The final score loses many points due to the awkward controls.

Sorry to disappoint, but Ethan Hunt doesn't belong to the same clubs as Bond, get the same beautiful babes, use better gadgets, or even wear as nice clothes, and he sure doesn't have as great a game...not even close.

Slow and jerky movement, deficient sound effects, and repetitive action cause this release to be a frustrating disappointment.

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.

Arguably the most cinematic shooter on the market, and though the gameplay is flawed in some respects, the lengthy, engrossing single-player campaign is still worth the price of admission. The offline multiplayer component can provide a few small kicks as well, but Xbox Live owners should beware, as online play is dodgy, to say the least.

Sub-par graphics, poor animation, too much downtime in the action and meager music all detract from what could have been a welcome addition to any gamer's collection.

Cute and charming in a macabre way. The opportunity for reaping rewards from the creative premise is, however, largely squandered. The control problems are almost enough to sound the death knell by themselves, and other issues of balance or polish also interfere with player enjoyment.

For those of us with excess patience, though, the rewards could be great. Battlegrounds looks fantastic and sports a startling degree of replayable fun. Best of all, in establishing a wide beta tester program early on, Diversions Entertainment set the groundwork for a fanatically loyal player base that will be the key to success in the long run.

Between the lack of a save game feature, the ridiculous level of difficulty and the clunky controls, the much-hyped Dogs of War is toppled from its pedestal to become the one thing that it seeks to avoid: a decidedly average and utterly forgettable offering.

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.

While a part of the gameplay is absorbing, and the graphics and puzzles are noteworthy, there is no lasting impression communicated, so you never really care much about the outcome.

Far from being a cranium-stretching taut and suspenseful Sherlock Holmes mystery, this release falls flat in almost every dimension of its design and execution.

ER was too short for my taste and replayability is a problem as well, but it was easy to forgive these issues. This game offers rich and engaging gameplay and is adequately priced, so I feel confident in giving it the score.

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.

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

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

Little elements of polish and coherence are missing, anomalies abound, and you are too often left in the dark about what to do next to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time.

The quality of every component of the final product - from graphics and sound to vehicle physics and gameplay - is uniformly dismal.

Neither the graphics, sound nor gameplay are categorically bad, but each is consistently below average.

Making the gameplay more "realistic" actually averages out to something that's just a tad boring.

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.

What with graphics that are no longer state-of-the-art, no multiplayer component, a less-than-totally compelling story, and combat that is sometimes frustrating, there is a lot missing here.

In a short period of time I realized that the problems with hidden objects, irritating action sequences, and extremely brief gameplay keep this title from getting anywhere near its potential.

Drop dead tedious as a construction simulation, limited and rigid as a business management experience, and ridiculously uninteresting as a people-watching escapade.

A prime example of how amazing graphics can't make up for lackluster gameplay.

Yes it's expensive, and it has some serious problems that need immediate attention, but it can't be denied that Ultima Online is a unique, intriguing, thoroughly enjoyable gaming experience -- once you learn how to play, and accept it for what it is.

If you are looking for a deep story-driven experience with lots of innovative twists parallel to the latest non-handheld computer and console releases, then you are doomed to disappointment and should not purchase this title.

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