Back on the road.

EVENING CHRONICLE, Friday, September 25, 2009 Title: Need For Speed: Shift Platform: PS3 Price: pounds 49.99 The Need For Speed series has long needed a lengthy spell in the developer's garage in order to help it recapture the excitement of early instalments. It's fair to say that the last two or three titles have fallen short of the winners' podium. Shift does a fantastic job of redefining the series, though, offering a hardcore racing experience without all the peripheral 'street-style' storylines. You've got around 20 of the most famous tracks accurately recreated, and dozens of glorious vehicles to drive. Top graphics - check; incredible sound - affirmative; a brilliant gameplay engine that makes it impossible to stop playing this game - yes. Need For Speed: Shift has got the lot and you should get it now. 5/5 Title: Section 8 Platform: Xbox 360 Price: pounds 44.99 Sitting on your sofa, blasting through countless bots and AI enemies all alone - you need a pretty impressive single-player story to keep you coming back for more. In Section 8, set on the war-torn planets of tomorrow, mankind's greatest battle is about to begin, and you should think of the single-player mode as training. This game is almost exclu about the multiplayer mode, creating a superb living, breathing arena for you to indulge in your most complex tactical and hardcore combat fantasies. And teamwork is crucial. Working as a group to effectively defend territories, escort commandos and capture the flag will earn valuable victory points for your team. Great graphics and true innovation in multiplayer gameplay make this an instant classic on Xbox Live, but perhaps less so if playing on your own.

4/5 Title: Katamari Forever Platform: PS3 Price: pounds 44.99 It's been bamboozling the gaming fraternity for a few years now, but this is actually Katamari's first rumble on the PS3. And, staying true to the eccentric Katamari universe, you must use the Prince's Katamari to roll up everyday objects. The more objects you roll up, the larger his Katamari becomes, allowing you to roll up even bigger items.

In Katamari Forever, the Prince faces his toughest challenge yet, with more weird and wonderful Katamari to roll up than ever before. It's a truly bizarre, yet strangely satisfying concept. Yet the combination of classic Katamari gameplay with a few new features, such as a jumping capability, never quite reaches the giggling frenzy experienced when playing the series for the first time. It's still fun, but has lost a little of its X-factor. 3/5 Title: Wet Platform: Xbox 360 Price: pounds 39.99 Female lead characters have often been oversexualised in video games. But Rubi Malone is a little bit different. For a start, she doesn't wear hotpants and she's a seriously tough cookie. As a ruthless assassin hell-bent on hunting down one of her double-crossing former employers, she pulls no punches throughout this hugely enjoyable action romp. The onslaught of enemies is relentless, giving you plenty of opportunities to perfect your gun-toting acrobatic abilities, and it's all presented in an incredibly slick, cinematic way. It lends itself to the kind of game Quentin Tarantino might have had a hand in, and if you like his movies, you'll no doubt love splashing around with Wet.

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HARD CORE - Cars which feature in Need For Speed: Shift