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.

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

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.

The PS2 accentuates developer Polyphony Digital's extraordinary handling of lighting and textures -- sun rays sift through a tunnel of trees, exhaust fumes spew into the air, and cars glisten like the sweat on La Femme Nikita's brow.

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

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.

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.

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."

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.

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

Remains a relatively shallow hackfest.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

Breaks RTS conventions the way the Taliban break Buddhist statues.

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.

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.

Simply an excellent game.

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.

An offer gamers may not be able to refuse.

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

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.

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.