Welcome to VideoGamer.com Plays, our weekly feature where we give you the inside track on what's been whirring in our disc drives this week. We'll be honest (so if we've been playing Superman on the N64 we'll tell you). But if we've been hammering the latest billion-selling blockbuster we'll let you know about that too.

Tom Orry, Editor - Race Driver: GRID, Xbox 360
I love watching replays in racing games. Now that consoles are powerful enough to model cars and their movement in incredible detail, slowing it all down to a snail's pace and ogling the visuals is almost a game in itself. GRID is without doubt one of the prettiest racers I've ever seen and I could watch the replays all day long. Crashing isn't something I'd usually want to do all that often, but in GRID it simply provides more eye candy and another reason to watch a replay in frame by frame slow motion. Watching the car's bodywork crumple, windows smash and bumpers fall off really shows off the level of detail in the game. I just wish I could grab the camera and freely move around the frozen frame.

Wesley Yin-Poole, Deputy Editor - Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, PC
I've already written tons on this elsewhere on the site, but I can't help but write about it again here. It really is good, perhaps the best MMORPG I've played since World of Warcraft. It's the five way directional combat system that does it for me - it really is a master stroke on Funcom's part. In most MMOs I spend most of my time spamming a few abilities, be they spells or melee attacks. In Conan at least I have to think about what direction I use to attack, as well as dodges and timing combos. Don't get me wrong, it still suffers from many of the monotonous gameplay mechanics other MMORPGs do (uninspiring quests, lots of walking around), but it's a fantastic effort. I haven't got off the start area yet, but already I can see myself playing Age of Conan on and off at least until Wrath of the Lich King comes out, and that's saying something.

James Orry, News Editor - Rock Band, Xbox 360
Not since Steel Battalion on Xbox have I been so excited about opening a video game. Rock Band finally arrived at the office this week and it's not until you begin setting it all up that you realise the £180 asking price - much cheaper if you shop around online - isn't actually that bad. Like all new toys the contents of the box was well secured, with rolls of tape and cable ties ensuring I was made to work before getting to play. With everything set up, including putting the microphone on a stand borrowed from our recording room, I was almost ready. I just had to sit down and have a cup of tea first - very rock and roll.