The graphics are nice, the gameplay is simple to pick up (but hard to master) and finding an online opponent doesn't seem to be a problem at the moment. If you like turn-based strategy games then you can't go wrong.

There's a lot of replay value, and although the game could have mixed up its level variety a bit more, it certainly gets the job done.

It’s just plain fun.

Fellas think about it, this might be a great way to get those non-gaming girlfriends to share in yet another one of your obsessions.

A game that truly is a playground for the arsonist-at-heart. The storyline is actually decent, the amount of background information is very impressive (the manual is actually handy for a change too), and the large number of weapons, vehicles, and gameplay styles available make for a significant amount of replayability and flexibility in choosing how to play - always a plus.

Quite impressive in the visuals department. Backgrounds, boats, weapons, explosions and characters are all quite detailed, and the little things like Kai turning to look back when you go in reverse are really neat.

No other title has ever gone so far in attempting to capture a realistic feel to mech combat, and Capcom would deserve acclaim for the attempt alone, even if it were not so well executed.

While RAW 2 may suffer from a few minor old (and new) bugs and flaws, the overall game is pretty solid, easier to play the the first game and entertaining due to the sheer volume of new content.

If you haven't played Marvel versus Capcom to death on the Dreamcast, or need to get in touch with your inner 2D child, you can't go wrong with either Marvel versus Capcom 2 or "Guilty Gear XX."

The editors alone are worth the cost, but what really sells it is the community. That’s right, the community. This is exactly the type of tools which can infuse a game community with drive and passion.

The perfect balance of exploration and game play. If you're a big fan of completing games 100%, you'll get every dime's worth out of this purchase.

One thing to keep in mind though is that this is indeed an RPG. Although it may not seem like one, it is and the games length reveals that very well. You will need to stick with the game for some time until you start to see the real fun start to shine through.

The game is definitely not perfect, but with production values this high and a scare / immersion factor that goes through the roof, even after the 50,000th imp leaps out of a closet to claw at your face, Doom 3 is a game that any player would be stupid not to own in his collection.

If you're a diehard Lara fan, you're going to dig this intense game. But if you haven't experienced Tomb Raider before, be warned that its mind-bending puzzles and tense action will challenge even the most seasoned gamers.

If you like to look at other people who wear tight, tight and revealing (Did I say tight yet?) uniforms, then this game is for you because it is tightly revealing!

A more forgiving countering and less button mashing intensive game engine would have been preferable, but what's there is pretty solid.

How can a rehash of the same basic formula prove so successful? As GTA:SA has taught me, one does so by taking the best parts of a given game, improving them, and then adding a ridiculous amount of new features and content.

Superb graphics, challenging puzzles, morbid acts, and eerie noises will have you playing until the wee hours of the morning.

The difficulty level is pretty high, but it's not so much annoying as it is challenging.

For those who do enjoy it, the multiplayer capabilities and random map generation provide literally endless replay value. The bottom line is that this is not a universal title, but the target group will be quite satisfied with the result.

With the direct control system, insane level of detail and physics modeling, exciting and interesting missions, modding support, and incredibly fun gameplay, the game is hardly stale and makes it easy to recommend to players who are sick of playing "Command & Conquer" clones.

Walks a very fine line between addictive gameplay and pure frustration.

It delivers a coherent experience that mixes horror and humor very effectively, and does so with some beautiful environments.

Provided you have no problem affording the 4GB footprint, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is definitely worth taking for a spin.

An all too familiar Sega story: a refreshing new take on an old genre, featuring great control, sharp graphics, but crippled by lack of depth.

The LucasArts console curse is officially over. Oh yeah. Jar Jar is nowhere to be found.

Fans of action role-playing games like "Nox," "Dark Stone," "KnightShift," or even the popular "Diablo II" (some of my all time favorite action games) should give this expansion a closer look.

If I could venture one bit of advice to Capcom, I would suggest that they not fall into the rut of offering a new Viewtiful Joe game every year and actually make the next installment a meaningful upgrade in 2006. Perhaps add in a cooperative mode for two players to tackle.

With Snake Eater’s few flaws, awkward camera and ludicrously long cut scenes, the new features added to this chapter of the series with the camouflage and the need to eat does give the game a little more depth to help make up for the shortcomings.

When the players walk back to the huddle in between plays they walk like robots or like they forgot to go to the bathroom before they went out on the field.

The only hitch the game has is a major pet peeve of mine. When you die, regardless of when you die in a level, you have to start it all over again, from scratch.

The game controls wonderfully, and there's plenty of areas to explore. However, as usual there are some severe camera issues.

Oddly enough, the game could be considered the kid's version of "Metal Gear Solid." Replace the soldiers with Sam, and the weapons with blow dryers and lettuce heads and you get the idea.

The bottom line is this game rocks; if you want a challenging game that is funny, pick this game up.

What small scratches dot the surface are allowable, because as an overall package this becomes one of the most worthy and required purchases you could ever make. Whatever you do, don't pass it up.

There are so many things that are combined to make this game as good as it is such as the storyline, voice acting, animation and the final ending scene is the cherry on top.

Despite the deep game play, the game life suffers a bit due to the fact that it's a rail-shooter. The tracks are always the same, and your course is always the same. More tracks than the 7 provided would have added some game play length.

Definitely something that is not for the faint-hearted. It can be a tough to keep your attention from wavering onto another game. Believe me; with all the other games being released now, it was a challenge. But if you stick with it, you will be pleasantly surprised.

It combines a sort of Tetris feel with a platform shooter that is good with kids. If it doesn't teach kids shapes and how to aim a controller, I am not sure what will.

Not quite as fresh as it would have been if "Splinter Cell" were not already out there, but it is a very solid game in the stealth genre and a really outstanding use of a movie license that just begged for this kind of game.

Delivers a great graphical and audio punch as well as retaining good gameplay. While new players may feel a little lost, those who have followed the series will likely enjoy the level of customization and the great environments.

The only real problem that I had with FFX-2 was that the game seems to flow at a very leisurely pace and not a rush to hurry and stop the villain.

Incredibly addictive and loads of fun...Sadly, the game only takes a few hours to beat on easy, and is ridiculously hard on the higher difficulty setting.

The realistic gameplay and sound makes NCAA March Madness 2002 not just a playable basketball game but a fun basketball game as well.

A fun, solid game that's worth picking up...My one complaint is that the game only has two environments to drive through. As I said, they're huge, but the original had three, and the absence of one is noticeable.

As great a game as the original, but like the first one, the ride only lasts for so long before it gets repetitious.

The game is pretty fun, but with its sort of linear game play (considering you're always moving down), and sometimes confusing objective layout, it doesn't quite sit as high on the throne as "Tony Hawk 3" does.

The Live enabled play is a big plus. The rest is not on par with Rivals' rivals (sorry, bad pun) like EA, ESPN and Sega.

This game looks marvelous. Playing it honestly feels like you are in an interactive episode of the cartoon.

With an incredible sense of style and some great old fashioned shooter gameplay, P.N. 03 overcomes its weaknesses and delivers a solid, entertaining experience.

With a healthy mission-based storyline and tons of collectables, this is a game with a good lifespan, and one that is easy to introduce non-gamers to.

The only real problem that stood out, other than the horrible speeder bike level, is that the visuals were still the same old graphics and being a year and a half after JO was released, it shows how dated the graphics are.

Coupling that with inconsistent plot coherency and questionable physics, it seems important to stress that while this is a very shiny game demonstrating a very robust engine, there is more beauty than guts here, and many players may find the colorful candy shell does not deliver as delicious a gaming experience.

With the lack of Xbox Live support, the limited split screen multiplayer modes, 2 player co-op, Scramble, Race and Arena are not quite as interesting as the Multiplayer should have been but the single player aspect more than makes up for it.

Superb graphics and tons of game play make this title more than worthy of a rental at the very least.

A complete and pleasant surprise for me. It's not a thinking-man's game, but mindless fun has its appeal. The multiplayer aspect is good, too.

Madden NFL 2002 and "Madden NFL 2001" are basically the same games, with new rosters, new modes of play, and a new name.

The levels are linear, the enemy AI is not very smart, and the game world feels weak even with the background chatter of your teammates and the constant radio contact with your superiors. Overall, SWAT: Global Strike Team is a good but imperfect game.

The sound effects, music, and voiceovers are near perfect. All of the voiceovers in Batman Vengeance are provided by the same actors who perform them in the cartoon series.

Has a great story that looks greats and has more than enough action that will keep you entertained if you will take the time to learn the control and get past the swarm of bugs.

A very decent, albeit short fighting game that brings the spirit of the animated TV show to life and delivers a game system that works very well.

With the reload option assigned to the bottom button, you can constantly reload as you shoot without moving the gun from the screen. This adds a whole new level of sweetness to the boss battles.

Reflex feels like everything Untamed was meant to be, albeit with a slight tinge of disappointment.

Yes, the game is fan service, and plays to an audience that can't get enough of Etna, Flonne and Prinny, but it's also a decent game that succeeds in offering something new.

Call of Duty: World at War is a solid shooter that just happens to be placed in a setting that has grown tiresome over the years. Even so, the technical merits of this game shouldn't be ignored. It's a fast paced, fun game with lots of content and plenty of frantic action.

I would still recommend the 360 version of the game over any other version because 1) you don’t miss the features you didn’t use last year and 2) once you’ve seen this game run on a 360, playing the same version on the original Xbox is like going from an original Game Boy to a Nintendo DS.

Prototype is at its best when it lets you just rip into missions using whatever approach you see fit, which is thankfully most of the time.

A solid, predictable, and competent game. It's not a revolutionary step by any means, but the gameplay tweaks are for the most part meaningful additions.

Arguably the best wrestling game yet on this generation of consoles.

It's far from the best-looking game on the market, but it's also far from the worst, and the gameplay makes up for it anyway.

A substantial improvement over the original game. It’s very fun to play and although you’ll probably finish campaign mode in a day or two, there’s enough online replay value to get you through the season.

From the perspective of a comic fan, DC Universe Online is a pretty stellar win. It's big and grand and isn't afraid to make players feel like they're the star of an epic comic story. From a gamer's perspective, though, it still needs some work on the technical to be truly great and playing on the PS3 has its own set of limitations.

MySims Agents had the potential to be nothing more than a bland, forgettable adventure game. But thanks to its great sense of humor and charming quirkiness, it's able to rise above mediocrity.

A decent core game despite its stripped down status.

FMA 2 does a grand job of portraying the boys as they are in the show and improves on the weaker elements of the first game to create an action adventure that is fun and easy to play. It's a real shame that it's so short.

Congratulations to Capcom for creating something fun and exciting. The bottom line is that this game is worthy of your attention.

Unfortunately, it's almost exactly the same accessible, fun and goofy experience, so those that had their fill of Lego games with earlier outings won't find enough new stuff here to get them excited all over again, Indiana Jones fanatics notwithstanding.

Its lack of any type of multiplayer support is a serious hindrance to its long-term enjoyment, but lonely strategy fans gaming on the Cube will find it a must-buy.

Grand Ages: Rome will win no prizes for cleverness or originality, though the military subgame is better than we are used to in this genre. It is mostly a surprising refinement in a series that has been mostly bland and pointless.

This is yet another Reynolds strategy game that aims to please the hardcore gamer while being accessible enough for new players to learn the ropes if they are willing to put the time in thanks to the amazingly intuitive interface and striking game balance.

Overall, Guitar Hero 5 is technically a good game; it’s just a bit soulless.

Still, even with these marks against it, Aliens: Infestation is worth playing and is an example of a game that really, truly cares about your lives-even if it cares about your deaths just a teensy bit more.

No, it’s not nearly as fantastical as the originals, but it’s still not bad. If nothing else, the new guitar and online play make this a worthwhile purchase.

For fans of Dragon Age it’s still worth playing, but let’s hope the next Dragon Age-branded product in the pipeline gets the time it needs to reach Bioware’s usually high standards.

The new and improved Turok is easily the best since it left its roots on the Nintendo 64. Even though the title takes great liberties with some of the lore it manages to retain its integrity while at the same time delivering on a completely over the top albeit predictable experience.

Sure the game can be difficult at times, and some players might not like the way you have to navigate the world, but if you can look past that you'll find a unique storyline and some pretty engaging gameplay mechanics that are worth the price of admission.

Le Mans fans who don't have a Dreamcast should by all means pick it up.

An amusing little diversion when taken in small doses. Its lack of storyline and repetitious combat keep it from being playable for more than an hour or two at a time, but it’s good solid fun for that hour or two.

Even with the game's various problems I kept finding myself excited to play and looking forward to the next chapter to see which characters would be along for the ride.

The strategy elements fall short and are only as important as you choose to make them, but the combination of brutal action and customizable crews is reason enough to warrant a play-through.

All in all, Shin Megami Tensei games aren't everyone's cup of tea. Repetitive battles, quirky dialogue and complex fusion charts make some gamers squeal in delight while simultaneously sending others in search of a brick wall for some good ole head-bashing. But if you are the type to become obsessive-compulsive about filling your collection to perfection, Devil Summoner adds a dark twist to “catching them all.”

Def Jam Rapstar has some pretty impressive speech recognition under the hood and a great start with its community site but at the same time, some track list omissions and a career mode that feels somewhat tacked on makes this game a good start with plenty of room to grow.

Conflict: Denied Ops offers many of the best features that you’ll find in today’s first person shooters, and combines it with an excellent co-op mode and a nice variety of online game modes.

Those new to the series or new to gaming in general may be better served by the easier puzzles in the original; however those up to the challenge or those who have exhausted the previous version’s offerings will find more of the same great puzzle madness. It’s never been so fun to feel so stupid.

Although I question Bioware's prioritization of interactive cinema over interesting and variable gameplay, that doesn't mean Dragon Age 2 isn't worth experiencing. This game grabs and tears at your emotions like few others can and that is worth a lot.

It's not great, but it's solid. The insane Create A Superstar mode alone is worth the purchase, but WWF fans will find plenty of other features to enjoy.

With its truly melon tweaking puzzles and the real life references to the acts and clues that were found during the real life investigation into the Jack the Ripper murders, Sherlock Holmes manages to cross from fictional to factual in a believable way.

As a plus for a console port, they even took the liberty of including a quick-save function, effectively issuing the middle finger to most other port developers out there and ultimately making Condemned: Criminal Origins a solid contender for the PC market.