Maelstrom
PC, £29.99, cert 12+
KDV/Codemasters, 3/5

You can count on Codemasters for a new twist to a game, and Maelstrom is no exception. This time it's scenery you can manipulate, controllable weather conditions and hero units that can be directed in first person - all of which add an interesting dimension to a genre that ran out of inspiration some time ago. With three different factions to choose from and dozens of technologies to try, Maelstrom is an action-packed and absorbing ride, although not a complete success. Occasional glitches can be patched, but skipping between first- and third-person perspectives never works as well as the developers intended. It's also easy to get lost, thanks to a featureless and fiddly mini-map. However, once you get used to the hit-and-run tactics, there's bags of gameplay here and the graphics are undeniably top-notch.
Mike Anderiesz

Okami
PlayStation 2, £39.99, cert 12+
Capcom, 4/5

Next-gen consoles may be hogging the limelight, but the humble PS2 is by no means a spent force. If ever there were a riposte to those who allege that games are violent and braindead, Okami is it. Endowed with an astonishingly beautiful Japanese brushpainting visual style, this action-RPG casts you as Amaterasu, a white wolf who is also the god of nature. His quest sees him restore the natural beauty of a land cursed by demons, with the aid of the Celestial Brush's mystical powers. So you find yourself, for example, drawing the sun on to dark skies, batting back fruit at hostile trees and launching fearsome attacks on demons, all by drawing with a brush. Okami's gameplay constantly evolves and never feels anything but fresh, and the Japanese mythology storyline, supporting characters and glorious art style add up to a truly charming and original experience.
Steve Boxer

Fusion Frenzy 2
Xbox 360, £39.99, cert 3+
Hudson/Microsoft, 2/5

Shooting, driving and adventuring, the Xbox 360 has it all. But multiplayer party games? Not a chance. However, 360 owners need fret no longer: button-bashing madness is now available. With 43 minigames - ranging from bashing opponents with a hammer to throwing grenades at amoebas - there is plenty to do. Sadly, quantity beats quality, with most of the games needlessly complex and all cursed with basic graphics and ludicrous presentation. The TV show setting offers little incentive to play unless you really want to earn those Xbox Live gamerpoints. Multiplayer is key, then, but Fusion Frenzy requires some arcade skill as well as trial and error and so is likely to appeal to a more experienced audience than most party videogames. A casual game for hardcore players, Fusion Frenzy 2 is a confusing mess.
Greg Howson