A rare example of a complete game. Most titles lack in one aspect or another, but Prime pulls its weight in just about every part of a game you can imagine.

Expect dozens of hours in the game, with an almost endless replay value.

The hype is real, readers.

I think this is probably the worst teammate AI I've seen in an FPS since "Daikatana." It's like every one of your followers are the Redshirt sidekicks from "Star Munchkin."

This game has officially spoiled me. Literally everything about Resident Evil 4 is oozing with style and meticulous attention to detail.

All told, while I was extremely impressed with The Wind Waker, I didn't have a whole lot of fun playing it. In fact, more often than not, it felt like work more than play.

Overall, BioShock is definitely worth a purchase. There simply isn’t a better experience to be had on the PC.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is to the gaming world what "The Matrix" was to the film industry: it breaks so much ground and introduces so many significant things that it will no doubt have an impact on how games are made for a long time to come.

In essence, Vice City is little more than a GTA3 expansion pack. Still, considering this could have just been a cash cow license like Tomb Raider, Vice City came out surprisingly well.

As a multiplayer experience, however, Halo 2 is simply unparalleled. No other game provides the sheer amount of variety, both in terms of game types and opponents, as Halo 2 currently offers.

The control of the game is where this really shines.

There are the issues with clipping and shadows that you expect from a launch title, but the problems are never so bad that you have trouble figuring out what you’re looking at. It is a little strange, however, seeing the Matrix-style animations associated with the world of twilight. Overall, the game looks very nice, but nothing about it screams "next-generation."

There are so many humorous moments in the game, but at the same time, many emotional moments as well. Throughout my journey, I connected with the characters, as they truly came alive for me. Few games were as engrossing as this, as it really captivated me with its fantastic story and entertaining twists.

The same great Tony goodness is back with better graphics, more and cooler tricks (read: lazy a$$ manual), better sound, and the whole damn game has been completely revamped. The replay value goes through the roof.

To not have this game in your Xbox 360 game collection is like a form of self-punishment. There's no doubt in my mind: Gears of War can easily go down as one of the greatest video games ever created.

The best thing I can say is that if you never really cared about the single player game in the first place, you can expect to have a great time with Halo 3 for years to come. If however, you are looking to “Finish the Fight”, and don’t plan on paying for Xbox Live Gold, you would be best served to wait for a price drop or two… or three.

An incredibly solid RPG. The sheer variety of gameplay elements available, paths you can take, and quests in the game make it well worth a purchase. There is no reason why any RPG aficionado should not own this title.

They just don’t make games like this any more, and this particular game really shows us how far we’ve come and that you don’t need flashy graphics and surrond sound to have a mind-blowing game.

With a slick story, great visuals, awesome multiplayer possibilities, and a style that is unmatched, Chaos Theory does not disappoint.

All in all this is a solidly built offline title that stalls and dies once you try and take it online.

The core of the problem is that MGS4 tries to be everything to everyone and ends up falling just ever so slightly short of succeeding-- still managing to be a very good game in its own right.

From the elegant battle system to the beautiful graphics and excellent sound, everything just comes together beautifully to grab the player from the very beginning and not let go until Ares has been sent to Hades.

The gameplay is awesome, the graphics are great, and being able to completely immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe is a force to be reckoned with.

Virtua Fighter 4 has moved in next door and I am coveting my neighbor until I am sore.

If your first Takedown doesn't get your blood pumping, then find a job as a bomb squad technician or try and get a spot on the Olympic Air Rifle team, because apparently nothing affects you.

Overall, Super Smash Bros. Melee is still a frantic fighting game that's easy to pick up, has tons for you to do even in single-player mode, and it's still one of the best fighting games to pull out with company – with four players and intuitive controls, anyone can pick it up easily.

The somewhat short single-player campaign does have a few missions that aren't quite as good as the others, but the others are undeniably great, and certainly stand out among all the RTS games I have played.

An absolutely astounding online multiplayer component. This could be a game in itself.

The interaction between player and environment sets the bar so high for other games, that it is nearly inaccessible.

Easily the best in the series so far. It rejuvenates the formula, radically changing the game enough to make it a completely new experience, while at the same time retaining enough of the SSX formula to still satisfy the series’ faithful fans.

The interaction between the player, Sam and the game form a symbiotic relationship that few games have achieved. Things like retinal scanners, fingerprint id's and sticky cameras will keep you spitting adrenaline on this 14 mission romp.

I have to say, in terms of presentation, Okami by far is the bet game I’ve ever seen...However, games are meant to be played. And honestly, between the humor that falls flat at times, the worst plot twist I’ve seen in a game since college, and the sheer lack of challenge in the game, Okami falls well short of greatness.

Bigger and prettier than its predecessor, but it really doesn’t do much to move the series forward. Everything that made the original great is still here and improved, but there is very little that is new to the series, and even the things that are new seem more toned down than perhaps they should be.

The weak control scheme, combined with parts of the game that are completely counter-intuitive, hamper the game tremendously to the point where a serious gamer will, at best, pick this up for a rental. I think Capcom became so blinded by the concept that they forgot that the execution is just as important, if not moreso, than the design.

With at least four known endings, Symphony's already astounding replay value is entirely phenomenal.

The vastness of the story, the volume of things to do in combat, the art direction, and the realm combat all rolls up into a wonderful package.

One hell of a game. Stop the IRS, end human slavery, and a dramatic final showdown with huge tentacles. Sounds like a recipe for some perveted anime, but it's nothing of the sort. Rather it's just one freakish and funny ride into the minds of Dave Grossman and Tim Schafer.

You may be pensively looking over at other games and wonder why SC2 skimped on all of those luscious features. I don't understand it all either, but that doesn't stop me from proclaiming this as the best 3D fighter I've played to date. [Import]

NFL 2K3 controls are as tight as ...uh....screwing your computer case screws in with an industrial driver.

There is just no way around it. Rock Band is, to date, the single best music game on the market, and not merely because it's the four best instrument simulation games available, either.

It gets a solid four stars, but still is far from perfect.

There doesn't seem to be a huge gap in play balancing, but the fact that there are so many different factions to play as doesn't seem to bring too much to the table.

The graphics look excellent, sound effects and custom soundtracks are superb, the gameplay itself is rock-solid, damage modeling is present and accounted for, car customization goes even deeper than any game before it, the menu system is a god-send, and it's always ready to rock out on Xbox Live.

I was a bit disappointed in some of the bugs that existed in the title. At least once a game I noticed a flicker... It didn't hinder any gameplay, but it was noticeable... The bottom line here folks, is that Madden has once again set the bar high for its competitors and has flexed its digital muscles.

Probably one of the most in depth and well balanced strategy based games that will probably ever grace any portable system

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.

Worth noting is that ESPN NFL 2K5 is one of the few third-party games to take advantage of the Xbox's custom soundtracks, and it even goes a step further by allowing the player to set up Stadium Music that plays at certain points in a game, such as when the home team scores a touchdown or forces an interception.

The camera angles were enigmatic and frustrating. The action on the screen was great when we were fairly close to the fighting, but once scaled out became chaotic. The personal feel of smacking each other around when close was decent and enjoyable; but once the action panned became impersonal and out of touch.

The best part is that players can zoom in to watch the battle in glorious detail, and players will want to zoom in just to sit back and watch the action.

I was truly amazed at the overall completeness of the game.

What makes Soul Calibur so brilliant isn't just the amazing graphics and great combos, it's the continuity and fluidity of the progression of the game. Moves seem to flawlessly transition from one combo to the next, making the game seem believable one moment and then outrageous the next.

With its great character design, cool story and spectacular battle system, its one of my favorite games of the series.

By far the best platformer this year. Period. End of discussion. If you disagree, you're wrong.

To make a game so engrossing that I forget about eating food for a week means you basically have crafted Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in game form... Any turn-based game that leaves your mouse hand shaking because of the sheer intensity of the last few turns is worth any price for the game playing experience.

"Guitar Hero" was one of the best rhythm games I had ever seen, but Guitar Hero II improves upon it in nearly every way.

I think the story sucks, but the game is excellent. The thing about Final Fantasy VII is, whether you like it or hate it, the merits of the game can always be argued very strongly from either point.

I was both blown away and extremely disappointed by Echoes.

One thing that sets Metroid Fusion apart from its predecessors is a clearly stated and well-developed storyline, including, for the first time, occasional monologues by Samus herself.

Final Fantasy VI Advance immediately joins the short list of best games available for any portable system. Unparalleled graphics and epic music draw you into the world, and well-developed characters and a sweeping plot keep you interested from start to finish.

I will acknowledge that the graphics are well done, and the audio is superior to most; however the game plays like a mediocre console game that doesn't have the glamour of other FPS.

The folks at Harmonix have taken an idea, refined it, churned it, ground it, and forged it into a force of pure rock that few men could stand against. Maybe Dio, and quite possibly Yngwie or Clapton. But few men indeed.

A vast improvement over its predecessors.

All in all it's not really much of a replay incentive as the levels are fairly simplistic and very linear. However, it's worth hanging on to the game solely because it can be hard to find, and also because it's a unique experience on the PS2.

Absolutely a must-have title. It is one of the best games of the year. The gameplay is highly addictive and the cut scenes are hilarious- especially Captain Qwark's hand-drawn battle plans.

When all is said and done, Snake Eater achieves what no other game can on such a level: complete immersion into an action-driven interactive movie.

It is a game unlike any other game out there, a truly unique and special experience. It blows ICO away in pretty much every aspect (technically, ICO's controls were better), for those of you considering this game on ICO's merits.

Madden with pageantry, that'd be a nice place to start when describing this game.

An amazing game whose play hearkens back to the vintage days of gaming, though not without a few hindrances. With beautiful graphics, animations, sound effects, and controls, this game is a must play for any gamer.

While the exhibition games are fairly bland, the season mode as well as the create-a-team mode just jaks this game into stardom.

Mass Effect is a serviceable game and there is plenty of fun to be had, just be prepared to be frequently slapped in the face by how inconsistent everything is. Mass Effect is a resoundingly average game in every aspect, which is a complete letdown given BioWare’s history.

Sure, the series succeeds in the atmosphere department, but atmosphere is more needed for the spectators than the guys playing the game. Madden, to me, is a warm, fluffy roll without the hamburger. Yo EA, where’s the beef?

Controls are the best out of any of the installments.

THIS is the future of online multiplayer, not that massive stuff. Apart from poor sounds, average included modules, and some negatives in the new rules, Neverwinter Nights is a must have for any roleplayer out there.

It ain’t that same ol’ thing.

I ended up playing it so much that my hands would literally fall asleep. When not even physical discomfort can keep you from playing a game, you know that's a special game indeed.

Outstanding musical splendor. The score, like the graphics, is a compliment to the game's dark setting. The excellent sounds are loud and clear, and they don't struggle to be heard.

The AI in the game is rather incredible. Most titles’ AI enemies are either idiots or precognitive, with no real middle ground. Call of Duty manages to get to that middle ground.

While it has some ups and downs, Mario Kart DS proves that Nintendo is coming online with a vengeance. Gear up, strap in, log on, and take off. It's gonna be one heck of a ride.

I've never had this urge to unlock all the cars in a racing game since the old San Francisco Rush series. In fact, it probably gets my vote for best game of 2003.

Ico's simplicity is what makes it shine.

An incredibly solid game. Unfortunately, it lacks just a little bit in the AI department to make it a shining example of a perfect game, but it does begin the justification of owning a 360.

The first few hours of the game can be extremely tedious, and thus the game may not be for players who have limited time for games and really can't dedicate a good amount of play time to the game.

The story mode, however, doesn’t make as much of an impact as one would expect it to, and the new gameplay elements end up being more of a hindrance than an improvement.

Just as fun as the first. Almost exactly as much fun, come to think of it. The new features add something to the game, but the fact that we've been here, and done this before negates those new bonuses, so it's essentially a wash.

While it does feel a bit more like an expansion pack than a full sequel, the original was so good that just more missions and cooler weapons with a few incremental improvements is more than enough to make Going Commando a blast to play.

We may be stuck with this edition for the next five years, but it’s an outstanding little sports gem to be stuck with, and for a price tag that can’t be beat.

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

A few other levels could have easily propelled this to Game of the Year status. If there was a way to incorporate a multiplayer aspect to the game, it could also have helped the longevity of the title.

Unfortunately, Panzer Dragoon Orta came up short, literally, with it's complete lack of actual gameplay. This game felt like more of a coin-op than an actual console game.

Blast Corps stands tall with not so much as an attempt to recreate its addictive game play and charm. With intelligent puzzles, good fast action, and a huge variety of things to do (like blow things up), you can't help but to fall in love with this game. [Jan 2005]

A solid little title, despite annoyances like imperfect control and an inadequate save system.

This is a must-own, must-experience title for the Wii, a hardcore offering that sets the bar for first-person shooters on the console high and should be looked to as the new standard.

The game is refreshingly light, yet fully satisfying. Those looking to fulfill that RPG-RTS itch; should look no further.

Not only does ESPN NHL Hockey retain all of the rock-solid gameplay the was present in NHL 2K3, but it couples it with a presentation that is the closest to a television broadcast feel as any hockey game has ever come.

A travesty. A mockery of the good name of Final Fantasy.

The game is great... once you make it past the first three levels. Those who like to jump in a game, and make their decision within minutes will be highly disappointed.

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

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.