It's great fun, and I don't know how Koei does it, but they manage to keep this series fun and entertaining without really changing the overall mechanics all that much.

Decent graphics and superb sound put you right in the middle of an engaging story (which stems all the way from the first Myst), but the horrendous and continuing loading issues will have you severely distracted.

Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria was tweaked where it shouldn't have been, and was left alone where it needed tweaks. It's still a fun time, but it's unquestionably a step down from its classic predecessor.

The game is worth a purchase if you're looking for a decent new party game, but it isn't anything more than a weekend rental if you're not.

If Capcom could just get some better scenario writers; someone to weed out the contradictions of their own storylines, and someone to make this a little less "out of left field" and a bit more logical progression towards the truth, this could be fun for a larger audience.

The game just never...builds into anything more than an average video game experience.

Like the previous entries in the series, it has a strong storyline and gripping, tight gameplay. But it's because of the subject matter at times that the player might be turned off.

The overall size of the maps, the idiocy of finding all the remaining units down to the last probe before moving on, and the sheer imbalance and poor tactics brought it down.

Though at times it is hindered by boring training, the game pulls through with an excellent taste of realism that makes this game quite the interesting experience.

While the gameplay will likely be hit or miss depending on your genre preferences, it’s difficult to deny that Exit's interesting graphical style and presentation that make it one of the more memorable games to be released for the PSP.

With the laughably bad art and writing in the cutscenes, and gameplay clocking in at less than a day's worth of casual play, I would MAYBE recommend this at a half-price purchase. This is a definite rental. You definitely should play this, but you definitely shouldn't pay for it.

Very mediocre.

Definitely the lesser of the two major street basketball titles. A little more polish, a lot less loading, and we might have a showdown next year.

Those who missed the open-ended questing in "Tribunal" will be pleasantly surprised, and those who wanted to try something new will have the werewolf to play with.

Decent graphics and superb sound put you right in the middle of an engaging story (which stems all the way from the first Myst), but the horrendous and continuing loading issues will have you severely distracted.

I can't see anyone wanting to replay this over and over just to unlock Hisui, Hotsuma, and Joe Musashi, so this game is just a rental, if that.

At times, the play control can be a bit wonky, but overall Zack & Wiki is a solid addition to the point and click adventure genre.

While it is a very serviceable try, Altar isn't going to be convincing anyone this is the second coming of X-Com.

Though, the visuals are interesting, the music is good and the gameplay is unique without being lame, it’s a bit repetitious and limited in what can really be done. The steep difficulty later in the game stops it from being a smashing success, but it's still a pretty nice title.

Some of the games control so poorly that they’re unplayable, there are glitches and some lazy emulation, and the DVD content is disappointing, to say the least. That said, if you’re willing to look past its faults (which is easier to do given the $20 price tag), there are some gems to be found here.

As the sequel to the excellent Syberia, it is quite disappointing. The story is too segmented to be enjoyable, the puzzles are not as rewarding as in the first part and most importantly, the game fails to elicit the same kind of emotional response from the player that its predecessor did.

There's just no challenge there at all, the Chain Tactic system just allows you to buy a bunch of straightforward Attack techniques and stab the crap out of everyone.

A fairly bare-bones package, but it's a fun one, especially at a $20 price point.

This is one of those games that while beatable on a weekend rental, is solid enough that the excess of strangeness means you'll probably have an enjoyable time with it, and crack a smile while playing through at least once.

Basically, Devil May Cry 4 is just the Devil May Cry game from 7 years ago with a fresh coat of paint, and that is fine by me.

Fun for a while, losing some steam when the boredom and insipidness of fetch questing kicks in. It's decent for an RPG, but nothing spectacular.

But the play’s the thing, and in this title, the play is a chore to get from cutscene to cutscene. Though I’ve often snarked that this was how Square Enix designed the series starting with Final Fantasy VII, I can’t imagine this is truly what the designers wanted from their latest creation. The result is a decent but ultimately disappointing experience from this venerable series’ latest entry.

Ultimately, Diplomacy is no fun at all when you are playing by yourself, but a bit better when playing with others over a network.

In the final tally, this game gets put above "Prince of Qin" in the battle for most like, but not quite "Diablo II."

If you're just a passive Pokémon fan looking for a new pickup, this isn't worth it for you. Stick with Ruby or Sapphire, and that will be plenty of Pokémon for you. Remaking a game that is only 6 years old just smacks of laziness, and Pokémon fans deserve better.

I just wish George would stop flooding us with mediocrity and take a break from new releases to give us a helping of something special.

A decidedly average Star Wars game that is extremely fun as a rental, but wears thin with repeated play.

If you're just a passive Pokémon fan looking for a new pickup, this isn't worth it for you. Stick with Ruby or Sapphire, and that will be plenty of Pokémon for you. Remaking a game that is only 6 years old just smacks of laziness, and Pokémon fans deserve better.

A decent game for those who love the genre, but this release isn’t quite sure exactly what it wants to be. While worth it for the dedicated RPG fan and Final Fantasy completists, it shows that Square Enix has a long way to go before they can dominate the handheld RPG market.

Of course, every Bemani freak will want this, but anyone looking for a challenge or the more traditional arcade feel will either want to pass on this or just import the Japanese version. Konami seems to forget that what worked in Japan is working here. You shouldn’t try to mess with a good thing.

A very well crafted game with great balance and a surprisingly large strategic depth. It offers a long enough gameplay to last well beyond the 2004 Presidential election, and because of the lack of violence and sex, it is accessible to people of all ages.

Probably the hugest no-no will be the lack of in game saving and will really frustrate 99% of the gaming public. Honestly, the game was so close to becoming a huge hit that it really depressed me.

If you are fortunate enough to have both a Gamecube and a PS2, I highly recommend choosing the PS2 version. From a visual and audio standpoint they are nearly identical. But, the Dual-Shock controller will be a much nicer fit than the GC's.

I was disappointed and if you are a fan of the HM games, you will be disappointed too.

The idea behind Elite Beat Agents is one of the best I've seen. The story is told with near-perfect timing, and the engine itself is solid. However, the song choice is incredibly spotty, and the multiplayer modes are a disappointment.

But, if you can get past the unnecessarily complex controls and obscene difficulty of said missions, you'll be rewarded with a rank based on the speed with which you completed your objectives, the damage inflicted on your enemy, and the number of letters you're gonna have to send home to your troops' families.

Looks good and sounds great, but in a racing game to have the sensation of speed constantly interrupted is very damaging.

A solid, average fighter.

If it looked nicer, and was a bit more player friendly, I'd probably be buying this one. But as it is, it feels like the developers just wanted to make this hard enough so that you couldn't beat it on a rental time span.

The control, along with a small number of other poor design decisions, takes the game from being a blast to being an expensive bundle of frustration.

This glorified tech demo is an excellent game for groups, whether the serious gamers you'd expect from a college dorm or the kids at a family reunion.

The graphics are absolutely amazing.

Despite the relative brevity of the experience, I can honestly say that Touch Detective is an excellent game to go through... but only once. It's disappointing that the game is so short, because the eccentric cases and endearing cast just deserve to have more than just a brief few hours in the spotlight.

If NBA Courtside 2002 would have included a customizable season/player, added a ZONE defense and bumped up the AI a few notches; this could have easily been my favorite basketball game to date.

The designers didn’t make the modifications to make this more than an N64 game with a different controller, and the changes that were made hurt the game rather than help it, for the most part.

As much as I loved the game, I hated it. What could have been is just that... could have been. Is it recommended? No question about it.

A minor disappointment, but easily one of the better soccer game experiences I've had.

An ambitious game that tries to do something different, but ends up being more of a generic beat-‘em-up that really just isn’t that much fun to play.

A fun yet still quite flawed title. Had the loading times, glaring issues with AI, and that cut scene issue been fixed, this could have been an A title.

I have to say that I personally liked this better than "VF4," but they were both a bit disappointing overall.

There is nothing here that sets it apart from the crowd in terms of gameplay, but the visual and physics aspect of the game are bar none the best available today. Far Cry is worth a look, but be warned; you are going to need a beast of a computer to run this as it was intended to be run.

Overpriced and underappreciated.

While I totally think the game could have been a hundred fold better by corrected the AI issue, it is still a safe buy for most gamers and recommended for novice to intermediate RTS fans.

The game is fun the first time through, all though damn frustrating at times.

The real shame is that the lack of single-player or online Skirmish mode really destroyed any chance of me being able to recommend this game as a purchase; the lack of replay value really hurts the overall package tremendously.

All missions are full co-op ready. You and a friend can play together to beat the game together! This was always my favorite feature of the previous versions of this game (as well as other old school games). This only makes the game more fun to play when a buddy is over.

Aside from the actual soundtrack, on the pitch noises are quite fine. Commentating is good and keeps up rather well with the action.

So without the best gameplay, CIMA: The Enemy should hold you in for the long run to unravel the great plot and adventure. For those who are more into puzzle solving than fighting, this should have some appeal as well.

If you like customizing big robots, you're going to be happy with this one. I realize that's a niche, but it's a niche I'm part of.

Unfortunately, there is very little replay value to this game. While kicking the crap out of Willy hasn't really lost its magic after all these years, you can only go through this game at most a handful of times before it becomes repetitive.

Combined with slightly above-average aesthetics and the chance to go through the game again as a different twin, The Sacred Stones is a solid and worthy diversion for the tactical fan.

For those new to the whole MMORPG thing, or those who are still enjoying the concept, this game is a really good bet for you. Unfortunately, for those seeking content or just burned out from the whole idea, I advise you to turn away and not give the game a second thought.

If you factor in the poor character models, horrendous draw distance, oft-mediocre voice acting, and incidental story, Spider-Man 2 comes down to a single gimmick: the excellent web slinging.

Unfortunately, the touch screen is not as accurate as a mouse and I don’t even want to get started about the glitch - if it had happened any more often than it did, then I would be unable to recommend this game.

This certainly is a different kind of game, interesting even. But, a blast to play? A must have? These are things that Kirby: Canvas Curse sadly is not.

It's seriously fun and additive.... for a few hours. The game loses its flavor quicker than a pack of Fruit Stripes gum... its colorful and packs a ton of enjoyment at first, and a few minutes later it turns grey and tastes like a rubber eraser.

This game managed to hit my nostalgia nerve, especially because I had a quick action itch, and this game was right there to scratch it.

A huge disappointment.

You are going to want to hate it, but the simplicity and mindless fun behind it will probably have you coming back.

A game that has “only above average” written all over it.

The game definitely takes its place in the halls of infamy as one of the single most thrilling MMO experiences out there now. The raw catharsis of robbing banks, kidnapping innocents, and basically acting naughty in a virtual world while dressed up as the result of getting Jack Kirby and Stan Lee stoned-- there's little out there that beats it.

This shooter's probably the best out there for the PS2, and the best ever on a console with the exception of "Elemental Gearbolt." The driving mission where you blow up the Jeeps is probably my favorite sequence ever in a light gun game.

With the lack of really fun and interesting missions (I never want to have to say, “That’s it! If I have to protect one more transport, I’m joining the Empire!”), and the flat-out boring commando missions, this game falls far short of the high standards Factor 5 has set for themselves.

It is not without its flaws, but it does make some attempts at innovation, which is more than I can say for most licensed games, if not most games period. It's too short for me to wholeheartedly advocate a full priced purchase.

The Guy Game features tons of questions and the inclusion of the Spring Break girls is an original twist on an old concept; after all, "Hollywood Squares" was doing the same shtick even before "Street Smarts."

Surprisingly deep, complex, and accessible, SimCity 4 is the pinnacle of simulation games.

If only the game weren't so expensive, the added cost of the bongos notwithstanding, I'd be able to recommend it in a heartbeat, but the relative brevity and light difficulty keep me from being able to recommend Jungle Beat as anything other than a solid rental.

What a horrible, horrible waste. The game had it all. Slick presentation, a decent, yet completely predictable story, fun gameplay, and even branching to add levels of replayability. And then someone cast that all aside because of their stupid need to have their own version of the final trench run mission, combined with the fact that they have no idea how to create a good boss.

The left handed hitter bug and the player progression bug affect both the game dynamics and the franchise mode’s lasting value respectively.

An expensive game doesn't seem so pricey if it's good, but it seems even MORE expensive if it's bad. You'll get both feelings with the Growlanser: Generation experience.

An above average action game for the PS2 that has some great character designs and a world that needs more fleshing out. Still with all it's small faults it's still a game I keep coming back to just to witness another beatdown, and if a game can do that it's not so bad in my book.

Hardly a vast leap forward for the series, but it's not a simple graphical improvement with a minor gameplay upgrade thrown in either.

I also have to say that I've only played the game as Brandon and Juji. This is because Rocketbilly Redcadillac is the single worst character ever created. Imagine Vash the Stampede with a guitar that shoots bolts of electricity and talks like a hick. (Or more precisely like the English voice for Chou from Ruroni Kenshin.) Not good times. Bad times.

The game isn’t really innovative, and it won’t wow anyone. But at the end of the day, you’ll find yourself still laughing about how the health meter cookies have the Japanese word for “monkey” on them as well as the subtle joke behind Pierrot the clown monkey.

Both in terms of plot and in terms of battle engine, this could have been easily done in the 8-bit days. While certainly a workman's RPG, it's one best suited for those who want something like they were fifteen years ago.

This game isn't as revolutionary as I'd hoped, and what was changed for the most part was changed in a way that I didn't like so much.

Basically the same as the Star Wars Lego kits. You'll complete it in under a day, and then put it up on the shelf, never to be played with again.

A fine piece of work, but a little hastily put together...Due to the lack of a random map generator and due to the limited replay value of the maps, the most you can get from the expansion is a week of playing.

The characters, levels, and game modes are entertaining enough, and it's got just the right sense of humor. I really can't recommend it for solo players, as most of it's solo modes are aimed towards unlocking multiplayer content.

No matter how much fun I had while playing through Academy, I could never shake the feeling that I was playing an expansion pack to Outcast rather than a full-fledged sequel.

Despite the cutesy idea, there is a pretty solid game buried inside of Lego Indiana Jones.

Nothing more than a fair game. It's not quite as innovative as Advance Wars, but it still manages to offer a fun, nice-looking strategy gaming experience despite the frustration factor.

Whichever side of the fence you sit on, it's probably safe to say that Xenosaga II is one of the better movies to come out in 2005.