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.