school manga-heads alike.

Forget about the Nightmare sequences; just sink into the ambiance, furrow your brow over the great puzzles, and marvel at the beautiful bleakness of it all. If you've been looking for something genuinely engaging to play on your Wii, your search is at an end.

Unquestionably the best golf sim available on consoles.

If you're a Sonic fan Chronicles really is an essential purchase. It's one of the best Sonic games we've played in ages (given the quality of some Sonic games in recent years this doesn't come as a surprise) and, despite it not being as in-depth an RPG as we'd hoped, it's really a lot of fun while it lasts.

The game is as close to Pong as the London Philharmonic Orchestra is to a caveman banging a rudimentary drum and, continuing that analogy, Virtua Tennis 3 is just as primal and instinctive as its most ancient of relatives.

NHL 07 has its glaring flaws, particularly with its lousy AI and shoddy online play, but the skill stick breathes new life into a sport that hasn't seen much innovation in over a decade. The eye-candy visuals and terrific puck physics don't hurt either.

It doesn't make particularly good use of the stylus, and the graphics won't blow you away, but if you're a Batman fan you won't find a better Batman game on the system.

The best way to play the game on consoles and it's very much worth playing if you're yet to experience it.

The DLC as a whole doesn't take long to complete, a couple of hours at the very most, but it's incredibly well paced, peppered with memorable set pieces, some narrative bombshells and just the right amount of combat to stitch everything together.

Tomb Raider: Legend might not be an epic or set new standards like the original game did ten years ago, but it's thoroughly entertaining for its duration and is an impressive package on the PSP.

The art design is unique, the story akin to one of Square Enix's RPG DS titles and it's a great game to play for short bursts of time, perhaps on a regular commute, because the battles themselves don't take too much time to complete.

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.

Its greatest achievement is its pacing: it never loses focus over the course of its 20 hours.

Although Crysis on the PC has wiped the floor with every game available, on the console front Uncharted is right up there with the best. The jungle settings are gorgeous and make use of some stunning lighting, while the indoor settings are detailed and moody.

Complete Saga will charm the socks off Star Wars fanatics and platforming fanboys alike.

The most realistic football experience on consoles. It also happens to be the most challenging Madden since as far back as I can remember.

This simple but addictive little game might not have the star power of Angry Birds or the score-based draw of Tiny Wings, but it's a brilliant physics-based puzzler that can be enjoyed alone or with friends.

While there are plenty of other retro compilations out there vying for your business, Sega Mega Drive Collection arguably offers the most value for money and could quickly become the ideal travel companion for your PSP, as it's a delight to dip in and out of the mostly top notch games included.

If Dragon Age didn't float your boat, neither will Awakening. Dragon Age enthusiasts, however, should consider it an essential purchase. It offers more of the same - no bad thing - in a great value package.

In reality, this is a reserved effort from Namco Bandai, and feels almost as if Project Soul has merely dipped its toe in the next-gen water for fear of causing too big a splash. It's gorgeous, and an essential purchase for any fighting game fan who likes aggressive counters and weapon clashes, but it's no fighting game revolution.

Borderlands is unique, it's different, and it's hard to classify. But it's not for everyone. It's not for the stereotypical CoD/Halo crowd. It's not revolutionary, but it is interesting. And, crucially, it's a hell of a lot of fun, but only, long term at least, in co-op.

A generous and competent addition to Bad Company 2.

A generous and competent addition to Bad Company 2.

If you are looking for a purist's hack and slash that will test you for months, go elsewhere, ideally to Ninja Gaiden Sigma. But if you want a thrilling and cinematic adventure that will give you ample opportunity to show off the muscle of your PlayStation 3 and provide a glimpse of the console's possible future, you could do far worse than pick up this big-budget epic.

Groove Coaster isn't as ambitious a project as Space Invaders Infinity Gene, but it's certainly more fun while it lasts. Whether it's flying along at juddering right angles, or gently cruising around a relaxing curve, Groove Coaster is a consistently enjoyable audiovisual experience.

BlazBlue does, however, make a case for 2D sprites, much more so than King Of Fighters XII because the graphics are a lot smoother and they don't go all pixelated if you get too close to the screen.

Football Manager 2016 is complete misery, heartache, and bouts of pure anger – directed at a bunch of numbers. But I love it.

It's a good time to be an Assassin's Creed fan. I just wish my console could run it properly.

We loved it, but if you're someone who takes games very seriously and are looking for a nigh-on carbon copy of GTA 4 this won't be for you. If the idea of childishly laughing every time your character speaks in a completely inappropriate voice sounds fun, or you just want a game that positively encourages you to mess around, we can't recommend Saints Row 2 enough.

We can't help but feel that PES 2008 PSP puts the more illustrious versions of the game to shame, a bit like Barnsley knocking Chelsea out of the FA Cup.

A generous and competent addition to Bad Company 2.

Resistance Retribution is a solid effort from Sony Bend. Bar a few issues when facing the Boilers the controls are excellent, the presentation is superb and the multiplayer modes are unmatched on the handheld.

If you've been waiting most of your life for a visually upgraded Punch-Out!! that plays just as you remember it from the NES and SNES, your dreams have been answered. This is exactly that, and packed full of the kind of charm you'd expect from a Nintendo product.

Special mention must go to the game's audio work, with the musical score through to the superb minion voices fitting the tone perfectly.

The co-op career and battle modes are great fun, but had the new tracks been released for GH2 as downloadable content, we would no doubt have had just as much fun.

A strong return for The Walking Dead, and proves that Clementine was a fantastic choice for this season's protagonist.

Series heritage aside, this is a pleasingly lengthy adventure spread across two DVDs that's most definitely worth a look.

The constant acquisition of powerful and exotic items is the driving force behind the game’s appeal and its challenges and rewards are many.

Battlefield 3 isn't quite the Call of Duty killer many were wanting, then, and it's especially jarring to view EA's 'above and beyond the call' marketing brouhaha in light of the fact Battlefield 3 falls to its most damning lows when it's trying hardest to compete with the latter.

SDvR09 is better than last year's effort, no question, and it's a better game than TNA Impact! on account of it being yet another iteration of a tried and trusted game engine and packed full to bursting with features old and new. So yes, on the whole it has met the challenge.

These games still hold up, and this remaster is worth a go if you’re willing to put up with the potentially fatal combination of unskippable cutscenes and that Tidus laugh bit.

While Blades of Fury is not the real deal, it's as close as we can get to at the moment, and that is not a bad thing, not a bad thing at all.

Battlefield 3 isn't quite the Call of Duty killer many were wanting, then, and it's especially jarring to view EA's 'above and beyond the call' marketing brouhaha in light of the fact Battlefield 3 falls to its most damning lows when it's trying hardest to compete with the latter.

Wings of Ruin may not make a hardened hunter of you, but nor does it want to. It would rather bring you along for its own wondrous ride.

Where the studio succeeds—and where Metroid Dread elevates from noble and flawed effort to inspired riff—is in its embrace of the unreachable.

It doesn't try and reinvent the wheel, but Overcooked 2 is still a fantastic and barmy co-op romp that will entertain you and a group of mates for hours on end.

Had the course count been on par with the current-gen releases there'd be no question over which version you should buy, but even with nine less courses, I'd still recommend you go with Tiger's next-gen offering.

You could ask for Darksiders II to be more imaginative, then, and it would be nice to see some sharper puzzles, tighter combat and loftier jumps, but for a game obsessed with revenge and murder Vigil has crafted something with a surprising amount of heart.

Watch Dogs 2 is missing a bit of refinement, and has had issues with multiplayer, but joining DedSec is still a riot and a half. It's high energy fun with engaging characters, and you can make an entire city your playground.

It's not a solution to weight problems, but it's definitely a good addition to your fitness routine. The mini-games are really just the icing on the cake, opening Wii Fit up to everyone. People of all ages will love how you control the games using nothing but your balance and competing for new high scores is great fun.

Zeno Clash is incredibly hard to explain; it's so off-the-wall that it demands to be experienced first-hand.

A platformer that makes great use of shadows and light. You'll get emotionally attached to the candle as he burns through some lovely environments and tough platforming, but the ending is a bit of a damp squib.