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

Sure, there are a few problems too, most notably some cringe-worthy graphical oversights - weapons spinning in mid air for example - and the fact that you can't climb over low walls or fire through higher, thinner ones when enemies are using them for cover, but ultimately, this is a game of huge quality and entertainment. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

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.

Of course, it's still a bit of fun - silly, mechanical and repetitive perhaps, but fun nonetheless. There's enough ultra-violence here to entertain the young and forgetful, and the new weapons, if not a revelation, do improve the game. [PC Zone]

Groundbreaking in graphical and audio terms. It's just that the combat and the mission pacing come across as slightly dated and they're two very important factors. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The perfect rental title. Brilliantly playable, beautifully detailed and choking with charisma, it's also linear, too easy and a shallower than a midget's beret.

Don't change the style - we may already have mentioned once or twice that the style's perfect. Just make more of it. Make it harder, more of a challenge, more of a game.

Maybe if Japanese development team Tranji had spent less time trying to show off Kurenai's posterior and more time tweaking the basic mechanics Red Ninja could have been a half decent alternative to Tenchu. As it is, much like Kurenai herself, this is one game that may look nice from a distance but turns into a right horror show when viewed up close. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The presentation is also seriously top-drawer. You can see the standard of the graphics with your own eyes, but what you can't see is the triple-A voice-acting and the dirty, groove-laden soundtrack delivered by Amon Tobin. [PC Zone]

Likening Full Spectrum Warrior to a game of chess is more accurate than you might think.

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]

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.

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]

It feels like The Matrix Online was released six months too early, with an avalanche of bugs and glitches (inaccessible revolving doors, crap camera, malfunctioning mission goals), compounded by poor presentation and somewhat repetitive gameplay and locales.

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

Offers lots of cars to unlock, and plenty of challenges and game types to keep you amused - it's not by any means the worst driving game ever made, and it's a snip at 20. But, much like the Ford brand itself, there isn't really much in the way of glitz or glamour to it either. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

With a potentially unlimited number of user-designed maps that can be shared over Xbox Live and even user-generated stories with scripted AI events, this game has the longevity of Rasputin and should spawn one of the liveliest online communities yet. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The widescreen beauty of the PSP is entirely compromised by the fact that the action takes place in a TV shaped box to the left, while maps and stats fill all that lovely extra space. It's nice to be able to see where you're going, sure, and we appreciate not having the action cluttered by displays and icons, but it kind of takes a way the whole point of having a screen the size of Kansas, doesn't it? [PSW]

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]

Takes the old-school RTS formula and enriches it in countless cool ways, using the lessons of the past decade to create a single-player campaign that's as valid and exciting as anything else in the genre. [PC Zone]

There's a smattering of good ideas in Samurai Legend, but they're quickly crushed under the obesity of mindless combat and poor design. One to avoid. [PSW]

There's a difference between paying homage to and simply recycling old material, something this game fails to appreciate. The graphics might be up there with the forthcoming "Resident Evil 4," but the gameplay owes a huge debt to the first Resident Evil game. [PSW]

The AI puts up a good fight at the higher realism settings, and should you wish to throw caution to the wind and try manual torpedo solutions, you'll either be in maths heaven, or find your brain oozing from your ears (or both). Don't worry - it's a lot more fun than it sounds.

Forts is probably not for everyone, but those of us with hearts as squishy as the loveable mud-chewers themselves will be in seventh heaven. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

It's just a bit too flawed in its execution and weak in the storytelling department to make it anything truly terrifying. A reasonable effort, just don't expect it to give you really horrible nightmares. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

The simple tracks and handling might not be all that far removed from NFSU 2, but it's still a game that seems better suited to PSP. If you're after more than the pure thrill of breakneck speed, get this over "Ridge Racer." [PSW]

A more than decent game.

Luckily, it's dead simple. When it comes to squad-level infantry manoeuvres, tactics have changed little in the last 2,000 years (so we're told), and they're almost insultingly basic. [PC Zone]