Yes folks, we have played BioShock and we loved it. The minor flaws in the game's design didn't keep us from having an all night session to get to the end and we think that will be your conclusion as well.

A masterpiece of game design and development. Like its Black Isle-developed "Planescape" cousin, BG2 is a tour-de-force in computer roleplaying.

The writing is without peer and its execution brilliant, with the voice-over performances and details in visuals/animations rivaling anything Pixar has done on film. On top of all that, it's hilarious!

Let me clear things up by assuring you that none of the quest bugs, graphical issues, gameplay glitches, or unexplained crashes I've encountered can change the fact that I played this amazing RPG for well over 100 hours in the past couple weeks and absolutely loved it.

Even though I’m sad to see the role-playing elements were neutered, there is no doubt this game is an improvement over the first in almost every way. That’s quite an achievement, considering ME1 is a great game in its own right.

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.

There’s certainly room for improvement, we could in fact stand to enjoy some randomly generated quests like in Daggerfall and a bigger game world, but Oblivion is as close to free-form RPG perfection as you can get nowadays.

A great game and a fresh, new experience. Just about every single problem from previous titles, especially the lackluster "Civ III," has been adjusted or outright replaced. Whether it’s the endless city spamming, the lack of good multiplayer, or the AI cheating in obnoxious ways, it’s been addressed in Civilization IV.

The best thing about it is the presentation, though; only Blizzard can make an RTS feel like an epic adventure.

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

What's different about it is that Blizzard has made the game very accessible and really put together an amazing system of quests that aren't just part of the depth, but actually a tutorial. All this is done in a world rich in landmarks, characters, races and enemies.

If Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare had a longer single player campaign our score would have been even higher. As it stands Infinity Ward's latest game still is worth the money to buy and experience for yourself.

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

A refreshing and at times thought-provoking human-scale simulation.

A gaming triumph...More astonishingly, they've created a system of classes and abilities that are so varied that there's a compelling reason to actually play through the game more than once.

Yes, there are only four levels of co-op and we're tempted to tear into Ubi for not including more, but on the other hand the mere inclusion of co-op play is already a major achievement. If only the development team would be so nice as to release some level design tools.

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.

Probably the only thing keeping Thief from 5 stars is a better graphics engine...The incredible sound engine, innovative design and game play lift Thief above all others as a single player adventure.

AOK is as addictive as crack, but at the same time, as refined as a 30 year old cognac. Package all that into a drop dead gorgeous graphics engine and it's easy to see that Ensemble and Microsoft have a real winner on their hands; AOK is going to be around for a long time.

Without better DM map design, more polished graphics and artwork and maybe more panache in the weapons design department, we don't feel that Unreal Tournament is quite ready to earn our seal of approval as the uber-shooter to carry gaming into the next millennium.

Combining all the best features of a genre AND adding evolutionary improvement to them is in fact, revolutionary...The clean interface, astounding gameplay depth, and narcotic addictiveness of SMAC all prove that it deserves one of our highest ratings.

Despite our nitpicky issues with "graphical cleanliness" and clunky multiplayer, Baldur's Gate simply shines.

Crysis was our most anticipated PC game of 2007 and the final product does keep some of its promise in terms of its graphics and its multiplayer mode. However its high system requirements will also keep many players from fully enjoying it and a great first half of the single player campaign gets bogged down with its more mundane and ultimately unsatisfying second half.

It runs well, it’s almost completely bug-free, the servers are good, the game scales mob spawn rates to keep up with demand, the quest log always has something for you to do and the instances are brief and enjoyable. There’s no clearing of crap before you get to the Dead Mines or Maraudon proper, you no longer need to get 40 people together for a raid... it’s not next-generation, but The Burning Crusade is as good as this generation of MMOs is going to get.

Above all, compared to almost any 4X game out there, it's the AI that stands out in Galactic Civilizations. It doesn't cheat, except at the highest difficulty levels, and it behaves in believable ways. It exploits weaknesses, it doesn't gang up on the player, and it uses sound strategies.

It's certainly the best Batman game by far, probably the best action/adventure game this year. Accordingly, I hope that Rocksteady has a sequel in the works.

We loved everything about the game. We loved everything from the silly fez wearing guards right down to the random dissertations on the meaning of life.

Those looking for a completely new gameplay experience will be disappointed, as will those hoping for more realism. However, if you're looking for a faster, cleaner and more polished Battlefield, this is it. Digital Illusions didn't roll any dice on this one (pardon the pun), they stuck to the formula but fleshed it out and polished it up.

Batman: Arkham City suffers from a botched port job; it's unstable and the DRM offers an even greater incentive to pirate nowadays. The patch fixed most of my problems, but I cannot overlook the two weeks it took to get to that point so I could finally get around to this review. Once you get past these technical issues (or if you're lucky enough not to experience them), however, it really is an amazing action game that outdoes its predecessor in every way.

A stunning work of art, full of creativity and originality. It is faithful to the rules of both AD&D and Planescape yet bends them enough to make for a different experience for hardcore veterans without ruining the game.

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.

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

It’s not too often anymore that you see an RPG with so much character depth, well-written spoken dialogue, and engaging story arcs on top of such brutally enjoyable combat.

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.

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 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 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.

Deus Ex has raised the standard for first person adventure games with its open ended design, and seamless integration of the story into the game play.

There are very few games I recommend outright to anyone without hesitation. So let me just qualify: if you have any interest in first-person shooters, go get Riddick. Now.

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.

The best simulation we've played in years. It retains accessibility while offering remarkable levels of detail and realism... It is visually attractive, aurally satisfying and quite simply a breathtaking experience.

Human Revolution does exactly what it set out to do. That is, perfectly capture the spirit of Deus Ex and transplant it into a fresh, modern experience on all platforms, while staying true to its roots in the PC version.

Even a four-player free-for-all is an intense scramble - as action-packed as any RTS gets, with players being forced into an aggressive stance that leads to a panoply of crazy and fun situations.

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

Left 4 Dead 2 is better than the original in virtually every way and every bit as replayable. I would say there is enough new stuff to justify it being released as a sequel, but on the other hand I agree with many that say this is what L4D should’ve been.

As captivating as Mass Effect is in terms of story, setting, and core game mechanics, it sort of falls apart when it comes to basic gameplay.

The gameplay of the Homeworld series is now cemented as revolutionary. Games in the future will either draw upon this series as influence, or out and out steal its ideas. Homeworld and its sequel, Cataclysm, have done more for RTS than all others save perhaps Herzog Zwei and the PC Classic "Dune 2000."

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

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

From the Olympics and World Cup down to trying to avoid relegation from Poland’s 2nd League, you can lead your manager to compete anywhere.

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.

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.

There are just a couple of minor things holding it back : the slightly jumpy mouselook feature, and the slight frustration in finding specific items or areas on particular levels. In the great scheme of things these are a small problems in an otherwise fantastic action shooter.

Due to its price and overall incredible level of quality, detail, and care, EHM 2007 is one of the best values on the market. If you ever spend any significant amount of time tweaking your lines or simulating through seasons in either NHL 2K or EA’s NHL series, you will adore Eastside Hockey Manager.

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.

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

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.

Some interesting levels -- even three or four -- and I'd go into the 90s, but the levels are amazingly dull for a game built on an engine this powerful. It's like hiring Michaelangelo to paint your garage.

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

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.

Going up against another player in Myth 2 makes me feel more like a tactical leader than any other RTS has before. You feel more in control of the flow of battle; after playing Myth 2, battles in other RTS games feel like you're just throwing guys at the enemy.

It’s probably the best game of the series despite its more modest score. It is more challenging, the battles are more interesting and balanced, and the graphics and sound are fantastic.

This game is still very enjoyable. If you’ve played the first one (and you should, if you haven’t), there will be some severe déjà vu happening, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still better than a lot of games these days.

It's that kind of freedom and pressure-free atmosphere that makes Pirates! as good as it is. Now, if only it would be so nice as to make dancing less important in courtship - or at least less difficult - we'd have a completely enjoyable game.

Armadillo Run is more charming and a better puzzle game than "Pontifex," but it doesn't quite recapture that same magic. Even though it's a very different style, the same rules applied and the novelty of the physics has worn off a bit. Quite frankly however, when those are the biggest complaints you can lay at a title's feet, you know you're dealing with a special product.

Diablo II isn't a perfect game - the save system and battle.net are the two major issues we had, though we are still baffled by the lackluster graphics. However, when it comes down to it, Diablo II is undeniably fun.

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.

It’s been a long time since a developer has taken such risks in development and it is deeply impressive that so many of these risks have paid off for the members of Ironclad.

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

The levels are even bigger and more interesting. The game will take a good while to finish - 50 hours isn't out of the question, so you'll definitely get a good bang for your buck.

Fans of the series will love it, those that complain about linearity or other typical Half-Life traits will continue to be disappointed.

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

The combat, first and foremost, is just plain awesome. With all the tools of the 2nd edition AD&D system available, Black Isle have created some awesome encounters for you to tackle.

Dead Space 2 is intense. The campaign lasts around 8 hours on Normal, and almost every minute of that is spent enduring this psychological stress that alternates between exhilaration and agitation.

Seriously Sweet.

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.

Compelling is barely adequate to describe the feeling as you’re gritting your teeth and trying to find a new way to assault that strongpoint at the highest difficulty levels – grenades gone, no squadmates in sight and an MG42 trained on you. The visuals, the sound, the yelling and screaming and the rain or dust storms just suck you right back in.

We loved this game! As far as 3-D RTS games go, this is the best one we have ever played. With very few flaws this game pleases in almost every aspect.

Resident Evil 5 is a must-have game. It isn’t without minor flaws, but they do little to undermine everything that Capcom did so very right.

There are areas it could be improved - the fights could be bigger and more involved, and the game could be longer, and the powers have a little more oomph - but it's really just a series of minor nitpicks that tug away at the whole experience.

The campaign lasts about 6-8 hours, but it's really not particularly fun or interesting. Things that made Crysis so awesome, like destructible buildings/foliage and vast sandbox environments, are nonexistent in the sequel, and the "new and improved" nanosuit is little more than a shell of its former self.

Artificial limits to and strict uniformity of online play, precious development time spent on extraneous and arcadey side-missions, removal of a crucial gameplay mechanic because “the game isn’t balanced for that?” I just expect more from a developer who wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for the PC.

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.

We’re impressed with how simple the game has stayed while adding so much depth.

The levels started off to a great start, but tapered off way too quickly in a way that was just disappointing. They had a great story going for them, but some more length and detail would have gone a long way for them.

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.

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.

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.

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

EMI's combination of great graphics, hilarious story and solid gameplay is a tough one to beat. If you like adventure games this one's a no-brainer.

For the casual gamer, Allegiance finally gives you a space shooter that's fun to play in multiplayer. It has a point, it has huge furballs with dozens of fighters flying around and it can be played at any time. Just fire up the computer, find a public or premium match, join in and fly.

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.

Dawn of War II plays like the illegitimate love child of Company of Heroes and the original Dawn of War. The cover system is an excellent addition to the series, while the ability to destroy cover is even better. The RPG elements and open-ended campaign add a lot of depth to the single player game, while co-op works wonderfully to allow you to share your game experience with a friend over Live.

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 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.

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

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

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.