Tries to avoid the woes of its predecessors by injecting some modern, albeit derivative, gameplay, but fails to really explore the platform it is built upon.

Blending elements of both action and adventure, Legacy of Kain: Defiance offers plenty of fast-paced combat between solving puzzles.

Between its fluid gameplay that balances elements of action, stealth, puzzle solving, and adventure, and its beautiful visual and audio presentation, Beyond Good and Evil is a good game; however, it’s the examination of pertinent moral questions that raises Beyond Good and Evil to the level of a great game.

A technically sound game that exudes banality.

Surpasses the original game on nearly all levels.

A technically sound game that exudes banality.

Not only is the gameplay not fun, it is downright boring. The button mashing beat ‘em up is a genre that needs to be done away with and this game is a perfect example why.

Excellent controls and a streamlined interface make playing a breeze on the smaller system. Unfortunately, the game lacks the variety and length of gameplay that its big brother has.

While there are many teams to choose from, the gameplay is uninspired, mostly due to the poor AI, which it won't matter what team you choose. You can see all that Ultimate Beach Soccer has to offer in less than ten minutes. OK, under five minutes.

A remarkable peripheral.

It’s not as vast as or as free, but it is a nice fresh coat of graphics and slightly different concept to an otherwise tired genre make it worth a shot. While it doesn’t overcome Grand Theft Auto, it easily makes an appropriate rival.

It’s unfortunate that the game is bogged down by a lot of glitches and flaws, but it is still an extremely entertaining title that is deep in every aspect.

While battling through hoards of baddies as the mean green fighting machines is fairly entertaining, especially in co-op mode with a friend, there just isn’t enough to here to make it worth anything more than a possible rent.

I was absolutely blown away by Call of Duty. It’s a rare occasion when a game can make you feel as tense as this one manages to do; it’s also pretty rare to find an FPS that just feels so much different from all the rest.

Despite great graphics and wonderful sound quality, a shallow plot, sketchy gameplay and a rip-off feel make this title one you could leave on the shelf.

Anyone who appreciates action-oriented RPGs in which the focus is on creating your own story rather than following one that has been predetermined, this game is required playing. Not only is it open-ended, but also it is massive.

Although limited in its length, kill.switch manages to fit in innovative gameplay backed by intuitive, streamlined controls that are some of the best on the Playstation 2.

Despite issues regarding balance and difficulty in gameplay, Massive Assault does offer an entertaining turn-based game that novice strategist can easily get into.

It adds a lot of fun and magic, as well as some interesting new items and jobs to partake in.

Though few tennis titles have garnered high praise, Top Spin is hands down the best to date. It’s easy to learn and fun to play.

It doesn’t do much to further the genre.

Bright, colorful visuals relay a fast-paced shootout across several stages of intense first-person gameplay.

Despite a moderately intriguing story, the game suffers from jarring controls and a clunky combat interface. While the visuals are generally good, the audio is lacking for a survival-horror game and a few glitches prevent a truly enjoyable experience.

Overall, it’s just "Super Mario 3," but that’s like saying it’s just a Lamborghini Diablo. This is the cream of the crop of almost all games, and to have your own copy to go with you wherever you go is worth the money for the game.

Aside from minor issues related to multiplayer gameplay, Crimson Skies claims to be nearly flawless with intense airborne action and beautiful interactive visuals.

It might be worth a rent if you are really bored and have nothing but an Xbox and a weekend alone. I would suggest taking up reading or writing or some other monotonous hobby than to waste your time on this game.

A great game. Pretty graphics. Sweet tunes. Killer gameplay. Exclusive online competition. So damn good.

Offers fantastic action in its quality and quantity, but repetitive design.

A great game if all you're looking for is some TIE-blasting and AT-tripping fun. Having said that, innovation is not this game's strong suit. The new content, mainly the on-foot missions, only serve to detract from the rest.

Although no new ground was broken in the develoment of this title, fans of micro- management builders or sim style gameplay will find the comical, cartoonish style of Space Colony a fresh change of pace and well worth the cash spent buying it.

The addition of weapons and dark powers to Jak’s arsenal of attacks make combat more intriguing; however, the grandiose Haven City is quite the opposite, serving only as a presentation piece and an inhibitor to tackling the superb gameplay found in the missions.

The gritty, film noir storytelling, intense bullet time action sequences and painstaking attention to detail in every area make Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne a must-have for every action fan.

Roadkill is the s---. Its combination of vehicular-action and mission-based gameplay make it one of the most well designed cross-genre titles of the year.

This game stinks like raw, untreated, sewage. The gameplay is short lived, repetitive, and poorly balanced.

Brings back the old-school 2D brawler style with plenty of innovation and plenty of depth to keep the most hardcore gamers jaws dropped for hours on end.

An outstanding achievement in tactical action, Freedom Fighters soars to the top of the genre with spot-on gameplay and solid visuals. Streamlined tactical controls and solid AI make playing the game easy and fun.

A lack luster game that had fewer strengths than weaknesses. Featuring repetitive voiceovers, an unorganized interface and a story that never becomes as exciting as it sounds.

With an incredible, engrossing campaign, Halo could stand on its own; fortunately, the addition of Internet multiplayer sweetened with two new vehicles, two new weapons, and six new maps makes the PC version even more worthwhile. Unfortunately, performance issues plague the game, preventing easy play through the game’s campaign due to poor framerates.

Improving an already outstanding game is a Herculean feat and Age of Mythology: The Titans has certainly succeeded.

While the constant setting on fire and craziness of the old Hitz will be missed, there are still plenty of high scoring games and big hits to be had with the new title.

The GameCube is in dire need of some original, innovative exclusives and Spirits and Spells is far from being either of those. Instead, it’s more of a "Crash Bandicoot" wannabe title with poor controls that can be a major test in frustration.

As an Indy car simulation, the game does offer an accurate representation that should appeal to a small base of fans. Problems with steering and slight AI deficiencies are likely to turn some away, although Indy Car Series is a decent approach to a popular event.

Another average platformer in a genre waning in popularity.

The controls are tight and deep, the Dynasty Mode is great, and the gameplay is realistic and fun.

A true delight, offering fast-paced hack and slash action gaming in the comfort of my living room. With a in-depth storyline, multiple quests, a hefty assortment of weapons and awesome graphics, Heroes is a solid title for those gamers who just love a good adventure.

Its presentation isn't enough to warrant play. Remaining true to its roots in the last generation of gaming, Dino Crisis 3 features an extremely deplorable camera, mediocre action, and a B-rated story.

Tries to avoid the woes of its predecessors by injecting some modern, albeit derivative, gameplay, but fails to really explore the platform it is built upon. As a consequence, this game is average at best.

Despite its incredible presentation, the game suffers from intense button mashing and the lack of an announcer. The season mode has been implemented better than any wrestling game I have played making WWE Raw 2 one of the best wresting games to date.

The combination of FPS and RTS works so well together in this title that you may wonder why no one has tried it before.

While it looks great, the sound effects and music are terrible and the plot is poorly written and actually confusing at times.

A triumph. The application of the job system in conjunction with equipment abilities makes developing characters more exciting and quicker than the original.

Brings the adventure much needed color and style; but in the end it succumbs to the same faults as other games before it.

With such a diverse assortment of characters in the game, its shocking that 99% of the gameplay is ridden of cheap moves and attacks, graphical flaws, poor sound quality, etc; perfect as you would call it.

While it adds some RPG elements and has some of the best, most colorful, artwork of any game, Otogi is just another hack and slash action game. Well, an action game with very poor camera controls and a confusing menu system.

One of the most interactive football titles to date with some of the best game play I have ever seen in a football game.

Its intelligent combination of action and RPG elements offer a unique and rewarding gameplay experience. It also features visuals that amaze and a story that intrigues, TRON 2.0 is the definition of a great game.

A fantastic game, but it's not for the weak of heart, or for racing newbies. If you don't fit into either of these categories, you'll have an absolute blast with F-Zero GX.

The game is simply lame and feels like a cheap project that was not thoroughly designed. What could enhance gameplay? Nothing, if you ask me.

A mixed bag: a complex, intriguing story that progresses by means of an uninspired quest system.

With the depth of its franchise mode and the abundance of game modes, Madden 2004 has loads of replay value that you will treasure.

Thrown in the face of a history of outstanding action gaming, Chaos Legion may just be one of the worst action titles of the year. Imperfect controls and lackluster gameplay.

Graphics are beautiful; however, playing a game solely for its graphics is unheard of in my book. The concept is original, but is really not that intriguing.

Each of the game’s six levels hosts unique enemy designs and engaging boss battles that make the game worth playing. Unfortunately, Shrek: Reekin’ Havoc’s extremely short playing time prevents any recommendation of a purchase.

While the improvements made to driving are welcome, as are the new courses and characters, the gameplay ultimately suffers due to poorly designed putting.

Despite the recycled graphics engine and undulating difficulty, Shadow Magic offers outstanding gameplay with unlimited playability in a variety of gameplay modes.

If you love a good mystery and want to feel your skin crawl, Dark Fall is your game.

Aside from slight issues with the physics and camera, Downhill Domination does more things right than wrong with its wealth of gameplay modes and bike customization.

An experience that is concurrently Star Wars and something else. KOTOR is not simply another franchise-supported derivative; it stands as an original vision, independently justified - an RPG for the masses and the few.

The current lack of content, unbalanced professions and broken quests and missions still in the game will drive you away if you do not have the patience to wait for the next 2 or 3 months of major updates.

While you won’t have to bring your driving wheel to play the game, you will have to bring your thinking cap, as K-1 features precise, simulated fighting modeled on real K-1 fighters.

If you strip away the skimpy thongs, gyrating bodies, and crude one-liners, you are left with probably the best playing game of volleyball on the market.

The lackluster sword fighting, terrible interface, and nasty bugs detract from the experience a great deal. Excellent naval combat isn't enough to make up for these issues.

RHEM harkens back to the days of classic PC puzzle-adventures like Myst. Unfortunately, RHEM doesn’t possess quality graphics and audio to make it palatable while sitting and contemplating its tough puzzles.

It’s got scantily clad women, hard rock music, dirt bikes, and lots of bloody crashes. It doesn’t break any new ground by any means, but FMX provides an entertaining extreme sports experience.

One of the year's best surprises, offering a wonderful mixture of strategic gameplay, imagination, and colorful story telling.

Indy has a game that is worthy of his name in terms of gameplay and style, but definitely not technically on the Playstation 2.

While there isn’t anything that makes the game bad, its short length and uninspiring gameplay will leave you without any desire to return to the game for further play.

It has a very good RPG system for those who like that kind of thing, but it also has that twitch reflex element that I loved so much about the other sidescrolling Megaman games.

Packaged with a new, longer campaign, an expanded roster of COs, a bunch of new maps, and a new constructible unit, the game boasts plenty of original content.

The story mode follows the movie and offers some differing missions, but most of the action gets boring after a short time.

With some many other superb GameCube titles available, Wario World drops down to the bottom of the library with its below-average visual presentation, far too easy gameplay, and the promise of a great greedy game.

Combine a quickly aging game with a sloppy porting process and you have a lackluster game that can only claim high amounts of gore as a selling feature, although even that comes off flat.

The real fun is in the online game modes, and I must say that I had some of the most fun since signing on to Xbox LIVE while playing this game.

A terrific title. Allowing gamers to go through each mission either sneaking around and sporting disguises in third-person mode or blasting your way through waves of guards in first-person mode, the game is a lot of fun.

I was particularly impressed with the polished depth and quality combined with the relatively low system requirements. That is a rarity these days.

Port Royale takes advantage of this amazing time and creates a wonderfully fun economic simulation. The graphics are great, and the sound fits the bill.

The game executes soundly, and feels more polished than the original Morrowind.

For those looking for some quick fun, Hulk provides some quality action that may not be very deep, but is definitely enjoyable.

One of the major problems with the game is the maps all look very similar. This causes another problem, which way do you go? I found myself getting lost a number of times just to have to run around to get back to where I needed to be.

The replay value is especially high for gamers who like a challenge by beating the harder difficulty levels, and trying out different tactical strategies to improve performance.

The story was bleak and the camera angles have you craving for some good ‘ol Resident Evil. The game engine allows for some neat stuff, but is very constrictive.

A fun smash-everything experience with slick controls and fast, furious gameplay, and it will leave action fans satisfied. However, due to its short lifespan and repetitive nature, it is really a game more suited for rental than purchase.

In terms of longevity, don’t come in expecting much. This game will take most gamers 15 hours at the most to play through, and that’s if you can make it through the slow and dull opening hours.

Has a huge amount of game play options and is one of the most intriguing RTS games I have played since Civilization. The only concern I had was with the amount of horsepower required by your computer to play in a bigger game.

While the average base capture can be pretty repetitive, there are huge difficult battles every so often that are more fun than anything, and these will keep me coming back for awhile.

In all sports games, but especially baseball, long-term engagement involves such fundamentals as tracking statistics, drafting players, and building successful teams. ISP2k3 fails to provide this.

With well-rendered cinemas, obvious Hollywood-esque narrative direction, and enough signature Matrix fare from beginning to end via tightly implemented bullet time, the game captures ample essence to qualify as a solid translation.

It has a good story, kick ass martial arts fights, good graphics, and the cinematics in between levels are really well done.