Brutal, bloody and brilliant with a massive body count. Few can match its looks. [GamesMaster]

Simply fantastic.

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

Not as enjoyable as its predecessor, but still very good. Some of the biggest levels on PS2 and varied, exciting combat collude to form a cracking adventure. [PSM2]

The true brilliance shines through whenever you get enough mates together to unearth the full potential of the multiplayer.

It's still got that old Resi magic and is a great game, but the series is starting to show its age and plod like an old zombie. [GamesMaster]

As a stand-alone game, Unreal Champ doesn't offer the same package as "Halo" or "TimeSplitters 2." [Offline review by XGamer]

This complexity demands your total concentration, resulting in an all-consuming gaming experience. You're gonna lose hours to this game.

The clincher that transforms Homeworld 2 from a good game into a great one is the depth of detail. Every battle is an epic worthy of Lucas' early days; every backdrop a mind-blowing kaleidoscope of nebulae which constantly rams home the very vastness of space. [PC Gamer UK]

A good couple of days stylish thrash-'em-up violence. Not much variety, but plenty of fun to be had, we feel. [GamesMaster]

Though it pains us to say this, the official license really does make a big difference. All those real stadia, shirts and club logos flying around the place give it the kind of special event feel that the competition simply can't match. Shallow? Not us.

Almost the best superhero game on PS2, but let down by the fact that - when you get down to it - we've seen it all before. Still, you should definitely give it a shot. [PSM2]

Fable's social systems are a masterpiece of design and, if the story and dialogue tend towards the prosaic, the compelling action and delicious presentation boost the experience far above the ordinary. [PC Gamer UK]

Pretty and comprehensive but - with the exception of Live play - feels a little outdated. [GamesMaster]

It may be true that those of you who already own last year's version may feel like you're not getting much more than a roster update and the ability to keep kicking it in the sublime 2K online world, but there's no doubt that the proof is in the pudding, and NBA 2K7 delivers a darn good time.

The bit with the insect queen probably ranks as the Most Disturbing Moment In A Game Ever. [XGamer Magazine]

Terrific multiplayer games and an engrossing set of challenges and Arcade leagues, but the Story mode still isn't offering what it should. [Xbox World]

The story is tightly linear, so it's hard to make your character's tale your own.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the game, though, is the way in which it gives a real sense of what war was really like for pilots in the Pacific.

Predictable but top-class racing action. Best enjoyed with friends, and with no expectations of greatness.

With all due respect to all the stat crunchers out there, this is once again the true "fantasy" football.

Sits comfortably between the hardcore elements of the stately "Links," and the cutesy arcadeness of more console-orientated golf. [PC Format]

Unique, and only the fact that it won't be every player's idea of fun (walking, listening, talking, mashing sticks...) holds it back. But to pass up on such a powerful experience based on preconceptions of 'boring adventure games' would be a very big mistake. [PSM2]

It's the perfect way of working out if your flatmate's a robot - only a heartless cyborg assassin wouldn't love these fluffy little pups - but it's not for those that are easily bored of endless, patient training and failure. [NGC Pocket]

For a Microsoft-published game Crimson Skies is refreshingly politically incorrect, with blatantly sexist mid-battle quips from the dashing protagonist.

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.

Repetitive in the long-term. But, as a gaming experience, it can't be beaten by anything else on Xbox or other games machines. [Xbox Gamer]

You can't help but be quietly impressed by its speed, its stunning scenery, and its incredibly well-designed tracks.

It's the perfect way of working out if your flatmate's a robot - only a heartless cyborg assassin wouldn't love these fluffy little pups - but it's not for those that are easily bored of endless, patient training and failure. [NGC Pocket]

It's a shame that the multiplayer options don't include a cop pursuit mode, but that's a minor omission in a one-game-fits-all package. If you haven't found any of the recent NFS games to be juuuust right, Most Wanted is the one to own.

Catacombs is well worth adding to your Camelot collection - provided that you already have an account and aren't planning to jump ship in the near future. [PC Gamer UK]

Learning and mastering new jobs while mixing and matching new abilities is such a deep and entertaining experience that the narrative becomes secondary. You can easily spend dozens and dozens of hours leveling up jobs and experimenting with them.

It's the multiplayer mode that ultimately makes this well worth your pennies.

It's a well-made game that you can try again and again with numerous heroes and their plethora of powers. If you're a comic-book fan, this is probably the most satisfying videogame ever made for you.

A gorgeous and absorbing space combat sim, but one that takes time to get to grips with.

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.

A fun romp that stays interesting no matter how you play it. It has its share of flaws, but for fans, this is the first Star Wars game to have it all.

It's the perfect way of working out if your flatmate's a robot - only a heartless cyborg assassin wouldn't love these fluffy little pups - but it's not for those that are easily bored of endless, patient training and failure. [NGC Pocket]

It's also undoubtedly Harvest Moon's high point, expanding the freedom of play while retaining the bright, simple aesthetics and pantomimed emotion that have defined the series.

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

Full of unique touches, with a depth that demands that you come back for more. Addictive, compulsive and, above all, bags of fun. [Playstation 2 Max]

A bit of a dodgy conversion, but otherwise a very good game. This amount of stuff on one UMD is amazing, and the range of things you can do is remarkable. Not perfect, but still great. [PSM2]

It's got everything going for it and is great fun to play. If you're looking for an original shoot-'em-up that breaks the rules, then this is it.

Every second of this game screams skillful design and the result is a liberating game world that feels open and responsive. Nearly every object in the game reacts to Lara's influence, and this applies to the gamer holding the control pad as well - it's impossible to play this game and not fall under its tempting spell.

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.

Prepare for the Poke folk to take over your life. Again. [GamesMaster]

Not a big brave step forward in the world of wrestling games...But the whole game has been pumped up and inflated to such impressive proportions that you can't help applaud both THQ and Yukes for treating the WWE with the care and campness it deserves.

Astonishing stuff. [NGC]

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]

Barbarian Invasion is tweak-packed and jammed with choices, meaning that even expert Generals will be kept busy for ages. A must for fans of Rome Total War. [PC Gamer UK]

One of the true joys of Madden is settling in for a run of minigames. But there's one factor that's a touch obnoxious: you can't choose what players you compete with.

A beautiful story, told in a brand new way...It's the giant leap that the genre so desperately needed. [PC Gamer UK]

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

Fast, varied and exacting, although its near-scientific dedication to perfection leaves it empty in the heart. [PC Gamer UK]

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.

Online play would score high 80s but offline SOCOM 3 is an average squad shooter that treads the same tired path as many before it. [PSM2]

Tiger's undeniable quality has survived the tweaks. As impressive as ever but no great leap forward in evolution. [NGC]

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]

Compared to the massive rendered cutscenes in "Tekken 3," Tekken Advance looks like a small-scale side story of the series, rather than a fully-fledged sequel.

From start to finish, it's a class act, and one that you'll obsess over for months to come. [XGamer]

A nearly mindless squad-based shooter, oozing with arcade appeal. Don't expect the world and you won't be disappointed. This is all about the best possible kind of ass-kicking, with an insane amount of firepower. As surprising as it is fun. [Xbox Gamer]

Once you've got used to the way things work, thanks to the comprehensive training mode, you'll find the combat is far more satisfying than anything other more commercial RPGs have to offer.

An improvement over the original, then. But with still only two areas to choose from and no multi-player mode (an obvious way to improve on the first game that should have been included), it does have a problem with its lifespan.

Sonic may be in a rush, but Sega clearly wasn't when they crafted this glorious game. [NGC Pocket]

Offers just enough variety and story to keep you hanging until its early end. [GamesMaster]

Slow, tiresome and, fundamentally, a bit broken. [PC Gamer UK]

A quirky, memorable title that'll leave RPG veterans spellbound. [GamesMaster]

If you live for 20-inch rims, flame decals and picking just the right door mirrors to accent your neon, you need this. The racing might not be quite the best available, but it's not that far behind. Certainly way good enough for you to enjoy your crazy ride. [PSM2]

With so much chasing and fighting in the movie, the scrolling slasher genre seems ideal. However, the result is a simplistic and repetitive game. [PSM2]

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]

We're underwhelmed by the game mechanic and bot AI but there's a good online game in there if you've got the hardware. Shame about everyone else. [PSM2]

Ignore Harvest Moon and you'll be ignoring one of the cutest and most original RPGs you're ever likely to see. It ought to be on everyone's 'must play' list.

Quake 4 has set-pieces to knock your jaw off, provides flawless, timeless multiplayer and the Doom 3 engine does the business with the graphics, but the lack variety means the earth won't quite move for you. [GamesMaster]

Hardcore golfers will be disappointed that Tiger Woods PGA Tour isn't making revolutionary improvements, and everyone else will wonder why EA can't seem to make fields of green look prettier, but it's still the best golf game you can buy on any platform.

If you're not precious about tactical elements it's a real hoot. With more level consistency, it could've become the shooter king. [GamesMaster]

Being too uncoordinated to dare attempt one of those arcade dancing machines, it's the first game we've played that has actually made us feel light-headed. It's also exactly what DS needed after the disappointing absence of a genuine must-have title among the US launch releases. Virtually perfect. [NGC]

For either a first time fragger or a battle hardened veteran, Doom is simply superb. [GamesMaster]

An unconventional - hence invigorating - impetuous, inciting, and utterly, utterly playable first-person multiplaying affair.

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]

If the work that's gone into TOCA's story element had been put into the game itself, we might now be saluting the PS2's best racing game. Instead we're lightly applauding a rather good one. [GamesMaster]

It's far more difficult to learn than "NBA Street" - still the benchmark for accessible sports games as far as we're concerned. But it's still an American footie game of the highest quality. Just not one for the UK masses, like we'd hoped.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour isn't going to shake the golf game establishment to its foundations, but it has as much depth as any of its competitors, and considerably more character. [NGC]

It manages to provide an incredibly compelling experience by consistently setting an intense mood, forgiving player errors and providing numerous options for accomplishing your fiendish goals.

Gorgeous to look at and wonderfully well made, but it's not a revolution. [PC Gamer UK]

It's simply good fun from beginning to end - like an unexpectedly violent Disneyland ride.

Slow, often frustrating, but frighteningly engrossing at the same time. If you're after a leisurely, open-ended experience then it's highly recommended. [NGC]

There's little doubt that I've failed to sufficiently convey the sheer enormity of this game. [PC Gamer UK]

If there were a few more minigames on offer then Everybody's Golf would've been even better. Never mind. The level of sheer fun means this game will appeal to even the most ardent of golf haters. [PSM2]

When you turn to the on-ride camera mode, and the car starts down the big slides...well, I genuinely feel a tug of induced artificial vertigo. A construction game that gets you in the guts. That's rare. This is a golden ticket. Get in line. [PC Gamer UK, Dec 2004, p.111]

Far from being the cash-in we'd all expected, this is one of the best puzzlers money can buy. Excellent stuff indeed.

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.

The new minigames are a bit rubbish, but there's basically no reason for PSP-owning WWE fans not to get this. Finally, PSP gets itself a decent fighting game. About time too. [PSM2]

Despite the dearth of new features and the inherited infirmities, £20 is far too low an asking price for a strategy game this cultivated. [PC Gamer UK]

It's in the interaction with other players that Toontown excels. Basic game-related queries and greetings are automated, and typed chat is heavily restricted to real-life friends. However, this doesn't impede the gameplay in any way.

The main problem we have with it is that, despite having a variety of levels and level-styles, the basic format of each world can start to feel a touch repetitive by the time you reach the third or fourth world. [NGC]

You've almost got to love Mortal Kombat if you like gaming. It's big, it's brash, it's bloody and it's not in the least bit ashamed. Fatality! [Xbox World]

A great game, but it's never going to replace "Goldeneye" or "Perfect Dark." Both games do things bigger and better and more often.