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.