IGN

This is the biggest, prettiest Worms, yet. Strategy fans will find one of the most fun multiplayer games around, and there is plenty to do on your own, as well. Few games offer the chance to wield a weapon called the Buffalo of Lies -- don't miss yours.

Hydrophobia relies on its impressive water simulation to hold up an otherwise standard action game. It's definitely worth playing, though, and using the environment to creatively put down your enemies is quite satisfying

There are little nuances and tweaks to the gameplay that people will enjoy, namely the Personality Plus integration. I still found annoyances with the lack of awareness in the artificial intelligence and the fact that your Be A Pro accomplishments don't carry over is a real bummer. Still, FIFA 11 delivers a more refined soccer experience for fans of the sport, while also giving us things like enhanced physical interactions and the same solid online package.

FIFA 11 doesn't redefine the football game, nor does it bring with it bold or surprising ways to play. What it does, however, is refine an already superlative game, taking nearly every aspect and polishing it to help create a whole that's notably superior to its predecessors. It's excellence, not innovation, that wins out, and that's surely no bad thing; for the next twelve months at least this is likely to be the best football experience available, and FIFA's looking like retaining its crown in convincing fashion.

RUSE takes a while to warm up, but once it does, it's cracking stuff, as the game's unfailingly proper British generals would no doubt put it. The Ruse mechanics do much to breathe fresh air into the genre, allowing for a pleasing game of tank-based poker. Its faults that slow, slow pacing and yawning, sluggish start are largely the result of this approach, and we're inclined to forgive them for the focus on the original psychological gameplay it creates.

Sure, I miss some of the deeper inter-civilization relations that the more defined religion and government setup brought in Civilization IV, but that's nothing anyone new to the series will even think twice about. With all the tips, advisers and tools in place, this is the first Civilization for PC that I feel is worth just about every person's time. Go forth and create, subdue, and exploit. Do as Firaxis has done, and bring Civilization to the masses.

Halo: Reach gets two thumbs up from me. I do have some complaints; namely a short campaign (seven hours), cowardly AI Spartans, an undercooked plot, and it's obviously disappointing that Bungie is no longer at the bleeding edge of graphics technology (as it was with Halo and Halo 2) but at the end of the day we've got an absolute treasure trove of gameplay for shooter die-hards.

Nine years in and on its fifth and final pass Bungie has created the definitive Halo experience, in which refinement is matched by the gentle revolutions of its new features. Armor abilities lend spark to a campaign that already boasts some of the series' finest level design and its most stirring set-pieces, and they help enliven a multiplayer set that's beyond generous. It's a parting gift from Bungie that should keep players entertained through to the next generation; and if any other console shooter can better it in that time it'll be one hell of a feat.

Halo: Reach is a fantastic package, with several core components that on their own can outclass many other games. The campaign is excellent, backed by solid storytelling and a powerful audio-visual experience. The competitive multiplayer is familiar, yet brand new with a lot more options and a faster pacing. And the cooperative Firefight arcade mode has finally met its potential. Whether you like playing with friends like me or you're more of a lone wolf, Halo: Reach has evolved to the point where it'll make everyone happy.es

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions has a lot of great things going for it. Some of the levels and boss battles are phenomenal. Beenox took a lot of chances with this game, most of which paid off in something unique and refreshing. Some old issues (bad camera, repetitive combat) still haven't been completely solved, but the good far outweighs the bad. Spidey fans should definitely pick this one up.