But what really sinks you into the world of GTR is the superlative and pervasive sound. There's a powerful sense that you're on a track with a bunch of overpowered, extremely noisy engines all around you.

It's a nifty twist on the traditional RPG in both its battle engine and the offbeat nuances of its plot. The pacing could have been a touch faster, but it's a small gripe in the grand scheme of things.

If you can master Logan's Shadow's complexities, you're in for the most rewarding stealth combat experience available on the PSP. But it's a game that demands a lot from its players, and the PSP is just not a good fit for a game with such an elaborate control scheme.

It's remarkable that EA has managed to catch up to the incredible effort from Sega in a single generation, and if it weren't for an overly trying physics engine on the ice, the two would be in a dead heat.

To play America's Army is like slipping into a fascinating experiment. As players come and go, you're witness to riveting displays of heroism and cowardice, brilliant tactical bluffs, and awesomely awful blunders.

A deep Dynasty Mode and some cool new gameplay additions ensure that you'll be playing the game for months to come, and while we can't say yet if the game will be able to gain ground on its biggest rival, we can say this: NBA Live 2005 is the best EA Sports basketball game ever.

A game definitely worth buying. Good story, good level design, and great graphics all make for one hell of a ride.

Easily one of best GBA titles to ever come out for the handheld system. Its rich story, colorful characters, and excellent gameplay all add up to make this a truly satisfying experience.

While this port isn't the significant enhancement that we'd all hoped for (to put it kindly), Prepare to Die Edition is still clearly the definitive version of Dark Souls. It plays smoother, multiplayer is improved, mods have enhanced the resolution and promise further improvements, and there's content not currently available on the consoles.

The Creative Assembly team knows what Total War fans want, and the huge amount of new content found in Kingdoms is it.

Strikingly similar to CoD4 in many ways, while offering enough variety to recommend it to anyone who might be growing tired of last year's game. Although the campaign storyline isn't nearly as engaging as the one seen in CoD4, there should be enough memorable set pieces and intense sequences to keep you riveted throughout.

There are no PGA courses or players, but what it does have to offer is a gameplay style so simple it truly is good for everyone.

Deep Red took their time and reinvented both the "Sim City" model, the Monopoly board game, and created something that's bold, new, and still reminiscent of both sources.

It's a triumph for THQ and vindication for Yukes. This is best of the series, and one of the best wrestling games to hit a console.

The only real problem with VJ2 -- it's too darn similar to the previous one.

This is what your hands should be doing in their spare time.

It's painful to see that the ultra-cool face-mapping and online eight-player multiplayer game is absent from the final Xbox package. However, THUG for the Xbox remains one of the best games you'll play this year.

Is the combat up to par with, say, Devil May Cry 3? Not quite. And no, the series will probably never top Devil May Cry 4's Dante vs Nero opening in terms of sheer testosterone-fueled zaniness. But Ninja Theory's managed to meld its own wildly inventive sensibilities with an obvious reverence for Devil May Cry's legacy, and the result is a very special experience.

Once you get past its unsightly graphics and need for a gamepad, you'll find that Indigo Prophecy is one of the more refreshing and unique titles released in years.

A return to grace for our troubled royal acrobat.

Chariot of the Dogs may be missing the satirical edge of earlier Sam & Max episodes, but the funny certainly won't disappoint long-time fans of the Freelance Police.

MvC3 tends to emphasize flash over substance... and that's totally cool, for some folks, as MvC3 is going to divide the fighting game audience, including series faithful. Some will like that it's more accessible (if a bit stripped down), while others will decry the dumbing-down of their favorite series and its lack of arcade sauce.

Like the best of Japanese-developed games, the artistry is spot on. It's artful and visually varied, and the soundtrack is appealing if slightly bombastic. Although the online options lag behind the quality of the rest of the game, this is a four-star title through and through.

The combat is electric and there's so much to explore and discover that it'll take quite a while before most players discover that the universe isn't as deep as it could have been.

With Guitar Hero 5 Neversoft has finally found its "confidence." An assured nature to the game's new visual direction contrasts with the see-what-sticks "extreme" visual stylings of its predecessors, and with several new game modes Guitar Hero finally bests its direct competitor in ease of use and friendliness, in many respects.

A great version of an RPG milestone. The story seems a bit simplistic by today's standards, but it's also uncommonly charming. The quicksave feature makes it an excellent candidate for fun on the go.

One of the game's strongest features is its highly bizarre and amusing story line, with a localization that Nintendo of America can be proud of.

If you can bear some of the repetition in between missions, the missions themselves are a blast. The environment is among the most compelling ever put on a screen this year. And multiplayer is strong. Far Cry 2 may not live up to its full potential, but there's a lot here to enjoy regardless.