Not as flashy as the competition. But its technical prowess and sheer depth give it an edge over every other game on the market -- even the vaunted, upcoming "Soul Calibur II," if only slightly. The game's immensely addictive, fun, intricate, and super speedy.

The best PC RPG of the year, and possibly one of the best RPGs I've ever played...It's got that obsessive/compulsive quality that keeps pushing you to solve just one more quest, to finish one more task, to go up one more level just to see what new stuff you can get.

It looks and sounds better than ever, which more than makes up for the minor control issues. If you've been searching for the best Grand Theft Auto experience around, look no further: San Andreas is the real deal.

It takes the essence of the MMO experience, breaks it down into its component parts, and plays up all the fun elements while actively minimizing the boring or tedious aspects. World of Warcraft is the MMO that nearly everybody can enjoy, and is a shining example of the game developer's art.

The PC version suffers from a few technical glitches and generally looks a little dated compared to other PC titles, but still feels like an improvement over the PS2 version, and is filled with weeks of gameplay and unforgettable moments. It's not to be missed.

It's reawakened my passion for the world's most popular sport, and it's seized my attention more completely than any video game since "ICO." Konami receives my foot-funk-free Golden Boot for this amazing effort.

The addition of weapons to the fighting game mix has put the Soul Calibur series in its own arena; the intensity of clashing blades and the strategies afforded by their behaviors makes the game feel more visceral than any of the other fighters on the market.

While the combat's a bit bland and the challenge could stand to be higher, the fact remains that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a wonderful rebirth of a classic franchise.

While the single-player campaign is outstanding in its own right, Call of Duty 4 contains one of the most addictive multiplayer modes we've ever played in a shooter.

The best hockey game available -- until NHL comes out on the Xbox.

The best snowboarding game on the market.

NFL 2K3 has not only narrowed the gap between it and Madden -- it might have surpassed it.

There's a surprising amount of depth as you work your way through the various difficulty levels, and the new songs, online leaderboards, and upcoming downloadable content make it the definitive version of one of the best games of the past few years. Now, if we could just get a new guitar...

A great-looking PS2 game, with good character models and beautiful environments. However, the one flaw in this gem is its framerate, which can bog down in moderately busy melees.

It's an experience like no other in videogames, and it's amazingly realized considering it's really the first time anyone's tried it.

Best of all, Eternal Darkness doesn't treat the story as an excuse to kill monsters; you kill monsters as an excuse to advance a great storyline. There's plenty of shock and gore in ED, but it's not afraid to show off its brains either.

The real coup for diehard Warcraft players is a true map and mission editor that can be used to create scripted maps, custom heroes, voice and sound files, unit variations, as well as a completely new story.

Most gamers should consider playing it on general principal, but the addictive and fun gameplay, tons of personality, and huge replay value are pretty good reasons as well.

Possibly the finest snowboarding game ever. SSX 3 offers an insane amount number of challenges, near-limitless replay value, and tight gameplay from start to finish.

With Rock Band 2, Harmonix has created a game that's quick to grow and evolve... just like the music libraries of its ardent fans. If there's any game that reflects the age we live in, and the way that we interact with music, it's Rock Band 2.

Even without a high level of graphics pleasure, Forza is still better than "Gran Turismo 4." Why? How about incredible online play, solid AI and a realistic damage model? That's in addition to hundreds of cars, impeccable control and a career mode deep enough to rival your local bottomless well.

With added depth to the on-field action and expanded management options, Madden 2004 is a game worth picking up regardless of whether you're a rookie to the series or a diehard veteran.

One of the top strategy games of the year, on any platform.

At this point, it's a leading contender for our Multiplayer Game of the Year, and whether you pick it up as part of the Orange Box package or on its own via the Steam digital download service, it's worth every penny.

Mostly a joy to look at and play. It's a shame that the PC's co-op mode is so problematic, but it's a small complaint in the grand scheme of things: the solo campaign alone is worth the price of admission, and the versus mode is delicious icing on the cake.

The game looks great, sounds great, has great writing, offers a lengthy and satisfying journey, has a great technical element and engaging sword-swinging and spell-slinging. It would be difficult to find a game out there with better production values, or that meets its goals so successfully while still introducing new ideas and innovations.

As good as a platformer as we'll ever see. However, it's time that the Nintendo brain trust hits us with something new with the same level of quality.

It has great graphics, exciting gameplay, and a solid online mode. If you can skip over the slightly gimmicky modes and stick to the excellent Franchise mode, you'll be happy that you whipped Mr. Jackson out at the game store.