A triumphant marriage between two huge fighting franchises that could have quite easily been a mess. Filled to the brim with new characters and features, you'll be hard-pushed to find a bigger, better, more vibrant and appealing fighting game out there. Hadoken, indeed.

This is a game in only the loosest sense of the word, but is an intriguing proposition nonetheless, especially for those with a penchant for action-based manga series. Asura's Wrath is an original, engaging and occasionally ridiculous game and as a result is certainly a novel experience, though whether it's an experience that most gamers will be happy paying top dollar for is another matter.

Starbreeze's Syndicate isn't the RTS you may all remember, but it's certainly an FPS you won't forget any time soon.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is almost as good in reality as it ever was in your memory. The graphical update is welcome and the multiplayer maps are decent if not amazing. There are a few rough edges and cracks around the once infallible gameplay, but nothing that would stop you enjoying Halo: CE immensely the second (or first – lucky you) time around.

A triumphant comeback for the series, Rayman Origins sees the influence of creator Michel Ancel at work once more, and a strong showing for Ubisoft's hand-drawn UbiART Framework, giving the game a unique and stunning style that's entirely its own thing. Rayman Origins is addictive, entertaining and quite possibly the best 2D platformer money can buy on Xbox 360.

Volition gets many things right in Saints Row: The Third in what is no doubt a fine sequel, but it's very much a case of sequelitis for the THQ franchise. The zany and over-the-top nature, well-written script and whole host of sandbox toys are held back ever so slightly by the oddly paced and repetitive proceedings of the game's main story.

WWE '12 takes the plunge and ditches the Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 moniker, mixing things up and slamming down the franchise for the three count. The overhauled system is a positive first step towards advancing the series, and the customisation is still second to none. So, pop on some tight pants. It's time for some wrassling.

Winter Stars is yet another addition to the alarmingly large and growing catalogue of Kinect shovelware currently available, giving Microsoft's device an exceedingly bad rap. There's some potential here, but it's marred by sloppy execution, a naff career mode and gameplay that just isn't fun or engaging in any way. You'd be better off skiing over a snowy precipice into a bottomless crevice than face playing Winter Stars for any length of time.

A series, and a game, that seems to have lost a remarkable amount of lustre and just doesn't feel as interesting to play through as some of it's peers. The story is drab and drawn out, plus the tasks that litter the game are overly simplistic even for a kids title. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 is still better than any number of kids titles and movie tie ins, but otherwise this is a major disappointment for fans of LEGO games and Potter alike, and just doesn't have that spark of magic that you would expect.

Tropico 4 is a well-crafted update that is subtly better in almost every respect, including more helpful guidance to total newcomers and a steady stream of in-game mini-missions to keep things interesting. That pesky save bug makes an unwelcome return though and really should have been dealt with by now, but that aside you will be lost in a tropical paradise.

Lord of the Rings: War in the North is fine for a few hours of jolly good fun, but once you realise that the game has played its hand early and really has nothing else to offer then the lustre is soon lost. Poor AI, boring combat and pointless quests all add up to a disappointing game that would be better off dropped into the fires of Mordor.

Soul Calibur V is an assured return for the franchise that boasts a robust roster of fighters, a good selection of modes and the best visuals yet seen in the series. There's more in the gameplay system itself to tempt Street Fighter IV fans with Critical Edge, Brave Edge moves and whatnot, and the array of options presented by the character creation suite are superb. 17 years on and the story's still a bit daft, but Soul Calibur's overall enduring appeal hasn't dulled in the slightest.

Digital Extremes has delivered the goods with The Darkness II, marrying story, action and great gameplay. It might be a little on the short side, but the story warrants multiple replays and co-op adds a little bit of much-needed longevity. So go on, embrace The Darkness. You know you want to.

Despite EA Sports leaving itself plenty of room for improvement in future iterations of Grand Slam Tennis, what's here is enjoyable. Perhaps a little too easy for tennis veterans, the experience of being out on court, thwacking the ball around is great fun. It's just the Career Mode that lets the game down.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 isn't a full blown return to the classic Final Fantasy games many people know and love, but it is certainly a step in the right direction and offers a great deal more invention, exploration and good, old fashioned fun than its predecessor. The story and characters are a little weak in places but it is hard not to get swept along by the charm of it all.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning offers fantastic combat, a decent story, intuitive menus and the occasional visual flourish. Yet it's almost entirely lacking in creativity.

UFC Undisputed 3 is a triumphant return for the ultimate fighting champion, with more modes and options than you can shake a clenched fist at. In the octagon, the action is tighter, more fluid and still fun to play, but the submission system seems like a misstep and overall, we can't shake the feeling that deep down, it's essentially more of the same.

As a racing game for kids this is ideal, with easy to pick up and play controls and a variety of fun modes. However, with the removal of the sandbox style areas there is not much depth on offer here and just playing the same missions or multiplayer modes over and over again will rapidly lose its appeal. As a movie tie-in this game is certainly fun while it lasts but do not expect it to hold your attention, or that of your kids if you deign to give them a go, for long. Cars 2 is more Ka-chow than Ka-ching, but not by much.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution has happily been worth the wait and is a game that can hold its head up high next to the first game. Jensen isn't the most charismatic character, and the story is a tad patchy in places, but the game's world and its characters more than make up for it. Deus Ex: Human Revolution heralds the arrival of the cyber-renaissance, and it's pure gold.

Bodycount could have been so much more than the generic FPS that it's turned out to be. It has its moments, but they're too few and far between in a game that's plagued with imperfections and glaring flaws. Bodycount is not a completely terrible game by any means, it just feels dated and doesn't measure up to the high standards set by most of today's shooters. It's Shoddycount.

El Shaddai has its frustrations and annoyances making it something of an acquired taste, but if you can get a feel for the rhythm-based hack and slash gameplay, and if you find the game's eclectic and achingly beautiful art style as arresting as we did, then you'll be in for a divine treat that's unlike anything you've played before.

Relic Entertainment has done a solid job on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, taking the studio's knowledge of the IP working on the Dawn of War series for PC, and putting it to good use. With some better thought out set-pieces and more variety in the gameplay and visuals, this could have achieved greatness. As it is though, Space Marine feels like the foundations for a barnstorming sequel, and goodness knows it deserves one, as there's massive potential here.

NHL 12 is yet another great ice hockey title that will appeal to new fans of the sport as much as it will to the old guard. The only quibbles tend to be minor ones, but the main issue is that this game is yet another in a growing line of updates rather than sweeping revolutions.

A fun game with very few major flaws, but by the same token it brings absolutely nothing new to the table other than the welcome online community option and enhanced player traits and consistency. That aside you will be playing the same old Madden and on that front, Madden NFL 12 just doesn't do enough to hold your interest for very long.

Codemasters Birmingham has excelled in improving upon F1 2010, resolving some of the issues that held back its first effort, with a game that offers the definitive Formula One experience.

If you think Resident Evil 4 is dated, then you're a heathen. It's still as fresh now as it's ever been, although you may have to adjust to the control system which is showing its age. More bonus content would have been nice, but the chance to revisit a bona-fide modern classic is massively welcome. Welcome to Resident Evil 4 HD, stranger! You're going to love it all over again.

As a fun and frenetic FPS, Rage delivers in spades. That the same can't be said for the game's story is a real shame. It's especially disappointing as Rage feels like it's building to a strong crescendo, before fizzling out like a damp firework. Rage veers incredibly close to greatness then, but ultimately fails to win itself a cigar.

Another flowing, fun, feast of football which most fans will lap up. FIFA 12 is not a great leap over the titles from recent years, but is still one of the very best sports games on the market.