A guide to games: part three

Here's the third and final part of our introduction to some of the major game genres.

The role playing game - or RPG, as it's commonly abbreviated to - is a genre that inspires almost fanatical levels of devotion for some. As the name implies, it revolves around playing a character - but where it differs from the action adventure is an emphasis on developing that character's skills and statistics as the adventure progresses.

RPGs are often among the deepest games it's possible to play; these huge epics can take up multiple discs, and span whole galaxies. The best in the genre are also the most visually stunning games available.

On PlayStation, the most famous RPG series is undoubtedly Final Fantasy, with Final Fantasy XII an imminent and eagerly awaited PS2 arrival. Its sequel FFXIII will be exclusive to PS3, meanwhile.

Other RPG highlights include the Kingdom Hearts series, Dragon Quest VIII, and this summer's Rogue Galaxy - one of the most anticipated RPGs in years.

Try these RPG titles: Final Fantasy XII (PS2), Kingdom Hearts II (PS2), Untold Legends: The Warrior's Code (PSP), The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PlayStation 3)

Music games

Music games - sometimes referred to as 'Rhythm Action' - have come a long way since the genre first gained popularity in Japanese arcades (thanks to Konami's Beatmania series). The gameplay of these games is dominated by music; usually, the faster and more intricate the music, the harder a time you'll have. The specific way the gameplay works varies massively from title to title, though - the only thing they really have in common is the musical theme and the fact they're great fun to play.

PlayStation 2 has more games of this type than any other in history, with the Guitar Hero series recently winning plaudits. If you prefer to sing than play, there's also the fantastic SingStar series, which is just about to undergo a next generation transformation on PlayStation 3.

Try these Music titles: SingStar series (PS2 and PS3), Guitar Hero series (PS2), Amplitude (PS2)