Space Empires 5

There are three types of gamer in the world: those who prefer the more accessible space conquest on offer in Galactic Civilizations-, those who'd rather go sink their nuts into something more treacly with Space Empires; and those who couldn't care less for either and if they wanted a CiV-style game, thank you very much, would get the one with Sid Meier's name on the box.

So, like Civ in space (but with treacly nuts), Space Empires V continues in line from its predecessors, with the aim to guide a civilisation to galactic glory by means of exploring, expanding and exterminating, either through combat, by economic means or cheating. Whats new to this incarnation are 3D graphics (which are OK) and loads more depth. And we mean toads.

Space Empires V is so deep you could strap a giraffe to each leg and still not touch the bottom. What's more, the game revels in its own complexity, with sinuous menu options that take you further down roads than perhaps you want to be. Oh, and did we mention that it's slow too? It is: slow-paced and processor-intensive.

Saying that, like swimming in a vast body of molasses attached to a couple of long-necked ungulates, once dry land is spotted, the drive to continue is strong. However, unless you're utterly devoted to the genre, are single and/or housebound, SEV is a difficult game to recommend.