Medal of Honor: Rising Sun - GameCube

In truth, the formula hasn't moved on much for the franchise, but then it does work spectacularly well. The game's various missions are varied, and they demand elements of stealth, action and a bit of sabotage along the way. And they're not afraid to pull the proverbial rug from underneath to keep you on your toes. As ever, the multimedia elements border on spectacular. The musical scores of Medal of Honor games are rarely given the credit they deserve, but their contribution really can't be understated. The cinematic visuals, however, do tend to hog the headlines, and it's easy to see why. As you fight to complete a mission with explosions going off all around you there's little time to notice them.

A couple of mild criticisms, then. There isn't much scope to deviate from the set path through the game, which is very tightly scripted. Not a bad thing, but not something that will appeal to everyone. Plus it would be nice to see a few more risks taken with the Medal of Honor formula. These mild grumbles aside, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun is simply a very good video game. It's tense, gripping and desperately addictive. And when you ultimately see the end game sequence, you really will be thirsting for more. --Simon Brew