An entertaining day, and a day in which you'll learn the full story of The Hobbit. But still, just a day. It needed to be much longer, and much far more difficult. [Advance]

Immersive, dramatic, exciting, detailed, never dull, challenging, extremely good looking and worth hooking up to broadband for. [PSM2]

A tremendous achievement. Genuinely exciting and immersive but not without its faults. A hack-'n'-slash treat, if slightly repetitive. [PSM2]

GTA sells on the back of violence and lives through the unequalled freedom on offer. These are classic games for the best reason there is - they are just fantastic, almost unlimited fun. The Xbox versions are no great leap over the originals but who cares? Brilliant stuff. [Xbox Gamer]

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.

You don't buy any MMORPG lightly, least of all this one. It imperiously demands massive chunks of your time, patience and dedication but the rewards are commensurately high. The fierce sense of satisfaction as your fame grows and coffers swell is hard to match. [PC Gamer UK]

A stealth game that tries to be challenging but just ends up being punchy, moody and fickle. Not a pleasure to play. [GamesMaster]

We've made up better games involving elastic bands and office chairs. A treat for Quidditch lovers but proper sports fans'd be better off with basketball. [NGC]

The controls are a bit loopy, but the sheer fun you'll have solving the ghoulish mysteries forgive everything else. [Xbox Gamer]

It is a work of staggering genius, delicate like a snowflake, yet rugged like a prizefighter's face. SSX3 doesn't just demand your attention, but commands it, turning heads like a Hollywood celeb mozeying through Rochester Tesco's.

This is the game they should have made last time. Gorgeous, sizey and ambitious. The new modes just need a little more tweaking. [GamesMaster]

It's a fan-frikken-smabulous game. It's the kind of game that'll feed your gaming needs and desires no matter what level you enter it at... The best platform... sorry, character action game on PlayStation 2 to date? You bet your spring loaded arse it is.

Despite the wonderful new physics system, it feels like this is a game out of step with what's happening in action games. It still suffers from odd AI: enemies are hyperaware of your presence, turning on a dime as you enter their sensitive ranges. [PC Gamer UK]

Brilliant, brilliant and brilliant. Everything the last game was plus everything you ever wanted. [PSM2]

It's a ridiculous name, of course, but it manages to sum up how absurdly joyful the game is, a riot of technicolour chopsocky fun that'll immediately have you punching the air in glee. [GamesMaster]

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]

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]

Our one big reservation is that if you strip away the tacked-on extras, even the most dedicated fan will find it hard to tell the difference between Tiger Woods 2004 and "Tiger Woods 2003." [NGC]

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

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 genuinely amusing game, with plentiful dialogue from the show and fresh contributions from the cast, and for the fan there's a wealth of in-jokes and references (such as the Stonecutters' secret tunnel, or the burning pyre of tyres). [GamesMaster]

A mosh-pit of quality ideas thrown apart with little or no regard. The result? A frustrating and near-unplayable missed opportunity of a gem of a survival horror game. [Xbox Gamer]

Visually scrumptious, and innovative, but lacking the vital fluid of satisfaction. [PC Gamer UK]

A super-stylish, dance-a-minute, well animated shooter. But the repetitiveness, uninspiring bosses and dull design don't do it any favours. [NGC]

Although it can get repetitive and lacks variety, this is incredibly deep and a welcome return for Final Fantasy to a Ninty console. [GamesMaster]

What's going to annoy people most is that the purists will want things like the mobile spawn point of the C-47, but won't be able to have them without the jet fighters and flyable missiles. And ultimately, that might mean these Secret Weapons remain completely unknown to most. [PC Gamer UK]

What really pushes this soulful number to the top of the charts is the fact that it's great fun to play. Easy to pick up, difficult to master - that's the story of a great fighting game. [PSM2]

It's one of the best looking games you'll ever have seen, it's fast, punchy, boasts simple, accessible controls - the Gamecube pad's never seemed quite so complementary to a beat-'em-up - and offers rich depths for those who go looking. [NGC]