Played in the spirit in which it is intended, Hitman: Blood Money proves that even in the series' fourth installment it still has the means to impress with its gameplay, freedom of exploration and high production values. Although there are still one or two little annoyances, there's no doubting that there's more than enough here to satisfy even the most experienced of contracted killers.

It's a great way to let off some steam while revelling in the power of pure, unbridled gameplay.

T: DS is a very atmospheric game which has just one too many small faults to make its gameworld a compellingly believable one.

The fact that you are being asked to pay full premium for what is effectively an expansion pack in all but name, may put some off.

There's about ten hours of play, much of which is an explanation of the plot, while the rest is a pedestrian and pretty boring romp in terms of game play mechanics, meaning that in the end you'll probably just want to complete the game for completing its sake.

While some may despair about the ever-present guiding hand of the designers, it is the constant presence of this phantom guide that helps to make Republic Commando such a tight and focused game. It's been a while since I played a game which has been so comprehensively designed to be a cohesive and complete experience.

Couple this with the brilliant voice acting throughout and quirky comments from the public as you glide by, ('He looks thinner on T.V!') and Treyarch are definitely onto a winner.

Couple this with the brilliant voice acting throughout and quirky comments from the public as you glide by, ('He looks thinner on T.V!') and Treyarch are definitely onto a winner.

What remains to be seen is whether EA can reintroduce a suitable element of difficulty to knock the series back in the right direction without forcing an unintentional bogie.

Those of the football mad persuasion will certainly relish the tangible sense of occasion, excitement and authenticity ingrained throughout EA Sport's latest.

What remains to be seen is whether EA can reintroduce a suitable element of difficulty to knock the series back in the right direction without forcing an unintentional bogie.

Granted if you've never played a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up before it is a trial by fire and that may put some people off. But Ikaruga is a damn good game plain and simple. Even though the genre is very old, Ikaruga is original, unique and a welcome breath of fresh air.

If FlatOut 2 proves anything it's that there's room for more than one type of racer that strongly encourages wreckage at every twist and turn, and it's refreshing to see that despite EA's undeniable might smaller developers are willing to have a go at competing, often showing them a thing or two about game design in the process.

Choose to ignore the plot and the side missions if you like; the hidden races, the token hunts and the tremendous feeling to be had from simply exploring, swinging and crawling about the city are more than enough to justify purchase.

Choose to ignore the plot and the side missions if you like; the hidden races, the token hunts and the tremendous feeling to be had from simply exploring, swinging and crawling about the city are more than enough to justify purchase.

The visuals and sharp and well animated but unlike many games aimed at the mass market the characters don't seem very cool or quirky. The Mario cast has been thrown into too many products for their appearance to hold much sway with this gamer.

Any hardcore DW fan will be ecstatic to find another billion hours of gameplay to wade through.

Naturally the pimping side of things have been expanded to a maddeningly complete degree.

Represents a very purified experience, which is better suited for the occasional quick thrill, than hours of immersive play.

Rise of the Apocalypse could suitably have been named 'X-Men Legends II: More of the Same +', for that's what it offers.

As a standalone football game without all the World Cup-related fluff and filling, EA have provided something which is actually good fun to play (both off and online), certainly not like their frustratingly average efforts over recent years.

If, however, you already own one of the previous versions, then the reasons to consider an upgrade are negligible.

Rise of the Apocalypse could suitably have been named 'X-Men Legends II: More of the Same +', for that's what it offers.

If, however, you already own one of the previous versions, then the reasons to consider an upgrade are negligible.

As a standalone football game without all the World Cup-related fluff and filling, EA have provided something which is actually good fun to play (both off and online), certainly not like their frustratingly average efforts over recent years.

But for me, as a long time RPG fan and proud owner of every BioWare title, the thrill has gone. I fear this great Canadian company is in danger of becoming the EA sports of RPGs.

Graphically Gun is as pretty as a peach. The motions of both man and beast are well captured and even close up, they look beautifully textured, very tangible.

A very solid, if slightly unspectacular title. It's not amazingly long, but unlike some of its contemporaries it hangs together well.