A pleasant enough diversion that’s unlikely to hold the attention for any great length of time. It’s fun enough while it lasts, though.

This game is an unchallenging space shooter made a little more difficult with frustrating design and a terrible camera angle. Even if you’re a fan of the TV series, we really cannot recommend a purchase.

Presentational hiccups aside, such as the graphics that are blocky by even the DS’ standards and the blasted screen which keeps popping up to unnecessarily show you day turning to night and vice versa, this makes a nice alternative to the compelling but flawed Lost In Blue / Stranded Kids games which have come before to handheld formats.

Target Liberty has a good atmosphere and the controls have been well thought out, but the story isn’t at all convincing and the gameplay doesn’t have enough merit in the end.

It is worth re-emphasising that the core game is still intact, and is still better than you might expect had you not played it before. It’s just such a crying shame that the control system, as functional as it is, does absolutely nothing for the gameplay.

It’s almost a shame that this wasn’t a launch title, because it may well have achieved a much higher profile, but if you are looking for something fun and engaging without all the cute kid-friendly trimmings, look no further than this.

A deeply confused game. It tries to pander to both of its rivals’ fans, but falls well short of satisfying either court. It doesn’t have enough gameplay options, the ball play is slick but unbalanced, and no matter how regularly updated or different it feels, it’s a disappointing exclusive title for Sony.

With something like 30 hours of outstanding single-player gameplay, plus a solid multiplayer mode and even a whole new audience being introduced to one of the greatest game series to have been produced, make no mistake, the release of The Orange Box is An Event.

In fact, though a good bit shorter than the original Half-Life 2, Episode 2 quite possibly rivals it in terms of memorable sequences. These include some lengthy vehicle sections, some stunning scenery, some stand-out plotlines and a good few damned enjoyable fight sequences.

Save yourself the money and just shake your wii-mote randomly and violently, shout quotes from the series and cry softly to yourself in the corner for an hour afterwards – you’ll look less like an idiot and have just as much fun.

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.

With more than a dozen planets to fight on, plus the space battles above several of them, and the large selection of weapons, kits and vehicles, Renegade Squadron goes a long way to provide you with the kind of variety and longevity you look for in a game like this.

With more than seventy hours of tactical RPG battling, intricately woven story and an army of characters to build up, Final Fantasy Tactics is an immensely addictive and rewarding experience, even for those who managed to import a copy of the PSone original.

Every step of the way during Folklore, it’s as though developers Game Republic have been afraid of experimenting with the capabilities of the next-gen, sticking rigidly to formulas that were outdated and poor on the PS2.

Yes, the leagues are here; the players are here; the stadiums (well, some at least) are here. But FIFA 08 represents EA’s first real attempt in years to do something with the franchise other than just repackaging what has gone before. Here’s a game that makes a real (if occasionally flawed) effort to move the sports sim forward.

Yes, the leagues are here; the players are here; the stadiums (well, some at least) are here. But FIFA 08 represents EA’s first real attempt in years to do something with the franchise other than just repackaging what has gone before. Here’s a game that makes a real (if occasionally flawed) effort to move the sports sim forward.

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

Thrillville: Off the Rails is aimed squarely at mid-teens and under, which is no bad thing. The management side can be toyed around with, but it otherwise practically runs itself while you’re off planting rides, indulging in mini-games and trying to turn teenaged guests into your love slaves.

Thrillville: Off the Rails is aimed squarely at mid-teens and under, which is no bad thing. The management side can be toyed around with, but it otherwise practically runs itself while you’re off planting rides, indulging in mini-games and trying to turn teenaged guests into your love slaves.

Mistaken assumptions aside, the Xbox 360 doesn’t exactly have a lot of new, colourful, non-shooty blood and gore type games, so if that’s what you’re shopping for then while you couldn’t do much better, you equally couldn’t do much worse right now.

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 game’s back-of-the-box claim of ‘Mega Instant Fun’ is somewhat misleading, as the mini-games are neither mega-instant nor mega-fun, but they are certainly pretty speedy and usually enjoyable and challenging on some level.

This game has basically been done before and been done better. Even for hardened action RPG fans who are looking for their next fix before Diablo 3 hits, it would be difficult to recommend much about Loki that would provide them with any sort of new buzz.

A robust, well-rounded, highly enjoyable and easily recommendable racer with a twisted sense of humour and a good all-round sense of fun.

Race Driver: Create & Race is an extremely well assembled racer which falls short of excellence thanks to its handling style falling squarely between two stools, and the niggles relating to the opponent AI and graphical in-game presentation.

If you’re a fan of portable online gaming, Logan’s Shadow has a lot to offer, improving on Dark Mirror in a number of ways.

It would be impossible to point out one area where it significantly outclasses its brethren, but from the choice of tracks to the game’s competitive spirit, it’s hard to imagine Bizarre Creations ever compiling a better package, or a better advert for racing on the 360.

It just seems that not much thought has gone into the level design and gameplay beyond “could a five-year-old play this?”.

Just another great basketball game, packed with features and modes that are sure to keep fans and determined newbies happy at least until the 2K9 comes along or a rival franchise gets its act together.

It’s a little simpler to play than the 2K series, and more fast paced, but it’s also just not as good.

A decent purchase for the little ones if you’re expecting dross from the adventure mode (which by now you surely are), and you can pick it up at a decent price.

The Last Prophecy? I bloody well hope so.

Halo 3 is a fantastic game: a magnificent example of multiplayer gaming with an enjoyable side order of single-player, but it’s really hard to justify as being a true classic.

This is as close to a proper skateboarding simulation as we’ve seen, and is up there in the fun stakes with the best of the x-sports games, but for added realism we’d like to see fewer loading screens, civilians that behave with a mote of intelligence or self preservation and even the ability to get off and walk once in a while.

With its generous two new campaigns and refined online capabilities, there’ll certainly be no argument from us that it’s nothing less than an essential purchase.

It really (for us, at least) holds very little appeal when by yourself. With a group of friends though, it’s easily the most fun you can have with a PS2.

What this game is about is mayhem, destruction and style, all of which it has in bag loads. It doesn’t have the most original gameplay, nor is it the most sophisticated game of this type, but it is essentially an officially licensed John Woo game, doing what a lot of wannabe John Woo games have been doing for a few years now.

Once you’ve got to grips with your stylus as Sonic manfully sends plumes of salty white foam splashing over the hot pussy pressed against you, you’ll forget the MegaDrive even existed [naughty, naughty – Ed]. For a while, at least.

Whereas CoH can be lacking in immediacy, WiC never lets up on the fast action pacing.

There’s more substance behind Syphon Filter than in most of the style-obsessed trash-talking third-person shooters out there. Dark Mirror is thankfully without agenda, unfortunately without a bit of much-needed fine-tuning, but comes with a whole bag full of good intentions.

Tarr Chronicles just isn’t that good.

The combat has been really well thought out, the exploring is fun thanks to the gorgeous art style and the whole game just comes over as an entertaining way to spend 30-40 hours of your life.

This is as close to a proper skateboarding simulation as we’ve seen, and is up there in the fun stakes with the best of the x-sports games, but for added realism we’d like to see fewer loading screens, civilians that behave with a mote of intelligence or self preservation and even the ability to get off and walk once in a while.

NHL 08 is the kind of makeover that this series has been waiting for for years.

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.

As for the TBS hardcore, they’ll probably indignantly object to the dumbed-down gameplay mechanics. Galactic Assault isn’t a bad game – we just don’t really know who it’s for.

It shows that there is huge potential for games that let users create more than just a standard character – if only other companies would grow a set and let their developers use their imaginations more.

Once you get around the slightly muddled menu system there is quite a lot of content between the full & mini games within this package to keep you entertained for many an hour, either playing against pretty decent AI controlled teams or over Xbox Live.

If the idea of hacking through lots (and we mean lots) of monsters, collecting truck loads of loot, customising characters, engaging in diplomacy and ultimately dominating over rival factions doing the same, all without getting too bogged down in things like story or adventure, then Depths of Peril may well be a game for you.

What this game is about is mayhem, destruction and style, all of which it has in bag loads. It doesn’t have the most original gameplay, nor is it the most sophisticated game of this type, but it is essentially an officially licensed John Woo game, doing what a lot of wannabe John Woo games have been doing for a few years now.

Medal Of Honour: Airborne may well be as gung-ho as a cigar-chomping drill instructor and as shallow as the pool of blood left by one of your expendable buddies, but it doesn’t profess to be anything more than an exciting and enjoyable week’s worth of FPS action.

Medal Of Honour: Airborne may well be as gung-ho as a cigar-chomping drill instructor and as shallow as the pool of blood left by one of your expendable buddies, but it doesn’t profess to be anything more than an exciting and enjoyable week’s worth of FPS action.

Open Warfare 2 is pretty near perfect in terms of presentation, balance and content. That basically means we don’t need to see another Worms game ever, and if we do, it had better be somehow more original and better than this. So that’s it. We’re happy now, thank you very much Team 17.

The music’s nice though, and at least it looks good.

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.

As perfectly as it nails the traditional, linear turn-based approach and draws you in before opening up, the only real giant leap it makes for the RPG genre is by being easily the finest Japanese example to so far grace the Xbox 360. Traditionalists, however, will simply love it.

Even with the sheer volume of stuff to do in the game, there have no real improvements over the last game in the series, aside from the inclusion of the ad-hoc multiplay – they’ve even taken a step backwards by forcing players to team up in order to take on half the quests.

What it lacks in overall content it makes up for by having damned enjoyable and addictive gameplay and enough variations on a theme for the game to last much longer than the four or so hours it takes to complete the main mode.

A general clean up of what was already a consummate package, with the addition of some incredibly absorbing new campaigns.

Dynasty Warriors is as stagnated as ever and now carries the weight of a niche franchise upon its back. An overhaul is long overdue.

Dynasty Warriors is as stagnated as ever and now carries the weight of a niche franchise upon its back. An overhaul is long overdue.

The lack of initial on-screen prompts aside, it’s entirely possible for anyone to throw themselves into Tiger’s 2008 outing and have both a rewarding and entertaining time, be they a golf fan or not.

The lack of initial on-screen prompts aside, it’s entirely possible for anyone to throw themselves into Tiger’s 2008 outing and have both a rewarding and entertaining time, be they a golf fan or not.

The lack of initial on-screen prompts aside, it’s entirely possible for anyone to throw themselves into Tiger’s 2008 outing and have both a rewarding and entertaining time, be they a golf fan or not.

It’s just so frustrating. Not only the puzzles, for all the wrong reasons, but the fact that what could have been a perfectly decent adventure has been yet again held back by the same old ridiculously common mistakes.

It’s hard to really dislike Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for being so similar to the other games in the series – it’s just disappointing that Retro Studios didn’t try anything new.

Two Worlds isn't fit to be put on the same shelves as Oblivion, or any other game. It does bring a new meaning to the term RPG, though, as in Real Piece of Garbage. Just....no.

Newbies may find it a little intimidating to get into, but perseverance brings reward in the shape of an immersive experience that’s about as fun as war gaming can get.

It’s neither perfect nor as revolutionary as some might make out, but it is one of the most progressive, gripping and downright fun games to hit the market in the last decade.

It’s neither perfect nor as revolutionary as some might make out, but it is one of the most progressive, gripping and downright fun games to hit the market in the last decade.

Dragoneer’s Aria is simply not good enough to fulfil the expectations of the PSP community, especially the hardcore RPG fans who deserve to be treated with a little more respect than a rushed effort that very obviously lacks polish and quite frankly looks amateurish when compared to other games around.

An interesting and entertaining way to spend 30 minutes a day, lavished with as much charm and consideration as Nintendo has ever been able to afford.

Though clunky at times, you have to admire the level of tactical depth that has been translated from the pen and paper game, and in spite of our reservations about the level of explanation on some things, the interface is commendable for being so easy to navigate on such a small screen with limited controls.

It’s by no means a perfect game and it’s stuck in an over-populated genre, but it’s just so enjoyable and refreshing that it really doesn’t matter. Persona 3 is yet another must have for JRPG fans, as the PS2 slowly shuffles itself out of the limelight.

Heroes of Mana does have its moments, but they are few are far between.

It’s Madden, which is no bad thing, but it’s a case of same stuff, different year.

Once again Crystal Dynamics’ new Tomb Raider engine proves its worth, and while the PSP version lacks the graphical clout of its bigger cousins, the series is no less at home here.

Perhaps the most damning evidence in the case against bothering with this game (as if AI that sees your allies forever flying into your plane and bafflingly unresponsive speed controls aren’t quite enough) is that the whole experience feels reminiscent of a dumbed-down version of Crimson Skies.

It’s still taking the piss though, and Square Enix should be ashamed of themselves for being so lazy and cheeky. Twenty pounds each? Piss off.

With Harmonix moving on to the extremely ambitious Rock Band and Neversoft taking over the Guitar Hero reigns, it’s sad to see the series’ creators bow out of their own creation with such a purposefully half-arsed effort.

This is a monster expansion for a monster game; a total must-have that breathes new life into what is now a fairly old game.

Deal or No Deal is simply one of the most dull and short-lived videogames of all time, barely fit for mobile phones let alone the mighty DS.

A sports game with a sense of fun and, perhaps crucially, provides a great series of single player matches to work through. Most notably of all though is the fact that it’s made its way into our pile of games to be dug out at parties, alongside "SingStar."

It might no longer be the best in its field, but it’s still ready and waiting in the shadows, looking for the perfect opportunity to fly in, behead you and take your life orbs while you’re not looking.

While board games on Xbox Live are not everyone’s cup of tea, those looking for a bit of fast-paced and fun strategy that’s actually quite relaxing to play, Carcasonne certainly delivers, and has the promise of tile-set expansions in the near future.

Overlord won’t keep you coming back and again for more, but it’s a satisfying, amusing experience that’s fairly unusual in today’s games industry, even if it isn’t quite the bad boy it wants to be.

Overlord won’t keep you coming back and again for more, but it’s a satisfying, amusing experience that’s fairly unusual in today’s games industry, even if it isn’t quite the bad boy it wants to be.

Gamers who want to see for the first time the origins of the long-running series will have a decent enough reason to check out Final Fantasy on PSP: its high resolution visuals and distinctly retro gameplay set it aside from modern RPGs. However, for everyone else it’s just another cheap cash-in for Square Enix.

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.

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.

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 Sims: Pet Stories is, for our money, more interesting than Life Stories in that it contains the relationship elements of the latter while adding in the extra dimension of training up a pet.

Those who are able to get to grips with SimCity DS’ convoluted and tedious controls may find that they’re able to see through the clutter and enjoy what remains of 3000 on their handhelds – the game does remain somewhere underneath the torture of its implementation.

Even if you already enjoyed the game two years ago, it’s well worth a second play through on what will undoubtedly be considered to be the definitive version of the Resident Evil instalment for people who don’t like Resident Evil. Blood, gore, violence, swearing and sensational controls in a mainstream game – everything “they” said the Wii wasn’t about.

Overall Juarez is not a bad FPS, with its unusual setting and unique approach; it’s just not as good as it could have been, suffering as it does from some real wasted potential.

Only time will tell whether Naruto will become a gaming joke or not, but for now Naruto fans in the UK could do a lot worse than Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2, though they could also do better.

Ultimately though, the move to the Wii has done much more harm than the game could really take, with the control issues tearing what was a solid and enjoyable game apart mercilessly.

Far too simplistic and lacking in challenge to be even vaguely capable of recommending, even at its budget price.