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.