It turns out that War Front wants to do...something...online between missions, and because it can't do whatever that is, the game just crashes.

All of the things EA did right with FIFA World Cup 2006 are overshadowed by the simple truth that what should be the most fun part of the game -- having exciting scoring chances -- is completely negated by shoddy game performance near the nets.

As a creative tool Unbound is great, but as a game it feels a little sparse.

The key word here, of course, is "rough."

All successful cities tend to necessitate more or less the same choices, which in turn leads to City Life's biggest problem: lack of replay value. Expansions are typically created to remedy that issue, but 2008 Edition just doesn't. And that's a shame, because the solid city-building engine still has legs -- just nowhere to walk.

UT3's Xbox 360 version is huffing and puffing and bringing up the rear, long after anyone cares to watch the race.

As good as the tactical and strategy elements are, frequent lockups, glitches, and a limited amount of crucial onscreen information hamper the overall package.

Sadly, SCT3 just doesn't have the chops to go beyond mediocrity, regardless of bells and whistles.

Endless Frontier's boss battles are even worse, and they are numerous.

Stacked does have one hook (aside from the Negreanu name), but it's not a terribly compelling one. You're in control of a customizable avatar, and you can convey some basic poker information through your character via frowning, smiling, calling tentatively, or raising aggressively. Trying to simulate body language and table presence is a fine idea, but with such limited options it's more a gimmick than a viable gambit.

For $10 more, you can get the exact same thing in the form of a free bonus [in "Metroid: Zero Mission"] with a top-notch remake of the game that brings its graphics, level design and story up to contemporary standards along with a cool bonus section that serves as a valuable prelude to the subsequent games. Now which one would you rather have? Think hard, now.

Blood in the Sand takes its missteps in stride. The game doesn't takes itself too seriously and if you try to, it completely unravels. Similarly, go in looking for old school street cred and you'll come up empty.

The most remarkable thing about Space Siege is just how utterly unremarkable it is.

It's a surprisingly silent, boring affair, and you're probably better off just watching the ATHF clips with your pal, or one of the four full episodes included on the disc (one of which has never been aired, and is awesome).

It'd need to deliver a pretty substantial kick in the ass to get anyone to purchase it yet again, but Far Cry: Instincts -- Predator falls quite a bit short in the asskick department. It just doesn't offer enough new material beyond yet another noun tacked to the end of its ever-lengthening name.

It could have been made somewhat better by more accessible, easily relatable songs, but with an otherwise lacking career mode, everything about Warriors of Rock reeks of regurgitated design decisions and a desire to simply make as much money as possible without really trying to add anything new.

It could have been made somewhat better by more accessible, easily relatable songs, but with an otherwise lacking career mode, everything about Warriors of Rock reeks of regurgitated design decisions and a desire to simply make as much money as possible without really trying to add anything new.

It could have been made somewhat better by more accessible, easily relatable songs, but with an otherwise lacking career mode, everything about Warriors of Rock reeks of regurgitated design decisions and a desire to simply make as much money as possible without really trying to add anything new.

You know that "PS2 game with shiny characters and lots of bloom lighting" look that plagues PS3 and 360 ports of last-gen titles? It's dripping all over Spider-Man 3. Except it's not a port. Which is almost okay, until it throws in some vicious slowdown whenever you make the mistake of breaking environmental objects.

Don't be fooled into thinking Red Steel reinvents the FPS. It's nothing more than a ho-hum shooter with a creative but flawed gimmick stapled on.

If you don't own any other console and you just really want to stomp those arrows, by all means, go right ahead. For everyone else, there's simply nothing to see.

Oogie's Revenge isn't a particularly great action game, the story's hackneyed beyond belief, and there are plenty of reasons to be upset about the game's music, easily one of the reasons people are so crazy about the original film. In the end, though, it is a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

It's fine for gamers who don't mind waiting months between episodes, but if you want to get the real charm of the story and art, it's best to just read the comic book.

Though Batman's got a well-developed mythos, he lacks enough specific, widely remembered scenes ripe for parody.

The Azoth of Destiny doesn't make any horrible mistakes, but the game's only real draw is that it's a very competent, old-school RPG for the PS2.

A stiff, by-the-numbers experience that mixes a few good ideas with generally middling execution.

While the gameplay does have its high points (again, mostly surrounding Nightcrawler), it's also quite often littered with monotony thanks to seemingly nonexistent enemy A.I., confusion (poor level design), and frustration (glitches, a sometimes lack of checkpoints, and uneven challenges).

Truth is, this is a game for kids -- kids with good medical insurance who can afford wrist braces. And the simplistic gameplay style, merchandising-tie-in storyline, and low difficulty level all play to that audience. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing right with it, either, though.