Brothers In Arms DS is a good little action-shooter that makes great use of the DS's unique interface. With the tactical aspect of its gameplay removed in favour of a linear action approach, it loses some of its style and identity, but it's nevertheless the first war shooter for DS, and sets a high standard to beat.

One of those rare games that, although in reality, is no more than a bog-standard shooter, somehow manages to still seem fresh and innovative. More to the point, it's brilliant fun to play. [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."

Presentation aside, the only real gripe I have is the lack of any transfer options in the Championship mode, which makes a losing streak almost impossible to break.

This is a game that knows its small target audience (basically anyone who's played an Ys game before) and sticks to it without even trying to appeal to anyone else. Good luck to you if you fall into that category. [PSW]

In essence, the game mechanics are as rough as a butcher's dog, yet it remains a game that will make you smile, and one that you'll finish - not least because it's so damn short.

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

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]

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]

Simply put, Blood II is more of the same: more guns and more enemies. Although it's not quite as pant-browning as we would've hoped, it's a stunning achievement considering the time Monolith have had to put it together. [PC Zone]

It's certainly not the greatest platform adventure ever, but it's imbued with the same charming humour as the film, with all manner of sight gags that tip a knowing wink to fans of the movie.

You have to have some motivation to get you through the sticky patches (a love of Sonic, or the fact that you're being paid to play it, etc), but the high points are just the platforming tonic you need if your holiday on Isle Delfino is just a fading memory.

It's a shame, because the action can be hugely entertaining, but without a satisfying structure to hold it all together, FlatOut is at best a fun diversion. [PC Zone]

But on its own merits, TO is brash, energetic, none too taxing and more than capable of providing some solid midtable entertainment, while GTA and the like get on with battling it out at the top of the tree. [PC Zone]

All Stars proved that simple ideas could create a pick-up-and-play WWE title without sacrificing depth for the hardcore, and WWE 12 would have done well to learn from its arcade-focused cousin.

2007's game in the snow - an accessible, content-filled party game. Take some risks next time Sega.

Putting aside N64 loyalty, GoldenEye is not a great game. Not, at least, in the context of the current 360/PS3 shooting scene.

Deimos or human, if traditional role-playing games rock your world, Arc will draw you in and hold you spellbound. The gameplay basics may adhere unashamedly to the tried-and-trusted RPG formula of exploring, talking, levelling up and shopping, but if it works, why change it just to be clever? Why? WHY!!??

A great all-round package with a definite edge over the PS2 version. And how often do we get to say that? [PSW]

Perhaps the finest game to strap on its space-trading boots since the seminal "Elite." It's better than "Freelancer," better than "EVE Online," better than the original "X: Beyond The Frontier," better than any number of Privateers, Battlecruisers, Freespaces and Frontiers. Best, best, best. Am I making this clear enough? [PC Zone]

Enemies are now far more intelligent. Less likely to be hemmed in by your squad's suppressing fire, they themselves will try to sidle down the blindside of your position and take pot shots at you. [PSW]

The big downer is that both games have some animation censored (no bouncing boobies), and no blood.

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.

This is a craply-plotted sci-fi novel meets a game of chess meets Industrial Light & Magic meets Yu-Gi-Oh!. Fanboys: silence.

But if you're looking for an entertaining postwork action/adventure romp, this simply isn't worth the moolah.

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]

Roadkill's impression of Grand Theft Auto is almost as cringeworthy. Most of the ingredients that made Rockstar's crime 'em up so successful are here but, like your dad's Pound Shop Ali G, it lacks the special something that made GTA so amazing.

Missions generally consist of bludgeoning your way from A to B; sometimes you'll have to retrieve an item, sometimes you'll have to flick a switch. Take away the specifics though and it boils down to walking across an island of hungry corpses and back again nine times out of ten.