The blend of puzzle and RPG has really been thought about, and it works very well in this instance. Despite the storyline being slightly lacklustre, the other RPG elements such as the expansion possibilities and the leveling up all make up for it.

The campaign by itself offers a painfully mediocre experience. Halo 3 really shines in its multiplayer aspects, both Co-Op and competitive. Co-Op alters the campaign experience enough to marginalize the vast majority of its problems and bring you back time and again to play through with friends.

Beating up bad guys was never so fun and especially with a co-op buddy it’s a blast. Improving your Gamerscore shouldn’t be a problem either as over 75 percent can be achieved quite easily.

There are very few games that can provide a universe so intriguing that they force players to ask themselves questions about their own morality and decision making in the medium of video games. It’s easy to see that many gamers will walk away from their Xbox 360s having played BioShock feeling some emotional attachment to the events that unfolded right before their eyes and for that 2K Boston have succeeded in their goal.

For a mere 800 Microsoft Points, gamers can experience party gaming at its best- a form that isn’t bogged down by senseless side-plots and gimmicky gameplay. As an added bonus, the developer plans to add new maps and costumes in the near future, further increasing replayability for the title.

For those who experienced the bliss of the original arcade title, Golden Axe for Xbox Live Arcade is an essential addition to a collection- regardless of its longevity.

With production values to marvel and extra content to indulge, the tale of Jackie Estacado is not one to miss.

The game is perhaps the most complete experience to be had on the Arcade yet.

Prince of Persia probably has some of the best graphics to date on the Arcade, it can even match some retail titles which is a truly great accomplishment of the developers with only 50MB available. Is it worth the 800 MS Points? Definitely, the few cons of the game don’t weigh up against the solid gameplay and good looking graphics.

Everything you could want from a squel. It offers everything that the original Forza did, and a whole lot more. The game now boasts an amazing array of customization options, with people spending hours upon hours tweaking and fiddling with their cars. The online mode is excellent too, with tournaments really showing potential to unite the community.

Definitely a fun game with a good choice of songs so far. The single player is challenging while the multiplayer creates a lot fun for you and your friends. The cost of 800 Microsoft Points is a bit high.

Even the most fanatical guitar music hater will not be able to resist rocking to the rhythms and pick up that guitar to show you how it must be done. If you got the money, you won’t regret spending it here and then waste weeks, if not months, jamming to this excellent game.

The amount of depth and variety in the Isles, combined with how different the Isles feel from the rest of Cyrodiil make this expansion a worthy addition to Oblivion, and a worthy addition to your hard drive.

One of the nicest things about the game is how aurally pleasing it is. The soundtrack is masterfully constructed and each distinct area has its own background music.

Sega have by no means revolutionised the genre but they have successfully brought a much loved series to the next gen and it is as lovable as ever. It has the playability, the fun and competitive edge that any sports title should have.

You’ll enjoy playing the game, but you won’t be able to stop wondering what the game could have been without the 50 MB limit.

But yes, apart from all the good things it’s a shameless cash-in, that falls short of becoming a classic in its own right, and simply gives us more of what we loved last year, without truly innovating or leaving the treaded path.

Essentially it's a huge Arcade game that will give you an awful lot of tremendous fun as you blow up half the city and kill everything that moves in the most creative ways possible, and moves to levels beyond fun when playing with a friend, but lasts too short to really stand high above the crowd and be remembered for years to come.

With superb animations, a unique color filter for each court, and excellent player models, the game is real easy on the eyes.

While EA’s effort is admirable and the improvement is notable, PES6 just has an undeniable superiority in its depth in gameplay, which will always beat graphical dominance.

Definitely one of the better arcade games around and it gives you a lot of bang for your buck. The game mechanics are very simple but it remains challenging and that’s what is making it so addictive.

Although you know the game isn’t adding much to the genre, the things it does differently are excellent, such as the stacking up on a door, with the ability to tag enemies and watch as they get taken out in excellent style.

I also found this year's Season Mode to be even more fun than before. I feel that this had to do with the excellent storylines.

RARE hasn’t showed as much promise on the Xbox platform as they had back in the Nintendo days, but the tide has turned, and Viva Piñata has become my sleeper hit of the year, and might very well be my personal game of the year.

The single impression that I've consistently had about this game since I put the disc in my 360 was one of total and absolute awe and shock. Gears of War doesn't just raise the bar for what we expect from next-gen games, it doubles its height.

Getting rid of the Jackass cast and the forced punk image really did the series well and the new engine is just great. The game has an almost infinite replayability.

With its unmatched visuals, its superior soundtrack, its pleasant presentation and it’s much improved game play, FIFA 07 is a welcome addition to the football genre.

What Raven has delivered is a very tight group of popular and unique superheroes that many players will enjoy playing as. Their struggle against the Masters of Evil plays out like a comic geek’s wet dream.

At it’s core, Double Agent is a terrific game and I would definitely recommend it to all action and stealth genre fans, but the stifled campaign and clumsy multiplayer presentation hinder it from being the stellar game everyone was hoping for.

Combining timeless events, great humour, simple yet effective gameplay, and just an astonishing amount of variety all in one little package, it’s hard not to find something about this game that makes you smile.

The gameplay is superb, the stick control intuitive, and the multiplayer excellent (offline). Yes, the commentary grates a little, and the passing has a magnet affect, but it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment, so long as you are prepared to take your time and get used to all the new controls.

Despite its complete lack of originality, humour that sometimes misses the point, and one or two occasional technical hitches, what is left at the heart of Saints Row is just an immensely fun and playable game with lots to see and do.

Animations and movements look awesome, gameplay is changed in a good way and the durability is improved by the Live franchise mode and by making your own superstar. If you’re a fan of Madden it’s a must-have, even though it’s not entirely perfect.

While it does have some minor problems such as no multiplayer, a weird save system and repetitive missions sometimes, the game makes up for itself by being pure fun and insane. If you love slashing zombies in half and smashing zombie heads in, if you love a free roaming open ended story, and if you love video games, you’ll love Dead Rising.

The menus are beautifully simplistic, and the presentation in all is a fine job. The game is absolutely hilarious, starting with the help notes in the training stage to the overall feel of Clyde’s further adventures. It’s all absurd and great fun.

Slamming a little ball from one end of the table to the other one just gets really repetitive after a while and there’s nothing Rockstar could’ve done about it. This is really one of those games that you have for a quick fix when you’re bored or when you have a bunch of friends over but as I said: it does a good job at that.

Due to the tight wrestling engine that is bolstered by hundreds of unlockables and online play, I have to say this one has some considerable replay value.

The game is an absolute masterpiece from Bethesda. It delivers what an RPG is supposed to deliver: a hugely immersive world with quality gameplay and supposedly 200 hours of fantastic story to wade through.

The multiplayer mode has kept me up for nights and the singleplayer campaign is equally awesome.

If you already own the Xbox version of the game and play it on a non-HDTV and you’re not really into Live gaming, I suggest you keep the money in your pocket. But if you’re either new to the Burnout experience or you have a HDTV and love Live gaming, get your ass to the nearest shop and get a copy!

This is definitely one of the best XBLA games available, it’s got addictive gameplay, cute graphics and great price point make it well worth the money.

It’s 800 Microsoft Points, which is quite a bit when you consider that you could buy two similar games, Geometry Wars and Robotron, for the same price. However, in my opinion, this is the superior title, for its psychadelic appearance and varied gameplay.

As far as sound goes, the game is loud. The rattling of chain guns, explosions, Nazi screams, the shouting of your teammates telling you to “throw some grenades in those windows!”, there’s quite a bit going on, and it’s all good.

Especially with its low price, I’d recommend you buy this game immediately if you’re into horror games. The story, although a bit short has some nice plot twists and there’s enough action to keep you busy between the moments where you’re refreshing your pants because of the scary stuff.

My only gripe with this game is that it does not feel fast. You’re going two hundred miles/three hundred kilometers an hour, but it doesn’t feel as twitchy if-you-blink-you-will-crash fast as "Burnout Revenge."