EMPIRE XPLOSIV RANGE. Format: PS2. Publisher: Empire Interactive. Price: £9.99 (yes, that's right, nine pounds, ninety nine pence.)

FOR all its next generation hype, it's good to see the PS2 going through the traditional life-cycle of a games console.

It was launched on a wave of hype at a premium price (Remember when importers were asking seven hundred quid for one?), settled down as the market leader and now, as it enters late middle-age, the PS2 is being positioned as a 'high value' purchase.

The key to PlayStation One's success was always games pricing. Nintendo couldn't compete when for the £65 price of a Turok game the PlayStation owner could snap up three different titles.

Now history is repeating itself. PS2 owners have enjoyed a choice of games pitched at £19.99 for some time now. These are usually older games that have been re-released or new productions judged not good enough for a full asking price.

Cheaper games are popular. That's why both Microsoft and Nintendo have responded with (admittedly far smaller) cut-price ranges of their own. Now Sony has moved the goal posts again, relaxing its licensing and pricing structures to allow for even cheaper software.

First into the ring is Empire Interactive, with a range of games expected to sell for a penny under ten quid. At this price, these games aren't the big investment you make into a triple A title - they are impulse purchases, which is why you'll soon be seeing low-cost PS2 games clogging the shelves of local supermarkets as well as traditional games shops.

So what does the new range offer? Are these genuine bargains or electronic junk that could never justify a £39.99 price? Well, I'm pleased to say after playing the range that all of these games have something that makes them worthwhile. At £9.99, they are undoubtedly a bargain.

The pick of the bunch is Giants: Citizen Kabuto, a title that was originally a full-price release a few years back.

At that time, it was an award-winning piece of software in the vanguard of a new genre that cross-pollinated as real-time strategy faded and first person shooters took over.

The opening sequence sets the scene and acts as an hilarious tutorial for the rest of the game. With two opposing factions called the Smarties and the Sea Reapers you can understand how this isn't a piece of software that takes itself too seriously.

The humour may be a little adult at times but there's nothing to upset granny here. Giants remains an excellent game and, at this price, it would be a shame if the average PS2 owner missed out again.

Other titles in the Xplosiv range include Driven, a racing game based (loosely) on the execrable Sly Stallone movie of the same name; Victorious Boxers, a Victory Boxing for the 128-bit generation; action puzzler Kuri Kuri Mix; fast and furious but ultimately shallow shooter, Endgame; and another racer, the non-too-serious Wild Wild Racing.

As I've said, some are better than others but all of them have something to recommend. At this price, you can afford to be adventurous.

RED FACTION II. Format: PS2, GameCube, Xbox. Publisher: thq. Price: £39.99.

RED Faction was something of a pleasant surprise. A strategy/action hybrid with pleasant graphics and dynamic artificial intelligence, it became something of a 'sleeper' hit and made a sequel inevitable.

Red Faction II aims to build and expand upon all the qualities that made the original so popular.You are cast in the role of Alias, a demolition expert (wouldn't you know), who has to fight his way through a series of diverse levels with the help of five buddies. Each member of the team has their own unique attributes which are critical to the mission. There are 60 maps to keep you occupied.

To help you complete your tasks, the game offers up 14 different weapons systems including the ubiquitous grenade launcher, sniper rifles and grenades. Virtually everything you see on screen can be blown up, crashed into or otherwise wrecked, unlike some games where the static background cannot be touched.

More interestingly, you can also commandeer any vehicles you find during your adventure. This brings a different facet to the game; breaking up the shoot-outs by injecting a dose of high-speed action, although I suspect most players will probably enjoy the slowest vehicle - the tank - most of all.

As you'd expect of a sequel, the graphics have a more refined look to them, although the PS2 still lacks the sheen of Red Faction II on other, more powerful, consoles. For the definitive experience, I suggest you opt for the Xbox variant.

There's also a four player, split screen mode and you can equip yourself with two weapons at the same time for maximum firepower. If you're a movie fan, you'll recognise the voice-over as belonging to Lance Henriksen, the quirky-looking character actor who has played countless bad guys in scores of films.

It may lack the original game's clarity and uniqueness but Red Faction II is a worthy sequel to a good game. With all that weaponry on display it is - quite literally - a blast.