Samurai Western could've been one of the great beat-'em-ups, if it had a little more variety to its gameplay. Special stages, like a train chase or a level spent on horseback, would've been great; so would the ability to pick up new weapons, "Onimusha"-style.

If only the battle portion were better and the management section more accommodating of large empires, Knights of Honor would give the "Total War" folks a serious run for their money.

Looks nice, it is acted well, and it was entertaining enough for the ten hours it took me to play through it. Plus, the gameplay mechanics are simple enough that fans of the show who aren’t necessarily computer game players might be able to enjoy it.

It’s a mild diversion when it works, crude and shoddy the rest of the time. The game’s fate is sealed by a simple realization: you need Postal 2 to play it. Movies like "Plan 9 From Outer Space," at least, don’t require a copy of "Glen or Glenda" to watch them.

The game is simple and easy to play, the campaign is short (maybe 10-15 hours) but you can play it multiple times, and developing characters is fun. But the game is also a little sloppy.

If they had put the money they are giving away toward development, Advent Rising may have been a little more "Blade Runner" and a little less "The Fifth Element."

It'd be a little more worthwhile if an arcade-perfect Metal Slug 3 had been included in the collection, but this is still a must-have for those of us who fondly remember our local arcade.

Imperial Glory feels like a giant step forward for Pyro Studios. Its scope and complexity is far greater than any of the previous strategy titles I’ve seen from them.

Represents a ton of commitment and hard work, and I commend Battlegoat on that fact. But they do have some issues in AI, complexity and general gameplay that still leave room for improvement.

I think the largest problem Cold Winter has is that it's on the wrong system. If, for some freakish reason, you only own a PS2 and you're a big FPS fan, this is one of the better games that's available on the system. It can genuinely be fun if you're willing to forgive its various flaws.

The problem with Dungeon Lords, at least in its current form, is that every time something works, there are ten things that don’t work that spoil the fun.

It looks great, it’s reasonably well acted, and while its puzzles are hit and miss, its story is enveloping enough to draw you in and keep you playing.

A very short game. You're best off making it a weekend rental and saving the rest of your money to go see the actual movie, if you haven't already.

A very short game. You're best off making it a weekend rental and saving the rest of your money to go see the actual movie, if you haven't already.

As it stands now, it’s really a game for the most serious driving enthusiast.

The upgradeable weapons and map editor are welcome features, but the convoluted plot, repetitive indoor levels, predictable AI and visual quirks hinder its best intentions.

Excellent visuals, innovative racing features and accessibility to drivers of all skill levels make this title stand out from its competition, including games with more tracks and vehicles.

My last civil war title was "Sid Meier’s Antietam." Antietam may have taken some liberty with the authenticity license but it was real-time, easy to grasp and exciting to play even for a novice. Unfortunately, my experience with ACWG did not measure up to that classic.

You should only buy Laser Squad Nemesis if you’re looking for multiplayer skirmishes.

A strong game, but it succeeds kind of in spite of itself. It would've been nice to see a lot more originality in the game, but Area 51 is a fun ride, regardless.

A strong game, but it succeeds kind of in spite of itself. It would've been nice to see a lot more originality in the game, but Area 51 is a fun ride, regardless.

It'd be great if the career mode had more storylines or branches to foster a return to the career mode every now and then. As it is, the game is more visually and aurally impressive than engaging playwise.

I’d rather spend my nights playing Psychonauts than a "Myst" or "Resident Evil" title, barring perhaps "Resident Evil 4." It’s livelier, funnier, and more original, in an age when sequels are the only safe bets for publishers.

Although Blazin’ Trails does manage to present an engaging amount of gameplay thanks to the large number of game options, diversionary mini-games and impressive online features, it’s also significantly hampered by a kludgy control system, unforgiving trick system and psychotic AI.

It wasn’t a lot of fun to play, and it didn’t run very well on my computer. All it did was remind me how much fun Stronghold was, and that I should go back and play it sometime.

Combining the proven play of the Unreal franchise with the mechanics of a fighting game, Unreal Championship 2 elevates the first person shooter genre to a completely new level.

In all, Heretic Kingdoms does more new things in one game than I’ve seen in the last dozen games I’ve played combined. That’s a good thing, and it almost makes up for the game’s technical problems.

But what it does have is an extremely solid amount of gameplay supported by two well-developed offensive and defensive control schemes and an engaging amount of baseball to appease just about any sports fan.