AndyClimax

Two fabulous games in one package. The first may look a little dated graphically even with the upgrade, but the gameplay is still excellent with an engrossing story and set pieces & puzzles which lay down the foundations for the series. The second expands on this even further, and even though I personally prefer the first, many choose the 2nd.

Never managing to live up to the initial plot twist, AC 3 sees you (mainly) take the role of Connor during the American revolution. All the familiar ingredients are present yet somehow seem disjointed and more of a chore than ever. Connor is a far cry from the charismatic Ezio and the locations not as glorious as Rome or Venice. You've also got the continuation of Desmond's story out of the animus with a truly terrible ending to the game.

An epic blood-fuelled (presumable) finale to the Kratos saga. The plot may be a little thin compared to previous installments - it's basically kill all the gods - but the gorgeous graphics and unequalled set pieces are a joy to behold.

As close to the third movie you're going to get. Extremely faithful with all the right sounds, visuals and voices. There are shortcomings with the gameplay but definitely worthwhile for fans of the films.

Absolutely massive racer, with each zone being bigger than a GTA map by itself. Unfortunately there is very little to do in the open world besides race in the dozens of challenges. The sheer scope means a lot of little potential extras were neglected.

Another extremely short game from Thatgamecompany, but another highly unique and calming experience. A rare game that makes great usage of the sixaxis and perfect if you've had enough of shooting zombies for one day.

It's a neat and unique little game, but there is so little content it is hard to highly recommend. Probably worth a dollar or two, but no more. Highly unlikely to revisit after 2 hours.

When it takes a good dozen hours of gameplay for a game to "get good" then you know you've got a problem. The graphics are excellent, and score is typically good, but the irritating characters and insane plot dumbfound you for most of the playthrough.

It's a fun enough kart racer, but there's something missing that means it'll never be in the tier of Crash Team Racing or Mario Kart. In the higher difficulty the AI seems to cheat far too often and make use of the secret shortcuts, meaning you can be a comfortable 15 seconds in the lead only to be overtaken without knowing.

Simultaneously the best and worst game ever made. Firstly the bad; graphics nearly a decade old, repetitive gunplay, dull driving. But there is a certain charm and hilarity to the game that makes it all worthwhile with an intriguing (if downright insane) plot to keep you carrying on.

Extremely underwhelming. For a horror game it is very rarely scary, instead 90% is crammed with poor shooting against generic enemies. A disturbing and unfulfilling finale only accentuates how disappointing this is compared to the first.

An underrated and memorable adventure. There are plenty of shortcomings; the poor ending and repetitive enemies to name two, but the colour palette, score, voice acting (Andy Serkis no less) and emotional attachment to the main two characters put this game ahead of many that try to be creative and fail.

The setting and scenarios are familiar, but ramped up to 11 with a fantasy World War 3. The well-loved characters from the previous Modern Warfares are back (Soap & Price) but there is little connection felt with the others, particularly the new playable protagonist Yuri. Multiplayer is all that you've come to expect, which is both a good and bad thing.

A game worthy of the Deus Ex name. Fantastic stealth-based action with a variety of ways to conquer each mission and filled with intriguing characters and side-quests. The ending may leave a bitter taste in the mouth but don't let it take away the magnificence of what came before it.

You get what you put in. If you take time to master the lore and combat, you will end up falling in love. If you let the difficulty overcome, then it can literally become soul-wrenching at times. Some more in-game tips would've been nice (and a pause screen for crying out loud!) as there is far too much to miss without the aid of internet instructions.

Bags of brainless fun with lots of variety. The main downside, once again, is the time limit factor so you never feel like you can truly explore and go on a balls-to-the-wall adventure. The competitive multiplayer, while sparse, is uniquely entertaining with its own spin on the "Gladiators" TV series.

Enjoyable and challenging top down shooter. Comparable to the Alien Breed series, only with zombies instead of aliens, naturally. Most fun as a co-operative experience but single player is fine.

Jack of all trades and master of none, Darksiders borrows heavily from well-loved franchises like Zelda (and even Portal towards the end) but still manages to craft its own identity. Surprisingly long and challenging, it's a fine effort for a new IP.

The Wild West is captured well and has an intriguing storyline but it won't keep you coming back for more. Few will want to replay. Hard to judge the multiplayer since it was doomed from day one with very little support.

After the revelation that was Modern Warfare, Call of Duty took a step back and re-entered the all too stale and familiar (in 2008 anyway) scenery of WWII. Good enough to pass the time, but inferior to every CoD before it bar 3.

Another tremendous excursion and a worthwhile sequel to the first Modern Warfare. Sure, there are recycled sections and there is nothing ground breaking like the first, but it's a must-have for FPS & CoD fans.

Fun, and the skillshots are a welcome addition to freshen up an FPS, but after a while it gets stale. An over-the-top story worked its way into becoming blasé with repetitive set pieces and enemies with extra modes only enhancing that feeling of similarity to the main campaign.

Enjoyable enough experience, but nothing new to grab your attention. Addictive sure, but far too familiar to the same Call of Duty you've played before.

Arguably the game which defined a generation. A compelling single player campaign, including one of the best FPS missions created in 'All Ghillied Up', gears you up for one of the best online experiences ever had. Tremendous maps and more about gunplay than killstreak gimmicks demonstrated why this launched Call of Duty into a world phenomenon.

While the decision to go open world may be jarring for hardcore Burnout fans, I still believe this to be one of the finest racers of the generation. Lots to do and find, and the 8-player online can be fantastic competition; whether it's races, a co-operate meet-up or simply trying to outscore friends' crash scores on a single street.

There's some enjoyment to be had for a few hours, but this isn't the Burnout you've loved for the past decade. It's fun, and the little song soundbytes are addictive to hear, but unless you're desperate to 5* everything you're unlikely to return to the game after a week or so.

An extremely short (it lasts about 3 hours) but powerful experience. Very little of the game can be considered challenging, but it may take some adjusting to using one brother for each joystick. The journey is packed with emotion and different landscapes so don't be put off by the relatively dull opening half hour.

Great humour and stylised cel-shading make Borderlands a unique and unforgettable "RPG FPS". The levelling up and looting system works a treat and working co-operatively online is a blast. Completing the entire game takes 30 hours, even though many missions are laborious.

Ken Levine knocks it out the park once more. After the success of the first BioShock, you're expecting another mind-bending twist and boy does it deliver. The soundtrack and atmosphere is once again great, even if the combat is a little weak at points.

It's very much a case of "been there, done that", but with improved combat and weapons, and a completely new story to boot, BioShock 2 is well worth another trip into Rapture.

A phenomenal and unique adventure, rich with atmosphere. The story may drop away in the final third but this is still a riveting tale with a wonderful twist (providing it doesn't get spoiled for you beforehand). The slightly cartoon graphics, akin to say TimeSplitters & dark humour only add to the experience.

A step completely away from the original games and even though I never played them, probably a wrong move. A very basic and forgettable 3D action game.

Enjoyable but not to my personal taste. Baffling story and eroticism with plain weird characters/enemies littered throughout the game. It's completely over the top, but sometimes those liberties are taken too far.

Much improved on Bad Company 1 in all aspects. More interesting story (it's still not particularly good though) and far better online maps. Can still be a little unbalanced.

Really disappointing and unmemorable campaign that focuses far too much on "bro" humour and vulgar language. Multiplayer is fun, with destructible environments being the highlight, but not worth it overall.

Extremely dull and short single player experience, even compared to the likes of competitor Call of Duty. The heart of the game is all in the online, which is great fun, if a little biased towards those who are competent in the vehicles.

Seems very much a copy + paste job from Arkham City, yet never hits the same high notes. Many of the same locale are used and feels way too familiar. Seems unpolished with lots of bugs and glitches to be found. The main positives to be found are the easy but rewarding crime solving (new to the series) and another stellar narrative.

One of the finest games on any platform this generation. Builds on what Asylum established and creates a phenomenal experience of what it's like to be the Bat. Literally dozens of hours of side stuff along with a great story and emotional finale. Cannot recommend highly enough.

A breath of fresh air and truly revitalises the superhero video game genre. Superb voice acting and combat that literally defines a generation. If you're a fan of the animated series (as everyone should), or Batman in general, this is a must-play.

Very faithful to the series and heaped with nostalgia. Great story and voice acting; you'd barely tell it was A.J. Locascio and not Michael J Fox. Contains the occasional technical hiccup and graphics aren't all that, but still a worthwhile journey for fans.

A rather needless entry in the series, served mainly as filler in order to get their game-every-year quota out. The new mechanic of tower defence is an unnecessary side quest, and the "out of the animus" sections as Desmond serve very little purpose bar scraps of information on his past.

Better than it's predecessor in every single way; tighter story, likeable protagonist, better locations and combat, and focuses on what the Assassin's Creed franchise should be about.

A second excellent entry in the series, showing that Ubisoft have nailed the formula. The main new ingredient for the single player is the introduction of assassin friends who can aid you and be sent on tasks. There's also the introduction of multiplayer, which while enjoyable, was never a requirement. May have served better as a meaty DLC for AC 2, but you can't deny the beauty of Rome.

Had potential but overall a wholly unsatisfying and frustrating experience. While the free running/parkour can be heaps of fun there is far too much repetition with every other aspect and after just a few hours you're hoping for the experience (and dare I say it, pain) to end. Also contains one of the worst endings in video game history.