A passable horror survival game that brings one or two nice touches to the table but mostly follows old conventions of a genre that has moved on and evolved.

The graphics are top notch, the sounds and vocals are excellent. Mission planning, weapon details, multiplayer scenarios, everything is just rock solid.

While the gameplay got at least a thin margin better, the story took a hit with very little meat between the bordering-on-the-ridiculous number of battles and an ending that was clearly designed to get players to buy the next game coming out later in the year.

I defy any gamer with even a modicum of affection for Star Wars or LEGO to play this game and not have a good time with a big grin on his face.

An average release – fun enough to be worth playing through, yet not sufficient to dance over – but as I said, your own mileage will vary depending on how much you truly loved the original game.

As much an experience as it is a game and is as close as you're likely to get to being in an Alien movie anytime soon.

I defy any gamer with even a modicum of affection for Star Wars or LEGO to play this game and not have a good time with a big grin on his face.

Wait until next year when "Dynasty Warriors 6" comes out, buy Dynasty Warriors 5 then at the Greatest Hits price of $20, and then comfort yourself realizing that you’ll still be playing the same game the jokers who just shelled out another $50 for "Dynasty Warriors 6" are.

If you've beaten "Streets of Rage" twenty times and need a modern-day equivalent, look no further, because this is an amazingly fun multiplayer game that brings back that old-school feeling with 3D class.

True, it can be maddening at times not having direct control. But if you want a game that strikes a more happy medium between direct involvement and squad command, I can highly recommend "Star Wars Republic Commando."

In the end analysis the game just does not hold up. The broken frame rate makes it difficult to control and it just can't deliver on its promise of a massive online fighting game.

It’s just plain fun.

I look forward to MX vs. ATV Unleashed returning on the next generation of consoles and showing us what a leap in technology can do for the franchise.

Replay value is enormous, the game is a blast to play even though the main story mode is over relatively quick.

You do not get a whole lot of replay value from it however...if you took this game to work with you and you work a 9 to 5 shift...you could be done before the day is over...you might even be done before lunch.

It is my firm belief that almost every mature gamer out there will find a lot to love in God of War. It never talks down to the player and the presentation is near flawless.

Shining Tears is clichéd, has a few flaws in the combat system and is sometimes a little too easy for even one character (let alone a pair of them) to run through. And yet, Despite all its shortcomings, I've really enjoyed playing the game.

A great pick up and play and slash sort of game. Long periods of playing this game will probably bore you, but if you need a quick RPG fix while commuting, it’s not bad.

But what really blew me away was the inclusion of a cool and intuitive (if limited) map editor and the online facilities for players to trade their works of art amongst one-another easily and efficiently.

The overall presentation (save the camera problems) is nice, the action is engaging (though it does get repetitive after awhile) and the myriad of mini-games, collecting activities (including finding all the townsfolk) and character interactions fill in the gameplay out where there could have been serious holes.

It plays, looks and controls well. It is almost surely never going to have a big following in the USA and I don't think many players will consider it great, but at $20 it definitely delivers your money's worth.

A terrific collection of games from a very influential (though now grossly over-exposed) franchise that none the less fails as a full-featured compilation.

Sadly it just misses true greatness because its benefit to cost ratio just does not balance. At half its price I'd give it the big five sharks without hesitation.

The reality of Supremacy is that is actually presents two totally different and unique strategy experiences. Both are good, but not great and both are punctuated with some really innovative ideas.

It's the kind of game that makes you want to go out and buy a geeky t-shirt or a pocket protector with the logo Prominently displayed on to let the world know that you love this game.

A game on the verge. It's impossible to ignore all of its shortcomings, some of which are very significant, but if they can ever be addressed, Sony and 989 will have a top notch game on their hands.

Provides eight to ten hours of streamlined, yet predictable gameplay. It's not a revolutionary title by any stretch of the imagination and it's vastly overpriced at $50, but it's worth recommending for a Star Wars action fan with money to burn and time to kill.

The game is just plain unapproachable to the average gamer... Is it possible that whoever play-balanced Devil May Cry 3 is a bitter person who loathes humanity and is working actively for the death of joy in the world?

The game's netcode is incredibly finicky, and on more than one occasion I ran into situations where I shot a guy several times in the face with no obvious effect, or died from incoming fire that seemingly came from nowhere.

If the Star Wars license had been better exploited to create a truly unique gaming experience and the game had just a little more programming polish, Republic Commando could easily have been a top-rated game.

With a rock-solid and responsive fighting system, along with great audio/visual presentation to match and lots of modes to play with, Tekken 5 is the early contender for fighting game of the year.

To all gamers who became dangerously aroused every time a capital ship beam cannon fired in "Freespace 2": this game is meant for you. I really hope the developers plan to add content and expand on the game universe in the future, because this franchise definitely has potential.

A very good simulator for naval combat that includes realistic ships, aircraft, mission types and mission areas. This is a great naval experience whether you have legs born of years at sea or if you are just looking to get your feet wet (that pun was intended).

While the kind of run-and-gun gameplay Snowblind strongly promotes may offer a fun experience for some, I personally feel that the game has little to offer beyond a depressingly average experience, marred further by a number of gameplay and interface problems, as well as multiplayer support that feels entirely half-assed.

Taking the game online is just like taking any EA Sports game online. You get tourneys and ladders and all that but it lacks full league support.

This definitely isn’t a title that will impress most of the “jaded gamers” crowd, and while I had fun playing it, I certainly wouldn’t describe my experience as extraordinary.

It has some good stages and good production values. Unfortunately, when for half the game the player is surly thinking, "Oh no! I'm on the ground again.", it does not speak well for the overall package.

Add some quite wonky camera controls, only slightly above-average graphics, voice acting that is little better than House of the Dead’s, and load times that are so slow and frequent that they would test the patience of the Dali Llama himself, and what you have is a game that is a chore to play.

A really good RPG, but only if you’re part of the lucky minority that can run the game with none of the huge technical problems everyone else is suffering from.

It's not the kind of innovation that's required to mete out a stellar score. But for gamers who are interested in the KoF series but haven't collected all of the installments, this represents the best value in years.

There's a whole new story, working multiplayer, thousands of new items, new mini-games and sidequests, new classes to play, and the ability to play evil and good plot paths. On the other side of the coin is gameplay that most of us have seen before, following the same formula, and not taking any real chances in the process.

Gamers who just happen to be both cyberpunk freaks and strategy addicts might find some real value from COPS, but overall this is a very disappointing title that most gamers would be better to pass on.

Stranger's Wrath is insidious. Few games have so thoroughly hooked me and absolutely compelled me to play for way too many hours while neglecting all other responsibilities. It offers such a mix of modern game genres that pretty much everybody will find something to love and many, like myself, will find a lot to love.

But I think watching the original anime is much more entertaining. So to those who haven’t seen it and to those who have, stick with the show.

There are many things in The Punisher that make it stand out from other games, such as the interrogations, the superb voice acting, the appearance of other comic book heroes and villains (not going to say who to spoil it), but the repetitiveness of each level can start to wear you down.

For a real visual treat, pop it into a Nintendo DS and enjoy the game with true backlighting.

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.

The singleplayer experience is still woefully sub-par (honestly, what the hell was up with that final battle?), the interface feels a lot slower and clunkier than it needs to be, the multiplayer is laden with a number of bugs, and the game overall just doesn't feel very polished. On the other hand, the graphics are nothing short of amazing, the game is very easy to pick up and play.

I'm sorry Tecmo, but even though we mech sim fans are rather neglected and abused these days, that doesn't mean that you can shovel out a pile of dung and expect us to start devouring it. "Unacceptable" is a label I can slap on just about every aspect of Gungriffon: Allied Strike.

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

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.

A fairly hard game that regularly borders on the frustrating.

The combat can be a bit repetitive after a sustained amount of play time, but the decent story, characters and card collecting aspects more than make up for it.

A step in the right direction. It makes the generally boring board portion of the game more interesting with the addition of the strategic Orbs and the day and night shifts. It does not completely solve the past games' problems, but I'll take what I can get.

It's not powerful enough to convince Painkiller detractors to join the fold, but it's certainly everything a fan the original game will love.

The limited ways to play ultimately causes the game to get tedious and the AI can't even pretend to measure up to the human element that makes poker so interesting.

A tremendous product. Wonderfully fun and thrilling, inspiring and energiz[ing], just a great amount of fun.

An absolutely fabulous game that is nothing but fun from start to finish. And as an extra bonus it is family friendly. No blood, not wound and no death.

The first console software package to offer these games since they originally appeared on the 2600, so in a way it represents history itself. The arcade games also offer some of the best play experiences from the days when arcades were king. It's a great package that should be in any serious gamer's collection.

A short and simple minded FPS shooter that will fill the void if you need some mindless run and gun action, but if you are looking for game play that is a little more mentally challenging and in depth, or even fun, than you will need to keep on looking.

The Behemoth has to be commended for bringing gamers a really nice shooter with a fantastic look and feel. In these days of development teams with a cast of dozens, it is nice to see a small group of passionate individuals produce a game that is clearly a labor of love.

While the main game in Super Mario 64 DS does seem a bit dated to be a launch title for the Nintendo DS, it is still a fun action/adventure that will satisfy the handful of people that have always wished they could have Super Mario 64 on a handheld.

Add to this already impressive pack some nice unlockables like the flipperless Play-Boy pinball table and the carnival favorites Xolten the fortune teller and the Love Meter and you have a very entertaining package for the whole family at the extremely reasonable price of $19.99.

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.

In the end, it's a shame that the bugs in the game were not fixed prior to release; it is unimaginable that they weren't noticed by the design team. They're pretty blatant.

While it may do what other games have already done, the important point is that it does it <I>better</I>.

Honestly, I think you’d have to be a super fan of the 2D fighting games to really think this game was great.

But the frustration that the average player will feel with the level design, and the lack of a map to help him navigate those levels, is going to truly test his ability to resist the temptation to throw his shiny new toy.

Even if I hadn't played the crap out of the game series on the PC, I would have still felt the game was lacking any significant punch to set itself ahead of the market for its time.

I and many other fans of Tom Clancy games enjoyed the uniqueness of Ghost Recon and the way it was previously and if they could revert to the game style of having controllable teams and set up plans of attack, while still having the new additions in graphics and features, it would make for a lot of happy gamers.

The game has been simplified to give more casual and younger players an easier play experience, but hardcore gamers may find the gameplay too simple for their tastes.

The save system is also a major weakness. Unlike so many games now that allow the gamer to save at any time, Echoes employs the save-point method that only allows saving at specified locations that must be reached.

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.

In just about every way Zoo Tycoon 2 is bigger and better than the original, but is still holds true to the heart of what made Zoo Tycoon such a great game.

Its sexuality comes off as more silly than really erotic and, if there wasn't actually a decent wrestling game under it all, it would be as disposable as yesterday's newspaper.

No, it won’t replace SSX in the trick department, but AntiGrav’s control system makes it a unique and engaging experience that many hardcore and casual gamers will be able to appreciate.

The combination of a great campaign mode along with a goldmine of multiplayer options makes for an unbeatable gaming experience.

While The Urbz: Sims in the City has its moments and boasts high production values, the core gameplay just never really rises to the occasion.

A brilliantly crafted work art in almost every respect. It just never became fun for me. It always seemed like I was supposed to be working for something, but I never figured out what that this was.

Aside from the annoyances of learning the key commands and they fact that you don’t seem to enjoy the benefits of cover that your opponents do, there is only one other issue of note. At random times the game slowed to an agonizing frame rate.

I was honestly expecting a really neat experience out of Scrapland, but the tedium and ultimate lack of innovation just left me flustered.

Tron 2.0 looks and feels just like the movie "Tron", but ultimately some poor choices in gameplay bring the overall package down.

I'm glad to see Insomniac put a bit of effort into the game's multiplayer mode rather than just passing it off as a stale deathmatch, and I hope there's a strong enough userbase to keep the game popular for some time to come.

Killzone may have not lived up to the title of “Halo Killer”, but the great gameplay and in-depth story line of the single player campaign as well as the multiple modes of online play should keep even the most disparaging gamer happy for quite some time.

Dragons are still really god damn cool, and being able to gobble up villagers on a whim with nobody else caring (possibly because they're afraid of pissing off their dragon overlord) provides an unlimited amount of random, sadistic entertainment. I'd definitely rank this as a "must-buy" for any dragon-lovers out there.

A wonderful new edition to the SmackDown! family, serving up slick graphics, vastly enhanced gameplay, and lots of other bells and whistles that make the whole package shine. Online play is a bit of a disappointment, but better than not having any online play at all.

The humor is adult focused, fun and plays out through the entire game. The other gameplay elements aren't perfect but ultimately the game is a lot of fun.

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.

Like "Donkey Konga," Taiko Drum Master ultimately suffers from being a one-trick pony that grows a bit boring after playing the included songs enough times.

If the actual gameplay had shown more innovation and been as solid as the story script, this could have been a truly great game. As it is, it must settle for simply good.

Unless you're the evil kind of person who eats kittens and hates candy, I don't think you'll get anything but satisfaction out of Ace Combat 5.

They had to reach back to Berzerk’s, one-stick control scheme and then tack on a bunch of button presses to achieve what could have been done just by using both of the Dual Shock’s analog sticks.

While a solid lightgun game in the classical sense, Time Crisis: Crisis Zone just does not offer enough innovation to highly recommend it if the player already owns previous games in the franchise.

A good first attempt at bringing The King of Fighters franchise into the realm of modern 3D fighters, but it does not quite go far enough. At the same time I fear the changes will alienate some of the core KOF fans.

A game that hardcore RPG fans should surely pick up, otherwise they will kick themselves for missing out on a game that is both a good story and extends the standard turn-based RPG play mechanics with some nice additions.

Far from exciting so even the studious may lose their adoration over time.

Now I’m not going to lie here. It took me about 5 or 6 tries to get that guilty verdict. Hey I’m not a lawyer ok! But the challenge did make it interesting.

Difficult, awkward, poorly-designed horror.