NHL 11 is every bit as solid and playable as its predecessor. Broken sticks add very little to the game, despite being peddled as a key new feature, but the numerous refinements show in the physicality on the ice and the returning up-close and personal fighting system.

It's abundantly clear that 2K Czech put an emphasis on story and ambience over gameplay in Mafia II and it really shows. With a repetitive mission structure, long arduous drives across a limited open-world and a bog standard shooter mechanic, Mafia II as a game rarely delivers. As a Mafia experience though, it delivers in spades. There are few open-worlds in video games that show this much depth, this much character and this much charm.

To be honest, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is a disjointed mess. The promising early screens have, once again, been nothing but a false dawn and the shockingly brief story is barely worth a rental let alone a full purchase. The game may look nice at times, and have a thoroughly enjoyable multiplayer offering, but that in no way makes up for a mere three hour campaign, zero plot and two characters completely lacking in charisma.

As ever the latest Madden offers the best NFL experiences available on consoles... but it did the same last year, and the year before that. So the actual progression seems minimal to be honest and the new features are probably not enough to lure in any new converts, or satisfy the old guard that played last year's title. It is good fun, but not really a must own.

Clocking in at roughly 90 minutes, The Signal provides varied set piece battles across diverse settings that are well designed to maximize the tension Alan Wake is known for. Despite the retreading players must endure in the beginning and an abrupt conclusion, The Signal provides well-polished action worth picking up for anyone who's already completed the core game.

There's no doubt that Crackdown 2 is a well made title, and there's a lot to be said for playing through the game in co-op – and you'll need to if you want to obtain all the online orbs – but there's the distinct feeling that this is just more of the same stuff, in the very same city.

The best LEGO game in quite some time, and one of the best family titles this year. The obvious sequel will hopefully build on the successful foundations here, although the major issues of similarity and simplicity that make it into all of the games is hardly likely to go away – which is probably for the best as that would rob the games of their inherent charm.

A frenetic and fun title that is held short of true greatness by a lack of imagination in places, with a story that is only so-so and a multiplayer that needs a few more modes (and players) to be truly satisfying.

The one good idea here is the premise, but it is almost like the developers didn't know how to spin it out into a decent game and instead have created a jumbled, repetitive mess.

Toy Story 3 is worth playing for the Toy Box mode alone, as it has a wealth of things to see and do. The story is fun, but far too short though, but it would make ideal fodder for the younger gamers out there.

As far as Rock Band games go, Green Day doesn't have the creativity of The Beatles and it isn't doesn't have the same breadth as Rock Band 2. Aspects of its sloppy presentation are a big disappointment, but when the game gets it right (and it often does) it's as good as Rock Band has ever been.

Tiger Woods 11 is yet another fairly successful fine tune from EA. The game certainly does not break the mould or truly push the envelope in terms of creativity, but there are enough good ideas here to make it a worthwhile purchase, especially if you have given the last few titles the cold shoulder.

Buried beneath the poor shooter mechanics, Alpha Protocol does exactly what it says on the box, and that's make choice your weapon. With a great dialogue mechanic and more choice than your local Tesco megastore, the title is ultimately a letdown in every department except these key disciplines.

Pure Football is quite simply a terrible game on every level, never mind the fact it is one of the worst football titles available. Everything seems to have been rushed and poorly thought out, and the online is just shoddy. Even short blasts will soon get tiresome and it would probably never get near most respectable rental lists either. Avoid at all costs.

A supreme effort, but one that can get a tad repetitive over longer periods of play. It tends to be a bit too close to last year's effort to provide much in the way of new fangled entertainment for veterans. That being said, this is ideal fodder for fight fans and quite simply one of the best fighters around right now.

Remedy set out to create one of the most intense and gripping story experiences of the year and they delivered on their goals with sublime ease. An utterly compelling cast of characters and the most engaging story we’ve experienced in years means that Alan Wake is a must buy. The best survival-horror thriller we’ve seen for quite some time. It’s more Resident Evil than Resident Evil 5 was! Move over Capcom, Alan Wake’s in town!

Red Dead Redemption is undoubtedly one of the finest open-world games in quite some time and easily the best western inspired game ever made. Rockstar San Diego’s production values are seemingly impressive, but for a large triple-A title, it doesn’t have the same polish that you’d expect from a publisher and developer of Rockstar’s calibre. With more glitches than Windows Vista and too much pre-mission horsey riding, Red Dead Redemption is an amazing adventure... but, and if you want to be a 90 plus title in 2010, there can’t be any buts. Well not that big anyway!

Split/Second is a total blast and keeps up the pace for race after race. The only problem is that the novelty eventually wears off and the whole thing starts to feel a little shallow. As an arcade racer, this one is hard to beat though, with thrills galore and it is even more fun to dish out some of the pain online too.

Whilst it is refreshing to see the challenge put back into the Prince of Persia franchise and the return of the excellent – and testing – platforming is a breath of fresh air, the rest of the game seems to have not been given the same love and attention. The combat is nothing short of woeful – and glitchy – and the story is so flat and uneventful that is makes Bayonetta’s plot seem like a wonderful hand-crafted masterpiece spawned from the mind of a sane person.

A lack of genuine innovation and the presence of persisting issues from the first game is unforgivable and frankly, we expected more.

More quantity over quality, Skate 3 nonetheless impresses with its sunny city built to accommodate your team of skaters, but ultimately doesn't deliver much in terms of innovation to the franchise.

A rushed, short and appalling game on every level. Even die-hard Iron Man fans should steer well clear of this rubbish.

Dead to Rights: Retribution can provide some good B-movie fun at first, but it soon gets overly repetitive and the niggling flaws soon begin to grate more and more as the game goes on.

It is hard to classify this game, because it tries its hand at so many different things and that is both its greatest asset and its biggest liability as gamers may well get tired of the seemingly random nature of proceedings. A jack of all trades, a master of none if you will. Stick with it though and you will be rewarded with some truly standout moments and a moving story.

Few will find themselves longing for things to return to the way they used to be, and Super Street Fighter IV updates the already winning formula in a logical, progressive manner to create an end product entirely deserving of its superlative moniker. Others will eventually follow, but for now Super Street Fighter IV is the undisputed fighting game champion of the world.

There's certainly enough new stuff in 2010 FIFA World Cup to make a purchase worthwhile and if nothing else, the new modes and refinements make this a perfect companion to FIFA 10. Simply put, this will be the best football game money can buy... Until FIFA 11 turns up.

Some people would dismiss this as a dull, slow paced historical game – but they would be missing the point. This is a perfect representation of the Holmes world, mixed in with one of the greatest unsolved cases of our time.

There's no doubting that Splinter Cell: Conviction is a great game, but it's a game that ultimately loses its way towards the end. It's almost like a 200m hurdle champion falling at the last hurdle, but still bumbling to his feet to make the finish line in a more than respectable time.