With gorgeous graphics, an enthralling story, nifty sound and music, and fun gameplay, it's a blast from beginning to end.

This is, by far, the best installment in theMadden series and despite the higher price tag is worth purchasing.

The only disappointment visible here is constituted in my mind by an utter lack of customizable options with each of the bikes.

F.E.A.R. has by far the best tactical combat I have ever experienced, and has super-high production values throughout. The sense of dread never lets up throughout the game.

Instead of merely giving out a few major embellishments -- and there are those -- Ensemble went a number of steps further by enhancing nearly every aspect of the game.

Dynamix's final release serves as a mark of excellence in action-based strategy, open-ended gameplay, good graphics, and pure fun, with only a few stability issues and level design flaws offsetting an otherwise solid effort.

The single-player game’s extreme difficulty will throw off many people, and the less than satisfactory ending will leave a bad taste in your mouth.

While the game isn't necessarily revolutionary, it is refreshing in the gameplay it provides and the ability it gives players to create new challenges and prolong their gaming experience.

Long, packed with value and excellently executed, armchair tacticians will appreciate the deep character design, while RPG enthusiasts will be surprised to find an extremely well developed storyline with branching paths backing the tactical focus.

One of the best platformers to hit the PS2, ever.

Bungie has some of the best storyboard writers around. Their flare for the dramatic will draw you into this magical world with ease... They've robustly improved just about every single thing, and as a sequel this game is everything it should have been.

The controls are perfect, the gameplay is paced just right and the ESPN brand sucks the player in like no other sports title can.

The graphics, audio and multiplayer components are astonishingly good, while the highly competent yet unspectacular single-player gameplay lags a bit behind.

I'm not saying things can't get better, but for now this is as good as it gets. So where does Shogo rank amongst all the games I've played, through all the years, the genres, the classics, the memories? Let's just say it's on the short list, the very short list.

The retractable library research toolbar notwithstanding, there’s no single feature that makes Thrones and Patriots a must have, but if you enjoyed the original title, the precise strokes in this expansion only add to the enjoyment of an already superlative RTS experience.

It combines an enthralling story with addictive gameplay and endless value online.

While for me not quite as addictive overall as another recent PSP racer, "Wipeout Pure," Ridge Racer is more than worth the money. If you are a fan of the series or if you just love arcade racing, you certainly cannot afford to pass this one up.

What Diablo II lacks in visuals, it makes up for in music, as the appropriately selected and highly engaging tunes never fail to live up to the moment and truly serve to immerse the player.

Rejecting pressure from pseudo-sophisticated snobs who want to graft on artificial complexities that have been so trendy in recent computer action titles, Doom 3 is a far cry from the pattern of the latest shooters, and to me, that’s a real blessing.

It manages to maintain a consistent level of sophistication and high complexity without sacrificing what really makes strategy games fun.

MechWarrior 4 has more types of BattleMechs, missions, and weapons than MechWarrior 3; the multiplayer competition is outstanding, the artificial intelligence is improved, and the graphics are generally splendid.

I like the larger scenarios and the attention to detail on all of the levels is amazing.

The expansion doesn't offer a sophisticated plot, extensively scripted dialogue, or complicated puzzle solving. It only promises action, and delivers it in abundance.

Half-Life 2: Episode One is a bit of a paradox. In terms of mechanics and content it is a yet another sequel to a well-known series that itself is in a long-established genre. On the other hand, considering how that content is delivered, both in terms of Steam and the introduction of episodic content, there is nothing exactly like Episode One on the market.

A staggering epic, it almost hurts the brain to think of the effort it would have taken to produce Morrowind...Completing Morrowind is like earning a degree in gaming.

Bottom line is this: anyone who enjoys traditional fantasy role-playing games will love Icewind Dale.

Smooth mechanics of this game...manifest as gorgeous graphics, intuitive and responsive controls, and a physics system that does an exceptional job of simulating all wheel drive on all sorts of hellish terrain.

All the elements of Kohan add up to the most fun I’ve had with a real-time strategy release -- with the least amount of micromanagement.

It's a drastic departure from the "MechWarrior" games, but MechAssault works perfectly as a console homage to the rich BattleTech tradition.

While the gameplay, artificial intelligence, customization capabilities, and weather replication are all outstanding, in other respects this release appears more than a bit rusty.

The combat is awesome in short doses, the graphics are nice and the product offers the best FPS co-op gaming since Doom II. Oh, and it offers one hell of a final boss.

Those who saw Call of Duty's multiplayer as being too similar to "Quake" or "Counter-Strike" should be impressed with United Offensive, which plays like "Day of Defeat" and "Battlefield 1942" with better graphics.

While OOTP4 has a few interface issues and suffers from a bare-bones graphical and sound approach, its entertainment value should leave you in the ball game for quite a while.

Apart from striking the perfect balance between historical fact and romanticized fiction, they've managed to capture the essence of what makes the city building series fun and turn it into a game that feels almost wholly different from "Caesar III "and "Pharaoh."

After playing "Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit" for months on end, I had developed an image in my mind of how video game policemen were supposed to act. Driver shattered that image.

The real challenge is not how you perform a move or ability, but rather when to do so. The rules of this title promote fair play by penalizing contenders who resort to stall tactics.

A few more months spent tweaking the camera, improving the AI, and correcting the inventory scheme would have resulted in a much more enjoyable experience.

I found Comanche Hokum to be a thoroughly engrossing simulation, despite the fact that the graphics are a little jarring.

This year's post-apocalyptic nuclear Christmas experience won't be as good as it was last year. Lack of improvement over the first and a high number of bugs are the main reasons.

The various flaws (like horrible voice acting, odd attack control, and hyper-linear gameplay) keep it from earning a perfect rating. But it's a worthy successor to "Resident Evil."

The crashes all by themselves are an absolute blast. You will never get bored here, and everyone will find points of challenge at some point in the racing.

Beautiful graphics, a unique storytelling methodology and some very well-designed missions make "Ground Control" a winner in almost every category.

If you were a fan of GTA then you'll love the non-linear run-and-gun style of play that is made available. On the other hand, if you prefer the Tom Clancy series, you will find yourself at home with the constant attention to detail and possibility for tactical maneuvering.

This is the best, most fun game I have ever played. It represents everything that a five-star game should be. It's different, original, and most importantly, solid. I could find no glaring omissions, or bugs, or problems that indicated that it is a rushed product.

Its additions are fine and I enjoyed the game overall, but too many elements are the same as its predecessor, giving the program the feel of a very-polished expansion pack.

It's positively gorgeous, but playing through the majority of the title feels more like a chore than it does like fun.

Lengthy single player campaign aside, the online matches and powerful race editor should keep this game fresh for months to come.

It gives exactly what it promises: an engaging story with stylish, polished visuals wrapped tightly around fluid and virtually bug-free gameplay.

It represents the first perfect translation of another medium, be it film, television or another form of entertainment, to a computer game.

The High Stakes mode of play is rather difficult to pull off most of the time, and virtually impossible unless you know someone else with the game.

Hardcore platform players will find little that's new or challenging, but Sly Cooper's definitely good for some quick and easy pleasure.

A no-nonsense, straightforward, old school, GameCube-exclusive RPG.

The new 3D graphical rendering engine and photorealistic environments help to breathe new life to the series, finally trading in the carbon copy backdrops for lifelike and truly beautiful settings.

While UT 2003 doesn’t revolutionize its genre, it contains beautifully presented high-speed action that first-person shooter fans crave.

It's one of those games you can start playing one evening, and then the next time you look up it's three in the morning.

It is so well crafted that it transcends my usual blocks, and is arguably the most fun I think I’ve ever had playing this style of game. It’s beautiful, it’s easy to use, difficult to master, and extremely replayable.

Elegant, complex, and beautiful, Europa Universalis is a class act all the way, and is certainly worthy of being considered one of the strategic greats of our time.

Real-time strategy, intense space combat, intellectual battle tactics and cooperative teamwork are all elements that play major roles in the unfolding of this experience, but it's not this combination that's so surprising; it's that they're combined so well.

The clear focus on fun over realism really makes this title stand out, and while the trick system may not be as deep as that of the competition, the focus on exploration and humor is a welcome alternative to hardcore combo dialing.

Smart gameplay couples with intelligent AI to make sure you're kept on your toes at all times through this deep, stealthy shooter.

The game has great depth in realism and dynamics. Its campaign and scenarios are without equal. It's the best and most complete documented game ever released, and includes fully featured training missions for the novice pilot.

If you're a fan of EA's classic "Seal Team" or loved the semi-realism offered in Zombie's great "Spec Ops," then Rainbow Six will give you a serious case of the gamer's giddies.

When all is said and done, every session leaves you feeling like you’ve just read the latest issue of your favorite comic book. I can think of no higher praise than that.

Its graphics, excellent sound, intense gameplay, and strong multiplayer, coupled with its random character placement make it a title definitely worth checking out.

The graphics are fantastic, the score is excellent and the gameplay offers a great variety of fast-paced combat and brain-teasing puzzles.

It all boils down to short playtime with tons of reused content, and a shallow storyline. Whereas I usually spend upwards of 70 hours to finish a Final Fantasy, I had this one licked in under 40, with plenty of side-quests and exploration included.

Even the most jaded fans of the series should be delighted with the enormous strides in quality Sir-Tech took with this title.

Operation Flashpoint essentially has the playability that people were hoping to find in "World War II Online," with twice the excitement and challenge.

Put simply, the gameplay is fun, although the game is so short -- due largely to the shoddy, easily manipulated AI -- that some players will feel somewhat robbed.

It's difficult to come up for an overall score for Tropico as it does so many things right, but at the same time, tends to become a bit repetitive after extended periods of play.

With some character issues from the first game still unresolved, and due to the short duration of play and unintelligent enemies, AVP2 is stopped short of being truly stellar. However, this is one of the best action titles of the year.

If you've ever wanted to manage a front office staff, have an evolving pool of minor leaguers to promote and still get to actually play some baseball, this is the game for you.

Visually stunning, loaded with cameos and dripping with both Square and Disney nostalgia, Kingdom Hearts will grab you from the opening to the end.

Using a trick based system that rewards slides, two-wheeled skids and perfect runs, the player must earn points for the above while still riding the line and achieving exceptional lap times. At first this technique seems fresh, but after a few incredibly disappointing runs down the later tracks you'll find it more frustrating than satisfying.

The failure here is a general lack of content on nearly all fronts. It's too short, the world is too small, there aren't enough monster types, missions, NPC designs or dialog.

I felt a kind of primal fear playing it through that I have not ever had before with a computer game, and it is truly a horror fan's most delectable nightmare.

Prettier, deeper, lengthier, and more challenging than any other dungeon crawler out there, Champions of Norrath is the definitive game for hack-n-slash aficionados.

It’s certainly worth playing through twice — a concept that seems to have been forgotten these days, even as the quest for the gaming equivalent of the everlasting-gobstopper has been joined.

The multiplayer, however, is where this release shines. This is by far the most successful implementation of Nintendo's WFC service as of so far, and stands as an essential buy for anybody interested in experiencing the online capabilities of the DS.

By being more open-ended than "Tribunal" and more focused than "Morrowind" itself, Bloodmoon captures the best of both worlds.

While striking visuals and retro-themed music make up the game's framework, Ikaruga's foundation is undoubtedly built on innovative, engaging and downright challenging gameplay.

Even though some of Ion’s design decisions, like the removal of the rope arrow and the inclusion of the third-person camera, will disappoint purists, it would be difficult for anyone to deny what a splendid experience this release is.

Visually striking and completely engrossing, EA's latest for boxing fans is tremendously faithful to the sport. Granted, the artificial intelligence is a little lacking in certain areas and Xbox owners deserve an online component.

I had a great 15 hours playing this game, and to get the coveted 100% finish I look forward to the next five or so.

It could be compared to "Morrowind" in its depth and scope, but the real people that fill the town squares and gathering halls give Final Fantasy XI a living soul that Bethesda’s hallmark title never had.

Taking the best elements of first-person shooters that preceded it, what we have here is a magnificent homage to the genre rather than an attempt to introduce significant novelty or redefine its boundaries...Clearly superior to its predecessor.

The action falls short of amazing because certain elements, such as the poor A.I., do not hold up their end of the bargain, but Alice is still a fascinating trip that is well worth the tumble down the rabbit hole.

The interesting cyberpunk motif expanded into a whole new set of wondrous lands easily lends itself to hours of fun play, while the multiplayer experience lets gamers enjoy the title with others and offers a sense of satisfaction unseen in other offerings.

I'm not a big puzzle game fan, but this title did contain situations which were able to hold my interest - at least, for a while. The luscious graphics come at a "disk-swapping" price.

Disgaea’s visual and aural components may be somewhat dated, but the gameplay suffers from no such ailment.

Almost infinitely replayable. The fact that its gameplay fits snugly into the difficult to achieve "simple-but-deep" category practically qualifies SimGolf as a barbiturate along the lines of "Tetris."

At its core, this is a title with enough flash and bang, with a high replay value in both single and multiplayer, and enough strategy that it’s hard not to recommend.

It adds a gigantic single-player campaign and a plethora of new monsters, spells, character classes and items. The expansion also significantly updates the overall graphical quality, potentially adding to the life of the franchise without getting in the way of what made the original fun.

The animations are still clunky and jerk the players about spasmodically when transitioning between routines. That aside, the gameplay has maintained its solid core while expanding on the available options.

In a lot of ways, Xenogears seems more like a novel than a game. Partially due to the amount of time you spend reading on screen text while the game plays itself, and partially due to the complexity of the plot.

The title takes everything that has ever been great about the series and elevates it to the next level. The changes revitalize the Heroes formula and provide more strategic gameplay than the series has ever offered.

Those interested in Ancient Japanese culture will also find much to like here, as the entire game is steeped from top to bottom in pure and uncompromising atmosphere.

Not only one of the best games that Westwood has ever created, but is easily one of the most entertaining, visceral, and tactically focused RTS products ever seen, and will likely be remembered as a true classic for years to come.