After quarter of a century he's still fat, still round, and still bouncing on the ground. And still the greatest.

Perseus Mandate offers undeniable value for money. If you love first person shooters, you should really check it out.

Call of Duty 4 is stunning. It has some of the best set pieces I have ever seen and gunplay that’s only rivaled by Crysis. A wealth of multiplayer options and an amusing arcade mode make this an almost flawless package.

Overall the differences between the two versions are slight and other than the inclusion of achievement points - usually rewarded for the successful completion of each level, as well as the completion of time trials and the collection of scattered artefacts – it’s literally the same game in a higher resolution with a few tagged on graphical effects.

The game’s style and presentation stays fresh throughout. Hard to fault, as we said. One of the finest games of 2007.

All in all then, it's almost there, but not quite: a good game, a good edition to the genre and a sound purchase - especially for driving game fans, but not an essential one quite yet.

There’s little about PGR4 that can be complained about and other than a few niggling qualms with regards to the aggressive driver AI, and of course the issues that surround the bikes, every element of the game comes together to create an absolutely astounding package.

I expected no less than greatness from World in Conflict. Sierra doesn't do dud games and Massive Entertainment has really lived up to its name. Play this game, and know firsthand what games can be: no longer an emulation of brilliance, but brilliance to be emulated.

All in all then, if you love the premise, you'll love the game - assuming you have the stamina to have a fair whack at it. If you don't like what the game represents, you'll be wondering why you've bought what appears to be a stuttering interactive cartoon and probably be put off RPGs for life.

Overall, Tiger Woods 08 is a very enjoyable game that's brought (slightly) low by a few niggles and the fact that if you already own one of the previous T. Woods games, then you're not really going to find that much more for you here other than a few play refinements and tweaks.

Overall, MP3 is an out and out stunner. The game is epic in scale, drenched in quality and care, and some sequences - such as the initial freefall fight against Ridley - are inspired.

If ever there was an example of how a first person shooter should be made, then this is truly it.

Solid from the ground up and very worthy of your attention; it takes the key elements of the genre and polishes them until they gleam, whilst adding a few new and well-realised ideas to the mix, all the while ensuring your attention is held with its excellent storywork.

UFO isn’t perfect, but it does breathe enough life into a genre that hasn’t seen enough action recently. You could do a lot worse.

I'd suggest you treat The Red Star like you would a dead dog full of lovely cream cakes: ignore the stench of old mank and dig right in to the deliciousness!

The only real problem with this expansion is finding the time to play it.

What needs to be taken into consideration with Chili Con Carnage is that despite its lack of substance, and tendency to milk the ridiculous for all it's worth, it's the kind of game that can be turned on for a quick burst of action and then thrown aside until the next time it takes your fancy, something which a lot of PSP games have failed to do, and something that encompasses the whole concept of handheld gaming.

An Average game, with a capital A. it has lots of things that are nice about it and some that are not great. In places it plays ok, in others not. It seems entirely right that the game has been set in ancient mythical China as the concept of Ying and Yang appears to be in full flow here.

If you've ever felt that Mario needed more guns, explosives, and the ability to drive up to a villain in a sports car, then get out and throw the sports car at the villain's head, or that GTA would be vastly improved if the lead character was an indestructible mute on a pogo stick, then this is the game for you. It's just lacking a certain meatiness that (and here's that name again) the GTA games have in spades, even if they don't have quite the same level of originality that's been shown here.

Naturally, nothing can currently compete with the current industry leaders, but with a little time and a lot of bug spray, Vanguard will surely rise far enough through the ranks to challenge the titans for their crowns.

A title that by nature seems much better suited to the PC - on the Xbox it never really endears enough for players to persevere and get past the initial awkwardness, and the strategy control schemes are just a bit too long-winded and cack-handed to pull off well on a joypad.

It hasn’t moved from its niche within the RTS genre, but without compromising a single pixel of depth Paradox has managed to simplify and streamline the experience. Possibly Paradox’s finest title yet, certainly the most pleasing.

This game is unlike anything you'll have ever played before. From the sharp dialogue to the memorable graphics, this is a refreshing challenge for the weary adventure genre.

Predictably simple, brilliant, and delightful.

Perseverance is the key, but a lot of people might walk away from it before they master the more demanding elements. This is a shame, as there's a cracking think-first-shoot-later game waiting to be discovered, but the (sometimes overly) cerebral nature of things coupled with that crushing toughness will doubtless be too much for some.

Is it better than "Wind Waker"? Yes – much better. Is it better than "Ocarina of Time"? That’s one that might need some retrospective analysis in a couple of years to figure out, but it's certainly going to be a close call.

Our advice is this - snap up this underrated little racer, because you won't regret it. It might not offer a billion options and a trillion tracks, but for the time it lasts you'll be playing with a ruddy great big grin on your face.

Even if you don’t intend to switch from playing some other MMO, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of a seven day stint in Faydwer.

The Xbox 360 finally has the format-exclusive AAA title it's been hankering after since day one.

There aren't many other games that come close to the furious firefights and genuine sense of battle invoked by some of the set-pieces that crop up here, and short of sticking a colander on your head, digging a trench in your back garden and then getting a mate to shout in German while shooting at you, this is about as close as you'll get to the real thing.

With an inconsistent learning curve and an often frustrating level of difficulty, first time players may well find themselves in at the deep end.

RoboBlitz had the danger of being a tech demo but with a solid puzzle game behind it developer Naked Sky Entertainment has crafted a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Probably the closest thing you'll get on the 360 to "Halo 3" until, well, "Halo 3" itself. If only it wasn’t quite so FPS-by-numbers, it’d be a classic in it’s own right.

Everything about Dark Messiah oozes quality and there are multitudes of ways around every obstacle.

It’s a tried and tested formula with a slightly sinister twist, set to a familiar yet refreshingly different backdrop. Its characters boast a true individuality and the story is an involving – if not a touch slow to begin with – affair, that is let down only by an imbalance in gameplay and minor camera issues.

Aside from a few minor flaws in gameplay mechanics and AI, which Ubisoft is rectifying, Faces of War is a fresh take on an old classic.

It's the game that's finally got me using the PSP again, as opposed to just my DS. Unlike so many PSP ports and rehashes, it's perfectly suited to the system and perfectly suited to handheld gaming.

It's the best copy out there. High praise, but damning with it; like the kid from the rich neighbourhood with the gold chains and stupid trainers who thinks he can rap, it might look the part but it's just not the real deal.

All in all, I absolutely loved this game. It's not without its flaws - the levelling up is, initially, a pain as Frank simply starts out too weak to be any use, but the size of the mall and the amount to do means that you will actually want to replay things until you get it right.

All the zingy features in the world can't disguise the simple clear room, move on level construction that forms the majority of the game, and I can't help but think that Prey was designed by a big committee who were never really quite sure what they wanted to do.

Seriously, stop reading this dripping review and just go out and play this game.

Of course if you’ve gotten all the bonuses, all the skills for all six character classes and a fancy looking set of fissure armour, then Factions is the stand-alone expansion for you! You get a whole new campaign to play, a lot of new skills to find and a cracking good story to play through, not to mention a case that retains its newness for months. Marvellous.

The gameplay is built on a system that will initially frustrate those used to more immediate rewards, but players willing to stick it out can easily become engrossed in the mechanics at work. It’s a lumbering, slow beast of a title that won’t ever invite you in and if you’re up for a real challenge, it will give you one. It is also, as said above, the finest title based on the American Civil War yet seen.

It's nice to see a revamp of a true classic that's been handled so well though.

You need this game. Trust me on this; it'll be one of the best adventure games you can get.

You need this game. Trust me on this; it’ll be one of the best adventure games you can get.

Arguably the finest HOI game to date, as an expansion pack it’s probably best left to the hardcore fans and genre fanatics.

Everything on offer here – from picking locks to becoming a vampire via setting off Indiana Jones-style traps in a dungeon whilst nicking treasure – is an absolute joy brilliantly realised.

This is an awesome game, with a huge, huge scope; to its credit, it pulls everything off without a hitch.

Trimming the unnecessary features and focusing on a very specific style of gameplay, it appears to be aimed at a slightly more sophisticated audience than GTA - the oft mentioned "we know what we want" crowd.

Others, and I include myself in this group, will love it for being new, unique, different, and just a wholly enjoyable experience that offers something original every time you come back to it.

My thumbs haven’t gotten this good a workout in a long time and I haven’t even mentioned the cutscenes because they’re just too creamily good to describe.

Cyanide (the developer) has won an environmental award for recycling but I’m not sure if this is a good thing. Given time, Sudden Death is a game you’ll grow to like but the initial learning curve and interface issues might throw a lot of people off before the game can demonstrate its unique charms.

Earth 2160 uses every trick in the strategy book to great effect. If you can think of a feature, it’s probably there. We can expect a sequel because of the way the last campaign ends, but I won’t spoil it for you.

You get the feeling that the programmers enjoyed making it, enjoy gaming themselves, and just “get” what makes a game good.

In an age of increasing style over substance and companies trying to extract cash from gamers left, right and centre for new "services", it’s truly heartening to see a game done absolutely right, and the setup around it also done absolutely right. Great stuff, Nintendo.

Sound rocks. Literally. Whereas City of Heroes had an inspirational wide reaching soundtrack, City of Villains sounds like a rock festival with a few heavy metal bands. You’ll like it, and if you don’t give it a while. Then you’ll like it.

The new interface may throw a few of the more institutionalised players off the scent, but it won’t be long before they settle down for another few years.

A fantastic achievement. This is full-on, full-size GTA running on a handheld. Something most of us would probably have thought impossible back when "GTA III" originally came out.

It makes a welcome change from all the overcooked WWII games that just won’t stop coming out of the factories, although disappointingly enough, I didn’t catch a single whiff of Napalm. Probably not a good idea in the city. Probably.

It’s not failing to reach dizzying heights of sophistication or refinement; it’s just going straight for the jugular and makes no excuses for doing that – so it can’t really be criticized for not being sophisticated or refined as a result.

All in all, Age of Empires 3 is a top-notch game. Not too hard on the specs either, it’ll let you away with 256mb of ram and a 1.4ghz processor (ugly but perfectly playable).

The true colossus here is the game itself – it just raises the bar for everything that follows to a stratospheric level.

This is one for the collection, deftly using it’s emphasis on character to make it stand out from the crowd.

A well-executed and polished game marred by the fact it is so, so generic and (with the exception of the game save feature) everything is lifted from somewhere else. It’s also tough.

The story behind fable has to be one of the best I've ever come across. On more than one occasion, the plot took me completely by surprise.

A slightly different flavour to this vintage perhaps - less appealing to some, more appealing to others. But still, unquestionably, the greatest.

The speed at which everything shifts and the level of detail is absolutely stunning. It could easily stand alongside its PS2 and Xbox counterparts without looking like the cut-down ‘diet’ version you might expect for a handheld and full credit to Criterion for pulling it off without making sacrifices in gameplay or longevity.

This game is a bit like an infomercial. Initially you’ll flick over instinctively, but given a chance, it will grab you and before you know it, you’ll be the proud owner of a manual food processor and a lateral thigh trainer. I’m glad I gave it enough time to settle in.

Darwinia’s action can get repetitive, though no less addictive, and its AI issues can drag it down, but on the whole this is a refreshing game created with a pure love of gaming. Its unique interface and gameplay design set is apart from anything out there. The game’s appeal will no doubt be greatest with retro fans but its reach stretches to every gamer.

It delivers racing thrills and the right amount of mental challenge, all wrapped up in a package that's inventive and - yes - easy on the eye.

It's a bit of a shame that a game such as this has a flaw so crippling as a lack of tracks.

It manages to balance player vs. player and co-operative modes far better than its competition, simply by having two types of character.

A great all-round package. Replayable, original, and overall, great fun.

Though be warned – after playing, you'll be sorely tempted to pop off down the local toyshop and invest in some of the ever-popular plastic brick kits for yourself! Now where did I put that curved end bit.

It's simplicity is it's beauty, and it's a testament to Namco's skill that they've managed to make basic arcade racing so fun and so damn addictive. It doesn't do anything out of the ordinary, the AI isn't great (indeed, in places it's seriously poor) and there is no real selling point - apart from the overriding fact that it's pure, unadulterated arcade fun. [JPN Import]

The graphics are stunning, the sound is incredible - this is definitely Metal Gear, just with cards. Whatever you do, don't ignore the importance of this game to the early life of the Playstation Portable. [JPN Import]

Fast and frantic gameplay, unparalleled graphics and sound - this is the all out assault on the senses that Wipeout always should have been. Forget Fusion on the PS2, this is Wipeout gaming at its very best, a glorious gaming romp that really demonstrates the true power of the PSP console.

Could have been brilliant, the plot makes it merely great.

It sets out simply to make you laugh, and give you a fun time, and it achieves that aim completely. Our prescription is to go out and buy it now - it's another essential title for the DS.

Accessible to newcomers and seasoned gamers alike.

Some people may have minor issues with the control and camera aspects, but once you get past the first hour or so they'll find yourself being sucked in a game which is so consistently excellent that it's suitable to call it a masterpiece. Hands down, the best game in the Resident Evil series.

By far the most complete RTS you’ll ever find. It makes "Civilization" look like a playground. Not for the light hearted mind.

It's surprisingly tactical and entertaining, but keep in mind you can't design your own plays, create an awe inspiring franchise or even win the Superbowl.

There are a few bugs (of the game engine kind) and it’s far from perfect (it’s very short and slightly repetitive), but to experience something completely different that hasn’t been tried before or since is always worth the asking price.

Yes it has its flaws and the lack of any real evolution from the original Champ Man series might disappoint some, but get past one or two minor flaws and this is as complete an experience as any other game from any other genre out there. A superb start to an exciting new adventure for SI.

Technically, the game is not far removed from its predecessor but this is no bad thing really. Graphics are excellent, and the animation good – once you develop some serious lightsabre skills a six way fight is really something to behold.

For each part of the game there is trade off: the concept works well but to MMORPG outsiders some of the things seem, well, epically pedantic.

Even today it's an absolutely essential gaming experience.

The closest thing to perfection you'll play this year. You'd be a fool to miss out.

Challenging, engrossing and rewarding, and full of lovely little touches (the creature that causes your suit to crash and require a ctrl-alt-del style 'reboot' with the joypad is a particular highlight) that show the designers have put their all into this and polished everything until it shines.

Bungie have succeeded in creating a world of characters that are impossible to care about. It turns from "Star Wars" into "Battlefield Earth" far too quickly, and even John Travolta would pass up on this one...The dominating storyline robs from what should have been a fantastic title, the atmosphere gets bogged down with drawn out cutscenes and then ultimately peters out. [Offline review only - includes multiplayer]

A game that tries many things in a small space.

The second you start playing this game you realise that the latest Rockstar title is about a hundred times more complex than its predecessors. Not only is there a load of new weapons, cars and a huge new environment available, but the gaming experience itself has completely evolved.

It's a stunning looking, fast-paced and enjoyable beat 'em up, but it lacks much of the depth and balance of its peers.

It’s got everything the first Tribes game had with none of the lag. You heard me, no lag.

The graphics and sound are phenomenal as always, but the gameplay is still lacking that killer touch. The gimmicky selling point actually works for once this time, the pace and flow of the game is much faster and there are a number of other funky additions that go a long way on improving the general gameplay.

It’s good to look at, the humour in the script actually works, it’s fun to play for the most part and it will bring you back for more...but probably only if you’ve nothing much better to do.