This is a game for rent without a shadow of a doubt. The shortness and the general issues with it mean I can’t really recommend anything else.

This is a game for rent without a shadow of a doubt. The shortness and the general issues with it mean I can’t really recommend anything else.

The lack of any online multiplayer (again!), the fact this is still basically the same game and the removal of the tactics side means this game is quite simply not worth buying.

The lack of any online multiplayer (again!), the fact this is still basically the same game and the removal of the tactics side means this game is quite simply not worth buying.

Overall if you prefer your racers arcade style rather then simulations you might well get along much better with Need For Speed Pro Street, and once you forgive the odd behaviour of the car handling you can get along with the game fairly well.

Overall if you prefer your racers arcade style rather then simulations you might well get along much better with Need For Speed Pro Street, and once you forgive the odd behaviour of the car handling you can get along with the game fairly well.

Over all BlackSite tries to slip itself into a niche squarely between the two benchmarks of FPS gaming, Call of Duty 4 and HALO 3. It unfortunately doesn't succeed in making that niche, in fact trying to make itself a little of one and the other it fails doing anything profound.

Overall the Empire Earth series has been a solid strategy title, but Mad Doc have tried to simplify things and have taken it far too far and perhaps destroyed what people wanted in their RTS title.

Overall this standalone is there to draw new blood to the gaming series, it's a shame that new blood wasn't considered for the actual game itself, the storyline seems incomplete and the graphics below par for this genre.

Jericho is not a bad game it’s just one that lost its way slightly during development. The ability to jump into other team members bodies and harness their powers is a good idea let down slightly by poor implementation and a claustrophobic level design.

Jericho is not a bad game it’s just one that lost its way slightly during development. The ability to jump into other team members bodies and harness their powers is a good idea let down slightly by poor implementation and a claustrophobic level design.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe will not go down in history as one of the greatest games to make use of the franchise. The crisp graphics, warm humour and the ability to play as one of fourteen different marvel superstars doesn't alter the fact that the game is simply far too repetitive, even for the target audience.

At the moment though, the game is simply far too flawed to be recommended.

At the moment though, the game is simply far too flawed to be recommended.

It’s a simple (very, very simple) distraction that will beef up your gamerpoints score by another 200 and you’ll have a blast doing so.

The 80’s edition is more of the same, more songs yet same Guitar Hero II. If you’re a fan of the game this will delight you, if you are a fan of 80’s rock music you might be left with a bad taste in your mouth. Either way there is enough material here to keep your amps warm until the inevitable Guitar Hero III.

We doubt Atari will convert many new players with such basic gameplay but pop on the rose tinted glasses and you could almost forgive the unforgiving controls.

If it wasn’t for the bugs and unforgiving gameplay it would be one to recommend. As it is you’ll be better suited going for some of the more tried and tested games to quash any racing fixes.

All in all it’s like being given the world of Grand Theft Auto but taking the engines out of 90% of the cars, or it’s an eight hour first level tutorial…

In single player the game feels a little monotonous and lonely so thankfully South Peak have catered for those of us that like a little cooperative play.

Newcomers really should steer clear though, if you must have a game based on assassinations, you would be better off seeking out Agent-47 instead.

Fair's fair, Shrek the Third is a long way from being all out terrible; the game just occasionally feels unpolished and unloved. Still, young kids will love controlling all the leading characters from the film and collecting all the bonus unlockables. It’s just a shame there wasn’t a little bit more to see and do in far, far away.

With Ace Combat already in the skies we have to wonder why would bother with this below-par in-flight entertainment.

The biggest disappointment for the Wii version of Call of Duty 3 is the complete lack of any form of multiplayer.

All in all I’d have to say avoid. The camera is a real let down.

Anyone who has a fond memory of the original classic from Microprose will instantly fall in love with the game. Sid Meier’s decision to go back to basics after the over complicated Railroad Tycoon 3 has paid off.

Star Trek Encounters isn’t really worthy of it’s license. It seems to be stuck together by black holes instead of a plot, which would’ve so easily have been afforded with all of the various Treks at their disposal.

The looks, story line and huge amount of missions and freedom that gave this game so much potential are greatly let down because of the glitches, bugs and terrible AI.

Kingdom of Fighters was an interesting experiment but its impact, I’m sorry to say, will be less than to the maximum.

A nice job in bringing a little real history to the hack ‘n slash genre, but far too much of the same kind of thing in every character and every battle.

The main factor here is the playability, and bar the aforementioned niggles we came across we can't deny that 'Cooking Mama' uses the Nintendo DS touch screen in every conceivable and more importantly, fun, way.

Moving about the map and changing views quickly to cover all your troops during the movement turn isn’t easy and the path-finding ability of some of the units leaves a bit to be desired but on the whole Combat Mission Anthology can be highly recommended to all the armchair generals out there.

Storyline aside, visually, aurally and atmospherically the game does a much better job and really starts to push the PSP hardware.

It might not push the capabilities of the PSP, but it’ll still be ‘that’ game you constantly come back to.

The story is very good and the puzzle numerous and that is the point of the game really. We would think it would have a quite select fan base that would really enjoy it but its mass appeal may be limited.

Topical, political, preposterous, dynamic, frustrating and addictive in equal measure.

The idea of a Cold War Russian agent infiltrating the ‘enemy’s’ sector could (and should) have been so much more, but the frustration and abundance of small flaws induced by Hammer and Sickle sadly point to another missed opportunity in our books.

If you love the FPS genre then Chrome Specforce is certainly a worthy contender for your time, just do not expect anything vastly different here. Yes, we did enjoy the original, and this prequel is slightly better, however many will justifiably be left disappointed with the lack of progression that Tachland have made in those two years since Chrome.

The simplistic battle mode and lack of micro-management might not tax every single brain cell but when you become successful, nothing quite beats popping into first person mode and walking past the bustling marketplace that you created.

Sure it looks good and sounds great, but not ‘the next generation of gaming’, in fact given the current availability and quality of FPS games I’m not sure in terms of gameplay it’s even this generation.

Sure it looks good and sounds great, but not ‘the next generation of gaming’, in fact given the current availability and quality of FPS games I’m not sure in terms of gameplay it’s even this generation.

It’s repetitive and lacks any kind of real long lasting game play. This is more of a game to play to pass a bit of time.

Sure it looks good and sounds great, but not 'the next generation of gaming', in fact given the current availability and quality of FPS games I'm not sure in terms of gameplay it's even this generation.

This feels rushed.

Magnacarta ticks all the right boxes in terms of typical RPG elements – swords, magic, storyline involving friendship/loyalty/betrayal, and so on, but it seems to throw them all into a big pudding bowl and comes out with a rather stodgy fruitcake instead of the intended appealing sponge.

The magic of the 2D versions have all but been lost in a search for technical accomplishment and it suffers terribly for it.

True Crime: New York City just doesn’t cut the mustard. There are a lot of good basic concepts and ideas that unfortunately lost their way in the development process.

True Crime: New York City just doesn't cut the mustard. There are a lot of good basic concepts and ideas that unfortunately lost their way in the development process.

The magic of the 2D versions have all but been lost in a search for technical accomplishment and it suffers terribly for it.

The magic of the 2D versions have all but been lost in a search for technical accomplishment and it suffers terribly for it.

Kids with better patience than adults will marvel at the great visuals and probably forgive any of the shortcomings we have picked out. For starters it’s immensely frustrating in places and perhaps a little on the short side.

Kids with better patience than adults will marvel at the great visuals and probably forgive any of the shortcomings we have picked out. For starters it’s immensely frustrating in places and perhaps a little on the short side.

Kids with better patience than adults will marvel at the great visuals and probably forgive any of the shortcomings we have picked out. For starters it's immensely frustrating in places and perhaps a little on the short side.

As solid as it is, this is just not the game for me. I view the title as ideal as an introduction for the novice to a plethora of different poker games prior to that intimidating first live experience.

A game based on the creation of ingenious and deadly traps sounds like a novel and interesting premise, sadly the execution proves to be the equivalent of being slowly buried alive.

It is very much ‘the game of the book’ and as such has to be played as events in the book dictate.

We weren't particularly bothered that we had to wait while our health/power gauge increased slowly, but what we didn't like was the fact that Spartan couldn't protect himself at all when praying at the statues.

We weren’t particularly bothered that we had to wait while our health/power gauge increased slowly, but what we didn’t like was the fact that Spartan couldn’t protect himself at all when praying at the statues.

We weren't particularly bothered that we had to wait while our health/power gauge increased slowly, but what we didn't like was the fact that Spartan couldn't protect himself at all when praying at the statues.

The game play is intense and challenging but is let down by the game engine. It would take a beast of a PC to play with the settings it deserves but most people may find the games engine and difficulty only leads to frustration.

It's repetitive and lacks any kind of real long lasting game play. This is more of a game to play to pass a bit of time.

Ultimately It might not give us the same warm feeling as 'Trials of Atlantis' and 'Catacombs', but Darkness Rising will eventually be a must for anyone wanting to take their game to the highest level.

Earned in Blood could have been the natural progression for the series but certain gameplay issues and other gremlins have spoilt an otherwise authentic and atmospheric experience.

The gameplay is not the most involved or varied we’ve ever seen, but as far as movie tie-in’s go it’s one of the best.

The gameplay is not the most involved or varied we've ever seen, but as far as movie tie-in's go it's one of the best.

Certainly not a bad game, however it will frustrate the hell out of anyone used to more freedom.

There is a lot to like with Cold War but for every great feature you spot you'll come across another one that just doesn't work. It's a shame, as at times the title shows great promise.

Certainly the most accomplished version from the Scooby franchise to date. It might be based on familiar platforming territory but it doesn’t stop this particular outing from being as fresh and enjoyable as the first episode in 1969. That is of course, if you do not expect that much.

Certainly the most accomplished version from the Scooby franchise to date. It might be based on familiar platforming territory but it doesn't stop this particular outing from being as fresh and enjoyable as the first episode in 1969. That is of course, if you do not expect that much.

Certainly the most accomplished version from the Scooby franchise to date. It might be based on familiar platforming territory but it doesn't stop this particular outing from being as fresh and enjoyable as the first episode in 1969. That is of course, if you do not expect that much.

Ardent puzzlers will love the complexity and variety of the puzzles; others may find them a little too difficult and frustrating at times.

There’s something strangely compelling about the story, and the subliminal RPG elements are good enough to build up some atmosphere, without swamping players down with unnecessary micromanagement.

On first inspection Killer 7 appears to be a confused, disjointed mismatch of ideas, but on closer examination some of its inner beauty will slowly begin to shine through. Before you knock it, appreciate the fact that it really couldn’t have been done any other way. The upshot is that Killer7 shouldn’t be played so much as actually ‘experienced’.

On first inspection Killer 7 appears to be a confused, disjointed mismatch of ideas, but on closer examination some of its inner beauty will slowly begin to shine through. Before you knock it, appreciate the fact that it really couldn't have been done any other way. The upshot is that Killer7 shouldn't be played so much as actually 'experienced'.

Fantastic four is certainly not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but simply a case of style over substance, and that’s another cliché all by itself.

Despite a few flaws, the Medal of Honor franchise is still on the right road. It might still be a fair way behind the excellent Call of Duty series but Activision will definitely be looking over their shoulders from this point on.

The 2D isometric view is a perhaps a little ‘old hat’ nowadays but having said that it was still quite well done. I would still think hardcore fans of 2D RPG games would do well to check Restricted Area out, but the vast majority will probably end up passing this one by.

There’s a distinct lack of sand for those who flock to the Olympic tournaments and too little action for the casual gamer.

You'll be hard pushed to find any replay value in the story mode.

It’s not something I got a whole world of benefit out of, more a feeling of been here and done that, but for anyone eager to keep their enthusiasm for Outbreak going it’ll do the job.

Wrestlemania 21 had the potential to be so much more, but ultimately all those little niggly things that are forgivable on their own add up to nothing more than a slightly above average grappler.

A simple, yet challenging and to be honest very enjoyable turn based strategy game that is so badly let down by poor production values that it almost ruins the game.

There is nothing like disembowelling some poor defenceless slave to help calm the nerves after a hard day at the office.

Do you really want to have to learn three pages of voice commands just so that you can sit in front of the computer and sound stupid?

Nothing more than a wannabe 'Sims' type expansion, and there's already enough of them about thank you very much.

The special interrogation is one of the nicest touches in the game.

As it stands Black Monday just cannot compete with the truly impressive games released for the Playstation 2 this year.

If Grissom really loves his insects he'll be at home here as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is literally filled with bugs. Problems with the mechanics made matching DNA and other samples an absolute nightmare.

What it does feature (in large amounts) is lazy, un-inspiring map design, shoddy AI and pathfinding and ridiculous infantry micro-management. Hardly the groundbreaking improvements that the paying gamer demands these days, and we certainly don't blame them.

The game installs completely to your hard drive so there is no need to put a CD in once the game is installed, I wish more games did this.

There is really nothing wrong with the GBA rendition of the popular TV show but really nothing that jumps at you and screams "buy me" either.

To call this title lame is really an understatement, the graphics engine looks very nice though but I’m afraid that the gameplay as so often seems the case now lets the side down badly.

One for the Sudden Strike fans is probably the best statement to make; I’ll stick to "Blitzkrieg" and "Codename Panzers."

A bloodstock as strong as Ghost in the Shell deserved a more considered treatment but it just joins an ever-increasing list of third person cannon fodder.

Houses shake and crumble but certainly not in a convincing manor. The area is scattered with objects that can be picked up but when you take a look around, the buildings and other objects you really want to throw, simply refuse to budge.

A slight disappointment, since it tries to meld two strategy styles and falls short in both cases.

Innovative it is not.

Playing Namco’s latest title was a challenge and there’s nothing hugely wrong with any of the work on the title just a total lack of involvement, nothing to draw you in, that all-important ‘X’ factor. It just didn’t take my breath away.