It's faster, harder, dirtier, louder, and quite simply, the most brutal beat-'em-up we've ever had the joy of playing. In fact it's more than brutal - it's downright vicious. And smack our head repeatedly into an iron girder if it isn't fun.

It's just tragic that there's no Xbox Live support.

There is now a level editor named Tiger Proofing where players can customise their own greens and add naff little gimmicks to impress their mates and try to convince themselves that it's not exactly the same game as they all bought last year.

Vietcong is perfect proof that all the authenticity in the world doesn't necessarily make a great game.

Despite the game's incredibly high difficulty level (that sometimes borders on the frustrating); the intricately designed levels, sumptuous aesthetics and razor sharp gameplay will constantly pull you back, until all you can live for is annihilating your previous high score.

All the fun of tagging the enemy is tied together with an admirable level of hyper-reality that manages to convince you that the game is taking a realistic stance, while so obviously being no more genuine an experience than if you had read the story in a comic. Everything is heightened, almost to the point of self-parody.

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.

Demon Stone's epic battles are also its biggest failing. For all its multiple combos, dynamic looking spells and various magical items (which can all be handily purchased at the end of each level) the hack and slash gameplay is still extremely basic.

If I had my time again; the chance to replay every side-quest, to change my appearance, my very morality (and something tells me that I will), I'd do it all differently - just because I could.

Below the surface insanity though, is a much deeper fighter.

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.

If the development team was trying to emulate the film it has succeeded, this is utter crap.

The tight and sometimes confused battles may be bad for the gameplay but great for the overall 'Nam experience.

It's a shame some of the effort wasn't pushed in the direction of the second half of the game.

Burnout 3 is as pure a gaming experience as we have had the pleasure of kneeling before for longer than we can remember and we've been doing this for a long time.

If you want destruction and racing get "Burnout 3." This feels as fun as throwing a Lego car around a bathtub while a bald man shouts in your ear about how pissed off he is. Oh, right, there's the music volume down switch. Damn.

We just can't get that excited about Konami's latest venture. Maybe it's the annoying plot twist that happens halfway through the game - think "Ico" with a plaster cast - that essentially forces you to replay through all the frightening locations you've already visited.

A work of art, a piece crafted to such infinitesimal detail that every second of the experience has the capacity to cause the player to gasp with exhilarated pleasure from the opening race of the coupe series, right through to the final, devastating Crash Junction on the Burnout world tour.

Just as T3 was a juvenile-friendly selection of set pieces pulled wholesale from previous Terminator movies, The Redemption feels like cobbled together moments from the videogame archive with a Terminator spin.

Don't allow that dying glint in your eye be revived by the £20 price tag either - it's there simply as admittance that something hideous lurks inside the case.

It seems foolish to be content with an average racer like this.

Koei's feudal epic continues to go from strength to strength and while it only offers subtle improvements over Xtreme Legends, it's still a very comprehensive package. Roll on "Dynasty Warriors 5."

Even though its flaws are few and petty for the most part, the length of the game accentuates them to a point of some frustration. Thankfully, though, the story and unique elements are enough to ensure extended play.

If you're willing to invest the time in it, there's no denying that Nippon Ichi has once again come good with another zillion hours of great RPG gaming for those hungry for numbers.

The modification potential for the cars is a wafer-thin percentage of its competitors as well, but then who needs it, right?

Sadly, there's just not enough action to get you hooked.

The game is not too big and in fact can be finished extremely quickly but there is always the option of racing again in a new car or just watching the models strut their stuff.

If you're after a decent platform adventure game for a gamer between the ages of three and nine, Carmen is perfect. Straightforward gameplay, varied graphics, a memorable villain and a slice of science will satisfy anyone in that age group.