It's a very well crafted video game that entertains far more than it frustrates, and while it borrows heavily from several prestige titles, it weaves their characteristics into a cogent whole that serves Darksiders style, drive and narrative well.

For pure chilling atmosphere, Silent Hill still succeeds with strong plotting and disturbing art direction. Few games can creep you out and leave you thinking about their story after the credits have rolled as much as Silent Hill can and the latest title is no exception. It's a good game, there's no doubt, but you just feel this Homecoming is perhaps a few years too late.

The game's chief appeal really is wrapped up in Alec Mason's capacity for devastation and whether or not the endless opportunities to cause widespread mayhem (albeit in a good cause) are worth slogging through some of the game's drawbacks is down to the appetite for destruction of each individual player. Those who demand in-depth plots, revolutionary gameplay and a twist around every corner won't have much use for Red Faction: Guerrilla. But if you enjoy blowing things up, this well may be one of the best video games ever made.

The game's chief appeal really is wrapped up in Alec Mason's capacity for devastation and whether or not the endless opportunities to cause widespread mayhem (albeit in a good cause) are worth slogging through some of the game's drawbacks is down to the appetite for destruction of each individual player. Those who demand in-depth plots, revolutionary gameplay and a twist around every corner won't have much use for Red Faction: Guerrilla. But if you enjoy blowing things up, this well may be one of the best video games ever made.

It was great being given the chance to play something a little different than your more prevalent shooters involving muscle-bound marines. With the ERS system and forgiving flight controls giving an accessible edge to a niche genre, it's an enjoyable and recommended introduction.

Wheelman isn't exactly the smartest video game out there. In fact, it's quite possibly the dumbest game I've played in a long while. However, it's wickedly self-aware of its own silliness and revels in it, leading to the kind of guilty pleasure that can only come with such a willful grasp of absurdity. And smashing things up, of course.

On a technical level, then, Wolfenstein is a game that swings wildly in quality on an almost minute-by-minute basis, and a rather vanilla multiplayer offering doesn't do much to quicken the pulse.

The film truly is a millstone around the game's neck. If this game was called Cosa Nostra or Organised Crime 101 (or something similar) it would feel like a far stronger title altogether. Its open-world game template may be well worn but The Godfather II contains some excellent ideas, and the way it integrates them through a smooth control system is admirable.

The film truly is a millstone around the game's neck. If this game was called Cosa Nostra or Organised Crime 101 (or something similar) it would feel like a far stronger title altogether. Its open-world game template may be well worn but The Godfather II contains some excellent ideas, and the way it integrates them through a smooth control system is admirable.

The film truly is a millstone around the game's neck. If this game was called Cosa Nostra or Organised Crime 101 (or something similar) it would feel like a far stronger title altogether. Its open-world game template may be well worn but The Godfather II contains some excellent ideas, and the way it integrates them through a smooth control system is admirable.

Irritations aside, there's rarely a dull moment and a delightfully ludicrous storyline with high-camp villains frames the action nicely. As such, Bionic Commando at its best is a macho, cheeseball 80s action movie that Arnie or Sly would have been proud of.

There's a lovely, bucolic charm to Pikmin which makes its brevity easy to forgive. Less acceptable is the fact that a seven-year-old game has been repackaged as a Wii title for an excessive £30 – Nintendo has certainly missed a trick by not adding any kind of extras to increase its longevity.

We all need a Die Hard every now and then, and that's exactly the kind of spirit Retribution evokes.

With its beautiful presentation, well designed levels and two adorable titular characters, A Boy And His Blob is a game that rewards and appeals in equal measure. Would all curmudgeons now kindly leave the room on tiptoe.

The visual novel is a very niche genre in the west, and even forgiving the game its numerous grammatical sins, Lux-Pain will be a tough sell to most. But it deserves praise for engaging some unusually weighty themes, and weaving them skilfully into its own twisted tapestry of psychological chills and sci-fi-flavoured thrills.

An all out co-op shooter that does exactly what it says on the tin. What it sets out to achieve it succeeds with style, even if these ambitions are firmly rooted in B-movie territory. Whilst this stunted ambition and some minor gameplay niggles hold it back from being truly great, this is a full throttle, adrenalin fuelled, macho-fest which is dumb, fun and full of guns.

Shift doesn't pull off that tricky balancing act with the finesse of Bizarre's urban racer, but there's still a lot of fun to be had here for petrolheads after a lighter introduction to the world of sim-racing. If nothing else, it's certainly a shift in the right direction for the series, with a solid base for improvement.

Better than we expected.

Effortlessly likeable.

The noticeable improvements aside, there are some very real problems with the core gameplay of PES that aren't easily forgotten. The engine is well past its sell-by-date, its clumsy brand of football is given a real thrashing by FIFA in realism and too many aspects of the package remain disappointingly unrefined.

Mini Ninja's toybox is generously and imaginatively stuffed but, unfortunately, the same can't be said of its playground.

As good as all the new content is, however, veteran Lego game players may find hard to get away from the sensation that Lego Indiana Jones 2 is more of the same it may not appeal to anyone who feels that the core gameplay is in need of an overhaul. However, as family friendly titles go, it's hard to find fault.

Nier is a twisting, turning journey of erratic quality. It's one of the best, worst, most broken, most perfect games I've ever played.

Its core template may be showing its age a little, but the overall package offers enough new content gameplay tweaks to keep the faithful happy.

It still has more charm and character than most and –despite the hiccups- provides a challenging, fun and satisfying puzzle experience for players young, old -and everything in between.

Whilst FM10 tries its hand at all aspects of football management, it isn't entirely successful in all its pursuits and does end up lagging behind its older, slightly more mature brothers.

As a game in the here and now, The Forgotten Sands can feel dated, its hero outshone by glossy new kids on the block like Nathan Drake.

Of course, a totally linear game is nothing without its plot, and The Whispered World doesn't disappoint in that respect. It's a relatively unique take on the 'reluctant hero saves the world' tale, with the kind of memorable ending that'll divide opinion straight down the middle.