Too stinking short. It's not just that it ends in half the time most newer RPG’s do. It's that the ending feels contrived and artificial, and leaves the players wanting so much more that even a second play through can't remedy the feeling of crushing disappointment that "that's all there is."

It really is a shame that The Getaway: Black Monday is so little fun to play. Aesthetically, it’s a beautiful title, and utterly loaded with potential.

The gameplay here is spectacular, you will not find any better.

With extremely solid graphics, sound and non-linear, fleshed out gameplay with some nasty A.I., this game is definitely one of the best titles for the PS2 so far in 2005, and should remain that way for months to come.

While the story might be a bit light, there is so much to do that just finding those missions that advance the story becomes a mere afterthought as you lose yourself in the dozens of challenges and cash-op mini-games.

With the scope of this title, the online support, the unmatched replay value-Hearts of Iron II should keep the most hardcore of strategy gamers satiated in fighting, researching and leading their respective nation to the top of the food chain.

The 20-some missions will certainly give you a day or so of great entertainment, despite the poor story and shallow characters, but more importantly these missions will serve to train you for the endless combat that awaits you online.

Has a compelling story right out of the pages of Asimov's, with interesting and subtle characters whose soul-searching never tilts over into preachiness, and whose motives can remain unclear without becoming annoying.

Then again, if there is some nugget of old-school gamer lurking in your core being and you don't mind outdated graphics and unbalanced gameplay then give this game a shot. With any luck it will be in the bargain bins soon enough.

For novice “simmers” you may be taken aback by the sheer amount of details and realistic gameplay, but veterans should be hungry for more sooner than later.

If the gameplay isn’t enough to grab you then the audio and visual presentation will certainly make this a showcase title for your expensive new video card, one that will wow your friends. It’s a definite must-have.

There isn’t much of a game here, merely a set of choices, where by trial and error you eventually reach the end and win. The same concept has survived for nearly 20 years in a little game called "Dragon’s Lair," and it works just as well with the text-only Sprung. As long as you know what to expect you shouldn’t be disappointed.

The Catacombs expansion only adds to what is still the best guild and realm based MMORPG. With its much-improved graphics and new instance dungeon zones there has never been a better time to own this game.

Missions are pretty linear in design with focused objectives and paths to certain areas rigged with a host of enemies, and no means to really flank or come up with alternate routes.

While Asphalt: Urban GT slightly edges out Ridge Racer DS in visuals and variety of gameplay, Ridge Racer DS comes with an undeniable legacy and built-in audience from both PlayStation and N64 camps and continues to represent arcade racing in its purist form.

For story, gameplay and graphical tasty goodness this is one of the best titles for the GBA this year.

The graphics are bland, the sound is grating, and the gameplay is about as much fun as watching paint dry. There are better things you could do with twenty dollars.

Does this game come through for the hype behind it? Does a Wookie tear your arm off if you don't let him win? So if you have any interest in a compelling well-told story with good characters, dialogue, all rolled up into something that's fun to play then pick this game up. Could it have been better? Yes.

Some aspects of it are ridiculous and annoying (lack of a quick save, card collecting). However, the levels are tuned perfectly, the graphics have a lot of hidden polish to them and the overall package is more a labor of love than just a cash cow capitalizing on nostalgia.

An excellent expansion pack that does exactly what it sets out to do; it delivers more monsters, more weapons, more tarot cards, and exciting new levels to explore and interact with.

While other titles may have a larger variety of chess boards to chose from, Fritz 8 offers some brain-twisting game play even on the lowest settings. There is also a strong online community who swear by this title, which is something not every chess title can offer.

The brooding goth brother of "The Sands of Time." Which, unlike goths, is not to say it isn’t fun, just not all that different or more exciting.

It’s obvious that the graphics-heavy Clancy games are tailored toward the beefier Xbox console, and the PS2 versions ported strictly for sales dollars. On the Xbox, Ghost Recon 2 rocks – on the PS2 however, it just doesn’t measure up.

Totally fun and totally addicting. It’s easy to pick-up and impossible to put down. I literally played until my battery died and then I plugged in my DS and played some more.

If you enjoyed the original, I would recommend that you pick this game up. If you are looking for more graphical flare and less strategic planning, then you may be better off with "Codename: Panzers." If you want to spend time planning and executing, then this game is for you.

If you are resigned to playing poker on the Xbox, World Championships Poker is probably for you. Everyone else should probably spend that $20 on a deck of cards and a case of beer (legal drinking age assumed) and call your friends.

One of the most well crafted, and thoroughly developed game worlds made by Blizzard to date. It dazzles, it awes, and it entertains.

Ubisoft's spin on Alexander the Great is going to be hit-or-miss with many players, especially with that multiplayer mode. I guess it's the Marine in me that likes the combat aspect of this game, and the wannabe leader in me that likes to lead massive numbers of soldiers to glory or a combination of the two, whichever.