All it needs now is a more advanced engine to power a sequel, a more involving sense of training and life in a pair of SWAT shoes... That, and a willingness to continue dealing with the dark underbelly of real world criminality without pulling any punches.

If you're a "Dawn Of War" fan, Winter Assault is absolutely essential. [PC Zone]

A great little game. It's original and funny, and although it is repetitive it packs enough challenge to keep you entertained long after you've nabbed the final piece of booty.

At times, too creatively conservative - but an engrossing, cleverly realised shooter with CoD-beating multiplayer.

The focus on the single-player experience, along with Bioware's top-notch level design has created an expansion pack with great detail and atmosphere that's arguably even more immediately immersive than the original game. [PC Zone]

In short, it's probably the best extreme sports game ever made, the only real caveat being that it's rubbish without a decent gamepad. [PC Zone]

For the brief stretch you spend with Riddick in the galaxy's most notorious correction facility, Escape From Butcher Bay will keep you imprisoned in your house and chained to your PC from start to finish. [PC Zone]

You get to use more weapons in Time Commando than in any other game I've ever seen, incidentally, because each time era (of which there are heaps carries its own unique selection.

NBA Jam has been lovingly recreated by a team that clearly understood the appeal of the original. Get together with friends for this one.

The Two Thrones is quite simply the best Prince Of Persia so far. It builds on what went before and adds a new dimension to the main character.

Conviction moves the series in a couple of new directions, with new elements that are well thought out and polished. It doesn't do anything groundbreaking and sometimes abandons these fresh ideas for much shallower out and out gunning, but it's consistently solid and satisfying throughout.

The story is great, the tension is real and if you like copious adrenal activity then you won't go too far wrong.

Red Dead's venomous cocktail of sassy action, swish visuals and sharp scenarios make it a fresh and ballsy alternative to most other third-person console blasters currently roaming the paddock.

This brand-new version takes the gripping plot of Metal Gear Solid and splices it with the new gameplay systems from the sequel. You really are getting the best of both worlds here.

The best golf game currently on the PC and for once in EA Sports' history, not simply because of a lack of competition. [PC Zone]

Fog, rain and lightning effects not only look nice, but also affect how you play - especially when you try your first grenade attack in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Yes, Empire At War boasts almost everything a Star Wars and RTS fan could hope for. There's innovation, excitement, intrigue and enough tension to give you an aneurism, but those pesky land battles just manage to sully an otherwise top-class piece of software. [PC Zone]

There are a handful of games that provide greater economic depth, or are more immediate and spectacular on the field of battle, but few marry these two traditional aspects of real-time strategy so seamlessly and with so much charm. [PC Zone]

So the story will get in the way at first - Reflections is obviously a bit nervous about introducing its zany Shift concept without narrative explanation - but, once you're behind the wheel, you'll realise that San Francisco is definitely a long-overdue return to form for the Driver series.

The short-lived campaign doesn't quite reach the highs of Modern Warfare, but the ever-solid shooting and multiplayer mechanics make this a great shooter.

Let's face it, thanks to Codemasters spectacularly managing to squeeze an entire sporting genre onto one DVD, as well as the ability to take your skills online should you finish the mass of races on offer, there's some serious miles to rack up before tiring this game out. [PC Zone]

Still in second place - but the best PES in a long time. Fans will feel like an old friend has finally returned.

It is a resource hog, let's make no bones about it. Any game that comes on two DVDs and requires 6GB of disk space isn't exactly appealing to everyone. But if you can find a way to accommodate the game, not just on your HD but in your hardened gaming soul, you'll find plenty to reward you.

At heart, Killzone 3 is still a ridiculously good looking thrill-fest that challenges little more than your reaction speed - and your visual expectations. She's not marriage material and eventually, her charms will wear thin. But we can at least guarantee that shooter fans won't regret spending a fair few evenings alone in her company.

It has its frustrations and we miss burning around in a car or the rumble of some good old-fashioned gunpowder, plus we think "Crackdown" pips it in the open-world action game league. But that won't stop you having a very amusing 25 hours of gaming (play it through twice, once good and once evil, and it's even longer).

A generally stunning package in features and presentation. New mechanics work well but stamina and punch power is inconsistent.

You might be bored in a week, but it's perfect for bringing your family around when they complain that games are turning you into a violent social outcast.

Red Faction Guerrilla is a refreshing and very enjoyable sandbox game that offers an alternative to the Saints Rows, GTAs and Godfathers out there. Don't expect anywhere near the insight and polish found in GTA IV, but do expect a rollicking good time.