And therein lies the game's beauty—it's expertly balanced. For every Goliath tank driver, there's a Manta master or Raptor pilot who can rip you a new one.

More so than any other stealth-action game, Chaos Theory really makes you feel like a spy.

The best computer hockey game ever, period. More visually sleek and refined than previous versions, NHL 2004 has new dynasty mode, international leagues, and an enhanced fight system, all of which elevate it to benchmark status.

Just when you think the story is winding down, an incredible twist sends the narrative spiraling dramatically in another direction. [May 2005, p.86]

Vice City doesn't improve much on the few shortcomings of its predecessor. Fortunately, it doesn't have to. [Aug 2003, p.74]

The neat thing is that none of it—the chain of command, the elitist bands of E-brothers, the Patton-approved battle plans—needs to matter, at least to the curious weekend commando looking to pop into a public server and simply shoot somebody.

The presentation is second to none, the gameplay is addictive without being overbearing, and Sid Meier's signature "I-can't wait-to-see-what-happens-next" magic is here in full force. [Apr 2002, p.97]

One of the most beautiful games I've ever had the pleaseure to oogle at...One of the most thorough and impressive games I have seen in any genre. [Nov 2002, p.116]

A masterpeice from BioWare. Easily the best RPG of the year, and possibly the best Star Wars game ever made. [Feb 2004, p.61]

Somehow, Korsun Pocket manages to capture everything that's compelling about historical wargaming and presents it as a tremendous game. [Sept 2003, p.103]

Simply put, SWAT 4 is just about the best tactical shooter available. Its outstandingly realistic and gripping play delivers everything a tac-sim fan craves. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are more perps in need of cuffing.

Diablo is the perfect example of a game that transcends its genre.

GTA 3 is the crack cocaine of gaming: You know it's bad for you, but you keep using it. [Sept 2002, p.74]

"Dangerous Waters" is a superb modern naval combat simulator but Silent Hunter III is destined to be a Sim Hall of Fam all-time classic. [June 2005, p.94]

The best World War II flight simulator ever. [Mar 2002, p.90]

It's just beautifully designed: fast-paced, challenging, and awesome to look at. [June 2002, p.78]

The most pure fun you'll have with a strategy or RPG game this year. [June 2002, p.80]

The Sims 2 is as big as life and as consuming. At heart, and with heart, it is a masterpiece.

By impacting the micro and macro of Sims life, Unleashed isn't just a great addition, it's essential. [Dec 2002, p.122]

It's the execution that makes this game so damn good. The stellar visuals, amazing audio, and incredible attention to detail draw you into another world.

It was difficult to write this review, because each time I started the game to check on some detail, six hours mysteriously vanished. [Jan 2002, p.92]

Hearts and souls have been poured into Wizardry 8 and it shows. [Mar 2002, p.87]

You can turn a guard's own gun on him, shank him with a homemade shiv, snap his neck with your bare hands, or drop down on his head. [March 2005, p.71]

There are a multitude of play modes, but even the straightforward deathmatch and team deathmatch games are a blast, thanks to the species structure. [Feb 2002, p.85]

The development team used some real forethought when creating this trilogy. From a plot-development standpoint, think of it as the anti-"Star Wars." [Feb 2006, p.82]

If anything, it reminds us that ridiculous production values and high-powered rigs aren't always necessary to make a game that's just plain fun.

It's designed to let players make significant progress without requiring a decisive committment to sitting motionless in front of the computer for days at a time. Unfortunately, the game's so addictive that you may end up with a case of bedsores anyway. [Feb 2005, p.73]

Every shadowy corner in Icewind Dale II harbors one intense, challenging, and difficult battle after another. [Dec 2002, p.116]

Fun and engrossing, an experience to remember. [Apr 2002, p.100]

The simplicity of the gameplay and charm of the presentation are happy reminders of a more innocent age when games were just fun for kids rather than targets of congressional hearings. [Feb 2005, p.86]

With enough features to fill a 747 flight manual, MSFS2004 provides a level of flying simulation on the PC that was unimaginable even a few years ago. [Oct 2003, p.116]

Thrillinng acrobatic action, though the controls and camera could be better. [Mar 2004, p.88]

An outstanding game... The best movie-licensed game of the year is one of the best games of the year, period. [Oct 2003, p.114]

Smarter A.I. makes for some of the best firefights in any Red Storm game to date. [Jan 2003, p.104]

Each of the 17 tracks is meticulously detailed and accurate to within inches of its real-world counterpart. [Dec 2002, p.124]

Even more than Anna Kournikova, US Open 2002 makes me more interested in tennis. [Nov 2002, p.130]

This latest GTA is an epic, involving experience, no doubt--but when you get past the expansive world and the RPG-like elements, it's the same epic, involving experience it was last year.

It has the same kind of addictive magic, suspense, and excitement that the X-Com games had, with the bonus of devious human minds in place of stilted A.I. [June 2003, p.88]

The gameplay’s the thing, though, and in Dark Age it’s the best I’ve yet experienced in an online RPG. [Feb 2002, p.77]

What makes Freelancer a compelling game is the sense of a living universe, vast areas begging for exploration, and the ability to hook up with friends online and start being either total bastards or glorious do-gooders together. [May 2003, p.86]

One of the best five-on-five games for any platform. [Mar 2004, p.84]

In this sequel to the award-winning original, the kinks have been pistol-whipped until smooth, resulting in a tightly wrapped, short, sweet -- and familiar -- "ballet of death."

The most impressive civilian sim ever. [Feb 2002, p.97]

For computer war gamers, there really isn't anything better out there. [Jan 2005, p.98]

Resistance is so complete that Codemasters could have easily sold it as a stand-alone sequel. [Oct 2002, p.100]

With a superb game system, unrivaled detail, great graphics for the genre, and outstanding multiplayer, CMBB is more than enough to please any wargamer. [Feb 2003, p.70]

One of the most satisfying games of 2002. [Feb 2003, p.86]

A triumph of art direction, a prime example of exquisite aesthetics and of how well an imaginary world can be beautifully conceived.

A host of revisions and improvements propel Raven Shield way past the original R6 games in design and playability, making Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield the new benchmark in tac sims. [June 2003, p.82]

When it all comes together, Joint Ops is a great game that offers a solid combat experience on a scale far beyond anything in the "Battlefield" series. [Sept 2004, p.74]

Weapon sounds are so real, you can almsot feel the slight recoil of the M-16A2 rifle or the impact from the M-203 grenade launcher. [Jan 2003, p.106]

So far ahead, you can't see the competition. [Feb 2006, p.79]

Firaxis not only added a pair of high-difficulty levels, but also clearly improved the A.I. [Apr 2004, p.88]

It might just be one of the best strategy games of 2001…one of the most refreshing, engaging games released in a long time. [Jan 2002, p.98]

Relentlessly funny, constantly entertaining, and a total joy to play. For Simpsons fans (and is there anyone who isn't one?), it's nothing less than a must-have game. [Feb 2004, p.64]

The largest maps, which have three different levels of land, can provide dozens of hours of gameplay. [Nov 2003, p.128]

Tiger 06 is a hardcore character-building RPG wrapped up in a sports game, letting you craft your own story of spectacular success or crushing failure. If a nongolfer like me can love it, pretty much anyone can.

Deeper than the Marianas Trench. [June 2002, p.84]

A game that will please both hardcore golf-sim addicts & casual gamers. [Dec 2003, p.148]

Racing doesn't get much better...unless you're in a real car. [Mar 2004, p.75]

For $35, you get a ton of replayability plus new downloadable planes and campaigns each month. For those who don't mind abstraction in the name of fun, DIF is a must-have.

The core gameplay is so well done and the mechanics are so clean. Thanks to the great A.I., there's no question of the game's longevity.

What really sets NOLF2 apart is the game's sheer polish and professionalism. [Jan 2003, p.100]

Although it’s shot through with bugs and screw-ups that would remand a lesser title to the bargain bin, the game itself is so damn good you’ll forgive almost anything to keep playing. [Jan 2002, p.94]

A fantastic game - ridiculously fun, completely infectious, and one of the best massively multiplayer designs I've ever seen in an action game. [Jan 2003, p.116]

Comes close to being the massive, sprawling, open-ended, role-playing epic you've always dreamed of. [August 2002, p.68]

It can stand on its own as probably the best 4X strategy game of the past five years. [Feb 2004, p.67]

This game has so much more detail, realism, and flexibility than its predecessors that it effectively laps the F1 racing field. [Sept 2003, p.97]

A stroke of brilliance. With its unparalleled scope and enough strategic gameplay for two top-flight games, let alone one, Rome is a game that triumphs over its minor bugs and A.I. glitches and once again redefines what a historical strategy game can - and should - be. [Holiday 2004, p.100]

This is a very good follow-up to the best single-player role-playing game in years, and that's OK with me. KOTOR II is a big, often complex, mature piece of storytelling—and I'll take it over anything that's been onscreen with the Star Wars name in 25 years.

It might be too friendly for old-school, hardcore EQ players to make the jump, but for gamers looking for a classic fantasy MMO, EverQuest II should fit the bill very nicely. [Feb 2005, p.72]

Probably the best shooter I've played all year. The only real knocks against it are that it's a relatively short game (I finished in about 10 hours) and the multiplayer is lackluster. But let's be honest: If you're into playing a World War II game online nothing compares to "Battlefield 1942" or Day of Defeat.

This is one shooter in which your tactical skills are rewarded more than your ability to line up targets. [June 2005, p.76]

Those who've never played a computer golf sim may discover that this is one of their favorite games of the year in any genre. [Holiday 2004, p.84]

The game presentation is like a television broadcast with an Emmy-winning director in the booth. [Mar 2003, p.106]

This game is truly all about the cinematic, dramatic single-player campaign, and it is there that it shines, often brilliantly, but a little too briefly. [Jan 2005, p.92]

As good as, if not better, than the original Playstation 2 best-seller. [July 2002, p.79]

The A.I. in this game is capable of some remarkably human-like behavior. [June 2003, p.99]

Winter Assault further cements Dawn of War as one of the great next-gen strategy titles. If you thought you were sick of the genre, come back. This is worth it.

Stronghold’s deft mix of economic, building, and combat challenges makes it one of the best strategy games of the year. [Feb 2002, p.79]

IO Interactive has fixed almost every flaw for Hitman 2; the result is an almost perfect blend of action and stealth. [Jan 2003, p113]

AOW2 effectively straddles that fine line between hands-on control and micromanagement busywork. [Sept 2002, p.86]

One of the best-designed games to come along in years. [Jan 2002, p.115]

Even without the numerous enhancements, tweaks, and goodies, Desert Siege is worth its price for the mission editor alone. [June 2002, p.83]

The biggest and only serious bummer of Half-Life 2 is the installation -- and it's so bad that we're knocking the game's final score.

This brilliantly desinged game breaks out of the cliches of the collectible-card-game genre ("Magic", "Pokemon", etc.) and provides gameplay that can rival that of the deepest of strategy games. [May 2004, p.84]

The mechanics for pulling off tricks have been perfected. [Jan 2005, p.104]

A fine blend of strategy, combat, and role playing. [Nov 2002, p.122]

Combine Splinter Cell's pure stealth action with the world of Tom Clancy and you've got one hell of a techno-espionage title made even better on the PC. [Mar 2003, p.82]

The new economic system is marvelous, with more load types than in previous games. [Feb 2004, p.74]

Easily the best Madden game yet, but be prepared to buy a Logitech Dual Action controller. [Nov 2003, p.130]

This last bit of fuel injection for the aging Battlefield engine is worth the money. [Dec 2003, p.138]

From its uncannily accurate physics model to its drop-dead gorgeous graphics...it sets a new standard from F1 racers. [Oct 2002, p.102]

The player economy, crafting aspects, and general sociability aren't nearly what they are in a full-fledged MMORPG, and even ArenaNet labels Guild Wars a "competitive RPG." Still, for less-social gamers thirsting for high-octane, real-time online action without a monthly fee, Guild Wars is a solid choice.

Indigo Prophecy marks a tremendous rebirth for a very stagnant genre. Let's hope its mature style serves as an inspiration for other developers.

Ranks among the most entertaining games I've played in a while. [Apr 2005, p.85]

The attention to detail is extremely high, the Direct 3D graphics are fantastic, and the story is worth pursuing. [Jan 2002, p.106]

Because of the fantasy setting and the powerful new graphics engine, cranked-down zoomed-in battles can be spectacular in a way that Creative Assembly's "Shogun" and "Medieval" battles can only dream of. [Dec 2004, p.90]