Hopefully, if EA and Criterion are allowed more time to develop Black's sequel, the proper attention can be made to fleshing out the total experience-and not just shining up the guns.

It may not be as pretty and as rich sounding as Rome: Total War, but if you want one very extensive game with lots and lots of replay value then give Knights of Honor a try. It doesn’t redefine the genre, but I firmly believe that strategy connoisseurs will enjoy it.

The controls simply ruin the overall experience.

It flat out fails to cash in on its unique take on Major League Baseball. The Slugfest version of the game is dull and annoying.

The lighting effects of CRC2005 are absolutely stunning. Light falls and reflects on tons of objects, and it changes with fluidity when objects are moving. The reflections on the cars are extremely realistic and the graphics don’t allow the car to appear perfectly undamaged by the race rubbing and bumping.

The game is fun, the graphics and music are solid, and the multiplayer mode is lots of fun.

Just remember to keep the lights on…and invest in rubber underpants.

Whatever else is said about Perimeter, there are a lot of very good, very different ideas coming together here.

Not just a nostalgic drag-up of a successful title from the past, but more a great game to (re-)experience the feeling of the best days of the console roleplay gaming by focusing more on efficient and intuitive game-play than on brilliant graphics and cheap love stories (you know exactly what I mean…).

While it hasn’t converted me into an adventure game lover, it has made me want to play the other Law & Order games before it. To me that says the developers have done something right.

Essentially a straightforward first-person shooter with a crazy girl giving your character headaches and hallucinations of damnation, F.E.A.R 2 may have some things going for it, but for the most part, its execution lacks imagination.

As a sequel, de Blob 2 doesn't change much of the formula from the well-received-yet-under-the-radar Wii game, and a greater variety of platforming will be needed to continue to make the franchise a success. For now, however, there's just enough quirkiness and unadulterated playfulness to make it an enjoyable game.

The sniper-specific gameplay opportunity granted within Sniper Elite is interesting and strangely attractive; no other sniper game carries off the tension, isolation, and anxiety of war to this degree, and the arcade leanings of games like "Silent Scope" simply can't compete.

While its story sometimes lurches and lunges, and its gameplay mechanics can be quirky, Tranformers: War for Cybertron is, somewhat surprisingly, probably the best reboot of the classic cartoon.

The omission of any kind of multiplayer aspect for the GameCube version in itself takes away a large portion of the title's potential longevity, particularly when the single player section won't take any more than a weekend's worth to plough through.

But once you take it online and play team versus team the fun factor really kicks in. AT-ATs shaking the ground, Ties and X-Wings battling it out in the air and the sounds of explosions and blaster fire all around you, any real Star Wars fans doesn't stand a chance at putting this game down.

Like the grindhouse films it draws inspiration from, Shadows of the Damned might not be for everyone. It's mature sexual content (and immature sexual humor) that's woven together with gore-splattered gameplay set to a unique and refreshing sense of style. Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable experience that never flags.

Although the actual gameplay doesn’t vary all that much from previous installments, and it can take a while to unlock all the songs, Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2 delivers an incredibly entertaining party experience.

Maddox has proven to me that Flight Sims are indeed fun and that realism in some situations is a good thing.

The controls are smooth and well implemented, with nearly every button on the controller used. Unfortunately, the default control scheme is the only option but considerable thought went into it and it shouldn’t offer most gamers any trouble.

At the time of this review, I can say with assurance that LOMAC is the best commercially available jet combat simulator ever developed. It’s simply the most in depth, the best looking, and the best flying than any previous. (Falcon 4 fans, don’t eat me)

Multiwinia is a superb showing from the developers at Introversion with approachable, entertaining RTS gameplay and style to spare.

Although its core shooter gameplay is enjoyable, Singularity suffers from being far more derivative than original, with elements appropriated from at least a dozen other, better games.

Ultimately, it may be a strong package from a technical standpoint, but one that isn't as well rounded or robust as it should be. Playing with 127 allies across a gigantic map is impressive, but its novelty is subject to wear thin without as-unique extra content to back it up.

Apart from Metal Slug 3's extreme difficulty and short storyline, I found everything was well-placed together.

The multiplayer modes are all tiresome and boring, barely even worth mentioning.

Definitely the best wrestling game on GameCube, and it's certainly debatable as to whether it may well be the best wrestling game available on any of the current major platforms.

A simple, fun and well designed game, Kung Fu Panda doesn't offer the deepest narrative or most though-provoking gameplay for the more mature audiences; it's more of a guilty pleasure.