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]

Ace, and yet strangely subdued. We still reckon the series peaked with "Tricky." [GamesMaster]

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]

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

This is a must-have title on PSP. World Tour shows how to combine sporting simulation with easy arcade style and accessibility. The Roger Federer of tennis games. [PSM2]

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.

But if you fancy a deep, serious game that represents a huge challenge - and aren't adverse to constantly studying a map and positioning your men before seeing any action - then this war hero is in a league of its own. [Xbox World]

Just like with Doom 3, RoE works best if you're afraid of the dark, but sadly most of us have outgrown that fear long ago.

There's a hell of a lot to do and it often feels daunting - like a big cross between Sim City and Total War. But it's well worth having a go if you think you're man - sorry, god - enough. [GamesMaster]

An ambitious and varied return to form and Pivotal's best offering to date. A seriously kick-ass war game. [Xbox World]

If the players had some personality to go with their looks, this could have been the best FIFA yet. [NGC]

Catching new 'recruits' is as addictive as ever, and the range of missions is impressive - whether retrieving stolen Pokemon or saving friends from the extra dimension, XD always feels fresh and exciting. This is the Game Boy classic fully reborn as a top Gamecube RPG. [GamesMaster]

The prayer-answering adventure game, this is a jaunt the term 'cracking' was invented for. [Xbox World]

Technically speaking, Lost in Blue is a very annoying, and often clumsy, but the emotions it often invokes - the feelings of hardship, reward and companionship - are, at times, second to none, making it very much worth the laborious effort. [NGC Pocket]

The graphics offer an enticing mix of cutesy Anime portraits and lovely 3D environments, while the gameplay is an original twist on a classic genre with gentle pacing masking fiendish puzzles. Who said point & click was dead? Another subtle smash on the divine DS. [GamesMaster]

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]

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]

Hopefully, upcoming sequels will further tweak an already solid concept into a great game.

The excellent atmosphere might test your baldder control but your thumbs won't be troubled for a second. [GamesMaster]

This is a brave, slow-paced WWII shooter with tons of character and verve. Valve will update it with more content, and when they do DoD will be worth another 5%. Until then... [PC Gamer UK]

A liberal splash of new ink and some gameplay innovation manage to revitalise this slightly over-familiar franchise. [Xbox World 360]

Winter Assault is an excellent add-on for an excellent game. While not enough to demand an immediate return to Dawn of War for those sated of its charms, devoted Imperial followers will enlist for this particular crusade. [PC Gamer UK]

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]

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]

Superior visuals and enjoyable user-friendly combat make this one of the best adventure games on PS2. Onimusha fans will love it for sure. [PSM2]

Flawed though it is, any gamer worth their salt will want to master the game's impressive intricacies, and of course take their scheming strategies to the next level on Xbox Live... and to be honest, what more can you ask for in an Xbox game than that? Precisely. [Xbox World]

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

Brilliant fun. An absolute blast from start to finish and, without question, the best action strategy game available. [NGC]