Visually, The Sting is downright gorgeous, similar in many respects to some of the animated cartoons run on Saturday morning TV.

Orion Pirates is still "Starfleet Command II," only this time, for better or worse, it's turned up to 11.

Anachronox has a deep and satisfying noir sci-fi back story and genuinely well-wrought characterization. For all that, it is remarkably unengaging to play.

In short, the best reason to own Lord Of Destruction is for the resolution bump -- but it's ludicrous that we have to pay for that...Its high price notwithstanding, this is one expansion pack that's well worth owning.

A beautiful, yet vacant, "Resident Evil" rip-off full of annoying key hunts, obtuse and frustrating puzzles, and one of the worst "save game" functions ever. But, hey, it sure is pretty.

This isn't some short, slapped-together final chapter, but a full-fledged game of its own. Clocking in at around 40 to 50 hours, Throne Of Bhaal is easily longer than most other stand-alone RPGs.

The game is so much fun and has such a great sense of humor that those quibbles melt away like goo off a reactor core. Bottom line: You'll love Startopia.

This is perhaps the finest use of the PlayStation2's power so far. Twisted Metal: Black represents a superlative combination of frame rate, detail, and gameplay.

A fun game, with great audio files of worm banter and amusing animations.

The game is fun; its combination of humorous action and territory-grabbing resource management make for interesting gaming. Unfortunately, I couldn't help feeling an overwhelming sense of deja vu.

A distasteful plot combined with bitterly frustrating controls saps a lot of the fun out of what could have been a real winner.

Not superb gaming, but plenty good enough to satisfy most RTS and Dune fans.

If you've never played "Half-Life" or "Opposing Force," you'll be blissfully unaware that Blue Shift has the same weapons, the same monsters, and the same basic cast of characters. But it's still a blast to play.

Simply an excellent game.

With enough questions to keep most casual players entertained for weeks, an enjoyable and fully customizable presentation, and a lightning-quick ALT-TAB program-switching function, Rules Of The Game is perfect fodder for that lunchtime sports trivia interlude.

An offer gamers may not be able to refuse.

If developer Playnet.com completes the vision it has for this product, it is a *very* strong contender for Sim Of The Year, if not Game Of The Year.

A unique challenge.

Ultimately, it's frustrating and boring...the execution is fraught with problems and the end result is the world's ugliest five-star golf resort -- a hodgepodge of architectural incongruities.

I don't care how it was done, but the results are simply breathtaking.

It has buried within other commonplace RPG elements the most innovative approach to game storytelling I have seen in years.

For all of its strong design and competent game play, however, Red Faction still never quite adds up to the "Half-Life" it aspires to be.

The graphics are clean and crisp, the soundtrack and audio effects are excellent, and the depth and variety of gameplay are quite impressive.

But to ask players to embark upon mission after mission of mindless gunplay and nonsensical war-fighting tactics belittles the role of the B-17 in the air war over Europe ... to say nothing of the fact that it offers nothing in the way of originality.

With its forgettable Practice mode (the same game without scores on a really poorly rendered beach), ugly graphics, dropped frames, and mediocrity at nearly every other level, it's easy to recommend passing this title up.

The real problem is the game's pacing and narrative. Atlantis plays like a zillion short clips from a much bigger, more cohesive game.

Echelon is as beautiful as it is thrilling. No virtual space jock should be without it.

For the hour or so at a time that Pearl Harbor retains our interest, it is an immersive experience packed with just enough war-movie realism to achieve a sense of drama. Which means this would have made a fun shareware game or a much lower-priced bargain bin favorite.

The low-res, 640x480 graphics are a quaint throwback to the mid-'90s and the absence of any sort of independent camera control or alternate viewing options make for some pretty static gameplay environments.

"Single player" in this expansion pack absolutely reeks.

If stunning, real-time rendered visuals and significantly improved functionality are any evidence, the third time is indeed the charm.

While it's certainly not furthered by the annoying and continuous verbal patter of characters who bark such idiotic redneck-isms as "Yee-haw," "Hushpuppy," and "Hold onto your butt," Redneck Racing is a blast of short-term fun.

In the end, though, the playing experience offers more than enough good, clean fun to offset its weak points.

The graphics are wretched, the interface is a mess, and the few rare excuses for new features feel like half-baked afterthoughts. This is one of the ugliest games I've seen in the last several years.

Remains a relatively shallow hackfest.

Bland and dull.

Though not as groundbreaking as the original X-COM was when it first appeared, Enforcer is a damn fun romp, nevertheless.

Fans of the earlier Heroes Of Might & Magic PC games, however, will be shocked at how dumbed-down their beloved strategy game has become on the PS2.

A game that is at once familiar, yet unique, this RPG from the folks who brought you the Rage Of Mages strategy RPGs is a strong, yet slightly flawed plate of gaming goodness.

With its shocking horror sequences, macabre pre-rendered backgrounds, and terrifying in-game ambience, RE3 will give PC gamers a shocking treat.

Suffers from Y.A.T.W. syndrome (Yours Against the World). ... at least give the computer opponents some pretense of fighting with one another instead of having some secret alliance to focus almost entirely on your units.

It is eminently replayable. There are so many options -- the island's physical characteristics, victory conditions, El Presidente's personality quirks -- that it never plays the same way twice.

If you're a nostalgia buff looking for a good party game, The $100,000 Pyramid isn't a bad choice, especially considering the 20-buck price. But be warned: it's not a particularly engrossing one-player game.

A deeply challenging and unforgiving game that rewards perseverance but leaves those looking only for a little diversion writhing in agony.

There is a feeling of tension derived from negotiating through the bee's nest of enemies, regardless of how stupid the AI may be at times or how bad the voice acting.

With 10 deliciously complex levels to work through as you alternately take turns controlling each character, MDK2: Armageddon delivers a formidable amount of gameplay depth.

I still find UO the most ambitious, flexible game design in the current field of MMRP games. I just wish the food were a little tastier after seven years of cooking.

But hey, if your party is good enough, Drew Carey himself may come over and hang for awhile. What a goal, eh?

A remarkable new mech combat/fighting game hybrid that -- while gorgeous to look at and often wickedly addictive to play -- offers a surprisingly fleeting overall gameplay experience.

I stand in awe of the vastness of its scope and the inventiveness of its design. However, it takes forever to learn, and one can't help getting frustrated along the way.

Besides all of the cosmetic and mechanical embellishments, BreakAway also improved the competency of the artificial intelligence, making Waterloo one of the most challenging historical war games to come out in a very long time.

The many cut-scene cinematics are first-rate, the settings (despite the herky-jerky animations) look wonderful, and the rich incidental music works seamlessly with the story.

This may be the only pinball game that requires seatbelts.

The design is visually engaging. The character and combat system are simple but with enough detail to give the player a sense of control. And the side quests keep things from getting too linear.

An old-school, first-person shooter -- and damn proud of it. That it also happens to be white-knuckle thrilling, spectacularly beautiful, and totally captivating is what makes it so special.

Despite its minor frustrations, Away Team is still one of the more enjoyable additions to the ever-growing library of Star Trek games.

Breaks RTS conventions the way the Taliban break Buddhist statues.

It's a great game in theory. But, in practice, it's the equivalent of the broken Buddha statues you find on the map.

Capturing the offbeat Fallout flavor, humor, and sense of violence perfectly, Tactics should prove to be a worthy sidestep for the series.

On a purely conceptual level, the "Project" is an absolutely first-rate product that shows the RTS genre still has plenty of life left in it when others thought it was dead.

As pure an adventure as you'll find on any console. Apart from a few timed segments, it's completely free of the action elements normally associated with "adventure" games on these systems.

In baseball parlance, we figure we'll wait till next year.

The game gives you countless rooms to explore and the impression of freeform gameplay despite the fact that the game is actually quite linear. The downside is frequent disorientation.

Do you like intuitive, point-and-click adventures with animated smart cursors and lots of fantastic locations? How about sophomoric humor and more gags about farts, dumps, boogers, and bodily functions than Ren has nose hairs?

Technically speaking, one of the most important things this expansion pack does is bring Icewind Dale up to visual par with "Baldur's Gate II."

Unfortunately, it seems that Rebel Act might have bitten off more than it can chew. Although the swordplay is Blade Of Darkness' greatest strength, it's also its greatest weakness. The sluggish interface is the main problem.

Step through and discover ... The Worst Adventure Game You Will Ever Play.

The artificial intelligence is not the sharpest tool in the shed.

It is the kind of decent B-list thing that tides you over until another one of these A-list gems comes along.

We reloaded NBA Live 2000 for comparison, and there's no question that this is a leaps-and-bounds improvement.

Make no mistake, NASCAR Racing 4 is a great game, but if Papyrus would put its experience into something besides graphics and driving models, the next NASCAR Racing would be much better.

Combines a wide-open, free-roaming world with nifty physics, torturous terrain, awesome special effects, and more environments, vehicles, and gameplay modes than any other off-road title.

Make no mistake about it, Europa Universalis offers an extremely deep yet eminently enjoyable look at world history in the wake of the New World's discovery…It's one of the most engrossing global strategy games to come out since Sid Meier's "Civilization."

I'd really like to shimmy up to the crow's nest and holler at the top of my lungs that AoS II is without a doubt the be-all and end-all of naval warfare sims. But until they squash all of the bugs that seem to pop up with amazing frequency, AoS II may be looking for a stiff wind to guide it safe passage for several more weeks to come.

A rare gem of a game, BOB is a beautiful, detailed, yet manageable recreation of the battle for the skies of Britain. Complex enough for dedicated simulation enthusiasts yet scaleable for the novice, this is one simulation done right.

After three years in development and two years of hype and anticipation, Oni fails to meet the expectations Bungie created for it.

It doesn't come close to the strategy, personality, and gameplay balance of Warcraft or the addictive depth of Diablo. Instead it's an amateurish copy.

Some players will be offended by the manner in which some cultures are portrayed. This is the most damning criticism that can be levied on America. Otherwise, it is a solid piece of work that is a great deal of fun to play, regardless of which campaign one chooses: Native American, Mexican, outlaw, or settlers.

Call it Chicken Gear Solid! A 3-D action game with "Metal Gear Solid"-type sneakiness, chicken-style.

Take a blender, throw in a copy of "Diablo II" and "Baldur's Gate II," season with vodka, and what do you get? Konung: Legend Of The North, a real-time, role-playing game from Russian developmental studio 1C. It's a Baldur-ish spin-off that, despite its budget price, does quite a few things right.

At best, a dull, repetitive, and utterly dreary real-time strategy game that will no doubt get shoveled into the bargain bin as soon as it gets unpacked.

Expands upon the original game by adding some much-needed variety and team-play action to the mix. The only problem is that, for an overly priced $30, gamers expect a bit more than a glorified mod that should have been in the game right from the get-go.

On the final test of truth -- whether the AI can put forward a credible command -- Danger Forward falls drastically short.

If you can overlook its two "problems," you may find Project IGI one of the most engaging tactical-combat games of the year.

The best part is that, after the first few Krig-bound missions, much of the campaign takes place elsewhere in the galaxy in a variety of new planets and on new terrain effects.

For a game that puts so much emphasis on its pedigree as a set of novels, there's precious little storytelling in F:FR. Instead, there is a lot of wandering around hunting for keys, occasional bouts of combat, reams of pointless dialogue, and a general sense that the Rainbow Six/Rogue Spear engine surely could have been put to better use.

Nothing you've played previously will properly prepare you for the authentic and often distressing portrayal of aerial warfare served up by Microprose in B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th. Never has a title so humanized the genre or brought it to such a personal level.

Perhaps the most impressive new feature in Volume II -- and the reason you'll want to go buy this game (today, if the stores haven't closed yet by the time you read this) -- is a revamped campaign engine that operates in both the single-player and multiplayer game modes.

Whatever American McGee is smoking, he shouldn't lay off it.

It offers more of everything you'd expect and then some -- gorgeous graphics, incredible animations, visceral sound effects, terrific cut scenes, wild weapons, unique characters (wise-cracking Brits, a diaphanously dressed magical sea nymph, and a towering giant), and deadly enemies with effective AI.

At odds with what could've been serious subject matter is the stylish, silly presentation.

This is one game that deserved to go the customary real-time route without getting detoured along the way.

Some of the most astounding graphics ever seen on a 3-D battlefield.

Aside from a couple of new moves and animations, there really is nothing here, and the tired 3-D engine and controls are bound to cause frustration to casual gamers and those without the patience Lara requires.

An exercise in taking a shrewd idea, giving you an idea of how great it could be, and then making it frustrating beyond belief. There is a sad reverse alchemy the longer you play, in which gold is turned into dross.

Be warned, this is a game with unprecedented story depth but at the price of pacing. Some key soliloquies can drag on for 15 minutes.

It looks marvelous, especially the character animations that have been especially tweaked to improve on typical Unreal character performance.

A disappointing extension of his best seller.