Burton's Bytes

Publisher: Microsoft. Price: £39.99.

IF you want a title that will show the difference between current games and the Xbox 360 then this driving simulation is the way to go.

It may be the third in a series that started on the Xbox - and that game was based on a title that began on the Sega Dreamcast - but Project Gotham 3 is the software that makes best use of the grunt beneath the 360's bonnet.

The graphics will make you stop and stare. The developer - British-based Bizarre Creations - has modelled the interiors of the cars just as meticulously as the exteriors.

As with the previous games, you race your chosen car around photo-realistic representations of London, New York and Las Vegas. But this time the spectators will flinch if you crash into a barrier and take pictures if you pull off snap worthy tricks.

The motion blur effects can't be done on the Xbox and combined with a new found sense of "weight" to the cars (vehicles in previous instalments sometimes felt as if they were hovering above the road) create a terrific sense of speed.

Gotham TV allows you to watch some of the best exponents of the Gotham Racing art slugging it out via Xbox Live. If you have almost exhausted your bank account after shelling out £270 for a 360 then this is the game to go for.

CONDEMNED

Publisher: Sega.

Price: £39.99.

MICROSOFT is aiming the 360 at wealthy twenty and thirty-somethings with lots of disposable income and time on their hands. Condemned is designed to appeal directly to this demographic.

A rare 360 exclusive, it starts out as a ho-hum detective story before turning into a terrifying Resident Evil 4-style survival horror tale.

Fans of this genre (and there are lots of them) will enjoy the gruesome effects and the 360's extra processing power helps create a suitably engrossing atmosphere. Not for the kids - but a great Christmas ghost story all the same.

QUAKE 4

Publisher: Activision.

Price: £39.99

MICROSOFT reckons publishers will find it fairly simple to transport popular PC titles over to the 360 architecture.

First out of the traps is Quake 4, the popular PC first person horror-shoot 'em up. Gamers who found the system demands of this game too much for their computers will be far more satisfied with the smooth running 360 version. All the best bits have made it over to the console unscathed - it really does look like Quake 4 played on an uber PC gaming rig.

The controls - often the thing that lets down console conversions - are also well realised here as well.

PERFECT DARK ZERO

Publisher: Microsoft.

Price: £39.99.

THIS is the game designed to launch the 360 onto the public. Created by the Brit gaming geniuses Rare - the folks behind a slew of great Nintendo titles like Golden-eye, Banjo Kazooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day and the first Perfect Dark - it's a prequel to the N64 original.

Sadly, of all the titles reviewed here this is the one that looks as though it could have done with a few more months' development time.

The graphics are tidy but the controls feel unacceptably loose and the plot meanders about too much for my liking. Not even as good as the original, despite the 21st century graphical make-over.

So should you buy an Xbox 360? On the basis of the early titles the answer has to be yes, albeit a qualified yes.

The games undoubtedly look good - but you'll need a decent TV to get the best from the machine and preferably a flatscreen capable of a high definition display.

And if you want to play your old Xbox titles you also need to fork out for the more expensive 360 pack that's bundled with a hard drive.

Finally, there's the small matter of the PlayStation 3 waiting in the wings, which promises an even more impressive gaming experience.

Mind you, if you haven't bought one by now there's no chance of snatching a 360 in time for Christmas because the console has been a sell out.

Maybe you'd be better off waiting six months to see how Microsoft reacts to the impending arrival of Sony's new games powerhouse.

www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk

/leisure/bytes.html