The real saving grace though for The 40th day is the multiplayer options.

It isn’t the most exciting game in the world and it offers nothing new but the excellent multiplayer options help it to stand out as a PSP title.

The lack of structure here is a bit disappointing but hardly a deal breaker. There is a wealth of content on offer and Gran Turismo is a very well crafted game which is definitely worth the price.

At present, the online community is visible, but it's hardly expansive. Without it, Trackmania is good entertainment for a few afternoons, a short game not due to a lack content, but simply a lack of serious challenges.

Although it doesn’t offer anything new, Sacred wields a metaphorical mace of monster mash with pride and panache. This is slick action adventuring with a lack of ambition but no shortage of charm.

All in all I'd say that EA can do better.

Taking into account the design flaws, AI inconsistencies, the lack of progression and that the PS2 version is arguably a lot better (and cheaper) than the ‘next-gen’ versions yet again (albeit very little different to PES 6 save for some subtle differences), but also taking into account that for some people the frame-rate issues and online play aren’t as bad as they are for others, PES 2008 still just about manages to scrape a six.

MC3 works surprisingly well on a PSP, despite the grand setting and detail put into the original.

If the setting and atmosphere were any different, say a sci-fi or fantasy setting, I doubt that the experience provided by Red Dead Revolver would seem anything more than mediocre, if that.

A lazy effort. Xbox Live play is poorly implemented and those seeking online racing are better off trying the PC version.

Truly terrible.

Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice is the sort of game ‘real’ gamers hate to acknowledge, and having it in my collection makes me feel somehow illicit, like a raw-foods vegan tucking into a Big Mac. It’s bold, brash, skin-deep but oddly irresistible, and while it doesn’t leave my desk with a firm recommendation, fans of arcade action could certainly do worse.

A big improvement over last year. EA has put a lot of effort to get a well presented, well commentated game of basketball.

A solid and enjoyable racing game, with some nice quirky features, but one that falls short of greatness by lacking something really special.

Sitting down for half an hour will quickly lead to you looking at the clock and only to discover its 5 am three days later.

The real saving grace though for The 40th day is the multiplayer options.

It provides the classical Simmer gameplay, with minor changes to accommodate the hand held format, but do not hold your breath while searching for any major innovations with regards to the DS side of things.

Perhaps it is only the desire to see more of the scope of the world (and hope for more variety) that keeps you going, but when you can count on your fingers the time it takes to finish the story missions, I wonder if my completist attitude will be enough to push me to claim the entire map as my own.

It’s difficult to avoid recommending the game, when I honestly had fun, but £30 to £40 is too much to pay for such a short game.

It gets annoying at the end and it isn't a long game by any stretch of the imagination but it works well.

Twitch players in favour of the 'rush and crush' tactic will be deeply frustrated here, but those who like to take their time and mull over the tactical options available should find much to keep them occupied.

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.

Bearing in mind that Cogs is a budget game from the Steam network I would still have to say that I could only recommend it to the minority who actually like sliding tile puzzles if they ever come down from their hilltop monasteries, and maybe at a push, trainspotters.

More troubling is the fact that, while it’s easy to aim your crosshair at any part of a locked-on enemy’s body, it’s much harder to switch between multiple targets be they men or explosive barrels.

It isn't a bad game at all, and is fairly entertaining - but it is also very simplistic and has a tendency to annoy you and get repetitive fairly quickly.

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.

There are minor problems, such as lackluster cut scenes that fail to live up to the opening cinematic and a loot collection system that sometimes forces you to choose between holding the line and making a quick dash for cash, but if you're prepared to overlook these then the game should make a worthy addition to your collection.

The question remains as to whether any Vietnam based game can be actually highly entertaining and satisfying as a game, while keeping true to the spirit of conflict. Men Of Valor provides us with a little food for thought in this regard, at least.