If you're willing to learn its touch inputs and put up with the frustration of in-game transactions - it often leaves you in a situation where things would be much easier and fun if you parted with cash - Spartan Assault is a solid way to feed any Halo pangs you may have, no matter where you are.

You could consider the game’s numerous glitches as a kind of meta-contribution to this aesthetic, but, having laboured through a number of instances where my HUD was obscured by the lingering letterbox format of the kill cam, or where I have been inexplicably insta-killed, I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer a patch.

Despite offering a gritty medieval RPG sandbox with a layered, dynamic open world stacked with detail, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is haunted by the same demons as the original.

This won't replace Wii Sports as the mini-game collection of choice, but it's another option should Wii Tennis and Bowling start to feel a little over played.

The shmup is a genre that's struggled to find a place in gaming's mainstream, and we doubt Big Bang Mini on the DS will change that fact. But it's an impressive effort with an interesting control scheme that, for the most part, works well.

PES 2010 is simply not good enough to challenge FIFA's dominance. It's an improvement on last year's effort, and fans of the more arcadey virtual football will find plenty to enjoy, but as a simulation it pales in comparison.

A considerable multiplayer mode and truly excellent musical score round off a nice package, but Tactical Strike isn't quite the amazing new direction for real time strategy it could have been.

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, but don't drop them in the sea, and mind out for the runaway chickens, and remember to lift with your noodley arms rather than your legs.

Perhaps No More Heroes 2, like its predecessor, works on a level our feeble brains aren't capable of comprehending. Perhaps it's so post-modern it's post-post-modern.

Its excellent weapon set should make for some fantastic and skilled online gaming, and for now it fills a gap on the Xbox 360, which is undernourished in terms of both futuristic and combat racers.

As entertaining as the game is, it's abundantly clear that things could have been a whole lot better.

High production values and a superb art style can only take a game so far, and the gameplay on offer here, while fun, can't take it that step further.

At times, Concrete Genie can be a little too pleasant, which makes the action-packed conclusion really jarring. Still, the contrast between Ash's fantasy and his reality is truly stunning.

Far Cry Primal is a great spin-off for the Far Cry franchise, but it doesn't do anything drastically new.

50 Cent fans are going to love every minute, and non-fans are likely to have a pretty good time too. Just don't expect a deep gameplay experience.

The whole package is undeniably ambitious and for the most part Zipper Interactive has pulled it off, but the complex controls combined with the dumbed down aiming make it less impressive as a game than its PlayStation 2 cousins.

For once, it's an expansion pack that does exactly what it says on the box. It broadens the experience of the already panoramically wide core game enough to justify a purchase.

Anno 117 Pax Romana is a structurally sound colony builder set in a Romanized world filled with flair and gravitas. For those who struggle to find joy in expanding their influence, the busy UI may disrupt the experience and confuse. It’s a game designed for risk-takers who won't hesitate to make tough choices to reap the rewards of a tantalizingly broad array of intuitive city-building mechanics.

It’s easy to be skeptical of Ubisoft, but I happen to find much to revere in reliability. It’s a solid shooter, with a happy churn of loot, elevated by Jon Bernthal. Fun for the few days it holds your attention.

What ProStroke delivers is the most in-depth control system I can imagine working on a standard console controller, but the game that's built around it simply isn't exciting enough to sway Tiger fans over to a new series.

If you're don't shiver with excitement at the mere thought of a lovely pretty little pony, forget about this, but if you have a daughter who is overwhelmed by the desire to put pink things on mammals, then this is an excellent little package that has plenty more to offer than two halves of a coconut, and comes in at far less than the cost of a saddle.

It's a game that reaches a baseline of enjoyment – and that baseline is fairly high – and doesn't raise it further. The mission loop is too samey – drive here, hack a few things, sneak/shoot out – and multiplayer is too throwaway to really affect much. You'll undoubtedly enjoy your time with it, but it won't linger long in the memory.

Beenox deserves some mild applause for constructing a game that succeeds in being consistently fun despite the fact it's a movie tie-in.

Smarty Pants is exactly what you'd expect it to be, but nothing more. It's basically an interactive quiz, with none of the frills seen in rival titles from Sony and Microsoft.

PES 2009 is a good game, but the times they are changin', and we're afraid that Konami is being left behind. Time for a reboot, Seabass.

Sonic Racing CrossWorlds offers plenty of arcade fun, especially in multiplayer. If you have friends over and are looking for a great racing game, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Equally, if you enjoy online play, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds will scratch an itch. However, due to shallow progression systems, players may find themselves lacking the incentive to play more alone. That said, fans of the Sonic franchise will eat well here, since CrossWorlds’ soundtrack, as well as its literal tracks, are brimming with adoration for the blue hedgehog and his storied history.

With simple controls and an easy to understand premise, anyone can turn their hand to it with ease, then partake in some truly stressful yet fun multiplayer cooking action.

The all-important thing is that the racing is great and a swift return to form for the GRID series. In spite of my qualms, the variety and intensity of racing on offer is enough to keep players coming back.