Where we are now, no matter how great it seems, if the ending is lacklustre then we’ll all be disappointed. Given Telltale Games’ last four chapters however, I think we’re in for something great.

A great game, perhaps unfortunately overshadowed by the number of higher profile FPSs being released around this time, and let down only by an overly confusing plot.

The massive database of over 32,000 players & staff and also over 3,000 teams is not something that can be sniffed at. And it is clear that a lot of thought has gone into the game so as not to disappoint the legions of loyal Ice Hockey fans.

A very gritty game, full of foreboding and a sense of deep hopelessness that's more than the sum of its parts. It sucks you in and manipulates that little element of your brain that never seems quite sure what's going on. Fans and newcomers alike will react with awe and fear in equal amounts if they dare step once more into the Zone.

If you’re looking for a serious racer this isn’t for you, but if you just want some quick arcade style action this could be right up your street.

This is a step up from last year so if you were on the fence then this might be time to take the plunge.

The similarities between it and the first Killzone are tenuous at best, but each and every change is a welcome one when a game as polished as this gets released.

Buy it, play it and love it as that’s what the Street Fighter games are all about.

If it is the last in the series it’s truly a shame. But Project Zero 3: The Tormented definitely goes out with a bang... a big spooky bang.

If you like the humour in the game then I'd say it's a worthwhile purchase - I enjoyed the single-player adventure despite problems with pacing and some of the puzzles. However I found the online game initially maddeningly chaotic until I got to grips with the surprising complexity of the gameplay on offer.

If you like your puzzle games then Soul Bubbles is well worth a purchase, it’s fun, well structured, and whilst it does have a couple of very minor faults, is a very compulsive game that you’ll want to keep picking up until you’ve completed it.

If you are looking for an Ice Hockey game with lots of big hits and injuries then NHL 08 isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a good looking, great playing game that makes you think and actually challenges you, then look no further than NHL 08.

Bethesda has done the Fallout series justice and should be proud of the game they made, unfortunately, the scope of the project was too much for them and the PC game felt unfinished in places, but simply outstanding in other areas.

A real victory for blue skies in games and the very welcome return of a great franchise.

Happily, NBA 2K6 continues the series’ legacy of producing the best basketball games around. Everything is solid, fun to play, and there’s lots to it.

It was fun to play a space action game that used trading to get you into opportunities for a fight rather than study for a degree in advanced intergalactic economics.

If you're someone who spends hours making movies with the game though the add-on is well worth you taking a look at. A bit more variety in the next expansion is warranted though as are some tweaks to the core gameplay.

Eidos should be commended on breaking out of the current fad for very similar and rather dull shooters and providing console owners with something so different. Battlestations Midway reminds me a lot of the kind of games we used to get from Microprose and that's a compliment indeed.

Doom 3 definitely has gameplay to back it up but it's gameplay from a few years ago while the rest of the world has moved on.

Despite all of the points I’ve raised, however, the only true measure of a MMORPG is whether you are still enjoying and paying to play at the end of your ‘free’ 30 days, and as of the time of this writing, I am doing precisely that.

As such, the game has to be recommended but with certain caveats. Be aware of the skill levels needed to do well in both single player and multiplayer and if I’ve done my job correctly, you have now been well warned. If you have the mettle for the game, you’ll be delighted at what Rockstar has done and you’ll no doubt go on to great things on Xbox Live.

Criterion has made a major mistake removing crash junctions and replacing them with the rather poor red-headed stepchild showtime. But the racing events and seamless online integration mean that Burnout Paradise remains a game that I can still highly recommend.

I’d rate it similarly to Battlefield 2142, purely for the team-based interaction and gameplay, but it doesn’t have the “must play, need upgrades” system that Battlefield has nailed.

For those of you who have always loved Unreal Tournament but no longer game via your PC than there's really no need to deliberate. You need UTIII on console, and either the X360 or PS3 versions will scratch that UT itch in a very satisfying way.

With a full range of attack subs, surface vessels and the introduction of aircraft it's amazing that a simulation can remain so detailed and focussed.

It has more good points than bad though, at the least it will tide you over until the next generation of MMORPGs hits the streets and at best you will have fun for months, even years to come.

It's not perfect, but there’s a lot of fun to be had here and it’s something a bit different from the usual Wii titles.

Overall, Tales of Monkey Island Episode 3 – Lair of the Leviathan continues the excellent series, pretty much as expected, given the great previous chapters. Well worth a purchase for any of you silly enough to have not bought the full season already. If you’re not sold now, maybe Monkey Island isn’t for you.

Grid won’t be for everyone, the handling is to blame for that, but Grid is far from stale and is exceptionally good at delivering wow moments, something that many other games in the genre fail to do.

My main gripe is that the single player game doesn't have the durability I would have hoped for, so if you don’t plan to go online then it’s not a game I’d recommend you pick up.

I have to say that for all the minor bad points, and they are minor, I am really enjoying this title and EA has turned out a well presented game which will keep you amused for hours on end.

Maybe not for the hardcore gamer, Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble will really only appeal to niche market, but it is a wonderfully crafted game that rewards those who just want to sit back and be enthralled by a simple yet clever game that is completely unique in many ways.

X3 is a great game, but if Egosoft grasped the challenge and offered immersion of the type seen in "Freelancer" and similar ship handling, combined with its own beautiful and complex universe, then we might finally have a game that deserves to called the new "Elite."

If you’re looking for a new conquest after finishing "FEAR" or "Call of Duty 2" then you’ll probably not find much in War World. If, however, you’re an old-school arcade fan and can manage a first-person shooter without much trouble, then I’d say War World is pretty much a must-have.

Fantastic stuff. It’s the sort of game non-sports fans can pick up and love. Not only is it the best SSX to date, it also features Apply Some Pressure by Maximo Park.

The online mode is not entirely satisfactory, and even has specific graphical errors such as a lack of shadows underneath the cars, and this mars the general picture a bit. And the graphical performance on certain tracks should perhaps also have been optimised.

Fun though it is, the stalking, hunt-em-down-and-bring-em-in approach begins to wear thin – but just as it does, Stranger's Wrath...changes. It's not a twist, per se - it's pure Western convention – but it prompts a re-evaluation of the character and events of the game.

Given the cliché of terrible movie tie ins, I was most impressed with Scarface on that basis alone, but it does become easier to recommend the game when you consider that Scarface: The World Is Yours would be worth a play through even without Tony Montana.

Darkness Rising brings a lot of new features to a great MMORPG.

It's a casual approach to the genre, but that doesn't hurt gameplay at all. If anything it improves it.

It's not the prettiest looking game, and it does have some minor issues, but the motion controls make all the difference, they do take a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of them it really makes it feel authentic.

It has more good points than bad though, at the least it will tide you over until the next generation of MMORPGs hits the streets and at best you will have fun for months, even years to come.

MotorStorm feels like an appropriate entry in the series, and a remarkable feat given the technology.

As frustrating as it can be to constantly have to keep your eye out for sources of electricity, the power it gives you is particularly enthralling. With an intriguing story and original, if painfully skillful, enemies, the game offers engagement through both narrative, likeable characters and respectable challenge.

The simple addition of a useful targeting systems opens up so much gameplay that felt tedious in "GTA."

A great recreation of the sport and a fine game to boot and is perhaps my favourite title among the PlayStation 3 launch line-up.

With a good ten hours plus of single player game, even on the easiest difficulty, and the multiple endings the choice system provides adding to that, and a great co-op and multiplayer game on top this should provide you with plenty of enjoyment doe your money and keep you sneaking around for a long time to come.

A challenging single player game will last a while, but take it online for some real longevity.

The songs from the radio are nothing short of brilliant; they sound exactly like actual songs without being recognizable but they are of course in “Sim-ish”.

The action in the ring is never short of brilliant. For fans of the sport it really does represent a loving recreation of the skills and strategies required for victory - and reservations about the role of counter-punching aside - Fight Night Round 4 is really very good indeed.

Obviously 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is going to feel rather dated in just a couple of months, but this is by no means a cynical release by EA Sports. This evolution of EA's football gameplay engine is a most welcome one and deserves the chart success it is already enjoying.

At last Maxis has tapped the right vein and found pure gold and how long it lasts depends on how much people can tap their imaginations.

There's definitely a market for this type of game, it's easy to get into, easy to play and you get a good sense of achievement from it.

With little additions to the franchise, a decent but not mammoth amount of maps, and some pretty standard gametypes saved by Warfare (that I’m not even so keen on) it’s only the extension to the Single Player Campaign that saves the score from being considered little more than an expansion pack.

The control system can be labeled as interesting (sweeping the mouse around the screen to guide Guybrush around is one of the worst control schemes I’ve ever encountered) but thankfully this can be swapped for WASD keyboard controls.

If you can summon up the courage to try a flight game for the first time, Ace Combat 5 - Squadron Leader will be a great place to start.

The game isn’t perfect, in-fact I would be pushed to avoid calling it a poor version, but the mere fact that I am still addicted to it, and playing it must count for something in this world.

If you don't own Madden and you're keen to get into the NFL games then this is the one to get.

It's scrubbed up good, it's smarter and it's more varied, but it's fundamentally the same as the first Kohan game. Fortunately for Timegate, that means they've still produced an entertaining, rather individual game.

With solid Xbox Live play, NBA 2K6 is a professionally rounded off package. Special enough to be the best out there and satisfy the fans, but not friendly enough to encourage most newcomers to take up the challenge, which is a shame as this game deserves all the attention it gets.

Its slick level design, excellent sound and the LEGO-look graphics do make We Love Katamari a worthy purchase, however, those who want an upgrade from the previous title will be disappointed as it is more of the same on different levels.

If you like a game that rewards teamwork and strategy as well as hair-trigger reactions and steady nerves, then SOCOM becomes immensely rewarding. Take the game seriously, learn quickly and bring a headset. This package will keep you entertained for a long while.

This is a great game and is only let down by the dodgy bit of vehicle control.

The only question is whether or not you like the sound of the track list, so take a gander, and maybe join me in a never-ending quest to collect noise pollution charges.

Ultimately, it is a relief for me, as a huge fan of the series, a little disappointed by Escape From Monkey Island to see it back to its full strength, and not being milked with sub standard entries just for the cash.

Should you buy it? Only if you’re willing to buy another 8 more somewhere down the line.

At the end of the day you get a very good game here, albeit a bit on the short side at about 5 hours long.

My only real problem with Shivering Isles is the not-so-great mission structure and how the worlds of Sheogorath seem a bit more dead than the regular game - despite the beauty of the new world. As a supplement to Cyrodiil, however, they work great.

The utter diversity in gameplay, the sometimes nail-biting tension coupled with the often laugh-out-loud deaths and kills are exactly what makes The Ship into a brilliant, if flawed game, and just the change in scenery that the FPS genre needed.

Apart from the game giving our PC a bit of a rough time the story is the only other area where we have to mark it down. The story is there to guide you through the intense carnage however, and it doesn’t plead to be taken seriously. Which is a good thing because it clearly isn’t.

Volition's game is an excellent and worthwhile resurrection of an old franchise. One hopes its success results in Volition returning to an extremely well-loved space shooter series.

NCSoft's latest RPG has gotten off to a flying start and will be hoping to steadily gain altitude until it climbs to the lofty heights of long term RPG greatness.

At the very least, it allows you to drive a truck through your enemies, jump into the air as a robot and come down fighting again. It must be said that this will be enough for a lot of people.

The game looks and sounds delightful, and is every bit as good as you expect.

For what you get on the disc Blastworks is a fantastic package, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like your scrolling shooters, or have an inclination towards game design then this really is a must have.

Tecmo has once again shown other developers how much graphical splendour can be squeezed out of the Xbox.

The game plays very smoothly. The controls are a little sluggish but the frame rate is smooth and it feels right. Perfect Dark Zero isn't a killer reason to buy the new console but it does stand out amongst the launch titles as a good game.

The potential of the technologically disruptive DS is just beginning to be exploited. Metroid Prime: Hunters is a great game, and one that really should shift systems. Buy it, play it, and you’ll understand.

Sure, it’s probably not going to win any awards, but Geon remains a fun and replayable crazy action puzzle sport pacman hybrid. For a fiver, it’ll give you way more than just a weekend of entertainment, but probably in short blasts over the course of a long period of time.

Midnight Club LA Remix is not perfect, the early races are two easy while the harder races can come with a sudden harsh spike in difficulty, the race markers I've already mentioned and draw distances can seems a bit short when traveling at full throttle, but i can forgive it all of this just for the smile it can put on your face when it all comes together and you get lost in the race.

Epic Games has done a great job in returning the series to its roots, and while there are plenty of new additions in there, the core gameplay remains fast, frantic and as action-packed as ever.

There are plenty of flaws and rough edges here but at the end of the day it retains the same feel that has made GTA such a success and it offers many hours of engaging gameplay.

The real meat of the expansion though are the new scenarios which offer plenty of variety and interesting gameplay nuances. However they do tend to be rather tricky, even for experience players.

SingStar Queen is a superb addition to the franchise. Ironically it’s not for the die hard fans, since they’ve already bought most of the songs from the SingStore, but for those fans that haven’t got Queen songs yet, it’s an absolute must buy.

Surprisingly, for a game with such attention to finer details and apparent depth, the commentary gets a little flat and repetitive after awhile, even if it does have (perhaps because of) the EA Sports “attitude”.

Give it time to circulate and new content will come pouring in, but what's there is by far the best in the series, and I can say that because the advent of seamless city exploration, fully integrated character traits and less dumbfounded AI in The Sims3 would make it difficult to return to its predecessors.

If you hanker after some great fights with an equally good story to carry things along then you really can’t pick a better game and it’s one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played on the Playstation 2 this year.

But if you don’t already have the other versions and you love your puzzle games, especially this type, you really can’t go wrong here.

Really this is the definitive Dragonball Z game, for the fans anyway, there’s not much they can do to improve it, bar maybe a class system and some working net code.

On the whole though the racing action is very good, with a strong range of cars, attractive visuals and an international approach to motorsport that doesn't seem false or forced.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is by no means perfect, and we'd expect something of an engine overhaul for the next version, but this is no mere cynical yearly update. Recommended.

It's perhaps a bit too frenetic, but on this showing at least, I know I'll be playing this through a few more times until a welcome sequel arrives.

An absolute must for Hockey fans as well as anyone who likes sports games.

Not since Escape from Butcher Bay have I see melee combat so superbly integrated into a first-person game, and so it's clear that ACE Team has put their heart and soul into bringing Zeno Clash to life.

In spite of the odd struggle with the controls, this is a good adventure through and through, and that’s what makes the game worth playing.

And there's very little to touch it in graphical terms on a console. So if you're a graphics whore and a fan of action go right ahead, most gamers will enjoy Far Cry 2, just don't expect something as cerebral as the hype has lead you to believe.

Flatout Ultimate Carnage is a very solid racing game, it’s fast, it’s fun, has an extensive single player side to it with plenty of variety, which is carried over to a decent online multiplayer, doesn’t hurt that it looks great too. Sadly though that just isn’t enough in this day and age for it to be successful, in a market that is flooded with similar games and coming in hot on the heels of more publicized games it is unlikely that this will get the recognition it deserves.

It may seem like Onimusha 3 lacks ambition, but even though it fails to provide any solid innovation to a tired genre, it makes great effort to keep what’s familiar interesting and engaging - going to great lengths to cater for its audience’s needs, even if they seem run of the mill.