It's derivative, yet brilliant; intrinsically flawed, but fantastically playable.

Most lamentable of all is the fact that the game's final boss is entirely nondescript. [Edge]

At times this sense of freedom is overwhelming, and attending to the minutiae can be tiresome.

Empathy is the game's strongest suit, with tension coming a close second... As a whole the game's a classy, polished package.

It's fine, spectacular, stunning, in a thoroughly ordinary fashion. It thrills, but will leave those who've previously visited the series contented rather than elated.

Forget the 'this isn't what Xbox was made for' cynics. Gear is fast and exciting and we love the 2D approach. Sadly though, there's no real originality to keep you coming back for more. [Xbox World]

Technique will always get you further than random button mashing. [GamesMaster]

Put simply, if you have Live this is a highly recommended purchase, if you don't then it isn't.

Fans will love it, newcomers will be entertained, but those yearning for something mind-blowing or wholly original will be disappointed. [Xbox World]

It looks absolutely stunning, but for all but a minority, the game play doesn't match up to expectations.

The best thing you can do if you want a fantastic footy game on your new PS2 is to find a copy of PSone's "ISS Pro Evolution." It'll be half the price, but twice as much fun.

This is a franchise for those who like games entirely cerebral, with no need for reflexes or marksmanship.

We've happily sat for ages playing around on Arcade mode and vamping our ship up to obscene speeds but, when the chips are down in the League and the autopilot flies you straight into a series of mines, it's all you can do not to chew off your own face.

In the six hours that it takes to finish Metal Gear Solid, there is little more than an hour's interaction.

There's one huge caveat to our recommendations. THQ, in a cost-cutting move sure to infuriate people everywhere, have removed the battery memory back-up and implemented a password system instead.

But it it's the most basic beat-'em-up you've ever played, often you'll find yourself simply holding the stick forward while Kong runs on invisible rails. It's beautiful, but oh-so-boring and unchallenging. [GamesMaster]

SOCOM: US Navy SEALs isn't quite PS2's online killer app, but it's a worthy beginning.

FIFA 2002 might be deeper, but it isn't more fun. The rich gameplay is negated by clumsy implementation, shabby player models and lack of visual finesse.

Play solo, as we reckon most people will most of the time, and you will find your three AI buddies, while eager, do have a habit of getting killed more quickly than when you're controlling them. It's not a game wrecker but that sliver of mistrust in your buddies' abilities can intrude on your fun in the heat of battle. [Xbox World]

Beneath the flash, the sampled voices, orchestral score, magnificent landscapes and monstrous animation lies a mess of inexplicable design decisions, bizarre mechanics, Fisher Price strategy and a strange disregard for Tolkien's story... It doesn't love the source material as much as you or I. And that's the biggest frustration of all. [PC Gamer UK]

A dull, linear first-person shooter with international conflict as its backdrop, that tries to put players into the boots of a WW2 soldier embroiled in the thick of the things, but fails miserably. [XGamer]

And once you become Van Wilder, life can becomes easier as you can influence people to help you with homework, leaving you more time to get on with life/earning/relationships.

If you like "SSX," you won't like Freekstyle - don't be fooled by superficially-appealing first impressions. [PSM2]

As a distraction it's fine, but as a game it's distinctly lacking in challenge and structure. [PC Gamer UK]

Accessible and instantly satisfying but can become dull all too quickly. A good, but not great, online-focused war game that's just not exciting enough to threaten "Halo 2." [GamesMaster]

The presentation is feisty, the graphics punchy and the animations gratuitous, plus the game is held together by a sense of fun that you won't get from many American Football sims. Also it has the right sort of aggressiveness that makes it an excellent multiplayer game. [GamesMaster]

Its cartoon visuals, stealth elements and engrossing atmosphere make for a surprisingly different approach to a genre that generally consists of simplistic button bashers. [PSM2]

But if it's so splendid, what's wrong with it? The main problem is that V:TBM is completely ridden with bugs. From minor things (graphic glitches) to mid-range stuff (regular frame-rate problems) to absolutely shocking ones (bugs that stops your progress, crash-bugs), it's infested. [GamesMaster]

Bigger and, in many ways, better than previous GPs, but the lack of real depth may leave enthusiasts reaching for the (Riding) spirits. [PSM2]

If the players had some personality to go with their looks, this could have been the best FIFA yet. [NGC]

Compared to the all-powerful "SmackDown!" it gets pummelled into the canvas in terms of variety of moves and subtlety. (Relatively speaking, or course. Neither are exactly delicate games). [GamesMaster]

None of its core ideas, good though some are, are really explored well enough. The linear levels offer little in the way of exploration, and the Geo-Mod technology doesn't add anything especially worthwhile to the game. [NGC]

Great value and a slice of gaming history, but it's still a shame they couldn't have put some more stuff together. [GamesMaster]

But you want brutal, in-your-face intensity from on-line gaming and that's exactly what Twisted Metal is all about.

This game's so obsessed with vampire-killing and ground-level puzzles, it doesn't seem to acknowledge - or care - that there's someone playing it for pleasure. [XGamer]

A poor plot, which never makes you feel that you're doing anything other than playing an average videogame.

Unfortunately, beyond the artifice of the attractive environments and sound design there hides the kind of on-rails gameplay that might've been the bollocks 10 years ago but simply seems naive today.

Great value and a slice of gaming history, but it's still a shame they couldn't have put some more stuff together. [GamesMaster]

There's enough in here to entertain for a while so give it a whirl, just don't expect it to be playing it when "Star Wars Chapter Nine: Jedis Get Laid" arrives on the silver screen. [XGamer]

If you love all things MK, you'll see Shaolin Monks as a special milestone in the franchise and a reward for your loyalty. Otherwise, it's just a fun brawling diversion with lots of gloopy blood and two unlockable characters. Either way, it's good stuff.

The missions themselves are typical space sim affairs that never quite innovate, but always manage to entertain nonetheless. [PC Gamer UK]

The lack of changes will disappoint some, but for 20 bucks the minor tweaks and new roster nicely enhance what was already a great game.

It's great that you can run and gun without too much squad-commanding hassle, but SW:RC's simplicity is its biggest problem. Gamers hoping to give their brain a workout will be disappointed - the tactical options are rudimentary and the weapon selection is poor.

FIFA remains more pick-up-and-play for the mainstream sports gamer, but offers some depth and subtleties that will enable more experienced players to do their best Beckham impersonation.

You could do a lot worse than re-visiting the first two Turoks and forgetting all about this half-hearted and dispiriting finale to what has been one of the best-loved franchises on the N64. A shame.

Just like with Doom 3, RoE works best if you're afraid of the dark, but sadly most of us have outgrown that fear long ago.

Desperately trying to be hard-boiled but actually has more in common with action rubbish like "Minority Report." One for very forgiving fans only. [NGC]

It doesn't offer the same free roaming play of "Tony Hawk's," nor does it offer the high speed thrills of "SSX Tricky," but it is fresh, original and damn good fun. [XGamer Magazine]

Tales of Phantasia is a solid RPG. It doesn't have the story chops of the last classic to hit GBA - Final Fantasy IV did a much better job of making its cast and its quest worth caring about.

Unfortunately, this game, like most wrestling games, suffers from clipping issues, where chunks of people pass right through objects or even other people.

The concept is pure gold, and much of it works beautifully. We hope this becomes a series; a sequel that kept all the dark humor and cool powers, but explored and civilized its gameplay could utterly dominate us, and we wouldn't mind one bit.

Mario hasn't starred in something this weak since his pinball effort on GBA. [GamesMaster]

The most deliciously dark Silent Hill yet but the compulsive storytelling can't compensate for the fiddly controls, fractured structure and frustrating combat. [PSM2]

The single-player is slow and unforgiving next to the white-hot motoring antics of the online experience.

A funny, worthwhile and well made expansion, but let down by slow loading times. Until Sims technology changes in a fundamental way, Nightlife is going to leave all too many home on a Saturday night.

The graphics might be a little dated, but they still look good. The manual shot aiming works like a dream – the puck always goes where you want, and the targets that appear in the net make it especially intuitive for newcomers.

The story is pointless and the levels make little sense thematically, but forget cutscenes and everything else - this is about aiming at monsters and firing. Again. [PC Gamer UK]

Fun for a while but lacks the madcap pace of previous incarnations. Why change it so much for consoles? [Xbox World 360]

It's truly everybody's game - if you can swing a stick, you can play this (even if you're a lefty). It's perfect for parties, or for players willing to trade next-gen graphics and fancy options for the chance to swing a club instead of button mashing.

And the world is huge. If it was more packed with opportunities for us to use those tools and stunts, this could have been a GTA-killer.

Handsome in motion but PSP's D-pad stops it being more than a pretty face. [GamesMaster]

Will you want to spend over 100 hours, crawling here, there and everywhere to get into in it? That's the question. A lot of you aren't, for Evil Islands doesn't stand out either as a great genuine strategy or as a bonkers RPG.

A game that passes the time, and melds together a number of fine titles, but whose every individual element can be found in a more satisfying form elsewhere. [PC Gamer UK]

An average sandbox title with a charismatic anti-hero and hilarious B-movie presentation as its saving grace. And we'll take that.

[Miss = 50 on Radar scale] Unfortunately, the fidgety camera is so poor and makes searching such a bleeding chore that being Spider-Man seems a dull job.

It's great for a quick 10-minute thrill but not something I'd spend 45 quid on. [XGamer Magazine]

For 20 quid it's something close to retro heaven. Go on, play it without prejudice. [Xbox World 360]

So what if Carbon isn't redefining the street racing genre - really, at this point, what could? It hits a sweet spot of intensity, danger, and style.

Don't get us wrong: the latest Castlevania isn't a bad game, if you can swallow the endless combat repetition. It just falls well short of this series' legendary heritage, and can't hold a candle to the handheld "Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow" for the Nintendo DS.

Cossacks remains a flawed best-seller, and Art of War doesn't do quite enough to change that. [PC Format]

You're better off saving your cash for something better, but if you really want a Mario-based board game, go for the cheaper - and better - "Mario Party 2."

In essence, it is - and this is delicious irony, for something supposed to be the Ultimate Teenage Male game - about playing with dolls. It's possibly the most girly game of all time; relationships, shopping, and fashion.

The story - good enough but you'll never find yourself discussing it down the pub.

Put simply, it's not half as exciting as you'd expect.

Well presented and brimming with top titles but new games are created and bought for a reason; they're better than the old ones. For nostalgists only. [PSM2]

A tiny bit simple and way too similar to the PS2 version, but still good US footie fun. [PSM2]

Call us big girls' blouses if you wish, but this one's scary. Alas, it's also flawed to buggery.

One of the better B-list rally games but a bit too lacklustre in the execution to be an essential accompaniment to "Colin" or "WRC." [PSM2]

It had the potential to be one of the best titles on PSP, but it's marred by a dodgy control system. Agonising loading times and graphical glitches mean this is for undiscerning footie nuts only. [PSM2]

Brilliant in some places, just plain dull in most of the others. [NGC]

Let's just hope the attempt to broaden its audience works: Dreamfall ends on a cliffhanger. If it's all the same to the creators, we'd rather not wait another six years for a resolution.

Tense, exciting and inordinately better than "Shellshock" and "Conflict Vietnam" - though the experience can become repetitive at times. [Xbox World]

By focusing on the Michael Owens, EA've forgotten the Gary Nevilles - capturing the magic, but fluffing the basics. [PSM2]

A decently solid shooter that's good for a few hours fun. Shame they couldn't include the original as a bonus, though. [GamesMaster]

As we all know, it's how you use it that counts, and like most things that come from America, this is all mouth and very little trouser.

When Fist Alpha comes together, it's genuinely entertaining. There are so many little touches that take you past the rough polygon edges and dated visuals (see 'Don't Inhale'). But that effort and ambition is whittled away by nasty, obscure little bugs. [PC Gamer UK]

A space war that's heavy on cliché, with a side order of weird aliens. Earth 2160 is an accomplished but dull RTS sequel. [PC Gamer UK]

While a few of credits shy of an A, it's a good value at $20 even without the bonus content.

It looks underwhelming, but spend a little time with Urban Chaos: Riot Response and it quickly stands out from the crowd.

Activision has copied the gameplay of Civilisation, but the designers just aren't good enough to infuse it with the magic. Even if they had done, enough already! Do something new!

This no-nonsense beat-'em-up based adventure will be fairly meaningless to non-believers but it's a tasty treat for Buffy fans. [PSM2]

A good-looking and proficient shooter, but one that is utterly devoid of invention or new ideas.

That's not to say it's a terrible game, either, but it's a long way down the track from the instant rewards, utter playability, simplistic fun and almost child-like innocence of the PlayStation original.

A fun game, and the deck creation element is very addictive. Still a bit pointless though, and could be better presented. [GamesMaster]

Fantastic short-term shooting jollies with superb atmosphere, but the size of the thing makes it difficult to recommend. [GamesMaster]

Although NASCAR 07 remains pretty much the same decent core game as last year's model, this year's model is just a little more fun for newcomers and a little more chaotic for long-time racers.

CCC Vol. 2 is only 20 bucks, which comes to $1 a game. Considering all of the classic arcade gameplay on this disc, it's an excellent value. We're not sure Capcom has enough material for yet another arcade collection, but if this is the last, then they'll have gone out on a high note.

Not the greatest party ever. This series is in desperate need of a fresh injection of originality. [NGC]