Dark Souls II - Cursed

Since completing Dark Souls, I've merely dabbled with NG+ - not really getting anywhere despite my best intentions. However, I have picked up the PC version recently and installed a bunch of mods which make the game look truly spectacular. So I've been going back to it quite a bit and faffing about with the early game. 

To be honest, I've spent most of the time taking screenshots and examining the textures closely rather than playing the game proper. I've also had the urge over the last few days to boot up Demon's Souls again, as it's been quite a while since I last dived into the world of Boletaria.

But of course, Dark Souls II has appeared on the horizon, surrounded by billowing black storm clouds and its heading this way like some terrible, unstoppable, inevitable nightmare.

A trailer was released this week and it made me weep with a mixture of fear and complete joy. Words such as curse, misery and frail hope are scattered throughout, so no change there then. It also shows ivy-strewn castle walls, a giant bandaged-wrapped monstrosity, a long-limbed freak, some god-forsaken fiery demon and spiders. Terrible, awful, spindly spiders.

As if to hammer the point home that this is no laughing matter, the narrator says: "Your wings will burn in anguish, time after time."

I hope at the end of Dark Souls II, FROM Software include a final death tally. That will make frightening reading. My pre-order is in and I'm ready. March can't come soon enough.

Dragon's Dogma - Wolves hunt in packs!

I love Dragon's Dogma. Actually, scratch that. I ADORE Dragon's Dogma. Yes, the game which many thought would simply be yet another generic high fantasy adventure - including me - actually turned out to be a magnificent achievement by the team at Capcom.

I've just hit the 50 hour mark and for me, it stands head and shoulders above everything else I've played all year.

It's given me some of the most wonderful experiences over these last 50 hours and watching my small ragtag band of surprisingly dextrous travellers attacking monstrous beasts has given me a huge amount of pleasure.

Highlights include a gargantuan battle at dusk against a chimera, where lightning bolts, thick black tornadoes and jets of fire turned the tide in my favour; a night time battle against two hulking trolls at their makeshift camp; and an epic and nerve-shredding assault on a fort which gave the spectacle of Helm's Deep a run for its money.

Holding it all together are the wonderful visuals. There's a solidity to the world of Gransys which even the sprawling might of Skyrim fails to match and a sense of setting out on an epic adventure which so few games have managed to portray effectively.

The lighting effects are at times subtle but immensely effective - from the first grey light of day splitting the horizon, to the late afternoon sun sending golden shafts of light filtering through the trees in the heart of a deep forest. It's mesmerizing and these shifts in colour and hue help give Dragon's Dogma a spellbinding atmosphere - as does the eclectic soundtrack which ranges from rousing orchestral passages and haunting string arrangements to full-blown cock rock nonsense.

And unlike some other games where a day/night cycle simply means a change to the colour scheme, Dragon's Dogma makes tramping around at night a truly terrifying experience, sending the wary scurrying for the nearest campfire and nervously huddling together until dawn.

It's a remarkable game. It's as if director Hideaki Itsuno and producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi set out to make a western-style RPG and instead stumbled across something even better. It's like a perfect fusion of Skyrim, Monster Hunter and Dark Souls and it's magnificent.

All this and I forgot to mention the forgery shop, the barbers, the cross dressing, the creepy court jester, the seemingly endless supply of quests and the fact your trusty sidekick plays a role in other people's games online and returns home to tell you all about what they discovered - usually with a couple of mouldy apples in his pockets for his troubles. Amazing.

Here's to the next 50 hours.

NiGHTS into Dreams HD - Return to Nightopia is only a few weeks away

I have very fond memories of the Sega Saturn and in particular, long evenings spent playing NiGHTS into Dreams with that wonderful, circular controller. The combination of bright visuals, smooth gameplay and an amazing soundtrack blew me away and I spent hours memorising levels, stringing chains together and perfecting swooping runs through Nightopia.

So when it was announced NiGHTS was to receive the HD treatment for 360 and PS3, I was overjoyed. Today it was announced the game will be coming to Europe on both platforms in the first week of October, so only a few weeks to wait. But even better news was close behind, with the announcement that players will also be given access to Christmas NiGHTS, which was originally given away as a demo disc via special promotions back in the mid-Nineties.

While this festive version of NiGHTS only features two levels, it used the Saturn's internal clock to change aspects of the game. As the 360 and PS3 are always online, I really can't wait to experience these time-sensitive unlocks in glorious HD.

And with Jet Set Radio HD only a few days away, there's plenty for Dreamcast fans to get excited about over the next few weeks.

Deadly Premonition is on its way to PS3

It's been an exciting few weeks in the world of video games, with several big hitters released to get March off to a splendid start. But while people were busy speeding across the universe to save mankind in Mass Effect 3 and beating opponents to a pulp in Tekken X Street Fighter, a sliver of news streaked across the internet, causing some people - myself included - to break down in tears of unbridled joy.

Deadly Premonition is coming to PlayStation 3.

While Swery 65's Lynchian love-in has appeared previously on Sony's console under the guise of Red Seeds Profile in Japan, this will mark the first time the game has made it to PS3 in the West.

But this won't simply be a port of the fabulous 360 version. Oh no, this version will take the form of a director's cut. While we don't know yet what treats are in store, this news is sure to delight those who fell for Greenvale's outlandish charms back in 2010.

No release details have come to light but expect more news to float to the surface at this year's E3 in Los Angeles.

Personally, I can't wait. How about you, Zach?

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - First look

We are now into mid-February and new software is coming thick and fast. Over the course of the last few weeks, we've seen Final Fantasy XIII-2, Soul Calibur V, the Metal Gear Solid HD collection, Catherine and The Darkness II launch in Europe. Friday saw RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning launch and I downloaded it via Steam late on Friday evening.

Usually I would have picked up one of the console versions but I'm having a few problems with my TV so I plumped for the PC version instead. My little gaming laptop is hardly a powerhouse, but after trying out the demo I was pleasantly surprised to find my humble box of tricks ran the game surprisingly well.

I've only put around four hours into the experience but even after only a small amount of time, I'm well and truly hooked.

Occupying a space somewhere between the Fable and Elder Scrolls series, developers 38 Studios (the company started by former baseball player Curt Schilling) and Big Huge Games have produced a title which, although not original, does a lot of things incredibly well.

Combat is snappy, with the player fluidly dishing out ranged, melee and magic attacks, while item crafting is flexible and easy to understand.

But the real joy comes from exploring this vast world and the game positively encourages you to go tramping off the beaten path in search of good old-fashioned treasure and unexpected adventure.

The sprawling world map suggests an epic adventure ahead so my paltry four hour effort would appear to be little more than a drop in the ocean. But with its wide range of quests, fabulous soundtrack and intriguing world to explore, I'll be putting a lot more time into Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning over the weeks and months to come.

*The screenshots here were taken by myself and while the settings aren't cranked up, they show that Amalur still looks great on slightly lower settings.

Alice: Madness Returns - 360/PS3/PC

There's a lot to like about Alice: Madness Returns. From the beautifully presented waif-like protagonist and her constantly changing sense of style, to the cast of grotesque characters who litter a decaying vision of Lewis Carroll's dreamlike Wonderland.

It's a spellbinding visual treat throughout and whether Alice is stumbling through the grimy streets of Victorian London, exploring the clockwork innards of the Mad Hatter's lair or making her way through the faded grandeur of the Queen of Hearts' castle, the art direction is inspired.

But despite the visual flair, Alice's journey through her rotten mind descends into a standard third-person romp, with a raft of gameplay ideas as old as the hills.

Armed with a twisted assortment of weapons - including a chain gun-style pepper grinder, a teapot cannon and white rabbit time bombs - Alice fights, jumps, runs and twirls through long, drawn-out levels in a bid to save her sanity.

The combat is initially a thrill, with Alice cutting a swathe through Studio Ghibli-like enemies. However, respawning gothic creatures and a dodgy in-game camera soon temper that initial rush and these arena style brawls soon become something to be tolerated rather than enjoyed.

The platform-heavy antics are a throwback in many ways. Leaping from invisible platforms, riding on steam vents, trampolining off neon-tinged mushrooms and sliding down Mario 64-inspired chutes is decent enough fun, but we've been here hundreds of times before.

And while the game does its best to mix up gameplay styles with the inclusion of environmental puzzles, 2D papercraft sections and a side-scrolling shooter level, much of Alice's adventure feels hastily pieced together. It's as if developer Spicy Horse couldn't decide on a plain course of action and instead decided to throw everything at the title to see what would stick.

But despite its flaws, I was captivated by the adventure from start to finish. The art direction certainly helped and wanting to know what lay around the next corner kept me ploughing through the madness.

The storyline also does its best to tug the player through the experience and Alice is constantly reminded of the cause of her fading sanity - the house fire which killed her family. As the story plays out, snippets of her memories spring to life in the shape of collectable audio logs, while other hidden treasures await those who wish to scuffle about the darker recesses of Alice's warped mind.

Once Alice's adventure is over, fans can skip back though her painful memories and replay chapters to sweep up missed collectables - and Spicy Horse have added an extra treat for Alice fans.

The original PC title from 11 years ago, American McGee's Alice, is also included on the disc. While this cult classic hasn't aged particularly well, it's a nice bonus and completes the Alice collection.

Spicy Horse have played it safe on many levels and regurgitated tried and tested gameplay ideas throughout in a desperate attempt to make Alice: Madness Returns a macabre masterpiece. But it falls somewhat short of its lofty ambitions, leaving the player wishing for something more.

It can be fun and at times it is a visually splendid experience, but too many quirks and flaws make this trip to Wonderland entirely optional rather than essential.

The Gunstringer - 360 Kinect

While it's true The Gunstringer would have been perfectly playable with a standard controller, it definitely wouldn't be as much fun as it is with Kinect.

This on-rails shooter lets you pull the strings of an undead puppet as he sets out on a quest for revenge in the dusty Wild West.

The left hand is used to guide The Gunstringer, while the right hand is used to glide a cursor over enemies before unleashing bullets by flicking your wrist - and it works well for the most part.

While problems do crop up - getting our blue-boned hero back behind cover can be fiddly and boss battles are repetitive - the presentation and humour pull The Gunstringer through.

The decision to present the action as a theatre production - with a real audience and bric-a-brac set - is inspired and adds a unique flavour to the shooting action.

It might be too simplistic for some, but with plenty of unlockables and gold medals to snaffle, The Gunstringer is light-hearted fun with wide appeal.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron - 360/PS3

A game based on ancient religious texts, it’s safe to say that El Shaddai doesn't exactly follow a traditional videogame script. However, the quest to round-up seven fallen angels and return them to Heaven at the behest of God makes for a thoroughly engaging yarn.

You play Enoch, a heavenly scribe clad in designer jeans and brilliant white armour, who ploughs through beautifully surreal locations to fulfil his quest.

At the heart of El Shaddai is a robust and enjoyable combat system, with Enoch mixing up styles and weapons to take down the game's colourful cast of foes. But rather than switch between them at will, he has to steal them from enemies to gain the upper hand - a system which encourages creative play.

Slashing sword attacks, ranged fire and a heavy-hitting punch and shield combo are the choices available and with bosses requiring the player to be adept at all three, it pays to experiment with what's available.

On easier difficulty settings it's possible to button mash your way through encounters, but crank it up a notch and blocks, dodges and timely attacks are the only way to make progress.

Visually, El Shaddai is quite incredible, with some stunning locations to romp around in. Grainy monochrome worlds, fizzing neon environments, sprawling futuristic cityscapes and organic watery levels are just some of the spectacular sights. But the visual treats don't stop there, with the game constantly flipping between 3D and 2D. El Shaddai isn't afraid to chuck convention out of the window, either and adds a smattering of jaw-dropping moments which surprise and delight.

Enhancing the atmosphere is the eclectic and quite brilliant soundtrack, which successfully infuses ambient soundscapes and harmonic tribal melodies to create a spellbinding score.

It's not a perfect game, though, with several problems cropping up regularly. Enoch's platforming antics are sloppy at times, with the swirling backdrops making it difficult to judge distances, while constant and repetitive battles in the game's final third sour some of the enjoyment.

Some will find it hard to live with these problems, but as an experience, there's nothing quite like El Shaddai.

One of the most refreshing and beautiful adventures I've undertaken in some time.

PS3 version tested

Rock of Ages - 360/PC

Last night, I finally got round to putting some time into Rock of Ages on 360 - a title I've been looking forward to since last summer.

I'm glad to say this latest game by ACE Team - the minds behind mental brawler Zeno Clash - plays just as good as it looks, with players hurtling their moon-like boulder down obstacle-strewn slopes in a bid to smash their opponent's stronghold.

But that's only half the story, as Rock Of Ages takes the player on a twisted and extremely funny trip through history, complete with angry bovines, pissed-off elephants and projectiles galore.

The game is split into two parts: the attacking stage - where the player guides their boulder down a twisting slope, smashing defences on the way to break open their opponent's gate - and a defensive stage - where the player erects defences in a bid to halt their foe's march to glory.

Every time your boulder collides with an object, money is dropped into your coffers, which in turn can be used to either construct a weird and wonderful array of traps and obstacles, or poured into your boulder to give it extra ramming powers.

It's a frantic game of cat and mouse as both sides desperately try and place defences before trundling their boulder to its destructive conclusion and it's heart-breaking when your rock tumbles off the edge of the course, giving your opponent a slight time advantage.

The art style and sound effects have a distinct whiff of Monty Python about them, with paper cut-out armies scattered around the sloping worlds, while historic figures leap excitedly around in full cardboard cut-out glory.

The humour runs through to the game's playful cut scenes, with plenty of pop culture references thrown in for good measure which adds to the off-the-wall flavour.

Rock of Ages is a delicious mix of tower defence and Marble Madness and a game which plays beautifully. And with multiplayer options to explore and a decent single player campaign to roll through, this is yet another unmissable game to add to your download queue.

Rock of Ages is currently available from the Xbox 360's marketplace for 800 points, while PC users can grab it from Steam for £6.99. A PS3 version is on its way, but no release date has been set.

Dead Island - 360/PS3/PC

With a four-player co-op option and masses of drooling zombies to slaughter, Dead Island initially appears to be nothing more than a Left 4 Dead rip-off. But while it's clear Valve's survival horror has been a huge influence, Dead Island also tips its hat to modern Western RPGs such as Oblivion and Borderlands.

The flimsy storyline revolves around four individuals who find themselves stranded on the holiday resort island of Banoi in the middle of a hideous zombie outbreak. You choose one of these characters and using blunt weapons, blades and firearms, you fight your way through this tropical nightmare in the hope of finding some way to escape the holiday hell.

RPG elements run through the game, with the player levelling up and delving into tech trees to gain an advantage over the slack-jawed hordes.

These abominations come in various guises, including shuffling Walkers, fast-paced Infected, hulking, straitjacket-wearing Rams and horribly mutated Suiciders, who induce moments of blind panic whenever they appear.

Luckily, the player has access to a wide range of weapons to deal with these horrors, which either lie scattered about the island, or can be created at workbenches - similar to those in Capcom's Dead Rising series. Creating or repairing them is an expensive business, though, so concentrating on a few at a time is definitely the way to go. There's also a Borderlands-style thrill when stumbling across a powerful colour-coded item or when attaching an electrical modification to a weapon.

While guns are available, it's the melee weapons which pack the most punch - allowing the player to lop heads, arms and legs off at will or bash skulls into the ground. It's not the most refined system in the world, but it is deeply satisfying to kick a zombie into a wall and then pummel them with your choice of weapon.

Quests are dished out regularly by the island's survivors - who seem to be incapable of doing anything for themselves - but unfortunately they are repetitive fetch quests which usually involve finding lost items or powering up creaking power generators.

It's also incredibly annoying that respawning zombies level up with the player, which means even a trip back over old ground is never an easy task. This element also works against solo play - especially after the opening act - as it's easy to become overwhelmed by foes, resulting in constant and frustrating deaths.

That's not Dead Island's only fault - clumsy character models, broken quests, graphical glitches and poor texture pop-in show the game could have done with a bit more polish. There are also some bewildering missions, such as finding water for one survivor who is dying of thirst, when soft drinks lie only an arm's reach away.

But for all its faults and rough edges, Dead Island is still a hugely enjoyable experience, especially when played with a few friends. It might not win any awards for originality, but those willing to put up with its flaws are in for a bloody good time.

360 version tested

Bodycount - PS3/360

With Bodycount, Codemasters have stripped back the first-person shooter, dispensed with needless frills and delivered an explosive - but flawed - shooter.

You won't find hidden collectables, audio logs or intel documents lying about the game's levels, nor will you find the usual smattering of driving sections found in other titles. Instead, the development team have focused on gunplay, environmental damage and huge explosions, with the player tasked with taking out covert organisation Target who are stirring up trouble throughout Africa and Asia.

But while the guns on offer feel great, with the majority of the 10 varieties packing a punch, the rest of Bodycount is a mixed bag, with the game consistently struggling to deliver fresh ideas.

The open-plan exterior levels set in shanty towns, dockyards and rain-soaked city streets are a great setting for the game's explosive battles. Concrete pillars are chipped away under sustained fire, while windows are smashed and wooden walls turn to kindling as spectacular explosions rip through buildings.

But in direct contrast, the Tron-like clinical interiors of Target's bases are disappointingly similar. Essentially a series of corridors, stairwells and large rooms teeming with enemies, they lack the creative spark of the outdoor locations.

These levels also provide some of Bodycount's most frustrating moments, as mass battles kick-off, with sharp-angled - and scarily accurate - foes swarming the player, making success something of a lottery.

Luckily, downed enemies drop orbs which are used to fuel upgrade powers and careful use of these is essential if you want to survive these frantic episodes.

Although the action can be spectacular, a half-baked attempt at a combo system falls flat on its face. It's an insipid system which was presumably tacked on to try and add an extra dimension to the firefights by encouraging skillful play. However, it fails to engage or reward the player and comes up short when compared to the blistering point scoring fun of Bulletstorm.

Unfortunately, Bodycount’s issues don't stop there - the game is full of generic FPS staples, such as flicking switches, defending key points, backtracking, negotiating levels stuffed full of explosive barrels and enemy AI which is erratic at best.

Bodycount isn't a long game, either, with the closing credits rolling after 5-6 hours, but online play, a co-op option and replayable levels at least flesh out the experience.

Bodycount might be generic but there is still fun to be had shooting your way through the game’s saturated environments. It's just a shame it never reaches its true potential, leaving the player wondering what could have been.

PS3 version tested

One you might have missed - ilomilo - 360

With so many games released every week, some smaller titles unfortunately slip beneath the waves. One game which deserves a bit more recognition is Southend Interactive's ilomilo - a lovely puzzle platformer on Xbox Live Arcade.

Ilo and milo are friends, who enjoy munching on maple leaf-flavoured biscuits and sipping apple tea. Unfortunately, the two pals get separated and it's up to the player to reunite the pair by traversing the levels, manipulating the environment and solving mind-bending puzzles.

The player can flick between both ilo and milo at any point and teamwork lies at the heart of the game. Things start off at a fairly sedate pace, with the player simply asked to place blocks to reunite the chums.

However, as the game skips along, new gameplay twists are introduced to the player by pirate hat-wearing dandy, Sebastian. These include extendable blocks, spring-loaded cubes, switches, moving platforms and trapdoors, while the game regularly likes to throw a curve ball at the player by messing around with gravity.

It might look like a cute children's game, but ilomilo turns into a wicked and quite brilliant head-scratcher. However, unlike many other puzzle games, ilomilo rarely gets frustrating, thanks in large to the simple control set-up and the adorable presentation.

Ilomilo's bric-a-brac world is reminiscent of LittleBigPlanet's home-made environments, with levels constructed with felt, wooden and carpeted blocks, while the colours are vivid and awash with splurges of marmalade orange and midnight blue.

The soundtrack is just as special, infusing trumpets, flutes, xylophone, harmonica and accordion to give ilomilo the feel of a 70's children TV programme.

The puzzle solving is brilliantly paced, but there is also a generous amount of collectables scattered throughout the levels to snaffle up.

Three ragdoll characters called safkas can be found on every level, photographs unlock artwork, old vinyl records reveal musical tracks - with glorious titles such as Cozy Sofa and Tingly Seaweed - and clusters of little flowers pepper the walkways just waiting to be gathered.

Add to that dozens of delightful and challenging levels for a mere 800 Microsoft points, and ilomilo represents tremendous value for money. So if you haven't experienced this wonderful game yet, I would urge you to at least play the demo to get a flavour of ilomilo's patchwork charms.

Lollipop Chainsaw - 360/PS3

Back in June, I had the pleasure of interviewing Suda 51 - the man behind several brilliant off-the-wall titles including Killer 7, No More Heroes and Shadows Of The Damned.

While chatting about future projects, the Japanese developer said we should "continue to expect the unexpected" from Grasshopper Manufacture.

Well, that "unexpected" turns out to be Juliet Starling, an 18-year-old cheerleader who likes nothing more than lopping the heads off zombies with her unfeasibly large chainsaw.

While the game sports buckets of blood and gory decapitations, the violence is off-set with glitter, sparkles and love hearts, which spew forth from Juliet's chainsaw as she cuts the zombies down.

Lollipop Chainsaw looks to be a delicious mash-up of No More Heroes, Dead Rising and Bayonetta - it's typical Suda 51 and it looks magnificent.

The game will be published by Warner Bros and released next year.

LaserCat - 360 (XBLIG)

At the edge of the solar system, LaserCat and his best friend Owl live on a small planet. There, they grow space onions and astro carrots which they turn into soup.

However, when LaserCat discovers a magical space frog has kidnapped Owl and is holding him hostage in his enormous space castle, out feline chum speeds off to rescue his flying friend.

LaserCat's influences are from the golden era of home computing, when the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 ruled the roost. Nods towards Software Project's Jet Set Willy and Hewson Consultants' Technician Ted are clear, but LaserCat has a twist in its retro-themed tail.

To free Owl, LaserCat must hoover up 30 keys which lie scattered around the castle. When one is collected, he is whisked away to the Riddle Realm where the player is given a general knowledge question. Get the answer right, and the key is yours to keep. Answer incorrectly and it's curtains.

The castle is home to a variety of tricks and traps, but thankfully the control set-up is simple and responsive. To help negotiate the castle, gusty thermals can be used, while save points act as teleporters to minimise needless backtracking.

It's a brilliant little title and as it's another quality game priced at only 80 Microsoft points, LaserCat should be the first thing you buy next time you switch on your 360.

Aban Hawkins & The 1000 Spikes - 360 (XBLIG)

With his wide-brimmed hat and penchant for plundering ancient Aztec ruins, Aban Hawkins' perilous quest has clearly been inspired by Indiana Jones - and what a quest it is, full of tricks, traps, crumbling ledges, pixel perfect leaps - and lots of spikes.

I've been playing it since February and still haven't managed to complete it, meaning it's one of the toughest games I've ever played. This is underscored by the 1000 lives the player is given at the start of the game. But the fact it's so tough just means that completing each treacherous level is incredibly rewarding.

The trial and error gameplay won't be to everyone's taste, while the crushing difficulty will put many off. But those willing to take the plunge into the treacherous depths will be well rewarded with a glorious old school platformer - and for just 80 Microsoft points, you should definitely take a punt on it.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet - 360

Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade continues with this excellent and stylish shooter by Shadow Planet Productions.

As the pilot of a monochrome flying saucer, the player sets out on a journey to cleanse an alien planet from a gloopy and evil presence.

Taking elements from Nintendo's Metroid series and underwater indie classic Aquaria, the player scoots through spectacular subterranean environments, solving puzzles and blasting nocturnal creatures.

The player's ship can be upgraded with a wealth of hi-tech gadgets, which include a handy claw arm to remove loose rubble, a laser which peppers small, skittish creatures, missiles which can be guided into the heart of hulking foes and a buzz-saw which cuts through rock faces, allowing the player to enter previously inaccessible areas.

Four gadgets can be mapped to the 360's pad - although the option to add more hot keys would have been nice, as you have to mix and match load-outs on a regular basis - and the game doesn't pause when swapping gadgets.

The beautifully presented levels are huge and each area is interconnected - a design choice which leads to backtracking to reach previously unexplored areas once the relevant gadget has been uncovered.

It's never a chore though, thanks to a decent map - which highlights areas of interest - while bonus upgrades and collectables make exploring the vast environments worthwhile.

The little flying saucer's defences can be beefed up by discovering extra shields but a sustained attack by alien life forms leaves the craft looking like a weather-beaten umbrella. Thankfully, generous checkpoints restore the ship to pristine condition, while the alien foliage pops with glowing spheres which also repair small amounts of damage.

But it's not just eye-catching aliens which pose a threat to the tiny spacecraft - giant sinister plants try to devour the flying saucer, destructive industrial machinery must be avoided and air flows and water currents also play their part in creating havoc.

Puzzle elements also feature but these head-scratchers can often be a nuisance. Because the game has no text clues to nudge the player in the right direction, some sections can become frustrating as you struggle to work out what your next step should be.

Still, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is yet another brilliant game on Xbox Live Arcade. Its sterling visuals and wonderful animation play a huge part in the game's appeal, while the ambient soundtrack draws you further in to the experience. But it's the tight controls and solid gameplay which lie at the heart of the game, making it such a joy to play.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is available now for 1200 Microsoft points on the 360's Live Arcade marketplace.

Trouble Witches Neo - 360

Trouble Witches Neo was released slap, bang in the middle of my Deathsmiles addiction. I bought it simply because it was a bullet hell shooter but it remained stuffed away on my hard drive for months before I took notice of it.

The over-the-top anime trappings, sugary sweet characters and lime-flavoured bullets are initially hard to stomach. But underneath the bright visuals, bizzare voice acting and woeful story, lies a decent enough shooter but one which lacks the verve and guile of Cave's best work.

Along with the standard shooting action, the player is able to throw up a barrier to protect their flying witch from enemy fire - but this supernatural shield is also used to raise the player's score.

Any bullets entering this zone are slowed down, while taking out their source turns all bullets into a shower of coins. These not only give your score a welcome boost - they can also be spent buying special attack cards from a floating shop which drifts by every level.

The visuals are a mixed bag and lie somewhere between old side-scroller Cotton and Cave's Deathsmiles.

While the animated backgrounds are excellent, the hand-drawn main characters and enemies are slightly disappointing. This is especially true of the game's bosses, which are - for the most part - bland, box-shaped and uninspiring. Even the appearance of a flummoxed goldfish fails to get the pulse racing.

For 800 Microsoft points, though, Trouble Witches Neo offers decent enough entertainment but it falls short when compared to other, more established titles.

Bastion - Xbox 360

Creating quite an impression thanks to its beautiful visuals, appealing isometric viewpoint and eclectic soundtrack, Bastion is an inviting proposition.

Indeed, the first few hours in its company provides great entertainment, but despite a smattering of neat ideas and its unique presentation, Bastion struggles to maintain the initial thrill throughout the rest of the six-hour adventure.

While the glossy presentation is impressive, it’s the way the story plays out which takes most of the plaudits.

The protagonist - known simply as The Kid - wakes from his slumber to find his world wracked by The Calamity and quickly scampers off to the Bastion - a sanctuary where he hopes to find fellow survivors.

Upon arrival, it’s clear that even this safe haven has been compromised and under the tutelage of an elderly sage, The Kid sets off to restore the Bastion to its former glory.

But Bastion's twist comes from the way the plot unfolds, with the sage narrating every move The Kid makes, while his gravely voice also fleshes out the game’s over-arching story.

It’s a clever quirk that drives the player onwards and it’s a genuine treat to hear his comments as The Kid smites a pack of enemies or discovers a long-forgotten memento from the past.

But despite its interesting delivery, Bastion can be a trudge in places. The hack and slash nature of the gameplay results in repetitive chapters of action - despite the game’s best efforts to regularly dish out new weapons, upgrades and skills.

It’s true that mixing and matching weapon load-outs is beneficial for taking out certain enemies, but it’s all very straightforward and Bastion really doesn’t pack much of a challenge despite some magnificent looking bosses.

But despite the flaws, it’s always interesting to see the Bastion spring to life though building upgrades, while the inclusion of optional arena challenges and a New Game + are welcome addictions.

But it’s hard to shake the feeling that Bastion is a case of style over substance - with the core gameplay never quite matching the beautiful visuals or slick presentation.

A worthwhile purchase, then, but be aware that Bastion isn’t always what it seems.

Portal 2

Valve's gravity-bending puzzler caused quite a stir back in 2007 when it introduced perfectly executed bite-sized spatial conundrums to the world.

The sequel expands on what has gone before, mixing brain-bending puzzles with solid gameplay and plenty of laugh out loud incidental humour to create a fresh and quite brilliant experience.

Once again you take on the role of Chell, the sprightly test subject from the original game. She is still rattling around inside the confines of the Aperture Science lab, but the pristine clinical interiors of the first game are now debris-strewn and cracked after the fall of GLaDOS, the deranged and unstable lab keeper from the first game.

While the player is soon reintroduced to the monotone ramblings of GLaDOS, it is the arrival of spherical, one-eyed robot Wheatley which sparks the game to life. Voiced by the always excellent Stephen Merchant, Wheatley's West Country bletherings are the perfect counterpoint to GLaDOS's sardonic jibes.

Gameplay kicks-off in a similar style to the original, with Chell getting her hands on the portal gun. With this, the laws of physics are turned on their head, with Chell able to create entry and exit portals on walls, ceilings and angled surfaces.

The challenges Chell faces are devilish in their design and while the first part of the game is fairly straightforward - with most tasks using simple block and switch combinations - the player is gradually introduced to a variety of new devices which drastically alters the core gameplay mechanics.

Lasers have to be manipulated to trigger wall switches, fizzing neon Hard Light Bridges create platforms to out of reach places, Aerial Faith Plates send objects flying through the air, Propulsion Gel creates slippery slides, gloopy splatters of Repulsion Gel make trampoline-like surfaces and Conversion Gel allows Chell to add portals to inert materials.

But even though these new gameplay twists come thick and fast, it is to Valve's credit that utilising these devices to solve tasks never becomes frustrating or a chore.

There are no time limits involved, which lets the player take each challenge at their own pace, experiment with new ideas and futz about to their heart's content.

Gradually, everything snaps into place and Chell is free to scamper to the exit to face the next series of challenges. It's incredibly rewarding, too and there's an uplifting sense of accomplishment when completing what initially seemed an impossible task.

It's not a long drawn-out series of test chambers, either, with huge rusting environments replacing the confines of squared-off rooms in the second half of the game.

While the constant puzzle solving could have turned into a sombre slog, the witty dialogue elevates the experience and it's a genuine treat listening to pre-recorded messages and the hilarious musings of GLaDOS and Wheatley.

Valve have also given the player room to breathe between some levels, letting them have a nose around the vast facility, while Wheatley chatters away in the background.

Portal 2 is a fairly long game, clocking in at around the 10 hour mark, but even once the credits roll, the fun isn't over. Co-op multiplayer lets two friends combine their efforts to solve puzzles and in a brain-melting game such a this, I'll take all the help I can get.

With its slick production values, carefully crafted challenges, mentally stimulating gameplay and delicious sense of humour, Valve have created something truly special.

Portal 2 is quite simply a masterpiece and one of the most enjoyable video game experiences you'll have all year.

Dark Souls confirmed for Europe

Namco Bandai have announced they will be releasing their highly-anticipated new game Dark Souls across Europe later this year on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The spiritual successor to PlayStation 3 exclusive Demon's Souls, Dark Souls boasts a raft of improvements over FROM Software's last game and should be another unmissable RPG from the Japanese company.

Director Hidetaka Miyazaki showed off the game in San Francisco earlier this week, which highlighted typically dark and atmospheric locations. This is what we know so far:

* Exploration will be encouraged, with a seamless, open world to explore. If you can see a tower or castle in the distance, it will be possible to eventually reach it.

* FROM Software are aiming to make the game just as rewarding as Demon's Souls, but this time they plan to ramp up the difficulty.

* Gameplay will be similar to Demon's Souls, learning from mistakes will make the player better.

* Dark Souls does not share the same game world as Demon's Souls.

* The level design will be more complex than Demon's Souls, with more vertical design used throughout.

* Online play will be similar to that in Demon's Souls, with players able to penetrate other people's game worlds.

* Character creation will not be class based, while more spells and items will be available with more focus on weapon customisation.

No release date has been set, but Dark Souls looks like it will be released late this year. In the meantime, check out these amazing screens: