If you enjoyed either of the first two games, then know that while Two Thrones isn't revolutionary, it does combine the best elements of both and is still a fitting and worthwhile conclusion to a superior trilogy.

For fans of rallying, who have been spoiled for choice in previous years, this is the first really good rally simulation on a next-gen system and as such is pretty much a must-have.

In the end, NBA 2K7’s biggest accolade is a result of its triumph in communicating a passion and love for one sport so completely.

Some of NBA 2K6's updates are incremental, while others show a continuing commitment towards maintaining the best NBA video game on the market.

Devil May Cry 4 is not the revolution that Capcom might have wanted from the series, but it’s their fault for lumbering Dante with lazy, repeated level design, and making Nero a far more interesting character to play as than to watch in cut-scenes.

The storyline, despite being written by former Hulk writer Paul Jenkins, isn't particularly strong or well told, despite the fact that it's more than faithful to the Hulk's comic strip roots.

It’s not as heavy on the role-playing as a subscription MMO, and it’s not usually as instantly gratifying as an online shooter, but it strikes a great balance for the casual MMO fan and the achievement-oriented action fan alike.

It trumps the already brilliant original by being based on the classic trilogy of films and, in terms of gameplay, is the multiplayer co-op game of the decade so far.

Civilization Revolution feels like a bloated XBLA or PSN game. Strip away the disappointing visuals, bloody annoying introduction video that plays every time you start a fucking match, all the bells and whistles and you’re left with something could have been a true revolution. As it stands, this is just a good case of Civilization Devolution.

Despite sounding incredibly deep on paper, the reality of Spore is little more than a patchwork quilt of ultra-simple games that, even taken as a whole, have the depth of a puddle in the Sahara Desert. To be perfectly honest, you’d be better off sticking with the standalone creature creator, as it’s actually the only portion of the game that isn’t half-baked and in need of some serious evolution.

While still similar in many ways to Midnight Club 2, the two remain sufficiently different that neither negates the other.

Devil May Cry 4 is not the revolution that Capcom might have wanted from the series, but it’s their fault for lumbering Dante with lazy, repeated level design, and making Nero a far more interesting character to play as than to watch in cut-scenes.

With a quality single player campaign, custom game modes, split-screen co-op and a very strong multiplayer component, Black Arrow is hard to fault even if it is very similar to Rainbow Six 3 – which is not in itself a bad thing.

Some of NBA 2K6’s updates are incremental, while others show a continuing commitment towards maintaining the best NBA video game on the market.

Rise of Legends may not break new ground, but it certainly adds to what has gone before and presses all the right buttons along the way to becoming one of the more entertaining RTS games out there.

No matter how many bad songs there are, no matter how many planes you’ll never pilot or how much you want there to be multiplayer, Ace Combat: Squadron Leader is still a fantastic game.

Its simplicity is its strength, and its weakness – while traipsing around looking for annoyingly hidden items and backtracking is almost completely avoided, the limited direction of the game reduces its chances of holding your interest for long enough to play it all the way through.

By far one of the most understatedly atmospheric games of the year, DefCon has cornered the market on the kind of strategy that tenses the buttocks to sphincter-alarming proportions. Death, destruction, brains and beauty – who the hell needs a nice game of chess?

As a movie tie-in, we can say with no authority whatsoever that it’s totally authentic and sure to please fans (in all seriousness, the production values and treatment are extremely respectable).

It’s essentially the same game as before, only played from a different angle.

It trumps the already brilliant original by being based on the classic trilogy of films and, in terms of gameplay, is the multiplayer co-op game of the decade so far.

A truly extraordinary game, and easily one of this year's landmark titles. Evocative, unique, original, atmospheric and gripping – most contemporary releases struggle to lay claim to just one of Fahrenheit's strengths.

Due to the fact that there are so many ways to eliminate the enemies on screen, there is a certain reply value to this other than unlocking the various movies, but the levels are quite linear in design and maybe once the novelty of the psi abilities has worn off this title may well start collecting dust a few weeks down the line.

As welcome an update as we could ever have hoped for. By expanding beyond the reach of the films, adding in the distinctive modes of play in the forms of the simple campaign and the more tactical War of the Ring and improving upon the construction elements, EA have done a splendid job of bringing an already solid RTS right up to date.

Some elements of the game could definitely use a bit more polish, and we’d hope to see some more significant retroactive technical changes for the next inevitable outing, but for now Guild Wars Nightfall represents a perfectly justifiable if not essential purchase.

The stylish look and off-the-wall story certainly make up for a lack of hardcore role-playing depth.

There’s no doubt that Quake Wars is a good deal of fun to play, and that counts for a lot, but in terms of winning and losing, it’s clear that the onus is primarily on the defending side to get and stay organised, as only then will the attackers need to do the same.

The visuals push the PS2 to its limits, the combat system is incredibly unique and enjoyable, and there are countless hours of gameplay to be had in reincarnating every Einherjar during Silmeria and Alicia’s wonderfully written adventure – even if you never really get to know them.

But if you are happy to play the game online all of the time and don’t mind an initially steep learning curve, Warhawk actually proves to be an enjoyable and engaging game; it’s arcade leanings making up for a slight lack of sophistication, and an impressive sense of scale making up for the lack of visual ‘wow’ factor. Overall, a surprise hit.

The multiplayer definitely benefits the most but all in all, one of the best and most disturbingly addictive games ever has just upped the stakes once again.

In terms of visuals, features, quality of courses and online play, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a really great golf game. It would probably be easier to recommend if the series wasn’t prone to such inconsistent yearly updates, but at least EA has focused on making the game better than just bigger.

Perhaps only a third party can produce a title that so glorifies a series that revolutionised cinema, because it’s Pandemic and not LucasArts that has created a game that lives up to the vast shadow created by the films.

We’re left with a fairly annoying RTS title full of niggling and frustrating bugs, poor design decisions, and pathfinding that has dripped directly from the nose of Satan himself.

As a modern update to a classic and as an example of neo retro presentation, Space Invaders Extreme works and it works well. Taito has walked a tightrope between faithful and contemporary gameplay without the need for a safety net.

Due to the fact that there are so many ways to eliminate the enemies on screen, there is a certain reply value to this other than unlocking the various movies, but the levels are quite linear in design and maybe once the novelty of the psi abilities has worn off this title may well start collecting dust a few weeks down the line.

Overall Warrior Within seems to be in something of a messy transition period, caught between the light-hearted fun of the original and some noirish violent action game that was probably more the result of mis-focused market testing than any kind of genuine developer decision.

When combined with solid, focused, accessible gameplay and handy features such as the ability to ping objectives so that you don’t get lost, or automatically rewind time Prince of Persia style when you inevitably cock something up, Sly 3 represents the cream of the genre.

The downsides don't trash what is basically a fun and frantic experience that manages to combine realism on the ice with arcade action.

If there’s any criticism at all it’s that the game throws it all at you at once thanks to a fairly unwieldy menu system, but the tutorials go some way to help and even if advanced team tactics and formations aren’t up your street, it’s good to know that they are there.

It shows great aptitude for minimalist design and strikes a good albeit controversial balance between steep difficulty and steady progress. Joyful and infuriating in turns, it comes well and truly to life as a shared experience and, if nothing else, is perfect for masochists.

No More Heroes is a punk video game: it’s loud, violent and actively rebellious, and it’s so goddamned fresh and fun it shames every other Wii game aimed at mature gamers – and even more that aren’t.

Pure is somewhat reminiscent of the old PC classic Motocross Madness, which was another highly addictive game. It doesn’t have the open-ended stunt practice, but everything else about the formula has been improved in almost every way.

However, casual Tony Hawk fans should really think twice about investing, as there’s not a huge amount to set it apart from the rest.

For fans of rallying, who have been spoiled for choice in previous years, this is the first really good rally simulation on a next-gen system and as such is pretty much a must-have.

The storyline, despite being written by former Hulk writer Paul Jenkins, isn’t particularly strong or well told, despite the fact that it’s more than faithful to the Hulk’s comic strip roots.

Fable was, and still is, a cracking and practically beard-free role-player. Maybe in five years from now, we’ll see a sequel that actually resembles what we were initially promised.

Dead or Alive 3 is the better game overall, but for fans of nostalgia and those desperate to beat each other up over Xbox Live, Dead or Alive Ultimate is as good as it's going to get right now.

Ultimately it’s shiny, it’s new and it’s a majorly streamlined edition of a much-played online game. The esoteric game modes are gone and there are considerably less maps, but those that there are are generally of the highest standard.

The lack of variety in the actual races and subsequently online doesn’t do much to justify the £50 price tag, but once you have a fast car and experience some of those intense police chases in glorious HD, you’ll be grinning from ear to ear.

While the strategy is surprisingly engaging and addictive, you do need a lot of stamina and patience to get there, which instantly alienates a huge number of potential buyers.

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is far from a revolution. It's a step-up from TimeSplitters 2, but nowhere near as big a one as we'd hoped for.

Overall Warrior Within seems to be in something of a messy transition period, caught between the light-hearted fun of the original and some noirish violent action game that was probably more the result of mis-focused market testing than any kind of genuine developer decision.

Crackdown rips up the rulebook and invests a much needed bout of innovation into methods of play.

As a game Everquest II improves on many aspects of the original, boasting some of the most detailed graphics in any game to date, a feature rich community toolset, a very well thought out crafting system, meaningful character choices, highly interactive combat and a lot more besides.

GFH will be an absolute boon for anyone who has fond memories of its MegaDrive predecessor, but it's still the kind of game that'll upset people who don't take kindly to frustration. In other words, if you were pissed off by games like "Ninja Gaiden," you'll get pissed off with this.

Even though Prey is far too short, devoid of any challenge and guaranteed to leave you disappointed, it still manages to be one of the finest old school first person shooters out there.

However, casual Tony Hawk fans should really think twice about investing, as there's not a huge amount to set it apart from the rest.

Crisis Core has everything a Final Fantasy VII fan would ever want: reams of backstory and exposition about Zack, hours of fun gaming in a familiar universe for a handheld console that causes horrible hand cramps, and most importantly of all, a decent excuse for everyone to revisit Midgar.

A truly extraordinary game, and easily one of this year’s landmark titles. Evocative, unique, original, atmospheric and gripping – most contemporary releases struggle to lay claim to just one of Fahrenheit’s strengths.

Overall Warrior Within seems to be in something of a messy transition period, caught between the light-hearted fun of the original and some noirish violent action game that was probably more the result of mis-focused market testing than any kind of genuine developer decision.

Nintendogs is comparable to "The Sims" in the respect that it’s all quite engaging and entertaining at first, but then everything just becomes an aimless chore.

For fans of rallying, who have been spoiled for choice in previous years, this is the first really good rally simulation on a next-gen system and as such is pretty much a must-have.

It’s not as often as we’d like that a shooter comes along in which can you plough through the single player and then spend many more hours in the multiplayer without feeling like you’ve seen and done it all before. Battlefield: Bad Company is definitely one of those games, and the tongue-in-cheek tone and dialogue of the game is perfectly matched to the intense and chaotic action.

The single player mode will likely only last you a short time, and once the novelty of the various games (as fun as they are) wears off, you’ll be left wanting something a little more substantial, especially from the multiplayer mode.

Nintendogs is comparable to "The Sims" in the respect that it’s all quite engaging and entertaining at first, but then everything just becomes an aimless chore.

With no fuss and no nonsense, this is a title pulling off into the distance, watching its rivals fluff and flounder in its mirrors.

Everquest 2: Rise of Kunark has a lot of welcome content for new players and veterans alike, and while the game may not rival WoW in terms of player numbers, what it does do is really bring the new and old worlds of Everquest 2 and Everquest together into a new seamless package that is going to have a lot of appeal to a lot of people.

Undoubtedly Catacombs is the best thing to hit DAoC in a long while, but although it does make the game more beginner friendly, it’s hard to see it competing with the mighty WoW.

Whether or not the single player was necessary (it certainly wasn’t unwelcome), T:V is definitely a highly enjoyable multiplayer experience.

Perhaps only a third party can produce a title that so glorifies a series that revolutionised cinema, because it's Pandemic and not LucasArts that has created a game that lives up to the vast shadow created by the films.

Nintendogs is comparable to "The Sims" in the respect that it’s all quite engaging and entertaining at first, but then everything just becomes an aimless chore.

Civ has the glitz and the glamour, while EUIII has huge depth and enough gameplay options to ensure that the game is never going to play the same way twice.

Overall Warrior Within seems to be in something of a messy transition period, caught between the light-hearted fun of the original and some noirish violent action game that was probably more the result of mis-focused market testing than any kind of genuine developer decision.

Shows an obvious fondness by the game’s creators for classic videogames, but that’s not really represented in the gameplay, which has sadly run its course here.

While you’d need to think long and hard about whether you need THUG2R if you already own THUG2, fans of the series or newcomers who enjoy arcade sports games should be arranging an importation post haste. In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that this is probably the best way to play THUG2.

With plenty of unlockable extras, a strong line-up of games and virtually faultless emulation, Sega Mega Drive Collection is easily one of the finest retro collections in years.

Crystal Dynamics has finally made Lara into the female Indiana Jones sheâ??s always threatened to be, and even managed to fill the game with memorable moments, such as an incident with a motorbike on the rooftops of Japan, swan diving off a high cliff into a lake, and even base jumping into the middle of a combat zone.

The great multiplayer and co-op are worthy of the price alone, and as familiar as it feels, the single player game is still a tremendous experience, albeit a little short.

Its simplicity is its strength, and its weakness – while traipsing around looking for annoyingly hidden items and backtracking is almost completely avoided, the limited direction of the game reduces its chances of holding your interest for long enough to play it all the way through.

Coupled with alcohol, SingStar is definitely an improvement now that it’s on PS3, even if that’s simply because it’s all shiny and new and you can pretty much create your own collection thanks to the SingStore.

The tweaks to the existing feature set and gameplay have certainly raised its game and will make you feel like you are close to experiencing a real football match.

In terms of visuals, features, quality of courses and online play, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a really great golf game. It would probably be easier to recommend if the series wasn’t prone to such inconsistent yearly updates, but at least EA has focused on making the game better than just bigger.

It looks stunning, isn’t shy with its explosions and pyrotechnics, and keeps things moving at a cracking pace.

Particularly welcome though is the increasing comfort Telltale are apparently gaining when it comes to handling the scripts and situations – it really is starting to feel more and more like the Sam & Max of ye olden days.

If you know sod-all about sea-faring, and don’t have the desire to spend several hours learning about it before getting to blow stuff up, then watch The Hunt for Red October and get Silent Hunter III.

One of the most enjoyable if short-lived gameplay experiences. The game is practically a work of art, but that may not be enough for everyone.

We’re just counting the weeks until the first expansion comes along.

One of the most enjoyable if short-lived gameplay experiences. The game is practically a work of art, but that may not be enough for everyone.

The ability to travel back and forth between the mission zones is a nice idea, but a little wasted because they aren’t really big or numerous enough to warrant repeated exploration, and the darkness powers, while adding genuine playability and interest, take much of the challenge out of the game. But those missteps can be forgiven because the true game – the story-driven shooter that lies underneath – is fun, engaging and superbly atmospheric, and has been created with the kind of care and attention to detail that more developers ought to take note of.

A game with an aspiration to create a real online community around a racing game. For the most part, it achieves this and becomes a shining example of real quality on a format still in its infancy.

By tackling the epic levels of Dungeons & Dragons, Mask of the Betrayer has a lot to offer both as an adventure and as an upgrade to the existing game.

Racing that feels so fresh and sharp reminds of the sheer pulse-racing style of F-Zero GX. To get this kind of breezy, clean, no-holds-barred racing action on the PC is a delight, and implicitly suggests that Gran Turismo 4 should be made to write out “I must learn the meaning of fun” 5,000 times on a blackboard.

A very competent online shooter with some excellent features that can be extremely fun if you play it with the right people. Once again though, we must stress that we can’t recommend this game on the basis of its offline content alone.

Its simplicity is its strength, and its weakness – while traipsing around looking for annoyingly hidden items and backtracking is almost completely avoided, the limited direction of the game reduces its chances of holding your interest for long enough to play it all the way through.

That the gameplay itself is not of classic status is a shame, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is still a game that anyone with am interest in first-person shooters or richly detailed, immersive game environments should seriously consider buying.

One of the nastiest experiences you are ever going to have in a game, but in a good way.

Crystal Dynamics has finally made Lara into the female Indiana Jones she’s always threatened to be, and even managed to fill the game with memorable moments, such as an incident with a motorbike on the rooftops of Japan, swan diving off a high cliff into a lake, and even base jumping into the middle of a combat zone.