A slow starter. However, it's a huge world which is full of big ideas. Jump in now for a game that promises to be an interesting take on a staid genre - or hold fire a month or two to see how it lives up to its promises. [PC Gamer UK]

Hugely immersive, frenetic, intelligent carnage but it's not a big single-player experience. Warhammer finally has a great videogame... For those who aren't interested in tin soldiers - you'd be nuts to miss the finest sci-fi RTS to hit the PC since "Total Annihilation." [PC Gamer UK]

Almost impossible to fault. Its bizarre split personality of serious golf-sim vs crazy-in-the-face 'attitood' is the only half-slug in a perfect sporting sandwich. [PSM2]

More of the same might not necessarily be a bad thing, but we'd be lying if we said we hadn't hoped for better. [Import]

A remarkable online experience but it suffers as a single-player game. Get broadband in and you'll be laughing. [GamesMaster]

This year it's so big, most players with full-time jobs and social lives will never see more than half of it. You almost need a map to find your way through the menu options. [NGC]

It's only £20 and if you're an anime or a shoot-'em'up fan then it'll have instant appeal. Otherwise it's too short and simple. Fun in short bursts. [PSM2]

A slightly uneasy mix of big dumb shooter and a raw, harsher-than-normal treatment where nobody comes out well. It's the big dumb shooter that wins. [PSM2]

The levels are beautiful and are packed with things to do, but controlling Sly feels mysteriously cumbrous, and as a result the rest of the game suffers. [PSM2]

A glimpse at the future of RPGs. A stunningly realised vision of everything that's good about story-driven swords and sorcer. [GamesMaster]

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]

A polished enough game of soldiers that never quite manages to thrill. Technically better than other Conflict games but just doesn't gel as well. [Playstation 2 Max]

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 quality of the game remains and it's an essential purchase for those who are new to Pokemon but we can't help feeling the update is a little on the cheap side. [NGC]

The quality of the game remains and it's an essential purchase for those who are new to Pokemon but we can't help feeling the update is a little on the cheap side. [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]

Although not bad, Namco have delivered a racer completely devoid of both excitement and exhilaration. [NGC]

Devastatingly deep, each level a Russian doll of gameplay, the layers of which are gradually revealed as you obtain different types of Pikmin. [GamesMaster]

Still the daddy in the action-strategy stakes but getting a little long in the tooth. Won't win new converts but it gets the job done. [GamesMaster]

Initially disappointing, but once you get how it's using the darkness it's very hard not to love Doom 3. Great-looking, scary and a delight to play - id have delivered again.

Shockingly enjoyable and creative for what should have been a predictable movie tie-in. Catwoman takes some learning but evolves into a tough, thoughtful platform challenge. [PSW]

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

The only thing that really got on our nerves was the rubbish dialogue. There are times when it's pretty appalling and it does kind of spoil the magic a little - likewise, the plot can be pretty cliched and RPG veterans will find it tiresome in places. [NGC]

If there is a hint of helplessness it's in those marvellous moments when Soldiers' fabulous physics, rich environments and imaginative AI produce such totally unpredictable results, you can only look on in amused dismay. [PC Gamer UK]

Perimeter blows most traditional RTS games out of the water. There are so many unexpected options for attack, more ways to defend, more ideas to experiment with than you'd think possible. It's an enormous, gloopy toolkit of war. And we love it. [PC Gamer UK]

Not without its flaws but this is the best super-hero game we've seen and is unlikely to be matched for some time. [NGC]

A technical marvel that sets a new benchmark. The plot may twist until you lose grip of it altogether, but the balls-out street-driving action saves the day. [PSM2]

The cities are huge and beautiful, with country-appropriate cars, and while the gameplay is muddy, it's easy to see how it could have been better. But as it is, DRIV3R is all flash and little substance.