With its console roots showing clearer than a bad peroxide rinse, it all looks a bit 2001, and other minor glitches include guns inadvertently disappearing into walls - quite an impressive trick if they'd meant it.

Unfortunately, the game is extremely linear. You get a task and go do it, then get another and go do that. Which would be fine if the huge levels weren't so boringly designed.

We applaud EA's efforts to make the game as authentic as possible, but the kits don't look great close up. The Man U one is last season's. There's no Nike sign on it. How do the likenesses fare down the league? Badly.

It's as solid, competent and thrill-packed as the previous entries in Maddox Games' single-handed assault on the flight genre, it just doesn't really do anything that we haven't seen before. Nothing major at least. [PC Zone]

The polygon boost isn't enough to stop Bully looking dated. But there's still plenty of fun to be had here if you didn't play the original.

It's a very good thing the combat is so enjoyable, because that's pretty much all there is. [PC Zone]

Dead Space 3's co-op mode ends up mirroring the single-player experience: slick, entertaining, with the occasional moment of brilliance, marred by a lack of tension, pacing and pant-filling scares.

There is fun to be had here - a lot of fun in fact, if you're prepared to dig and claw for it. For those people, anarchy will indeed reign, but everyone else will find themselves wishing for a little more law and order.

Hawx could do with a fair bit of polish before it (inevitably) comes around for a second flight, then - and a sluggish start to the solo campaign doesn't help much either. It's far from perfect, but the ERS formula does provide a small but much needed fresh idea to the tired genre, which means many Clancy and Ace Combat fans alike will be glad they played it.

It's like Capcom was undecided in what it wanted RE5 to be. It breaks many of the series' traditions, yet tries to hold onto elements of its heritage that are either dated or don't fit with the style.

Should be called the "Sega Mega Drive Really Good But Not Quite Ultimate Collection".

Frustrating but still enjoyable, full of character and quirky charm, with a bit more spit 'n' polish and tighter game design Tak could so easily have been a classic.

It seems that now EA is the sole rights holder to the official NFL licences, and the opposition has folded its tables and left, it seems to have taken its foot off the gas. Better luck next year. [PC Zone]

What really lets Ops down is a lack of finesse. There are very few nice touches and an almost total inability to interact with the environment.

If you can make friends with the twitchy handling in this arcade-sim crossbreed, then you're in for a good drive.

Think of it as Zelda-lite and you won't go far wrong.

It does an excellent job of expanding RCT3 - not only are there the nine new scenarios, but you can also use many of the new features in the existing scenarios, which is a nice touch.

Shallow and frequently frustrating but the fast-paced gameplay makes for a fun multiplayer experience.

So in the end, Panzers Phase 2 is to Phase 1 what the Nazi invasion of France was to the Nazi invasion of Poland: effective, but relying on pretty much the same troops and tactics. [PC Zone]

Games are something you play, films are something you watch. Unfortunately for EoN there are too many films and not enough game.

It's entertaining in all the right ways, but just like Gates and Price, it's all a bit too predictable.

Bland environments and dull gameplay leave Rainbow Six 3 feeling disappointingly empty. If the AI was more realistic and there was some texture in the worlds this would have been much better.

It's no platform-defining blockbuster, but if you've got the patience to get along with the controls there's a good few hours to be found. Add on some decent multiplayer and it's a good day to be a PSP owner.

It's uncharacteristically short for an RPG, but those Mega Man action junkies have short attention spans.

It may be linear and occasionally repetitive, but the spectacular set pieces will surely rock your world as hard as any Hong Kong classic.

Unfortunately, this ninja dream too often becomes a nightmare of infuriating control issues, camera problems and soul-destroying restart points.

The graphics are decidedly old-skool and the combat isn't nearly as tactical or as spectacular as the developer claims (I feel Larian should drop the Diablo-style combat entirely). However, with BioWare moving ever more mainstream, the Divinity series could well take over from where Baldur's Gate left off. [PC Zone]

There's definitely fun to be had here. And you don't have to be a four-year-old gaming amateur to enjoy it.

The battles are frantic and over quick enough to make it perfect to dip in and out of, and the multiplayer battling is wicked fun with mates.

Expertly produced with enough sheen in all the right places to make it worth your while, but still flawed enough to be a bit disappointing.

Bottom line is that Jump To Lightspeed is not an essential addition to SWG, and by no means repairs the many faults of the existing game. [PC Zone]

The gaming equivalent of buying a massive bag of crisps only to find that half the packet is filled with fresh air. There's still plenty to enjoy, but not nearly as much as there should be and you end up feeling a bit cheated.

Final Fantasy XI is an acquired taste, and one that was built for playing on the sofa rather than on the PC. It's a pity that Square couldn't have served up something more ambitious for our first online RPG, but at least it means we get an RPG that's had three years of being knocked into shape. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It's the game's lack of originality that proves the real disappointment.

It's rare that an action role-playing game works as both an 'action' and 'role-playing' game, so to come across such slick combat and a deeply involving character upgrade system here is a real treat.

Accept it for what it is - the best (and only) single-player and Xbox Live footy game you can buy for Xbox 360 until "FIFA 07" or "Pro Evo 6} shows up. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It may not always be pretty, and some online play would've been nice, but for older gamers looking to revisit their misspent childhood down the local arcade, and younger gamers searching for a lesson in gaming history, this is worth snapping up.

Half loose arcade racer, half tight tuner epic, Need For Speed Most Wanted gets caught in a rolling roadblock between "PGR3"'s graceful racing and "Burnout"'s burning intensity, neither of which it can begin to match. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Neither scary nor particularly engrossing, Area 51 is an exercise in keeping the trigger pressed and the aliens streaming out of the screen. The truth, it is sad to say, is still out there. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Right up there with the smash-happy "Mercenaries." Make no mistake, this one's a definite Hulk smash. [PSW]

If you have Live then we can't recommend Black Hawk Down enough. Sure, it's no "Halo 2" (something it thankfully never even tries to be), but when you fire a screaming RPG into a chopper carrying a dozen or so enemies, you momentarily forget all about the terrible, stunted single-player experience. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The Xbox has clearly the best graphics, the PS2 has an exclusive online option where you can trade items with other players. The GameCube and GBA versions have possibly the most exciting exclusive option.

A game with a severe identity crisis, clearly trying to appeal to the action-loving masses while attempting not to alienate fans of the slow-paced gameplay of yore. Problem is, it's unlikely to truly grip either group, and may well estrange many core fans. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The frustrating controls haven't been improved much, and Sly's movement is nowhere near as smooth as we'd expect.

Total Overdose is certainly fun if all you're after is a quick blast and something that doesn't tax your mind meat, but it isn't nearly as multi-faceted as it thinks it is. [PSW]

There's no standout reason to upgrade from previous editions. But if you're new to backside-blistering fun on four wheels, Fury 3 is worth a blast. [PSW]

It's the carefully judged pace and variety of Gun that tightens your grip on its pommel and adds the real beauty to the sunset you'll pause to enjoy after a grueling shootout. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Live is included as part of the deal, and further downloadable characters, stages and moves are promised. Which will make the purists squeal, though they may be the only parties really interested in this blast of rose-tinted nostalgia. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

But underneath the pretty graphics JetPac Refuelled is pretty much the same game we played a quarter of a century ago. We doubt it'll grip a new generation of gamers as much as it did back in the day but you'll get your money's worth.

Despite the weak selection of modes, Pokemon Link remains an enjoyable puzzler. The arbitrary veneer of the Pokemon license doesn't seem particularly misplaced and offers the ever enjoyable task of collecting all 380 of the little marketing wonders.

Wii Sports is neither bulging in features nor graphically impressive, but when you put everything together, you have a fun package that, although better in places than others, is varied enough to keep you entertained for a good while and brilliant in multiplayer.

What's missing is any kind of plot-based campaign - what you play solo is the same as multiplayer, only with bots instead of blokes to back you up or blow you up. The one-player ain't fun, basically.

It's all perfectly meaty, well-constructed stuff, and there's little you can fault, other than the fact the subject matter isn't particularly engaging. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The action is reassuringly samey from start to end, and your path is set in stone. Yet, the overall experience is highly polished and big on drama.

There's no doubt that as a casual tennis game, this is loads of fun. But if you're looking for the depth, simulation and total shot control, you might be left fuming that your little sister could beat you with random crazy shots. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

For a series that started the whole World War II shooter experience, Medal of Honor now finds itself occupying a strange middle ground, neither floundering as it so obviously did with "Rising Sun," nor presenting any kind of serious challenge to the innovative "Brothers in Arms," or even "Call of Duty."

The presentation, as mentioned, is superb - just check out the way if you pause the game, the screen will flick to a newspaper article detailing your current level and predicament. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

A solid tennis game but underwhelming in most areas.

Business as usual for the Kinect Sports franchise. Season 2 packs fun new features but anyone who wasn't won over by the original will have little reason to love this.

And what is it with the cut-scenes? They've roped in all the voices from the film, so why can't they make sure that the figures look better? It's a mystery even Spidey can't solve.

We'd have liked to see a more controllable camera as it's pretty static and doesn't allow for too much close-up action, but with such a bright and batty Shrek universe to demolish, we didn't find ourselves caring that much anyway. [Official UK XBox Magazine]

Once you get used to the controls you'll be fine... but all too often levels seem like chores rather than challenges. [PSW]

It may not be the next-gen golfing revolution we were hoping for, but it's still a hugely enjoyable round that captures the ambience of the sport better than any other current-gen game. Just don't expect it to knock your plus-fours off. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The drag racing sections truly capture the magic of the recent The Fast And The Furious flicks, and these one-on-one cock-fights make for a refreshing change after endless laps of spittle-covered urban wasteland.

Megaman is straightforward and the exact sort of game that works on PSP. Fast and simple, bright and colourful. [PSW]

It's a cute platformer that fills the gap between the overly-kiddified TY the Tasmanian Tiger 2 and Sony's more challenging Jak and Ratchet games. [PSW]

EA's new graphics engine makes a difference too. Things are noticeably sharper and more free-flowing, meaning that the frenetic on-court movement of players doesn't get lost inside your PS2.

But savour these one at a time rather than devouring them all in an afternoon, and you'll find this to be another pleasant trip to retroville. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Stays faithful to the movie licence and dishes up hour upon hour of orc-slaying fun. It's not really doing anything new as far as RPGs go but, what it does do, it does well. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Exhilarating because you're tasked with turning the tide of the conflict by hacking through scores of enemies with an array of combos, projectile attacks (including bows and bombs) and some superb special Musou moves that first need to be powered up. Infuriating because the abysmal camera makes it virtually impossible to face the enemy for any prolonged period, meaning you're soon being flanked faster than a bitch on heat in an all-male dog sanctuary. [PC Zone]

Some amazing moments... and some truly abysmal ones. Saints Row: The Third is wildly imaginative and frequently entertaining, but a lack of technical polish and weak combat overshadow its achievements.

It's a fun and a very stylish third-person action game - a lot better than the movie deserves, by all accounts. Just don't buy it expecting to see anything you haven't already seen before. [PSW]

Missions are equally dull - blow up this and collect that, nothing you haven't seen before. You can have a mate join the killing in co-op mode, but that's only fun for an hour. After that you'll have exhausted most of Raze's Hell's potential - apart from its potential as a makeshift frisbee. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Rise Of The Apocalypse shows great attention to detail, with genuinely exciting gameplay. Even for an occasional Marvel fan, this is more than worthy of your time.

A solid and just about satisfactory squad shooter, but we expected better from the fourth game in the series. [PSW]

Everything X7 delivers is quality, although with an unshakable sense of 'been there many times before'.

Right now it is compelling, but riddled with so many problems that if you part ways with your cash for it, you're entering into a pact that will give you as much frustration as entertainment. [PC Zone]

Describing the stages in Turok as mere 'levels' doesn't really do them justice - it took us almost two hours to find everything in the first one alone, and they get bigger!

Overall, there's no standout reason to upgrade from previous editions. But if you're new to backside-blistering fun on four wheels, Fury 3 is worth a blast. [PSW]

A Hero's Tail is actually fairly hefty, with enormous levels to explore. Obviously a younger gamer's title, plenty of colourful visuals and the addition of so many replayable mini-games should keep the kiddies enthralled (and quiet) for hours at a time. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The GameCube and GBA versions have possibly the most exciting exclusive option, with players able to download special mini-games to their GBA which will earn them Simoleons and other goodies to use in the Cube game.

Lok is a total buffoon and he'll crack you up. But he doesn't make this more than another average, slightly tedious platformer. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Although the songs may be faithful to the film, the voice of Jack Skellington isn't, and as such it feels odd to try and relate to the skinless charlatan. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

At their best, the Pro Skater games were a sport in themselves, requiring lots of skill. While the thrill of the trick is still here, it's deluged in a misfired attempt at frat-boy cool.

It's just balls-out shooting from start to finish, with 50 Cent tunes to bop along to as you go. It's not too tough and not overly complicated. You just have fun with guns, and that's all there is to it.

There's a lot to like about Brothers in Arms, and the tactical element is much more than just a tacked-on gimmick. But with below-par visuals and unbalanced gameplay, we're left with a somewhat sticky and unappealing shooter with a lot of unfulfilled potential. [PSW]

The Xbox has clearly the best graphics, the PS2 has an exclusive online option where you can trade items with other players. The GameCube and GBA versions have possibly the most exciting exclusive option.

Feels like a far less weighty package than the original. The graphics are still beautiful compared to most competing games, and Etherlords II retains the title of best-looking turn-based combat game on the market. This might be enough for some, but if you liked the strategic elements from the first game, Etherlords II may well prove to be a big disappointment.

The novelty tables (L-shapes, triangular, etc.) aren't mental enough. The closest thing is the slippery ice hockey table. They built an amazing pool simulation, but surely the next step was to subvert that with crazy game stuff?

Inconsistencies such as the out-of-date player roster (why are Jazz and Nidia still there, yet characters like Heidenreich, William Regal and Torrie Wilson aren't), the fact that only four wrestlers are ever allowed on screen at once (why not six, or eight?), and that the list of unlockable legends is limited to say the least (no Hulk Hogan!) [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

This reminds CVG of when videogames were designed to scare you into submission with impossible challenges, while pacifying you with digital displays beyond most imaginations.

Bulletproof is one of the darkest video games around, with its combination of gritty storyline and moonlit night-time setting. [PSW]

The GameCube and GBA versions have possibly the most exciting exclusive option, with players able to download special mini-games to their GBA which will earn them Simoleons and other goodies to use in the Cube game.

There's plenty of depth here, but at the end of the day, races become a repetitive flatbed of short, sweet dashes from A to B. And that's what stops BMT2 from being a really good game. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The expected unfathomable depths of information are ready and waiting to be (pleasantly) drowned in, but it definitely isn't a lightweight affair. [PC Zone]

Thankfully, nothing's been fiddled with (except the addition of Wi-Fi support), and the inclusion of Marble Madness and Championship Sprint in particular prove that quality gameplay is timeless. [PSW]

It's good to see Ubisoft completely rewriting history, rather than just slightly altering it, to spin one of the series' most absurd and intriguing yarns. Washington as a comical cartoon villain is entertaining, and the Wolf Cloak makes stealth less frustrating than it was in the vanilla game. Still, it isn't a vastly different experience, and if you've already bled Assassin's Creed 3 dry, you might find this add-on a little too familiar at times.

But if bling is your thing and you're in need of a dire hit of nitrous oxide, then LA Rush will deliver enough of a fix to tide you over until the next 'big' racing title hits Xbox. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]