A copycat, yes, but when it's this thrilling, brutal and frankly, awesome we don't care.

A brilliant multiplayer game and an entertaining single-player one wrapped up in one shiny package. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Gorgeously lit levels create some amazingly atmospheric - and realistic - shadows to lurk in. The cod liver oil's been doing the trick too, as Sam's slinky, cat-like movements are animated in a stunningly believable way. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It's been a difficult task judging the Lost and Damned because really, there's no DLC package like it. The production, scope and sheer amount of content is equal to some full releases and Rockstar could've easily put it in a box and sold it for 20 quid. But it's not on the shelves and it's not more than fifteen quid, which makes it a terrific bargain.

Those who bought last year's game might find themselves disappointed by the lack of genuine innovation and new thrills. It's still a truly amazing game, but one that's in need of a freshening up and a different slant before they chuck out next year's version. [PSW]

It may be lacking the coins of the original, and the courses aren't as inspired, but it plays like a demon, and that's the important part, right?

Not your average gaming experience - Mirror's Edge takes the FPS format and flips it on its head. A brilliant and unique experience, even if the small shooting parts aren't quite up to scratch.

On pure graphics alone though, it's a massive step forward and is easily one of the best-looking sports games currently available. Add all the other improvements, plus the wealth of new boxers, gear and venues and Fight Night Round 2 is a super heavyweight of a sequel. [PSW]

The graphics are so finely detailed that you'll soon forget you're playing a game - it's more like taking part in the best cartoon you've ever seen.

DmC is a superb reboot that delivers on all fronts, and does it with aplomb. For the first time in ages, we're excited to see where Devil May Cry goes next.

It's pretty easy to see why Capcom added a MAX onto the title of this conversion of Street Fighter Alpha 3. There are a staggering 15 play modes available when the game first loads. Then four extra characters culled from Capcom vs. SNK 2 (Eagle, Maki and Yun) and Capcom Fighting Jam (Ingrid) to help make up a total of 37. [PSW]

With a story mode that demands to be finished and pacing so good that it'll steal big chunks of your life, Amped 3's one of the best extreme sports titles since the original "SSX." It's cool, it's edgy, it's irreverent and it's fun. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The sheer accessible quality of Jade will grab the huge portion of mainstream gamers introduced to the role-playing genre by KOTOR, and drag them kicking and screaming into a sumptuous, surreal world of elephant demons and ancient lore - a considerable achievement for a new franchise. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

If you and a group of mates do enjoy blowing the sh.t out of each other, however, you'd be as misguided as 343 Guilty Spark to miss out on this. Fifteen quid to add another year's enjoyment to an already fabulous title, or eight quid for five spanking new ones over Live? Yes please to both! [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

This new shooter in town didn't just impress us, it blew us away with its gorgeous looks, balanced weaponry and unbelievably fun gameplay. We're now scarred by this illicit encounter, and no FPS experience will ever be the same again. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Players have access to better weapons (machine guns, grenades) early on in this sequel, and it definitely makes for a much more exciting experience. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It's a finely-crafted slice of the Mario as you know and love it, with so many extra superb bells and whistles, it'd still scare the pants of the hard-of-hearing. If that's not recommendation enough, then we don't know what is.

Even if I'd never played the game before and found the prospect bewildering, I could have used the extensive in-game tutorial to get to grips with it. Or, as an experienced player, I could have noticed how the new features subtly present themselves over the course of several weeks, inexorably sucking you in to a parallel universe. [PC Zone]

But when you find yourself contesting an LDV Vans tie at six in the morning, you have to concede that they've got it right. Quite simply the most addictive thing I've ever tried. And I've tried the lot. [PC Zone]

The option to use realistic damage will reward all that time spent in the single-player game nailing head shots too. Those of you with a Multitap will have great fun here. [PSW]

Metalgear is distinctive in that the game is woven around the story, rather than the opposite way around.

It's the polar opposite of all that dialogue-based soul-searching and Jedi hocus-pocus, but boy oh boy, is it good. And there's not a single lightsaber in sight. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It's Burnout 3: Takedown with better and more demanding handling, it's Project Gotham Racing 2 with a higher top speed and even prettier tracks, and it's the previous two fantastic MotoGP games combined with a sensational collection of new tracks that beat those of all other racing games hands down. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

This is a cracking port of a cracking game with very few compromises. Find three mates to play against and it's better still. [PSW]

While it isn't an Uncharted beater, strong advances in the visual area with polished, spectacular presentation and a boost to the all important fun-factor make this a must play for PlayStation fans. It absolutely deserves to be up there with the console's best exclusives.

This is the same Football Manager you know and love with a number of really good decisions running throughout to give more depth and more control.

The fact that you can revive your partner also adds a lot of depth and strategy to the game. Do you risk reviving your downed teammate in the line of fire, or do you stick it out and take out the bad guys first?

But the thing that feels most welcoming about Lockdown is the overall level of polish and presentation. Graphically, it's not a massive leap over the previous game, but the textures look crisper and the lighting is way more dramatic. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Fans of the first game won't believe the treat Atari's dished up, and anyone looking for a hugely impressive brawler fused with a great story and lots of guns will find everything they want. If nothing else, this is a vast improvement - it undoubtedly is The One. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Better than FIFA 10. World Cup manages to strike a balance between the substance of simulation and elaborate frenzies to appreciate with friends.

A wonderful, engaging and ambitious fantasy adventure that combines the best of classic RPGs and smart, match-three puzzle gaming. Essential.

Sup Com is very much a PC gamer's beast, and the supernova-sized war games may prove a little too demanding for anyone other than accomplished RTS players (our heads still hurt from the last LAN skirmish). If only for its sheer scale and battle mechanics, this should be sampled by every RTS fan with a graphics card - and indeed, mental powers - that are up to the task.

Legends is exactly what you need on PSP - short, punchy, high-speed action presented in perfect style on the handheld wonder. It plays like a supercharged hybrid of Burnout, Burnout 2 and Burnout 3, features the best elements of each and goes like mad on the mini screen. [PSW]

The GTA formula we all know and love has been flawlessly integrated in this handheld edition, complete with an insane amount of new story content padded with hours of potential car chase action. [PSW]

A stunningly-executed, modern-day Super Metroid.

World-class Star Wars games are like Endor buses: you wait light-years for one and then two turn up within 12 months of each other. Do the galaxy a favour: buy it now.

Playing this marginally altered new Burnout still feels like you're flying a burning fighter jet through hell at 50 million miles an hour, and you'll still look at it and wonder how they've managed to make Xbox do so many cool things at once. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It's a cracking, clever, and crafty title, packed with surprises and brimming with invention, and a game that makes sure that, once you've completed it, you'll want to go right back to The Sands of Time and play it all over again, if only to spot all those clues that were there all along right from the start. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Blue Dragon finds the perfect balance between linearity and excessive freedom - it doesn't embarrass you by holding your hand, and yet it doesn't just leave you alone crying in the supermarket. Hironobu Sakaguchi (the FF creator and Blue Dragon mastermind) is as good a parent as Shigeru Miyamoto.

Sure it might not be the best looking version (although it's damn pretty and make no mistake) and, okay, certain modes have been done better before, but it's hands-down the absolute most complete Mario Kart package yet.

It's taken its sweet time getting here, but as an online game this is perfect stuff: easy to pick up, difficult to master and immensely satisfying to beat your rivals at. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Turn the speakers up for a shortlived but standout shooter full of genuinely awesome gaming moments. Unplug the sub and the magic's lost to the silence.

Obviously more attuned with the PSP hardware, Rockstar has topped last year's excellent "Liberty City Stories" with a GTA sporting as many thrills, action and now-famous witty dialogue as the series has ever seen.

The perfect example of how updates of existing titles should be done. Every single area has been improved way beyond what we would have been content with. Sports games don't get much more polished. [Xbox Gamer]

It's awesome to look at, a treat to play and as original a racer as youire ever going to see, and the two-player mode gives the game a totally fresh level of challenge. You'll take to it like a duck to water.

This game is awesome and among the finest games on a Nintendo console not to be created by Ninty itself. In fact, you can almost imagine Miyamoto himself playing this, grinning, and taking notes.

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge has got everything its PS3 brother has. Power to the PSP.

Big, brash, unashamedly daft in parts, this is Stephen Dorff's best role in ages, but he's still upstaged by the beautiful scenery and teeth-grinding action of this masterful shooter. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Certain hardcore gamers may look down on God of War: it's short, it's linear, it's showy and it's accessible. But it's also a towering achievement of game design and attention to detail that even manages to make recent hits like Devil May Cry 3 look rusty in places. [PSW]

If we were stuck on a desert island with a TV, an Xbox and a generator, Ninja Gaiden Black is the only game we'd need. It really is that good! [Official UK XBox Magazine]

Put simply, King Kong is going to the biggest thing this Christmas since Jesus invented presents. Better still, it's every bit as entertaining as its hairy star is huge. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The best part of Pilotwings 64 is exploring the four islands. You'll not believe just how huge the islands really are and, because certain elements are hidden at first, it'll take you months to see everything.

There's no doubt the series has grown with every instalment, and number three sees Epic at its unsurprisingly best...Original or not, the solo campaign is solid in every department and brim with class, while the Versus, Co-Op, Horde, Beast and ambitious DLC plans should see Gears live on for years - even if this is the last time Epic has to use that chainsaw gun. For the record, we hope it isn't.

It's one long action set-piece right the way through, with no time to get bored, lost or confused. Thrilling from beginning to end, Project: Snowblind is a top-quality shooter that deserves to be a smash. [Xbox Gamer]

Oblivion on PS3 is every bit as incredible as other versions. If you own a PS3 and haven't played it, do yourself a favour.

It's a very deep and sophisticated adventure with enough visual va-va-voom to keep even the most hardcore gamer gripped from start to finish. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

A fast, fun, finished arcade racer that's only made better with friends.

An impressive, feature-complete and more accessible portable edition of this generation's greatest fighter.

Factor in a visceral shooter splattered with as much humour as the original, impressive graphics, innovative puzzles, and more importantly, a cracking script, and you've got two fantastic party games for the price of one. It's a corker and no mistake! [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It looks more surreal than ever, provides a decently sized chunk of gameplay (although the multiplayer modes feel a tad half-hearted compared to the attention that has been lavished on the single-player game) and, despite being a first-person shooter, is cleverly suitable for all ages (although Nintendo's younger punters will find it prohibitively hard and confusing).

Getting your favourite car and modifying like a mentalist is a joy on its own, as is hitting the tarmac in an 800bhp beast and throwing it around with Forza's excellent handling physics - even if you won't ever notice the supposedly massive numbers behind it.

Easily the most graphically gorgeous first-person game ever seen on a console. But it's the exceptional replay value both offline and on, the multitude of weapons you'll entertain yourself with for weeks, and the balls-to-the-wall, last-second way this game came together without imploding that makes you glad to be a gamer. [Official UK XBox Magazine]

The two-player experience is utterly brilliant, but it's all the cool detail, the mysterious plot, and tight gameplay that make Halo feel so involving and unique.

. This is a meaty, loud and epic new Halo with a superb new campaign and an awesome co-op multiplayer mode with all the Halo 3 multiplayer shenanigans thrown in for good measure. It may be a little short and it's not a far cry from what Halo fans have seen already. But it's more of the same industry-defining quality you expect from Bungie.

You'll be hard pressed not to play this with a cheesy grin on your face and your tongue sticking out (the controls are a little tricky to get to grips with). We Love Katamari - you'll love it just as much as we do. [PSW]

More great story blended with improved AI and better firefights. It's starting to retread old ground though.

Conflicted throughout, but still an undeniable 3DS achievement. Wait for it to get its act together and the game soars. Well, flutters.

You can't help but be impressed by both its breadth and depth. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

You could say the new dark and gritty atmosphere isn't as enchanting as the sumptuous visual quality of "Sands of Time," but what it lacks in the beauty stakes it more than makes up for in pure visceral excitement. [Offical UK Xbox Magazine]

Amazing physics playground with totally engrossing gameplay.

Unlike anything else you'll ever play on Xbox, and we're pretty confident you'll also consider it one of the best. It's like reading the latest Dan Brown blockbuster, only with fewer words and more joypad abuse. Quite simply, it's ace. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

If you want "Project Gotham 2" with more depth, or "Gran Turismo 4" with less tedium, Forza Motorsport's a fantastic mid-range choice. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

If you're a Fable virgin now's the time to pick up one of the most unique, entertaining games to appear on Xbox. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The atmosphere of the castle is added to both by the superb sound and pacing of the game. The mellow speed of the game means that while there is the odd moment of button-hammering terror, most often you have time to sit back and rubberneck at the environments around you.

It boasts so many new gameplay modes that any review is in danger of reading like a press release.

If you want to admire the game's beauty, you'd best watch a friend play. After the shock, the gore and suspicious stains in our undergarments, we've only got one thing to say. Welcome back. [PSW]

This is an enthralling shooter, with some fantastic setpieces we're aching to get back to. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

A brilliant game whether you buy it for the single-player, the multiplayer or both. [PSW]

These great new combat skills, combined with the clever yet simple introduction of stealth play has boosted the Prince of Persia series to a new high. [PSW]

Grumpier gamers will find fodder to gnaw upon, but the fact remains that it's a prima donna of a game that more than succeeds in its attempts to scare and scintillate. Despite everything, I adore it - and strongly suspect you will too. [PC Zone]

It's a game that'll remind you why you got into games in the first place. Essential. [PSW]

But what really impressed us most about Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes is its incredible attention to detail in battle. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

A walloping, beautiful example of what Xbox Live can do. It's bigger than the first, it's better than the first, and if there's any justice, it'll be what everyone will be playing come release. Impressive. Most impressive. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Gun is such a rich, panoramic story, chock-full of sneering bad guys, shoot-outs, can-can girls and jailbreaks, you'll wonder why no one ever thought of it before. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

You'll be hard pressed to find a more intelligent, involving and entertaining game on Xbox today - it even gives "Halo" a run for its money. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Battle side alone is worth the price of admission.

NSMBW is a stunning game in single-player, and a chaotic barrel of light-hearted laughs in multiplayer, accessible to beginners while truly challenging to long-term fans. Well done, Nintendo.

DOA4 over Xbox Live is quite an experience. It succeeds on a technical level, but the real reason that it's such a riot is the game underneath. The enjoyable, solid, beautiful game that is Dead or Alive 4. This is the definitive title in the series and, as far as we're concerned, the ultimate game in its genre. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Soul Calibur III's crown jewels - its unrivalled blend of accessibility and multilayered combat - remain as dazzling as ever. If anything, it's a touch faster and smooher, and maybe even sharper. [PSW]

Vertical shooting at its best. A must-buy for fans of the dying shoot-'em-up genre but only if you can handle extreme difficulty levels.

For £7.99 or 800 Microsoft Points then this is quite the package. Undead Nightmare brings a whole new, chunky single player campaign with all the great Red Dead qualities (and some of its niggles).

The crowning glories of this slick fighting engine, though, are the all-new Fatalities. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The single-player campaign, though over too quickly, is immensely enjoyable, and the relentless action never becomes monotonous thanks to the brilliant array of weapons. Multiplayer is a riot.

Warning! This exclusive sci-fi epic's mind-melting action and puzzles may sizzle your brain. But the tricky controls could put some off.

An impeccably presented hour gobbler and we love it all the more for that.

Modern Warfare has always relied on smoke and mirrors. What surprises us is how ably the conjurers perform despite the much publicised Infinity Ward departures. After many months of doom-mongering it's great to find a game as confident and capable as those that preceded it.

What makes the campaigns such a joy are the masses of scenarios they contain - some 130 in all. Practically every individual territory now has its own associated mission, giving each game a unique flavour.

The game mechanics might seem simple but the freedom and depth is astonishing - a dark and engrossing return for the Godfather of Stealth.