But raising the levels of difficulty for both will not only make the game hard to play, as the rewards you can gain make up for that. Finishing the game on various levels of difficulty again, you can obtain various bonus weapons and even a bonus ending.

A definitive version of Need For Speed Lite; fewer upgrade calories and less fatty visuals to chew on. What the game picks up on, though, is a key element of racing fun, with its unpretentious (if a bit ambitious) presentation of a glamorous racing sub-culture that fits in the palm of your hand.

As with any newly-minted MMO, the game now is probably not what it will become, and whether there is enough depth and content to sustain the monthly subscription price is an unanswered question. For certain though, fans of the beloved DC comics, action gamers, and MMO veterans will all find something to enjoy in DC Universe Online.

Stacked against the pleasingly immersion-friendly fighting mechanics are a restrictive camera, lackluster sound, fractured A.I., and shamefully substandard graphics.

Again, they’ve offered us even more action and variety than before, but still kept that chess-like gameplay for which the original Commandos game was famous.

Other than a few little issues this game has a ton of things going for it. From the freedom, the tight control, the music, options, impressive cast of pro skaters with some exciting videos, ramps, pipes, and rails, at every turn.

Massive Assault Network 2 is a game that deserves attention.

I think that it should have at least been a co-op game. Controlling four characters at once in a real time combat situation is just nuts. I could compare it to Might and Magic without the turn based system. It's manageable, however, I would have preferred to share the burden with someone else.

To those who doubted the concept of MKvsDC, doubt no more because Mortal Kombat is back with a vengeance.

ProStreet may not be a comfortable mix of two racing genres, but it certainly is an interesting curiosity.

It's generally well designed and made, but if you have the choice between a console and a PC version of the game, I'd advise you to grab the console one – solely because it features multiplayer, which I've personally missed in the PC version.

A partial success, and mainly because of the use of the proven Castlevania engine. If you missed the first Master of Spirits game-which most people did-then you should definitely consider giving the sequel a try. It's a fun, well-rounded adventure with enough replay value to keep you occupied for a good while.

A let down; not a terrible game, but disappointingly short of its potential.

While we won't be seeing Dungeon Siege III on anyone's "Best of the Year" lists, it's still a well-made hack-and-slash game, and one of the better examples of the genre on this generation of consoles.

You'll have to get comfortable with the game's difficulty and spartan UI. You'll need to tame the camera and overlook the sometimes low-budget visuals, sketchy tech, long load times and a host of little bugs. It sounds like a lot of work, but Divinity 2 does have its charms and more often than not, I felt surprisingly compelled to see what was waiting around the next turn of the road.

The land and its Story, the content, and the very promising features that are already implemented and will be implemented make this a game very well worth playing.

Loaded with enough features to keep a serious space simulation nut busy for a long time, however, its steep learning curve and surface dust can cause many a casual gamer to shy away from it, opting out for something along the lines of Freelancer instead.

Multiplayer was a huge disappointment. As I stated, random spinouts and over easy crashes make the game almost un-enjoyable at times.

All in all KOF 2000 and 2001 are average games. The gameplay is the same as in any other fighting game. Plus, there is a lack of customization in every department.

Perhaps the most unique addition toEcho is its documentary database.

It would have been nice to see a co-op mode or something similiar to single play (with enemies, besides your friend) but it can provide a few half-hours of fun.

Dead Island's teaser trailer made it look as if the game was going to be one to actually bring the emotional conflict to the forefront, something they almost achieve in once instance out of many. Instead, the game's released as but another vehicle for insipid violence.

Surprisingly pleasant.

The possibilities are not countless but so numerous that I doubt that more than a handful of selected SWG players could really name them all. But this is at the same time the game’s weakest point – the diversity and depth of gameplay you have to master to make any real progress is breathtaking in the beginning and maybe even too much.

The game plays well, and although the character abilities aren’t particularly original (elemental attacks, etc.) this is more a criticism of the whole genre, and Kult has a refreshing system to learn and use them. The story is a strong point too, which for an RPG is probably the most important aspect for most players.

Clearing a derelict building of rival graffiti artists through seemingly relentless hand-to-hand battles and then spraying amusing taunts over their interrupted 'work' is strangely appealing, and to simply 'get in', 'get up', 'get out', and get away with it is always a perversely winning combination.

While it's lacking somewhat in content and variety, Shrek Superslam offers instant and easy cartoon scraps to those gamers either a little on the young side, or looking for quick fix, bite-size battles. It doesn't push the boundaries in any particular department, but remains true to the ideal of pure and simple fun.

One of the worst downfalls we found in the PS2 version was the lack of an online multiplayer mode, which is intact in the Xbox and PC versions.