MotorStorm
PlayStation 3, £39.99, cert 12+, Evolution Studios/Sony, 5/5

MotorStorm is currently the only game that gives an accurate glimpse of what we can expect from the PS3 as time passes and developers harness more of its power. An off-road racing game set at a raucous fictional festival in a meticulously reconstructed Monument Valley, it looks sensational; but more importantly, its gameplay grips you like a vice. Each course in the game has several routes, generally involving mud at the bottom and hopping from rock to rock up higher, and the quickest route is dictated by the vehicle you drive - which might be anything from a motorbike to a truck, via an ATV, a buggy or a rally car. Groundbreaking physics - the squishier mud, for example, can be squelched to the side of the track over the course of a race - and artificial intelligence that becomes more fearsome as you progress (rivals will sacrifice themselves to take you out) combine to create something that feels fresh, believable and utterly compelling. And even if you get it wrong, you're rewarded with a spectacular crash that sends car parts flying everywhere. Great online, too, although loading times intrude more than they should.
Steve Boxer

Resistance: Fall of Man
PlayStation 3, £39.99, cert 15+ Insomniac/Sony, 3/5

The belated videogame depictions of Grimsby and Nottingham can't save Resistance: Fall of Man from mediocrity. This is a strikingly average first-person shooter set in an alternative UK of the 1950s where ration books have been replaced by alien invaders. The derivative action - seek cover, shoot stuff, move on - will be familiar to anyone who has played Call of Duty or Halo. But Resistance lacks the intensity and enemy AI of both. The inventive weapons are the highlight - shoot through walls, tag enemies - and offer some much-needed originality. Resistance really comes alive online, with large scale battles showing what the PS3 can deliver. The graphics are fine, although nothing the 360 couldn't do and nothing to get excited about. Much like the Resistance itself, really; not a terrible game, but hardly an incentive to buy a PS3.
Greg Howson

Infernal
PC, £29.99, cert 16+ Playlogic/Eidos, 3/5

Perhaps it's just the slow decline of PC games picking up speed, but 1st and 3rd person shoot-em-ups seem to be in real trouble. Infernal is a fine example. At first the 3D textures and freeform gameplay promise a lot, but after a couple of levels you'll spot the problem; it's not freeform at all. In fact, Infernal is incredibly linear. And although the locations look great, they tend to be confined and predictable. Your special powers, such as teleportation or leaching health from enemies, are nothing we haven't seen in the Riddick and Vampyre games, and the difficulty level suddenly goes through the roof when you meet a boss. Infernal is still perfectly playable, but there are better titles in the bargain bins right now.
Mike Anderiesz