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 never quite manages to be an excellent tactical shooter, nor is it the most action-oriented of titles, but by combining thoughtful gameplay with some simply brilliant and explosive set-pieces, Ubisoft has managed to create a compelling single player experience.

Playing the game is fun defined. While Pro Evolution has managed to slowly botch its own previously stellar system with each release, EA’s FIFA has been making steady progress over the last few years, culminating in this climax.

The Suffering is certainly recommendable for its gory/creepy factor, and the shooting action is competently handled if a little lacking in finesse.

Trackmania United doesn’t essentially bring anything new to the table (perhaps the sandpit is a better analogy), but it is yet another example of a developer at the top of its game in a field where it is most certainly in pole position.

It's odd, but Modern Combat is a much better single-player game than it is multiplayer.

Galaxies is certainly a perfectly enjoyable and natural evolution for the Geometry Wars series that’ll provide hundreds of hours of fun to gamers with lightning-fast reactions, but it’s perhaps not enough to make it really worth it.

If you’ve always fancied getting one of those home gym kits that are always in the Argos catalogue and Sunday supplements, then Wii Fit would make an ideal substitute. Without will-power, though, you might want to consider waiting for the inevitable clutch of games to appear that’ll use the potentially excellent balance board in a way that’s just more fun.

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.

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

For some the cutesy-wutsey graphics, chirpy speech and offers of handholding might be irritating, in which case say hello to the three ghosts of Christmas for us when you see them. For everyone else, this is an enjoyable, well polished game with bags of personality.

Overall the third Strong Bad episode is more of a Homestar Jogger than a Homestar Runner. Baddest of the Bands lacks the novelty of the first episode and the imaginative gameplay elements of the second, settling into a formula that fans will most likely find mildly enjoyable at best.

You’ll have worked out by now that our earlier reference to the quality of the three parts of the game refer to the space battles being pretty good, the campaign map being reasonable, and the ground battles being a bit limp.

Although describing it as the best submarine sim available could quite easily be a backhanded complement considering the genre’s paucity, SH4 is a genuinely absorbing and fun game that manages, largely successfully, to straddle the never-land between hardcore and arcade gaming.

Graphically sublime and with well-paced and refined gameplay throughout, Inafune’s second ode to the 360 is one that cements Capcom’s rightful reputation as the format’s premier publisher right now, as well as adding another title of real quality to the console’s second wave.

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.

Born of the Blood does exactly what an expansion should do in making an original game bigger and better. The problem is that the balance is way off, leaving it ridiculously challenging to anybody but the most hardened of veterans, and anyone tempted by any original game plus expansion offers in the shops is on a hiding to nothing.

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.

At least if you do take in everything the game has to offer on the first sitting, you'll easily feel like you've had a fulfilling experience, but unlike a GTA game, it's pretty unlikely that you'll come back for more once you've finished.

The control scheme feels comfortable, albeit not quite as precise as a good old keyboard and mouse, and is paired up to an equally well-executed interface.

Day of Reckoning is an absolutely crucial addition to the games collection of any fan of WWE.

Overall the third Strong Bad episode is more of a Homestar Jogger than a Homestar Runner. Baddest of the Bands lacks the novelty of the first episode and the imaginative gameplay elements of the second, settling into a formula that fans will most likely find mildly enjoyable at best.

A slight improvement on the first episode which comes highly recommended if you’ve already enjoyed "Culture Shock." And it’s still less than a fiver.

The first half of Bright Side Of The Moon is reasonable enough, but the concluding portion (perhaps the dark side?) is a badly-designed anti-climax that’s rendered even worse by the fact that it’s following on from the magnificent Reality 2.0 – by far the pinnacle of the series.

Despite basically repeating a lot of the moves seen in the modern Prince of Persia games, Mirror’s Edge’s distinctive, haunting atmosphere, immersive first-person perspective and completely intuitive controls make it truly outstanding.

The most consistently hilarious scripting in any game or series to date, which we’re sure is becoming increasingly and splendidly darker in tone as the season progresses.

The dual screens provide a perfect medium for the genre, and the inclusion of the rumble pack, which is compatible with the likes of Mario & Luigi at the moment and should feature in future releases, is a neat and thoughtful inclusion.

Black lasts only eight hours, has no extra modes and no multiplayer. Not even split-screen; not even co-op. Granted, multiplayer FPS games are a two-a-penny these days, but it leaves wide open the question of what exactly you’re paying for here.

As simple as Toki Tori is, its cheerful presentation coupled with a well thought out difficulty curve make for a puzzle-platforming treat that is more than the sum of its parts.

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.

Playing the game is fun defined. While Pro Evolution has managed to slowly botch its own previously stellar system with each release, EA’s FIFA has been making steady progress over the last few years, culminating in this climax.

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.

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.

Overall Combat Mission Anthology is a great buy, if you’re looking to explore the deeper end of the World War II tactical combat pool.

It still looks great, it’s still dripping with detail, and there are now even more rides to create and things to do. However, it still plays like it’s a piece of modding software, and not everyone’s going to enjoy it as a result.

Despite basically repeating a lot of the moves seen in the modern Prince of Persia games, Mirror’s Edge’s distinctive, haunting atmosphere, immersive first-person perspective and completely intuitive controls make it truly outstanding.

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.

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.

Roogoo is a strange creature, combining cutesy childlike design and whimsical story with fiendish gameplay and a steep challenge curve. Stripping away the fluffy exterior reveals a meaty core that will satisfy even the healthiest of gaming appetite for the time it will take to finish.

This might go some way to appease those who thought the original game was too repetitive, but we suspect it’s probably too little, too late. As for everyone else, ROE follows the exact same formula and therefore doesn't disappoint.

Lost Odyssey is a great JRPG that, while not without flaws, does a fantastic job of overcoming them and providing a superb adventure and storytelling experience.

As with its namesake, Evolution doesn't hold many surprises, being a by-the-numbers retread through environments and situations that will now be more than a little familiar to veterans of the series.

Even with new chapters set to join Blood Curse's current package further down the line, what's already here is a sophisticated re-imagining of the ethics the series was founded on, providing the PlayStation Network with a cash cow that delivers dividends of entertainment to anyone who is willing to take a punt.

Project: Snowblind is pretty straightforward stuff and consists mainly of linear, corridor based action, but it does its job as well as any other shooter available on the PS2.

Still, despite the game's poor multiplayer and control issues, Conker: Live and Reloaded still retains the classic gameplay of Bad Fur Day, giving it just enough spit and polish to be a great remake, even if there's little in the way of extras.

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.

If anything, this is a great sign of things to come for Naruto games.

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.

With a steep learning curve, fiddly controls and some tough levels, Heroes is not for everyone.

One hell of a game. Fans of the series will find answers to some of their questions and find new ones to ponder over by the game’s close, while gamers unfamiliar with the Camera Obscura would do well to check it out right after the first two. It’s chilling, it’s engrossing and there’s even extra unlockable content.

Treyarch have done a commendable job with the single-player in such a tough development cycle, that just managing to make a multiplayer mode that improves upon Finest Hour's is a fantastic achievement.

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.

Republic Commando does so much right – the squad-based elements do enough to add another dimension to the game without bogging down the action; the Star Wars presentation is executed brilliantly; the action and set-pieces have been designed and paced superbly.

Little touches like the ambient music and subtle film grain only add to the unsettling atmosphere, which is utilised via various plot devices almost as a weapon against your senses. Definitely worth a look if you like those kind of bleak horror movies that make you sleep with the light on.

In the grand scheme of things, we’d probably rate GTA: Liberty City stories as being somewhere between GTA III and GTA: Vice City. That should give you some level of guidance when considering whether or not the £20 asking price is worth it.

2K Sports insistence on cramming new features in every instalment of this long-running series is admirable, but hopefully next time they will focus on tweaking what they currently have and making the offensive side of the game more fun.

Although RotWK certainly doesn’t justify rushing out and purchasing the original if you don’t already have it, BfME2 fans who can put up with the micromanagement and fancy some new challenges will find plenty to love here.

While it’s not worth upgrading from the Xbox version for the graphics improvements alone, the fact that you essentially get the expansion for free does help make up for the feeling that the game isn’t as next-gen as it really ought to be.

The PSP port in itself is not perfect, but with 6 and a bit full games, all of which are pretty damned well polished side-scrolling shooter experiences, it comes pretty easy to recommend to anyone looking for a bit of classic coin-op action.

To its credit, Escalation has certainly improved the Joint Ops experience – just not tremendously.

Perhaps more of a focus on cerebral maze-like levels and less on the ‘gotcha’ high-wire acts might have helped this unique game series reach its full potential.

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.

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.

What the series needs is not useless gimmicks and badly rehashed game mechanics, but good, old-fashioned racing fun. We don’t need customisable bells and whistles; what gamers really want is a Need for Speed that uses its strengths, and doesn’t try to shoe-horn in its weaknesses for the sake of bullet points on a press release.

It may not be the most technically accomplished game to have graced our screens, but the plain and simple fact is that it’s so much fun to play, it’s almost indescribable.

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

With so many fast-paced action games clogging up Xbox Live Arcade, a slower-paced puzzler like Switchball really stands out. As to whether or not that’s a good thing, well it’s really up to you.

While not a bad game, our overriding feeling while playing Lego Indiana Jones was that we really wanted to play through Lego Star Wars again. The game works, for all its glitches, and will undoubtedly provide a good few hours of co-op fun with a like-minded second player. Nevertheless, the painful fact is that Lego fatigue has set in far sooner than we had expected it to.

As addictive as the gameplay can become, the comprehensive (albeit complicated) modding software is sure to trigger compulsion in the more creative players.

Treyarch have done a commendable job with the single-player in such a tough development cycle, that just managing to make a multiplayer mode that improves upon Finest Hour’s is a fantastic achievement.

Five years ago Yakuza 2 would have been a system seller. Today it’s just enough reason to wipe the layers of dust off of a shelved console and give it a final send-off.

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.

The sound of Jack's shallow breathing as he becomes increasingly frightened is very effective, and there is nothing quite as unnerving as hearing the growls and mutters of your pursuers as you hole up in some dark corner.

There are dozens of ready-made missions and most of them can be tackled in radically different ways, which adds even more longevity on top of the mission editor and slew of multiplayer modes.

Surely everybody knows the score by now: EA ever so slightly update FIFA. It gets new stats, new players, new kits and slightly better graphics whilst remaining pretty much the same game it always has been.

A huge, lazy and sometimes glitchy disappointment of a game. The character progression really doesn't provide a strong enough excuse to keep playing after the initial joy of the combat has dissipated, and the number of times you find yourself going through the same old motions during missions smacks of padding of a magnitude normally associated with the corpulent Don.

Surely everybody knows the score by now: EA ever so slightly update FIFA. It gets new stats, new players, new kits and slightly better graphics whilst remaining pretty much the same game it always has been.

For every ten or so big releases which disappoint, there’s a relatively small-scale title that comes along and surprises everybody by being pretty good. Arena Wars fits nicely into this category.

It’s such a shame though to see what could have been a splendid old-school RTS with mostly decent presentation (aside from the fact that the camera doesn’t zoom out enough) and three imaginative and well-balanced factions being wasted on a single player campaign that’s broken, and a multiplayer mode that nobody’s yet playing.

It may be slow, but its atmosphere is convincing enough to immerse you fully into its world.

If you're a Penny Arcade fan then Episode One is an enjoyable if overpriced and short-lived experience.

Railroads! is way more fun than the subject matter suggests it ought to be, which is a credit to its design team.

A fantastic remake but also a frustrating one, bringing a classic NES title to western shores for the first time and improving upon it, but failing to make sensible use of the DS or implementing a fair save system.

V. With its beautiful fantasy graphics and huge amounts of depth, Heroes is back from the dead and ready for the next generation of RTS role players.

While not a bad game, our overriding feeling while playing Lego Indiana Jones was that we really wanted to play through Lego Star Wars again. The game works, for all its glitches, and will undoubtedly provide a good few hours of co-op fun with a like-minded second player. Nevertheless, the painful fact is that Lego fatigue has set in far sooner than we had expected it to.

While it undoubtedly falls short in certain key areas – the imperfect controls, the repetitive side missions, the slightly bland engine... – it will certainly be more than adequate for any Spidey fan feeling the need for some web-slinging.

Black lasts only eight hours, has no extra modes and no multiplayer. Not even split-screen; not even co-op. Granted, multiplayer FPS games are a two-a-penny these days, but it leaves wide open the question of what exactly you're paying for here.

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.

Overall, Mutant Storm Empire is a good solid shoot-‘em-up and it is definitely worth the 800 points if you’ve had your fun with Mutant Storm Reloaded and Geometry Wars.

What the series needs is not useless gimmicks and badly rehashed game mechanics, but good, old-fashioned racing fun. We don’t need customisable bells and whistles; what gamers really want is a Need for Speed that uses its strengths, and doesn’t try to shoe-horn in its weaknesses for the sake of bullet points on a press release.

So, if you have friends, you like movies and you’re in the 25-35 age range, this game is pretty much tailored for you and about five million other people. Clever Sony. And as for that rivalry, well sometimes you just have to know when to throw a fight.

Some slight unresponsiveness and no small amount of trial-and-error do mar the experience somewhat, but as puzzle games go, Exit is definitely one of the better ones currently available on the PSP.

A huge, lazy and sometimes glitchy disappointment of a game.

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.

It may not be the most technically accomplished game to have graced our screens, but the plain and simple fact is that it’s so much fun to play, it’s almost indescribable.

At least if you do take in everything the game has to offer on the first sitting, you’ll easily feel like you’ve had a fulfilling experience, but unlike a GTA game, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll come back for more once you’ve finished.

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.

EA have, just as they did with "Battlefield 2," released an unfinished game full to the brim with bugs and annoyances.