As with the incredible "Black," Criterion keep proving they know how to make a game.

Burnout devotees will love it but this is a game made for casual gamers. There's no massive skill required, it's a terrific accessible game for anyone.

This is not just the best survival horror game yet; it's one of the best games of this generation. Every aspect of the game shines.

This is an enormous world that will leave you enchanted, occasionally regretting your decisions, sometimes proud and always enthralled.

It is the best looking, best driving game (even if the racing is pretty ordinary) out there.

It offers lightning fast gameplay, beautiful graphics, streamlined control and near flawless networking. It's no exaggeration to say that you won't find a more feature-packed, high quality first person shooter on store shelves today.

It's undeniably one of the best games ever developed, it looks fantastic and it's in many ways the very essence of video gaming.

Almost frustratingly, you'll come across interactive objects that lead nowhere and have been included simply for realism's sake, which really demonstrates the kind of attention to detail that's evident in every facet of this production.

Put simply, this is one of the best racing games of all time.

Ninja Gaiden's greatest strength is its combat system, which gradually evolves as you progress through the game.

Crucial to the succes of the game is the fact that the combat system works.

It isn't a game that truly pushes the envelope, but it is one of the best shooters we've played in years, and it's one of the most solid multiplayer packages ever released.

It's true that Valve's sequel isn't as revolutionary as the original was back in 1998, but it's arguably the best first person shooter you've ever played, and that certainly makes it worth your while.

There isn't an annoying or bewildering array of modes because Rockstar had a single-minded ambition to create a game you play with your mates. Play the training modules if you like, but you won't need them. It's that good.

One of the most impressive tiles to see release ever, and despite aspects of unrealistic handling in some vehicles; the game is near perfect.

If you're a fan of the Astro Boy character, buying Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a no-brainer. But even if you're not, the game is produced so well in every regard that it's well worth playing through.

The game's damage model has also been vastly improved.

This is the best Tekken game you’ll play this side of the PS3, easily surpassing "Tekken 4" and "Tekken Tag Tournament" to claim the title. It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s a pleasure to play and a joy to watch.

It isn’t just a brilliant game, it’s an experience not to be missed.

An absolute masterpiece. It takes gaming to a whole new level, will last you a long time, and is an absolute must for any Nintendo fan, or anyone remotely interested in gaming.

Put simply, this is one of the best racing games of all time...[and] one of the most fast-paced, visceral racing games you will ever play.

Clearly, this isn't another shooter which you'll blow through in an action-packed weekend, it's a game all about discovery and patience.

A game that practically reinvents the original and presents what's arguably one of the most visceral, compelling fighting experiences you're likely to have this side of 2005.

The Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack is brimming with excellent ideas and terrific multiplayer action awaits.

It's a true classic, and at $59.95 (AU), it's a steal.

This kind of multiplayer in Sony's family friendly mascot franchise may sound odd, but it's actually a whole lot of fun, and offers the kind of compelling team-based experience that's traditionally not found in console shooters.

It's extremely funny but at the same time littered with dark moments as your Locos are attacked by nasty black spikey things from your childhood nightmares.

This game is an absolute ripper, with all the traditions of Burnout remaining intact for a mostly perfect move to the handheld. Another belter from Criterion.

A terrific upgrade to what's obviously been a very successful franchise, but if a third evolution is to continue captivating audiences, it needs to take the Sims well outside of their houses and strolling down the streets of Sim City.

The elements of the story are certainly nothing inspiring but chuck in simply awesome graphics, cool dynamics and a cracking good time to be had while killing the bad guys, you've got a game that is a total blast and more fun than is feasibly possible.

It's fair to say that, despite all its new content, Jak 3 does feel a lot like "Jak II." Many of the animations and sound effects have been recycled, along with huge portions of Haven City.

A game that practically reinvents the original and presents what's arguably one of the most visceral, compelling fighting experiences you're likely to have this side of 2005.

Forza Motorsport does one thing excellently, lots of things really well and a couple of things comparatively badly. However, that one excellent thing, the racing, is above all what this game is about.

It outguns just about every other console shooter currently on the market.

There was a time when Dead or Alive was the poor man’s Tekken, Soul Calibur or Virtua Fighter, but in some regards, particularly where environmental and visual quality is concerned, the series has taken the lead.

An engrossing puzzle game overflowing with uber-cool presentation that is uncharacteristic of the genre.

The graphics in Darwinia while a throwback to times past, are superb.

With loads of classes, cars, tournaments and many bonus extras to unlock, Ridge Racer provides a long lasting challenge that even experienced players won’t 100% complete in a hurry. If straight-up arcade drift racing is your idea of fun, Ridge is an essential purchase.

The police chases add a great deal to the game, and it’s refreshing to be racing in the daylight for a change. If you’re looking for a fast, high adrenaline racer and you like the idea of running from the cops, Most Wanted might be the game for you.

It shows what the console can do by looking absolutely gorgeous where some other games have failed miserably to do so.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX is vintage, but it’s extremely good looking even to this day, and for Street Fighter fans, the gameplay will never get old.

Superb graphics and an improved controller system make this a very enjoyable soccer simulation.

Although it isn't without some problems, Battlefront is easily one of the most fully realized, enjoyable Star Wars games we've ever played.

Well-designed, attractive and ultimately quite a fun game. However, it is quite short, and despite the many side-quests and various ways to customise your character, really offers little incentive for subsequent play-throughs.

A lengthy, wholly enjoyable game that, despite being rather easy, will keep young and old entertained for many hours to come.

Insofar as it successfully marries an innovative and intuitive interface to the telling of that story, it is not a difficult game to recommend.

Some of the gameplay is a little sloppy, and its story mode could be longer, but on the whole it's a quality production that anyone still interested in the genre will enjoy.

There’s not a great deal of replay value beyond unlocking a few achievements by completing the game with a number of different restrictions, but for the ten or so hours it lasts, it’s one hell of a ride.

Remarkably atmospheric.

GRAW is sadly flawed but despite these flaws is terrific fun to play. It's wildly addictive as you try and work out the best way through and once you've gotten used to your useless team (we had a team member throw himself under a moving APC..that's talent) it's an excellent tactical shooter.

The game has taken a few steps backwards in terms of style, but its combat is greatly improved and it's much longer than the original.

Occasionally the game can seemingly freeze for around 1/4 of a second when driving. It doesn't happen often, and the game quickly gets back to racing with minimal gameplay impact.

Kameo is a real extravaganza. It looks gorgeous, whether viewed in high definition or not. Every frame is thick with graphical flourish.

It might surprise you to learn that, like most first person shooters from the last century, Doom 3 is essentially a linear corridor crawl.

To stick so closely to the first game was probably a mistake that is bound to hit sales. It almost feels like an expansion pack, sort of a follow-up to "United Offensive."

The game has taken a few steps backwards in terms of style, but its combat is greatly improved and it's much longer than the original. Make no mistake; this is a worthy successor to a truly great game.

The return of classic characters like Baraka, Nightwolf, Kabal and Sindel will spark the interest of anyone who used to love these games, and the vast amount of unlockable content makes the latest Mortal Kombat good value for money.

The PC version is clearly the best, because it not only looks superior, it supports up to 32 players in a single battle.

It’s brilliant and it’s bizarre. It’s also a contradiction - plenty of mindless violence where the screen literally drenched with blood coupled with subversion and thought-provoking symbolism and metaphor. It’s not a high-school English class, though, it’s a game. It’s great fun if you can get into it, but if you can’t it’s probably not surprising.

Seeing sequences like these play out from different angles is satisfying, and, although none of the new sequences are official write-ins from Mario Puzo or Ford Coppola, they fit perfectly in terms of tone and maturity.

It's easy to see how far games have come in the last 18 years when you play OutRun 2 (especially as the original game is included on the disc), but its nice to know that Sega hasn't felt the need to overhaul the timeless gameplay.

But its seriously problematic camera control, slightly washed out graphics and occasionally gimmicky gameplay make it hard to say that Super Mario Sunshine lives up to its heritage.

Don’t let the sour taste left by "Driv3r" put you off. Parallel Lines doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but what it does, it does very well.

Ultimately, it is a pretty straightforward extreme sports racing game, but it achieves its modest goals so admirably that it's definitely worth your time.

It's not for everyone – strange quirks such as the bucket-carrying mechanic and the expensive hardware needed to enjoy its multiplayer make it less accessible than traditional Final Fantasy games, but so long as you're not expecting an epic narrative, you'll enjoy what the first GameCube Final Fantasy has to offer.

EA have delivered a superb-looking game but unfortunately the gooey, cumbersome controls have let the game down badly.

Appalling online support, terrible voice acting and only incremental updates to the core gameplay make this a somewhat disappointing instalment, but it's built on rock solid foundations, which means that anyone who enjoys wrestling games will still get a whole lot out THQ's latest title.

Certainly, anyone who enjoys the idea of exploring vast, beautiful environments and leaping from the edge of one perilous chasm to another will get a lot out of this game.

It's possible that some gamers will be disappointed by its relatively unchallenging gameplay, and it's not the most value-packed title on the market, but despite this, it's the classic video game Western the world has been waiting for.

The cars sound great, and have more of an individual roar than they did in the first game, which racing aficionados will no doubt appreciate.

TT has been three years in the making and you can't fault its beautiful looks and attention to accuracy.

The cars sound great, and have more of an individual roar than they did in the first game, which racing aficionados will no doubt appreciate.

Budding directors will find a great deal to get their teeth into here, and shouldn’t hesitate to pick this expansion up.

Aside from some texture and shadowing issues on PlayStation 2, Star Wars: Battlefront looks great. Its characters animate well and the environments capture the feel of the movie locations accurately – there's nothing quite like a heated battle in the treetop villages of Endor, especially when the odd Ewock is caught in a grenade blast (shame on us…).

It may not be wholly original, but it is terrifically polished and, basically, a lot of fun.

The brilliant "Street Fighter III: Third Strike" is worth the price of admission, and online play is one very big cherry.

Unfortunately, Sega SuperStars is missing one crucial thing - a multiplayer mode. You can enter your name at the end of each game if you've scored well enough, and the ability to take a photo of the winner and save it along with the score is nice, but there's no structured multiplayer mode such as the one found in EyeToy: Play.

Compared with Halo 2 there is certainly more substance and less of the feeling that it's just an excuse for a multiplayer mode.

If you're looking for something that's truly revolutionary, you won't find it here, but despite Breakdown's occasionally repetitive gameplay and bland environments, it's a breath of fresh air in a genre that's fast becoming stale.

The series will be in trouble if it doesn't fundamentally improve the stealth mechanics in time for the fourth installment, but for now, Hitman: Contracts is a value-packed, highly enjoyable stealth action experience that no fan of the genre should overlook.

Although it feels like there's a lot to learn when you first play Full Spectrum Warrior, you'll quickly realize that your options are actually quite limited.

One of those rare games where the story, characters and performances eclipse the gameplay by a wide margin.

A decent arcade racing game where fun is the aim and destruction is the game; and this title should definitely be able to stand among the other games on the shelf.

Midway's "Psi-Ops" does do a better job of implementing psychic powers and building gameplay around them, but Second Sight's characters and story make it worth your time.

Unfortunately for many people, that initial shock and awe will give way to tedium as the realisation sets in that there aren’t any refreshing new concepts to spice up the gameplay as you progress through the game.

Midway's "Psi-Ops" does do a better job of implementing psychic powers and building gameplay around them, but Second Sight's characters and story make it worth your time.

We're happy to report that it's actually pretty good.

This is a game that really benefits from its electronic transformation – it is far superior to its paper and pen counterpart. And this is coming from a self-confessed techno-phobe.

Cruising round the same old streets may be starting to lose it's thrill, but taking this baby for a spin on the superhighway shows there's still some gas left in the tank.

One of those rare games where the story, characters and performances eclipse the gameplay by a wide margin.

So long as you don't mind that it's not quite the stellar production that's emerged from EA's stables, you'll have a great time with Links 2004, especially online. It's just not a hole in one.

The graphics in UR betray that this baby was rushed.

One of those rare games where the story, characters and performances eclipse the gameplay by a wide margin.

Despite its short length, it’s a hugely enjoyable, polished game, and one that’s easy to recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter.

While it's a competent shooter that can provide some great thrills, it's simply not in the same league as this holiday season's best first person shooters.

The music is great, and as in past Tenchu games, manages to mix traditional Japanese instruments with some more modern electronic sounds.

A surprisingly competent simulation.

An amusing game, and it's relatively enjoyable for a while. But at its core, the gameplay isn't all that interesting, and can only hold your attention for so long.