Although I have tried to avoid saying it, Joint Operation: Typhoon Rising beats "BF1942", period.

Many of the missions had me thinking back to moments in old-school RTS games, such as the "Starcraft" level in which you must fend off countless enemies in a wave of base attacks.

Although FirePower is merely a companion to CFS3, it consumes the original. The flight models, missions, graphics, sound and damage modeling dominate every nook and cranny. If you already own Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3, do yourself a favor and buy this add-on. If you do not already own CFS3, buy it, install it, and make it perfect with FirePower.

A reasonable 3D platform game which is occasionally let down by a slightly un-responsive control system. There's enough to keep you coming back for more and with the arcade games to play there's something to do when you're getting frustrated with a level.

Given its derivative premise and simplistic styling, Future Tactics was never going to do great things. Even so, the execution is awkward and lumbering, and falls short even of the limited vision.

By no means an essential purchase, Van Helsing is decidedly better than the average. If you’re into cool moves and lots of action, you’re going to enjoy this. We’d stake our reputations on it.

Not a "Diablo II" killer or a vast improvment over the first Divinity title, it is however a sometimes frustrating game, with limited replay value.

It's quicker, less fussy and has that all important fun-factor that I think is essential for any subscription based game.

Pretty, very pretty but PvE gameplay is one long level grind.

This is the antithesis of thought and strategy. It is a carnival ride, an action movie and an all-you-can-eat-burger bar. This is the quintessential twitch game.

Only players seeking the gaming equivalent of "easy listening" will derive significant enjoyment from this title.

I should probably have undergone some therapy before writing this review, as the game left me frustrated beyond belief.

War Times is not a bad RTS. However, when you consider that other games are available that better do what War Times tries to do, it is hard to justify purchasing.

Ignore the trivial narrative, focus on the grim business of war and you should find this a satisfying and challenging game.

May not be the most cutting edge looking shooter around, the PC version could have looked a lot nicer, but it does offer a challenge even if it's a little on the short side compared to other similar titles.

The game is rift with technical glitches, interface issues, obscene content, and frustration instead of fun. It is not the worst game I have ever played, but that is not saying much.

I applaud the developer for trying to do some new things in the resource-gathering arena and making good strides at giving the game depth.

A unique skill system, intriguing characters, and seemingly endless exploration await anyone willing to stay up to the wee hour playing this addictive title. I have played it obsessively since loading it, and I am just getting started.

If you like to eat your dessert before your meal, this is not the game for you. However, if you are a patient gamer, you may find something satisfying in the end.

It's a shame to see one of your favourite franchises shrivel up and dry out. Rainbow Six Three on the PS2 is in so many ways the dumbest version of the series yet.

The water effects are incredible and the attention to detail in the graphics engine is unbelievable. The sound in the game is well done and the music fits perfectly.

Cy-Girls may pretend to offer a path through interesting virtual worlds, but delivers nothing like that. The choice to play as Aska or Ice, or both, is just like having to choose being punched in the face or in the gut. Or both.

Not even an army of laser totting, one eyed martians can save X-Files Resist Or Serve from being confined to gaming mediocrity.

Any half-decent Windows machine will give you a far better range of Ghost Recon goodness for less money. Over here on the PS2, this stand-alone expansion pack just isn't very filling.

A competent story, challenging gameplay and a good blend of several genres make it a game that should please the crime-game fan.

This is definitely a game for hard-core Scooby fans. Or children under the age of ten. Or children under the age of ten with a short attention span. Or, ideally, all of the above.

There are a few bugs that should have been ironed out pre-release but nothing significant enough to take away from the core gameplay. This hack-n-slash is a must have for any RPG lover.

Remember "Jungle Strike" and "Desert Strike" for any of the old school consoles? Make the game prettier and add control that is much more involved and you will have a good idea of what to expect.

Without a gripping story line you're more likely to come back to this every once in a while when you feel like a quick zip around in a magnificent flying machine. Worthy of a look if you own a joystick or have played this type of game with your trusty mouse.

Frustratingly hard at times, and very unforgiving. If you aren’t the type of person who can resist the urge to break your PS2 controller if you have to play the same 20 minutes of a level over and over because the boss kills you right before he’s about to die, you may want to stay clear of this one.

There simply will not be enough variety in this package to keep many players interested. For others, the difficulty level will prove frustrating.

In short, if you own the original or a similar game go buy a copy you'll love it. Everyone else should keep their sanity by going out, buying a good book and reading it.

Despite incongruous story points and sometimes clunky camera work, Silent Storm deserves the support of all right-thinking strategy fans. With its turn-based combat and destructible scenery it signals something fresh in the stale mound of World War Two games.

Some "Diablo" fans might find it to be an okay diversion but most gamers will find the respawning issues and limited game save feature a bit too frustrating to deal with.

The sense of speed is exhilarating and winning a race is a cause for celebration. If the multiplayer community grows this could be a title RC fans will spend a lot of time with.

Beneath the crashes, the clumsy mission design and the comically inconsistent environment lurks a perfectly average stealth adventure.

One of the most involving space sims released for a while and it's only let down by a complex and rough interface design and the dodgy voice acting.

Some purists may cry foul with the dropping of the skill feature and the new HUD design but overall, fans of the first game should be happy that Invisible War maintains the same level of storyline depth and open-ended gameplay that the Deus Ex name is known for.

Marred by some awful path-finding. The problem isn't in the units ability to find their way around the map, in fact they are very good at calculating routes through some very tricky terrain. No, what LoE suffers from is the inability of units to move out of the way of each other, to allow troops at the back to pass.

There are flashes of comic genius in Whiplash, but equally as many missed opportunities. While this game is good, it narrowly misses the mark.

Sadly the AI isn't particularly good. While enemies do dodge out of the way and hide behind objects there's no intelligence to the way they fight.

The more you play XIII the less you'll care about the gimmicky graphics, and the more you'll feel the drag of the "same old, same old" action.

A word of caution should probably be added; the overall pace of Manhunt is rather slow. This is in keeping with the overall feel of the game and somewhat necessary for development of the linear story line.

Repetitive, basic, and banal.

If you can put up with the visual inconsistencies, then Squad Assault is an okay choice but if not, then you should dig back through your desk drawer and grab one of those "Close Combat" discs for your battle-realistic, WWII RTS fix.

If the game's not fun, nothing else matters either: no amount of flying drone cameras, techno-gadgets and female curves designed by teenage boys can make up for it.

It has a bad sci-fi fascination to it, assisted by some excellent graphics, and kept me involved like a Sunday afternoon serving of "Star Gate."

There's nothing actually wrong with Core Combat, but as it fails to offer a significant improvement over and above the original game itself, then there is no reason to recommend buying it.

A breath of fresh air in the adventure genre. Considering the level of detail that has gone into its design, the exceptional musical score, an overall enjoyable pace, a good story, over 40 hours of gameplay and 2 possible endings, this a title worth owning.

Battle Engine Aquila could be cruelly summarised as a poor man’s Yager. It’s fair-to-middling, fun but shallow, and suffers for its missed opportunities.

It lacks depth, and could not be considered a truly involving challenge. Nor does Castlevania have the instant appeal and playability of other titles.

All the fun elements of a are present: wave after wave of enemies, boss characters, various weapons etc. but some people will find it repetitive. There's no real variation from start to finish other than different enemies and areas to move through.

I wanted a great deal to love this game. X-Com, after all, owned me. UFOA throws few surprises your way, resulting in monotony...The game is good, but with a little more depth and clarity it could have achieved greatness.

It’s a confident attempt at tackling the platform genre, but the playing mechanics don’t quite meet the expectations set by the accomplished artwork and graphics.

Simply a solid, family game that brings yet another TV show to the shiny black box. If you’re a fan then this game is definitely worth adding to your video collection.

It falls short, sadly. What was a wow in the early 90s is merely pedestrian today.

At best an average game that will appeal to fans of the series more than it will to newcomers.

If I had access to this back when I was learning the game, I think I would have been a much better player earlier on.

So it’s not the most challenging of games, nor does it extend the downhill racer genre much. Despite this, it’s mostly a pleasant diversion.

It’s by no means revolutionary but it’s hard to complain when you can’t stop playing and that’s what successful online games are all about. If you’re a FPS fan and have always wanted to jump into a massively multiplayer world, then landing on PlanetSide is a good way to start.

I was treated to an excellent flight simulation, a deep level of customization, nice looking graphics and a sense of accomplishment when I was able to perform satisfactorily in some of the more challenging elements of the program (try formation flying).

How generic can a game be? How devoid of charm, ideas, or entertainment? How relentless in its march towards cliché and boredom?

A shambling 3D monstrosity.