Fans of all things noir will eat up this one with a sizeable gaming spoon, and anyone who loves a serving of violence with a side order of dirty words will also take plenty away from Max Payne 2.

A very strong contender for the most disappointing title of 2004.

A fantastically frantic, competitive, addictive and exhilarating racer that manages to take the XG series to a whole new level.

The pairing of two characters works very well, with certain levels requiring you to position one before switching to the other in order to hit switches and open doors - yeah, we've seen this all before but it is rare for a licensed product to bother with such game mechanics.

This really is the most onerous, excruciating thumb-mind-and-soul-numbing experience we've had the sorrowful displeasure of witnessing. To play it is as concerning as listening to a long, drawn out joke that you have to pay attention to follow, only to realise the that the punchline is embarrassingly racist. The devil would cry. This is embarrassing.

For a character torn between good and evil, Heaven and Hell, Spawn can be a pretty dull guy and so very, very average.

Spawn Armageddon is going to go down in the annals of gaming history as yet another licence squandered on a game which is unoriginal, uninspiring, and destined for the bargain bins. Disappointing.

It lacks the smooth edges and convincing action sequences of its Star Wars predecessors; KOTOR is still in a different galaxy.

The main character is nothing special and a character-based platformer needs to have a very strong lead to even stand a chance. In this day and age it takes a lot more than just being 'a nice game' to get anywhere, and Kya is just that: a nice game.

Lead characters aside, another element that makes Whiplash so amusing is Genron itself. Although animal testing is hardly a subject to be laughed at, the game gets away with making fun of it because it's the humans themselves that are portrayed as being dumb animals.

For all the niggles, gripes and irritations, XIII is a class act that has some supremely impressive aspects that you will thoroughly enjoy. This is a game that delights and infuriates in turn and our advice is to ration your XIII sessions so the frustration doesn't ruin what remains a standout title.

Manhunt is boring. Cash's standard walking pace is painfully slow, press R1 and his running speed is ridiculously fast. Navigating the game is therefore less than pleasurable and, should you not have anyone to dice up, a tedious experience.

Coming out of nowhere and with little fanfare, this is certainly one of the genre's better titles. The only problem is that it's hard to identify with a cute robot who makes other cute(ish) robots break apart.

As for the FFX initiates, you're going to like this a lot. Some parts may disappoint, some parts may even annoy you, but the experience as a whole is a good one, and you'll never question your purchase.

The voice acting and sound effects are all spot on and technically the game is far superior to the Xbox version that came out first. The graphics are smoother, the frame rate faster and while a huge Jedi battle can cause slow down, there isn't much to slow the game up from its moderate pace.

This is the very definition of a linear game. Ok, we can accept that. But if the game is going to be so particular, it would be helpful if it wasn't so restrictive and occasionally clumsy.

It really is something worth picking up if you want something that is bristling with its own attitude whilst managing to combine a lot of familiar elements together.

The missions vary between furious dogfights, bombing runs and escort duties, there's even a spot of stealth. The sound is stunning, and visually the game is equal to the best of the genre.

Simply put if you do not have Live or do not intend on getting Live there is zero point in wasting money on Counter-Strike. This should have been a Christmas must buy but now it's nothing more than a stocking filler.

There are just about enough moves to avoid repetition to keep the combat consistently exciting. The animation on all of the moves is superior to just about every other game of its kind.

In essence (online play) transforms it from being a non-descript hockey title, to the hockey game to own. What more can we say?

There's just so much in Metal Arms to enjoy. Sure, it steals elements from numerous other games, but Swingin' Ape Studios has added so much charm to the game that you can't help but be impressed. If you're looking for a visually striking, entertaining blaster, pick it up: you won't be disappointed.

Ultimately, Whiplash is a hilariously funny platformer that manages to cruise by on sheer charm and its ludicrously over-the-top soundtrack.

We also love the fact that many of the in-world objects can be used as weapons (chairs, ashtrays, spades) and that you can take hostages, releasing them after a incapacitating squeeze to the throat.

Although the AI is good having a human wingman can be a great help. It's just a shame that this can't be extended onto live.

On purely a technical stand point it stands out as looking and sounding like a remarkable achievement but just millimetres below the surface you'll see arguably the most ingeniously crafted game modern consoles have had the pleasure to run.

The story has been used to make a highly entertaining game and once you get involved in the action you only want to blast all the aliens and save the planet.

Playing NFSUG is like driving through the West End at midnight wearing Vaseline smeared sunglasses. Quite how a game can look both polished and blocky is beyond us, but that's exactly what EA has managed here.