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]

We expected more from Ridge's first super-powered 360 outing. Disappointing. [GamesMaster]

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

Pin-sharp sim that's both challenging and forgiving, with a story that's not just bolted on... A true delicacy in a time of relative famine for racing sim fans, but should feature on any gamer's menu. [PC Gamer UK]

[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.

A proper combat flight simulator that's also fun to play. This game is what we've all been waiting for -- let's fly!

Your pride in your ride will keep this as addictive as it ever was. If you already own it on PS2, then multiplayer is the only new draw, but it's still a cracking game. Get it. [PSM2]

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

Not as deep as "Manhunt" or "GTA" but some of the best fun you'll have with a bottle of firewater and some very old guns. [GamesMaster]

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.

It's not the most imaginative game on PSP, but it is entertaining. The fun of wiping out a group of slavering zombies with a well timed combo shot is enough to justify buying this. [PSM2]

As a multi-player game, though, it has the potential to be unique; a user-definable game more like traditional role-playing than anything any platform has ever seen.

An epic adrenaline rush capturing the freedom and terror of 'boarding. [XGamer]

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]

Fools you into thinking it's crap with its new-fangled but rubbish graphics but, like George Formby, Land Warrior turns out nice again.

Even though it'll be too demanding for some, Rocky currently represents the best boxing title on the market. And our prediction for the last fight in the game? Pain. [Edge]

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."

There's so much potential for strategy here that it's almost overwhelming. [PSM2]

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.

Despite some really basic errors, XIII is ambitiously big and beautiful, delivering enough of the right stuff to ensure you stick at it. Impressive. [NGC]

Not as deep as "Manhunt" or "GTA" but some of the best fun you'll have with a bottle of firewater and some very old guns. [GamesMaster]

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

It's all top notch Indy stuff and perfectly captures all the ace elements of the man and the movies. Monsters, exotic locations, suspicious characters and back-stabbing. He even looks and sounds like Harrison Ford which makes it all even more believable, charming and utterly essential. [GamesMaster]

Small but perfectly formed. 1080 is the choice of the discerning gamer who looks for fewer stunts and a more solid racing experience. [NGC]

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

Don't be turned off by the difficult controls right away. Once you get used to the steering and can take the corners, FlatOut 2 is an awesome racer with enough destruction and mayhem to last you awhile.

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]

Touch and Go is a new breed of platformer and, while it doesn't quite reach the heights of Wario Ware and Mario 64 DS, it is still an essential DS purchase. [NGC Pocket]

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]

A fine racing sim, and a fantastic F1 title. Highly recommended indeed.

It's quick, brash and very noisy but underneath that wild exterior lurks a racer of surprising finesse. [PSM2 Magazine]

Impressive? Definitely. It's very heavy on the Japanese text though, so only hardcore import fans should bother with it right now. By the time it sees a proper UK release in March though, expect to be blown away. [JPN Import]

VJ is certainly impressive to look at, although the swing to a more puzzle-orientated play won't please everyone. [NGC]

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]

Cold Winter ticks every box on the 'perfect FPS' checklist - except for the one marked 'lasting challenge'. Good, but it should have been so much better. [PSM2]

An idea with the potential to get boring but that, in practice, is satisfyingly addictive. The puzzle mode offers fiendishly tricky logic problems which are in fact, pretty tricky. Tough but great value and worth the effort. [NGC Pocket]

A hugely entertaining mish-mash of gaming elements, wrapped up in a glossy package. Nothing like any ninja game you've ever played before, we promise. [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]

It may not be as deep as it could or should be, but Red Card can really kick it, and you can't help but love that.

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.

Despite the messy structure, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle is still up there with the best of them, knocking most of the competition for six. And that's what counts. [GamesMaster Magazine]

The action never lets up and while there's no real depth or strategy, it's a damn good blast that really gets the adrenaline pumping.

The shoddiest, most poorly constructed, most flawed game that we have ever seen manage to be a Hit, although only by the outermost molecule of the skin of its teeth.

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]

Looks good, plays great, drives you mad but keeps you playing. Not quite an essential purchase, but up there with fags and beer.

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]

Pleasant. It’s challenging without being too frustrating, and it’s attractive without being gobsmacking, full of decent set-pieces without anything that seriously demands a bit of thought. [PSM2]

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

A lightweight, easy but solid RPG that has no famous faces, little chance to make choices and hardly any fresh ideas. [GamesMaster]

Simplistic and silly stuff but the OTT action and daft characters make this a slice of sheer shooting bliss. [Xbox World]

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

Your three-man team cover, flank and suppress impressively at first, but later on in the game they become more of a bind than a blessing. [GamesMaster]

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]

This has more invention and genuine touches of class than the majority of PS2 games have in total.

As Roy Walker might have put it: it's good, but it's not right.

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

Fans of Secret will be sorely disappointed with this - but as we said, for all its failings, the 20 or so hours it takes to finish it are still enjoyable. It's just that the quality isn't as high as we expected. [NGC]

Just as "Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy" was an enjoyable but slightly two-dimensional platformer, Sudeki is its insubstantial RPG equivalent. [GamesMaster]

It's impossible to dislike Amped 3 - it has real character, is hugely ambitious in size and scope, there's plenty to keep you occupied and, even if it isn't all that immediate, it is accessible.

The unstoppably addictive bastard puzzle cousin of "Missile Command," Fantavision's perfectly presented and hypnotically beautiful

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 more significant shortcoming than the absent interiors is the frankly inexcusable lack of selectable difficulty levels. [PC Gamer UK]

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

The frenetic, out-of-control battles take no time to warm up to, but fighting enthusiasts will probably shudder at the game's simplicity.

This new ability to duel on demand is sure to please fervent fight-fans and is a very useful training tool for those wanting to prepare intensively for an on-line rumpus.

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

There are tons of classics in here, from Super Monkey Ball to Nights. All have been converted as well as you could expect. [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.

With more drama than Tekken and more guts than Dead or Alive, Tenkaichi literally has more balls than any beat-'em-up released in the last 12 months. [GamesMaster]

Pac 'n' Roll is a really good, fun game. And with Pac-Pix already putting a smile on our faces, it seems that Pac-Man is turning out to be one of DS's biggest stars. [NGC Pocket]

[Games Radar Rating = Hit] Although it isn't as revolutionary as GoldenEye once was, the deft changes of pace mean it's undoubtedly the most Bond-like game ever. It might not leave you shaken, but it's certainly stirring.

The grand-duke of the soldier sims. If you have even the slightest interest in the subject matter, it's a must.

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.

With a beautifully simple interface and very loveable creatures, Electroplankton won't fail to put a smile on your face - and isn't that what really counts? [GamesMaster]

With Nemesis, Capcom once again get you to sit in the homicidal barber's chair while he draws a honed blade with grating tension across your exposed throat. This time the tension and the moment when it suddenly cuts to the bone are taken to an even higher screaming point.

So annoying, yet so damn addictive. [Gamesmaster]

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

It's stupid, it's cliched and you can leave your brain at the door but, when you're having this much fun playing Total Overdose, can you really complain? [PSM2]

If you're after a completely new experience and don't mind putting up with a few flaws, Billy's your egg-rolling boy. [NGC]

A new concept in gaming that works brilliantly. We're already pining for a sequel. [GamesMaster]

A perfectly competent but utterly uninspired kart racer that pales in comparison with Mario Kart.

Bags of style and tons of good ideas - all crowbarred into a game that's slightly too monotonous to sustain them. [PSM2]

Whichever version you play, Cars is a likable little racing adventure. The gameplay is nothing outstanding, but it's fun enough while it lasts, and overall it looks pretty slick.

The novice faces a hefty learning curve, even with the well-written tutorial in the manual, and many will give up within the first few hours.

A pale Star Wars-based imitation of "Mario Kart." Just plain bad.

If you're a gearhead, you'll enjoy this. The rest of you? Well, it's a good racing game marred only by a lack of options and features. Still, makes a change from cars. [PSM2]

While this is no "Never Say Never Again," it's hardly "Goldfinger" either. Sorry about that, 007. [XGamer]

Simply put, it's a stellar title that'll keep baseball fans happy all season long.