No game can claim to be as visually and aurally stunning as Killer7. There has been no video game as heavily and expressively stylised before, with the beautiful, cel-shaded visuals forming an integral part of the game, rather than a back of the box bullet point.

The aimless blasting across what seems like a countless number of levels that are practically indistinguishable from one another do not a great game make, but if you can play on a friend’s copy, it’s worth doing so to snatch a glimpse at what’s to come. Hopefully...

As Myst-style adventure games go, Secret of the Lost Cavern is certainly one of the better ones, and some may find the puzzles a little more approachable than in that venerable series, even if the visuals are a little less fantastic.

If you're considering the purchase but hesitating to find out whether or not it'll live up to your expectations, we'll go out on a limb and say that it will.

It’s the kind of game that will get inside your brain, and several hours of playing will see you splicing together tactics that you would never have thought possible on your first few goes.

Yes, it’s funny, and it does crack a few good observations about the genre. However, by making the same mistakes that the games it’s laughing at make, it shoots itself in the foot a bit.

It’s really the co-op mode that saves the game from utter mediocrity. Nevertheless, the abject blandness of pretty much every other facet of the game holds it back from being decent enough to purchase.

It’s really the co-op mode that saves the game from utter mediocrity. Nevertheless, the abject blandness of pretty much every other facet of the game holds it back from being decent enough to purchase.

If you are lucky enough to have 5 friends with copies of the game, then 6-way wireless play is catered for, with the usual selection of races and team-based games making for an excellent diversion.

It's really the co-op mode that saves the game from utter mediocrity. Nevertheless, the abject blandness of pretty much every other facet of the game holds it back from being decent enough to purchase.

It's really the co-op mode that saves the game from utter mediocrity. Nevertheless, the abject blandness of pretty much every other facet of the game holds it back from being decent enough to purchase.

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.

Psychonauts is one of those games that truly stands out from the crowd. With its eclectic mix of styles and outstanding design, it’s likely to be remembered in the same kind of way we look back at games like Beyond Good and Evil.

In the end, Destroy All Humans! just doesn’t provide good value for money, and that’s something the developers seem to have lost sight of.

Battlefield 2 is a fantastic online shooter, and possibly one of the best we’ve played. The attention to detail, the features and the fantastically designed maps combine to make a brilliant game.

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.

In the end, Destroy All Humans! just doesn't provide good value for money, and that's something the developers seem to have lost sight of.

While Juiced does possess some elements of originality, the net effect still doesn't make the game particularly distinctive or give it any kind of edge over Electronic Arts' chart-topping series.

It’s not perfect – there’s still the odd gripe here and there, and wheeling the same game engine out for the next instalment would be unforgivable – but SA is easily the most polished instalment of the series to date.

If you're just after an unmemorable shooter you can fight through that doesn't put you in the shoes of a bullet guzzling maniac, European Assault has its advantages, but to anyone who wants a decent first person shooter: abandon the Medal of Honor franchise now.

It's not perfect – there's still the odd gripe here and there, and wheeling the same game engine out for the next instalment would be unforgivable – but SA is easily the most polished instalment of the series to date.

Boiling Point is an amazing piece of work, but is like a piece of art that will never be finished. We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it, despite its flaws, as it is the very definition of freeform adventuring.

Restricted Area is not astounding, or flashy, or new, or even particularly exciting to most gamers but it is at least decent, reasonably priced and fairly enjoyable if you like cyberpunk and combat RPGs.

Advent Rising is not unenjoyable, but it simply doesn't make much of an impression, being overtly unoriginal and not nearly as ambitious in its gameplay as in its story.

The fact that the game can be enjoyed by adults (provided you don’t mind playing through an extremely easy game) as well as kids epitomises just how strong Madagascar is, particularly as it’s a movie licence.

The fact that the game can be enjoyed by adults (provided you don't mind playing through an extremely easy game) as well as kids epitomises just how strong Madagascar is, particularly as it's a movie licence.

The fact that the game can be enjoyed by adults (provided you don't mind playing through an extremely easy game) as well as kids epitomises just how strong Madagascar is, particularly as it's a movie licence.

The fact that the game can be enjoyed by adults (provided you don’t mind playing through an extremely easy game) as well as kids epitomises just how strong Madagascar is, particularly as it’s a movie licence.

Certainly Outlaw Volleyball Remixed can’t be accused of short changing anyone, but it is also firmly and comfortably in the realm of 'not bad'.

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.

Yet no matter how straightforward Still Life is and how simple it looks, it’s incredibly easy to fall for. Aside from a few unnecessary inflections and misplaced accents here and there, the storytelling and voice acting is superb.

Whether or not you take advantage of Everybody’s Golf’s online mode, there can be no doubt that it not only offers enjoyable gameplay, but a wealth of worthwhile content. The only trouble is that you’ll have to spend a lot of time unlocking everything.

The trouble is it’s not especially outstanding either, and lacks the hook enjoyed by the likes of the Tetris or Bust-a-Move games.

If only GTR had been more welcoming to casual racing fans, it might have found itself a bigger and deserved market. Unfortunately we just can’t find ourselves openly recommending it – and not for a lack of quality.

When playing Pariah you may find yourself pausing to scratch your head either because the story doesn't make much sense, or because you're simply wondering why the game was so blatantly pushed out the door without even half of the polish it needed to live up to the hype.

There may not be more cars than can ever be theoretically driven to make it the Xbox's Gran Turismo, and it's not the deepest racing game, so Bizarre Creations won't be quaking in their boots in fear for the safety of their spectacular Xbox 360 sequel, Project Gotham Racing 3, but Forza Motorsport is an essential racing sim for Xbox gamers everywhere.

Nevertheless, we can’t help but feel that it’s all a little on the dated side. An RTS that hasn’t been designed for the C&C crowd isn’t a bad thing, but Rome: Total War has already demonstrated that more tactical offerings are capable of crossing the boundaries and appealing to all sub-sets of RTS gamers.

You just really need to know that it plays brilliantly, like an action-orientated version of more traditional MMORPGs. The scope of the PvE alone would justify the price, but the PvP aspect truly sweetens the deal to the point where you really can’t say no.

Area 51 is a good solid shooter with a decent storyline and rather nice graphics for a PS2 game.

The gameplay is nowhere near as original as the setting, nor is it particularly spectacular for that matter, but just as you could do better, you could also do worse.

The fact that Psychonauts isn't on the radar as one of this year's big releases is a major shame, as it is, quite simply, superb.

The fact that Psychonauts isn’t on the radar as one of this year’s big releases is a major shame, as it is, quite simply, superb.

Stronghold 2 is addictive in its complexity and rich in its many-layered economic management system, not to mention challenging (yes, partly thanks to the lack of help in learning how to play the damn thing).

As great a game as Unreal Championship 2 is for the Xbox though, anyone who has played the magnum opus of the series that inspired it will have an inescapable nagging feeling that somehow, something is missing.

Jade Empire is a beautiful, resounding triumph, much like the strong, highly polished gemstone the game takes its name from.

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

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

While we found Obscure to be a very reasonable addition to the genre, it has to be said that there isn’t really a great deal to get excited about.

If this Mercury was put into a thermometer, it would be floating just above “lukewarm”.

If you're thinking of buying this because it's cheap, don't bother, as even at its budget price it's still not worth the money.

There's nothing specifically wrong with First to Fight, it's just that the single-player simply doesn't do anything more than provide you with terrorists to shoot.

SWAT 4 doesn’t have the entire package. While a fantastic, engrossing and entertaining game, there’s a constant, nagging feeling that something’s missing.

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.

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.

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 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.

Ultimately Spikeout: Battle Street is a decent and mildly refreshing old school beat-em-up, but it could be better.

On a pure bang to buck ratio Chaos Theory comes out tops, but as we’re all too aware, there’s no accounting for taste. On the PC version, only online lag issues mar an otherwise excellent experience.

Subjectivity aside, on a pure bang to buck ratio Chaos Theory comes out tops, but as we're all too aware, there's no accounting for taste (or skill, you light-loving frag-fanatics).

We’ve also learned that its d-pad isn’t kind to the thumb when playing beat ‘em ups.

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.

Not only does God of War have great gameplay, but the developers have done an awesome job with the graphics and flourishes of detail, and the sound, speech and music are all of the highest quality too.

The Matrix Online feels like it might have been released a little prematurely. There are countless bugs cropping up here, there and everywhere, and lag is definitely an issue on occasions.

Overall Ridge Racer has proven to be a decent, though not essential purchase for the system, and one that you at least probably won’t go wrong with.

As a handheld game, Lumines excels in almost every conceivable way.

Even with the adapted controls, Ape Escape: On The Loose is a splendid version of the enjoyable original.

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.

So is Wipeout Pure a must-have PSP title? Weâ??d have to say yes â?? for now.

You might be more interested to know what Driv3r isn’t though – a good game.

Worms Forts has some of the best features straight from the old games, but you can’t help but notice that a few good things are still missing from the transition to 3D.

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

Invest some time in Silent Hunter III, learn how to play it properly, find out what all of the dials do and memorise all of the keyboard shortcuts and it will pay you back with countless hours of cinematic, realistic, and brilliant gameplay. But remember, this ain’t for the casual gamer.

With the exception of the first hour or so, in which you are constantly scavenging for ammo, the gameplay is pretty solid throughout, but never highly engaging, having neither interesting puzzles nor a large variety of enemies.

What it is though is a linear (and we don’t mean that negatively) RPG with an emphasis on tactical combat, more than a nod to the classic comic books, and a sizeable helping of fun.

The effect that all this adds to the game is more a sense of realism than a sense of camaraderie. The harrowing, dangerous nature of war is shown here in its truest form in a video game.

The package is, as a whole, rather rough around the edges. You know you’re in for trouble when even the publisher admits that the tutorial is “a pain and a little time consuming”.

We can see what the developers have tried to do with Domination, which is basically make the game more accessible. Unfortunately it’s a move that has completely backfired, with the result being an excellent game buried under a lot of unnecessary and distracting fluff.

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.

From the brilliant intro, it draws you straight into its world of intrigue and conspiracy, and will keep you there until you make it through to one of the multiple endings.

A lot of the good intentions in Psychotoxic are just lost in the mess of it all. We might have recommended the story to fans of sci-fi B-movies, but frankly after a few interesting cut-scenes the story goes absolutely nowhere for hours before wrapping-up in a not-entirely-satisfying manner.

The graphics are good, but every other feature is just scooped up from a number of other strategy games, and spread thinly.

Great Tekken gameplay, nice new graphics, but certainly nothing we haven’t seen before.

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

Yet again the series fails to become a proper racing game, with its rigid car physics and lack of decent opponents to face off against, but it’s still a fantastic and lengthy game in its own right.

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.

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.

Those are the game’s main transgressions, but you do get used to them and learn how to avoid most of the major problems. You’ll want to take the effort too, because at its heart Second Sight is a good game whose rewards outweigh its frustrations.

Whether you’ve played the first or not, KotOR 2 offers a complete RPG experience – with a full bodied story, a good experience points system and combat that’s fairly satisfying.

Search as we may, we haven’t been able to find one single redeeming feature in Will of Steel.

Underneath all the tedium, the bones of a very basic business simulation can be found, but there’s a lot of joyless digging to be done to get to it. We’re not entirely sure who will actually enjoy Playboy: The Mansion, as the business side is unsatisfying, the networking is mind-numbing, and the sex is a sad cop out.

If you’re a fan of The Punisher, Max Payne or good old violence in general (and let’s face it – that list covers pretty much the majority of games players), there’s a good chance you’ll get a kick out of what’s on offer here.

Mercenaries has superb graphics and a sublime soundtrack, but the fact is that it can just be boring unless you're willing to invest a little effort into creating your own excitement.

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.

As with an increasing number of recent Xbox titles, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf gets our recommendation largely thanks to the inclusion of a multiplayer mode that is pretty unique and a lot of fun.

A pretty standard affair. If you’re a connoisseur of block games or are just on the market for one and don’t particularly care which, then this one is certainly as good as the next.

But at around 7 or 8 hours and with no multiplayer or real longevity beyond playing on Hard difficulty, it's just as well that the game has a budget price tag.

Put simply, the game is slick, well polished and has a real Hollywood feel. If you’re looking for an all-round actioner with a badass hero, an interesting story and solid gameplay, then Riddick is your game.

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.