Launched in July 2005, Rent Games Online has a well-designed site, complete with forum, an impressive range of over two thousand games for four consoles (PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, and Xbox 360) and a competitive price structure. We think they hold great promise over time, but we're a bit concerned they haven't been buying title for the new systems like Wii and PS3, generally not the sign of a growing company.

That said, their search engine is more advanced than many games rental sites and search results can be sorted by release date, rating or best match to your search term. Even browsing by genre is made easier with the introduction of sub-genres, a valuable addition the other games rental sites should really introduce.

The forum (only one of two among games rental sites) )is a bonus for anyone wanting to talk to other gamers, solve gaming problems or even to 'talk' to the management. However, we note there are very few recent postings (and some of those spam for Viagra which hasn't been culled), so it looks like the place has gone to seed a bit--again, not the sign of a vibrant community or growing company.

We like the fact that Rent Games Online, or RGO as they call themselves, is a small company run "exclusively by gamers," according to their website.

Naturally there are some downsides; not all games even have descriptions for instance, so it helps if you know what you're looking for in advance. Also, not all games have downloadable instructions.

Prices: Unlike most UK video games rental companies, Rent Games Online do not offer a free trial. They offer four price plans including the cheapest 'lite' economy option in the UK, allowing 1 game at a time with a limit of two games rentals a month for only £6.99. The three unlimited packages are at industry standard prices; one game at-a-time for £9.99, two for £14.99 and three for £19.99.