In terms of sheer fun, ease of use and online integration, it's now the racer to beat on any system.

Put away your social calendar strategy fans - this game will eat out months out of your life.

The fantasy world created for the game features plenty of detail, with some of the environments players must traverse looking absolutely fantastic.

Realistic graphics, a real sense of speed and tight controls all add up to Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition being a flat-out adrenalin rush of a game.

Those looking for an excellent mix of first person action and squad-based tactics will find SWAT 4's extremely realistic and involving gameplay hard to beat.

Chaos Theory takes the best aspects of the previous games and makes them shine even more. Splinter Cell veterans won't find too many new additions, but newbies and vets alike should snap it up as it's the best game in the series so far.

God of War is a stylish, gory and challenging action game that rewards you for skill and persistence. One of the best action titles to be released on the PlayStation 2 so far.

That killer axe is just one of the many weapons you'll get to take on hell's minions, and epitomises the game succinctly - oh-so stylish, over the top and yet fiendlishly difficult to master.

Not only does it feature great gameplay, but it offers up a virtual documentary of the World War II D-Day landings thanks to its attention to realism and fascinating added extras.

And while GT4 is not the massive leap from GT3 some were expecting, the sheer depth and variety of cars and tracks, great physics model and outstanding extras make it by far the best car game available on any system.

Shows some potential, but an unpolished execution and an overall sluggish feel means it's for die-hard "Tekken" fans only.

An outstanding gaming experience that sucks you into its expansive storyline.

Simply extraordinary. It’s clear from the start that Valve have pulled out all the stops, resulting in a well polished game that’s graphically spectacular.

Its excellent production and genuinely unsettling atmosphere make other so-called horror games look about as scary as Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.

The best game on the PS2.

An old-school racer with an immense amount of charm, although we'd still recommend "Burnout 3" in favour of it -- just.

For the first five minutes you'll be bowled over by all the action on offer, scarcely being given time to breathe in. Once you start to remember the patterns of where the enemies come out -- and being a light gun title on, as they say, rails, they never vary a jot -- the fun quickly fades.

Forget the bogged realism of "Call of Duty" or "Conflict Vietnam"; Tribes: Vengeance is all about big guns, big mecha suits, and big explosions. If you're after some intense fighting with gung-ho madness, then it’s good to get some Vengeance.

A fine sequel, although if you've had your fix of Hawk before, you may not find enough that's genuinely new here to warrant a purchase.

One for the fans. Even though it is an "all-in-one" package of games, the Arcade Kombat mode remains the centre of attention.

As a micromanagement/god sim, it makes a fair effort with its source material, although you'll often find yourself bogged down in petty details, and it can lose a bit of charm in its eventual endgame phase.

A solid but unspectacular boxing game that doesn't try enough that's new or innovative to raise it to championship status.

A great movie adaptation and very good choice for younger gamers -- or anyone who needs a Christmas present for a younger gamer in a hurry.

A sumptuously detailed and totally engrossing RTS title that can even hook those who normally aren't fans of RTS titles.

While it's an ambitious title -- especially for the Gameboy Advance -- that attempts to cram in every last Luke-related minute of the classic Star Wars trilogy, Apprentice Of The Force is a touch too repetitive and simple to be enjoyable for all that long.

It comes with a small array of multiplayer modes and a highly compelling main multiplayer quest -- and these things are always more fun with extra human players -- and it's a title with solid longevity.

Def Jam: Fight For NY is a good game -- there's no doubt about that -- but it's perhaps that rarest of fighting games -- one that's better off played solo, or against one other player only, rather than in true multiplayer.

If you look beyond the Star Wars trappings, however, what you're left with is a game that's not quite as good as it really should be, which is a pity.