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.

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.

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.

An exceptionally cool game. It's got a fun, interesting story; intelligent level design; and provides a great mix of stealth and action.

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.

This extremely challenging game cries out for documentation, of which there is virtually none. And the nonsensical, sometimes juvenile back-story and completely incomprehensible and disconnected scenarios spoil what could have been a more superb title.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.