It's fast, deep, and engaging, and the story mode is perfect for laying back with when you've got a free moment on the bus.

Taken on its own terms, Lament of Innocence is a resounding success, and one of the best 3D action games on PS2.

In short, this is a completely standard beat 'em up with nothing innovative, nothing that stands out, and a number of features that have been less than ideally copied from other games. Beyond that, it's a decent title.

Arguably the greatest light-gun game ever created, and the PlayStation 2 version is the best conversion imaginable. It plays beautifully with the GunCon 2, which is thoughtfully packed in for a reasonable price.

The potential and flexibility offered by the game's eReader support alone makes the previous Mario Advance titles look like rip-offs in comparison. Unless you're allergic to replay value and quality game design, you need this game.

The graphics are among the Xbox's best—the environments are huge and intricately detailed, and tons of smart little effects (like the haze behind your plane when you go into turbo) help add to the atmosphere.

The problem is, there just isn't that much game there, and you'll either grow sick of it in short order or finish it in even shorter order.

In short, this is a completely standard beat 'em up with nothing innovative, nothing that stands out, and a number of features that have been less than ideally copied from other games. Beyond that, it's a decent title.

Griptonite has struck a delicate balance between utter linearity and the brain-numbing redundancy of "Harvest Moon," and the end result works pretty well.

Our other issue with the game is that the city where the game takes place, despite having hundreds-if-not-thousands of people, feels very empty.

The easily defeated final boss and drivel of an ending may not adequately complete a piece of fiction that shouldn't have ever started the way it did, but they are not harmful enough to completely negate the worth of an otherwise stylish and polished action game.

This could have been the best Virtual-On ever, and instead it's easily the worst.

A budget priced video game is usually associated with a development involving with minimal effort and cost to the publisher. Sometimes there's a sincere effort made to provide gamers with a good deal (read: "Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution"), but Gotham Games and Big Ape's Celebrity Deathmatch doesn't even half-ass an attempt.

Unless you're simply determined to pay $30 for a painfully hard version of a game you've probably played countless times before in its previous incarnation, you can live without this one.

Lacking the excitement, humor, and creativity of the infamous TV show, Celebrity Deathmatch isn't even recommendable as a rental to fans.

An unintuitive mess. Never mind the fact that gamers are instinctively prepared to press a button to accelerate, but charging your boost by braking is an impractical affair that can also get you into trouble when you're stuck at the bottom of a hill and need a boost to get up.

It's not perfect because of the poor enemy drones and because the game doesn't last as long as we wish it would--but that's in some ways a good thing, because we like what we do get to play, and want to see more.

The ambiance and atmosphere are usually enough all by themselves to suck you in; but never quite enough to make you ignore the hundred little things that matter.

The ambiance and atmosphere are usually enough all by themselves to suck you in; but never quite enough to make you ignore the hundred little things that matter.

The only compelling reason for Halo fans to buy this version is for multiplayer, which is so much better than playing split-screen on your television. Otherwise, it's the same old space opera.

Upgraded graphics, some of the best ambient sounds in the business, a deep story, new additions for character customization as well as two new professions, tons of new monsters, items and zones and Funcom's above par customer service makes this game a must buy for anyone even remotely interested in MMO's.

Personally I've had a lot of fun in the game, and I don't want to be starting from scratch when the game is rocking. But that, my friends, is truly up to you. May the Force be with your decision.

A miniexpansion where armor and air are the keys to gameplay doesn't really add a lot to the whole BF2 experience, but it's nice to indulge without having to fight for a plane.

A Vampyre Story's got some bright spots: The original score is quite good and recalls the old iMUSE scores from LucasArts' heyday, with jaunty character themes and dynamic tonal changes. And the story is an interesting vehicle, but it really deserves better jokes and puzzles.