When you get past the stealth-themed missions early on, and move onto missions with full use of tanks, helicopters, rockets, and airstrikes, the tactical gameplay plus the production values turn Crysis into a love letter for military combat.

After playing through both the old and new stuff, I realized that there is one word that perfectly summarizes Valve: craft. Never mind that ballyhoo about whether games are capital-A art or not. Instead, put someone in front of a Valve game, and watch that person experience sheer craftsmanship. It seems that Valve just can't make a bad game.

For the first time I can remember in a hockey game, it's not about how fast you set up your one-timer--it's about positioning, spacing, and setting up the perfect play.

It's well-tested, well-honed, and polished--all qualities you'd expect from Bungie, but the developer's talented and hard-working team shouldn't be taken for granted. Halo 3 may look OK and play similarly, but it will stand in the top echelon of Xbox 360 games for years.

For the first time I can remember in a hockey game, it's not about how fast you set up your one-timer--it's about positioning, spacing, and setting up the perfect play.

There’s such a great deal of diversity throughout Super Mario Galaxy’s level design that it’s hard not to get excited when a new area opens, knowing that there’s a whole new set of puzzles and obstacles designed around the theme of the level...It’s because of these moments that Super Mario Galaxy generates a consistent level of excitement throughout the entire experience that few games can replicate.

After playing through both the old and new stuff, I realized that there is one word that perfectly summarizes Valve: craft. Never mind that ballyhoo about whether games are capital-A art or not. Instead, put someone in front of a Valve game, and watch that person experience sheer craftsmanship. It seems that Valve just can't make a bad game.

If anything, Rock Band serves as an almost perfect example of a game that caters to everyone, provided there’s interest in playing virtual instruments.

It's rare that a game critic feels the way I do about this game, but in all honesty, I find it really difficult to find something that's not to like. The controls feel great. The graphics look great. The score sounds great. The weapon selection alone make me want to play the game over and over again, just to test out all the cool offered.

BioShock is one of the few games that I’ve reviewed in my entire career that I feverishly want to go back through and play again to not only enjoy the dynamics of the gameplay, but also appreciate all of the effort put into a great story and an amazing underwater city named Rapture, which sucks you into its world the second you step through its doors.

Apparently, Hannibal’s scientists have been busy, and my spies have been lacking, as I had no idea that Carthage possessed nuclear capability. If I had, I wouldn’t have sent in a mere blimp as my first act of war.

I’m pretty calloused when it comes to videogame stories—they’re usually too overwrought and overly complicated and repetitious to actually be good--but Chains of Olympus does have one of the more heart-wrenching moments I’ve seen in a game. I didn’t tear up, but I <I>did</I> feel a little twinge where my heart would be if I had one.

You might find that mastering some of controls can be a bear because Brawl's fighting game controls are being mapped over to a side-scrolling action platform game.

This game is one of the most immersive gaming experiences I've had this year, and it's definitely a great reason to own a PS3. The mix of platforming and gunplay worked really well and left me craving the next title in the series.

It takes the GTA formula and condenses it into a game that requires a quarter of the time commitment.

As far as the actual game goes, the Xbox 360 version is the best since it looks better and its online functionality is substantially smoother than that of the Wii version.

When it comes down to it, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption can best be described as the sci-fi, first-person shooting equivalent of The Legend of Zelda series.

The new art direction, investment in physics technology, and better animation sum up to a huge aesthetic improvement over previous games, giving GTA IV a level of visual appeal it strained for in the previous generation.

Kudos to Aspyr for making a great port of the game and keeping all of the important aspects of the Guitar Hero III experience intact, including the online play, which is as simple as jumping into the online menu and challenging other guitar heroes. Still, if you can buy the console versions of the game, you're better off doing that.

In the end, though, even with these complaints, Madden 08 still manages to deliver on a level the franchise hasn't seen in years, maybe ever, thanks to its amazing gameplay.

It's the very definition of "widescreen sci-fi," with its alien vistas, far-out music, and giant ideas. It begins with an ominous opening and ends with a fantastic finale that expertly intercuts between your individual actions with a massive space battle. It's the rare title where the first thing I did upon finishing was to select "new game."

Sins is an epic space strategy game that has truly and seamlessly blended the traditional turn-based model with the modern real-time formula. And it's a great way to turn four hours into four minutes.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Burnout Paradise is that the barrier between online and offline play is almost invisible. You can be playing along by yourself, and then with a click of a button, you can invite another friend to join you in an event. It's one of the most organic transitions I've seen yet, and Criteron is definitely a pioneer in how online gaming will continue to evolve.

In the end, though, even with these complaints, Madden 08 still manages to deliver on a level the franchise hasn't seen in years, maybe ever, thanks to its amazing gameplay.

COD4 grips the imagination and finds a way to impact the player's emotions. And though we've seen a ton of games on similar subject matter, COD4 distinguishes itself with a washed-out gritty look and profound attention to detail. That same level of detail carries over to the online campaigns, which are just as vast and in-depth as anything found in the single player missions. From beginning to end--especially the end--COD4 is an amazing immersive experience.

This episode is a carefully orchestrated symphony that ends story threads, revisiting each episode and all the characters in them with sharp wit, elegance, and great story-telling craft.

I can’t really remember the last time I had fun restarting a single race over and over and actually was excited about it because I knew that I was this close to having a perfect race--if only that stupid Ducati would just leave me alone.

While the game's focus is clearly on driving, managing sponsors right will double or triple the income of winning an event and is a fun minigame on its own; making lots of money is crucial to entering higher-level, ultra-costly racing series.