RUST

It is shockingly, almost unbelievably, just so very much better than the original. Combine this with Sine Mora and you have yourself the perfect escape for that daily four hour train commute to and from work. And then some.

Expectations, I can say, have been exceeded. Bioshock's strongest talking point was its location; a sub-mariner underground brimming with mystery and danger. Infinite sells on the same principle, a steam punk world where nothing really makes much sense and everything at the same time just seems so damn cool. I dare you to miss it.

Absolution is too much of a step away from the normal Hitman approach to appease a self titled fanatic of the series like myself. Silly ideas that in reality wouldn't work, averting your face to avoid attention for example, and stripped back and more restricted environments kicks number of options the player can choose from down to slim pickings. Excellent plot, numerous faults but all round there is enough to appease new fans and give the veterans a bit of a workout.

I've long since lost love with the Call of Duty franchise, but even by my own checked expectations this is absolutely diabolical. It's an absolute unflattering slap to the face of anyone who purchased the Vita in confidence of developer's taking it seriously. Nihilistic have appropriately closed their doors and sworn off ever developing for retail again, as they should. This is an absolute joke, the Vita is more than capable of delivering something worth standing alongside the rest of the franchise and deserved much better than this pathetic effort. Looks dates, feels dated and the absolute absence of character or identity makes Declassified feel like one of those pointless mobile download games. Nothing but a name and a couple of, barely, recognisable pixel collections. I seriously can't believe this piece of **** managed to slip on to the market. How didn't ANYONE at Nihilistic realise - oh forget it. Just avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid!

I just love it. I can't put it down and the only reason I'm here is because I've whipped my battery life for all it's worth and it demanded a one hour charge break. It loses none of it's big screen majesty, and in fact feels just as comfortable in your fingers as it would on the biggest of HD screens. Sound the alarm, my game of the year has arrived.

Not a stretch of originality to be seen, but that's okay. It's fine if you blatantly skin your gameplay inspiration from some of the best games of the last three years, so long as you pull it off like Sleeping Dogs has. Combat is a simple, not-so-fluid, homage to Rocksteady's Arkham games. Free motion like a muscular dysfunctional Assassin's Creed and for transport/driving it rips a blank page out of Square Enix's own Just Cause's manual while the narrative is your average hard boiled vice story with an American protagonist. Individually they falter, but as one game they all succeed. I enjoyed it, and maybe you will too.

My muted pessimism that Gearbox wouldn't be able to follow up to their previous effort was, thankfully, dispelled in the first twenty minutes. It's great. Another, more wholesome, helping of what we enjoyed in Borderlands with some new ideas to play with. Not many, mind you, but certainly enough. Stuck for a shooter this fall? Look no further.

Klei Entertainment and I seem to have a long and understanding relationship. When I feel the need to murder something they provide a compelling, addictive and ingenious little downloadable title for me to munch on. Mark of the Ninja is another hallmark in our simple, but beautiful, relationship. Hitting all the right notes for a stealth and precision freak like myself and having enough left over for me to share. The visual style, not breaking from the brilliant Shank franchise, is fluid and overall Mark of the Ninja was constantly testing my decision to name The Walking Dead my favourite downloadable title of the year. It cannot be missed, so go buy it. Now.

It's brilliant, I'm not going to bother with my usual pandering, just buy the damn thing and get on with it. The characters, the narrative and the influence will deliver all the thrills and excitement of any of the best survival horror flicks you can think of; with the added bonus of putting you in charge of how it plays it. With controller firmly welded to my hands, I eagerly await the next episode. (So hurry it up, won't you?)

It feels so organic, fluid and unique that it\'s impossible to not fall under it\'s charm. That said, there isn\'t an awful lot to it. Certainly for Vita owners, this is something worth looking for.

I just love Persona and as such I love any reason to revisit the wonderful cast of the games, particularly the latest two additions. While it's not another Persona game, it's an example of a spin off done right. Loyal to the subject matter and interesting in it's own light. Solid fighting mechanics with memorable characters, a no thrills sort of affair that leaves you satisfied and content in the end.

Without naming names, I saw one user claim that The Line's regaling campaign was worthy of a book. It's called The Heart of Darkness, written by one Joseph Conrad. Not that taking inspiration from cult novella is a particularly bad thing, see Apocalypse Now, and credit should definitely be placed at the feet of the writers for applying such a chilling and remarkable inspiration to such a striking and contemporary setting. But plot aside, I'm afraid this isn't anything we haven't already seen done a few dozen times before. Cover based shooter with overt and charismatic squad mates led by Nathan Drake in disguise, his trademark run of bad luck running as a real tour de force behind much of the action. Should that take your fancy, you'll probably be happy to know it comes with basic competitive components such as team death match and headset support. So unfortunately, it's nothing more than an abnormally interesting third person shooter. I won't tell you to disregard it, but I won't tell you to waste your money on it.

It's in colour, and for the most part you understand what is happening. Such a sorry and utterly pathetic waste of potential that actually raises doubts over Kinect's continued support. Avoid, at all cost.

It's all about one up-manship here folks. Zipper has foregone all hopes of a plot, multiplayer and sense of quality to give us a casual game in disguise. Pick it up, decide if you want to risk finding a moron online for co-op, then jump in and blast/sneak/survive one of thirty six pre-loaded missions (bonus challenges and HVTs excluded). It's a bare bones third person shooter that would have been utterly slated should if have ended up on anything but the handheld market. Yet, pushed through the jaws of the Vita's impressive processors, the game looks, plays and feels like a decent but shallow TPS on a home console. If you're looking for a casual shooter then I couldn't recommend it more, but why the hell are you looking for a casual shooter in the first place?

Under the unrelenting pressure from my best friend I caved at the point of sale stall of my local GAME and walked away One Hundred and Fifty F***ing quid lighter with a Vita in my bag and a digital copy of Gravity Rush my only tonic for solace. Alas, thank god, it was money well spent. My problem with portable consoles thus far was that any game made specifically for them would have made more sense on a console, because they didn't do anything that their parent hardware didn't already do. The PSP was the Playstation on the go with nothing else to offer while the 3DS boasted 3D support. I hate 3D (it gives me a headache) and I hate portable consoles. All but this Vita, that is. Finally a handheld console that can do things the bigger models cannot. Granted: Gravity Rush only narrowly avoids the pit trap of trying too hard to show off the Vita's bells and whistles, but it's such a charming game I couldn't help but love it. The visuals, the art style and the chance to give Isaac Newton the middle one all made for quite a compelling game. This won't be the best game the Vita makes, but if more titles such as this are on the way then the Vita will do very well in the year to come. Just keep your expectations in check please, it's early days yet and GR does show the tell tale signs of a developer working out how to play with it's new toy.

I could almost bracket a mark for Telltale's belligerent ****, but they're forgiven on account of such a stellar addition to their newest game series. Episode one was, surprising, well executed and left me starving for more; and while a little late to the party, episode two pushes the positives of the first even further. More complicated choices, more emotion and a bigger sense of 'this is your life' make this episode more powerful than the first. Yes, it has it's hiccups and no I don't understand why there was such a long delay but Starved for Help is an excellent follow up to episode one and was enough to convince me that purchasing a ticket to the season pass was more than worth the sixteen quid admission tag. Bring on Episode three, and please don't take so long this time!

I do love a heroic catastrophe, and in White Knight Chronicles II we have just that. A flimsy, playing to the market, narrative with some frankly stupid and bold game design choices to hold the whole thing together. The game is designed around letting you enjoy it, without necessarily trying to impress you. The first game, bundled in with the sequel at no added cost, boasted at least forty hours of things to do. The second, at least twice that. Playing through both you'll catch what I mean by designed to let you enjoy it. In the first game the so called mystical and rare knights of power are limited to four, and you only get to control two of them. Then in the sequel, everyone and your original (customisable) character can have one but for the cost of a side quest and a peculiar NPC. Take it or leave it, the single player will not be the making of this franchise. The online, however, will. Much like an MMO, the online lets you take your original character out of the world and out to vistas unknown. You can socialise, build and construct your own town, and embark on quests with up to six other players in later missions. (Possibly more, I haven't sank in that much time yet.) It's a spirited and thorough take on an RPG's online component, and one that is the shining star amongst the murk. So if you can tolerate the longest tutorial in gaming history and some rather obvious market decisions, this could be the find of the year for you.

The unfortunate trend of sequel goes as follows; do exactly what you did in the first only do it in instalments and pad it out with features that will only serve to attract additional customers. Yes dear readers, the cold hard truth is that Dark Souls isn't anything near as gratifying or as enjoyable as its predecessor. Avoid the panic button however, since it is still quite easily one of the best RPGs we will see for another few years. The co-op component has been tweaked unacceptability so, the difficultly of the previous game has been explored and then ultimately abandoned in favour of magical camp sites and replenish-able health potions and perhaps worse the developer has refused to take a single serious step forward with the core mechanics so beloved in the original. Still a great game, just a very unsatisfactory sequel.

Was never a tale of such lore was Demon's Souls. A game so difficult your character laid crumpled, broken and very much dead in the original cover art. Yet was it really that difficult? Neigh, only momentarily frustrating at best. Demon's Souls was a game that never should have happened; a miraculous moment when everything in the From Software headquarters was in precisely the wrong place to prevent its coming. It wasn't a sequel, it wasn't targeting a particularly well known demographic and it was, for all intents and purposes, exactly the sort of thing you do not want to do in terms of business. The rest, as they say, is history. Demon's Souls has become a phenomenally successful Playstation title, one that lead gamers to the darker side of gaming where health was neither copious or advised and games were never forgiving. Demon's Souls is just brilliant. Even when the initial fear to round a corner starts to wane as you begin to memorise near every minute detail of the environments there is that unrelenting reminder that you are always only one mistake from death and a tedious journey to a checkpoint unknown. This game doesn't play nice, it's designed to oppress you and it's by beating it over and over again that the player will find its true value. Making this game your **** is exactly what makes it so damn fun.

Originality was the dish of the day down at Rebellion studios; a pity, then, that they just couldn't marry it to a game with real substance. Never mistake me though, I thoroughly enjoyed tearing my limbs off and saving the world while bowling my cranium across the floor. It's a much needed tonic to the endless First Person Shooting parades and insistence on relying on the tried and tested methods of gaming design. So when one studio goes out with the purpose to throw a bucket of crazy at the wall and see what sticks, I try to get behind them. NeverDead puts players in control of Bryce Boltzman who can (surprise!) never die. Get blasted up by demons, your enemies on hand, and you'll be reduced to a hopping myriad of limbs until you're able to regenerate. Eye candy is provided, and a lot of the levels are surprisingly destructible particularly when you just throw Bryce at them. I found it interesting, others will find it nuts. I think other people are boring. Eye candy aside the game doesn't look great, no shocks there, but once you see past the no trills visuals and the almost clunky controls you can really read into the humour and get to know Bryce Boltzmann, the one serious talking point the game has to offer. So what did I think? Not bad considering who it's coming from and what it was aiming to do, much better than many will lead you to believe and did I mention Megadeth composed the soundtrack? Yeah, I agree, that is awesome.

Capcom's answer to the success of Demon's Souls. I imagine they threw the how - to - copy - From - Software hand book in their development teams laps and told them to follow it to the letter and then for the fun of it crowbar in the mechanics that made Skyrim and Monster Hunter so damn fun to play. The result? An insurmountable and almost off putting about of content and one of the most surprisingly brilliant games released this year. Can you miss out on it? Well, yeah you could. But should you? Most certainly not!

Hm, well this is interesting. I'm torn between my respect for the previous Ghost Recon titles ( Which Future Soldier all but desecrated ) and the thrilling, if unevenly paced, action of this new injection to the franchise. Let's toss it up, shall we? Is this game in any way the master class some naive minded journalists had been hoping for? Ha is it f***, but it is enjoyable. It's a little isolated from the days of Advanced Warfighter, and is not nearly as enjoyable, but it has it's own charm. The multiplayer stands out for being able to remain balanced even after you throw invisibility cloaks at games and expect them to not abuse their camping rights, small miracles and all that. The experience and ranking system is a bit odd, particularly the way how it rewards you more experience for planting a camera next to a target than a kill from cover. There's something to be said about the campaign and the voice work, Blum seems to be in everything these days but I'm not complaining, but the overall impact of the single player doesn't stand up in comparison to Advanced Warfighter. But let's forget about AW for a second, and just concentrate on what we've got here. A solid third person title with a balanced set of online components and a campaign which is better than any of the two Gears of War sequels. I'd say that's worth a rent, don't you?

There is nothing wrong with the Vita, at all, but on this evidence alone I doubt it will grow into a reliable market for future First Person Shooters. Burning Skies had all the promise, hopes and anticipation any game with the Sony brand carries but it's one of those games that just doesn't deliver. It's ideas are tried and tested, and the Vita features are only there for the sake of demonstrating what the platform could possibly do. They're never comfortable or convenient, and much like Golden Abyss they only work to slow the game down. The game itself had potential, exploring an area I think more First Person Shooters should charter ( The role of the civilian ). There are tastes of the Vita's visual prowess on display, particularly when the action picks up and the graphics somehow manage to not tear themselves apart. When you finally do find a comfortable strategy to utilising the touch controls and other Vita senses the gameplay will start making more sense, but that takes some amount of experimenting. Overall this isn't the exciting first step I had hoped for, but at least now we know what we shouldn't do if only for future reference when the market tries to attack the Vita market again. If anyone can crack it, god forbid it'll be the crafty Cambridge lot who'll behind the Killzone for Vita or the brass behind Black Ops II ( If they are actually making it for the Vita ).

The best Move game available on the console. Although when you really think about it, it's not much of an accolade to have hanging from your chest. Despite the obvious lack of quality Move titles I found enough reasons to 'borrow' my girlfriends Move for the week. Sorcery is a simple title. You play a sorcerer's apprentice by the name of Finn in a world greatly inspired by Irish mythology, the kind of thing that was stuffed down into my bedtime stories as a child in rural Ireland. The plot is simple, it weaves an interesting reason to keep playing. But that's not why we're here. How does the game cope with the Move? Surprisingly well actually. It's one of the few games which feels very responsive and in tune with the game, rather than just relying on the 'wag for your dear little life' approach. Aim is important, the ideas and motions behind the spells and powers are relatable to the actions performed in the game. But while offering quite a few powers and options for combat, you'll quickly fall into the trap of becoming too comfortable with maybe two or three particular powers and then proceed to neglect some of the later spells. Still, despite the issues and the limitations Sorcery succeeds in becoming the best reason to own a Move. So far at least.

The ATV revs over the rusted remains of another corpse of a building as the encroaching rumble of Armageddon draws ever nearer. My competitors careen off course, some failing to survive the hazard and others finding safer passage via a short cut. I don't give it a moments though, I'm in pole position; only seconds away from sweet victory -- then it hits me. The brute calamity tears me from the track and just like that my race is over. The win goes to my successor, and I'm left with the cold hurt of defeat. Is Apocalypse a flawless triumph in game design? No, but is it a break neck racer more than worth the £14.99 I shelled out for it? Certainly. Motorstorm is a rarity, a franchise that never fails thrill but never succeeds in impressing. It's a pity, for a game so fraught with hazard that the developer played it so safe. So much more can be done with these games, I just hope they start pushing the envelope on the next game.

A string of ill chosen Portuguese paints the room blue as 45s are drawn, nerves are tested and Max Payne slips into his world of violence, redemption and vice as easily as he would an old slipper. Is this the Max Payne game I have been waiting for? All that and more. A fascinating character study on one of gaming's most under appreciated specimen. If the campaign does get your emotions running high then I don't know what will. Despite the sacrifice of freedom, usually a staple of any Rockstar title, this gem offers more than mindless indulgence; a chance to play a real cinematic master class. Oh, and there is a multiplayer in there too for those of us who are interested.

Sitting **** sure of itself at the alluring price of 9.99 I thought to myself there was no way I could have regretted this purchase. Even the cashier told me he enjoyed it, and that is always a good sign right? Well this game blows, don't even accept it as a gift. Just turn the casing upright and smack the gift giver across the face, for they truly think you're some form of gaming scum bag if they thought this kind of game would be 'right up your alley'. On paper this should have worked; the you vs horde combat God of War in a tepid relationship with the time control mechanics of the Prince of Persia franchise. I admit, there were moment when this combo worked but my god just everything else fell apart around it. The combat became tiresome, the puzzles weren't puzzles just a ridiculously out of your way path that you have to reach and as a whole this game just ****. Avoid, avoid, avoid!

I picked this up the same day as I picked up the PS3 extended version of No More Heroes, for a two course serving of Wii's most compelling titles. The consensus? Wii games are freaking weird. Granted, maybe Overkill and No More Heroes weren't the best test group for standard gaming formulas as both seem to go out of their way to drag you, kicking and screaming, from the world you knew and into, well, their world. As a long time fan of the House of the Dead franchise I wasn't on board with the sudden shift in direction, what with the humour and bullet curtain gameplay. But I'll be the first to admit that I really enjoyed this game. Yeah it doesn't look fantastic and not every joke will hit the mark but that is aside the point. It loses out to No More Heroes for the best comedy award, sorry but Suda51 just seems to have punched my ticket, but that didn't make Overkill anything less than what it is; one of the most enjoyable games I've played in recent years. Combined with No More Heroes, Overkill offers a tough and winning argument as to why you should own a Playstation Move. Now, anyone else hoping for a Director's Cut of MadWorld on PS3 or is it just me?

Hands up if you spent too much of your childhood feeding pound coins into a House of the Dead arcade game! Yeah, that's what I thought. House of the Dead Overkill was the appetiser, the thrilling first course that left me hanging for more. Now House of the Dead 4 is the garnish full course, shorter on laughs but more than capable of elevating your blood pressure; in that good kind of way. If you are a fan of rail shooters you can't miss this. You just can't, as no self respecting fan of the genre would dare to miss this opportunity. If you aren't a fan of rail shooters, and under the age of fifteen, then I dare say the charm of this title might be lost on you. It's not the only reason you should be buying the Playstation Move, there are other games for that moniker, but it is one of the best reasons to have one. It might be lacking the real crunch of the original but it is the House of the Dead's most compelling case for purchase in recent memory. I loved it, and so should you.

A game that is as much bold, brash and entertaining as much as it is tiring, frustrating and dull. It's a game that never apologises for its short comings, but can't wait to point out why it is so f***ing brilliant. For each three hours of gameplay you will spend at least one and a half hours navigating Santa Destroy, one of the worst 'hub' worlds I have played in in my time as a gamer; made frightfully worse by protagonist Travis Touchdown's dodgy motorcycle mechanics. When you've saved up enough money beating a series of challenges and mini games Travis dispenses a princely finder's fee into an ATM and he rushes off to do what he does best; kill someone. The actual pre boss levels are thrilling endurance races designed to test a gamer, and then you have possibly ten of the most unique and crazy boss fights this side of the millennium. Crazy, fun, not perfect but doesn't have to be. Heroes Paradise will sit on my game rack as one of my little guilty pleasures for some time to come.

Successor to my beloved Warhawk and genuinely one of only two games I had on pre-order since 2011, Starhawk had a lot to live up to in my mind. It didn't, but it did manage to justify the wait. The single player is a no thrills answer to the critics who felt Warhawk 'needed' a campaign - it didn't - to understand the gameplay. The plot is thin, the set pieces are challenging and everything as a whole was underwhelming. It's one of those rare occasions where a game's campaign feels like the tack on, the effortless attempt to appease a small crowd of greedy consumers. The online, however, didn't disappoint. Its as refreshing as Warhawk but with a few new twists and turns, with the versatile Hawk only the poster boy. Dozens of options open up hundreds of tactics. Meaning a player genuinely has to engage the game with their brain as much as they would their thumbs. Turrets, bases, walls, depots and more. Call it, build it, use it. I can't give the campaign much praise, it isn't that good. But the multiplayer, oh god the multiplayer, is something completely out of this world. You must at least try this, you simply can't miss out on the one great tonic gamers are afforded in the midst of the endless FPS online market.

By no means a copious addition to the Football genre, it's still essentially Fifa at a cheaper price with limited options and only the choice of international sides to play with. Think of it as a very expensive demo for Fifa 12.5, there are some minor improvements to the game (all the size of a patch's worth) and I suppose it would be fun for some sort of lads tournament while the Euros are on. But I really can't see any other reason to own this cash in.

Not the best example of how to release a collection of two of gaming's favourite sons, as well as brining their their simple minded sibling (DMC2) along for the ride. From a technical perspective Capcom could have put a lot more effort into fleshing out the decals and ensuring that the sound and frame rate never shuddered to spoil our action, but I can't complain. It does what it says on the tin; lets you enjoy the Devil May Cry series and show case just why these games still stand the test of time.

It looked clumsy, daft and a bit isolated from the comic and TV series that first brought it to life, but Telltale Games have really done it justice. The cast are all enjoyable without a single plot breaking Mary Sue in sight and the game play is tight and never drops the player our of the immersion. For all it is going to cost you, this game deserves some attention. So what are you waiting for, give it already!

Many JRPGs get lined up against the wall for daring to be too stale, but Nier has nearly been forgotten for being exactly the opposite; bold, brash and brilliant. It's as if someone in Square Enix got a hold of whatever Suda51 plays with and they just went to town with it. An enjoyable cast, non sensible but interesting plot, and fantastic boss battles all delivered with a no thrills but very functional combat and game play system. This game gives so much, it's just a shame we didn't pay it its when it mattered. I thoroughly enjoyed Nier, and I recommend it to anyone else looking for something just that much more different from the uniform.

When you can't be original, be excessive. Prototype has never excelled in writing, but ignoring the question of how New York has been reduced to bubbling stews of gristle and severed limbs is easy when you can punch a tank until it explodes or taking a running leap over the Empire State building. Prototype 2 is just fun, and a sensible gamer will try not to take it too seriously. A forgettable plot, shallow characters and underwhelming environments can all be forgiven if you just give me enough ways to blow it all up. You won't remember it, but you will enjoy it.

Ryu talks too much, was my first complaint, and from there things just continued to snowball in a never ending series of barely enjoyable adventures. Granted Ninja Gaiden 3 is a much more accessible entry than usual, and the added multiplayer is a step up from Sigma's Co Op, but in its journey to gain national acceptance it has lost much of the charm that made Ninja Gaiden so enjoyable in the first place. So lets summarise; the plot is daft, the gameplay is basic but very functional despite the obvious lack of weapons, the game itself is just long enough but lacks the challenge it is known for. If it was any other game I would have enjoyed it, but this is Ninja Gaiden and I expected much more. The most disappointing thing is that, at select moments, there are signs of the Ninja Gaiden of old. Unfortunately those moments are lost in the sea of 'meh' this game drowns you in. Rent it or skip it, I doubt you'll be impressed with it.

Improves on the predecessor in nearly every department. The plot, the gameplay, the environments and the features make a very solid and much improved entry to the inFamous series, which I hope goes on from here to become the household name I know it can be.

A stunning return to form! Although many will argue that Castlevania wasn't in dire need of a reboot Konami, and specifically the influence of Hideo Kojima, has brought possibly my favourite videogame series roaring back to life. The mechanics, while they may owe tribute to other, more celebrated titles, are all solid and very well tuned. The combat in particular is extremely fluid and very enjoyable, especially in later straits of the game once most of the combat options have been unlocked. The plot, while lacking some of the atmosphere of earlier titles, is as dark and intriguing as I could have hoped for. The characters, and in particular their voice work, all come across as impressive and memorable, in particular the prominence of Gabriel Belmont and his dark journey to restore his lost wife. Overall Lords of Shadow is a deeply satisfying game, and one I still enjoy to this day.

After playing Downpour I decided to revisit Homecoming, the beginning of the second series of Silent Hill in my mind. I did like it the first time round, quite a lot. It wasn't very faithful to the ethnics of the core topic but reboots are permitted to toy with the DNA a bit so I wasn't that annoyed. The main thing was the series had potential to go on from here and be brilliant once more. Unfortunately Downpour failed to build upon Homecoming, so my hopes are ****. In the plus side, Homecoming is pretty damn good, if not a bit tainted.

Falls short of a perfect score due to one, blatant, flaw; the choice of platform. Contorting the control system to make up for the limited functions of the PSP could have ruined this game, but thankfully Peace Walker more than makes up for it in all other departments. Makes you rue the idea of how amazing this game could have been if it had been developed on and for the PS3, like it's direct ancestor Guns of the Patriots, instead.

Found this for £3 in the local CEX. In its day this could be called very ambitious, even genius in some levels. Alas, it lends too much from its inspirations, such as Far Cry and GTA, and lacked the coat of polish it deserved. But for £3, I'm very satisfied.

I fail to see what all the fuss is about, but I concede to the fact that Minecraft is very unique and enjoyable title that has made the market a more interesting place with its arrival. Should it be continued, expanded and promoted? Of course. Should it receive unworthy plaudits? No.

In the end the only question which must be answered is how the publishers allowed such a shoddy, poorly designed title to sail out under their banner. This game is stagnant, repulsive and broken. The very small positives must be searched for, and the many flaws are far too apparent. An exemplary lesson in how not to develop a videogame.

Years of development, a record breaking budget, unprecedented amounts of hype and a vote of confidence from a World Champion F1 driver. It just couldn't have gone wrong for Gran Turismo 5, and yet it did. What happened to those realistic damage effect? Absent. The state of the art game mechanics? Absent. The thrill of the most accurate racing simulator ever created? Present, I suppose. Its realistic visuals and game play don't make for an enjoyable game. Its enthusiasm for its topic is admirable, but as a game Gran Turismo is just a very expensive encyclopaedia with a very good simulator tacked on to demonstrate the topic of choice. Then there was the menus, great god in heave the menus, that would navigate at snail pace and demand most of your play time. I'm going to stop here, I've made my point already. Gran Turismo is not nearly as great as I hoped it to be, but at least the car nuts among us will love it.

Fast paced, tight controls, unique systems and all round very competent driving game. Is it by any means brilliant? Not really, there are plenty of visible issues in the game from the get go, but it was still the most enjoyable game of its genre in 2011. Certainly something everyone should try, if not for the sake of trying something different.

Was Saints Row 3 developed with the intentions of the consumer at heart, or those of the developers? Difficult to say, but the result is a very enjoyable and non sensible thrill ride. I cherish the Saints Row series, even this latest addition. Its a parody of the corporate game developers who try too hard to make development about business decisions. While The Third is the weakest of the series, so far at least, it is still as enjoyable as its predecessors and has all the improvements you expect of a sequel. Verdict; happy gamers all around! Now excuse me while I throw a teenager in front of a passing truck...

Its official. The days of Silent Hill are numbered. What was once brilliant, and I truly stress the word brilliant, is now in the hands of a developer that just doesn't know what to do with the slice of genius it was handed. Too much focus on the combat and not enough emphasis on what the genre was built on; fear. Fear of everything, not just your enemies. If you give us control of someone more fearsome than those we should be cowering from then how do you expect us to fear them? Homecoming showed the potential for learning, an indication that with practice there would be greatness. Downpour tarnishes the moniker on its title, and is not fit to sit alongside its brethren. Fans of the series will be disappointed, and I hope the audience for which this intended for, the Americans, are pleased in knowing they played a part in the destruction of what was once one of the most prominent and brilliant videogame series ever created.

Disgaea 4 will never make sense to someone unfamiliar with the history of the series. So therefore if you fall into this category I suggest you look elsewhere. For fans of the genre and the series, however, this is the day you've been waiting for. A true tour de force, delivering all we have ever wanted and more in the neat contents of a blu - ray disk. Plot, visuals, game play and comedy. It has it all, and then some.

Does it in anyway match the expectations set in front of it? No, but after such a wait for a sequel it was never going to fully satisfy its patient and forgiving fan base. Yet is it an enjoyable, if not entirely functional, and enjoyable game? Certainly, its Twisted Metal after all. The old school feeling of glee when you rampage on your friends is still present, the whimsical rules of reality and sense have been abandoned and Twisted Metal is still as enjoyable as it was all those years ago. Pity they just didn't put a little more effort into the visuals and mechanics to turn it into the game it deserved to be. Alas there is enough here for everyone to enjoy, just not enough to satisfy the long wait.