Even though there's loads to do, it doesn't alter the fact that this smelly port of Driver: Parallel Lines just reeks of lazy developing - simply put, it's hard to get into and a battle to play.

Quality visuals, engaging storylines and intense action give this FPS the power to rip open the genre's ribcage and pump life into its formulaic heart.

If you're looking for a tactical shooter or a horror game that makes you soil your pants then you should probably look elsewhere. But if you are happy with a cool first person shooter with a great gritty plot and some fun horror and supernatural elements then you'll be very happy that you plunged into The Darkness.

The Bigs on Wii is the very definition of fun-but-flawed gameplay.

Pokémon Battle Revolution is worthless if you don't own the DS game; there simply isn't enough independent content to warrant a purchase, if you fall into this category.

Given twice the time to work on this, nFusion Interactive could have delivered a solid Unreal-powered shooter, but everything from sound to AI seems to have been rushed for release.

Touchmaster will definitely appeal to fans of the puzzle genre, but while 23 games in one package sounds like a lot, they're not all going to be suited to your tastes.

They have delivered what is most definitely a game for the fans, and that can't really be stressed enough.

When Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix comes to a close, it's really hard to hold a grudge or feel disappointment, as there is no denying the energy, dedication and money EA have put into creating the greatest Harry Potter game yet.

If you're an adult then the main storyline probably won't last you more than ten hours or so.

A very entertaining game and an extremely good effort from Electronic Arts. Unfortunately, the problems such as the jerky camera, Ron and Hermione getting in the way and nonsensical lack of save points between missions do bring the gameplay down somewhat.

When Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix comes to a close, it's really hard to hold a grudge or feel disappointment, as there is no denying the energy, dedication and money EA have put into creating the greatest Harry Potter game yet.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix could have been so much better - the graphics are pretty good, the sound is passable but grates quickly and the mini-games are fun for a short while. However, the gameplay is tedious, the AI is glitchy and the plotline and speech are compressed.

Unlike its more strategic predecessors, Brothers In Arms DS is an out-and-out shooter, and the fast action, the usefully wide-angled over-the-shoulder camera, the intuitive controls and the short missions all combine to make this a brilliant handheld game. Make no mistake - shortcomings aside, this is fantastic.

It's wonderfully well presented and designed throughout, from the slick menus to the jaw-dropping spectacle of the visuals. The lonely feeling of playing on Xbox Live is a blow however, something that ghost competitors could easily have rectified.

DiRT offers many hours of rallying gameplay, beautiful graphics and a true definition of speed that will keep die hard fans and newcomers alike engaged for a long time.

For those of you who like their games with lots to do or for those who just want to ignore the storyline and mess about by sitting back and watching their pet destroy their house one sofa at a time, The Sims Pet Stories is perfect. For gamers who want to relax in front of their PC, this might not be the best option.

The broken controls of shooting, fighting and strafing coupled with monotonous "Destroy 'X' amount of enemies" missions and ridiculous enemy respawns makes Transformers: Decepticons nothing more than a chore.

The dungeon building is fun and will bring you back, which is a credit to the quality of the gameplay. I hope that if the developers decide to make a sequel, they can focus on the combat - now that would make for an incredibly addictive experience!

In fact, the only reason it's not getting a perfect score is because of the fact that it's now two years old and not quite as groundbreaking as it was when it was first released.

Oh Transformers, you could have been a much, much better game if only you hadn't had wonky controls and there had been more time in development for better graphics.

It's adequate. It's average. The graphics, sound and music are mediocre. The controls and gameplay aren't great. The online mode is empty, the video clips are good. Setting up strategies is sort of fun, playing the game sort of isn't.

If, however, you're looking for a slow, tactical war command simulation then you need look no further.

It is hard to complain about what is easily the best looking Xbox Live Arcade game yet and quite possibly the most well rounded one too. Whether you care about saving princesses or not, Prince of Persia is a game of royal calibre.

It has many of the right ingredients, such as great graphics and an interesting story, but it still doesn't have the full package, as it suffers from frustrating, repetitive gameplay, which is hard to forgive.

Although it does have a couple of flaws like a temperamental camera and some slowdown, as well as controls that take a little getting used to, it's such a blast to play and very addictive once you get into it.

If you haven't seen the TV series then the value of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 might become lost in translation, whereas fans of Naruto will relish running around the areas lifted straight out of the animé show and spotting many locations and characters that are instantly recognisable.

If you are looking for a game with graphics to showcase your Wii then you'll be disappointed. However, if you're however prepared to look past the almost awful graphics then you'll find a real gem hidden underneath.

Whilst I normally enjoy choosing between a stealthy or combat-based approach like in the Hitman games, the idea of being able to very easily kill everyone in the level or just avoid anything entirely still seems odd to me.

It's mindless, it's violent, with nothing but shooting and punching (no blood, but still violent), and repetitive in the extreme, making for a painfully boring waste of three hours of this reviewer's time. I dived on this grenade for you - don't let my sacrifice be in vain!

A surprisingly fun, easy to pick up and enjoyable to master card game that, while not as deep as most other card battlers, offers a good amount of strategy and a different approach to the genre.

Releasing this game in its current state is nothing short of reprehensible and Codemasters current stance of 'too bad' only makes matters worse.

Spaceforce: Rogue Universe isn't revolutionary, but it does feature some interesting and varied gameplay mechanics, even if they are staples of a well-established genre.

A great add-on for most Sim 2 players, as you can inject your creativity into the game by designing your own clothes, as well as using the pre-made outfits.

Born of Blood is a great addition to the saga and although asking for a full sequel so soon would just be greedy, this is a great way to tide fans over until Sword of the Stars 2 arrives on the shelves.

This is bare-knuckle gaming - big, brash, unpretentious and viscerally entertaining. There's no excessive blood and gore, no gimmicky crime or foul language. This is well-organised, carefully-orchestrated violence supported by some of the best AI you've ever seen, a deep and comprehensive multiplayer mode that creates a game all of its own and a storyline far more creative than your usual terrorist-battling shooter fare.

Mad Tracks is an excellent little game. Though it's short, it offers a whole lot of fun, especially in multiplayer mode where I can almost guarantee you'll be either badly humiliated by you friends, or you'll humiliate the heck out of them.

It's got to the point where I haven't had another game in my Xbox 360's drive in days! In fact, I don't think I've seen the sun in a few days either (only kidding, but it really is that addictively good).

There's no denying that I love Shadowrun to bits - it's almost like World of Warcraft meets Counter-Strike. I love RPGs and I adore FPS games, so Shadowrun seems as if it was made just for me!

For a game that splits between two different dimensions, Crush ends up feeling a little one-dimensional. However, the concept is undeniably ingenious and it is my sincere hope that a sequel will emerge to take it to the next level and produce a true gaming classic.

The main game shouldn't take much more than thirty hours to complete, with a few more added to take down all of the quests to achieve the best ending.

It is the most complete title of the Mortal Kombat series, with every character (including one who is Wii-exclusive) and worth buying if you are a fan just for this.

Those who have played Tekken and Mortal Kombat to death they may find some enjoyment in this fairly simple but engrossing game, which might fulfil your beat 'em up cravings for a little while - just bear in mind that this is most definitely not another Tekken.

It is not terribly long by adventure game standards, yet I found myself quite disappointed when I knew I had hit the end of the road, and as the epilogue suggested some further adventures, I was hopeful that this was a false-ending and there was more to come.

Though it would have to drop the New York Times license, it would be great to see a second crossword game with a broad range of categories, such as music, movies and gaming, instead of random, non-themed puzzles. It just seems more fitting, considering that most NYT fans will have either finished these puzzles at some point or prefer to play them in the traditional form.

Any sense of ambience that the presentation brings to the screen is immediately destroyed by the game's indifferent turn towards the source material it is supposed to be proudly displaying; when the most enticing facet of your game is a foil promo card then you know you have a problem.

If there is one phrase that can cover just about everything Odin Sphere is about, it would be this: Odin Sphere has 2D sensibilities. If you remove the technological aspect of the game - not that you'd want to - you have a game that could just as easily been released on the Super Nintendo and ruled the hearts and dreams of fan boys and girls around the world.

Stagnation ends up being the best way I can monosyllabically describe Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Uninspired gameplay mixed with frustratingly dumb A.I. is a recipe for disaster, no matter how pretty your game looks or sounds.

The characters and scenes have a wonderful resemblance to the movies, while the soundtrack adds more authenticity, all of which will be appreciated by fans of the film trilogy. However, with repetitive, linear gameplay and very limited sword-fighting action, even fans of the film will struggle to really enjoy the gameplay and if you haven't seen the films then At World's End definitely won't fulfil your expectations for an action game.

When it comes to complimenting the movie experience, the PSP version of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End appears to provide the best experience.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a bad offering, even for big fans of the trilogy.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End wasn't the most exciting movie. It was good, but it did have parts where I wished it would move on quicker. The At World's End game had me feeling the same way. There are action-packed parts, but other parts are pretty boring.

The games look and sound beautiful, and after the horrific tinkering Sega made with their classics to make them 'up to date', I'm glad to say that SNK have left everything intact.

And value for money is what best sums up Taito Legends 2. Like the first collection, this follow-up is just brimming with classic games of yesteryear, most of which still have as much simplistic gameplay appeal and charm as they did back in the day.

It's very well designed and the execution is highly polished; indeed, this is one of the best games I have played all year and it has been the default game in my DS since May when it was shipped - whenever I don't have another game that I need to play, Etrian Odyssey goes back in for more fun.

Ironically for what is essentially a farming sim, what some will find most off putting about Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon is the very nature of the game and its slow paced, limited action approach. Consider it a story wrapped around a non-aggressive resource management game and you'll have a good idea of what to expect.

It's a decent game that's poorly implemented in places and unfortunately suffers from the condition that nearly all movie-based games suffer from. The symptoms usually consist of average graphics (unless you own a previous-gen console), no new storyline (everything's from the film) and an awkward camera control system (because the game's been rushed to be released at the same time as the movie). It is due to these shortcomings that I'd say it's better to leave this game Far Far Away!

On the one hand it's an enjoyable enough low rent action arcade game that looks great, and on the other its reliance on old and outdated ideas often remind you what you don't miss about the games of eras past.

Driver 76 is a disappointing title; the foolish cops, short story mode, long loading times and useless collectables all contribute to the downfall of the overall gameplay.

I'm not a huge fan of skating games, but I really enjoyed Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, from the many great graphical touches to the old-style gamer in me wanting to beat my current high scores.

If you have even the slightest interest in strategy games, and if you ever played the X-Com games, then just buy it - you will not regret it. And if you never played any of the X-Com titles then do yourself a favour and snap them up too!

A hardcore first-person combat simulator that will have any genre veteran smacking their lips in delight. Sure it's far from perfect, but it still offers a remarkable gaming experience that will occupy many hours of our gaming lives.

With Ace Combat firmly established as the jet fighter series on the PS2, Heatseeker really needed to be something special. Sadly it isn't, and although it's fun for a little while, the target for this missile disappears from the radar long before you've reached the end, making it a game that Ace Combat could blow out of the sky with a single shot.

This is a poor game in every sense of the word and even though there are a couple of points where the developers have tried to be different, even these look like they have simply been bolted on. This could have been an interesting title - but after playing it, all interest will sadly slip away very quickly.

If the developers had made more use of the Wii's unique controllers and cranked up the graphics, I could have given this a better score. But, like ordering a Mixed Vegetable Soup at my local Chinese takeaway, I'm going to have to give Legend of the Dragon a number five.

The game has huge potential for the long term, even if a lot of it remains unfulfilled at this point.

Just like every other episode, Sam & Max Season 1, Episode 6: Bright Side of the Moon is filled with tons of one-liners, bad puns, obscure references and all sorts of really great stuff that comes non-stop.

It's a game that lovingly recreates its source material with a passion than fans of Tolkien's works will be very pleased with, but most importantly it's a game that's easily accessible and fun to play, which was always the one thing that made WoW triumph over all those that had come before it.

Hard Rock Casino shouldn't be a terrible game, but it is.

The PS3 version of F.E.A.R. isn't bad by any means, but the poor graphics and occasional glitches makes it far from perfect.

For a brief play it serves a purpose well enough, but if you really want to get the most out of this exciting period of ancient combat then you'll want to wait until something more inspired comes along, because Ancient Wars is just a bit too spartan to give you the experience that you are hoping for.

There are other tactical combat games due out this year and they may be better suited to a wider audience, but if you got this far then you probably have a PSP and an itch for a good strategy RPG - and Aedis Eclipse can do a decent job of scratching it.

Simple, harmless entertainment, an old school arcade game jazzed up (a little) for today's gaming generation - and as such, it does just fine.

I can only imagine the lengths required to achieve the three camera perspectives and you have to say that they have pulled it off very well.

As much as I love Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, it alarms me to see how little the core game has evolved over the years.

As much as I love Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, it alarms me to see how little the core game has evolved over the years.

The controls work, but should have worked a lot better and offered more customization, considering they are the main selling point.

The character system seems deep and appealing, but is really fairly limited and what is there is undermined by the lack of true freedom in the game. Combat is a dreadfully boring experience that takes place in real-time in an ill-realized 'ring of death'. As for the rest of the game, the less said the better.

The pictures will likely be too off-putting for this to be enjoyable for fans of Sudoku, and considering it actually makes the game a little trickier to play, I question how suitable this is for children.

It gives you loads of controls and option, drops you into some amazing situations, but then makes some things too easy and some things too hard - balance is a real issue, especially later in the game.

Certain later levels are enjoyable, as is the final boss fight. Diehard fans of the platforming genre will undoubtedly enjoy Brave more than the rest of us, but even for them, a shoddy camera and frustratingly designed levels near the end will put a damper on the overall experience.

The attention to detail and faithful levels of realism are impressive, the audio and visual components are effective and the challenging gameplay is rewarding for those who can persevere through being thrown in at the deep end and getting defeated time and time again.

A flawed and outdated game that is hard to recommend.

Without a doubt the 'ultimate edition' of the ultimate music-based game. Though far from mind-blowing, the upgraded graphics are appealing, but the remastered sound, additional songs and features are the true stars of the Xbox 360 version's stage, making this game an even easier purchase than the two games before it.

With a compelling storyline, fun characters, access to over 100 party members in the form of the Golems and a very flexible, rewarding and deep upgrade system, Enchanted Arms has everything you would expect from a great RPG and it will keep you hooked for the fifty hours or more that it takes you to reach the end.

First "Rocket Slime" and now this - my eyes are in a frozen stare at your bag of tricks Square-Enix, waiting for you to amaze me again!

Roll on next-gen Singstar, I say. Once we have the power to request, download and pick our own songs then we'll be in charge and maybe then we'll all get the game we desire and deserve. Power to the people!

It's a disappointing purchase despite the low price and free online gaming, and the desire to create a simple, team-to-team beat 'em up has been Silent Grove's undoing.

It's like a coin with a good and bad side - sometimes you flip it on the good side and get the really well told story and interesting situations you find yourself in, but then you flip it on the bad side and get some awkward gameplay that really should have been better at this stage of videogame technology.

Unfortunately Honeycomb Beat is devoid of quality and originality, and while I'd love to do a Jeremy Clarkson and go on drooling about its redeeming features for another few paragraphs after slagging it off so badly, it just doesn't have any - apart from its massive size, but sadly you'll be bored before you've even scratched the surface.

At a cost of only £15 for an online download, it's an absolute must for any PC adventure gamers out there.

Normally with a classics compilation that has no real technical deficiencies, my complaints would be focused on the handful of lackluster titles that drag the overall package down. However, the sheer amount of effort that's gone into the extras and multiplayer has distracted me from any negative feelings. The new king of DS burst gaming has arrived!

This isn't the funniest episode - that was Abe Lincoln Must Die! - but I would call it the most fun. It is silly and the Internet references are spread across the past fifteen years or more, making it at once naive and relevant while keeping the emphasis on fun, Fun, FUN throughout.

Aside from a few minor grievances, Metal Slug Anthology serves up one of the finest videogame compilations ever created and is without question worthy of a place in anyone's collection.

When compared to the rest of the gaming world, Meet The Robinsons is merely a slightly above average title that copies more than it innovates.

The game is a lot of fun, makes great use of the license, will definitely appeals to the children.

If you own any console that Meet The Robinsons has hit (which is most of them) then picking it up for that is definitely the better option.

The game is a lot of fun, makes great use of the license, will definitely appeal to the children (although the aiming system will be a bit hard on them at first) and is even enjoyable for older gamers out there who want a light-hearted platform adventure with an enjoyable story, setting and concept.