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.

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]

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

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.

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.

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

Regardless of whether you wish to tackle the game’s in-depth franchise mode, or return once or twice a month for a quick blast, there is one word that can sum up the experience: solid.

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

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.

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.

An essential title. The best graphics ever seen, incredible sound and some superb horror FPS gaming all add up to one hell of an experience.

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

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.

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.

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.

It’s a mystery how two such very different games manage to share so many things in common. In away it’s almost a relief that Maximum Impact 2 is so poor, as it allows XI to bask in its own glory, an example of how the 2D fighting genre isn’t dead and hopefully an opportunity for younger gamers to appreciate the concept of gameplay being greater than eye-candy.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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

Accessible to newcomers and seasoned gamers alike.

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

Whatever about the bugs being ironed out this is an addictive game and that’s the end of it.

F-Zero GX can best be described as having a long row with a supermodel, and then having impulsive make-up sex afterwards. Go into it with the will of a barbarian and with patience, you'll reap the spoils.

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.

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