Fun, simple and addictive, this game is a worth-while addition to the 360 roster, but is a little light. Hardcore Civ fans may want to stick to the PC versions, but newcomers will feel right at home.

The lighting, the mood, the atmosphere ... everything is spot on. It could be defined as a must experience single player campaign with a less than inspiring multiplayer mode which fails to capitalise on what makes the single player so successful.

The single player story is absolutely engaging in Saints Row 2, with a great cast to boot. It’s great to know that a good story with a soul can make the same old city a lot more entertaining. The online co-op will attract a lot of attention and rightly so, but the multiplayer mode doesn’t really have much substance.

A solid title from a company with years of experience making karaoke games, with a very real possibility of a steady revenue stream for Konami if they handle the DLC well.

Pure delivers on the promise of fast thrills and fun, so the very few minor issues seem non-existent. A definite recommendation for fans of both racing and arcade-style games.

The real strengths of this game are the dynamic OFF mode, the superb challenges and ranking system which give the game a superb long term appeal. Take to the skies with HAWX and you will not be disappointed.

A very pleasant surprise and one that finally appeals to football fans of any ability. This game is simple to pick up and play but offers enough depth for veterans to still find something new. With plenty to do both on and offline it’s a real turnaround for a series that has had its share of criticism down the years.

This is still a great game of football and has a few neat improvements over last year's offering. However, the 360 degree control hardly seems groundbreaking and the rest of the package seems amazingly familiar. For all those that picked up the game last year, it will seem like very little has emerged to justify another full price release.

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.

With a genre that rarely sees any sort of risks or innovation, Resonance of Fate offers both in spades and comes through with high marks at every turn. The battle system could use a bit of a softening in the early chapters, as well as the game's overall difficulty, but once mastered it becomes a lot of fun.

Your Shape is truly Fitness Evolved in not only name, but in nature as well, and it presents a great opportunity for people to workout in their own homes with their own fitness tracker and personal trainer. I find it hard to believe that it will replace gyms and your general workout regime for anyone who is currently active already in these fields, but it makes a perfect supplement, and for those who want to do more, this is the perfect tool.

Shift 2 is a better game than its forebear, although it's still perhaps a bit of an acquired taste. Visually, it's an improvement and the handling and gameplay can be as realistic or as forgiving as you like. Hats off to Slightly Mad for taking on-board the criticisms levelled at the first Shift, addressing them and then some. Shift 2 kicks things up a gear, that's for sure.

A well produced title that will give you another slice of entertainment, whether you choose to go it alone or head online to kick ass and take some names. It's nothing new though, and single-player feels especially lightweight this time around, so there is still room for improvement. More of the same next year then – which is both great news and a bit disappointing really.

Codemasters has delivered once again with DiRT Showdown. It's another superlative racer, even if it is a little one note. Unapologetically brash, bold and loud, DiRT Showdown is Codemasters' racing id unleashed. And it's freakin' great.

Platinum Games knows this hack 'n' slash schtick inside out, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is no exception, drawing upon the developer's experience within the genre. While it's no Bayonetta, Raiden's bloodsoaked outing is a superb action title.

Picking up perfectly where Mortal Kombat left off, Injustice: Gods Among Us cements NetherRealm's reputation as a purveyor of fighting games with real heft and substance. A heroic effort that'll put a smile upon the face of all but the most demanding DC fighting fan.

The visuals, audio even the character scripts are carefully chosen to add life and a new experience to AC veterans and newbies alike.

Except maybe Viva Pinata, this is the most enjoyable family game I've played thus far. I can't in good conscience give it a score to rival any of the fabulous shooters or RPGs on the console, but it is far removed from the dredges with Golden Compass or Jumper.

It’s about time that the Xbox 360 had a party, karaoke style game that felt at home on the console. Everything about Lips is right on the money; the microphones are fantastic, the selection of tunes is sublime and the singing interface is the best in the business.

Bungie’s latest storytelling method in ODST is certainly unique and captivates the imagination from beginning to end, but the problem is, just when you really start to get going, the experience ends. The single player campaign is far too short and can barely push 7 hours on the hardest difficulty, but there is plenty of replayability within the game’s new Horde, I mean, Firefight mode.

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.

Top Spin 4 is a great sports game and one that depicts tennis as if you were playing the real thing. Every aspect of the franchise has been tweaked almost to perfection, and only the relative speed of progression and ease of the career hold it back from perfection. Tennis fans should certainly pick this up, and it will certainly hold its own against most other sports games out there too.

Dead Island surprised us by being a tightly crafted experience, full of interesting locales and intriguing missions. It can lose its way at times, but you will find yourself coming back for one more go time and time again, as crippling zombies and saving bikini clad females never gets dull. Losing yourself on Banoi will feel like the vacation from hell, but you'll love it.

Codemasters Birmingham has excelled in improving upon F1 2010, resolving some of the issues that held back its first effort, with a game that offers the definitive Formula One experience.

Digital Extremes has delivered the goods with The Darkness II, marrying story, action and great gameplay. It might be a little on the short side, but the story warrants multiple replays and co-op adds a little bit of much-needed longevity. So go on, embrace The Darkness. You know you want to.

Volition gets many things right in Saints Row: The Third in what is no doubt a fine sequel, but it's very much a case of sequelitis for the THQ franchise. The zany and over-the-top nature, well-written script and whole host of sandbox toys are held back ever so slightly by the oddly paced and repetitive proceedings of the game's main story.

LEGO Lord of the Rings is another triumphant addition to the series and uses a great open world structure, plus cleverly designed levels and abilities, to ensure you will have a plethora of tasks to see and do.

A great addition to anyone's collection, especially for sandbox fans. Without being a direct superhero game, it takes the best parts of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, throws them in a blender with a unique story and out comes a game that goes down smooth.