Platform: PC (reviewed) | Mac

Developer: Blizzard

Publisher: Activision

Diablo III is possibly the most and least ambitious game to have released in recent years. Following up the beloved, glorious and seminal dungeon crawler Diablo II was always going to be a tall order, and as the years marched on, our expectations swelled to potentially insurmountable levels. But the end result is superficially the same: yet another isometric click-heavy action game... this time with a controversial skill system and DRM sent from the bowels of hell itself. First impressions can be damning, and Diablo III's horrendous launch tainted our relationship with it from day one.

Look a little deeper, though, and you'll discover that Blizzard hasn't spent the last ten years sitting on their laurels. The new boss may look much the same as the old boss, but he's got a whole new way of doing business.

Upon choosing from one of five classes – the classic brawny Barbarian, tricksy trap-obsessed Demon Hunter, nuanced Monk, 'glass cannon' Wizard or riotously eccentric Witch Doctor – players are thrust into the final battle against the forces of hell. By which, of course, I mean delving through an isometric set of dungeons and overworld levels, clicking on enemies until they die, and grabbing their sweet phat lootz as your weak hero gradually evolves into a menacing powerhouse. It's a ruthlessly compelling formula that still feels relevant and aggravatingly compelling today, and it's absolutely intact. Though the pleasingly detailed new 3D graphics engine literally adds a new dimension to the visuals, and the powerful physics modelling delights in sending enemies and objects flying, a cursory examination reveals little in the way of truly new features. Diablo has always been a loot grinder, and Blizzard have ensured that the fundamentals are locked down nice and tight.

As mentioned, however, a cursory examination isn't enough. After a couple of hours, Diablo III shows its true colours, mainly thanks to some sensational new features running behind the scenes.

Overkill Software has announced that they're working with Valve to blend Payday: The Heist and Left 4 Dead together.

Really. More details below.

What's your favorite Bond film? Is it Moonraker? Really? Didn't think so.

Regardless, a Moonraker mission will be making an appearance in 007 Legends, confirmed by a new teaser bundled at the end of this morning's Skyfall trailer. The upcoming Eurocom shooter will weave missions based on six bond films into a single narrative, with five more cued for reveal over the coming months. The reveal trailer also tells us to expect an October 16th release date, which could potentially be  pushed back to Friday 19th in Europe.

Check out the trailer double whammy below.

Platforms: PC (reviewed) | Mac

Developer: Studio Evil

You had me at Amiga, Studio Evil. Syder Arcade's mission statement is crystal clear: to deliver a scrolling shooter that emulates, and lives up to, the beloved SHMUPs of yesteryear, classics like Uridium 2 and Defender. Sallying forth against an implacable alien menace in a small yet menacing fighter, players will encounter a joyously nostalgic throwback to the days of overwhelming odds, enormous fleets and crushing difficulty, brought up to date with a glorious visual overhaul.

Like the best pint of Somerset Syder - or is it cider? - Syder Arcade is crisp and refreshing. But it will kick the legs out from under you when you try to stand up.

• What: Driver: San Francisco
• Where: Get Games
• Current Price: £4.99
• Driver: San Francisco Price Comparison

Driver: San Francisco was a big surprise and a major breath of fresh air when it released earlier this year. Its unique premise (I won't spoil it for you) allows you to take control of any car you like at any time, re-enacting insane San Fran car chases and pretending to be Agent Smith every once in a while. Get Games' price is the cheapest on the market at the moment, and a bit of a steal at that. Thanks to superspeedy at HotUKDeals, who found this long before I did.

You can also get the deluxe edition for £7.49, which includes some extra in-game content.

I believe that you'll need an internet connection during installation, but 'always on' DRM has since been removed. You will have to register a uPlay passport to play online, though.

Croteam will made good on their promises to bring Serious Sam 3: BFE to consoles, starting with the Xbox 360. The insane FPS sequel will be making an Autumn downloadable debut on Xbox Live Arcade, and if that isn't enough, Mommy's Best Games' brutal and brilliant indie shooter Serious Sam: Double D will also be hitting as a extras-packed XXL version.

You'd better bet on Sam. More details below.

• What: EA Worlds Sale
• Where: Good Old Games
• Saving: 50%

Good Old Games are currently rocking a nifty sale on some classic EA titles, all of which revolve around ruling the world. Whether it's Dungeon Keeper or Dungeon Keeper 2's dark demesnes, Sim City 2000's conurbations, Alpha Centauri's space colonies or Populous' civilizations, you'll only need to lay out a paltry £1.89 for absolute power.

Your creatures are falling in battle!

Skyrim can feel like a lonely and loveless place sometimes. Despite the abundance of NPCs and followers, it's easy to feel unappreciated and unloved; a solitary wanderer in a hostile and expansive land full of surly individuals. Sure, you can become the head of a guild or a master assassin, but your new friends have to like you - not because of who you are , but because you're their boss. Not to mention that you can kill dragons and eat their souls.

And yet, lovelorn players soon discovered that Skyrim harboured an interesting little secret. Deep in the heart of thief-ridded Riften lurks a priest of Mara, the Goddess of love, from whom you can buy an unassuming little amulet that slightly buffs your Restoration skill. Nothing seems to change once you don this humble trinket... but after a while, everything starts to get a little... weird.

And more than a little sexy.

Yes, the Amulet Of Mara is a fun optional extra in an enormous game, but it's also so much more. It's a powerful narrative device and a shining beacon for the relationship choice in videogames - and it's high time we told you exactly why we love it.

Did you buy the Indie Royale May Hurray bundle? I certainly hope you did. Not only would you have snagged a copy of the superb Dungeon Defenders, but you'll also have a shiny new .exe for Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space. This unassuming little title presents an infinitely replayable adventure through a randomised galaxy, letting you live out your own epic space opera in twenty minutes or less.

What you might not know, however, is that it's the sequel to Strange Adventures In Infinite Space, which delighted those who first played it nearly a decade ago (though the word "return" was probably a dead giveaway). SAIS, as it's usually known, allowed us explore strange new worlds, seek out new civilisations, loot advanced technology and blow up entire fleets... in our lunch hour.

A nice thing happened last week. EA put six great games on sale, all of which were published through their partners programme and developed by independently-run studios. We stood to make a tidy saving, EA could have enjoyed some good publicity and the developers could have made some extra scratch. Everybody went home a winner, beaming with joy and the satisfaction of taking part in something worthwhile.

Right?

Not quite. Chances are many of you heard of the EA Indie Bundle for entirely the wrong reasons, not least of which being its name. EA's casual use of the word 'Indie' was the tip of an avaricious iceberg that caught the attention of Markus "Notch" Persson, who proceeded to slam EA as a "bunch of cynical b*stards" and blame them for "methodically destroying" the games industry. These comments quickly spread through Twitter into every corner of the internet, sparking angry debate between players, journalists and even indie developers from all over the industry.

All that over a reduced price for Gatling Gears, Deathspank, Shank, Shank 2 and WARP. Depressingly, both sides were completely in the wrong in this case, overshadowing a nice little bundle with rampant greed on the one hand and massive over-reaction on the other. Sit back and relax, dear reader, while I proceed to make a molehill out of a mountain.

Non-violent Exploration From BioShock Devs

Last week, a group of ex-2K and Irrational staffers revealed The Fullbright Company, their emergent indie outfit dedicated to creating "a non-violent game in an unfantastical locale." It seems that game is called Gone Home according to their latest update, which will provide a first-person investigation and adventure game providing exploration rather than gory ultraviolence. Screens and teaser below.

Mega Man Creator Heading Up Soul Sacrifice

Famitsu Magazine (via Andriasang) has scored the first scoop on Soul Sacrifice, the previously-teased title from Sony Studio Japan. Apparently Mega Man creator Keiji Infafune will be heading up the project with Marvelous AQL, marking a return to mainstream development. Soul Sacrifice promises to be a gruesome and creepy horror game on the PS Vita, featuring a truly nasty spellcasting mechanic that demands painful self-sacrifice. More details and a trailer below.

Multiplayer Free To Download & Play, Permanently

Croteam and Devolver have announced some DLC for Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter, entitled The Legend Of The Beast. This expansion will hit Steam on May 15th for $4.99 (European pricing TBA), containing three new campaign missions and six multiplayer maps.

Serious Sam HD's multiplayer portion will also be going free to play, as in, free to download as well. We've got more details below.

• What: Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
• Where: GamersGate
• Current Price: £1.00
• Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim PC Price Comparison

I could go on about how Majesty 2 has lost none of its charm, putting you into an upside-down fantasy world where you're the quest giver, setting gold rewards and watching the AI heroes respond to them in a strategic fashion. I could go on about how regular RTS elements have been infused with a sense of fun and whimsy.

But instead, I'll just point out that it's a Pound. A single Pound.

"It's About English And English"

Ubisoft will apparently be putting historical accuracy over jingoism when it comes to Assassin's Creed III's setting. Lead writer Matt Turner has spoken out to state that the story is "not about America ra ra" since it's set before the country was officially founded, thus making the conflict a very English affair.

• What: SPAZ: Space Pirates And Zombies
• Where: Impulse Driven
• Current Price: £1.54
• RRP: £10.99

Even though it has a name that makes it sound like a Saturday morning cartoon, SPAZ is genuinely excellent. It starts out as a simple space shooter, but you'll soon be able to control entire fleets, engage in advanced naval tactics and scour the galaxy for experience and items. Impulse Driven/Gamestop PC Downloads have a great little price for this great big game, and one that you ought to take advantage of.

• What: Portal 2
• Where: Steam
• Current Price: £5.09
• Portal 2 PC Price Comparison
• Portal 2 Review

Steam's midweek madness deal is thoroughly delicious. I'm being so sincere right now. Just over a fiver for Portal 2 has got to be worth paying if you haven't yet checked out this sensational puzzler, widely heralded as one of 2011's best games.

Note that you can also get the original Portal for £2.37, a double pack for £6.11, or two copies of Portal 2 for £8.49. Cheap as chips. Thanks to gambe1984 at HotUKDeals.

We've been talking about The Elder Scrolls franchise a lot lately, what with The Elder Scrolls Online being revealed, Dawnguard being officially announced and Morrowind turning ten in the same week. We've bantered about the past, present and future of the series in our latest PWNcast, and that got us thinking about what we'd like to see from future TES titles.

Whether we see our wish list implemented by Dawnguard, The Elder Scrolls Online or the next numerical Elder Scrolls sequel is irrelevant. This is what we want from the franchise - in order of how badly we want it.

10: Better QA

Let's get this out of the way with early. Bethesda RPGs are almost immune to criticism about bugs and glitches, on merit of them being sensational, but goodwill will only get you so far. Skyrim nearly faltered as PS3 fans were subjected to horrific frame rates, and subsequent patches on all platforms frequently made things worse rather than better. With such a huge game, there will always be bugs - but our patience is finite. With luck, a new engine (sorry, Creation, but I think we still need a brand new one) will help to sort out TES VI.

9: Decisions, Decisions

The Elder Scrolls franchise - and Fallout 3, not to ignore Bethesda's other RPG - offer us more choice on a gameplay level than we sometimes know what to do with, and that's absolutely wonderful. Indeed, it's why most of us became fans in the first place. But The Elder Scrolls isn't good at allowing us to make the big decisions, most of which we're railroaded into by the storyline or faction-specific quests.

Platform: XBLA

Developer: Lionhead

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Fable games tend to be foreshadowed by a downloadable precursor; a cheap and cheerful tie-in that allows players to amass a stock of transferable gold before the main event hits the shelves. Fable II had Pub Games, the drab and lacklustre collection of aggressively dull minigames that was only marginally more interesting than a screensaver. Next came Fable Coin Golf, an infinitely superior mobile proposition, but one that went largely unnoticed since it released exclusively on Windows Phone 7. With Fable: The Journey nearing the end of its voyage, we now have Fable Heroes, an uncomplicated brawler that lets players assemble a team of adorable familiar puppets and visit classic series locales, earning gold to both persistently upgrade characters and eventually transfer over into Lionhead's upcoming Kinect exclusive.

This, of course, neatly wraps up the second biggest question surrounding Fable Heroes: who is it for? When Microsoft first announced (and accidentally leaked) this colourful brawler, we were slightly at a loss to explain the target market. The cutesy art style and pared-back combat seemed too simplistic for series fans, yet its reliance on Fable lore and characters seemed to act as a barrier to entry for youngsters or new players. Now that transferable gold is on the table, it's clear that Fable Heroes is being pitched directly at the existing fanbase without containing the depth they crave from the franchise - which raises the most important question of the lot.

Is Fable Heroes fun?

Yes. While Fable Heroes may be dead simple and sickeningly cute, it's also an intensely enjoyable cooperative romp with a nifty persistent hook.

• What: BIT.TRIP Complete
• Where: ShopTo
• Current Price: £12.85
• BIT.TRIP Complete Price Comparison
• BIT.TRIP Complete Review

BIT.TRIP Complete is absolutely incredible: a collection of six of this generation's best indie games complete with buckets of extra content and fan service. You need BIT.TRIP in your life, and as it stands, ShopTo are ruling the roost with the cheapest price we've seen yet. 3DS owners, however, may want to seriously consider investing in BIT.TRIP SAGA instead. How badly do you want to play BIT.TRIP on the train? Credit to Rhys135 at HotUKDeals, many thanks.