It's pretty irritating to play a sequel and face so many of the issues of the original, but Bloodshot's ability to take you into the terrifying world Monolith has crafted is astonishing.

The game features enough choices and entertaining kills to have you playing some missions more than once, striving for that elusive Silent Assassin rating.

Despite all the references to this beloved material, I also felt satisfied as a gamer, challenged by its unique blend of exploration, action and strategy. While I was prepared for a thoroughly entertaining storyline, and was delivered one, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was to wage war in and explore this lovingly-crafted world.

It took me just under 8 hours to complete 90% of the game, and it's not a terrible stretch to imagine someone rushing through it in 5 or 6. It's a good sign for a game when players want more, and it's further proof that the Tomb Raider series is back in a big way.

The thing that immediately struck me when playing the game was the amazing amount of minutiae that's been included for eagle-eyed fans.

A top-notch effort, Airborne Assault is not only detailed, realistic, challenging, and fun, but innovative to boot.

The best game of its kind available today. Anything coming after it has a lot to live up to.

Easily one of the most technically impressive GBA games out there, and probably the best portable fighter as well.

"Rallisport Challenge" is much more specialized, and, arguably, better executed, but Sega GT 2002's experience is much more comprehensive.

The qualifications -- short length, lack of replay value, and control issues -- knock the game down value-wise, even though I think anyone who's attracted to quick, violent squad play will have a good time.

The best FIFA game so far, but it's still a few problems away from being a soccer utopia. EA really needs to perfect FIFA's control as much as it needed to make a better Career mode. The old developmental mantra is gameplay first, options second.

It's a huge step forward for the franchise and other developers will likely copy the freestyle dribbling system for years to come, but until the defensive and offensive play is better balanced, it's hard to recommend.

Supplies a reasonably thrilling interpretation of the more vicious portions of the movie without all the clutter of the "boring bits" of the epic quest itself.

The designers did attempt to break up the simplistic game play a bit by forcing Sonic and Blaze to stop and fight a handful of mechanical terrors every once in a while, but it doesn't really add much to the overall game.

EA's latest in the fledgeling spin-off series is another solid entry, even if it's not quite as polished as its predecessor.

More fun than not, but the repetitive nature and framerate problems dampened my enjoyment. I couldn't help feeling that it was a PC game slapped on a console.

Legend of Grimrock is a strong debut for Almost Human, and I'm excited to see what other dungeons they put out and the mods that players create.

While the EA game is solid, it just doesn't stack up with 2K6.

My only serious complaint is that the music utterly sucks in every way and is an affront to mankind that should be excised from the universe by the vengeful spirits of J.S. Bach, Duke Ellington and Hank Williams.

The combat system isn't very engaging or deep. Tap the A-button -- repeatedly. That's about the extent of it.

Broken Steel doesn't fuss too much with the existing formula, but it does provide more adventure that easily lives up to the high standards set by Fallout 3. Highly recommended.

Sure, it's got flaws and omissions, and whoever approved the inclusion of the final boss should be made to suffer, but as fighters on the PSP go, this is as good as it gets.

The offline and online content is extremely entertaining and the pursuit of casual and hardcore karting has never been this much fun.

While not perfect, College Hoops 2K8 has really raised the bar on virtual college basketball for the season. The new 6th Man Meter and Maximum Passing features both add depth and strategy and the addition of high-school blue-chippers to the Legacy mode adds, well, a whole lot more basketball to the disc.

Like Borderlands 2 itself (and the Captain Scarlett DLC), once you defeat the final boss, you unlock an all new set of missions and many more hours' worth of stuff to do. It's the type of surprise that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy -- like Gearbox appreciates my continued patronage of Pandora.

With more than 13 hours' worth of fun, hilarious, and classic Fallout content, Fallout: new Vegas -- Old World Blues is a must for any New Vegas owner.

Games like "Shinobi III," "Phantasy Star IV" and "Gain Ground" are worth the cost of admission alone. While a real Genesis console can offer a better-looking and sounding experience, Sega Genesis Collection is the next best thing.

The historical accuracy of Crusader Kings II leaves a little bit to be desired, and the restriction of only being able to play Christian dynasties is frustrating given the dynamism of the Middle East in that era. Yet when actually playing the game, there's always something to keep me motivated to keep going. There's always a plot that can be instigated, or a war with victory just out of reach, or an heir to find a suitable wife for. That's what makes a great strategy game, albeit one that tantalizingly feels like it could be even greater if it'd cut out some of the barriers to entry.

Battle Realms screams quality. However, at its core it's still just basic real-time strategy, and if you aren't into click-happy real-time games then it's best to steer clear.

It won't win any awards, but if you are looking for an excellent quality strategy game with some new dimensions, Warlords 3: Battlecry is your game.

If you think that you're up to wrestling with sensitive controls, then V-Rally 3's formidable package would be well worth investing in.

If you can live without walks and the lack of steals and you don't care about Dynasty mode then MVP 2004 is a surefire winner.

Impressive for a handheld title. It just happens to lack the same joyful rush granted by superior titles such as "Mario Kart Super Circuit," "F-Zero," or even Konami's underrated "Krazy Racers."

While it may lack the ridiculous depth and complexity of "SMT: Nocturne," arguably Atlus' deepest RPG, Digital Devil Saga 2 makes up for it by having the most compelling plot, a swath of subtle refinements, and fleshed-out, addictive gameplay systems.

The puzzles themselves are very well-done. They aren't outrageously difficult by adventure game standards but they're very organic to the game's unique worldview and can be a bit challenging to those not used to the complete disregard for linear thinking, logic and classical physics that characterize Sam and Max's world.

Combining a haunting story with astounding visuals and sound, Syberia is the best adventure game since "The Longest Journey."

It may not be an easy game, but N+ is certainly addictive, and its design makes it a fantastic portable game.

Speaking of online, MLB 2K5 is one step closer to what we dreamed about for online sports games. You can play a full 162 game season in an online league, or stick to tournaments or single-game contests.

Just about every aspect of the production is top-notch, from the stunning graphics to the realistic, graphic dialogue.

The multiplayer experience is amazing, and the crosstalk feature adds a unique element to fans of the series.

Unadulterated run-'n-gun goodness. Future Perfect is packed with so many features that even the most jaded FPS fans will find something they like on offer; decimating everything or hosting a multiplayer kill-a-thon, this game can accommodate all comers.

Most of the gameplay aspects are solid, the graphics are beautiful, and the quest is long. However, the relative lack of narrative elements prevented me from truly enjoying the wonderfully bizarre world Atlus has created.

Madden NFL 09 All-Play is not a dumbed-down version of this year's best football game. Think of it more like a specialized version that successfully refines the crucial elements of football and distills them into a final product that is at once accessible and plenty of fun.

World of Warcraft is one of the few MMORPGs that manages to pull off a satisfying endgame (and thereby justify its outdated subscription model), and the classes and gameplay have reached a blinding level of polish over the last seven years. While it's no longer the only choice out there for a great MMO experience, World of Warcraft seems content with its place.

While the previous game may be more polished, this edition aims higher and achieves more regardless of a few missteps.

Command & Conquer 3 isn't a brilliant reinvention of the RTS game. It's dirt-farming and mediocre live-action cutscenes and tank rushes and screaming that the Mammoth Tank is unbalanced (it is), and that's where the fun lies.

The best skating game ever made, and while it isn't nearly as groundbreaking as the previous game, it takes everything that made it great and adds some new tricks and a dash of juvenile potty humor, leaving you with the best time you'll have at a skate park this year.

If you invest the time in tricking out your ride and mastering the more challenging difficulty levels, you'll be rewarded with an adrenaline rush that you won't find anywhere else.

Compared to the HD versions, this PS2 game has significantly better features, such as great cross-compatibility with the handheld version.

What was a tongue-in-cheek look at Cold War paranoia married to solid RTS gameplay has blossomed into a pure comedy that retains the easy-to-pick-up and addictive-as-peanuts gameplay of the best in the Command & Conquer franchise. It's not a game that will redefine strategy gaming, but it is one heck of an enjoyable ride.

Fans of the original game can find nearly as many objects and tiles on the net for free, and may not get enough replay value out of the expansion pack to make it worth the cost.

In a league by itself.

Even with its various issues, I absolutely fell in love with Earth & Beyond. I love the setting, the players, and the whole package in general -- I've found it incredibly innovative, and I am totally addicted.

An incredibly deep game whether your playing alone or online.

Fundamentally, FIFA on PS2 hit its peak somewhere around FIFA 06 or FIFA 07. With FIFA 09, there are a few new features designed for hardcore players, but hardly the many bells and whistles of years past.

A variety of gameplay issues end up overshadowing the majority of improvements.

Not only a great racing game, but it's actually better on the Xbox than anywhere else.

The game perfectly captures the most important part of the books: the tone and atmosphere. Fans of the comics will appreciate the familiar faces and places that do pop up, but even those of you that have completely avoided the stellar comics and so-so AMC TV series will be engrossed.

A capable, attractive little robot in loads of bullet-riddled action. It's challenging and twitchy, with enough variation to keep the most distracted player hooked for the duration.

After four iterations, FIFA Soccer 08 feels like the first title to live up to the "next-gen" name.

The new title combines strong platforming fundamentals, Assassin's Creed's open-world structure, and some of Okami's wonderful aesthetic flourishes. What it introduces to action games is something truly wonderful.

If there's a better swan song for a game studio than creating an important console title in the Halo universe, I'm at a loss to think of it.

When you get two equitable teams playing (something helped by the fact that players are randomly assigned to a side when they join a server), Joint Operations is really a fantastic piece of work and easily holds its own alongside "Unreal Tournament 2004", "Battlefield Vietnam", and "Planetside".

A very worthy sequel. It doesn't change any of the fundamental aspects of the original's gameplay; it just builds on them and gives you a helluva lot more bang for your buck. And considering that those who saw the original's unrealized potential forgave its imperfections, that's exactly what it had to do.

Verant also increased the polygon count for the new models that inhabit the island, and also increased the level of detail used for the new armor, weapons and textures.

The most stunning combat flight simulator I have ever seen. It's nerve racking, historically educational, deeply immersive, graphically unbelievable, awe-inspiring and a sim that proves once again an old axiom -- it's intense software that drives the development of intense hardware.

The tracks are absolutely gorgeous, as everything is rendered in excruciating detail.

It's somewhat short (maybe five hours per character) and isn't the best action game you'll ever play, but it is the best action game based on "The Lord of the Rings."

The powerful, easy-to-learn in-game editor, which allows players to create new adventures and strategic scenarios, is gravy on this tasty dish, virtually guaranteeing a long shelf life for this product, particularly among the hardcore.

Obviously old school fans of these kinds of games will be impressed by the graphics and fast paced gameplay, but as I mentioned, if this isn't your thing there isn't much else in the way of gameplay.

A gaming experience unlike any other available today, and one that you absolutely shouldn't miss.

Flying around using your grappling hook is dynamite fun, but the actual fighting can be anticlimactic due to the limited number of weapons in your arsenal.

People looking for a loud and crash-filled Burnout experience or something more simish like Gran Turismo will be sorely disappointed, but if you just want to chill out and drive, then this is the game for you. Just don't be surprised if you start feeling a sense of déjà vu if you play it for too long.

The most painful realization will come to owners of "College Hoops 2K6," who will be hard-pressed to find a major improvement in the core game, outside of the roster update. It's hard to justify paying full price for such a similar game.

It's a beautifully immersive game that really takes advantage of the Wii's hardware to create a vivid and memorable experience.

While veteran RTS players may have some nits to pick with the relatively solid gameplay, those same fans of The Lord of the Rings series should find that the game shines as a playable re-creation of Tolkien's work.

Pulse-pounding car chases, lighting-fast races, and a beautifully crafted game world.

Saints Row 2 offers up a shooting and driving experience that is plenty of fun. Its story isn't as engrossing as that of Grand Theft Auto IV, but it's not that kind of game. It's self-consciously funny in its irreverence, and its low-brow humor will definitely appeal to much of its audience.

All of the blasters sound different, as do the game's vehicles. It's a deeply immersive game in a lot of ways, and you'll actually feel like you're in the middle of a huge battle when in first-person view.

Even with multiple solutions to some situations, the game follows a largely linear path. Except for the user's material participation in combat, Bridge Commander can feel like a pure adventure game.

DDR freaks have bemoaned the removal of the ultra-difficult Oni mode, but the inclusion of user-editable nonstop courses of up to 20 songs each, which can also be used in the Workout mode (yes!), more than makes up for it.

Unlike many console-to-PC ports, it's clear that the developers loaded up the PC version with as much high-res art as possible, which looks even better than the Xbox version.

After nine versions, there is no question that OOTP is firmly atop the baseball general manager simulation heap. For new players this is stellar material despite its issues, but longtime fans and especially those who own last year's game need to weigh their options a bit more closely. OOTP 9 is worth the $40 upgrade, but just barely.

A handheld shooter that largely gets the job done, if the job is to mindlessly shoot, reload, and shoot again. It evokes the presentation of Resistance: Fall of Man effectively, save for the awful dialogue and voice acting.

For those of us who enjoy a little less seriousness in our golf game's appearance, but don't want some dumbed-down baby's toy, Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds is a uniquely accomplished solution.

Call it 2005's answer to "Unreal 2," another game that mashed together a ton of solid sci-fi shooting but never gelled into anything particularly groundbreaking or memorable.

The attention to detail (such as when Sam slowly reaches for his knife while approaching a foe) makes you forget that you're playing a game at times. It may not look quite as good as the Xbox, but it's still one of the prettiest GameCube games you'll see.

It's not quite up to the shining standards of Mega Man 2 and the extremely underrated Mega Man 5 (and I'm dead serious about that -- go play it before you knock it), but it's definitely nowhere near the bottom of the bin that Mega Man 4 and the non-NES installments so squarely define.

Like a good horror movie, there are plenty of jump-out-of-your-seat scares, but the game is just as effective when you're imagining what could happen.

There's a lot of level grinding to get stats up, and while Neversoft has implemented challenges for all sorts of skill types, it's an experience that might prove too tedious for some. Also, the ergonomics of the 360 D-pad really work against this title.

NBA 2K8 is hands-down the best basketball game available, though it is facing very strong competition for the first time in a long while.

Is this game head and shoulders above Tiger Woods '06? We'd venture to say yes. The annoying gamebreakers are gone, more flexibility is in, and the gameplay is as tight as ever.

The silver lining in all of this is that the game is kept compact, and To the Moon can be finished in a sitting or two, before it really wears out its welcome.

Perhaps what's most amazing is that it plays like the work of a seasoned developer with a rare grasp on atmosphere and tone, a rock-solid set of technologies, and sophisticated ideas about game design.

Combine the simple, addictive gameplay with great use of the DS's abilities (not to mention the great songs that play during Mike, the karaoke robot's intro and spooky goth chick, Ashley's stage), and you have the best reason so far to own one of Nintendo's new systems.

Last year, Take-Two won the Stanley Cup of NHL games hands down. With NHL 2k6, Take-Two is on its way to win the championship one more time.

A heck of a lot of fun, and should be a certified winner if and when Ewanchyna and Matrix Games fix its technical problems.

You can buy sexier RTS games, but you won't find a more realistic one than Highway to the Reich. Its 2D presentation may not dazzle, but it's capable of revealing the gritty nature of warfare.