Watering down an already-diluted franchise isn’t going to inspire loyal fans of the series. Weak handling, dumb opponents and basic structure combine to make a very forgettable Need For Speed installment.

Typical Midway, in as far as there’s a few hours of absolute bliss here, before the taste goes completely and you’re left chewing cud. Rent with our blessing, but purchase only if you’re immune to buyer’s remorse.

It’s good fun, even if it doesn’t feel quite as thrilling as we would have liked. With a little more tweaking of the controls and maybe a new approach to the genre à la Skate, this could have fared much better.

Mirror’s Edge offers an exciting alternative to the usual FPSs, but isn’t quite as revolutionary as it should have been. Still, if you’re after style over substance, Faith offers thrills and spills beyond the average action game.

The gameplay, aesthetics and presentation are solid – impressive in places, even – but we’re not about to turn a blind eye to the shamelessly crass tone. If games are ever to mature as a medium then we need to see an end to this kind of thing.

With the introduction of TNA Impact! the climate has suddenly changed; hopefully, though, this will translate to a less-frustrating (but similarly full) release from Yuke’s next year.

The impressive voice controls is marred by a small number of annoying design decisions. The online modes are memorable, but the limited control over points of view leave a sour taste.

It’s a shame the care and attention that Spark has given to the visuals and presentation is quickly squandered by some glaring gameplay errors.

There’s no denying Ultimate Ninja Storm has its moments and can even be dazzling on occasions, but such instances are purely visual and lack depth. Enthusiasts may be content at first, but even they will get tired of Naruto’s only trick.

Japanese RPG and tactical RPG fans will fall in love with this game, but even if you can’t stomach the plot, the cut-scenes are skippable and the gameplay chapters are well worth waiting for.

We don’t care what it says on the packaging, this is not a PS3 game. It’s a mediocre, clunky, primitive PS2 game, although in itself a reasonably playable inoffensive one. But having the cheek to release it on the PS3 – that is offensive.

This is the Resistance that we’ve been waiting for – beautiful, dramatic and exciting. It may not be perfect, but the American chapter of the Chimera invasion definitely gives Master Chief and Marcus Fenix a run for their money.

A stunning and emotive game, Fallout 3 is compelling, dark, funny and deep. Play it and glimpse the future of videogaming. And, possibly, of mankind.

The PS3's most dramatic and beautiful racing game. [Issue#172, p.72]

MotoGP 08 could have been more than just a slightly shinier PS2 update, but it still does little to capture or validate the depth of motorcycle racing. It’s wholesome fun for aficionados, though.

LittleBigPlanet is certainly more difficult to master than we first imagined, but it pays off on its promise and then some. Media Molecule has created a game that deserves to take the world by storm, and this really is just the beginning.

Anything Rock Band can do, World Tour can do better. That said, the gap is only small and, unless you’re particularly fussed by Music Studio mode, your preference should ultimately be determined by your music tastes.

Unlike last month's teeth-grinding "Mega Man 9," you won't feel like yu're being bullied by your own videogame. [Issue#173, p.92]

Spyro’s shortcomings have been evident for a few years now and this game will do little to change that. The visuals at least look the part on the PS3, but the disengaging action will only find forgiveness with die-hard fans.

After another year of middling shooters, BioShock is as complex and hypnotic as it was in 2007. It’s an imperfect first-person shooter, and the quality swerves erratically towards the end, but the PS3 port has been handled gracefully.

While initially there seems to be quite a lot of fun to be had with Web Of Shadows, ultimately you discover its fluid combat and intriguing story quickly become overshadowed by a web of lazy missions.

Deeply flawed, but still very playable. If you can bear the frustrations involved then there’s a compelling plot and ample amount of fun with fire to be had before you’ve even started messing around in the map editor.

Eternal Sonata really is amazing to look at and incredible fun to play. The characters endear themselves to you and the story isn’t as clichéd as most JRPGs. The only downside is that it’s a little bit shorter than other roleplaying games.

The best, fastest and most exhilarating ride you’ll get for a long time. It’s got all the options you’ll want from a ‘street’ racer of this ilk, but it really doesn’t need it. The real joy is in the toughness and thrill of the races. Simple.

With the incredible tracklist, tweaked engine, new modes and the overwhelming quantity of extra songs available for download, this is easily the best rhythm action game currently sitting on store shelves. It must be said the guitars are still second best, but then nothing’s perfect.

Evades repetition with considerable grace. [Issue#172, p.93]

SOCOM Confrontation might have been fun about five years ago, but it’s starting to feel very tired these days. Online shooters need to offer either unprecedented depth or a wealth of personality and skill to stand out. But this does neither.

Anyone disappointed that GTA IV left behind most of the silliness and anarchy of its PS2 past will love Saints Row 2, but don’t expect anything especially polished. It’s rather too similar to its prequel.