Darksiders: Wrath of War
Vigil/Xbox 360, PS3 (£44.99, 15+)
This fast-paced action-packed fantasy, set on a bizarrely beautiful post-apocalyptic Earth, is influenced unmistakably by its creative director — the Marvel Comics artist Joe Madureira. You play as the main character War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and your quest is to find your other Horsemen, battle with demons and win the fight between Heaven and Hell. The plot is far more complicated than that, of course, but the game maintains a pleasing momentum, despite the all-too-frequent, though graphically impressive, cut scenes. Primarily armed with a sword, you slay your way through battles using the X button, before pressing B for a wonderfully dramatic finishing move. The more baddies you kill, the more powers you gain. In true Vigil style (Devil May Cry/Zelda) you can cast spells, run along ledges, climb moss-covered walls and even fly to reach hidden treasure chests and solve puzzles. The gameplay can be a little formulaic and predictable at times, but it’s still brilliant fun and completely addictive. Laura Westcott
The Biggest Loser USA
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THQ/Wii (£20, all ages)
If Wii Fit is not shifting the pounds, then this interactive exercise title, based on an American reality TV show format, is both more strident and more demanding than any of Nintendo’s get-fit programmes. The object here is to lose weight by setting yourself a goal over a four, eight or 12-week programme. To help you to meet your objectives, you build your own exercise regimen and even modify your diet according to the recipes on offer. The title is shamelessly marketed at women, but is clearly laid out, easy to understand and has just a little more gravitas about it than Wii Fit. Nigel Kendall
Easy Piano
Namco/DS (£40 with piano, £20 without, 3+)
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This is a terrific idea. Attach a miniature piano keyboard to the bottom of a Nintendo DS (NOTE: this game does not work on a DSi), then learn the rudiments of music- reading and piano-playing via the touchscreen and keyboard. I’ve left it a bit later than Mozart to wow the throngs, but I gave it a go. What a disappointment. The lessons are rudimentary and badly explained, and the practice sessions nowhere near good enough. The tiny keyboard works, just about, but transferring any skills acquired to the real thing would be tricky. NK
Tony Hawk: Ride
Activision/all consoles (£99.99, 3+)
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Coming with a robust but expensive skateboard controller, Tony Hawk: Ride initially looks like lots of fun. Unfortunately, this initial impression soon wears off. On easy mode the game pretty much plays itself. The ability to pull off awesome tricks with little or no effort makes you feel as though you aren’t really playing the game, while the harder levels make the skateboard all but uncontrollable. The deck’s response to pulling off even the easiest of tricks is unpredictable, which gets more and more irritating. You also have to put up with an obscene amount of advertising during the staggeringly long and frequent load times. The skateboard controller is well made and feels good to ride, it’s just a shame that such a great idea is so terribly realised. A disappointing and overpriced instalment in a once all-conquering franchise. David Hutchinson