Crysis pushes the envelope in the graphics department and experiments with some freewheeling gameplay. The end result may not be a perfectly polished game experience, and it might require a monster system to really appreciate, but it's hard to fault a game for pushing so far past the bleeding edge.

Instead of a true stealth engine, you have awkward "hide spots" to accommodate the free roaming. Combat is either too easy or too hard, lacking the brilliance of a dedicated action title. And the free-roaming, bound as it is to mission objectives that would be fine in a more linear game, is just unsatisfying. Each element of the game is individually interesting, but as a whole the package feels incomplete and patchwork more than innovative.

For everything cool that the game does, from the heightened tension of breaking into a prison to a shootout in a Tokyo nightclub to some amazing chase sequences, it shoots itself in the foot with a terrible cover system, artificial incompetence, and a multiplayer mode that sums up everything that's half-baked about the experience.

Instead of a true stealth engine, you have awkward "hide spots" to accommodate the free roaming. Combat is either too easy or too hard, lacking the brilliance of a dedicated action title. And the free-roaming, bound as it is to mission objectives that would be fine in a more linear game, is just unsatisfying. Each element of the game is individually interesting, but as a whole the package feels incomplete and patchwork more than innovative.

The downside is that if you're looking for that next great leap off the turnbuckle and into your living room, you may instead have to settle for a pretty satisfying leg drop to hold you over until next year. Slow and steady worked for Hogan all those years, so it may be good enough for you.

There are dozens of different match types to explore, functioning online multiplayer, and many different ways to customize your experience. The downside is that if you're looking for that next great leap off the turnbuckle and into your living room, you may instead have to settle for a pretty satisfying leg drop to hold you over until next year.

It's not necessarily the best wrestling game put out by THQ this year, but it's easily the most innovative.

Fast-paced action and a great presentation are hampered only by the steep learning curve for what should be a simple point-and-shoot experience.

In many ways, the controls are dead-on, but the awkward shooting controls hamstring the action.

If you've played any of the previous Tenkaichi titles, you know exactly what to expect here -- a relatively shallow button-masher that does a darn fine job of letting you relive the Dragon Ball experience. Those looking for anything else will be disappointed, but if you just want another excuse to beat up Frieza, this game will suit you perfectly.

It's good to have a better Rayman Raving Rabbids installment on DS than the one released last year, but we have a feeling that Ubisoft could have done much more on a handheld system that offers many great examples of mini-game collections.

For the past decade or so, the Need for Speed series has been all about illegal street racing, but Need for Speed: ProStreet completely sells out this most tantalizing aspect for some cheap (or, rather, extremely expensive) product placement.

We haven't been huge fans of Need for Speed: ProStreet on other consoles, but the Wii version is by far the absolute worst one. It's not even so much the muddy, washed-out graphics (though they are quite awful, even by Wii standards) as it is that a significant number of features seem to have been stripped right out of the game and replaced with a control scheme that is agonizingly frustrating.

It succeeds as a conversion. It succeeds as a more mature racer. And it succeeds as a pure shot of vehicle-fueled adrenaline that you can take anywhere.

Honestly, we still prefer Most Wanted to ProStreet even though ProStreet offers significantly improved tire smoke that actually wraps around the wheel wells of your car, because Most Wanted had cops that chased us and provided a really compelling reason to drive as fast as humanly possible.

A novel game with a unique new mechanic for building towns and cities with personality. Casual players will find a lot to tinker with as they sculpt towns out of their dreams or nightmares. More serious gamers will be able to plumb the depth of the title over the course of the weekend.

Sonic Rivals 2 is a faithful return to Sonic's roots. Aside from a couple of speed bumps, this is one title that should be welcome in any fan's collection.

Fans have been waiting years for a true Contra sequel, and now it's arrived. Whether you're a fan of the series or someone looking for a challenge, you'll find a lot to love here.

It's exactly what diehard gamers feared that the casual gaming revolution was going to inflict on the industry: shallow, gimmicky software whose main selling point is that no one is too young, old or uncoordinated to be able to play it. Buy a real videogame or buy a board game, but don't be a dummy and let Smarty Pants walk away with your 50 bucks.

Its simple elements are well-blended in an adventure that only lasts about eight hours but still manages to fill its time with great fighting, fun puzzles and a general nostalgic atmosphere.

Though support for the Wii's new Zapper can't quite make up for the fact that the on-screen reticule is never quite where you want it to be, and the dollars-per-hour ratio would give any gamer pause, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 boasts enough polish and design acumen to be worth an expensive few days on the front lines.

Though it's hardly sufficient to make you forsake home console warfare for handheld ops, and the dollars-per-hour ratio would give any gamer pause, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 boasts enough polish and design acumen to be worth an expensive few days on the front lines for those who simply want another WW2 shooter experience.

Even with the support of the upcoming feature film (which supposedly donated art assets), it still manages to oscillate between looking positively stunning to heinously ugly.

Our sights weren't set especially high for Beowulf, so at least it didn't disappoint. Even with the support of the upcoming feature film (which supposedly donated art assets), it still manages to oscillate between looking positively stunning to heinously ugly.

The PlayStation 2 version of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords comes highly recommended, even if it's not the most attractive version available. The Xbox Live version, and even the PSP version with its annoying bugs are better looking versions of the same game, but you can't lose with any choice you make.

The bad multiplayer choices compromise a game that's otherwise very enjoyable: Dinner with Friends is fresh and well-made, with responsive controls and lots to do, but when it comes to sharing it with friends it lacks even the basics of fun. The best thing is to play it alone, trying to unlock all the available items.

A solid port of a fairly awesome game. If not for the high system demands and random slowdowns, it might actually compete with the 360 and Wii for the best version available.

A thoroughly uninspired piece of hack work that gives you plenty of reasons not to buy it. Pick any one you like and save yourself the sixty bucks.