Even if the treasure-hunting gameplay underpinning the narrative progression doesn't evolve beyond its simple beginnings, it's hard not to be entranced by I Am Dead's colorful characters and engaging tales and come away from your getaway to Shelmerston with a smile on your face.

Fans looking to relive the experience of SoulCalibur's early entries may be irked by this game's new additions. But once the steep learning curve is surmounted, you will find a fresh-yet-familiar fighting system that's fun to explore.

Final Fantasy IV's gripping story and fast-paced combat make this sizeable collection fun from start to finish.

Despite those unfortunate technical issues, Othercide is still a great tactics game. The variety of classes and abilities make for a wide range of strategies, but no matter your team composition, the Daughters work together beautifully to take down their enemies. Boss fights are by far the most memorable and really showcase the reaction and combo system, but they also feed into the game's unique and engrossing story. While Othercide's maps and missions leave something to be desired, it's still a blast to cut your way through hordes of Others and pull off deadly combos that look cool as hell. With an exceptional story, atmospheric horror visuals, and tense, rewarding combat, Othercide offers a challenge you'll want to rise to, again and again.

Though the game is marred by its short length and weak enemy AI, those looking for a fun and different shooter experience shouldn't have any hesitation about biting the bullet and taking a ride with the McCalls.

Time reversal is Life is Strange's most unique element, but also its most problematic.

Field Commander scores a direct hit with satisfying turn-based strategy gameplay, a lengthy campaign, and a healthy array of online multiplayer options.

Cyber Shadow is a solid retro throwback with a few things that drag it down. The feeling of becoming more powerful and being able to take down huge enemy threats with your wits and skills is very rewarding, and the levels when you can use your abilities more freely to overcome challenges are quite fun. It's the trial-and-error areas littered with cheap deaths, demanding exact precision over long and frustrating stretches, that hamper the experience. Still, if you're looking for an old-school-styled ninja game that will test your skills (and sometimes your patience), Cyber Shadow is a worthy contender.

Provides a very rewarding way to relive WWII from the perspective of its top leaders.

The game's short length is what makes it so engaging...an addictive little game much like "Bejeweled" or "Tetris," but instead of being a puzzle, it's a little adventure that you can lose yourself in for a few minutes at a time.

Although the grand strategy is a bit misguided, the tactical combat is a splendid twist on the concept of collectible card games.

EA Sports decided to key on gameplay this time around, and in the process it has successfully propelled the game dangerously close to reality. This should sit well with anyone who truly appreciates the nuances, subtlety, and pace of the real-world sport.

Places an emphasis on action on the pitch and supplies a few of the gameplay modes that are missing from EA's popular FIFA series.

Despite some real problems, Resistance offers a memorable setting and the sort of intense, intelligent challenges that can make tactical shooters so much fun.

And challenging it is: The Middle Ages were tough times and similarly, Lords of the Realm II is a tough game.

Those purely looking for a first-person shooter won't find that NightFire is the best choice around, but as a Bond game, NightFire successfully re-creates the style, presentation, and action of its source material.

Zeno Clash is surreal and relentlessly bizarre, but sheer weirdness takes this first-person brawler only so far.

With versions in the works for both the PlayStation 2 and the Dreamcast, though, owners of multiple consoles are probably better off waiting for the graphical enhancement that will come with a more powerful console.

It's still well worth your time (and it will cost you plenty of it), but expect it to provide you with no small degree of frustration along with its thrills.

The game's impressive visuals on the Xbox coupled with its rich gameplay definitely make it one of the better platform games on the system.

A short but well-crafted third-person action game with a surprising variety of gameplay.

With the addition of four-player multiplayer, "Army Men: Air Combat" is the best game to bear the "Army Men" name - granted, that isn't exactly a tough feat.

A refreshingly unique game … despite its ephemeral nature, Pokemon Snap is a must-buy for fans of the license and probably warrants interest from those that aren't.

At its best, though, in both the original survival mode, across the bulk of the campaign and in the one-off challenge of the week maps, They Are Billions remains a tight and compelling strategy game. The knowledge that you're always just one misstep away from disaster creates a gripping, tense atmosphere that's unusual for the genre. And the cycle from defense to offense and back again as you progress from one wave to the next offers both well-paced urgency and the ability to set clear short-term goals. It's a smartly designed game at its core, despite the distractions. Just like a lone zombie can bring about your demise, sometimes one strong idea is enough.

2006 FIFA World Cup does a good job of re-creating the carnival atmosphere that surrounds the competition, and it plays a good, fast-paced game of soccer to boot.

The game's level of challenge often borders on being punishing, but fans of tactical strategy games will find that the effort is worth it.

2006 FIFA World Cup does a good job of re-creating the carnival atmosphere that surrounds the competition, but it suffers from frequent and obnoxious slowdown.

Enjoy a fun fantasy adventure and addictive farm management without having to wake up at dawn.