The mechanics are competent, but it is the characterisations, especially the wooden delivery of some lines, that let the game down. On the plus side, the ample options include a story mode, multiplayer clash modes and a mission designer to open up replay values.

This may be a fine simulation, but it is not entirely realistic – for example, hapless government ministers do not meddle, passenger trains are not cancelled because drivers pull sickies and no key routes grind to a standstill because of leaves on the line.

And while it may lack the visual splendour of, say, "Brothers in Arms," it does fire up the imagination to deliver an authentic, atmospheric war experience that exhausts as much as it excites.

But what is most important about We Love Katamari is that it represents a move in which Electronic Arts, the world's biggest games publisher, has been prepared to release a title that is new, entertaining, and ultimately, original.

Drive the Goldfinger DB5, fly the Thunderball jetpack and fight some classic baddies in challenging environments. It's enough to make you toss your trilby on to a hat-rack in delight.

Those who do not want to embark on complex challenges will still find hours of enjoyment in sandbox mode.

Most importantly, the puzzles are back on track. Traps, levers, pulleys, chains, chasms, secret passges, underground lakes, rotating knives - there's a cunning solution to each, designed to keep you puzzling for just long enough to gain satisfaction in the solving, but not long enough to make you want to hurl your own internal organs at the screen.

It’s rollicking good fun all the way, let down by the short, repetitive nature of individual levels and the fact that only Michael Madsen of the original cast appears in the game.

This update, happily, is more appealing, with improved, streamlined gameplay.

From the introductory scene featuring a Darth Vader-esque Megatron to the grand-scale boss fights later in the game, this is a thoroughly entertaining and well-constructed title.

Zombie hunters beware, though. The vibrating handsets make being caught an unpleasant experience.

As the entire game is played at fever-pitch, you soon find yourself looking forward to the next mission briefing, if only for a chance to catch your breath. The only mystery to Black is why there is no multiplayer mode, since such intense battle settings would make for great competitive bouts.

With its simple gameplay and involving story, Spartan: Total Warrior is a perfect blend of strategy game and hack'n'slash romp.

Although some of the voice acting creaks, the peasants who sound like Goon Show rejects are surprisingly entertaining.

Although experienced first- person shooter players may find the going in single-player mode a little too easy, the game offers a host of multiplayer options, including split-screen on one console, or team-based mass slaughter challenges via the internet.

The game does move at a slow pace, but with such a complex case to unravel this is no time to rush about, eh, Watson?

The first-person caper is satisfyingly immersive thanks to some outstanding graphical touches - heavy rain splatters neatly on Jeeps and we can even see Red’s freckles in close-up.

This time around there are more units to build as well as new traps and siege equipment to help out on the battlefield.

"SimCity" in its later incarnations became too laborious, so that cyber-builders even found themselves planning and maintaining water systems. City Life scores high by keeping things more straightforward.

Graphically impressive, to the point where those prone to sea-sickness should stay away, and the dark bowels of the ship provide an eerily effective gaming environment.

The best aspect, however, is the fighting, which is easy to learn and control and varies in style from martial arts to drunken brawling.

The third-person game is faithfully realised, enhanced by a coherent adventure penned by the show’s own scriptwriters and solid voice performances by the series’ cast members.

The main drawback to Shrek 2 is its slightly flaky in-game camera feature, which does not always let you see the action from the best angles.

The interface is largely invisible, having been dramatically streamlined to make this a more intuitive experience for newcomers to the RTS genre.

As the entire game is played at fever-pitch, you soon find yourself looking forward to the next mission briefing, if only for a chance to catch your breath. The only mystery to Black is why there is no multiplayer mode, since such intense battle settings would make for great competitive bouts.

The mechanics are competent, but it is the characterisations, especially the wooden delivery of some lines, that let the game down. On the plus side, the ample options include a story mode, multiplayer clash modes and a mission designer to open up replay values.

This is not merely about killing anything that moves (though it helps), since horse-riding and poker playing are among the many other skills needed along the way.

Shielding, tackling and dribbling have been boosted for better on-pitch control, while business in the boardroom looms with a more comprehensive management game and careers judged over a 15-year span.