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]