Although some nagging little problems persist here, such as oversensitive brakes, imperfect artificial intelligence, and substandard sound effects, none detract enough from the enjoyment of the racing experience to ruin it.

There's plenty of great stuff to be found in this offering, but it just doesn't feel like it's all been pulled together in a tight enough fashion.

The frame rate isn't brilliant (though the physics model is), load times are long, and sometimes frustration will get the best of you. But rich environments, awesome music, and the game's sheer charm outshine all of that.

Yet the experience, for all its addictive qualities, still feels lacking due to its slow pace and the absence of vehicles and space travel.

Although it has a strong interface and interesting gameplay, its lack of innovation coupled with unimpressive visual and aural presentations make it an average war game.

A brilliant renaissance for the once dominant beat-em-up genre...[but] you realize that this is an extremely short title posing as an epic undertaking in its revolution mode.

With its incredible graphics, fulfilling gameplay, and thought provoking features, World War III is bound to satisfy any RTS buff, and anyone just on the lookout for a good, solid title as well.

There's no depth to its woefully repetitive gameplay and overall enjoyment is hampered by underpowered weapons, mindless out-of-control spawning and overly difficult boss encounters.

It has the eye-popping graphics of the PS2 version of "Madden 2001," but it uses a poor interface, has modest AI, and doesn't provide enough new features to differentiate it from last year's offering.

Essentially a graphics enhancement pack bundled with a short single-player campaign and a title many have already played, all for around 20 dollars after rebate.

Grandia II happily dwells in a genre where its players will sacrifice a bit of visual quality for a compelling story and excellent combat and character mechanics. Luckily, these are delivered in spades.

The graphics and score are outstanding, but ultimately, the gameplay falls flat with heavy-handed mechanics and tedious goals.

With some fine-tuning to the graphics and sound effects, and some revisions to the slightly restrictive controls, this could have been an "SSX"-killer.

Despite its flaws, Sea Dogs is the best game of its type since Pirates!. With superb graphics and music, and multifaceted non-linear gameplay, the title offers a lot to a variety of gamers.

The mysteriously dangerous supernatural atmosphere effectively absorbs you into the story and keeps you riveted until the end.

Blending the time controls with standard platformer gameplay gives this title more than a twist; it's got an entire hook of its own.

The severe lack of duration, difficulty, and a decent multiplayer mode hamper the value you'll get out of a purchase.

Though the plotline is somewhat lackluster, the intricacies of building up your army between your different islands and keeping track of unit management and combat tactics all while the clock continually ticks down is exciting and entertaining.

Even when it works, The Sims Online has little to offer beyond serving as a graphical instant messenger with an economy.

Nosferatu’s developers played to the inherent strengths of all first-person shooters - the visceral illusion of being in a place far removed from the chair in front of your computer screen. Unlike the Victorians, the concept of a zombie or vampire won’t scare any of us, but like them, we still retain a fear of unknown things that might leap out at us in strange, dark places.

Basically the same old product with a few new bells and whistles. Nobody is calling that a bad thing.

Like a college fling: It looks pretty enough, but lacks the substance you'd need for a long-term relationship.

The game radiates beauty and wonder from every corner, and the end result is something special.

Though the visuals may be showing their age, the gameplay in Return From Darkness is just as strong as it was in the PlayStation 2 version, if not stronger thanks to the Xbox-exclusive features.

Has some fairly innovative features like counter upgrades, paid assassins that can be turned against you for the right price, and the innovative Railroad Building Race mode. Despite these creative turns, however, it’s still a triumphantly average experience.

The longevity of this title is nearly unmatched by any other RPG save the online crowd, and players from the old-school crowd of role-playing will feel immediately at home.

The only real stumbling blocks on its way to being the Super Star is the lack of customization options.

A great new twist on a genre that I have a hard time classifying, using an established and mature backdrop.

Borrows some ideas from the original game, mixes in lackluster graphics and sound, and tops it with awkward design choices.

Had it included a mid-mission save and a multiplayer mode, it could have been a solid four star title; add tweaked graphics and improved AI, and it would have been a surefire winner. However, without those features, Project IGI is a good game, but certainly not a great one.

To tell the truth, this whole product should have been a giant patch for F1 2000 rather than a standalone sequel.

If you can look past the control problems and remember that few modern fantasy stories are truly original, "Soulbringer" is an amusing detour into a rich and vibrant world, worthy of a spot on the shelf of any RPG aficionado.

Graphics aside, several key issues keep it from reaching the level expected of today's sims, such as: a difficult-to-access multiplayer mode, a mediocre interface, poor sound effects, and harder-than-necessary difficulty.

There's not enough meat on this Bandicoot to feed you for more than a week for the casual gamer or a weekend for the hardcore fan.

While Septerra Core is certainly not ground breaking, it does possess the potential to convert some console gamers over to the PC. Hardcore CRPG fans however, will most likely be disappointed with the linearity and limited challenge.

You must have patience and be excited about non-structured gameplay in order for it to be worth the price of admission. Action hungry thrill-mongers will do themselves a favor by steering clear of this one.

The real-time naval tactics elicited in ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore combat are both subtle and enjoyable.

"Fresh, unique, light-hearted, entertaining, creative." Any of these words apply to Herdy Gerdy, but sadly so do, "Frustrating, unruly, unresponsive and premature release."

If you've rolled down these streets before, be advised that there's virtually nothing new under the desert sun, and that one new area does not a satisfying sequel make.

Fans of city building titles will truly enjoy Trade Empires, and it will even woo some dissenters of the genre with its inventive take upon historical civilizations. However, unimpressive graphics and a lack of configurable options or a storyline hold it back from being a true gem.

One of the most accurate flight sims ever created... Where X-Plane falls short is with its substandard graphics.

In a sea of disappointing and frustratingly similar games, Sudden Strike emerges as a rare gem.

Fundamental flaws unjustly hamper the gameplay, and the lack of support for many USB wheels is nothing short of devastating.

Despite its brevity and sadistic humor, you receive an odd sense of satisfaction when your pranks work. Although hardcore gamers might find this title a bit beneath their level of sophistication, most who enjoy electronic recreation will find this release quite fulfilling.

Splendid graphics and sound effects, with a wide set of vehicles and tuning capabilities and cleverly-designed racing settings...Yet deficiencies in gameplay, artificial intelligence, collision implementation, and even music prevents this title from being the spectacular release that it should have been.

The challenging AI and consistently grim atmosphere will draw many players into the missions, but less than clear objectives will deter others.

This is as close to a bare-bones racing simulation release as I have seen these days, with minimal choices of vehicles and tracks, limited menu selections, dated graphics, sparse sound effects, and no music.

It is not sufficiently realistic to be a true flight simulator, and at the same time, lacks enough arcade elements to be considered merely a shooter.

An experience which never rises above being a cool simulation, albeit a fantastically detailed and well thought out one.

Only dedicated fans of side scrollers should tackle this title, as even those enamored with the titular character will be disappointed by the lack of new developments for the Strider franchise, especially after such an extended wait.

It pushes the PS2's hardware to incredible limits as it creates very atmospheric environments using amazing graphics and sound; however, Ghosthunter also features poorly conceived puzzles and level design that make for some frustrating moments.

1nsane provides not only a sense of freedom but also a sense of chaos, and I recommend it highly as a great escape from the doldrums of day-to-day existence.

A decent expansion that is more notable for its graphical sheen, elegant interface and Classic CTF maps than something more innovative. Although fun with the right group of people, the expansion adds nothing to its genre.

The first adventure with these characters seemed to offer longer gameplay and a more in-depth story line, but Broken Sword cashes-in on the ability to continue with something good.

The visuals, sound and overall presentation may have remained mostly unchanged, but the 32 additional missions, coupled with more than 200 new parts makes this a must for the hardcore fans.

Its rather repetitive mission dynamic and lackluster combat keep it from rising as a clear contender in its field.

All in all, Metal Fatigue is a great variation on an all-too-common theme, and will surely provide hours of high-energy robot-smashing fun to anyone willing to see past its minor flaws.

While the mechanics are solid, the single-player campaign often feels as soulless and hollow as the vacuum in which it takes place.

Once I adjusted to the controls and uncovered some new weapons, it started growing on me. By the end, I was loving it, with a wide range of gameplay, intense battles on the street, a consistently developing storyline, and enough weapons in the long run to give you the options you want.

While this sequel is not at all an embarrassment, its gameplay never matches the high level indicated by the truly great character depictions and scenic backdrops.

What with gorgeous graphics, sumptuous music, compelling story, elegant interface, and a really well conceived hint system, it stands out from the pack.

Newcomers will be treated to a title that’s superior to its predecessor in many respects, but also fails to improve on some of the first game’s faults.

While you're not going to rock your friends socks off with the none-too-glitzy presentation of UFC Throwdown, the game's tight controls, smooth combat and surprising flexibility will make up for those shortcomings with little difficulty.

"Bang! Gunship Elite" proves yet again that eye candy alone cannot sustain a title, as the vast majority of its gameplay proves to be extremely tedious.

Eschews the normal audiovisual glitz in favor of something truly rare in computer games: a deep and compelling story that is worthy of a good novel.

The action is fast-paced and well-staged, and you really become absorbed in the virtual world of the famous arachnid. But two major deficiencies -- in the control system and the camera work -- almost succeed in ruining this title.

While few titles will ever again brutalize the player as "Shinobi" did, the still relatively high level of difficulty coupled with refinements and improvements to the gameplay should make Nightshade a keeper for fans of the series.

A strong offering for fans of mythology, samurai, or ancient Japan. However, the poor quality of the game's AI, the unbalanced multiplayer action, and the lack of customizable options, along with some gameplay issues, only slightly raise the product above an average "Diablo" clone.

The adventure mode is quite intriguing, the ability to build cars from scratch and watch them disassemble is entertaining, and the split-screen competition is a blast. However, there is not enough substance in the racing options, track challenges, and audiovisual polish to set this offering apart from the pack.

Captures the essence of a war movie better than any other game I have played, with the possible exception of the original "Close Combat."

Glaring deficiencies, such as the redundant environments, weak camera system, and most importantly, a severe lack of challenge.

Light on story, heavy on action and gore, Turok Evolution will appeal to fans of the series, but lags a bit behind the design philosophy for most newer shooters.

Due to severe problems in graphics and gameplay, this title cannot hold a candle to "RollerCoaster Tycoon," still firmly at the head of the class.

While the released version is a competent wrestling game, it plays very much like one of the old N64 releases with a major facelift.

Starts off slow, gets really good, and then quickly descends into repetitive drudgery.

The multiplayer mode offers less variety in gameplay, and the homogenous characters severely limit the game's depth.

It is limited in a few ways, namely in the number of characters (a total of 16 with unlocks) and the depth of the fighting system, but it is also something I can see as a great party game for groups of casual gamers of any age.

An occasionally buggy, always laggy and generally sub par release to get there. Crystal Dynamics lost everything they made right in "Soul Reaver 2," as the fluid combat, dexterous hero and grand puzzles have been sacrificed.

Solid if familiar gameplay here, and the graphics and audio are immensely pleasing if no longer groundbreaking.

Even if the visuals and sound aren't quite cutting edge, the gameplay is still solid, and that’s all that truly matters. K-1 is an absolute must for fans of the sport.

For those who want an "RTS-lite" experience, this release fits the bill exactly.

Fun to play, but it might be too much for those who aren't interested in spending time in the design process. You'll also need to get past the complex display.

Despite a few shortcomings, such as a disappointing ending, a hard-to-read scanner, and a run-time glitch, Area 51 is ultimately a high quality title worthy of shooter enthusiasts' time and money.

This title deserves strong consideration if you're willing to put style over substance and overlook a few flaws.

What we have here is an extension of the original with a much better and generally more compelling storyline. This does not detract from the amount of fun you can potentially have with this title.

With a very large galaxy populated by unique aliens, an interesting non-linear storyline, lots of great visuals, and interesting gizmos to upgrade your ship with, X during the first few sessions can be a joy to play. Poor design choices, and repetitive actions, keeps X from being as memorable and fun as Elite was.

With nothing really novel to offer, and a short gameplay experience with few characters, locales, or tantalizing puzzles, this adventure-puzzle game is best suited for novice adventurers.

The organization-heavy gameplay and the delightful animal theme are its two most outstanding areas.

Deals out an epic storyline, lots of characters and an innovative combat system, but fails to break any new ground.

Fans of the series deserve the same content for far less money in the form of a true expansion pack, preferably one that actually adds fresh content beyond new scenarios.

An uncomplicated and readily accessible approach to experiencing the colorful lives of swashbuckling buccaneers on land and at sea. However, the similarity of the challenges, linear scenarios, substandard sound effects, and deficient artificial intelligence definitely constrain the enjoyment you will experience here.

Extremely immersive and one of the best espionage titles available to date on the personal computer.

You'll find yourself confounded by overly tricky controls, repetitive tracks and a single-player mode that lacks any real meat.

If you want an undersea simulation or oceanic real-time strategy, then forget it; but if what you desire is arcade action in a novel and challenging context, then it fits the bill.

What really makes this game rise above its mediocre brethren is not merely the flashy graphics or mildly dramatic storyline. Far Gate stands out amongst a host of independent titles as being one of the few that shows a dramatic effort towards entertainment rather than a quick profit.

The release stands alone as the darkest disappointment those of us who cherish this franchise have yet encountered.

What keeps realMYST from earning the high honors is the problematic control system that makes clicking on the right areas difficult; especially the much darker nature of the environment at night, making navigation quite hellish and the solving of puzzles relatively impossible.

Despite the poor level of in-game documentation and the required learning-curve, it’s still the only title of its kind that I could comfortably recommend to players new to the genre.