Far Cry 2 is an ugly game, simply because it all too accurately portrays a modern world conflict in a war-torn African nation.

The added sickness gives the game a visceral twist, as you flip between performing assassination missions for one faction or another and rescue missions for underground forces, simply because they've got malaria medicine that you desperately need

Epic plot and an intruiging mix of RPG and FPS make Mass Effect worth a look, though we can't help but see some similarity with Knights of the Old Republic.

Epic space combat is something of speciality of developers Bioware, and it's impossible not to compare Mass Effect to Bioware's earlier Star-Wars-centric Knights Of The Old Republic

The best just got cheaper. World-beating force feedback and superbly responsive steering, but not quite as good as the more expensive Driving Force Pro

Superb analogue turns. Best force feedback out there. Very accurate

Less 'give' than its 900-degree predecessor. Pedals are a bit frisky. Needs adaptor for PS3

Steering is almost unimaginably smooth - wrestle with the wheel to really cut into a bend, though, and the Logitech really comes into its own

The scope of events in Beijing 2008 is somewhat admirable, given that many previous Olympic titles have tended to concentrate on running and swimming events

In multiplayer and single-player mode, there are some 38 events to compete in, ranging from track and field, through to swimming, archery and more. These are pretty standard for Olympic Games titles, and it's plenty to explore, even though 38 is a mild fi...

The latest Grand Theft Auto has all the hallmarks of a classic and is the perfect excuse to invest a PS3 or Xbox 360

One of the most immersive virtual worlds to date. Much-improved graphics. Story mode takes at least 40 hours to complete. Great multiplayer mode

PS3 owners won't have access to the Xbox's exclusive downloadable content

Liberty City doesn't just look real, right down to the recreation of famous landmarks like the Empire State building and Brooklyn Bridge, it feels real. Thunderstorms sweep in, forcing residents to erect umbrellas or shelter under their briefcase. Get a t...

Had enough of hearing about Crysis? Codemaster's latest effort does to road racing what Codemasters' Colin McRae: DiRT did to off-road racing.

In addition, you have limited opportunity to customise the appearance of your cars, but beyond that, you can't configure or tweak their performance in any way

With Warhammer: Age of Reckoning and World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King about to hit, Funcom has its work cut out with this new MMORPG.

No-one's particularly good in Howard's view - they're just varying grades of evil - and from the moment you wash up on the beach at the city of Tortage, you'll know you're in a harsh, brutal world. The writing and art direction superbly capture Conan's wo...

The man behind Ultima tries to reinvent the online RPG and partially succeeds with this robust MMO.

Other factors separate TR from the WoW wannabe crowd. First, the game features missions where you have a moral choice - do you make money transporting black-market pharmaceuticals from a military base, or do you hand the culprits in to the commander? Seco...

A much-hyped console epic comes to the PC, but unlike others that have made the move this deserves its press.

There's even a plot, of sorts. On the ruined planet Sera, the remaining vestiges of a human army are battling an implacable foe, the Locust. Hideous creatures that spring from nests hidden deep beneath the ground, they're resourceful fighters, heavily arm...

Visually mindblowing, COD4 provides you with an enormous arsenal of real-world weapons to hack and chop at the seams of international terrorism.

CoD4 lacks the flexible-open areas and hence the choice of attack vector you'll find in games like GRAW 2 and Medal of Honour: Airborne. Still, any complaints with CoD: 4 can really be distilled down into criticisms of the game style. While it'll irk some...