Has a forbidding atmosphere (beginning on a ship and moving to an oil rig), violent blood-letting and superb environmental effects. However, we've seen the same kind of lame puzzles (sodding keycards anyone?) and storylines a billion times before. [PC Zone]

It's not in the same league as the infamous plumber, and the partner/weapon gimmick isn't new (Whiplash - Issue 27, 8.1 - did it before), but it's a sturdy exercise in comic gaming. We'll even forgive the fact it's ginger. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

A classic slice of arcade action. While it's a crying shame the first and fourth games are absent, Return is still a brilliant Zapper title with plenty to offer.

The only ice hockey game worth giving a flying puck about.

SRS features an impressive amount of depth, but the lacklustre gameplay may put the handbrake on you ever really appreciating it. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

A spook-tacular recreation of the Ghostbusters world, let down by dodgy spook-snatching and no-mark characters.

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

Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but this is quite convincingly the most comprehensive Dynasty Warriors yet. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It's certainly a refreshing departure from the usual slew of first-person shooters and urban driving games. But it could have done with a more thoughtful conversion - stripped back from its PC roots and with a less headache-inducing camera, this could have been good.

The action is bewildering and frenetic, the challenge is minimal and the usual camera problems persist, but this is still an exuberantly entertaining game.

If you're enough of a fan to forgive its frustrating moments, Dark Motives' five cases will give you a few evenings' worth of semi-interactive intrigue, but not much more.

It's good. Clichéd nonsense, but good. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The game we were expecting eight months ago, with bots so intelligent they make your average online player look like a baboon who's been dropped at birth. It's like playing CS in the good old days.

With a great system of matching symbols in order to chat and flirt and a world in which a different life can be dictated for your Sim each time you start a new game, The Sims 2 is great fun and game that'll last you ages.

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]

All this violence is undeniably fun for a while and the visuals are decent, but after a couple of hours you'll have seen all there is to offer. [PC Zone]

Problem is, if you are serious about your ice hockey games Rivals' online capability is one of the few things to get excited about.

Part of the problem is that instead of playing to the original game's strengths, what the developer has devised is a lily-livered RTS that's a pale shade of the Kohan engine on which it's based. [PC Zone]

God knows what happened to LOTR3, but the usually dependable Impressions Games has lost the plot on this one. Even if you're a long-standing fan of the series - no, especially if you are one - avoid this like a bearded, Black Death-infected Saxon whore.

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]

The thing is, it could have been a great one if only the developer hadn't assumed we'd all like lots more mindless hacking and slashing at the expense of some of the joyful exploring and leaping. [PSW]

Firstly, there's no manual camera control, which wouldn't be an issue if the game automatically chose the best positions for combat. Except it never does, meaning enemies appear from nowhere to attack you because it's too close in, or you can't really see what you're doing because it's so far away. [PSW]

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.

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]

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.

A shameless imitation that nevertheless does a convincing job while trying to bring something new to the table. Bravo, you cheeky sods.

There's no multiplayer action and with a fairly short playing time, this is much more suited to a rental.

Admittedly, there are some people who enjoy hitting the same button all day long, but don't be surprised if after ten hours you're left with nothing more than thumb ache and a weird sense of regret. [PSW]