The trouble starts as soon as you hit the ice - skating is downright abysmal. Players feel floaty, like they're just gliding effortlessly on the frozen surface. [Oct 2005, p.109]

It's especially frustrating because the gameplay underneath the flawed framerate is excellent. [Jan 2003, p.64]

While it succeeds in many respects as a standalone game, Darksiders II disappoints as a sequel. Death's side story proves less eventful than War's mainline quest, with fewer interesting sights and scenarios, plus boss showdowns that are generally less memorable than Darksiders'. It also does little to advance the franchise's narrative.

The return of Battlefield 2's Conquest Assault mode doesn't bring a ton to the table, either: giving one side possession of all control points right at the outset is an interesting wrinkle, but it hardly reinvents the experience. On the other hand, when those four classic maps are this much fun to storm around in, who says anything needs to be brand-spanking-new?

What makes N+ really new and fresh though is its customizability. [Jan 2008, p.66]

The [Xbox] game is crisper, has more resplendent visuals, a more balanced level of challenge, and swifter load times. [Dec 2002, p.142]

Even though Fight Night Round 3 for Xbox isn't the jawbreaking work of staggering genius that the 360 version is, that doesn't mean it isn't a great game. [Apr 2006, p.74]

There are hundreds of hours of gameplay to be mine from Sonic Team's gem, and at $39.99 with the first two months free, it's a bargain. [July 2003, p.76]

This Halo manages to earn its own keep while learning from its predecessors’ mistakes and balancing fan expectations. It’s no small feat, particularly with that Master Chief guy nowhere in sight.

So don't let Dirt's pointed non--"PGR"-ness stop you in the slightest--if all you care about is great gameplay, it's easily one of the best 360 racing games yet. [July 2007, p.74]

For those new to the series, Resident Evil 5 may not be what you expect. It's neither scary nor survival horror, and though its story throws plenty of love to longtime fans, you don't need to be one to enjoy it. Ultimately, it's an action feast for two - with just a little gristle amid all the delicious blood, bone, and brains. [Mar 2009, p.58]

A respectful nod to the past with the luxury of the present. [Holiday 2004, p.66]

A full, unique experience that's equal parts familiar and new, technical and mashy.

Call of Duty's three-pronged attack serves it well in Black Ops II, with the superb online play and Zombies co-op making up for a less-essential campaign this time - though its many changes and occasional high points still warrant a playthrough (or two) to see Treyarch's spin on the well-worn template.

On original Xbox, 2K7 is strikingly similar to "2K6". Clearly all of the effort went into the next-gen version(which shows on 360), but at least the Xbox version is only $30 and you know you'll get a solid hoops game. [Dec. 2006, p.87]

A damned fun game...[but] its pre-rendered backgrounds, "Resident Evil"-style "forward, backward, swivel" control scheme, and static camera angles just can’t compare to the real time environments, dynamic camera, and elegant analog controls of more modern fare like Capcom’s own "Devil May Cry." [Mar 2002, p.74]

Even if you don't care about the Persona mythos, there's a very solid competitive fighter here. Both local and online multiplayer are incredibly solid (the latter thanks to an update released two days after the game), with only the minor annoyance of no quick-rematch option. As it stands, anyone seeking a fresh, stylish take on traditional 2D fighting should enter this Arena.

It's a solid package, but we have some gripes: ship movement often feels slightly oversensitive, and it's sometimes difficult to tell why you took damage, especially if the environment isn't clear on what is and isn't a hazard. Dropping powerups when you take damage is also incredibly irritating, as you'll likely take more hits struggling to retrieve them.

Shift is hugely entertaining, but remember that it’s not about the sillier fun of its Need for Speed predecessors. It’s about the nail-biting intensity and challenge of hanging on to your car at high speed, and as long as that’s how you like your racing, you’ll disappear into this game.

With its greater depth, online play, and the same extraordinary realism, fans will find this release a worthy purchase.[Nov 2004, p.88]

This is exciting, well-designed racing - exactly what earned NFS its name in the first place. [Jan 2006, p.76]

Simple tournaments and multiplayer combine for classic pinball action. [Nov 2009, p.78]

Between some innovative new online features and a mess of shrewd tuning, it’s the kind of compulsively playable game that sports fans will have a hard time tearing themselves away from.

The graphics aren't the greatest, the core gameplay doesn't deliver great innovation, but there are so many game types, mini games, and little pieces to play with that it doesn't seem to matter. You'll have fun, whether you intended to or not. [Apr 2005, p.86]

And holy cow, if it's sheer bat-guano crazy you're after, you'll love Versus mode. Pick from 45 (!) unlockable characters and square off against 11 other nutjobs (humans or bots) in completely ridiculous battle royales over Live. We'd happily pay 10 bucks just to listen to the chaos in each wild melee.

If you can get over the graphics and little glitches, High Heat is an exceptionally deep and fun baseball game that will please baseball purists more than any other baseball game. [Apr 2003, p.81]

That customization model is simply the most robust we've ever seen... The game's only real failing is in its comparative lack of [track] variety. [Dec 2003, p.108]

Warrior Within is not perfect - there's too much backtracking, too many low-poly character models, recurring cheap deaths on small platforms - but it's the closest the adventure genre will come to it in this generation of systems. [Dec 2004, p.30]