The best adventure game ever. Diehard 2D fans will hate us for saying this, but that they can’t let go of Beneath a Steel Sky is a matter for the shrink.

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

Savage is the best online all-out-action game since "Quake 3." Set in a rustic past setting, yet with modern tech influences, the battle between humans and beasts will be one of the greatest you have ever taken part in.

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.

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.

The game is completely open, and apart from the first couple of compulsory missions, what you do is up to you.

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

Add stunning graphics, custom soundtracks and Xbox Live compatibility to the mix and what we have here is a top class arcade style racer that not only finishes miles before the competition, but laps them several times for good measure before knocking them off the track and into the roadside gravel.

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

It keeps reinventing itself anew throughout when it really should have run out of ideas and manages to successfully merge exciting combat with bracing platforming. It wouldn’t be far fetched to say that for the moment, it’s the staple of the genre.

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.

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]

Small faults like the uneducated camera system, the immediate difficulty of the game and the somewhat below-par graphics are exactly what they are – small faults. Gameplay reigns king here and Super Mario Sunshine has that wrapped up nicely; what more can they offer?

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.

Predictably simple, brilliant, and delightful.

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.

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

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.

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.

To me, GTA:VC is same old, same old. Nothing about it screams out to me. Everything I need for any GTA addiction would be found in GTA III. Vice City just takes that title, polishes it and chucks in an 80's theme.

Whilst it doesn't exactly blow our minds in terms of innovation or sheer coolness, we can't help but applaud the sheer amount of fun you get for your money.

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

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).

Valve has done a sterling job of moving a flagship franchise over to a new engine. Whilst the gameplay guts come over correct and intact, (which may disappoint some), Counter-Strike: Source is an even more engrossing and captivating experience, capable of sapping hours of your time, and even the worst "1337 g33zers" abusing voice chat can't spoil the fun you'll have with it.

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.

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.

GTA responds to all of our most basic impulses and allows us to do all the things we'd be given a life sentence for in real life.

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.