Death's escapades make for one hell of a sequel that, for a while there, I thought would never bloody end. There's a whole lot of bang for buck here that Vigil have managed to squeeze in; where the story may lack replay value, the wave-defense Crucible mode should ensure you hold onto your disc for that little while longer.

Overall, the multiplayer options are a fantastic addition to the series and make N+ an even better value buy, especially if you've got a couple of mates who also dream ninja dreams.

A game to convert even the unworthy to boxing, Fight Night Round 3 will have you quite literally thumbing your way to heaven.

When ODST impresses, such as during moments when massive things go boom in the distance, it certainly gives your heart a bit of a jump, but then it yanks all hope of an epic experience away and quickly returns to the rut of re-used assets and recycled gameplay ideas.

DiRT does plenty right and features the most realistic forest and desert environments ever seen in an Xbox racing game.

Character models are another stand out point. The characters look fantastic and perform animations brilliantly.

Not having played a fighter since the first iteration of Street Fighter IV probably did me favours in making this mash-up of cosmic proportions appear fresher than it will for others, but if you're a fan of either franchise there's a whole lot on offer bound to intrigue and satisfy.

This is not to say it's a bad game, it's just not different enough from previous Call of Duty titles. The story isn't memorable, the maps and weapons aren't any different to what we've previously experienced, the gameplay is near identical to previous games, and when it's not identical it falls flat and fails to impress.

Need For Speed: Shift is a welcome entry into the world of track racing and a step back in the right direction for the series. The biggest problem is the game doesn't do too much to distinguish itself from the other excellent racing games available lately.

As a whole, however, Need for Speed: Most Wanted comes across as extremely polished and very fun.

Builds on the great gameplay elements from "The Sands of Time" but lets itself down with too much backtracking and a weak script. The level design in the game is amazing, at times breathtaking and the addition of Boss battles is great.

It's a shame that the game is fairly light on other activities, rooftop foot or street based races are the only two, because after all the action stops and the explosions settle, you really do wish that there was a bit more to do in the game.

It's still the same game it always was...for better or worse...and the core experience- the mechanics, the visuals, the sound, the ego- remain entirely unchanged. Make no mistake: this is just Fable, with a fancy subtitle and some new content.

The fairly repetitive and shallow missions, the dreary presentation of the film plot, and the uneven sights and sounds are normally sufficient to warrant a 'fans need only apply' status.

After 5 years the gameplay is getting a little stale, and whilst the game isn't ho-hum, it's not exactly mindblowing either.

Lords Of Shadow is the revitalization Castlevania needed and deserved.

It's not a perfect game, the 360 version has rather bad vertical sync issues and the controls take some time to master. However, the game's engaging gameplay and addictive exploratory momentum more than make up for its few failings.

Battlefield Bad Company is a great game and continues the excellent fun found in every game in the Battlefield series that I've played so far.

The pursuit mode stands out as the best feature, which sadly is not incorporated into multiplayer, which not coincidentally is the weakest aspect of the game.

By adjusting the control scheme and difficulty to suit your skill and experience FIFA World Cup South Africa is capable of simulating an extremely realistic and entertaining game of soccer.

The awesome production values put into EON easily make it the best modern Bond game yet and even without Xbox Live support is still definitely worth your money.

The game creates an excellent and believable sense of ‘reality', as much as a video game horror story can. You'll suspend your disbelief for the most part, and there are some very cool and spooky moments early in the game that will really put you on edge.

The story mode is new and refreshing offering a narrative to the events from a side of the story that we've experienced, but never on a personal level such as this and this was the most enjoyable part of the game for myself.

Despite taking the safe road Tomb Raider Legend is still a really good game and a solid return to form. The only bad thing is that it is extremely short. Lovers of long, intricate puzzle games may be left wanting here.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is a great game. It captures the Rainbow Six ‘feel' and delivers high intensity gameplay both on and offline.

If you didn't enjoy the first Viva Piñata, then Trouble in Paradise isn't going to turn you around on the matter. However, if you were an avid fan of the original, there's every reason you'll still be in love with this series.

The main reason that I cannot put the game down is the overwhelming sense of immersion that I get from playing it. It may not be the most anal simulation of driving available but as a simulation of the exhilaration of racing, Shift 2 Unleashed has no equal.

Trenched is, at the most basic of explanations, a tower-defense game crossed with a third-person mech shooter. But that's a pigeonholed description that doesn't do it justice because it's so much more.