The problem with the Xbox version is that the defensive AI is atrocious.

The true first gem of the year 2002 and depriving yourself of the privilege of playing this game is a crime punishable by death in some third world countries (not really).

As I allowed the game to grow on me I began to realize just how completely awesome this game is.

One big issue I have with the game is that when I’m on defense on any level, ball carriers seem to be Teflon gods that have an amazing ability to repel 2 defenders gang tackling them.

A.I. can range from tolerable to unbearable.

Something that really bothered me was the fact that the player’s field of view is limited to about 150 degrees throughout the duration of the levels while the boss battles were in 360 degrees. That means that not only could you not move, you aren’t able to look behind you and shoot objects that have happened to pass by you.

Even in split screen with 4 players, the graphics and frame-rate are top notch and don’t seem to suffer with all the added chaos.

Whatever the designers' intentions, the music is well done and a perfect companion when you catch one of those vistas I told you about.

The computer AI is the game's weakest point. Although the offensive play calling is pretty good and kept me on my toes defensively, the AI seems to have a tough time on the defensive side of the ball.

The gameplay, however – solve logic puzzles and shoot/swing/stomp away, is pretty average.

Crappy character interaction, bland level design and sour eye candy clashes hard with an elegant combat system.

If you want to tackle all the seemingly endless sidequests and mini-games, get everyone’s Ultimate Weapon and find every last Aeon, expect to put a great deal more time in, easily 100-150 hours.

It's hard to control, impossible on the eyes, and kind of like getting your nose ring ripped out! This is, simply put, the worst fighter of all time. It's a new low on every aspect of the game.

Graphically it is almost impossible to notice any difference between the PC and the XBox version. While the PC can obviously run at higher (and prettier) resolutions, the XBox version seems to move along at a much more constant frame-rate and with a lot less stuttering.

The product as a whole just feels recycled and re-hashed from other, more superior products.

Gameplay is fast and furious-as it should be in a hockey game. If anything the gameplay is almost too fast.

Taking advantage of the space on that the DVD allows you to have, there’s a lot of information that can be viewed in terms of the making of the game. You’ll see some famous stars such as Oliver Platt and David Arquette talk about lending their voices to the game.

Have you ever played a game that was just so horribly bad that you couldn’t help but wonder why the game was ever released in the first place? A game so horrible that it could literally bring a grown man to tears over the amount of frustration and pain that it caused?

On the Playstation, it’s (practically) just as fun [as the PC], but the additional flaws it picks up really cut into the experience. I’d seriously flag this as a “rent first” title.

Simply amazing.

A good game, if a little behind the technology curve, but who cares. The story is entertaining, the gameplay solid, and the voices funny.

This game is so ugly that it looks like it’s been beaten like a red-headed stepchild that managed to hit every branch on the ugly tree.

A great game for those in the market for a solid dungeon crawl. What the game lacks in plot, it makes up for in good old-fashioned hack-n-slash fun.

Solving the challenges was rewarding enough, but the steps one needs to take to achieve these goals become far too tedious.

If you feel a sense of purpose, then it’s only natural that suspense will follow. Ecks vs. Sever’s creators understand that and have offered a fun, if sometimes confusing, story.

Choppy and stiff animations, unexplained frame-rate drops, pop-up when you come around corners and clumsy controls are the first things you are greeted with when you first start.

Not nearly as innovative as the box text makes it sound. Everything in the game has been done before in other games, and, in many cases, done better.

Maybe it’s because I’m such a big fan of the series but I absolutely love this game.