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.

The graphics aren't particularly innovative and the sound effects are merely a step up from mediocre. However, Wrath of Heaven succeeds where it counts - in providing an enjoyable experience with plenty of replayability.

While the multiplayer mode's forgettable, and there's not a ton of replay value, the first run through the story is surprisingly long, and filled to the brim with some of the most amazing scenery conceived outside of a Toy Story film.

If you're not a fan of wrestling, the flaws will easily overshadow the details, but if you're looking for an easy title to play, fun multiplayer, and above all, authentic WWF experience, Just Bring It will fulfill your needs.

A wonderfully complex simulation that entertains more than it frustrates, though this title is clearly not for everyone. Action-oriented RTS fans should avoid it like the plague.

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.

There are some interesting ideas here and it is fun to play, but the clouds billowing over the AI, graphics, and gameplay never let the bright spots in these same areas ever fully shine.

What redeems LSN from being an exercise in tedium is that the touch of a master’s hand can be felt in almost every brushstroke.

It has an intuitive interface and eliminates the time-consuming micromanagement within each city that made every other game in the series so drawn out.

The improvements primarily in graphics and sound in Grand Prix 4 do not seem worth the huge increases in computer power necessary to run the title smoothly.

With the atmosphere and mood so sensationally presented, Shadow of Rome exceeded my expectations, which might have been questionable since I am avidly interested in the history of Greece and Rome.

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

Although Cleopatra is just as enjoyable as "Pharaoh," it doesn't really change the experience for the better.

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.

Though plagued by control and interface problems, the entertainment value suffers only some edgewise tarnish on an otherwise well polished piece of silver.

There's still no excuse for an unbalanced throwing game and slightly twitchy AI routines that should have been cleared up in the intervening year.

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.

My conundrum is that despite the issues and glaring oversights, Beyond Divinity is still fun to play.

Micromanagers and fans of "Pharaoh" have cause for celebration with the arrival of Children of the Nile, and should be thanking the god of their choice for the abundance that has been provided.

While the combat mechanics aren't as involved as "Bushido Blade," the combat system is solid, and there are RPG-lite elements to add to the mix.

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.

Doesn't contain novel graphics, audio or gameplay, but it does offer more of what worked so well before. Given the short length of the campaign, Mercenaries might have fared better as an expansion pack.

A fun, yet brief detective adventure that will occupy several evenings of play, but like a watched episode of the show, will probably never be picked up again after completion.

With the various methods of strategic growth, tactical conquest, and diplomatic gains, Diplomacy lives up to its table-bound namesake’s reputation. It is easy to learn, play, and master.

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.

Frequent issues with controlling your avatar coupled with broken quests keep this gem from truly shining up to its full potential. The good news is there’s nothing so wrong with it that a few patches can’t fix.

I prefer to think of Invisible War as a flawed diamond rather than a better-than-average lump of coal, as the sheer depth of its storyline and superb graphical quality make up for a multitude of shortcomings.

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