Where the developers chose to, they pulled off a great first-person RPG complete with sneaking, combat, dialogue, an interesting story and of course role-playing elements... On the other hand, its combat is not that strong and yet for some reason someone at Troika or Activision saw fit to include multiple prolonged sequences of it. Furthermore, the balance of the game is really thrown off by those fights.

It's quite gritty, has some surprisingly creative missions and even offers historical lessons about the Vietnam conflict. Now if only it was prettier and fixed the "realistic" walking motion.

On the one hand, I love the flight models, the graphics and the challenge of multiplayer. On the other hand, there's no escaping the conclusion that this is really just a spruced up "Forgotten Battles" with carriers and more American-Japanese planes.

One of the key features, the Crusades, are utterly broken in this reviewer's opinion and the game would be much better without them enabled.

It has a seamless blend of strategy and tactics, giving the player the power to choose whether he wants to enjoy one or the other, the 11 civilizations to play – and it does this all in a very refined fashion.

Although it has an uninspired campaign, it’s very true to the universe. The same can not be said for the combat system, which deviates from the board game a great deal but results in some remarkably bloody battles. RTS games all too often suffer from micromanagement mania, but Warhammer does away with this.

Good God, if this game doesn’t immediately suck you in and render you worthless for hours on end, then I don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve, on occasion, sat down to play for a few minutes and then noticed that it’s been five hours.

The multiplayer in UO is revolutionary compared to CoD, and while we might wish Activision released this as a stand-alone for the sake of the community, we’re not about to punish an excellent expansion pack for adding so much to the original.

Doom III is 4 hours of intensity that tests the structural integrity of your mouse against your grip. That's followed by another four hours of wondering if that's all there is to the game. The last 8 hours are irritation that, unfortunately, that is all there is to the game.

The game artificially creates work for the player - ie, having to switch a sniper to shooting mode is patently ridiculous.

I've played Thief the third time now. It's time to elaborate and expand. The small touches implemented by the developers, like the City, factions and stores are mostly cosmetic, never taken advantage of fully.

The base gameplay and fun factor are through the roof. This has to be the first MMO that immediately grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Wearing tights is extremely addictive, if you can fight off the eventual tedium set-in.

The stake gun and painkiller are simply useless in multiplayer, and they’re your starting weapons. This is as poorly thought out as id giving the blaster as the weapon in "Quake II."

BFV's lack of originality can't be excused - not only isn't it all that much different from the original, it isn't even clearly better than the Desert Combat mod.

Even with its replayability and late-game problems, Silent Storm is really the best turn-based tactical game ever. Yes, it doesn’t have the strategic aspects of X-Com, but no game has such advanced combat.

A better game than Deus Ex, but it’s a lesser experience. It is far less ambitious, not as complicated and about a third as long.

You’re not likely to find another game that lets you skip the pansy levels and move onto the dragon-smiting immediately.

It’s strange to admit that I do personally enjoy Victoria – and wouldn’t recommend it to a soul I know. Nobody should have to go through the frustrations of the first few games, especially with the newest patch, in order to see if they’ll actually grow to like it once they learn it.

Random hilarious run-ins occur frequently, many times when they aren't even scripted. And for a show that has virtually nothing to do with driving, it's impressive to see a Springfield with seamlessly integrated wacky vehicles, destructive driving (Canyonero! - it's in the game, baby), and unexpected donut theft.

The new "Medal of Honor." Squad combat, iron sights, the incredible tactile feel of the game, the sound effects, the graphics, the intense levels - it’s done for first-person shooters in 2003 what "Medal of Honor" did two years ago.

A really solid first effort for Playland. This game has the strong possibility of evolving into a very good series. Level design is mostly solid. Production values are suitably high, if not up to the work that Valve and id are doing these days. Weapon choice is varied. And best of all, the game has some character.

The game is much more accessible and deeper at the same time, but doesn’t force too much simplicity or complexity on anyone. In those regards, it’s perfect.

Doesn’t live up to its illustrious predecessors. So many changes has cost the game its identity.

As long as you realize you're buying a John Woo shootout sim and not a story-driven narrative with lots of cool weapons, locations, characters, and multiplayer longevity, Max Payne 2 won't be a disappointment.

The brightest point about all this, is that if Microsoft wants to spend the money, all of these problems can be patched away. A better chat interface is easy – even color-coding messages would help tremendously. Co-op is a long-term project but not impossible.

Black Cactus has crafted a game that is just different enough for mainstream RTSers to appreciate, while adding things like a unique and involving storyline and intelligent adversaries for those who don't want to play the same old thing.

It's not that there's all that much terribly wrong with Breakthrough, it's more that there’s nothing all-that-right right about it.

Raven has done a fantastic job honing in on the strengths of Jedi Outcast and eliminating its weaknesses. Shoddy, confusing, and dull level design has been dropped for a succession of catchy, focused missions that carry you along for hours.

I utterly hated the singleplayer aspect but enjoyed the multiplayer.

The only thing really missing from Ghost Master is the wow factor. There's no feeling of ever being overwhelmed with how cool the game is, nor do you 'wake up' from a Ghost Master marathon at 6am and realize you have to shower for work, because there's no chance of having a Ghost Master marathon.

Manages to fix the balance problems that crept up in WarCraft III, but is unable to fix the fundamental problem. The game remains at an uncomfortable middle-ground between strategy and tactics, not giving enough of either or focusing explicitly on one.

For all the attempts to make the world lively, the world map has shown what a dreadfully static place the archipelago is. AI ships float around randomly, making no attempt to even look like they’re even trying to run trade routes.

Just keep in mind that this isn’t "Baldur’s Gate," that the focus of play is far removed from the tactical combat mechanics of yore, and that you’re mostly adventuring solo.

The adventure is too buried under the business sim, which is a bit too inelegant for its own good, and the strategy is hobbled by a really lame combat system. At least it's better than Bethesda's recent "Pirates of the Caribbean."

The first multiplayer game to make me completely abandon "Battlefield." In fact I haven’t played a multiplayer shooter so much since "Quake" and "Tribes."

It’s a great recreation of the old Marvel comic book to which geeks like myself will quickly warm, and the best use of a movie license in at least a couple of years.

There is a lot to be said for the city-centric game design, the intricate unit balancing, the smart AI, and the catchy, quickie action, although there isn’t anything here to make the jaded sit up and shout.

Vehicles, weapons, bases, and factions are all inter-woven into a system of balanced and sophisticated combat, even if it does feel like fighting for fighting’s sake.

While everything does slow down in Focus mode, you appear to be in multiple places at the same time, and the camera can’t handle this. It jerks all over the place, inducing first frustration, then nausea, and finally “Who the hell cares?” as you give up and click the punch and kick buttons as fast as possible while pushing the mouse all over the place.

Best of all, Vice City isn’t quite what we expect from a PC game today. It doesn’t fit neatly into any genre, so a freshness factor makes gunning down cops and knocking over banks seem even more innovative and new.

A good game needs at least some combination of competent AI, level design, atmosphere, animation, technical stability, or gameplay, all of which are conspicuously lacking here.

Easily the best 4X game right now and the best that we’ll see for years to come. The AI of this spectacular title alone will keep gamers talking long after its moment in the spotlight is over.

It's got almost enough gameplay to rival "Battlefield 1942" as the definitive team-based action game, but with a much smoother, more ambitious, and ultimately more effective engine.

A solid entry in the series but doesn’t really advance it meaningfully in any way. Indeed, in some ways – the brevity of the campaign, the so-so missions – it’s a step back from previous games.

It looks great and it’s thoroughly immersive, as long as you stay in your ship.

Part of the problem is the glitchy tech and part of the problem is the inconsistent and frustrating gameplay. But the biggest problem is that there are so many better games with more personality, better level design, better weapons, better spying, and better shooting.

Provides the ultimate combat flying experience, and no perfect place to play it. The dynamic campaign may be good, but it’s not compelling. The multiplayer venue is hampered by a factious community, and terrible matchmaking interface.

Like "Quake," it’s not just a game that you get better at the more you play it – it's a game that gets better for you as you learn to understand the intricacies.

The interface problems, with the help of poor unit AI and netcode, are the key reasons for our frustration with Generals otherwise outstanding gameplay.

The bottom line is that Unreal 2 is saddled with unmemorable weapons and enemies, disappointing AI, a dull lead character, underdone level design, and a lack of technical polish, all wrapped around the same old stuff you’ve seen in so many first person shooters, most of which are better than this game.

SimCity 4’s biggest flaw is that it’s not a SimCity. It’s some third-party interpretation of what SimCity should be like, with some grand new features. The new features are implemented but the designers totally missed what makes a SimCity.

The chat interface is a poorly organized mess. Guiding your sim through necessary activities requires too much real time hand-holding and should have been better automated.

I like James Bond. I hated this game. As a stealth-action shooter, Nightfire has no redeeming qualities.

Just one of those strange games that has it all on paper, executes the design properly and yet doesn’t capture the imagination.

Everything was handed to the development team on a platter – a working engine, complete with all basic content (textures, models, terrain) and this is the best they can come up with?

The end result is a jigsaw puzzle where many of the pieces don’t fit with the others, and a substantial chunk of the picture seems to be missing.

Felt tired in its singleplayer campaign – though it was still far better than "WarCraft III."

Quite simply, Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin has smashed preconceived notions of what defines the wargame genre.

From the interface, through performance to the actual gameplay, it fails someone, somewhere, at every level. The missions are too simple, the campaign usually ends up looking strategically dubious, and there aren’t enough rewards for the prestige the player earns.

The ability to be the cop and call up backup such as the chopper and spike strips is a noble attempt but just not enough. They are fun to use but a few tweaks do not make a game.

A worthwhile game, but its stability, length, and a number of the gameplay dynamics hold the game back.

Game of the Year...Like "Deus Ex" two years ago, there is simply nothing on the same level.

There is no excuse for a game to perform so badly at the lowest settings, especially on a system which meets the recommended system requirements. Unless you have all the latest hardware, don’t bother with UT2K3 for a while.

Dead on the Money is one of the finest police procedural or detective adventure games ever created.

While I typically look upon design appropriation negatively, Divine Divinity’s conciseness and irreverence set put it an uncontested step ahead of the opposition.

It’s a tribute to the developers that Battlefield 1942 stands head and shoulders above most of its competition, after all these years of real-world shooters.

It’s balanced, it’s fun, and I can’t wait to get to level 140 again!

While the original Icewind Dale was a very tight, focused product, the sequel is very rough around the edges, and though the aesthetics are superior to the original, the game itself is undeniably inferior.

We criticized "Shogun" for a few quirks in the interface, but generally it was very clean. Now, those same quirks have bit its sequel in the ass with a vengeance.

There are plenty of great, free mods out there. Paying money for a sub-par mod like Mobile Forces isn't fair.

If you have an Xbox or PlayStation 2, those are by far the better platforms for Madden 2003.

[The single player game is c]ertainly not comparable to the evolutionary changes we expected Blizzard to put it through.

Once you toss in the graphics, sound effects, quality core rules and the toolset, it’s easy to understand how we came up with 91.

No one in their right mind should bother playing this game. There are so many better alternatives out there right now.

There’s more senseless violence in GTA3 than there are bleeps in an episode of "The Osbournes."

Complex combat, climbing the tech tree, and resource management (commonly found in RTS games) make Civ III a deep strategy game – far beyond a simple Simulation game.

A lot of great ideas with poor execution. The premise for the story is good - a lone gunman rebelling against an oppressive corporation - but the storytelling and characters are so thin that you're never drawn in.

There is enough repetitive, standard fare about Max, coupled with its short play time, that makes it hard to flat-out recommend.

Too short to justify its current MSRP.

Most gamers do not have a GHz+ machine, and the ones that do didn't get it so they could put up with agonizing framerates, minute-long loads, and poor graphics. Significant promises were made pertaining to the featureset of the game, and many of these have not yet been delivered.

Despite the disappointing AI and intense, at times unfair difficulty levels, it is a fun game. However, it's barely playing the same sport, never mind in the same league as "FreeSpace 2."

If you had fun playing SimCity years ago but don't know if Sim gaming is still for you, give Tropico a whirl. Heck, if you just like Latin Jazz/Mambo music, you should pick up Tropico.

New weapons, new vehicles, amazing graphics, stunning sound, and gameplay that really encourages teamwork... it's almost perfect!

It has a great concept, great innovations, but they should have spent more time refining the gameplay to be more rewarding. City building, fighting, and creature training are all too shallow.

Seriously Sweet.

Fallout: Tactics isn't just one of the better squad-combat games out there. It's also a decent action game, and has strong roleplaying aspects.

The horror aspect is pulled of very well, and you'll find yourself jumping out of your seat often.

The single best strategy game released since "Civilization II" (and perhaps even the original "Civilization.")

Oni does present a truly awesome hand to hand combat system, certainly the best on the PC.

Although fun for a few levels, the problems in this game quickly build up to the point where they bury any fun you might have been having with a mountain of frustration.

With an incredibly stupid AI, decent graphics, poor voiceovers and a rather tiresome gameplay model, we weren't too impressed with Project IGI.

A game with so much potential and so many great ideas, but, despite being a sequel, it doesn't have the polish necessary to deliver a compelling game.

The levels, the characters - everything about this game is beautiful. The levels are easily the prettiest and most creative I have ever seen, each one designed in its own unique style. You couldn't get a better result if you threw Tim Burton or Clive Barker into the mix.

The key thing that kept me playing and happy was the story. I really enjoyed the dialog and plot more than anything else. If there is one game you want to play for comedy Giants is it. The story doesn't have much depth and it does taper off towards the end, but while you have it, it is obscenely funny.

If you can get past the brick-handed interface and get into the game itself, odds are you'll enjoy it.

Though hampered by terrible graphics, a lack of multiplayer and a few gameplay problems could not keep us from being impressed by Jagged Alliance 2: Unfinished Business.

The killer problems were the story, the tedious nature of the game, and the short length... [but w]e highly recommend Blair Witch 3: The Elly Kedward Tale to anyone looking for a good scare.

The best robot game, ever... The excellent singleplayer campaign is perfectly complemented by an equally competent multiplayer game.