Falling stars was obviously designed with children in mind and I can happily say it's a fine game for them. The only problem is that one day, inevitably, a college art student will see it somewhere and it will spawn a cult, the likes of which we'd be a lot better off without.

A failed experiment.

A victim of its own ambition, and one that can probably be finished during a rental – we can only hope the inevitable sequel provides more substance.

It’s a mystery how two such very different games manage to share so many things in common. In away it’s almost a relief that Maximum Impact 2 is so poor, as it allows XI to bask in its own glory, an example of how the 2D fighting genre isn’t dead and hopefully an opportunity for younger gamers to appreciate the concept of gameplay being greater than eye-candy.

AvP is a classic example of a production-line movie cash-in.

After quarter of a century he's still fat, still round, and still bouncing on the ground. And still the greatest.

Perseus Mandate offers undeniable value for money. If you love first person shooters, you should really check it out.

Call of Duty 4 is stunning. It has some of the best set pieces I have ever seen and gunplay that’s only rivaled by Crysis. A wealth of multiplayer options and an amusing arcade mode make this an almost flawless package.

For a fun party game - even one aimed at kids, who let's face it are just witless dwarves who'd be impressed by a cardboard box if it had a picture of a monkey on a skateboard on it - Viva Piñata is horribly oversimplistic, repetitive and just plain lacking in oomph.

Paradise City does a lot of things well (the RPG systems are well put together, as are most of the RTS elements), but it never once dares to do something fresh. When it fouls up, it’s something blatant that shouldn’t have happened.

Painkiller Overdose is definitely for fans of the series. Frantic blasting action might not suit everyone but you can't really knock it until you've tried it.

Overall the differences between the two versions are slight and other than the inclusion of achievement points - usually rewarded for the successful completion of each level, as well as the completion of time trials and the collection of scattered artefacts – it’s literally the same game in a higher resolution with a few tagged on graphical effects.

This is a below average, clunky game that I'm knocking an extra few bonus points off of for the sheer stupidity and laziness of the near-bordering-on-racial-profiling plot.

The game’s style and presentation stays fresh throughout. Hard to fault, as we said. One of the finest games of 2007.

This game is so flawed, so monotonous and deathly, deathly dull that I'm struggling to think of any reason whatsoever to waste your time and money on it.

All in all then, it's almost there, but not quite: a good game, a good edition to the genre and a sound purchase - especially for driving game fans, but not an essential one quite yet.

There’s little about PGR4 that can be complained about and other than a few niggling qualms with regards to the aggressive driver AI, and of course the issues that surround the bikes, every element of the game comes together to create an absolutely astounding package.

The premise for basing a game on one of the stupidest and, at times, funny tv shows of the last few years might seem very sound, but this has missed it's target utterly and I think this is an enormous shame and an opportunity lost.

I expected no less than greatness from World in Conflict. Sierra doesn't do dud games and Massive Entertainment has really lived up to its name. Play this game, and know firsthand what games can be: no longer an emulation of brilliance, but brilliance to be emulated.

A few nifty weapon ideas alone do not a good game make, and Koei would have been well advised to send this ham-fisted, yawnsome bum-up of a racer back for a bit more turbo charging.

There is technically nothing wrong with Galactic Assault, it just lacks so much that it quickly becomes frustrating.

Though it boasts a whole host of different modes in both the single and multiplayer game, as well as a variety of extras, including the ability to watch the two previously released music videos as many times as is necessary, in general it all feels far too much like it’s been thrown together in an attempt to squeeze the final drop of milk from the long dead and buried Crazy Frog cash cow.

All in all then, if you love the premise, you'll love the game - assuming you have the stamina to have a fair whack at it. If you don't like what the game represents, you'll be wondering why you've bought what appears to be a stuttering interactive cartoon and probably be put off RPGs for life.

Overall, Tiger Woods 08 is a very enjoyable game that's brought (slightly) low by a few niggles and the fact that if you already own one of the previous T. Woods games, then you're not really going to find that much more for you here other than a few play refinements and tweaks.

Overall, MP3 is an out and out stunner. The game is epic in scale, drenched in quality and care, and some sequences - such as the initial freefall fight against Ridley - are inspired.

If ever there was an example of how a first person shooter should be made, then this is truly it.

What this game lacks is substance. The missions, the plot and so on are as easily thrown together as they are to complete. The quick bursts of fun to be had here are indeed intense, and are partially flanked by excellent graphics, but there’s no longevity in a paper-thin premise. Arcade gaming yes, just not in the maddeningly addictive sense.

You’ll need a very forgiving attitude to begin playing Sword of the New World, because it still needs quite a bit of work.