A marvellous title that'll have the kids enthralled from start to finish. It's loaded down with quality and a brain-stretching depth that most games in the genre fail to manage.

There are some minor drawbacks, but with its innovative fighting style, thumping tracks and visual excellence, Def Jam: Icon offers some fresh new school flava that you really have to savour with your neighbour.

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.

Despite some flaws and a none to friendly learning curve, Drakensang: The Dark Eye is still an enjoyable RPG that's packed with plenty to do and a combat system that eventually grows into something special.

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.

The uniquely quirky presentation, brilliantly conceived storyline, excellent cut scenes and tremendously varied gameplay all combine for a totally refreshing and fun game experience.

Thanks to this edition, the series continues to hold the title of Best Golf Simulator Ever and I really don't foresee any other game causing it undue worry over the next twelve months.

While there is still some room for improvement, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a prime example of what can be achieved with enough care, attention and (dare I say it) love for a shamefully under-appreciated genre.

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.

It has a good story, nice levels and disturbing, scary moments that you'd expect to see in a survival horror game - but it doesn't have "Resident Evil's" charm.

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.

The gameplay does have a tendency to get slightly repetitive at times, but almost as soon as the experience shows signs of getting to the point of redundancy, a new gameplay mechanic, challenge or boss battle is introduced, thus keeping your interest level from start to finish.

The combat is satisfying, the setting is grand and the amount of troops on screen is amazing - this is war on a scale rarely seen in games and it puts the likes of "Dynasty Warriors" to shame for its combination of sheer numbers and exceptional graphics, with an outstanding soundtrack that completes the atmosphere of this historical adventure.

A tequila-fuelled, high octane, explosive game that combines frantic gunplay and stylish combo moves with a distinctive and perfectly realised Mexican theme to produce a very entertaining and funny experience.

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.

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.

An incredibly addictive and surprisingly fun FPS that concentrates more on mindless button bashing than in tactics, exploration or anything else than many modern shooters now live by.

It's a tough job balancing action, adventure, puzzles and strategy, but Overlord II managed to juggle all of these disparate pieces and very rarely finds itself dropping a ball.

Fable's low points hurt the game quite a bit, especially the length of the game, which could be beaten in three days if you played it a decent amount. It's because of this and the poorly designed world that I would only recommend this game as a purchase if you're a true hardcore RPG nut looking for an epic feeling adventure with a great set of novelty features not found anywhere else.

If you loved the original but found it too easy, then give The Prince of Persia: Warrior Within a go, as it's sure to please. If you loved "Ninja Gaiden" you'll definitely like this.

Fun, addictive and quite compelling, although the repetitive nature of the gameplay does it no favours and certainly won't win over those who require something a little deeper and more meaningful. The game at least captures some of the spirit of "Diablo."

The realism is uncanny and I've grown to love the realistic gameplay, graphics and sound. However, the game could have done with a mode to suit causal players too - a mode that allows you to define the exact number of laps and the exact number of racers, amongst other things.

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.

Those who remember the days of the rollerball and paddle controller and have a deep yearning to return could happily fork out ten to twenty quid for this, but anyone with less than a burning desire to revisit their youth may not feel that their reddies went in the right direction.

If there is one major gripe that positively must be fixed before the inevitable release of Guitar Hero IV, it's product placement. Guitar Hero III jams AXE body spray, 5 gum and Red Bull cans into your face so hard that it's almost offensive.

Qualms about plots and frustrating moments aside however, Safecracker has undoubtedly achieved what it set out to do. For people who either don't like or can't play fast action games, Safecracker offers a challenge that will tax the brains of even the most dedicated puzzlers. If you enjoy puzzles and have a keen mind and plenty of patience, this is one game I can thoroughly recommend you crack open.

Such a refreshing game. The cases are really well thought out and will get you thinking, the sound effects and graphics are top notch for a 2D image-based handheld adventure.

In essence, Alan Wake: The Writer is just the conclusion to Alan's current journey. There is very little new content. What's there is brilliant; the gameplay is straightforward and fun, the animation is top quality, sounds are spot-on and there are some really innovative set-pieces.