The use of a fantastic ball physics system and a wide variety of game types should keep players happy and interested for a long time to come. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm witnessed in the technical attributes of this game was not translated to its overall presentation.

The addition of multiplayer gives it some lasting appeal, but the Force just isn't strong enough in this one to make it a must-have.

The opponent A.I is excellent (with a few occasional exceptions) and everything from the handling and physics, the customisation options and the racing is presented in a superb manner.

If you enjoy first-person action games, Area 51 marks a solid entry that should keep you occupied if not wholly entertained for as long as it lasts.

It isn't an awful, broken, unplayable mess or anything; it's just not a particularly outstanding game in any regard. Competent and generic spring to mind as soon as you start playing, but it borrows enough of the right elements to make it playable.

Quirky, zany, downright hilarious... call it what you will, but Psychonauts is mind-blowingly good.

There is really no need to get this game at all unless you are a massive fan of Mustangs but even then, there are better games out there that feature these classic V8 powered muscle machines and do everything better than what's on offer here.

The melee combat adds such a difference it almost feels like you're playing a new genre of game.

A brilliant debut title for veteran Bioware's self-created world, combining solid storytelling with blisteringly fast and brutal martial-arts action.

Save your cash for better games.

It's addictive with plenty of high speed, high flying racing action and having bikes is a great drawcard as well.

Suffers from a very pedestrian single player game that lacks the humour of the comic on which it's based, which is very disappointing considering how funny and clever they often were. Multiplayer is more fun, and is a good game for weekend hire.

It manages to stay close to the tried-and-true formula while implementing features such as a co-op mode that survival horror fans have yearned for since their first screams of terror.

Good level design and multiplayer options raise CCFTF to a higher standard but it is not enough to make up for abysmal AI, rough graphics and questionable realism.

It's not particularly challenging, nor is it epic in length, but for a few brief hours it will provide you with a lot of fun.

Brilliant audio, amazing graphics and the inclusion of Xbox Live co-operative play go a long way to minimising the pain of the game's shortcomings, though a more fleshed-out Deathmatch mode would've been great.

Visually stunning, audibly amazing and captivating in solo and multiplayer, Chaos Theory is the crowning achievement of the Splinter Cell series which just gets better and better with every new game.

A solid fighting game that had the potential to be something truly brilliant. There isn't much in the gaming world more satisfying than beating others online and it comes to you here in bucketloads.

Coupled with the great collection of multiplayer modes and mini-games, there's something here for almost everyone.

While the rest of the game falls back to run-of-the-mill survival horror fare, an overall high production value plus intense combat, interesting and bloodthirsty adversaries, as well as an accessible camera controls during combat makes this game worthy of your time, especially to action fans that are previously put off by the static camera angles that have been mainstays of the genre.

Everything from the graphics, audio, animations and commentary have all been vastly improved from last year. Unfortunately there's no Xbox Live support.

The learning curve is spot on and the graphics and in particular, the audio are of a very high standard.

The bizarre weapons are a lot of fun, but with the woeful A.I. and lack of Xbox Live support, it's hardly worth it unless you are a serious fan.

Easily one of the more polished first person shooters available on the Xbox. I would have liked to have seen some more advanced squad control options, or options to remove the visual cues, as this, plus the level design, gives the game a very linear feel.

The Total Punch Control is 'THE' best control system I've experienced in a boxing game and the changes made to the career mode are all for the better as well.

The end result feels like two separate games crudely soldered together, there's a connection there, but it lacks cohesion and a real weld between worlds.

The animation in particularly looks very stilted, yet it remains an important milestone in gaming history for us oldies to croon over.

The action comes hard and fast in between moments of tension too, so your hands need never be idle on your controller.