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.

Slightly sluggish controls hurt the faster characters, leaving some of the mid-speed characters' blend of movement and power overbalanced in the grand scheme of things.

With all of this attention to detail, the actual gameplay is too simple.

What saves Age of Sail II from the abysmal fate that many people on Akella's message boards claim it deserves is the excellent quality of the overall presentation in the music, graphics and sound systems.

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.

It combines an interesting plot with nonstop action in a coherent matter. However, the complete absence of innovation, linear levels, tepid multiplayer, irritating vocal effects, and unspectacular artificial intelligence keep this title from reaching its potential.

In many ways this is a generic quality game - not embarrassing in any area, while at the same time not being outstanding either.

Combat is occasionally entertaining, but more often than not you're mindlessly blasting or backtracking huge stretches of land on the poorly implemented motorcycle. Invasion simply becomes uninteresting, and it can't be redeemed by an equally tired multiplayer component.

Despite this offering's versatility in station command along with a wide range of authentic ship models and weapons systems, the significant AI deficiencies, minor bugs, and the unavailability of the unique interoperability with "Silent Hunter II" creates rough waters.

It is indeed fun to control unusual units in battle, but the focus on micromanagement can become a bit more demanding than most players want for their entertainment dollars.

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.

The visuals are pretty, the puzzles are engaging and the plot is engrossing, but this release isn’t all that it could be. The interface glitches, puny hotspots, gameplay linearity and absence of deep character development all limit its value.

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

The shoddy camera system and somewhat unintuitive controls cause far too many headaches.

Certainly replicates well the sounds and sights of the ancient Middle East, and the production values are quite high. However, it is extremely challenging for any developer to find the perfect blend of action and adventure in any release claiming to combine both elements, and the balance here seems a bit skewed.

Anyone coming to Onimusha 2 cold will find brilliant beauty, but baffling execution.

A lot of creativity is embedded here beneath the surface. However, the absence of a story delivered in a compelling way, along with several other questionable design decisions, hinders your motivation to make it all the way through.

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.

AI concerns make driving into oncoming traffic easier than it should be, while the moderate, but not extensive amount of cars and tracks mean that you'll be able to wrap up single player in less than ten hours.

There's too little here that's original and engrossing, there's not enough variety in the obstacles and environments, and the linearity is extremely confining.

Those who love strategy or puzzle offerings because of the ability to do some sophisticated problem solving will be turned off by the rigid time limits and the repetitiveness and lack of depth in the dilemmas presented. I cannot help, though, finding a lot about Sheep that I really like despite its failings.

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 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.

Without robust developer support in the way of patches to add more content, enable dedicated Internet servers and fix disabled features, there’s little hope for RC Cars in the long term.

In trying to appeal to all rally tastes, it ends up not being the very best at much of anything. While the car graphics are outstanding, the other dimensions of this release fail to live up to expectations.

The biggest problem with Gore is a lack of originality: None of its dimensions live up to the level of the best first-person shooters on the market in the last few years.

Contrary to what many hardcore gamers frequently assume, I believe there are still a lot of people who would enjoy this kind of brain-free, white-knuckle virtual leisure activity that brings back the simplicity of earlier days.

It’s a very serious niche simulation that’s got some lumps which will be unappealing to the average player. If you want to “get it,” you’ve got to be willing to pour the time into learning the nuances of the title.

It may control like a three-wheeled dump truck on ice, but that’s only scratching the surface of the problems in Conflict: Vietnam.

Aside from the bugginess of the release, the gameplay is too constrained and awkwardly executed for action fans, and the tactical choices are too limited for real-time strategy fans. This is a tragedy, for all the elements are here necessary for a really engrossing release.

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

The deficiencies with frame rate, multiplayer competition, collisions, and replays still keep this title from achieving its potential.

Overall, this release tries to add a fresh spin to the Anarchy Online universe and succeeds to a certain extent, though it would have been better to open the doors of the expansion a bit wider to let more kinds of gamers through to experience it all.

This title has incredible depth and play value, absorbing you into the ins-and-outs of the economic strategies of transportation management.

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

The graphics could use as much TLC as the physics received, the sound and music could be fleshed out, and the controls could use some tightening to work more organically.

Enough charm to rekindle the joy of the old-style score-based blasters. However, technical problems like the poor interface, unreliable frame rate, and steep learning curve really gouge out the fun.

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.

None of the facets of this release are particularly outstanding, and in particular you have to cope with the rather odd camera movement and the passivity of just watching when your actual caper is carried out.

If you can get past the monotonous arcade elements, there's a lot that the title has going for it, including imaginative characters and a script bordering on hysterical.

The on-foot aspect is near abysmal and takes the wind right out of the sails. The numerous graphical glitches and bugs don't help matters, either.

Despite stylish graphics and fun gameplay, the lack of any revolutionary concepts coupled with the short play time means potential buyers should pass up Luigi in favor of other GameCube launch titles.

X2 contains a great sandbox adventure complicated by an ignorable single-player story and fiendish menu driven control system.

The elements for a great game are present, but the focus and execution of those elements is not.

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.

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

An engrossing detective story with lots of exploration opportunities. However, there is no truly outstanding or deeply innovative dimension of this release.

Unfortunately, the sad truth is that Pokemon manages to provide more depth and complexity than Monster Rancher 3.

Not a collapsing ruin, and although it can be entertaining, it is missing the strong foundation needed to capture one's long-term interest.

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.

Entertaining, but somewhat difficult in design, and occasionally unforgiving in control.

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.

The developers may have been trying to recreate the success of "Devil May Cry," but instead found themselves in the realm of its disappointing sequel, as an underachieving, run-of-the-mill action title.

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.

Right down to the familiar trapezoidal box, Tomb Raider Chronicles is completely lacking in significant innovation.

If you can find ways to ignore the RTS component and the confusion brought on by the other generals, Joan of Arc is a great hack-and-slash that plays like a 3D version of a championship arcade game.

Enclave has so much promise that it's a shame it's crippled by one key design flaw. While the occassional checkpoint exists just before the battles with big boss characters, they are so rare that you may very well never see one.

A tour de force of chronometric detail and almost bottomless options, but the glaring lack of a tutorial, criminally sparse documentation, paucity of things you can directly control and frequent crashes to the desktop doesn’t make playing it any more fun for the uninitiated.

Diehards won’t find enough here to make it worth the overzealous retail price point because, while the single-player mode and the deleted scenes are a fun diversion, they’re not enough to warrant the investment listed on the price tag.

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.

While some of the puzzles touch the edge of too challenging, overall they are some of the best in the business since "Myst" hit the scene.

While it is an unabashed ripoff and lacks any form of innovation compared to what has gone before, this is a competent dirt bike racing game, which despite its limitations can provide sustained enjoyment for a lot of motorcycle aficionados.

Like the similar P.N.03 for the GameCube, however, extremely repetitive levels and generally bland design detract from the overall experience.

Zoo Empire does add depth to the "Zoo Tycoon" formula, but plays it safe and doesn’t make any effort to change the established norm. If you tried "Zoo Tycoon" but didn’t think that it had enough options or graphical punch, Zoo Empire is for you.

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

As it stands, however, Championship Surfer should only be reserved for the die-hard surfing fanatics and PC owners who have an undeniable penchant for extreme sports.

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.

In many ways, it's most similar to a game released in 1990: "Dune."

In the end this product will satisfy only fans absolutely desperate for driving in the dirt.

Atlantis: Evolution hangs its hat on being an adventure game, but it doesn’t present the fine challenge that those who are serious about the sport expect, plus it includes too much tedium for those who are casual players.

Sure, there is a deep convoluted plotline and beautiful backdrops, but the deficiencies in interface, action sequences, and conversations are quite serious.

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

Alpha Black Zero isn’t a bad game, but it’s hobbled by so many execution problems that it never really catches wind in its sails.

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.

Between interface flaws, its stern focus upon drab and dull key-hunting, and a wholly frustrating inventory system, much of the game's potential magic is lost. In the end, The Messanger's pseudo-historical atmosphere is all that it's got going for it.

The visuals are fine, but the sound and music are not. The off-road theme is great, but the redneck flavor fizzles completely.

The game's outdated look and obtuse artificial intelligence make it hard to recommend.

Indistinct characters, painfully hokey storytelling, poor AI, and a shallow combat system add up to a disappointing experience.

While the game's flight mechanics and damage model provide some enjoyment, the few missions that ship with the program are uninvolving.

Completely engrossing, from the horribly narrated opening sequence to the pulse-pounding excitement of the final encounter. What Arx Fatalis lacks in innovation and polish, it more than makes up for in rich atmosphere.

A mediocre offering. While it has its fun moments, and some of the maps are intriguing, Legends ultimately comes across as lacking ingenuity.

Falls into line behind countless other film conversions, boasting low production values, an obviously rushed release and highly conventional gameplay that struggles with the controls.

Lionheart is to RPGs what "Serious Sam" is to first-person shooters: It's a strict genre game that's stripped down to its essence and is pleasantly devoid of the all too common overarching that happens when too many disparate parts are crammed into the same code base for the sake of widening the target audience.

The gameplay itself lacks any compelling reason to keep at it. Slow, stately and with an emphasis on stealth and absolutely, positively nothing else, the majority of gamers will find themselves bored.

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.

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

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.

Recycled gameplay, overused mechanics and jarring shifts between mini-challenges and exploration will leave you slightly disconnected from the overall experience.

If you enjoyed the original Echelon, you will no doubt get enjoyment out of this sequel. However, there is not much here that is innovative or that really deepens the gameplay from the original. With little story, mundane missions, and significant control deficiencies, Echelon: Wind Warriors has little to attract new players.

Full of promise, with a textured plot premise and unorthodox, and at times, stunning visuals. But the sub-par execution of the confusing backstory and lethargic gameplay, confounded by the limited viewing perspective, sinks this release right from the outset.

There are some good ideas, like the grouping banner and the ability to plunder, that should’ve come off a lot better, but instead thwarted the gameplay.

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.

The combat is engaging, but it grows repetitive and is extremely time consuming.

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

There is just so much promise that it's almost unbearably painful to see that potential crippled by a complete and utter lack of content.

The graphics are pretty and you get what you came for - cheap, mindless action. If you want even a smidgen more, however, pass.

Unfortunately, for all its intensity, the experience will be very brief indeed as the lack of a multiplayer mode virtually cripples this content-light cartridge.

A straight vanilla shooter. It does many things well, many things not so well, but nothing exceptionally.