A failed experiment.

A victim of its own ambition, and one that can probably be finished during a rental – we can only hope the inevitable sequel provides more substance.

Paradise City does a lot of things well (the RPG systems are well put together, as are most of the RTS elements), but it never once dares to do something fresh. When it fouls up, it’s something blatant that shouldn’t have happened.

Painkiller Overdose is definitely for fans of the series. Frantic blasting action might not suit everyone but you can't really knock it until you've tried it.

A few nifty weapon ideas alone do not a good game make, and Koei would have been well advised to send this ham-fisted, yawnsome bum-up of a racer back for a bit more turbo charging.

There is technically nothing wrong with Galactic Assault, it just lacks so much that it quickly becomes frustrating.

What this game lacks is substance. The missions, the plot and so on are as easily thrown together as they are to complete. The quick bursts of fun to be had here are indeed intense, and are partially flanked by excellent graphics, but there’s no longevity in a paper-thin premise. Arcade gaming yes, just not in the maddeningly addictive sense.

You’ll need a very forgiving attitude to begin playing Sword of the New World, because it still needs quite a bit of work.

SpaceForce: Rogue Universe has plenty of potential, but unless the long wait times between action sequences are addressed (along with the other problems I’ve mentioned above), the game is doomed to mediocrity, forever wandering among the stars.

Yet for all its minor flaws, Infernal fills a gap that has been filled on consoles by games like "Resident Evil" and "Gears of War."

If you stick with it, though, and you don't mind your games on the slow but strategic side, you should find a fun and inventive title hiding under all the faults.

A curio for fans with money to burn only, I think.

Praise is due to the developers who have come up with a novel idea; however it would appear that they forgot to add a sense of rhythm.

Given how fast and exciting jet fighters are by their very nature, it takes a real effort (or in this case, lack of one) to make a game about them as pedestrian as this. Modified Air Combat Heroes? Mediocre Aeroplane Crap Hour, more like.

Its main downfall is the fact that Ghost Rider boasts very little originality whatsoever.

It’s the type of game that’s near impossible to put down once it’s been started and greatly encourages replay through the notoriety scoring system.

I like this game. It’s solid RTS and the graphics are fresher than ever. Aside from the odd typo, misnamed texture (did the testers get to the dwarf caves?) and sprite collision, it’s all top quality stuff.

Gothic 3 is a game that punches above its weight. To a certain degree it holds out well against competing RPG games but with so many bugs and lingering issues, it would be wise to hold off for a while until the dust settles.

There are elements of this game that no one other than testers should have to sit through, and the fact that it has been released in this state is a great shame.

It has a fine mixture of humorous moments, special effects and seemingly random solutions that are sure to make it a cult classic. All you need to get through it is a few old episodes of MacGyver, a spare mouse and a Nancy Drew mystery novel.

The concept feels fresh and the idea of using formations of tiny robots to solve puzzles is in some ways inspiring. It’s such a shame that the game's potential was never fully realised and that the overall experience should be spoiled by silly camera problems.

Sadly, a lack of originality alongside somewhat flawed computer opponents, not to mention an almost non-existent soundtrack, leaves LA Duel still trying to catch up to the leaders.

What this game lacks in manners it makes up for in depth, what it makes up for in depth it almost gets taken away from in the AI’s incompetence. Almost. As is, Space Empires V is terrifying in its scope and utterly absorbing if you can get through the maze-like issues it comes with.

There is something captivating about The Guild 2 that makes you put up with the bugs, the bad animations and the memory leaks.

The additional bells and whistles of FlatOut 2 suggest enough difference to legitimise its existence, but ultimately there is nothing substantially new here.

We're not in movie licence disaster territory here by any means, but things could have been a lot better and definitely should have been a wee bit longer.

A welcome break from the many killing spree FPS titles available, it will make you wonder why Valve bothered with a crowbar when they could have used an umbrella.

Even though Wings over Europe has a lot of stiff competition from other games, I can’t seem to get the odd ‘leaning at 90 degrees’ sensation out of my head. There’s always a new trick or manoeuvre to attempt in a different mission in a different plane. Maybe someday I’ll figure out how to drop bombs.