Technical faults such as difficultly seeing where you're going and suspect frame-rates are serious issues when it comes to games of such speed requiring cat like reflexes.

They have concentrated on distilling the best action they can out of Tolkein's, (or should that now be Jackson's) masterpiece and presenting it in a well executed package. Lord of the Ring fans could surely want for nothing more this Christmas.

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

They have concentrated on distilling the best action they can out of Tolkein's, (or should that now be Jackson's) masterpiece and presenting it in a well executed package. Lord of the Ring fans could surely want for nothing more this Christmas.

Team Ninja have built upon what was already a solid and addictive foundation with an online integration which makes DoA:U the most complete fighting game package on any platform. [Score with Xbox Live]

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 only thing stopping it achieving a better score are the aforementioned niggles coupled with some below par AI. Their computer-controlled abilities switch from laughably amateur to 'one mistake and its race over' Terminator-style brutality in a matter of moments which seems more than a little unfair.

While the experience is short-lived, the seven or so hours of gameplay you get from it are truly amazing and for once, I can say a film-to-game conversion has successfully been achieved.

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

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.

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

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.

While the experience is short-lived, the seven or so hours of gameplay you get from it are truly amazing and for once, I can say a film-to-game conversion has successfully been achieved.

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.

The shoddy graphics engine is the most apparent deficiency while it's a pity that the fiddly control system, most specifically the errant camera, feels compelled to dampen the gamer's playing experience.

It would have been nice if staying on a slippery metal pole without falling off was rewarded via points like in the Tony Hawk games but I guess you can't have everything. Enjoy the delights of this delicious winter warmer now.

It would have been nice if staying on a slippery metal pole without falling off was rewarded via points like in the Tony Hawk games but I guess you can't have everything. Enjoy the delights of this delicious winter warmer now.

Now more than ever if you haven't already started to look at "Pro Evo" perhaps you should, it plays much better and feels like more a game of football than FIFA 06 ever will.

In all fairness this sort of game has been done before, and to a higher quality, but if you have even a passing interest in Star Wars then the real beauty of this title stems from the brilliant way in which it has tapped into the franchise.

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.

Now more than ever if you haven't already started to look at "Pro Evo" perhaps you should, it plays much better and feels like more a game of football than FIFA 06 ever will.

Ultimately Battlefield 2: Modern combat gives PC gamers another reason to feel smug. Despite their best efforts the current generation of consoles can't compete with the capabilities of today's high-end PCs.

The only thing stopping it achieving a better score are the aforementioned niggles coupled with some below par AI. Their computer-controlled abilities switch from laughably amateur to 'one mistake and its race over' Terminator-style brutality in a matter of moments which seems more than a little unfair.

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.

This title is a very rare breed - an arcade update of a treasured original that not only dignifies its memory but actually improves upon the formula.

The level of freedom offered may be a dream come true for some but will simply be far too much for others, thusly alienating this title from a majority of gamers.

While there's over 50+ hours of gameplay to be had over the 50+ campaign missions, Heroes is basically a replica of Crusaders with extra online modes.

If however you are considering what should be your first folly into World War action, then consider looking elsewhere.