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.

It's not just a classic game, it's an essential purchase – no matter which version you decide to get it for.

The beautiful animation, the brutal, unforgiving and incessant combat and the raw badass-ness of Kratos are things we just can’t get enough of, and to have it all on the PSP gives us more reason to love Sony’s widescreen brick even more.

Slight irritations aside, Sports Interactive continues to be the pioneering force in making football management sims. So do yourself a favour; buy this game, stock up the fridge and don’t forget to feed the dog.

The epic feel, ease of control and attention to detail all round makes this a joy to play. You really won’t feel that you are playing a strategy game, but you’ll get the kind of rewards from it that only hours spent on a game like this can bestow on you.

The most important point, though, is that that unique blend of playground-style level design and narrative-driven play that was so very nearly exemplary the first time round has been greatly refined, and no longer suffers any flaws quite as game-spoiling as before.

Burnout Paradise is pretty huge, and hugely pretty. It doesn’t have the diversity in appearance of some open-ended games, but the previously mindless racing of past Burnout games has been brought into sharp and very satisfying focus.

It's not just a classic game, it's an essential purchase – no matter which version you decide to get it for.

While the single player game may have taken a couple of steps backwards, it’s still a big deal to have a game like this on a handheld, and an even bigger one to have a fully realised multiplayer mode.

The most immersive and beautiful FPS yet to appear on a console. The single player has great pacing, challenge and satisfaction, while the multiplayer is accessible and fun.

The humour from the original game returns in full flow, too. A lot of the dialogue is laugh out loud funny. [JPN Import]

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.

For many, Rainbow Six will have finally reached the giddy heights of classic-status gaming, with Vegas retaining the series’ tactical edge but opening it up to a wider and more accepting audience. Ubisoft has taken a gamble, but ultimately it has paid off.

Pikmin 2 excels in every respect.

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.

And most uniquely of all, the single-player-only game easily packs in around 30 hours of gameplay, making it extremely good value for money.

Wario Ware is a fun game, but above anything else it's a simple one.

As an FPS game, somewhat inferior, but as an interactive experience, simply unmatched.

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

No doubt a new title entirely rather than an enhanced re-release would have been more welcome, but less than six months in, Burnout: Revenge provides the Xbox 360 with some glorious moments of unhinged debauchery.

Whether borrowed, reworked or completely original, all the elements have been expertly crafted and put together.

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.

A classic title, but in some respects only just.

It’s a shame that more wasn’t done with the story, as the shallow characters and lack of moral depth sits in stark contrast to the hard work spent on some of the most impressive game technology we’ve ever seen.

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.

It’s a shame that more wasn’t done with the story, as the shallow characters and lack of moral depth sits in stark contrast to the hard work spent on some of the most impressive game technology we’ve ever seen.

The soundtrack is better, the characters more convincing and, for our money, the racing experience just that little bit more enjoyable.

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.