Graphically, it certainly won't win any awards but the surroundings are suitably gothic and provide a convincing setting for the bloodthirsty business at hand.

If you’re a fan of the movies, don’t own Evil Dead 2 on DVD, and you’re not expecting too much from this amusing but shallow game, then shop smart, shop S-mart. Groovy.

Otogi 2, while often frustrating, is a lot of fun for anyone who has the simple urge to play a simple game where furious attacking is all that's required to hack, slam and kill enemies while at the same time being able to destroy just about every element of the scenery.

It’s also a shame that the game descends into almost laughable cliché somewhere in the middle section of Peter’s adventure, with tiresome key searching and predictable enemies.

Anybody into over-the-top characterisation and cheesy sweeping narrative will lap it up, as will those into their strategy games. People who find them dull, boring and tiresome should stay well clear.

The only downsides are some cheap-looking graphics, and clunky interface work. But Beach Life is a cool alternative for us pasty-kneed Brits who couldn’t make it to the Balearics this summer.

But it's not just the complicated sequence of button presses that jip you, nuh-uh - it's the levels and their trial-and-error nature. Constantly having to repeat a level until you find the correct route, or discovering the correct squads to take in with you does become frustrating.

Despite the huge amount of secrets to unlock we can't envisage this lasting too long and it might be just too sugary for a lot of people. But if you're looking for something to play with the whole family, or with a lot of friends then this is perfect. [Import]

A very accomplished F1 product that will ignite the passion of fans. The rest of us however, should wait to see if the inevitable F1 2003 drives any better.

Skirmishes themselves are also still painfully primitive in their nature. Trying to introduce any kind of superior tactical operations into proceedings is nigh on impossible, with the two sides generally showing all the tactical nous of bar-room brawlers.

A nice-looking and solid dungeon crawl that offers a viable alternative to the excellent range of PC RPGs out there.

The game also has fairly low requirements so will happily run on older systems.

Whether you're frantically picking up letters to give to the Shy Guy postman, or mowing as much grass as you can, the games are inventive, manic and most importantly fun. [JPN Import]

Looks fantastic, the cel-shaded style really helps to bring the classic Looney Tunes quirkiness to the game and all of the main characters are well animated and look as they should.

Need for Speed's underground isn't a gritty, electrifying one, it's a relaxed and velvety one. But damn does your gearbox ever sound sexy.

The graphics are impressive and the sense of speed is top notch too.

There's nothing here that will tax anyone who has ever played a platform game before and the game never hits you with a moment of pure genius or, indeed, innovation. What it does is provide you with a very attractive cartoon world to enjoy and a few light puzzles and situations to ponder.

No matter how many times you die in the same place, no matter how frustrated you get, it has that magical power to make you snatch that controller back and soldier on.

Minor niggles aside, Muppet Pinball Mayhem is a good solid pinball simulation, that should keep you flipping away for a long, long time.

It might not revolutionise the Xbox and it won't appeal to everyone, but those looking to head to the skies and kick some ass will not be let down by the single-player campaign in Heroes Of The Pacific, while the multiplayer options add another dimension to the game, with the chance to send your mates hurtling into the drink with their tails on fire.

If you’re prepared to put up with this lack of variation, you’ll find a good, solid game with many parallels to the Tony Hawk’s series itself.

The game is very long. Playing through all 18 holes, the action does drag somewhat and you will have to put aside at least an hour to battle through the one player challenge.

Frankly, gamers fall into two categories: those who recognise these titles (and will probably jump at the chance for some cheap reminiscence), and modern gamers who should better know their history. This super-cheap pack is recommended to both.

Crisp and detailed car models and detailed tracks filled with things to avoid or risk destroying makes for some impressive sightseeing.

This game is quite good. It’s quite addictive, and takes more than an hour to complete, really marking it off from previous efforts.

A masterpiece of suspense and of claustrophobic videogame terror. And we like being scared.

A definite shoot first ask questions later exercise. Hell, you can't even shoot the good guys and they don't get pissed at you for trying so just shoot everything that moves.

It's like having a cheese sandwich when you could have had cheese and pepperoni for 10p more, or doing laps in the swimming pool of the best and biggest water park in the world, or going to visit Russia and staying in your hotel room all day.

The multiplayer co-op mode is nothing to write home about, and the adversarial split-screen is nothing short of totally pointless.

This is definitely one to stop the E.T. obsessed kids screaming, but no game for a grown up.

We just find this new instalment (if not version) of the same game (oh-so) slightly better for reasons we can’t truly explain. It just is. Slightly.

Get past the visuals, the levers, the stupid bloody water sections and you’ve got a game that doesn’t get anywhere near the high potential of the worlds greatest action hero, but still manages to provide some guilty pleasures.

Once you understand the animals the levels become small puzzles rather than living environments. You don't see a bear, but rather you see a trampoline that has to be moved.

A title that's finally worthy of the licence it's based on and in the world of videogames, that's a very rare occurrence.

Add to this some slightly suspect enemy AI and a series of horribly misguided cut-scenes (these attempt to ape the dark humour of Robocop and fail) and you’ve got a fairly mediocre release.

Whilst we're still deeply enthused by Sonic Team's opus, all of this means that to enjoy this game costs an awful lot of money. Perhaps too much money.

A great arcade game that doesn''t quite hit the target.

The ease of moves and the accessibility of the characters makes Guilty Gear X the complete opposite of titles like King of Fighters : Neoblood. If you are no fan of pedantic games, but enjoy a good scrap then this game is definitely for you.

It is very enjoyable to play through and does feature moments of brilliance. However, we think a lot of you will be disappointed by what it has to offer.

Aside from the occasional piece of ropey responsiveness from the game engine, Jak and Daxter's moves are among the slickest on any console.

It's always sad to see a good game be slowly dragged down by visuals and sound. This could have been great but a collection of small faults makes this yet another fairly average title.

The lack of combos is a real problem, making it tough to string together decent attack patterns and this is a real boo-boo for a beat ''em-up. Shame really, because if more effort had gone into polishing up the gameplay by simply making sure there was more to it, Battle Arena Toshinden would have been a blinding piece of software.

The game looks better than ever, with more colours making it a real visual treat, and the additional buttons allow for plenty of new tricks.

A must for Simpsons fans, and is fun in short bursts, but this kind of game is better suited to the instant gameplay environment of the arcade. You might be miffed when you've seen all there is after a few hours of play.

The missions are playable, but nothing to write home about and in fact if it wasn’t for the gore there would really be nothing to recommend this at all. Oh, and it takes bloody ages to load.

A decent game then, but one let down by a lack of direction in a crowded genre.

The real problem is - aside from the lack of speed - the awful handling and controls. It doesn’t feel like a motorbike and actually controls like a normal player character, in that you accelerate by pushing forwards with the left stick, and control direction with the right.

The Dark Judges do not conjure up the fear they bring to the comic and are too easily defeated, but still, it's Dredd done by Dredd people for the Dredd public, who will love it.

While this is infinitely superior to "Robotech: Battlecry," it's lacks the subtle mix of arcade with strategy that made "Gungriffon Blaze" such excellent yet shabbier bargain basket bargain.

There's plenty of puzzling-out what to do next but it's never too basic or too complex. You get a good sense of achievement out of completing chapters and get to regularly unlock new moves for your efforts.

Don't expect the in-depth tour de force of other MMORPGs out there, but rather a relaxed experience which is good, wholesome fun that won't see you lose weeks of your life in the process of play.

In many ways OutRun 2 is undone on Xbox Live by the mere fact that the core gameplay wasn't designed for competitive racing.

Time consuming and considering the lack of alternatives, quite good at what it does. But it fails to seamlessly merge the combat and trading that Elite did so well and is, to put it bluntly, a bit on the dull side.

Lewd, loud and incredibly funny, Magna Cum Laude is a game that works far better than it should. This is partly because there's very little 'game' there to speak of.

Despite the fantastic Monster Editing mode and all the game's charm, it's not the exactly the height of originality and can be completed way too easily. Still, whilst the game may not be amazing, it's pretty darn good.

What the original was intended to be - but it's still no "Alpha Centauri." [Feb 2001, p.78]

Playing against another person is far more satisfying as the level of error and ingenuity creeps into the game.

Sacred definitely gets better the more you play it, the monsters keep getting bigger until they almost fill the screen, the weapons and skills go from a half-hearted stab to a whirling dervish of metal and magic and the lands of Ancaria roll before you begging to be explored.

Whilst the game might handle like a superlative arcade racer from each dynamic moment to the next, it neither looks nor behaves like one in any real, wider sense...it's far too concerned with vainly struggling to be a simulation.

TIF isn’t a complete loss, we just fear that its style of play will suit few – novices will be dominated and closed-down by the game, whereas seasoned vets will expect the freedom to pursue a more individualised approach.

The slow, repetitive action is the knockout blow that stops this contender from ever being the greatest. [XBM]

It's the styling and attention to detail that makes the game work...This is not the best game you'll play all year, but it's certainly the most honest.

The main problem lies in the fact that this is really nothing more than a re-done "SSX Tricky."

Not much fun in single-player. Sure, it might make for good practice before taking your warrior online, but no-one is going to be buying it for Anubis' fight for corporate and religious ownership.

But despite Robinson’s remarks, oodles of atmosphere and a decent enough multiplayer mode, compared to Millionaire in the console quiz show stakes, it still manages to be the weakest link. Goodbye!

If you're one of the lucky ones who haven't had the pleasure then please, go out and buy it; you'll find it an absolute joy. Unfortunately, it's a joy most of us have already experienced and moved on from.

If you like the idea of an RTS but never manage to get the hang of all the complicated tactics and procedures this is the perfect game for you. It's got some good ideas well implemented, it's fun to play and essentially it plays like an introduction to the world of RTS.

One problem with this game is the targeting system. The auto aim is far too generous, thus removing any kind of skill factor. You can switch it off but then it becomes absolutely impossible to hit anything.

Sadly there is one fatal flaw that destroys any illusion of this being a simulation – the controls. The punches are easy enough to get used to but moving your character around the ring is a nightmare.

Although it's wonderful to drive around a fully realised 3D Springfield at breakneck speed in Otto's bus, we can't help but feel that things are a little formulaic.

Repetitive and tiresome at times but that's not the problem. The problem is that the developer has made no effort at all with the shadow/lighting system.

While it won't be to everyone's tastes, it's hard not to get hooked into Larry's world, there's a lot to explore and experiment with - including honing your photography skills, unlocking some uniquely sleazy mini-games and simply enjoying one of the funniest scripts in a game since, well, the classic adventures of the Eighties and early Nineties.

Some quiet and mildly distracting gaming, but also instils the feeling that you’d rather ditch your ride in favour of something sexier like, dare we say it, a skateboard.

A good fun game for a while, but the short story mode lets it down a little bit.

The implementation of the Hit Stick (use the right analogue stick for some hard hitting defensive plays) is a nice touch and the rest of the game's mechanics have received a subtle overhaul to ensure it plays better than ever.

A number of excellent set-pieces, good puzzles and some surprise changes in pace do keep the attention until the bitter, dramatic end but generally this is B-list stuff when compared to proper PS2 horror adventures.

Though the graphics and sound are fairly basic (aside from a few lighting touches and stylish cinematics, Sub Rebellion could be a PSone game), the gameplay packs a more detailed punch.

One of the best and most addictive sim-games available at present, and this expansion pack is definitely better value for your simoleans than any of the other add-ons have been.

With some perseverance to get past the initial stages, Naval Ops develops into a fun blaster.

Sounds good dosen’t it…? And it is! The visuals are bright and colourful (despite the opening level being rather drab) and the happy-go-lucky background music suits the whimsical nature of the game perfectly.

Once the initial novelty of letting your Sims do a Petula Clarke has worn off, there isn't actually a massive amount of new stuff here.

From the stable that gave us "Symphony Of The Night" and "Metal Gear Solid," more is rightfully expected.

It’s certainly different, is very unsettling and, if you’re into Manga-esque narratives, then you’ll love it.

While the game may be some distance from Bungie's massive shooter in terms of quality, it's well worth a look for anyone after a quick blast in a game that will remind us all that the "X-Files" was once a decent TV show.

The Live options are up there with the best of them and cover everything from team support to Live stats and leaderboards. However, as with many titles that focus on the thrills of Live play, offline it is fairly run of the mill. The game's saving grace, though, is the huge scale of every battle.

While some levels are a little staid, others, the Vegas-themed level and Racoon City in particular, are riotous, with the latter requiring you to steel a rampant Nemesis' coin stash. Charming as Cosmi's grin.

Just a wasted opportunity. Of course, we are totally missing the point here because the game is aimed at players as young as eight, and we are therefore being far too damning in our criticism, but what the hell, we love kiddie platformers just as much as any juvenile, and we still thought this game was unimaginative and distinctly lame.

Playing the game is a bittersweet experience. It’s strangely diverting, but all the time you’re thinking of what it could have been with a bit more testing and tweaking.

If you get your kicks from smacking gangs of vomiting men then you’re probably quite at home with the shallowness of Minority Report.

Controlled in much the same way as Tekken, the game is played out at a somewhat less feverish pace and whilst never reaching the compelling heights of the aforementioned titles, bouts are still something that beat-’em-up fans should enjoy.

It doesn’t take long to work out that they’ve basically reduced an intelligent thriller into a brainless beat-’em-up. Be warned!

Invisible barriers also pepper the apparently open areas which grace certain courses – call us new-fashioned, but PLAY doesn't expect to be dismounted for no other reason than touching a piece of earth that the coders have deemed "out of bounds". Put a tangible obstacle there or let us the hell through!

While there are a few tweaks, this is essentially the same game as the previous three.

If you can get past the pastel coloured craziness of it all, then Dragon Ball Z: Budokai provides a decent enough challenge – just don’t be expecting another Tekken 4 and this should find favour.

In wishing to both typify and exaggerate the visual style of a bygone age, Rez ultimately commits the cardinal sin of placing graphics before gameplay – a facet attributable to SEGA's desire for the title to be seen as art.

One major plus point is a superb, absorbing 5.1-surround sound experience that demands volume and really brings the game to life.

The greatest shame about Midnight Club: Street Racing however is just how repetitive it can become.

A frantic and fun blaster that should do well on the back of enthusiasm sure to be generated by the movie.