Involving, ambitious, and beautifully executed, Mass Effect is a powerful experience that has a lot to offer anyone who plays games as more than a casual diversion.

The right combination of gameplay elements and design decisions make Kane and Lynch easy to recommend to crime junkies and anyone who enjoys a little therapeutic videogame violence. A well-executed plot really makes the game, while the multiplayer additions add replay value and variety.

It’s a tool set that will be revitalized every time a new song pack is released, and with all the improvements over the Guitar Hero formula, one that will eventually become the de facto standard in music and rhythm games. For those who can foot the bill, Rock Band delivers a gaming experience that’s simply like no other.

It’s a tool set that will be revitalized every time a new song pack is released, and with all the improvements over the Guitar Hero formula, one that will eventually become the de facto standard in music and rhythm games. For those who can foot the bill, Rock Band delivers a gaming experience that’s simply like no other.

Ghost Squad is fun while it lasts, whether you’re playing by yourself or with friends. The problem is that it lasts less than an hour. If you’re the type who plays to perfection and see yourself going back again and again for unlockables, it’s worth a look.

Soul Calibur Legends isn’t a particularly bad game, but it does absolutely nothing to separate itself from the piles of generic action games on the market.

Time Crisis is the undisputed champion of arcade rail shooters. Considering how irrelevant the genre has become, that’s not exactly glowing praise.

If you have no friends and no broadband connection then UT III will be a snore. When twitching out against opponents around the globe it can be as addictive, and deep, as video games come.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a one-trick pony of blood and guts. And if that’s your thing, you might be able to overlook the generic shooting mechanic, enemy AI that’s cheap and stupid, and dull level design. But we just can’t.

Uncharted is one of those rare games that borrows elements from all the latest hits without feeling like an also-ran. It manages to simplify gameplay elements that typically frustrate casual players, yet provides enough challenge in the gunplay to satisfy the hardcore.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a one-trick pony of blood and guts. And if that’s your thing, you might be able to overlook the generic shooting mechanic, enemy AI that’s cheap and stupid, and dull level design. But we just can’t.

It’s a unique first-person experience that can only be done on the platform. Crysis manages to transcend the hype to go beyond the pixels and stand solid on its own.

The first half of Assassin’s Creed is a truly clairvoyant experience. You’ve never played anything like it. The sagacious story, incalculable crowd interaction, and unprecedented freedom to traverse the environment how you choose are landmark moments. Over time, repetition rears its ugly head, combat becomes a necessary routine, and dimwitted foes snatch you out of the third crusade and remind you that you’re playing a game.

The right combination of gameplay elements and design decisions make Kane and Lynch easy to recommend to crime junkies and anyone who enjoys a little therapeutic videogame violence. A well-executed plot really makes the game, while the multiplayer additions add replay value and variety.

The first half of Assassin’s Creed is a truly clairvoyant experience. You’ve never played anything like it. The sagacious story, incalculable crowd interaction, and unprecedented freedom to traverse the environment how you choose are landmark moments. Over time, repetition rears its ugly head, combat becomes a necessary routine, and dimwitted foes snatch you out of the third crusade and remind you that you’re playing a game.

The inclusion of superstar fighting styles and the struggle submission system is a step in the right direction, but it’s still difficult to recommend Smackdown vs Raw 2008 for a purchase to anyone but the most ardent fan.

The inclusion of superstar fighting styles and the struggle submission system is a step in the right direction, but it’s still difficult to recommend Smackdown vs Raw 2008 for a purchase to anyone but the most ardent fan.

A superb entry in the genre with a ton of great missions and reasons to play again and again. Anyone that enjoys the macabre, or going nose-to-nose with zombies should check it out. Fans will absolutely love it as it's basically a love letter from Capcom to them.

The right combination of gameplay elements and design decisions make Kane and Lynch easy to recommend to crime junkies and anyone who enjoys a little therapeutic videogame violence. A well-executed plot really makes the game, while the multiplayer additions add replay value and variety.

Having to cover the damage done to your cars gives playing the game a sense of desperation, and multiple event types mix things up. Even so, Need for Speed Pro Street doesn’t quite have enough meat to cover its bones and is best suited for players who are in for the challenge, not the big crashes.

Contra 4 is a stunning return to form and a fitting twentieth anniversary present for fans of the series.

If anything, Orcs and Elves will remind you of the old school classic PC RPGs like Lands of Lore and Eye of the Beholder--which is to say that there’s not a lot of originality here. But given the restrictions, id’s first DS game is a success.

Cooking Mama 2 doesn’t really bring anything new to the dinner table, but that’s not really a bad thing. It just offers a heaping helping more of the gameplay fans of the original game fell in love with, and chances are, most will find that filling enough.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a one-trick pony of blood and guts. And if that’s your thing, you might be able to overlook the generic shooting mechanic, enemy AI that’s cheap and stupid, and dull level design. But we just can’t.

It's a perfect blend of the established and unexpected, and a finely crafted piece of software that will infect your subconscious and make you dread dropping the controller. The accessibility, ingenuity, variety, quality, and quantity are impeccable. The only real uncertainty is how much you'll allow it to take over your life.

BlackSite: Area 51 features a handful of fun moments blasting giant aliens, but there’s too much time spent in forgettable shootouts, the story fails to engage, and it’s so riddled with bugs that not even the Orkin Man can feel safe purchasing it.

BlackSite: Area 51 features a handful of fun moments blasting giant aliens, but there’s too much time spent in forgettable shootouts, the story fails to engage, and it’s so riddled with bugs that not even the Orkin Man can feel safe purchasing it.

Silent Hills: Origins is a game that smartly packs all of the series’ best qualities into a bite-sized, portable portion. With its incredibly short length we only recommend it for purchase for fans. But while it lasts, it’s indisputably the best handheld survival horror game available.