It’s disappointing that the multiplayer doesn’t take advantage of the opportunities established by the rest of the game’s design, but the four-player co-op is a very welcomed addition.

While there isn’t a lot of innovation since the last version, there is enough action—both new and old—to assure the series’ place as one of the premiere online shooters on the system.

But it's a very linear tale, which typically seems to require D-Tritus to explore gigantic areas in search of a single person to talk to. Each area is often extremely large.

The controls just feel flawed and the mission design is remarkably uninspired.

It's not as flashy as Black or Farcry: Instincts, but the patriotic vibe and real-life arsenal make up for the graphical inadequacies.

UEFA loses traction with the actual gameplay, which is filled with more issues than a magazine stand.

One of the more interesting and entertaining strategy titles to come along in quite some time.

You're not going to get the butterflies in your stomach the way you did the first time you stormed the beach at Normandy, but the visceral gameplay and scripted events make you feel like you're never too far from the troop transport.

The trial-and-error nature of gameplay and the repeating loops of the plot require certain degrees of patience and repetition that not everyone will want to pony up. In our opinion, however, the game's well worth the effort.

It's just familiar content. The developers clearly played it safe with Freedom 2, all too eager to stay on target when they should have been aiming higher.

As a game it's nowhere near as good as Rockstar's GTA franchise, but its excellent storytelling and slick production values make it an experience worth having.

Race Pro is less Michael Schumacher and more Jacques Villeneuve. It does a few things well, a lot of things mediocre, and is kind of annoying when you have to deal with it for more than an hour at a time.

It's not nearly on the level of "Kingdom Hearts," and really doesn't stand out in a crowd.

Totally middle-of-the-road. A nice idea that's a bit overdone, and never really takes off the way it should.

The question instead should be, "Is the price tag worth the day or two of campaigning I will get out of the moderately small amount of new action?" That will be left up to the individual soldier to answer.

A surprisingly addictive, insanely frenetic multiplayer game that will delight "Magic" fans. But even those who've never played it (and maybe shot spitballs at those who did) might take a fancy to it.

Proving Ground is far from a bad game, but it's a disappointment nonetheless. That's what happens when creativity gives way to complacency.

But anyone who hasn’t been indoctrinated into fandom will be put off by the thought of dozens of hours of poor scripting, repetitive combat and insistent AI.

Mercenaries 2 won't entice those expecting glitch-free gaming, diverse missions, gritty realism, and cerebral combat. Yet for the run-and-gun crowd, it's escapist entertainment worth seeking out just for the sheer amount of chaos you can create within the colorful jungle setting. It’s not long, it's not deep, but it's never boring, especially with a friend.

The game isn’t fun at all (including the pathetically limited multiplayer options which aren’t worth going into)...It’s just frustrating that Dark Sector, with all the trappings of a good game, could squander nearly every single one of them with bad level design, poor logic, repetitive combat, and no attention to what made its inspiration so…inspiring.

There’s something pretty telling about a game that can suck away hours of your time before you know it. That’s just what Endless Ocean did to me. Despite not being a game in the classical sense, Endless Ocean is a solid and fascinating diversion.

Has fun, straightforward gameplay and a simple heart. There is a little more to it, like plenty of game-time extending side quests, but some of the extras just seem like coronary blockage.

Gamers looking for a long involving experience will be disappointed that the story is not nearly as voluptuous as the female characters; at around 20 hours some will consider it too thin a quest.

Easy playability, a solid presentation, and one of the most satisfyingly off-beat and engaging storylines in any game all make Amped 3 one of the more suprising Xbox 360 launch games.

Prinny’s still a good time for players who don’t feel the need to prove their manhood, and if you do have something to prove…well, step right up and try your hand.

While there are problems--too cutscene-heavy, some lame objectives, and the fact that there are infinitely more zombies than little green men--Area 51 is more than enough to make a believer out of you.

The lack of any camera controls is somewhat annoying, but seldom intrusive, and the ability to save at any time is especially welcome.

The groundwork is laid here for something truly interesting and special if a follow-up is made, but this initial outing is merely average.

Excellent multiplayer options and a lengthy single player campaign manage to add up to a commendable air combat experience.

Star Ocean: Last Hope won’t make anyone forget that FF XIII is on the horizon. But as far as holding us over in the meantime, this game more than succeeds.

There’s no doubt that fans of 2D action will love this difficult quest, but if you weren’t into side scrollers before, it seems unlikely that anything here will change your mind.

The Club may not satisfy your daily dose of carnage, but what you will find is a challenging shooter that tries something new with a tired genre.

Featuring an interesting story line and fresh spin on classic gameplay, it may just barely make its way onto the short list of great pirate-themed titles to hit videogame consoles.

It has that "just one more turn" kind of addictiveness that all good turn-based strategy games have in spades.

Just consider it The Sims for Sims newbies. It so completely caters to its intended audience that it’s an enjoyable, if slightly too easy experience.

The lack of guardrails leaves little room for error, and the camera often fails to let you know what's coming until you're already diving head first into a bottomless pit. That's the most common way to go.

Like a miniature fashion model: short, quite pretty, and as insubstantial as it is fun.

Whether or not you’ll like this game really boils down to whether or not you like the decidedly Bejeweled-inspired core gameplay mode, because regardless of what you’re doing in this game you’re never more than a few clicks away from it.

There’s a multiplayer mode to be had, but it’s hard to recommend Juarez solely based on the fact that you can share the misery with friends.

On a rudimentary gameplay level, Syberia is an average adventure game with average puzzles. But dig a little deeper and you'll find an experience that evokes a somber mood that stays with you long after you've finished playing.

But in the end, it’s just freaking sudoku. And the inclusion of one MILF-ish brit doesn’t go a long way towards making the whole package more attractive.

Diehard fans will probably find the added cards and light quest mode to be worth the investment, but casual "Yu-Gi-Oh" players who already have "Eternal Duelist Soul" may not want to shell out $30 just for a minor update.

It's a living, breathing example of the Xbox's graphical prowess and a lesson in accessibility for novice gameplayers as well as the more experienced.

If you expect the budget price to reflect the game's poor online performance, you shouldn't be too disappointed. If you demand the same performance and quality in your games that you do in your cars, you'll probably want to pass this one over.

Unlike those in the comparatively lively Tiger Woods titles, the Swingerz courses come off as disconcertingly quiet and bland, without so much as a visible audience.

The story and characterization are better than in most console RPGs. But we were left wondering why these rookie mistakes are in a game with so much promise.

What we have here is the most basic and elementary of fighting games. It's nothing to look at, listen to, or play.

Mercenaries 2 won't entice those expecting glitch-free gaming, diverse missions, gritty realism, and cerebral combat. Yet for the run-and-gun crowd, it's escapist entertainment worth seeking out just for the sheer amount of chaos you can create within the colorful jungle setting. It’s not long, it's not deep, but it's never boring, especially with a friend.

It's passable in short spurts, but if you’re looking for something deep and challenging, look elsewhere.

The huge array of options, jacked-up challenge level, and variations on otherwise familiar, tried-and-true gameplay help make this a worthy addition to the music game genre. Novice dancers, however, are still better served sticking with Konami’s offerings.

Once you know all the jokes in Outlaw Golf, it starts to lose its appeal. If you take away all of the game's "Smackdown" humor and attitude, all you're left with is a decent golf title.

For Wii owners looking for something a little more adult, Deadly Creatures satisfies your sadistic cravings for carnage and blood, but lacks the polish to make it a keeper for any collection.

For the second time in under a year, EA fails to impress with a next-gen football game. 2006 FIFA World Cup comes off as a quick cash-in to make a fast buck before the big event in Germany this June.

Is it derivative? Yes. Is that a bad thing? No. Have I spent the last week of my life beating this game 6 times over and STILL going back for more? Um, what I do in my spare time is between my consoles and me.

While it does not have the seemingly endless replay value of the original, the tighter gameplay works well for a more straightforward gaming experience.

What brings this game down is its completion time. Most players will finish the game in half an hour.

While Lost Kingdoms certainly has plenty of flaws, this is still an impressive first-generation role-playing game for a system that desperately needs one.

The overwhelming majority of the games are over too quickly, making it a great party game but not something solo players will necessarily be returning to early and often. That said, it’s easily the best EyeToy disc released to date.

Some may find that Secret Agent doesn't quite have the same biting sense of humor as the original games. It definitely holds up in the gameplay department, though, which is more than enough to make this a successful solo outing.

If you didn't know what "taisen" means, you can probably give it a pass.

Despite being on its fourth release, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus still feels like a brand new game, one that is both fun to play and difficult to master. The Hero Mode may alarm purists, but there's no denying that it creates a wider audience.

But mostly, the game is so lacking in charisma and character that the miles sort of tick away, leaving less impact than a skid mark and the smell of burnt rubber.

Just don’t expect something radically different from what we’ve all be playing for the past 8 years or so.

Tries hard to please RPG and strategy fans, but it spreads itself so thin in the process that it won't do much for either. It isn't terrible, but everything in it has been done to death.

There's nothing wrong with Most Wanted, exactly, but neither is there anything to make it stand out from the many good racers already available for the PSP.

Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars is easily one of the most original games to come along in a while. It has tons of style, a unique vision and all the makings of a wildly entertaining little franchise. Sadly, its first effort on the Wii isn't disappointing thanks to sloppy platforming, poor camera controls, and lack of any real innovation in terms of gameplay.

Army of Two is a dream come true for co-op enthusiasts. It doesn’t hit every note perfectly, but the campaign and team-based multiplayer modes are the perfect reasons to pester your old "Gears of War" buddy into picking it up.

The game doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look good enough for an action game whose major draw is its audiovisual presentation.

The visuals hit the mark, and there’s a huge roster of fighters here, but the odd camera work and control issues don’t work in the game’s favor.

Yet another DS title that feels like it should have been part of a larger overall game, rather than the entire focus of the product.

A very addictive game that continues to surprise and delight the more you play. For the money, there's plenty to do, and best of all it lets you focus on what you find fun.

Solo players could find it a chore, Older gamers may find reason to snore, But if you share with a friend You’ll enjoy it for a weekend And yearn for a few hours more.

The game isn’t fun at all (including the pathetically limited multiplayer options which aren’t worth going into)...It’s just frustrating that Dark Sector, with all the trappings of a good game could squander nearly every single one of them with bad level design, poor logic, repetitive combat, and no attention to what made its inspiration so…inspiring.

If you’re willing to put up with the whacky nature of Super Swing Golf, and you’re ready to accept a new approach to swinging, then you can’t go wrong with this game. There are lots of courses, neat items and equipment to buy, a long “Story” mode, and solid multiplayer.

The action is fast, fun, and occasionally almost intense, but not graphic.

The competition isn't super hot, however, especially once players get the hang of the controls. It's not that the AI isn't realistic, just that it doesn't push very hard against a reasonably capable player.

The game wouldn't make it on the PSP, or other more powerful machines, but you'll be hard pressed to find a better recent shooter on the DS.

Racing is the primary focus here and the game does a good job at translating the complexities that go into maneuvering a horse through a tense race.

Those of you who are patient enough to learn its intricacies, and open-minded enough to put up with its modest production values will find a rich experience.

A great example of how to translate an existing property into a videogame, as it incorporates the elements and characters of the show in such a way that you don't necessarily have to be familiar with the cartoon to appreciate the wacky production design or gentle humor.

With more imaginative level design, The Clone Wars would have been near-perfect. As it stands, the multiplayer mode is so good, it makes up for most of the title's shortcomings.

A cute little game with colorful visuals, wonderful music, and fun gameplay. It's a shame the game is so short (you'll beat it in a day without much of an effort) and that the minigames feel tacked on.

It’s not a terrifically engaging or lengthy experience, but with its compelling puzzles and interesting atmosphere you could certainly do much worse if you’re looking for some adventure.

One has to wonder, however, whether or not there's a price to be paid for the dazzling graphical presentation. Could it explain why the level design is so utterly boring? Aside from background variations, each stage plays almost identical to the others.

A bunch of nice ideas and fun combat wrapped up in a fairly bland game. There’s nothing particularly deep going on here, but it sure is a big galaxy.

In the end, the cards were a good idea, but the dice wreck the curve by robbing the game of strategy. No matter how well you plan ahead, a bad roll of the dice can cripple you, sometimes for the rest of the match.

Easily one of the best portable remakes on the PSP. The single player game is entertaining, and the multiplayer options are remarkable.

The new units are not terribly exciting and the campaign, while well above average, is still far too short.

Stuntman's most noticeable flaw is the load time before a level, which takes upward of a minute whether you are playing it for the first time or restarting it.

Not only does the commentary get old after a few games, but Ralph Lawler and Van Earl Wright, who provide the play-by-play commentary, sound eerily alike. The commentary may be accurate and colorful, but it'll be one of the first things you'll turn off when you want to concentrate on gameplay.

If you can get past the graphics and immerse yourself in the gameplay, you might be disappointed at the lack of depth.

But compared to the last few games in the series, Mario Party 6 is definitely an improvement and hopefully is an indication of where this series will go in the future.

If ever a game deserved the description of “Xtreme” or some spelling variation thereof, it’s this one. Total Overdose takes every stale action game stereotype and cranks it up to 11, presenting a game that’s lame and self-parodying, but despite that still manages to be fun--fun enough for a rental, that is.

The animations are flawless and delightfully colored. Certain scenes, like a silhouetted battle in a mountaintop monastery, shone through the silliness of the game and offered something stunning to look at. If you have a brother, a sister, a roommate or a significant other . . . you absolutely must buy this game.

But with only 35 songs, unless you’re the ultimate country music fanboy, there will only be a handful of songs you’ll want to sing.

The controls are too simple to make you want to play the game for very long.

There's a good bit of game here and some occasional flashes of brilliance, but it's sweeter than a chocolate and butterscotch sandwich and could have used a few more months in the incubator.

Combat looks patently ridiculous. How many shots from a blaster does it take to kill a fluffy space bunny, anyway?