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The general gaming public regularly argues that World of Warcraft is the definitive MMORPG experience. The economic incomings and subscription base presents a damning argument that it’s the most popular, but is it the best. It may have user friendliness on its side, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the finest role playing experience. It can’t exactly be called innovative because it’s only been around since early 2005. Ultima Online has recently celebrated its 10^th anniversary and it puts World of Warcraft to shame. Back in 2002, the original Everquest was released and it built on the concepts that Ultima Online had founded. It had a huge, detailed fantasy world that let players play the characters they wanted to play. It was so popular that it spawned several expansions and evidently a sequel. Just before World of Warcraft burst onto the scene, Everquest II was released in November 2004. Using the success of the previous title, it rebuilt the game world, promising a refined, fun experience. Everquest II had the traditional fantasy realm, while World of Warcraft had its own lore and history.

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The video gaming industry moves so quickly, its sometimes difficult to keep track of who is developing which title. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock is a perfect example. Harmonix, the developers behind the first two titles, have left the Guitar Hero franchise to work on their rival game; Rock Band. This time around, Neversoft is at the helm and with the Tony Hawks Pro Skater series under their belt; the studio definitely has the credentials in game creation. With a popular game licence, and a large, loyal fan base accompanying the game, Neversoft have kept the formula as close to the previous games as possible. Unlikely to upset followers, the premise remains; hit the coloured buttons on the guitar in time with the game, while strumming along. With a gentle difficulty curve it welcomes in new fans, but at the same time the game’s difficulty does get increased on the hard and expert levels, welcoming back veterans. With the core of the game unchanged, what new features does Guitar Hero 3 offer this time around?

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Christmas 2007 has come and gone and hopefully you’ve received everything that you wanted. The good news is that (here in the UK) Boxing Day sales have started, which means bargains and reduced games! The hardest part for the consumer is to know what to part their much earned Christmas money on. If you’re a PC gamer and a fan of RPG games then The Witcher is for you. If not, then you might as well stop here, because the game offers no deviation from the genre and is as clichéd as a Terminator film. The game offers a no-frills single player story which dazzles and delights throughout. It presents some of the best voice acting found in a game and its portrayal of characters is second to none. The question is, with so many gamers immersed in MMORPGs, is there still room in the market for the typical RPG?

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In football anyone can get to the top, but staying there is a different matter. It’s such an unpredictable game and that’s one of major appeals as a sport. Konami have been in that position for arguably six titles. The Pro Evolution series has been considered the football connoisseur’s choice, despite its lack of licensed teams.  From the days of ISS, to the most recent Pro Evolution Soccer 6, it’s outwitted and outpaced its main rival; FIFA. It’s been renowned for its deep, complex gameplay that gets as close to the sport as possible. What it lacks in the authenticity department (licences for UK teams and league names,) it makes up by playing like football. PES08, out on all major formats, looked like it was going to keep the tradition of somehow improving upon its past edition. The demo showed off the improved passing, ball control and a new graphical look. It looked like it was on track to sustaining another year at the top. So has Pro Evolution 2008 lived up to its expectations or has it been knocked out of the competition?

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