The background material behind the storyline is well developed enough, and those with considerable tolerance for over-the-top gore and violence may derive some pleasure from it. But the game's execution as a bland third-person stealth adventure with sub-par combat and annoyingly stylized death sequences hamstrings what could have been a sleeper hit for mature audiences.

SMBA's biggest flaw is that it expanded the scope of the series' traditional gameplay without retaining its laser-like focus on solid game design.

All of this would be excusable if the game's mechanics and level designs were interesting, but they're not -- it's baseline stuff.

Unfortunately, those of us who actually have had any experience with pinball games won't find any reason to come back to this one after the initial feeling of nostalgia fades away.

It's still not nearly enough to save what is a fundamentally bad shooter. The smartest thing GamersFirst did was make APB: Reloaded free-to-play, allowing players to find out for themselves without the upfront cost.

Frame-rate issues, unimaginative combat and adventure gameplay, and multiplayer that sags leaves Unlimited Adventure in the position of not quite being able to compete with the One Piece games of the last generation.

It remains bogged down with completely unbalanced gameplay, maddeningly difficult AI, and online gameplay that has the longevity of a stick of Big Red. That being so, there's nothing worthwhile in the final product that you can't get in the demo.

Yes, the PS3 version comes with bonus single-player content. No, it isn't worth the aggravation. If you have a 360 or a beefy PC, buy those (cheaper) versions of this game. If you only have a PS3, "Resistance" is a better shooter for the system.

It's enjoyable for a few brief moments to blow away vessels in a manner that harkens back to the classic Wing Commander. The thing is, without a robust economic engine, an interesting and dynamic universe to explore, or even a decent storyline to follow, DarkStar One is destined to sink into the black hole of gaming obscurity.

The use of dragons as player-characters offers a unique perspective to the action-RPG genre, and it's stable and attractive. Even in a weak year for single-player RPGs, however, it's not enough; it simply doesn't offer enough gameplay elements to make it worth a purchase.

The biggest letdown of all, however, may be the quick-and-dirty nature of EDF's PC port, evident from the "Press A or click to start" opening prompt. It didn't crash on me, but that's it. Beyond that, however, it's locked at 30 frames per second, lacks any significant graphical options, and has a multiplayer match-finding tool that could be unfavorably compared to a maze filled with minotaurs.

You have to own military manuals to make any sense of the thousands of acronyms which are "understood" in the game.

Honestly, it's an okay game at heart, but it's hard to see that if you've even caught a glimpse of the other versions.

If the action was consistent and engaging Legends could have been a major success.

If you prefer your tycoon games in sandbox mode with the capitalism aspects removed, and you love the idea of designing the perfect version of Manhattan Island, Tycoon City makes a neat little construction kit. But if you're looking for an actual strategy game, give this one a pass.

Despite some smart moves on the part of the developers (voice talent, good graphics engine, franchise overhaul) none of them really pan out and bring much to the experience, leaving the game to flounder with its new but repetitive focus on combat.

The Wii might be hurting for air combat games, but even the mediocre Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is slightly better than Heatseeker (and by this point, there's a decent chance that you can find it used).

As a final misstep, there's no final, ultimate puzzle that combines all the mechanics I'd learned -- it just sort of ends.

Legends isn't a horror of a game. It's just a game that wouldn't have been greenlighted on the PS2 trying to cash in on the Wii's popularity and gullible gift-buyers.

A game that shouldn't have been made. It's a hardcore product with next to nothing new to offer to the hardcore. Meanwhile, more casual people will be turned off by the confusing learning curve and the utterly awful aesthetics.

Despite some smart moves on the part of the developers (voice talent, good graphics engine, franchise overhaul) none of them really pan out and bring much to the experience, leaving the game to flounder with its new but repetitive focus on combat.

One of the ugliest games of this generation, and the majority of Dreamcast games would put it to shame. The textures are cloudy and the player models are cheesy.

The artificial intelligence is improved and ball physics are much more realistic than in the first game, but while FIFA Street 2 makes a good first impression, it gets bogged down by unresponsive player controls and repetitive action.

While the controls on the PS2 are easily the best out of any of the other console incarnations, they still can't save this game from succumbing to it own horribly boring repetition.

The execution leaves a lot to be desired, though, and all-too-often feels more like work than play.

We were hoping for more from The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, and we're disappointed that the game didn't do more with such a powerful license. Star Wars: Battlefront hasn't aged very well, and to get essentially the same game with a different theme left us wanting more.

When it comes right down to it, Heatseeker just isn't a good value for the money, compared to what else is out there for the PS2.

If you're playing for the satisfaction of building up power and conquering territory, or for the unique experience of, say, creating a badass platoon of headless knights and running across a friendly vampire bat to stick by their side in battle, you'll probably be able to ignore the game's problems and focus on your accomplishments within the game.