I'm a big fan of the series but this is the same old stuff really. While I think the lack of vehicle damage and being able to use your opponents to help you get around a corner is something somewhat GT-esque, the time has probably passed for a series that prides itself on being the 'real driver simulator' to include those features, not to mention flags for cutting corners in races. edit - There does seem to be a couple of events which do slow you down for a certain amount of time if you do so - it may be the S events. Graphically the game looks good, particularly the cars, but they don't seem to be pushing the ps3 to its limit with the scenery, and the step up from GT5 is very minimal if there at all. Another thing is that at times it seems too dark on certain parts of tracks, in the dashboard view some cars are completely black, and the shadows aren't constructed correctly. The menus have always been a bit clunky to get through in the series and while they have improved, we should be able to just go to the next license test or race without going all the way back to the original menus. This needs to be in GT7. The best thing about this and what I looked forward to most was the license tests, where the clock does offer more of a challenge than the AI. In saying that, gold is definitely easier to get these days than in the earlier games in the series. Despite the disappointing continual omission of rallying/off road racing, apart from a few races, as expected there is a heap of things to do to keep a racing fan busy. And with regular updates it doesn't look like ending. Gameplay 4.5/5 Graphics 4/5 Sound 4/5 Difficulty 3.5/5 Originality 3/5

An underrated and underknown FPS on the PS2. You take the role of a member of a special riot response squad to stop a gang of terrorists taking over the city. It may not sound too original, but in the process you work with firemen, medics and police which adds to the game and makes it feel unique. It looks quite nice also, and there are even well put together live action news reports to fill you in on the plot before each mission.

The AI isn't the greatest at times, bullets go into walls when the reticle is on an enemy and the graphics are average for a 2008 game. In terms of the gameplay, this doesn't advance the genre either but the story is interesting enough and its main strength. The game takes place in an alternate history in which Winston Churchill dies in 1931 (he was really hit by a car in NY), eight years before the start of World War II, presenting the possibility of what could have happened to Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world without his leadership. The United Kingdom is subdued by Nazi Germany in 1940, and the rest of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East fall soon afterward. The United States, infected with anti-war sentiment, does not get involved overseas. The game takes place in the midst of the Greater German Reich's invasion and occupation of the east coast of the United States in 1953-. I will say though for a game with this story it doesn't do all it can, as the cut-scenes are too limited to completely immerse the gamer into it. I played this on normal difficultly and there are one or two tricky parts but most of the time it's easy enough to hide behind something when wounded while the health regenerates. I don't mind my FPSs simple and this is definitely that but there's nothing special about it to recommend to others. 2.5-3/5 Gameplay 3/5 Graphics 3/5 Sound 3/5 Difficulty 4/5 Originality 3/5

The 1994 classic from Nas that almost everyone loves. This features some of best hip hop songs created with the only let down being that it only has nine tunes. If you are going track for track this is one of the best albums ever. Unlike many albums that begin better than they finish, I have always been of the opinion that Illmatic gets better and better and better. While I enjoy the first two tracks 'N.Y. State of Mind' and 'Life's a Bitch'-which are perhaps more lyrical-for me the production improves from there and from 'The World Is Yours' to maybe my favourite NaS track ever 'It Ain't Hard to Tell', there isn't a better run of tracks on an album. In saying that, 'One Time 4 Your Mind' isn't up to the level of the others, but it's a minor criticism. Illmatic is also an album that feels less dated these days than some other 'classic' hip hop albums from the early '90s. One of the classics that definitely lives up to its hype. Beats: ★★★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★★ Hooks: ★★★★★ [b]Best Tracks:[/b] The World Is Yours, Halftime, Memory Lane, One Love, Represent, It Ain't Hard to Tell.

Doom's back, feeling closer to its roots than its predecessor, Doom 3, with enjoyable almost run and gun, non-stop shootouts. It looks great, controls fantastic and does what it sets out to do well. There are customisations available, allowing the player to decide what weapons and skills to upgrade, secrets to find and some side-tasks to complete to unlock extra skills. I played this through to finish it, but I never had mega-long sessions of it. It is very similar throughout its entirety and does get repetitive. As you progress, more challenging monsters appear, but, bosses aside, you basically fight the same ones all the way through. While I understand that the setting of Mars somewhat constrains the environments available, the setting doesn't offer a lot of freshness as you move on either. I also generally don't like platforming in first-person, that this features a fair bit of between the fights. I probably died more/became more frustrated trying to work out what I can jump to/where to go than I did during the gunfights. If you like frantic first-person shooters you'll enjoy this. Gameplay 3.5/5 Graphics 4/5 Sound 4/5 Difficulty 4/5 Originality 3.5/5