One of the nicer new features are challenges, mini-goals within an existing scenario that you can choose to do if you'd like.

A bold experiment for DICE. It's a dramatic departure from the "Battlefield" games, and provides a refreshing experience to those willing to invest the time in its strict control mechanics. The combat's unfortunately its Achilles' heel, since it lacks the spontaneity of the free-running and in many instances brings the action to a crashing halt.

Without question, it's one of the longest games available on the 360, clocking in at roughly 60 hours depending on how quickly you blaze through it. For huge anime/JRPG geeks like us, Blue Dragon is a fantastic game as long as you can make it through the first few plodding hours and don't mind the hyper-cute character design.

It feels like a game that was rushed out the door, failing to offer all the core features an online game should have.

It is a wargaming grognard's dream, but may put off anyone else. That would be a shame, because underneath this detailed spreadsheet-type interface is an intriguing strategy game.

All the features put together make a fun addition to SimCity, but only because the expansion packs in so many different additions to the game.

Gone are cumbersome mechanics like hiding bodies and sheathing swords to run faster; back are gruesome one-hit kills, fun grappling hooks and those lovely poisoned rice balls.

It's got the racing dynamic of EA's "Need for Speed" and Acclaim's "Test Drive" series, but the speed and abandon of "Crazy Taxi" and "Driver."

Unarguably, however, the most significant change has been the increase in the level cap. Players who were once sitting comfortably at 50 (the old level cap) are now looking forward to a lengthy, laborious grind.

It's easily one of the best games available for the PSP, and it might even earn the Blue Bomber a few more fans.

If you're a Tony Hawk fan and you can't get enough of the series, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground for DS is indisputably the best of the bunch this year. It feels like the classic Hawk titles of five years ago, yet it manages to adapt some of the good elements from updated games to make a fulfilling experience.

Not only does it adapt the gameplay mechanics of a GameCube title to the remote and Nunchuk, but it makes them pretty easy and accessible to use.

All in all, combat is very easy to learn, but difficult to master -- and yet very satisfying.

With fast, violent, and even subtle sporting action all wrapped up in a gorgeous audiovisual package, Deathrow is a real winner of a game.

Very fun and very funny; it deftly satirizes Grand Theft Auto while being almost as entertaining, and it even improves on several aspects of GTA's gameplay (instant mission restarts, a superior guidance system, and an easily accessible collection of vehicles).

This may seem like a given, but the best way to sum up Storm Legion is that it's an expansion for players who love Rift and want more of it. Where most expansions attempt to transform and refine gameplay, this one seeks only to enlarge it. Its sole (and worthy) contribution to MMO innovation lies in its spectacular player housing, and that doesn't change what Rift is at its core. I doubt it'll be enough to win back people who've left out of disillusionment with one feature or another, but for those who're still here it's a keeper.

Far better than it should be, partly for its spirited use of the license, partly for its variety, and partly for the simple fact that it's a rarity to have a game like this with serviceable bots.

I had a blast playing Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and I expect to keep that feeling alive through many more single and multiplayer dustups.

It may not be especially revolutionary, but Elite Force II is an often entertaining and consistently solid shooter that no Star Trek fan should be without.

This is an entertaining shooter with many good points, but nothing's particularly outstanding or original here. Members of the Old West FPS posse should snap it up faster than Doc Holliday could clear leather, but city-slicker varmints oughta just wait till it hits the bargain bin at the local general store.

But for $40, you're getting much, much more than your money's worth. Any PSP gamer with even a passing interest in music creation should absolutely take Traxxpad for a spin.

If they want to ensure that they'll stay on top for good, they'll need to fix the analog swing system and work hard on cutting down on the frequent load times.

Though Disgaea 3 comes with a steep learning curve, there's so much depth to the game, both apparent and hidden, that you could literally spend thousands of hours with it. It's a niche experience, but one that's exactly what its target audience is looking for.

A love-it-AND-hate-it title. The presentation and story aren't quite as elaborate as "DOOM 3," and things bog down a little in the second half, but the new weapons and gadgets provide a nice boost to the core gameplay.

Even if you make only one trip through LEGO Indiana Jones, it'll be a great ride.

A wonderful title (with the kind of cerebral gameplay that seems to have taken a back seat to mindless shooters in recent years), which will keep you glued to your console for as long as it takes you to finish it.

It may not unseat "NASCAR Racing 2003 Season" as this year's premier PC NASCAR sim, but the NASCAR Thunder series is now right on the leader's tail.

While some of the areas are bigger than the ones found in the original, almost all of them are less interesting. The game's dungeons and outdoor areas are, for the most part, boring.