It's a game designed to feed on your nostalgic memories of Final Fantasy VII, and in that regard, it never falters.

KW does just about everything you'd want an expansion to do. If only it came with a replica of Kane's helmet, it'd be perfect.

These are wonderful, terrible songs, all, and the SingStar team has selected a great cross-section of music.

The space theme could've been carried further, and the weapons need way more originality, but that doesn't stop A Space Oddity from being one of the most refreshing Worms in quite some time.

If Sony's smart they'll approach this as a moving target that's ripe for expansion -- the addition of a course editor or (dare we dream?) the return of minigolf could easily bump this up a full letter grade.

It's just a shame that, due to Sega's mismanagement of its properties over the last decade or so, Superstars Tennis comes too late to fully resonate with today's gaming audience.

It's just a shame that, due to Sega's mismanagement of its properties over the last decade or so, Superstars Tennis comes too late to fully resonate with today's gaming audience.

It's just a shame that, due to Sega's mismanagement of its properties over the last decade or so, Superstars Tennis comes too late to fully resonate with today's gaming audience.

Though a great overall package that packs a lot value, Vegas 2 is probably best characterized as a glorious example of fan service. Though not necessary, familiarity with the previous game adds tremendously to the overall experience, and many of the enhancements are direct responses to the very vocal and passionate community that plays online regularly.

The less-technically apt Wii version ends up being the game to move the franchise forward.

Though Lost in Blue 3 will probably never be anyone's first pick for their ideal "desert island game," it manages to be more enjoyable than the sum of its repetitious parts.

Assuming you have dipped your feet in the pool of endless Dynasty Warriors content, it's almost absurd at this point to have to pay 30 bucks for either the PS2 or Xbox 360 flavor of what is barely more than preconceived, half-assed, tacked-on downloadable content.

I'm shocked that 10 episodes in, Telltale's still finding gimmicks to keep this stuff fresh.

Most of the game, though, achieves its goal, keeping you off balance but entertained. Experiences like the grimy claustrophobia that comes from wearing a decades-old gas mask as flames lick around you or being caught in a tense chase through an old cabin will stick with you. With rock-solid gameplay and plenty of creeps, Bloodshot finds its soul by making your heart race.

It's balanced and has just the right loot curve, unlike games such as Champions of Norrath, which offer too many loot drops but nothing worth keeping. Come for the single-player appetizer, but stay for the multiplayer grandeur. Ring of Fates is a keeper.

Little maintenance problems tend to go wrong (i.e., the A.I. issues), and Pro Evo for the current generation of powerful systems obviously needs some new paint. It seems that the development team did just enough to get by.

Eventually, the alternation between dull platforming and frustrating adventure just murdered my initial interest in the setting and characters. Insecticide, you won my heart...and then you broke it. But at least you did it quickly.

Outside of retro ports, there isn't a straight-up shooter on the DS quite like it. But make no mistake -- its progression flaw is a big one, and if you know you can't deal with the unforgiving trial-and-error nature of games like it, look for something far more relaxing.

The game has some ambition, and I admire that. But in the end, a score is based on how much fun I have (that's why we play, right?), and I had very little fun playing Wild Arms XF. This says it all: I can't wait to whip out strategy gems like Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea on my commute...but I had to force myself to drag out XF.

You can play a few pointless sandbox maps that demonstrate the straightjacketed city progression, whether you're in Capua, Venice, Sparta, or Memphis.

I still had a good time gunning down hordes of undead, but I can't emphasize enough how disappointing it is to get really close to the end of the game, only to be sent back to the beginning because you've run out of your allotted amount of continues.

I figured the move to the PS2 would, at the very least, allow for a bit more detail in the bland levels. I could not have been more wrong. Compared to the PSP version, this is a step down -- that's disappointing enough. But compared to other PS2 Ratchet games, it's a sharp kick in the nuts.

Brawl is a good game, with solid controls, a lot of options, and not-much-better-than-the-last-one-graphics. For the uninterested gamer, it's a curious diversion. For the Nintendo fanatic, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is like manna from heaven.

While Army of Two does have its high points (an attack on an aircraft carrier being one), levels often lack excitement and instead deliver much of the same over and over. As mentioned before, it's not bad gameplay, but it never builds to much of anything. In fact, the entire game is rather anticlimactic.

While Army of Two does have its high points (an attack on an aircraft carrier being one), levels often lack excitement and instead deliver much of the same over and over. As mentioned before, it's not bad gameplay, but it never builds to much of anything. In fact, the entire game is rather anticlimactic.

While the game's a lot of fun, it's easy to get burned out. If this were in an arcade, you would walk away broke after the first few levels, when the game is at its hardest. At home, however, you have infinite continues and might be tempted to try to grind your way through the game. Seriously -- don't.

As a God of War game, Chains of Olympus is slightly lacking, but as a PSP game it's fantastic, and as a technological achievement it's off-the-charts phenomenal. If this game had shipped a couple of years ago, I think people would perceive the PSP a lot differently today.

It's really a shame that these technical problems detract from what is an otherwise outstanding experience.

Among the deluge of E-rated minigame collections targeted at the casual market, Bully provides a welcome breath of fresh air for a more hardcore Wii audience.

At this point, three expansions and three years after the original game, the factions in Dawn of War feel like the various menu items at Taco Bell: The order in which you pile on the beans, cheese, or lettuce doesn't make that big a difference.

I fully expected EA to lay it on thick with the clichéd martial arts mumbo jumbo, but aside from oft-repeated comments from the sensei, the ninja theme is thankfully understated, and the clean visuals are more than adequate for the simplistic mechanics.

I fully expected EA to lay it on thick with the clichéd martial arts mumbo jumbo, but aside from oft-repeated comments from the sensei, the ninja theme is thankfully understated, and the clean visuals are more than adequate for the simplistic mechanics.

For this season, consider it the way you would a September game with your team already eliminated from the chase: If you're the type that wants to check out the young prospects called up, you'll probably be right at home. If you've already been watching preseason football for a few weeks and are enjoying the first NFL games, it might not be your ticket.

A must-play that'll dominate your PSP all summer long.

It's far more demanding than its fellow DS-based roguelikes, lacking, say, the cuddly mascots of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon or the cumulative experience-building of Izuna. But it's remarkably well crafted, with streamlined gameplay that belies its impressive substance.

This year, the game has junked its poorest parts and replaces them with some seriously innovative goodies -- but there are a handful of reasons why we're not jumping for joy and declaring this the must-play baseball title of 2008.

This year, the game has junked its poorest parts and replaces them with some seriously innovative goodies -- but there are a handful of reasons why we're not jumping for joy and declaring this the must-play baseball title of 2008.

MLB 2K8 on the Wii just didn't sparkle enough to make me overly enthusiastic. It's a fun novelty play, but I'm taking a Cubs fan-style "wait till next year" approach with what could very well blossom into a must-play by next season.

I enjoyed Triggerheart, but the game's length is both a good and bad thing -- it has only five levels, and most players will be able to beat them all in about 30 minutes.

Aside from the frustrating control inconsistencies and the abbreviated storyline, this is still a well-made trek through a history that thankfully never happened. Though the sluggish multiplayer mode doesn't even deserve a glance, the predominantly solid mechanics and terrifying premise make this a more than competent deviation for someone itching to kill more Nazis.

I wouldn't recommend Turning Point to anyone, under any circumstances...and if that's not the definition of utter failure, I don't know what is.

Via Domus is fan service through and through, and does deliver one genuinely amazing moment via its ending.

Via Domus is fan service through and through, and does deliver one genuinely amazing moment via its ending.

It atones for its faults with understated strategic depth, an astounding sense of reward (both literal and whimsical), and an inspired difficulty curve that sticks with you to the end. Along with a beat you'll take to your grave.

Worst of all, Ninja Destiny doesn't offer infrastructure play for online battles. All of this, combined with the hollow mechanics and lackluster design, makes it hard for even the most hardcore Naruto fan to appreciate Naruto: Ninja Destiny.

It's cheaper, it has all the bells and whistles of its counterparts, and it has extra playable characters that the 360 ver-sion will never see. But this comes at the expense of clearly crappier-than-360 visuals and controls.

While it might not be worth the asking price for veteran Sega Bass junkies, this is a great opportunity for all you would-be Wii fisherman who happened to miss the boat the first time around.

So the single-player campaign is plenty entertaining. Unfortunately, it's also almost ridiculously short: If you're playing very carefully, you can spend a dozen hours in single-player, but you can almost definitely breeze through in six or so hours, maybe even less.

One half of the time, Frontlines won't work. The copy I downloaded from Steam crashes to the desktop soon after I click start. The retail box, running on Vista and branded Games for Windows, craps out three-fourths of the time I try to join an online game. No joke.

Wanton destruction is still a lot of fun -- I just hope that future installments innovate instead of sticking squarely to the foundations set by the original game. And please, next time around, give us multiplayer that feels like more than an afterthought.

If it weren't held back by a few severely annoying technical issues, it might be the best Arcade title yet.

Yes, this is a low-budget game, but at least they spent their time and money working on the most important aspect: the nuts-and-bolts gameplay. There are 30 tracks and 20 characters buried within, and when you get tired of blowing past the computer, there's a four-player mode with just as many options.

I can't recommend the weak single-player mode, but the multiplayer left me surprisingly satisfied.

I can't recommend the weak single-player mode, but the multiplayer left me surprisingly satisfied.

Even when considered as an action-driven arcade game though, the awkwardness of controlling the namesake swords takes too much away from the overall enjoyment.

The localization team at Capcom should be commended for writing dialogue that is genuinely funny. Basically, if you're a fan of the earlier Phoenix Wright games, you will laugh...a lot. Couple the comedy with Justice's engrossing story and you have a case that would be criminal not to take.

As I played through Dynasty Warriors 6, the series' first entry for this console generation, one thought kept permeating my head: "This is exactly the same game I played in college."

As I played through Dynasty Warriors 6, the series' first entry for this console generation, one thought kept permeating my head: "This is exactly the same game I played in college."

It's got a solid, enjoyable core experience, but Hudson isn't able to deliver enough quality content for the context.

Need For Speed: ProStreet is definitely not without wrinkles. That said, good drivers will be able to find ways around the quirks, both on the track and off. It all depends on whether you're looking for a quickie thrill or a more involving challenge.

For all its flaws this one's still fun for a short kickaround, but in the end it's really nothing more than a softcore novelty.

For all its flaws this one's still fun for a short kickaround, but in the end it's really nothing more than a softcore novelty.

Even if 90 percent of the monsters you use said spells against are giant snails, battles are much more interesting than just tapping away at the X button over and over.

I can see anyone coming back to this again and again over the next few years, and that's more than enough to justify the peanuts they're asking for Audiosurf.

The game mechanics are still what you'd expect from this type of strategy game (meaning they work). It's only hampered by slow, slightly cumbersome controls, the occasional viewpoint problems of a 2D-game-in-a-3D-world environment, and some of the most sadistic Achievements seen in a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade game.

Rent it to scoff at the absurdities, and play through it with a friend for some fun co-op.

Wipeout fans will also totally dig the game's stats and achievements as well as its team-loyalty program, which gives you points for continually competing with a certain racing team. At every turn there's something more for fans to truly dive in and obsess over.

Of all the painful aspects of Dark Messiah, the bulk of the problems lie with the controls. It feels like you're moving through a bowl of thick, hearty pea soup; simply walking through the game is exhausting.

Sticking unwanted attitude onto a couple of characters doesn't create empathy -- developers should've learned that from the '90s.

The visuals aren't just crude, they're abysmal -- plenty of PlayStation 2 games offer graphics that outclass what's on display here. And in terms of pure content, this game offers so unbelievably little -- you can trudge through the whole thing in roughly two hours -- that it's nearly incomprehensible that this sits on the same shelf (with the same asking price, no less) as "Devil May Cry 4."

Penumbra: Black Plague combines puzzles and horror to create a game that is probably unlike anything you've played. It's a little bit like a brain-training game, only between lessons you fray your nerves (in a good way) as you jump and pause at every little noise.

If Sakaguchi intends to turn Lost Odyssey into a franchise -- and all indications are that he does -- I'd like to see these refreshingly adult themes expanded on further in future titles.

And with a game this entertaining, that transcends demographics so stylishly, that offers such addictive just-one-more challenge -- well, the only real puzzle here is why anyone wouldn't want to give it a go.

From the cleverly designed puzzles to the ability to speed up or slow down the scrolling of the cards at will, every part of this game feels painstakingly adjusted for maximum enjoyment.

No, it's not going to go head-to-head with the onslaught of great FPSes we saw at the end of last year (though its slick, well-designed, robust multiplayer should give it some legs). But the unusual premise, solid writing, and nicely varied play make it worth a look for shooter fans looking for that next fix.

No, it's not going to go head-to-head with the onslaught of great FPSes we saw at the end of last year (though its slick, well-designed, robust multiplayer should give it some legs). But the unusual premise, solid writing, and nicely varied play make it worth a look for shooter fans looking for that next fix.

It doesn't do anything you haven't seen before in an Xbox Live Arcade title, but that doesn't mean you won't get your money's worth in content and downright clever, addictive design. In reality it's a second chance for an unreceptive Western audience, but card nerds know it for what it really is: a second coming.

Its gorgeous trappings, addictive combat, and well-balanced difficulty make it the most satisfying DMC in years, and Dante's such a killer character that you'll actually want to tackle the game on a tougher difficulty in order to fully explore his amazing arsenal.

Its gorgeous trappings, addictive combat, and well-balanced difficulty make it the most satisfying DMC in years, and Dante's such a killer character that you'll actually want to tackle the game on a tougher difficulty in order to fully explore his amazing arsenal.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a standard licensed game -- it's got just enough content to make a virtual reenactment of the Human/Goblin war worthwhile for fans of the franchise.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a standard licensed game -- it's got just enough content to make a virtual reenactment of the Human/Goblin war worthwhile for fans of the franchise.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a standard licensed game -- it's got just enough content to make a virtual reenactment of the Human/Goblin war worthwhile for fans of the franchise.

The combat is too difficult for young fans of the books to enjoy, but the adventure lacks the depth that experienced gamers crave. Because of that, it's impossible to recommend this game to anyone.

The visuals are charming, the sound is muteable, and figuring out how to efficiently use your controlled arsenal is great, but for a game that's all about logically thinking out plans, we could have done without the unpredictability.

Much like Altair himself, Assassin's Creed for the DS is an unlikable mess.

Twisted Metal fans who haven't already picked up Head-On for the PSP should do so now, and potential double-dippers should consider the improved controls, the five new levels (which are all pretty good), and fewer technical hurdles for multiplayer.

Real-time battles aside, Rise to Power is a surprisingly good strategy game for the PS2. Its extremely steep learning curve will limit its appeal, but it's a rewarding experience for those with the patience to learn the game's nuances. And with the sheer amount of replayability it offers, you get a lot of bang for your buck.

While games like "Medieval II" have tried to marry the tenets of Civilization and StarCraft, Sins is the first game to successfully do so without storing them in separate compartments.

I love animals and enjoy trying to figure out and fulfill their every need, but Zoo Tycoon 2 lacks personality and depth. It doesn't even serve as an educational tool for aspiring zoologists.

In HD, true synaesthesia has been achieved. Rez HD is one of the best games ever made, it costs around $10, and you don't even need to leave the house to get it. In over a decade of critiquing games I've never felt the need to say these words in a review until now: Just buy it.

While Chessmaster Live isn't going to suddenly fatten up the ranks of wannabe grandmasters, it does offer nearly everything you'd want in a competitive simulator while including all the necessary tools for engrossing offline and online matches. It's also a great chess educator.

The only redeeming factor about Bomberman Land is the inclusion of the archaic (but still awesome) Battle Mode. While it's lacking a bit in options -- only six modes to choose from -- at least it's a blast to battle it out with your buds.

Extreme Justice throws a lot out there and hits the mark on a few counts, but it doesn't all come together as a cohesive whole.

The inevitable conclusion, a showdown with the final boss, should sensibly have been the one part of the game to slip into classic Bomberman battle mode. Instead, it's just another retread of one of the less interesting minigames. Imagine all that buildup with not even an explosion to be seen. How fitting.

You'll find enough options and maps to keep you happy, the best part definitely being the eight-player support with one cart. Slightly less cool is the four-player support via Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection, though it's tough to complain.

It's a good-looking, sublimely clever game that sets out a host of expectations for future PixelJunk projects.

If you're looking for a more competent take on gaming-mascot Olympics, go with the DS version. But if you're looking for a casual party game, go with the Wii version -- it's just not the same without trash-talking all the Sonic furries.

Whether you're careening through desolate urban alleys or rocketing across a rickety railroad trestle, the game looks nearly flawless and runs at a buttery-smooth clip.