Ico was too ahead of its time for gamers in the 2000s, who didn't understand it yet. Anyone who played it recognised its uniqueness; despite many imitations, nothing else truly compares. Yeah, the combat is limp and overstays its welcome in most instances, and the game is way too short, but there's no denying that Ico captures a specific mood and feeling that's hard to put into words. It sits somewhere between ethereal solitude and bittersweet melancholic awe. Sometimes a powerful and unique feeling can carry a game in spite of its flaws, and that's worth more than anything.

In all likelihood, Activision will see high sales for this game from brand awareness alone. Yet GoldenEye 007 could have gotten away without using that namesake as, against all perceptions upon initial reveal, this re-imaging is strong enough to stand on its own and, aside from a few online limitations and control niggles, it is easily one of Wii's best shooters.

Words can hardly capture the wonders within Elden Ring. Apart from a few cheap boss battles, this is one of the best action RPGs ever made. Tarnished Edition is as complete as it gets and contains roughly three games' worth of content. Why can't all games be crafted with this much vision and boldness? The lunacy of it looking and running as well as it does on Nintendo Switch 2 makes this an absolute must-have for the console.

Dragon Loop isn't quite top tier, but it's pretty solidly in the next level down. Once it becomes clear that there actually is no stress to the time mechanic, it is easier to settle in and explore. Some confusion occasionally rears its head regarding progression later on, with some unclear, busy boss design choices from time to time. Still, it's fun to explore and become immersed in its charming world. A solid first effort from developer Shain Squad.

When you jump into the water in Central Park as Hulk you are (somewhat randomly) thrown back out of it to the exact same place at the start of the water every single time. Surely Hulk can swim...or at least thrash about a bit. This is why this game is rubbish. It takes the sandbox idea and it ruins it with terrible execution. The graphics are horrific, the sound is almost as bad and the whole title is just shoddy and lacking in any intelligence and care. Quite obviously rushed through development in order to come onto the market at the same time as the film, this is sure to be another movie-to-game bargain bin dweller in a few weeks.

Iron Man is your classic film tie-in; it reeks of under-development and simply isn't worth your time or money. The gameplay isn't nearly fun enough to get you hooked, the graphics are unimpressive, the levels are monotonous and combat is repetitive. Plus, even if you do somehow manage to enjoy the game, it will only last you for a few hours even on the harder difficult settings. We recommend you steer clear.

For those of you hoping Superman Returns could break the familiar cycle of rubbish Superman game after rubbish Superman game, you will be disappointed to hear that this is not the case. Everything that could have been enjoyable about this title is stuffed into the cracks between massive chasms of unintuitive controls, blocky graphics and uninspiring just about everything else. Superman fan or not you would do best to avoid this like some terrible plague.

There is little to recommend about Rambo: The Video Game overall. It does, very occasionally, produce a burst of the most simple, primal enjoyment that anyone can find in shooting digital Vietcong in the face, but every other aspect renders those moments limp. Come expecting the most unsatisfying game likely to release in 2014, leave very happy.

God of War isn’t a timeless classic, it isn’t the golden standard, and it isn’t even amongst the best in its own franchise. Is it bad? No. Is it good? Yes. Sort of. Occasionally… Well, it’s actually pretty darn enjoyable, but only when it doesn’t try to sabotage itself through its repetitive combat and puddle-deep mechanics, its aggravating platforming and tedious “puzzles”, and finally its highly problematic pacing.

Even though the genre's been touched up and improved in more ways than one since its release, Devil May Cry still manages to impress 15 years later. The combat persists as an adrenaline-pumping marathon of reflex-based attacking and dodging, and the ranking system continues to encourage masterful gameplay. In a lot of ways, it's Devil May Cry's simplicity that makes it stand out amongst more modern hack and slashes. There's a big focus on flashy spectacle, but the actual meat of it all is rooted in an impressively tight scope that rarely strays off the path. It's still fun, it's still challenging, it's still Devil May Cry.