Resonance of Fate, like so many eastern RPGs before it, is not in any way a bad game. In fact, it's actually quite a good game, and if it was the first of its kind or even a member of a rarer breed, it might be considered something of a masterpiece.

The best pure racing simulation I've ever played - F1 is to Burnout what Microsoft Flight Simulator is to Ace Combat.

Appealing, entertaining and with high production values, Runaway: A Road Adventure is a successful game that you will not be able to resist.

It's eye-candy from start to finish - sometimes you forget you're playing a game and feel like you're controlling the outcome of a blockbuster film instead. The boss battles are some of the best I've experienced, the graphics are some of the best I've seen, the musical score will make every game I review after this one pale in comparison and the unique gameplay will be something that I miss when I finally have to put this gem down.

The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces may well be short, but that doesn’t stop it from being the greatest and most electrifying flight sim on Wii. And for that reason, it deserves your attention.

You really can't go wrong with this game - there's nothing else quite like it at the moment.

The thing about Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony is that it's the same as every other hack and slash RPG.

If you're prepared for a long-haul of surreal but exciting battles, then Genji: Dawn of the Samurai is a worthwhile investment and a fitting testament to show that new games developers can provide as much of a leading title as their well-recognised counterparts, which they do here with stunning looks, great sound and engaging gameplay.

It does nothing amazing, but it puts some spring back into the step of the adventure game genre and hails back to the quality and humour of Lucasarts classics of yore.

It's essential for all fans of the original and those of you who missed Metoes the first time again should not make the same mistake again!

If I've come off as very sarcastic in this review, it's simply because, compared to Brain Training, the game is mostly boring and I was amusing myself at its expense to keep myself sane.

No matter what game genre you're most fond of, if you'd like to see a great game world that doesn't rely on the usual trappings found in RPGs, Steambot Chronicles is an absolute must - it cracks open the RPG mold by taking some familiar elements and running around outside the box, thumbing its nose at them all the way from beginning to end.

TT isn't so much a racing game as a fantastic driving experience and one that deserves better than the reduced copy and paste options and tracks that have been bolted onto it.

Quite possibly the most pure arcade racer I've ever played - nothing hearkens back to the simplistic racing fun of arcade machines like this does.

Despite realistic graphics and sound, DDO simply falls short of expectations when it comes to providing accessible gameplay for solo or group play, meaning that you have to sink a large portion of your time into the game to get the most out of it.

The content is still pure gold, you just need to persevere through the presentation issues - besides, they do say that true love is loving the flaws as much as everything else.

It dares to do something different by taking an otherwise pretty stale genre and cramming it with innovation and creativity.

s always, it's tough to compare SingStar Queen to other games in the series, but for Queen fans this could well be the Game of the Year. The reason why the score above is that bit lower than the SingStar ABBA review is that the best of these songs have been knocking around on the SingStore for months.

What once was my favourite Dreamcast game is now a PSP game that is too much of a tease to love.

Ultimate Spider-Man may look very stylish and visually capture the essence of a comic perfectly, but the gameplay feels like a swing backwards in almost every department.

The package gave me hours of enjoyment and nail biting engagement; it even made me sweat with suspense and convinced me that I was actually in a battle!

I have absolutely fallen in love with Destroy All Humans! 2 - it's fantastic fun to play, even when you're not engaged in missions but just wandering the streets messing with the humans.

A stylish RPG that authentically represents Middle Earth from the book and the film trilogy. Whilst the gameplay is both enjoyable and addictive, it is also very traditional in style and does nothing at all to further the genre.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood could have been awful, but it's not. It's a joy to play, every bit the Bioware experience but mixed in with the instant arcade style thrills of Sonic's glory days on the Mega Drive.

A great game and a big success. The sheer variety of mini-games on offer and their usage of the touch screen in a multitude of ways makes the single player fun and the multiplayer mode a real joy to play, locally or online.

If only the missions required a bit more intuitive thinking from the player, this could be a stellar PSP title. As is, make sure you’ve played both the excellent Syphon Filters before opting for the lesser option that Fireteam Bravo 3 sadly is.

Gran Turismo PSP is Polyphony's Pokémon and, as such, one that's more for the Jay Lenos amongst us rather than the James Hunts.

While the added content may not be enough to entice gamers who have already bashed their way through the PC version, Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition is a near essential title for any 360 owner looking to unleash their freakier side and experience the finest that indie gaming has to offer.

Shining Soul II suffers from a very flawed combat system, leaving it open to RPG veterans only.

It is limited in scope, but this makes it perfect for those with limited experience with similar products or gamers who are looking for a more casual baseball management title, while also making it a difficult recommendation for the more ambitious player.

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.

The insistence on maintaining the frequent random encounters as an integral part of the gameplay drags the experience right down, and the fact that you can't save whenever you like is not good either.

Somewhere in Comic Jumper is a solid game, but it's buried underneath muddy controls, terrible jokes and some odd design choices.

The sheer size of the game and the time it will take to play through should keep the average player occupied for months and it moves with a steady pace that should keep most players interested.

Whilst it is fun to play, you can't help feeling that they could have done so much more.

At present it feels like one of the worst games in the series to date, with issues such as slowdown and poor editing options hampering the experience. Yet it still has the potential to be without a doubt the greatest football game yet.

Yes it's a port, but a port of a superb console original and it's a great achievement to bring this smash hit onto PSP.

The combat is its biggest weakness, due to some minor issues with targeting, but, in the long run, First Departure delivers a great experience no matter what problems this causes.

Bad writing, average graphics, poor sound and gameplay with seemingly no direction and little resemblance to the Bikini Bottom world combine to bog down a really good storyline concept and what could have been a good platform adventure game, but instead feels like sections of platform adventure jumbled with poor flying and racing.

While it won't end up on any 'game of the year' lists, it is a satisfying and fun experience that frames beloved characters and settings within a nice extension of the original story.

It's a very exciting and fun single player experience and great in multiplayer if you've got some buddies willing to play. If only they'd put it on Live…

Not only do you get some of the most stunningly playable titles from gaming history, with a simple and easy way to select them, but also a wide selection of bonus features with which to keep real retro fanatics' juices flowing.

One the best RPG experiences to grace the PS2 in a while, ranking up there with Final Fantasy X and Disgaea. Every aspect from story to gameplay to audiovisual appeal is well executed, making it a fresh, unique experience.

Players with infinite patience and the strength of will to complete the game will be well rewarded, but those expecting the same level of intuitiveness and accessibility as other Wii or SSX games will be more than a little frustrated.

A fantastic action-platformer that, despite a few technical hitches and minor camera problems, delivers well over ten hours of 3D Pac-Man goodness.

The ever changing campaign, which goes from gunplay to horseback and even skeleton crushing buggies, does a good job of offering new experiences to keep the gameplay fresh, which definitely makes Darkwatch one to spend some time with during the next gaming drought.

If you are in the mood for battle and fancy rallying against the might of Rome or Carthage then you could do a lot worse than this challenging effort.

A pleasing new addition to one of the best city builder franchises around and while it doesn't quite surpass its predecessors, it's still an enjoyable and accessible management game with enough challenges to keep fans of the series and the genre building away for weeks to come.

With the lovely graphics comes lovely sound. In every respect the sound flatters the graphical side of things.

The lasting appeal is great, the graphics aren't half bad, the sound is pretty good, yet the gameplay falls far below par to my golfing expectations.

Even though it doesn't attempt to evolve the series any further, Dance Dance Revolution Universe is a fantastic game with more visual pizzazz and replay value than any DDR before it.

Tak: The Great JuJu Challenge takes a fairly average platforming formula and puts a unique turn with it, making each level a race against the clock where speed is of the essence, but so is exploration.

A great title and there's nothing else quite like it. The only thing that comes close is "Kingdom Under Fire" for the Xbox.

It isn't the uber killer-app the PSP still so desperately needs to showcase what it is truly capable of as the powerhouse portable gaming device it is supposed to be, but regardless of that fact, there can be no denying that Bomberman is among the platform's most entertaining, long-lasting and downright addictive titles yet.

Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice is a high-octane, lighthearted, linear game and it's a must play for every PSP owner. Most importantly, the game is fantastic fun to play, using every section of its large amount of modes to make you enjoy every moment.

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.

The game is still brilliant and the second coming gives another chance to all those people who wished they'd played the first - but there's something a little too familiar about it, and if you were refreshed by my change in approach, then you might find the lack of change in FlatOut 2 somewhat repetitive.

Overall the atmosphere here is electric with a great looking and sounding game that plays well for the most part, though some events can be frustrating but ultimately beatable.

The slick look and easy to use feel of Europa Universalis: Rome combine with its astonishing depth and freeform style to provide a truly compelling and quite unusual game experience.

Be you 6 or 60, IO Interactive have created a game that can be enjoyed by just about anyone, without succumbing to the pitfalls of modern day 'casual game' design, and in doing so have given this gamer hope for the future of family gaming.

There is a surprisingly fun multiplayer mode for up to four players to shoot it out or have a duel.

The visuals are stunning, the history is accurate and the dialogue is good.

Puchi Puchi Virus offers a superb and (most importantly) original puzzle experience that anybody can pick up and gradually start to understand, to the point where they start pulling off big chains without even thinking about it. This definitely comes highly recommended.

Although the lack of online play prevents Avalanche from being a major player, the actual gameplay and experience is so good I'd be tempted to say it's better than both "Amped" and "SSX."

If you fancy living a similar life to Jonny then you can't really go wrong. With quirky graphics, familiar sounds, a nice variation in missions and tasks, a high level of interaction where jobs are concerned and some great new power socials, The Urbz is a worthy addition to most peoples' collection.

It may not be quite in the same league as Burnout, but it certainly has enough charm and variation to be considered a real contender, one that may begin to catch up with the market leader given a next generation sequel and a little more time to iron out the creases.

A gaming triumph and a truly next-generational offering - indeed, it's offering next generation gameplay for PS2 and Xbox owners too, and anyone wanting a taste of where gaming is heading really needs to pick this up now.

Sure, it's not one of the three things I'd take with me to a desert island - those three spaces are reserved for a helicopter, a trained pilot and a good flask of Yorkshire Tea for the ride home - but Castaway is something that I'd look forward to playing upon my safe return from the island.

An absolute must have for people who liked them back then and if you never actually played them... well, I'll hold back. Just buy this collection.

Medal of Honor: Airborne is ultimately made for those who can make it through the lacklustre first half of the game. Persevere and you will be rewarded with some of the best action that WWII shooters have had to offer in a long time.

A unique concept alone isn't going to win the race, you need a lot of content for it as well. Nintendo has created some very addictive, enjoyable and challenging gameplay, but then prematurely dropped the ball by leaving it so short.

One of the best platform offerings to hit these systems in a while, plus a quality children's game for which the competition is extremely limited.

It's as if the producers stopped halfway through making it, decided to give it a different spin and forgot to bolster the audio department in the process.

It is better than the original in terms of content and extras, the controls and graphics are better than many other PSP games and the overall experience is great fun.

The PS2 game is near identical to the PS3 version, but the lack of some classic Queen tracks puts a dampener on the whole experience.

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie has impressed me so much that I'm almost embarrassed to admit it. There's loads of variety to keep anybody quiet for ages - it even kept me up, playing until the break of dawn!

Napoleonic Wars, while not really pushing the genre to new heights, succeeds because it manages to provide an experience that feels different from the majority of current strategy games on the market.

Despite the relative shortness of the single player mode, I can't recommend Urban Chaos: Riot Response enough.

If you're looking for a fighting game that uses the DS in innovative ways then you need to look elsewhere, but if you simply want the classic game you know and love to play in the palm of your hand then snap this up and battle away!

The type of player who will enjoy this game is the one who plays to unlock things. This is your type of game, because there are hundreds of items to unlock and use, which you will have to work for.

The run-and-gun portions of Dead to Rights come together so perfectly that you become enraptured by your ability to take down hordes of bad guys in classic Jon Woo style. It's these intense, visceral, wicked gunfights that make you forget reality and draw you completely into Slate's fantasy world of fast and furious gun-slinging action. Sadly, the beat 'em up sections of the game mar what otherwise would have been a perfect title.

The AI itself is quite charactersome, nattering incessantly to you throughout the match, sometimes making scathing remarks on your inability to play chess and sometimes just uttering random remarks, such as Mrs Doubtfire impersonations amongst many others. But even that exuberant façade cannot hide the fact that behind Fritz Chess 9 is very little new material besides engine updates.

It's a slow paced game, so those who shy away from games like chess will probably want to turn a blind eye, but anybody with an ounce of patience and a lust for either piloting a plane, commanding a ship or steering a submarine should sail down to their local game shop and pick up a copy!

I highly recommend trying out the demo to see if you can live with this flaw before making a decision; Cogs still deserves our respect for creating an unusual and very well thought out puzzle game, but sadly the restrictions of its chosen medium gets the better of the gameplay at times.

No first person shooter on any future system should feel like a gun mounted on a camera ever again!

While a certain blue hedgehog has pretty much stagnated over the years, Ty is like a blast of cool air that hits you on a steamy summer day then goes away, leaving you wanting even more.

Plenty of depth, great sound and visuals, copious amounts of unnecessary swearing, oodles of violence and an awesome central character in Tony Montana - it's not quite GTA IV but if you can't wait until next October then you should definitely say hello to this little friend!

If you're a puzzle game fan then Geon is close to an essential purchase for those looking for something new on the PlayStation Network.

A fine real-time strategy game that fans of the genre should gain plenty of enjoyment from, despite adding little that's new to the genre, other than an original alternate history scenario that makes for some distinct and memorable units to command.

It looks great, plays well and really kicks ass on multiplayer mode.

Despite initial reservations, Ceville charmed me more than I usually like to admit. It is the obvious result of a team who truly love what they are doing and who are determined to make new and interesting gaming content for us. The witty and eloquent writing style and the consistently top-notch humour turn this little title into a gaming gem.

History buffs will delight in the wealth of historical accuracy and strategicians (no it's not a word, but if we use it enough it might become one…) will find much to enjoy. It takes a quick mind and distinct tactical dexterity to outwit the crafty snares of Rommel.

It's an interactive story in the truest sense and as such the gameplay is secondary - although there is enough to do between cut scenes, with the usual puzzle solving, exploration, sneaking, mini-games and even a bit of combat.

Players limited to offline play most likely won't get a lot out of this game once they beat it, if they can motivate themselves to do so.

If you like lots of guns that feel the business, lots of demons who look the business, lots of tension, lots of suspense, a great plot that keeps you guessing and interested, and buckets and buckets of blood, then you'll probably love this.

It may be a pimped up ride, but underneath the bonnet it has the heart of a true racing game.

Great in short bursts and solving the main puzzles can be a real blast, however the game fails to deliver any serious replay value once you complete them and setting high scores will eventually become dull and tedious.