But if you like your games with a challenge, if you want more depth, and want a multiplayer experience that doesn’t degenerate into strike attacks, then unfortunately Legends of WrestleMania is unlikely to be for you.

Demon Stone may entertain in its straightforward nature as a button basher with cinematic pretensions and presentation, yet it?s also let down by a camera that often obscures the action and by the repetitiveness.

Though it might appear a little dated, the game offers some innovative features, such as the addition of the Dreamworld, combined with a good story.

The characters don't move with the speed and finesse of those in Smash Bros and the fighting has less finesse. The recognisable characters help to make this title stand out and it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Not a great game, but it is a good one.

Fans of turn Russian developer 1C's Fantasy Wars title will feel at home here and novice players may be attracted by its simplicity and omission of in-depth resource management, but Elven Legends does little to break new ground in its genre.

Certainly there is some fun to be had here - mostly in brief stints as a party game - but the track list is not what it could have been. When combined with the lack of DLC or interoperability with World Tour, I find it difficult to wholeheartedly recommend Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits.

It’s clear that this game is aimed at children. If you have a child that’s a fan of the film, this will no-doubt appeal to them and they may well find it a lot more enjoyable than older gamers.

If you liked the original, or love games like Prince of Persia or Ninja Gaiden then it is definitely worth a look at.

It's a noble failure with much to admire, but it is still a failure. All very well harping on about the handling then have to contend will really terrible damage modelling.

This Is an offering to a niche and one that doesn't really have the greatest appeal to people outside that niche.

If nothing more than an interesting footnote in the evolution of gaming ideas, it would be a real shame to let this game fade into obscurity without at least coming to your own conclusion.

So to summarize, Blood on the Sand doesn't suck. After Bulletproof it didn't look to have much of a chance, but the game plays to its strengths by not being anything too serious or demanding, giving way to a simple, solid, unpretentious and surprisingly enjoyable third-person shoot-'em-up.

It's a stunner to look at and genuinely scared us on more than one occasion. I'm sure Darkworks would take some comfort in knowing that. But in the end it accounts for nothing, because this turkey is well and truly cold.

X3 is a great game, but if Egosoft grasped the challenge and offered immersion of the type seen in "Freelancer" and similar ship handling, combined with its own beautiful and complex universe, then we might finally have a game that deserves to called the new "Elite."

The game's story mode and character customization are so much more fun than your usual career mode.

While the best part of the package lies in the repetitive but gratifying fist fighting system, a few more issues frustrated me to the end.

Smackdown vs Raw 2008 is an unpolished game. It's an odd thing to say because it's basically an annual update on a game that's always been pretty good.

While part of the beauty and pure artistry is that it doesn’t hold your hand the whole way, I can’t help but feel that it does lack direction, but it shows off the PS2’s Sixaxis in a more than appealing way, and gives the PS3 an edge of experimentation and originality that could sway the odd savvy gamer.

It’s not as good as any of the “proper” stand alone Resident Evils, so unless you’re a hardcore zombie fan this can be quite quickly crossed off your shopping list.

I enjoyed it as a mindless entertainment that kept me going through each level by incentivising the cinematics.

I'm actually having more fun online with this game than "GRAW" thanks to the even greater emphasis on team play, role types and big robot things exploding.

It seems to borrow too much, and doesn’t really deliver in terms of an immersive story, hoping that the gameplay itself will be addictive enough to keep an audience captive and paying extra per month.

It’s a perfect handheld game and something that’s bound to always keep a smile on your face.

If, like me, you have warm fuzzy memories of the glory days of LucasArts, Revolution and AdventureSoft, you'll enjoy The Whispered World. And I did. But there are simply too many shortcomings here to give this game a hearty recommendation. Muted praise.

If The Urbz was marketed as ironic social commentary it may have raised a wry smile, but the frivolous manner in which it tries to appeal to the cool-set eventually becomes irritating.

Tales of Valour just doesn't add enough new content and what it does add is pretty much useless. This one is only for the die hard COH fans.

Despite the many disappointments, undoubtedly the thing that disappointed me the most with FIFA World Cup 2010 is that it has no identity. It doesn’t know whether it’s a simulation or a simplistic arcade game.

I believe EA could have created a very nice 2D/Top down view version of the game to suit the DS but instead it thought that a liner mission based structure would be more fun for the player and in my opinion they could not have been more wrong.

Though the multiplayer premise sounds like an excellent watered down version of the Battlefield series, the same flaws that come to close to completely crippling the single player experience only detract from the overall quality of the game to the extent that it barely improves on the single player format.

A great game, perhaps unfortunately overshadowed by the number of higher profile FPSs being released around this time, and let down only by an overly confusing plot.

If Desert Rats can address its most severe problems - a very variable AI and a rather stunted mutliplayer - then it might be able to up itself to an [80] rating.

If you’ve never seen the draw of Harry Potter, then perhaps this game isn’t for you, although with nothing too complex to get your head around and the ability to out-magic Malfoy and his troop, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban spells more fun than a lot of movie-to-game conversions.

As it stands EyePet is a fun, funny, cute and diverting little game for your children that will also raise a few smiles among adult gamers too.

It’s hard to see anyone over the age of 12 getting enough enjoyment out of M&S DS to recommend it as a purchase, and then only if they have friends with the same game.

It feels very much like a first attempt, although this is in fact the third in the series.

The puzzles (if that’s what you want to call them) are either ridiculously easy or they are completely devoid of logic and impossibly hard.

Personally I find it annoying that I lose points when my opponents hit me and not the other way around, but I still like the idea.

By taking out the two aspects of the series that made it stand out from the slew of other racing games on the market, Need For Speed ProStreet ends up as an exercise in mediocrity and offers nothing new or remarkable.

Perhaps not a game for tennis nuts as it's too simplistic to be a realistic representation of the sport but a great fun light-hearted look at the world of tennis and good for some multi-player action.

The level of destruction you’re capable of is phenomenal. If you’ve ever played "Burnout" and wished you could do as much damage to the scenery as you can do to cars, then this is the game for you.

There are mutliplayer modes which should keep you coming back to this title for a while.

GripShift’s one of those marmite games. You’ll either fall in love with the weighty physics and adore the time based collection challenges. Or you’ll detest the numerous restarts, and missing out on progression by a mere split second.

The lack of decent opposing AI and a distinct lack of strategic options makes for and uninspired and often, well boring, experience.

For those looking for a strategy game that matched the Second World War in intensity then you may wish to look elsewhere as Making History fails to storm the beaches of excitement and in the end is driven back into the sea.

At last Maxis has tapped the right vein and found pure gold and how long it lasts depends on how much people can tap their imaginations.

The game is just too ambitious for the aging PlayStation 2. The frame rate, control and save game issues make the game a hard unforgiving slog rather than fun at times. But despite that there's a lot to be admired about the game.

Buzz Junior: Jungle Party has all the fun of the buzzer in a much more child friendly game - and if they ask you to play along it really isn't the end of the world, it is quite good fun. Until they beat you, of course.

As a multiplayer game, it can provide some entertaining moments with some like-minded friends. As a single player RPG, it is deeply flawed.

Hobbling a good game with awful controls is a crime and in this respect I judge Pandemic guilty as charged.

The gameplay part unfortunately subtracts from an otherwise exciting experience – but Capcom deserves credit for releasing such an alternative game in times where most companies stick to the safe blockbusters.

Coming in to a game with a preconception of its value is a difficult idea to change, but after playing it through I have simply come to the conclusion that it is a great puzzler for the money (yes, even our money). America is simply getting a fantastic deal.

While it doesn’t exactly re-invent the adventure genre, The Moment of Silence is undeniably a well executed and solid title. So, if forced perspective backdrops, plausible puzzles and pulp fiction-like character and plot development are your bag, you could certainly do a lot worse than pick this one up.

It tries too hard to be Halo rather than finding its own niche in the market and comes across as a game that doesn't try hard enough. There are moments of enjoyment, but not enough to recommend this.

A glorified track pack.

Excellent value for money and something every PSP owner must experience: it's fun, visual and audibly impressive and is perfect for a quick blast to and from the shops on the bus. Although it isn't perfect, it's more down to the hardware than it is the software, so I'll let it off just this once.

Those of you who experienced the original and didn't like it, you won't like this either. Those of you who enjoyed it will enjoy Ten Hammers and the extra vs. mode.

As retro remakes go this certainly isn't a bad one, but there's a couple of flaws in the gameplay that means it falls short a little of what it could be.

If, like me, you’re vulnerable to anime/manga/JRPG cliché, then this game will be a guilty pleasure, but I’ll be surprised if you finish it.

A great concept and it really should have been a great title. But with a poor track list and a front end that implies even Activision views this as a cheap cash in, how can we view it as anything else?

This is a slice of simple fun, and a better one you’ll be hard-pressed to find, but it’s simplicity is just a little too basic to hold your attention for long.

It’s still strangely alluring, enough so that even after completion (which only took seven hours) I went straight back and played the first two levels all over again.

I can now safely say that I've started to see the attraction of NASCAR.

There's nothing significant to recommend this over the previous ones if you already own one. If you don't then this is a good introduction to the series.

If unoriginal story line, repetitive fights and subpar AI don't bother you or if you have never played a JRPG before, then you may enjoy Magna Carta 2.

Hardcore fans of the original will either be apologetic of NiGHTS shortcomings out of loyalty to the original, or be completely incensed with the shoddy production values.

It looks and sounds ok, but one play through and you’ve seen all you need to see. Mindless blasting can be fun, but this is soulless blasting.

Fails to spark any excitement, innovation, or fun at all.

It is this shortness of experience and relatively shallow gameplay that makes it difficult to see why it is worth the £6.99 asking price, comparing it to many of the other titles available on the PlayStation Network.

With the game populated by ‘real’ people, it will entertain, especially through the wide selection of games but make sure you invite enough kids, because if you have to play to fill in the numbers and an AI dinosaur beats everyone it doesn’t fill the room with much pleasure.

A simple facelift doesn't disguise the fact that it's still the same old game, so unless you're a newcomer to the series, you might be better off keeping your money.

The on-going appeal of NHL10's stats and progression system is something 2K10 simply cannot match, and couple that with the poor controls and slow pacing and you've got no decision on where your money should land.

There are lots of great elements to the game, but nothing that stands out as being worthy of a purchase alone.

The only players I would feel comfortable in recommending this title too would be existing hardcore Eye of Judgement fans (I know that they’re out there) who are looking to get their hands on a portable fix.

While it looks beautiful, and often immerses the player in a very effective way, some of the repetitive fighting sections really undermine the considerable work that has obviously gone into this game. I only wish that the controls had been tightened enough to create a more functional game.

A feature that is touted impressively then lets down over the course of the game is the animation and general cinematics.

It’s marred by a lethargic combat system, slow level grinding and general lack of polish. My hope is that they will improve it in future patches and expansions but I’m not holding my breath.

From Russia With Love had all the makings of a Bond classic. The story was already there, along with a number of cool set pieces. Unfortunately the game forgoes any subtlety in the film in favour of OTT action sequences and barely any stealth at all (it’s there, but like everything else in the game it is rudimentary at best).

It's a family friendly fun romp that's inoffensive and visually interesting with a nice quirky style. Just don't expect a great co-op time unless you can work together within a tight camera angle. This is one Wii game that's better to play on your own.

FIFA Manager has come on leaps and bounds the last few years. Once considered one of the worst in its genre it can now stand up and call itself one of the big guns. However, it fails to live up to the high standards set by Football Manager and your left with a game with bags of ability and potential, but no end product.

The only question is whether or not you like the sound of the track list, so take a gander, and maybe join me in a never-ending quest to collect noise pollution charges.

As fun and addictive as it is, though, it's still a basic shoot 'em up which you would be likely to quit were you handed any higher profile titles. The real-time ranking system is inspired, particularly for the stat whores amongst us, and multiplayer is of reasonable appeal, but Biology Battle is still only a time waster rather than a truly enveloping game.

Something of a one trick pony. It’s all done competently, and there’s certainly enjoyment to be found here, but it lacks character; that exciting spark or polish that distinguishes the truly great RTS games. Once the novelty of the dual layer system wears off you’ll pine for a fresher, less workman-like, experience.

Battle for Europe is a detailed and historically accurate look at the age of grand armies of Europe and the classic clash of Empires. While not offering anything particularly new or groundbreaking it succeeds in providing an entertaining and thoughtful strategy game for those tired of meaningless tank rushes.

The main success of Cities XL is that it has the basics right. The developer has created a solid city builder that's addictive and enjoyable. It's only hampered by the numerous bugs/crashes and the over-priced planet offer that mainly promises more than it delivers.

It’s just a shame that the resource model aspect didn’t pan out quite as I’m sure the developer envisioned, while the handful of other little annoyances ensure that the gameplay never lives up to the excellent visuals.

Madballs in... Babo: Invasion isn't going to blow anyone away. The name is fairly ridiculous and the whole Madballs fad is long-gone, but there beats an enjoyable shooter underneath the bland, uninspired exterior.

Playing other people really makes for some exciting tactical play.

This is one title that could have… should have… would have…. been better without its similarly irritating controls. Rent it if you’re a Jet Li fan, pass completely if you aren’t.

The satisfying conclusion does go far to wrap up everything brought up in the game and reminds you of things you may have forgotten.

A budget game being sold at an inflated price, likely to fans of the genre only. But I’m still really looking forward to Orcs & Elves II on the DS.

There isn't enough variation in the missions to keep any average gamer interested until the end, and what you will play is even that attractive.

A refreshing newcomer in the world of adventure gaming.

Only diehard fans and those looking to complete every aspect of the game will get the most out of it.

The story is overblown but actually engrossing as long as you set your expectations correctly.

Narnia is a slay ride with Santa Claus level of novelty for big fans of the books and/or movies, but a simplistic, repetitive but sometimes fun fantasy-action game for anyone else. Who are you gonna be?

In trying to be both a realistic squad based game and an arcade shooter, Rainbow Six 3 has sub-machine gunned itself in the foot, making too many concessions to each style to play very proficiently in its own right.

It never even gets close to matching the presentation and gameplay of the PS2's Sly Raccoon and Jak and Daxter and even Voodoo Vince, the other Xbox exclusive platformer, knocks Blinx 2 for six half the time.

If you’re looking for an action/adventure game for your Xbox 360, which is what this is despite the pretense of an RPG, then there are a lot better ones available than this. But, if you can’t get enough of Harry Potter then this could well be just what you’re looking for.

I found World Racing 2 a huge letdown having been looking forward to this sequel for so long. I expected it to be a step forward, not seem like a step back.

In spite of some minor ambiguity as concerns the control interface, it's a game that has a fairly shallow learning curve, yet promises much in the way of long term amusement for those who don’t like their 4X to be too taxing.

This version of Puyo Pop feels like nothing more than a last ditch attempt to squeeze some money out of a game that has been converted to every platform available in the last two years. It adds nothing - unlike the 8 player mode offered by the DS.

It is a shame that you can’t simply fight the standard troops well enough for your friends to flood the main enemy and help you out there, but it seems to be a one man band at each Shaman or Champion, your allies acting as background help rather than making a real difference to the battle.

But daylight racing is not enough to mark this game out from a crowd of games that while steadfastly sitting comfortably in their niches and not taking risks, ultimately are a lot more fun to play.

I can guarantee you will be flying over Hogwarts evading the snapping Hungarian Horntail or swimming underwater in search of your best friend Ron, all the time getting rid of the pesky Merpeople. It is worth all the repetitive gameplay, and questing for Triwizard Shields in order to unlock these levels.

It’s a fun game and the new ways to control the game are nice, but Table Tennis on the Wii has an air of missed opportunity about it, and the game fails to set itself apart or improve on the 360 version.

It's fun in short bursts, which ideally is exactly what I’m looking for in a handheld game.

Eidos and Beautiful Game Studios are getting there. It’s a slow process yes, but they are getting closer. If they can concentrate on more of the basic stuff, team talks and being more interactive with players, rather than on the fancy stuff such as the 3D matches, then next years match could be a close one.

It will extend the length of an already long game, and the 100 points are easy to get. I do however think it is slightly over priced.

If you’re a Tomb Raider completist or reckon you’ve great dexterity then you will find a very pleasing game here. I enjoyed my time with the PSP version of Tomb Raider Legend yet I knew it could have been a hell of a lot better.

The real meat and potatoes of the game lies in the championship mode. Hardcore fans of the sport will be delighted to know that it is an exact reproduction of the real life version.

Nier is potential squandered. It has some great and not so great characters and enemies placed into an inconsistent world where large portions of your time are spent yawning as you travel through an RPG that has stagnated in a pit of ten year old Japanese RPGs and tries nothing new to make it a worthy purchase.

It fails as a boxing sim and it fails as an arcade fighter. It succeeds excellently as homage to the Rocky films and should please fans of the movies.

I loved Still Life. It wasn't perfect but it was enjoyable for me at least. Still Life 2 could have been so much more. It had potential but is bogged down with so many unruly issues I find it hard to recommend to any but the staunchest and most patient of point'n'click adventure fans.

Manhunt 2 isn’t a bad game as such, and had a lot going for it, if it had been released in the PS2’s heyday. It wasn’t, and a year later, those polygons aren’t looking any smoother.

The game play is where it’s at with TU and while it can be slow paced when on foot, the battles are an absolute blast.

So Sabre Squadron is preaching to the converted, playing on the strengths of its predecessor but without trying too hard to smooth its rough edges, edges that are starting to look a little rusty now.

It will grab you, but you'll have to make an effort to reach out and hold its hand for a while through the rough spots. The problems are the times when it lets go, leaving you lost without a hint of what to do. Or when it just turns on you and beats you down after hitting the same boss twenty times straight.

Its playability may be assured simply because of its clone status to "Resident Evil," but the overall package just isn’t that well put-together to warrant more than an average recommendation.

If you’re after a simple and enjoyable hack and slash game, with lots of violence and blood, Blood Rayne 2 will be ideal, and yes, it’s worth playing, if only via a rental.

The main fault in this game is the poor attention to detail and the PS one graphics it sports.

There's definitely a market for this type of game, it's easy to get into, easy to play and you get a good sense of achievement from it.

There is some fun to be had with East India Company but not everyone will have the patience to stick with it.

A step in the right direction. It's just plagued with mistakes that make it an uneven ride of missed chances. What makes it all the more galling is that it's presented so beautifully and uses the touch-screen in enjoyable ways.

For anyone curious about the Sims phenomenon that wants a nicely accessible entry point, this will certainly do the job; but avoiding the structural elements and heading straight for the sandbox mode would serve a much better initiation.

One of the Achievements to nail in Epilogue is to complete it in under two hours. So, you’ve paid 800 points for two hours of additional content that, on balance, isn’t really all that good, and does little with the narrative save to clumsily set up Prince of Persia 2.

The ending is abysmal, although it is nice to see that the crew decide to have a party to ensure that they feel that enough has been accomplished for one day.

The most telling point about the game is that it quite often made me want to throw the controller-S out of the window with anger due to missing shots I reacted well to.

The game is good, the editor not so good, but there doesn’t seem to have been any real development from the original. The game hasn’t taken a step forward; it’s where it was when it was first released.

The challenges and free create mode are more likely to be where experienced city builders will spend their time and I just don't think there's enough of that to keep them coming back.

I can’t help but think that if Microsoft had worried less about putting PC gamers on Xbox Live and more about giving us 360 owners a complete game we could have had something special here, but it just hasn’t happened.

Coming from an adventure game fan, I found it a very fulfilling addition to my collection, and from a relatively unknown German game developer (Fusionsphere Systems) I can offer only congratulations to them for a decent brain testing continuation of the genre.

So, £25 or thereabouts for some reasonably entertaining times (and a few real stand-out sequences) over about 10 hours, 500 or so easy Achievement Points, and that’s about it. If that seems worthwhile to you, then go for it.

Unless you happen to be a die-hard wrestling fan or a female equality activist, I’d go and play a more sincere wrestling game that doesn’t try exploit the good ol’ sex sells idea and is considered less of a gimmick for the deprived.

Is it worth purchasing the PC version of Lost Planet if you already own the 360 one? Not really, no. You’ll only play using your 360 controller anyway, so there’s not much point in owning both copies.

After playing these games for what feels like an unholy amount of time (even just in the past week) I have to wonder what it is with all of the retro feel that games companies are instigating merely to show off their back catalogue.

PoPoLoCrois’ main downfall is that it really doesn’t bring anything new or original to the RPG arena.

With over 40 characters to master, there’s a fair lot of classic brawling to be had here. Had it actually included a more substantial experience, rather than feeling so empty, it’d definitely be worth recommending to both fighting fanatics and casual goers alike. Instead, it feels more like a relic of a past age, thrown together to into an exceedingly demo-like affair.

Along the way decisions were made to cheat the player and in doing so this is one racer robbed of most of its fun. That really is a crying shame.

A deeply flawed game. From the terrible image tearing to the offensive voice-overs, it’s as big a failure as I’ve seen from a major Publisher for some time.

Survives on the good will generated by its predecessors. But compared to those previous games, this new game lacks the same charm, the same childish appeal and its unique humor. Maybe the console versions look much better than this PC version, but Travelers Tales' otherwise very quirky series has not survived the jump from Playstation 2 to PC very well.

Mafia looks, sounds and feels dated on the Xbox, maybe because we’ve been spoilt and we know what the machine is capable of this just doesn’t satisfy.

After all your patient waiting, in about four or six hours you will finish all that Knothole Island has to offer, Box of Secrets included. After that, you’ll be left with buyer’s guilt because you’ve just spent 800 points on something worth half that. You’ll feel silly, and your Fable 2 experience will be tainted accordingly.

Arguably, the dress code is the highlight of a game that desperately needs some kind of distinguishing string to its bow, for otherwise it’s as bland and culturally distant as clichéd manga template design can be.

The game does, basically, offer lots of variety, a flat learning curve and a decent story mode for those that aren’t just looking for the latest in car physics.

Shattered Union's problem is that it tries to cram far too much in, and instead lacks and kind of real depth in any area. The enemy AI is weak, and far too unwilling to take advantage of the many errors you'll make early on.

Chipping in a shot from the rough on the far side of the green, and watching it sink really does come with a sense of achievement, you feel like you earned it. However the number of small glitches and design issues really hinder the enjoyment.

This is a great game for kids, adults and families and makes a refreshing change from some of the stuff in the shops at the moment.

Quantum of Solace is a pretty slick, well presented and polished product. The gameplay is rather simple, but the game is aimed at the simple end of the market. Yet I feel that James Bond deserves more than this, more than a cheap and very short punt into the cheap seats.

To cut to the chase, this is more a new episode than a new series, with what little changes there are related to updated graphics and a slightly modified search system.

Blade Warriors could have been a simple guilty pleasure, if it didn’t insist on constantly reminding us that there are better games to be played.

There are 10 basic levels, plus a bunch of challenge-style bonus levels that can be unlocked if you can bear the plodding, outdated gameplay, unresponsive controls, uninteresting graphics, and average sound. Otherwise, frustration and boredom are likely to see Operation: Vietnam being traded in very quickly indeed.

It's funny, I had a feeling all that development time would've given us something more.

Personally for me, the learning curve is a bit steep and the commitment too large. But that’s me – this is a great game, polished and well worked. If you have the time and the inclination the rewards on offer are great, and it’s highly unlikely to become a repetitive experience.

It capably provides its gun and grenade ridden action entertainment, but disappoints only because of the massive marketing campaign that led us all to believe we were in for something extra special, rather than the adequate but ultimately not stand-out shooter we have here.

This may be little more than a last generation game with upgraded visuals, but it does what it’s supposed to, it’s a fun platformer that‘s not too taxing on the brain.

Somewhat tellingly, there isn’t much more to say about NHL 08 – it’s a very good game, but the genre’s moved on and once again PC gamers haven’t been given the chance to see how.

It’s not the best DLC pack released for Fallout 3, but it’s certainly not bad.

Is the game a kid's game? If it is, that's no excuse for such a shoddy piece of work.

The gameplay itself is pretty average for the genre, and the graphics do make it a bit difficult to spot some of the objects you are looking for, but it's plus points more than compensate. The games storyline holds the average gameplay together well, the overall presentation is pretty good, and to top it all off is the games budget price.

The gameplay, graphics, multiplayer, sound and everything else are all okay.

At some stage during development, either the money ran out or everyone just decided they couldn’t be bothered. Dynasty Warriors 4 Hyper absolutely reeks of sloppy work.

The game isn’t perfect, in-fact I would be pushed to avoid calling it a poor version, but the mere fact that I am still addicted to it, and playing it must count for something in this world.

I found Phantasy Star Portable to be nothing other than a disappointment, it has redeeming features but too many flaws to make it enjoyable.

It's a real shame the full potential of the franchise hasn't been realised here.

While the game itself isn’t too short, the lather rinse repeat style gameplay is only rarely challenged and you’ll never get stuck wondering what special gadget to use next.

But good sound isn’t going to save the game. There’s wasted potential here in Devil Kings, perhaps a sequel could bring that out. As it stands it is a flawed game thanks to repetition and some technical issues.

Mostly resembles a "Dead or Alive" version for the poor.

It's been an utter delight to play the game again, especially as the conversion to Xbox has been handled so well. No self-respecting Xbox Live player should be without this game.

Perhaps White Knight Chronicles is trying to accomplish too much and ends up spreading itself thin.

There are a few moments in Musashi Samurai Legend that’ll raise a smile or even make you laugh out aloud, and it’s generally a fun game to play.

If you are looking for a tycoon style meal then chow down on this because you won’t find a better restaurant management game out there.

A backward cousin that tries but fails to live up to the previous achievements of the series. The blame cannot be placed with Amaze Entertainment, as these issues are suffered by other FPS titles on the PSP. The lack of a second analogue stick really impedes the control capability of the machine, and is the main downfall of such titles.

But poor storytelling, dull mission structure, lack of variety in the location and a lack of polish left me wanting much more.

It’s little more than a clone of a more successfully designed game, produced as a good idea for garnering a license respect rather than a good game in itself.

As a single player experience C&C 4 is a complete failure and should be avoided like the plague. If you enjoy RTS multiplayer then you might squeeze some fun out of this.

A huge letdown for a franchise that is yearning for its reinstatement at the top. EA really should have done so much better. Why not just use the Burnout Paradise engine, create a new city, slap in the NFS gameplay and call it...Most Wanted Hot Pursuit Porsche Unleashed? I'd buy it. In fact I'd buy two copies out of unadulterated joy.

There’s just nothing there to recommend, beyond a reasonably decent plot. Best thing I can suggest, then, is to find a detailed guide somewhere online and read the story there – you’ll have more fun and won’t waste time and money on the game.

I have to say that for all the minor bad points, and they are minor, I am really enjoying this title and EA has turned out a well presented game which will keep you amused for hours on end.

Legend of Spyro is a game that you just want to love for its admirably lovable story line, but as a gamer, you feel compiled to surrender to the obvious – it’s strictly average as an overall package.

With such an accomplished and unique cinematic source, we really did deserve better.

A decidedly average title which doesn’t really try to reach beyond that. Everything about it feels, not rushed or not completed, just poorly designed, almost as though it’s been designed for the budget range.

There's plenty of potential in the Officers franchise. Few games manage to capture WW2 this well at the tactical level. But a few problems with friendly AI and stability do drag the score down somewhat.

The final levels positively encourage you to achieve zen-like levels of concentration as you determinedly edge your way carefully through without losing a life because failure means having to play it all again and the rage meter bubbling over.

While it may be a fun little jaunt with the appearance of a clever strategy/action game, if you attempt to play it that way you soon find out that it is fundamentally broken. A lesson from history, one hopes.

It's a shame really as EA could have done a whole lot better. The control system could be a lot better, the animation could be better and the cut-scenes could be better.

A very amiable game. You really want to it to be better than it is, and with its flashes of brilliance it's easy to get deceived into thinking it's far more playable than initial appearances.

Unless you are a big fan of the original and you yearn for more mission based combat then you’d better off saving your money. There isn’t enough new content here to justify the price tag.

With age, tends to come more gaming aptitude, which will mean you’ll make quick work of Lemony Snicket’s and a yearning for a bit more of a challenge. By all means though, give it to your toddler and they’ll go wild.

The game is good fun if a little frustrating. Fans of the original might be a little miffed by the drastic shift in dynamic, but as long as you recognize that this isn't just a side-scrolling beat 'em up, you should be pleasantly surprised.

The visual swagger of Red Steel is that of a been there, done that affair.

If you like a game that rewards teamwork and strategy as well as hair-trigger reactions and steady nerves, then SOCOM becomes immensely rewarding. Take the game seriously, learn quickly and bring a headset. This package will keep you entertained for a long while.

A story that took you into twisted, deranged, decrepit worlds that just yearned for some fantastic art direction and varied, interesting level design - you didn’t get any.

“Oddly not as compelling as it sounds” is an apt summary for it all, to be honest.

Okay, the gloves are off. I really dislike this game. The titular fury is so apparent after just one race.

The actual gameplay itself is pretty good and does reward skill unlike EA Sport's recent golfing output.

On the one hand it offers reasonably entertaining action and a good mix of strategy and battling, with some excellent music and a strangely compelling story mode to play through. On the flip side, dodgy AI and a feeling of being detached from the game at times can raise the question of whether you’re really having fun, or if you just think you are.

A big bonus is that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously.

It feels rushed, it looks dated and it’s filled with annoying glitches that should have been ironed out during play testing.

It has nothing new to offer an already crowded genre. Practically everything it does has been seen before, and the parts which haven't are too limited and clumsy to save the rest. The story is difficult to care about; the characters are generic and combat is repetitive and flaccid.

If you manage to at least enjoy killing hundreds of people in Drakengard’s world, you can enjoy killing thousands to make it to its end.

It isn’t perfect, and the repetitive nature of the combat really can grind at times, but if you liked Rare’s Kameo but thought it was let down for being too shallow and not enough platforming then you really shouldn’t be looking any further.

It might come as a surprise, but I would actually have preferred a direct conversion of FIFA 06 to this.

The most frustrating thing I found with it was an autosave that occurred just as I destroyed the engine on my plane right at the end of the first mission.

At the end of the day the experience, despite how crooked it can appear in parts, is absolutely entertaining. From a budget game, that’s about the best you can ask.

The overall impression is of a game which was created in pieces like a puzzle, and then put together by someone who didn’t quite have the full picture on the front of the box.

As much as this game would like you to believe it's suitable for all ages, I believe it's been made with kids in mind and at the same time, someone in the Quality Control department at Jowood has thought that low quality will be fine for said same children.

The Marathon fan base out there who played the game over 10 years ago will most likely be the only ones to get any real enjoyment out of this one.