It's easy to look at Call of Juarez and see a game split down the middle, one half great and the other horrible, but to give it the credit it deserves, such a bold use of divided narrative just about makes it worthwhile for the most part with the style of both sections always perfectly in character and the ever switching perspective from hunter to hunted driving the game along even when the on screen action becomes less enjoyable.

Consider this reviewer's naïve attitude and eternally hopeful gullibility well and truly slaughtered and replaced by a seething and consuming hatred of anything that gets unceremoniously squeezed out of Hollywood's all-profit-no-quality bunghole.

Beyond its shameful lack of a single-player component, which its gameplay attributes are absolutely screaming out for, Shadowrun feels somewhat unfinished, like a beta trial for better things to come - only it is a finished offering and it is never going to deliver.

Heed our advice now, be yee a Pirates of the Caribbean fan or nay, and steer clear of this scurvy-infested wreck of a game.

To put it simply, if the idea of thirty very simple arcade games with no real objective other than good old fashioned high score setting appeals and you can put up with the strained atmosphere of craziness then you may get some fun out of this well presented but ultimately flawed collection.

And considering that the cost of the game is so low, it's hard not to recommend this to people just for nostalgia's sake. Just remember how old the games are when you start playing them, and you'll have a blast.

Shrek the Third isn't fundamentally broken or inescapably unplayable, but its sheer middle-of-the-road laziness in every contributing aspect makes it all-but impossible to recommend to anyone accept blinkered Shrek / Dreamworks fanatics and those with a bizarre penchant for shoehorned Hollywood dross.

Graphics aside Infernal is a pretty mediocre third-person shooter in a genre already boasting Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War: given this, and Gears' inevitable arrival on the PC, it's difficult to recommend Infernal.

The main achievement of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars - which rises above all other minor concerns - is that it represents the first genuinely appealing real-time strategy success on a home videogames console.

As an extension to the Tony Hawk's brand it's an interesting novelty, an admirable attempt to try and broaden the market a little. But as an investment for your hard earned cash there's really nothing to recommend it ahead of the piles of other engine powered racing games on the PS2.

Spider-Man 3 is very much a game of two halves, the conventional game elements with their inherent problems actually get in the way of the fun you can have just 'being' Spider-Man.

Its problems come far more from having not much else to show once you get behind the mask, no depth to engross you or rewards to entice you than through any real technical fault with the game that's actually on display.

A game like Hard Rock Casino can provide all the virtual casino action it likes but it's never going to provide the same thrills and spills that a simple pack of cards, bag full of coppers, crate of beer and a few good friends can do.

The main draw is the fierce, more involving shoot-outs, which given the variety of weapons and intelligence of the enemies are simply excellent.

Given the intriguing nature of the narrative and the potential for development in such a plot, it's surprising to see such a bland title. 300 offered a glimpse of what could have been created with a little imagination and it is a shame that Ancient Wars - Sparta, despite the innovative unit management system, fails to deliver overall.

If you are a gamer that still sheds a little tear for the long lost "Streets of Rage" or "Final Fight" days then this game might please you by bringing back some fond memories. My verdict would be that it delivers nothing new despite the claims and just becomes a little boring and repetitive too quickly.

When push leads inexorably to shove, there are probably two good games here. The problem is that you have to play them both at the same time. Those of us that would have preferred a pure platformer, or indeed a pure RPG experience, will suffer the most. Those that are happy to live with the combination will find a compelling experience, with well written dialogue, innovative play dynamics and bucket loads of Nintendo charm.

Unfortunately, Frontline: Fields of Thunder offers little in the way of diversity. Not only with it's own linear-nay-similar gameplay, but from the tried and test formula of RTS games of old.

Where Penumbra really wins through however is in its storytelling and puzzle solving.

The retro touches like the return of cheesy cut-scenes, the universe itself and the focus on Tiberium in its decidedly science fiction storyline have had just the right amount of effort applied to make this an incredibly refined experience.

Is it better than "Call of Duty 3"? From my point of view, no. Simply because of its style-over-substance approach, inherent in the beautiful presentation overlaying slightly above average gameplay and not-quite-right controls.

It's certainly a little rough around the edges, but spend a little time delving deeper into the 'Zone' and you'll find you've chiseled away at a beauty.

Although past versions of Virtua Tennis have always exhibited a finely tuned but "arcadey" feel, VT3 is a full bodied simulation. This new outing from Sega AM3's ever appealing sports series is a deeper, more demanding and serious beast than ever before and yet easily manages to maintain the 'fun' factor that is synonymous with the series.

As a game its certainty one for the good pile, and will provide hours of solid well made driving entertainment on and off line, however having created such an open and immersive world so impressively it fails to build on that potential by not offering the player any real sense of progression or involvement in it beyond simply moving from race to race and buying more cars.

This is very much a game where stealth and planning wins out over gung-ho heroism. The more successful kills you rack up the more popular you'll become with the Navy top brass, this'll lead to you being able to improve the quality of your crew and even fit your sub out with some important upgrades if you're lucky.

There is nothing next-gen about the title in the least; only slightly improved graphics.

While the large metallic joystick and arcade unit might be dust in the ether (actually there's the original arcade unit I remember for sale on eBay now) I'm at a point where I can't walk past my PSP without picking it up.

By making the start of the game so poorly balanced and infusing the whole experience with the control scheme from hell, Monte Cristo ensured that it took a certain amount of will power to play through far enough to get to the good bits which surely isn't good enough.