The City could have been much larger with more to explore, Garrett could have used a lot of new moves, and the optimization issues will almost certainly drive you a little nuts. Even though Deadly Shadows is a fun game.

Its interesting customization feature is effectively buried underneath the mindless fighting and mind-numbing Story.

Despite its addictive quality and nice replay value, this warrior’s creative shortcomings, excessive button-mashing and total lack of A.I. keep it from truly ruling the battlefield.

Rather than complement the film with some sort of stand alone side story, it opts for arcade gameplay sans interesting plot, depth, or really anything beyond just blasting and whacking.

Rather than complement the film with some sort of stand alone side story, it opts for arcade gameplay sans interesting plot, depth, or really anything beyond just blasting and whacking.

While it’s surprising that the clunky gameplay mechanics haven’t received a facelift, it’s even more surprising that Sony has failed to include a decent single-player experience. It can be fun playing online, but if you do not get help, this virus will kill you over and over again.

ESPN MLB isn't a bad game at all, but is functionally a step backwards from last year's game and just can't quite keep up with "MVP."

A hard, somewhat lengthy tactical RPG that gets the job done. However, it’s an older game being published by Mastiff as though it were new. And even more importantly, "Disgaea" came out last year and is more polished than La Pucelle.

A ton of tracks and licensed cars, tight control, amazing graphics, stunning physics and a solid online component places Rallisport Challenge 2 out in front of the competition.

Take away the horses, squinty eyes, six-shooters and five o’ clock shadows, and this cowpoke goes from deadeye to dead on arrival.

Take away the horses, squinty eyes, six-shooters and five o’ clock shadows, and this cowpoke goes from deadeye to dead on arrival.

Though the objectives are overly simple and quite repetitive, the game is well programmed with decent graphics and a solid pace, and the cooperative aspect should make for many lively slumber parties. Just don’t expect it to keep the grown-up ogres entertained for long.

Though the objectives are overly simple and quite repetitive, the game is well programmed with decent graphics and a solid pace, and the cooperative aspect should make for many lively slumber parties. Just don’t expect it to keep the grown-up ogres entertained for long.

Though the objectives are overly simple and quite repetitive, the game is well programmed with decent graphics and a solid pace, and the cooperative aspect should make for many lively slumber parties. Just don’t expect it to keep the grown-up ogres entertained for long.

Underneath its shiny surface, Paragon City turns out to be as paper thin as the comic books that inspired it. It’s a really nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.

The monotonous gameplay, unrealistic economy and slow leveling keep it from ultimately adding much to this ever-crowding genre.

The classic action/adventure combat, now augmented with time travel and more ways to dish out punishment, will please fans hoping for a good ending. There are still some lingering issues, but this old warhorse remains in top form.

If you want a console version of Serious Sam, go look into the Xbox version or just find a cheap copy of the PC original. Next Encounter is a serious waste of time.

The wet slapping sound of a fist traveling across a face is a sound I’ll always hold dear, and Sudden Impact sure does deliver in that department.

The list of flaws may not be long, but they are extenuating. Moreover, on Normal difficulty the game can be completed in about 10 hours, which is on the short side.

A dark, difficult, bloody stealth game that puts fell weapons in the player’s hands, and almost taunts them into action.

A dark, difficult, bloody stealth game that puts fell weapons in the player’s hands, and almost taunts them into action.

If you’re a fan of mindless destruction, you’d be hard pressed to find a game as immediately gratifying as Painkiller. Just don’t expect it to be a cure-all.

ESPN MLB isn't a bad game at all, but is functionally a step backwards from last year's game and just can't quite keep up with "MVP."

But if you never played the GBA game and don't have that system, you shouldn't pass on investing in Wario's weird company, especially considering its current stock price of a mere 30 bucks.

By virtue of its impressive new control scheme and solid delivery, Fight Night 2004 doesn’t really have any peers and by default can be declared the unanimous champ. However, it still needs a much better single-player Career mode before it can stand toe to toe with other, deeper sports games.

By virtue of its impressive new control scheme and solid delivery, Fight Night 2004 doesn't really have any peers and by default can be declared the unanimous champ. However, it still needs a much better single-player Career mode before it can stand toe to toe with other, deeper sports games.

A zombie could have a hundred flailing tentacles and a cool set of giant spider legs, but without a mouth, it just hasn’t got any bite.

While Sacred is a fun, addictive diversion, its relentless simplicity makes it feel like it’s not quite a full fledged game. I don’t need a complex crafting system, but I do need to feel like I have some control over my character’s abilities and destiny.

Repetitive combat only provides gamers with a taste of the original Onimusha flavor and the absence of any real story or unique features leave this samurai wandering the battlefield without much fight left in him.

Ho-hum gameplay combined with simple annoyances make this game a shadow of the popular cartoon it was based on.

The game itself is good, far better than the online "Everquest" games for the PS2 and even holding up well next to fancier PC MMORPGs. It’s genuinely fun and runs well.

It’s not gonna revolutionize the way you think of FPS gaming - that’s a job for "Half-Life 2," we hope - but Far Cry will give you a great 20-hour adrenaline shot in the arm. The impressive technology and sheer fun lead to a good choice for FPS fans with hefty rigs.

Strikingly beautiful technologically as well as aesthetically... From its fantastic delivery to its tense gameplay to its innovative multiplayer, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is an absolute femme-fatale of a game.

But most mystifying of all is the absence of any kind of multiplayer. There’s no Xbox live support and no two-player mode. Believe it or not, the only way to play with someone else is to have two consoles, two copies of the game, two TV’s and the Xbox link cable.

Marrying the best elements of traditional UT with "Halo," "Tribes II" and a bit of the "Battlefield" series, the game serves up intricate, breakneck battles at blinding speeds.

A decent baseball game and is genuinely better than the last offering, but you get the sense that the developers are more spending too much time with cute bonus features like the EyeToy support and headset commands rather than focusing on ways to improve the gameplay.

That’s just about all Breakdown has going for it: a genuinely good sci-fi story. But even that gets overpowered by numerous gameplay flaws, from the unconvincing AI and crummy fragging to the boring environments and irritating pacing.

The gameplay that was amazing a year and a half ago is not as shockingly new, leading to a battle that many of you will feel you’ve already fought. Still, the seamless inclusion of land, sea and air combat coupled with the intensity of jungle warfare wins it a medal of honor.

So the story and gameplay fall flat, but part of what made the Seven Samurai film so incredible was its revolutionary cinematography. Does Seven Samurai 20XX at least excel in its look? Nope - the streak continues.

Misses the mark completely due to its slow pace and boring gameplay. Fire bad, indeed.

Solid in every department, this one will be hard to top simply for the fact that it has very few weaknesses. While other entries might feature better stat-tracking or deeper Dynasty modes, they’ll be hard-pressed to be as well-rounded as MVP.

Solid in every department, this one will be hard to top simply for the fact that it has very few weaknesses. While other entries might feature better stat-tracking or deeper Dynasty modes, they’ll be hard-pressed to be as well-rounded as MVP.

The graphics and sound may have more flair than the original, but the guts are the same. Revisiting it for the second time is fun because MGS itself was great, though it’s still just revisiting a game many of us have already played.

Solid in every department, this one will be hard to top simply for the fact that it has very few weaknesses. While other entries might feature better stat-tracking or deeper Dynasty modes, they’ll be hard-pressed to be as well-rounded as MVP.

An overachiever with too many character flaws to make it big. It just can’t swim with the sharks. Save your money and pick up "Mean Streets" instead.

This is officially a budget title. Despite its small problems and lack of online play, that’s just insane. This is a well-rounded game that would still be recommended if it cost full fare, so race to the store and pick up a copy before they come to their senses and sell it for what it’s worth.

While Drakengard combines two distinct gameplay styles, neither works well due to the awful AI and severe repetition. Enemy pop-up and some slowdown don’t help either.

Yes, the camera can be very annoying and the game is unquestionably difficult and at times frustrating, but the whole is much better than the sum of its parts. It's rare for an action game to get better the longer you play it.

Yep, it’s a bargain game. No, there’s nothing here that hasn’t been done better before...but you get what you pay for.

There was the original Pitfall, and now there is the unoriginal Pitfall: The Lost Expedition.

The game’s sound is as mediocre as its gameplay. Wacky, overdone effects, plenty of cheap voice-acting, some themes that sound like cheap imitations of Indiana Jones tracks, and then the occasional latin-sounding pipes for a touch of authenticity comprise the bulk of the audio.

The game’s sound is as mediocre as its gameplay. Wacky, overdone effects, plenty of cheap voice-acting, some themes that sound like cheap imitations of Indiana Jones tracks, and then the occasional latin-sounding pipes for a touch of authenticity comprise the bulk of the audio.

High production values, exciting vehicle sequences and the cool Bond Moments outweigh the tedious shooting bits and subpar stealth modes, leading to a solid use of the license.

A more traditional control scheme and some serious gameplay polish could have done wondersfor this game. Instead, terrible control, lame AI and a few other rough edges hand Rise to Honor the Black Mask of shame.

High production values, exciting vehicle sequences and the cool Bond Moments outweigh the tedious shooting bits and subpar stealth modes, leading to a solid use of the license.

High production values, exciting vehicle sequences and the cool Bond Moments outweigh the tedious shooting bits and subpar stealth modes, leading to a solid use of the license.

The AI of the game is its most irritating aspect. The computer’s strategy always involves sending small sallies of units to die on your defenses every couple of minutes until you have built up a large enough force to attack and overwhelm them.

Ultimately, Wrath Unleashed’s biggest problem is that it sticks too firmly to concepts that were fresh twenty years ago, a mediocre strategy game and a mediocre fighting game wrapped up in one mediocre package.

Does what it sets out to do with aplomb. It’s a larger, more complete game than "BG:DA" and offers enough enhancements to please RPG and action geeks alike.

If you have wimpy thumbs and are averse to difficulty, you probably ought to let this ninja go. But if you consider yourself the hardest of the hardcore, I recommend letting Nightshade kick your ass a little.

Ultimately, Wrath Unleashed’s biggest problem is that it sticks too firmly to concepts that were fresh twenty years ago, a mediocre strategy game and a mediocre fighting game wrapped up in one mediocre package.

The bland single player holds it back, but things get much better when you play with friends.

The simplistic nature of the game doesn't leave a ton of staying power, but with an MSRP of $29.99, it's a great way to go out.

A victim of its own ambition. The good core elements are still here, but are lost underneath a gray cloud of control and graphical issues.

It might not be the fanciest bong [don't you mean water pipe? ~GR-Ed.] in town anymore, but it still delivers the drug.

A relatively short game that can easily be passed in a single weekend. Normally this is a bad thing, but it may be due in part to the fact that it isn't as frustrating as "Ghosts to Glory," with a lot less annoying platformer bits. You won't be tearing your hair out from missed platformer jumps, so feel free to toss that bottle of Rogaine you had from since the last game.

It might not be the fanciest bong [don't you mean water pipe? ~GR Ed.] in town anymore, but it still delivers the drug.

Simply a terrible game. Bad graphics, poor sound, lousy play mechanics, dull mission design, occasional crashes and no Captain Kirk combine to make this an adventure best left to the unknown.

Simply a terrible game. Bad graphics, poor sound, lousy play mechanics, dull mission design, occasional crashes and no Captain Kirk combine to make this an adventure best left to the unknown.

The PS2 version, though graphically inferior, manages to take its act online making it the best of the possible avenues, er, Streets. As unbalanced as the offense and defense are, this game is clearly all about the big offensive play which, in my opinion, is very diggable.

As unbalanced as the offense and defense are, this game is clearly all about the big offensive play which, in my opinion, is very diggable. However, Street does still leave plenty of room for another good scrub-tackle football game, particularly one without so much style or so many stars.

As unbalanced as the offense and defense are, this game is clearly all about the big offensive play which, in my opinion, is very diggable. However, Street does still leave plenty of room for another good scrub-tackle football game, particularly one without so much style or so many stars.

The game is nothing if not dynamic and is worthy of any gamer, provided they have good hand-eye coordination. You’ll die a lot, but in a way that’s just like being a kid again.

For anyone who has already played CS, it’s quite annoying having to suddenly unlock maps, especially since every one included here has been playable in CS forever. Additionally, many of the level requirements are counter-intuitive.

The concept behind OMF: Battlegrouds is solid and the gang at Diversions deserves credit for at least attempting to correct the PC's astonishing lacl of fighting games, but that doesn't make it a good game. Remotely.

The addition of goals and plenty of different unlockable locations and items does breathe new life into this old game, and slower meters and a more responsive interface lead to a good version of The Sims. However, this game is very similar to the original PS2 version and might not feel filling enough for those who already made that purchase.

The addition of goals and plenty of different unlockable locations and items does breathe new life into this old game, and slower meters and a more responsive interface lead to a good version of The Sims. However, this game is very similar to the original PS2 version and might not feel filling enough for those who already made that purchase.

The addition of goals and plenty of different unlockable locations and items does breathe new life into this old game, and slower meters and a more responsive interface lead to a good version of The Sims. However, this game is very similar to the original PS2 version and might not feel filling enough for those who already made that purchase.

An average game. It's got a lot of good ideas that we've seen before, but isn't able to pull it all together. Still, it's got a decent story and extras that will continue to challenge after Racing Life is done.

Other than a couple isolated bits HP and the SS is a mess. And I didn’t play crap like this when I was a kid, at least not for long. I played Sonic. So there ya have it: Harry Potter is better than a Vomit flavored bean, but a little worse than Grass, and on a level with Booger.

An average game. It's got a lot of good ideas that we've seen before, but isn't able to pull it all together. Still, it's got a decent story and extras that will continue to challenge after Racing Life is done.

Other than a couple isolated bits HP and the SS is a mess. And I didn’t play crap like this when I was a kid, at least not for long. I played Sonic. So there ya have it: Harry Potter is better than a Vomit flavored bean, but a little worse than Grass, and on a level with Booger.

Other than a couple isolated bits HP and the SS is a mess. And I didn’t play crap like this when I was a kid, at least not for long. I played Sonic. So there ya have it: Harry Potter is better than a Vomit flavored bean, but a little worse than Grass, and on a level with Booger.

An average game. It's got a lot of good ideas that we've seen before, but isn't able to pull it all together. Still, it's got a decent story and extras that will continue to challenge after Racing Life is done.

As good a card game as I’ve played on the screen and can suck you in for hours on end. Some will dislike the occasionally random luck swings, but the interesting design and wealth of cards give it surprising depth.

If you’re going to go after a licensed act, why, uh, VANESSA CARLTON? Is she big at LAN parties that I’m not invited to or something? It’s mind-boggling.

The robot design and collection aspects are pretty good, but it isn't worth much when you're just pounding buttons like an idiot. Mindless gameplay coupled with camera problems and not much else leads to a game you definitely don't need to get.

Has some funny moments and wild weapons, but it still can’t shake its straightforward gameplay. If you’re in the mood to just blow things up with no strings attached, this is the game for you, but more discerning gamers might be left wanting a little more.

The ability to explore and choose how you want to approach each obstacle is great, albeit a bit simpler this time around. It’s also much shorter, clocking in at around 15 hours, but again, you can play each level in various ways.

The best part of Hordes of the Underdark turns out not to be the new campaign, but the extensive online support and terrific response to its dedicated fan base.

The ability to explore and choose how you want to approach each obstacle is great, albeit a bit simpler this time around. It’s also much shorter, clocking in at around 15 hours, but again, you can play each level in various ways.

Has some funny moments and wild weapons, but it still can’t shake its straightforward gameplay. If you’re in the mood to just blow things up with no strings attached, this is the game for you, but more discerning gamers might be left wanting a little more.

Doesn't match the frantic pace of a good first-person shooter or the complexity of a turn-based strategy game. Instead, it’s a clever reinvention of something old into a multiplayer experience.

A decent game in its own right and it should temporarily satisfy two groups: EQ junkies who just can’t get enough, and Warcraft junkies who’ve already played the hell out of "The Frozen Throne."

An awkward trick design and emphasis on speed over style keeps it from reclaiming its past glory, leaving this ex-champ struggling in the snow.

And despite its groovy style, XIII isn't much more than a run-of-the-mill game. Its presentation is definitely worthy of a look (particularly if you own an Xbox) but its gameplay is about as straightforward - and in some cases boring - as it gets for an FPS.

If you’re going to go after a licensed act, why, uh, VANESSA CARLTON? Is she big at LAN parties that I’m not invited to or something? It’s mind-boggling.