IGN

High Moon has been very good at saying all the right things with War for Cybertron leading up to its arrival in stores, but many licensed titles have talked a great game before falling apart when all was said and done. Thankfully, War for Cybertron impresses with an excellent single-player campaign with full co-op support, the included Horde-alike Escalation mode, and surprisingly deep and inventive online multiplayer component.

Forgotten Sands is much better than the 2008 Prince of Persia, but still not as great as Sands of Time the game it so obviously seeks to recapture the spirit of. The story and visuals are unimpressive, but the combat and platforming are good enough that anyone who's been longing for another PoP game since 2005's Two Thrones is in for a treat.

Blur's an amazing Frankenstein of a game, sewing together the best bits of the Project Gotham series with the Mario Kart formula, the result a game that's completely unique. It's a credit to Bizarre that it's managed to maintain the successes of its component parts and build upon them in a meaningful way, adding in some compelling multiplayer and social play into what's already a potent mix. The premise might be familiar, but it's unlikely that you were expecting anything this good.

Blur isn't the addictive, competitive online game that people wanted it to be. Rather, Blur is a palate-cleansing game, the type of experience you pop in for a few minutes with your friends when you're looking for a break between sessions of a game you really like marathoning. If you love a more hardcore racing experience, and the idea of truly chaotic combat sounds appealing, than Blur might be for you. If you're looking for a fun, pick-up-and-play combat racer, then I think you need to go back to Mario Kart or, better yet, pick up the excellent Split/Second.

As it stands, this game feels more like a beefy Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network release searching for its identity than something that belongs on retail store shelves.

A more rounded cast of characters could have helped out immensely because it's difficult to build up any emotional investment with the stereotypical personalities wrapped up in this twisting tale of conspiracy and global domination. Imbalanced skills, glitches, dim-witted enemies, and repetitive encounters further undercut the entertainment, making Alpha Protocol a game you can safely pass by.

When so many Sims expansions have seemed relatively inconsequential, Ambitions stands out for how substantially it alters a key component of the game. The new profession system will doubtless keep Sims 3 fans busy for many more hours, and the other additions included will also give players plenty of new stories to tell for Sims both new and old. If this is the type of content we can expect from Sims 3 expansions going forward, content that evolves core game mechanics, color me impressed.

UFC Undisputed 2010 is good, but its little issues hold it back from being impressive. I like this game; the knockouts are awesome, there's a lot to do in the career, and the moments where Joe Rogan flips out add to the natural excitement of competing in the Octagon. Still, these highs are counterbalanced by repetitive dialogue, complicated controls, and a bunch of modes that all kind of feel the same.

While it's undoubtedly bland compared to Sands of Time (and uncomfortably familiar at times), it's unhampered by unnecessary convolutions which plagued later series entries. True, the button-happy combat might be a step backward in many respects but the sheer quality and purity of the excellent, inventive platform action should be more than enough to keep fans happy.

At the outset Red Dead Redemption promises to be GTA on horseback. Several hours later it goes on to fulfil that promise and then top it. This is so much more than a mere retooling of Rockstar's tried and tested open world formula, it's an artful take on a world long lost, an evocative paean to not only the Western genre but also to the beautiful expanse of the American landscape. Even better though is that under that remarkable feat is a game that's been refined and revitalised, setting the open world genre free and creating an experience that's quite likely to be one of this year's very best.