The best addition, though, is undoubtedly the glorious 10-vs.-10 Be A Pro online mode, which lets every participant commit to a single position for the duration.

Repetitive battle music and minor camera issues aside, if you can stand the slow, turn-based nature of Gladius, you'll love it. [Dec 2003, p.154]

It’s Metallica’s underlying design that is the hero of the day, however. For starters, Neversoft has finally mastered the difficulty curve. A far cry from the torturous days of Guitar Hero III’s Hard setting, the songs here are a treat on any skill level. Better, though, is how the career mode is structured. It’s star-based, meaning you’ll unlock new venues and blocks of songs at certain star milestones.

Fall of Cybertron never quite transcends its franchise the way, say, Arkham City does - loving Transformers will definitely heighten your appreciation of it - but it's every bit the game that series buffs hoped for, and an improvement on its forebear.

Impressive lighting, gorgeous art direction, and a smooth framerate really pretty-up the experience, while voice-acting from Hollywood veterans Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox add weight to the audio.

Dungeon Siege III is among the finer ways you can dungeon-crawl on your 360 these days, and if the developers can iron out its quirks, a sequel (which this game sets up nicely) could be epic.

Overcoming Greed Corp's challenging and clever adversaries is a taxing experience, but damn if it isn't one of the most gratifying. [Apr 2010, p.81]

Everything that you need to get your flabby butt in shape is included in Yourself!Fitness, except for the equipment, which isn't a requirement. [Jan 2005, p.74]

These small potholes aside, you won't find a better two-wheel racer on any gaming system. [Oct 2007, p.79]

Excessive loading times and way too many menus to button through are also annoying, but the on-court and online tennis are so terrific and pure that these faults are easily overlooked. [May 2011, p.84]

Overall, Crypto's latest is itchily compelling and easy to recommend. As original-Xbox game go, DAH!2 is one of the best of the season. [Dec. 2006, p.82]

But 10 bucks will net you a fulfilling and thoughtful odyssey, just in time to leave you salivating for the long-awaited sequel. [May 2011, p.78]

Now this is the right way to do a Platinum Hit! [Jun 2006, p.81]

A better, more realistic game than last year's, but its still-vicious checking system might turn off hardcore hockey enthusiasts. [Oct 2004, p.80]

The trick that Crooked Mile pulls off particularly well is in ditching “right” and “wrong” — this is ever more the land of shades of gray, and we found our choices dictated increasingly by the impact they’d have on the characters Bigby clearly cares for.

For the ride alone, Condemned's super-creepy serial-killer yarn cannot be beat. [Holiday 2005, p.82]

We had an absolute blast with most of the tracks on offer here and at $5, this late add-on is still very welcome. [Feb 2011, p.81]

It's graphically below par (shouldn't they be over par?), but the gameplay is so smartly evolved that it's $60 well spent. [Jan 2006, p.81]

With a 20-hour runtime, both it and the gameplay are prone to meandering and missteps, but Lords of Shadow 2 nonetheless manages to bring the series crashing to a satisfying conclusion. [April 2014, p.70]

While so many stealth games equate any sort of detection with total failure, Human Revolution lets the chaotic consequences of exposure play out in all their unpredictable glory. Shoddy storytelling means that all the sound and fury that results ultimately signifies dreadfully little, but at no point short of death do you every truly lose - you just have a different kind of fun. [Oct 2011, p.72]

We have seen the future of real-time strategy on Xbox 360, and its name is Battle for Middle-Earth II. [Sept 2006, p.76]

It completely nails what a sequel should be: it expands on everything its predecessor did best without sacrificing what we loved most about it in the first place. [May 2010, p.74]

This three-player scrolling shooter has that old-school, spray-and-slay mojo that your inner rageaholic craves. [July 2008, p.62]

No new content, but Ubisoft's Montpellier team astounds us again with just how pretty games can be. [May 2014, p.71]

Whether you still watch wrestling or just enjoyed it back in the day, Legends is entertaining to the end. Its pared-down controls may disappoint hardcore fans, but they do make it more playable for newcomers - and players of all stripes will appreciate the giant bearhug it gives to nostalgia.

Viva Pinata is a sandbox game in the vein of "The Sims" and "Zoo Tycoon". There's no real way to"win". Your reward for playing is increasing your level, unlocking new content, and, of course, earning achievements. [Jan. 2007, p.80]

With the string of 3D-style casualties in this series' history, Lords is the first time we've been looking forward to where this shining new direction takes us. Go, Team Belmont.

The dogfighting, though, feels aimless unless you're playing with people who really know what they're doing: We predict it'll be the stomping ground of the uber-hardcore pilots. [Nov 2007, p.88]