From a marketing standpoint, the title so far has been a marketing success: Player conversion, engine improvements, game flow improvements and above all, the fun factor.

Suffers from a complete lack of polish, numerous bugs and crashes, and unintelligent AI.

Another great addition to the turn-based strategy line-up from Matrix Games and comes highly recommended by us here at PC Gameworld, provided that you enjoy the genre in the first place. The period in which the game is set is both interesting and action-packed.

Those who have been loyal Larryists can expect to be sorely disappointed.

A great adventure game with a noble pedigree. Newcomers to the genre would do well to broaden their horizons by giving it a whirl.

If you love deep thinking, strategy and logistics, you may just love this game. If you want a zergling rush, steer clear.

Fans of management and tycoon games should definitely not miss this creative and well thought-out opportunity to play the bad guy. Own this game and it will own you back.

Crusader Kings has a lot of potential: the underlying historical model is a gem. However, when all is said and done, games need to be playable: and there’s some way to go here.

It sucks you in and holds on for hours. Anyone with the slightest interest in RTS games would find it well worth their money.

The new areas, quests, and missions are very well conceived for the most part, and the addition of new NMs, HNMs, and gear is just icing on the cake.

Great for old-school action fans. Repetitive and dull for everyone else.

A good game in it's own right, however it is a niche title. So what are you strategy fans waiting for? Hitler isn't going to overthrow himself.

Great for a weekend of Star Wars geekery with a bunch of friends, offering solid fun for the first four or five hours. After that, well, to impersonate Yoda: whether or not to own it you will want, only the future will tell.

Trying to maneuver a large force of marines and heavy vehicles through the ruin strewn streets of Tartarus can be extremely difficult due to poor path finding by your units.

A hybrid that doesn't break new ground but still manages to entertain, despite the horrible voiceovers.

Created with one thing in mind - absolute realism, right down to the 150 page manual. A top-notch add-on for "FS2K4."

The latest expansion gives existing players a good reason to keep playing, but hasn’t brought the game up to the standards of the latest generation of MMORPGs.

Gets props for delving into WWI’s legendary Flying Circus, a part of history which, sadly, has been almost totally forgotten by most developers. It is just too bad the game itself has so many historical faux paus and extremely relaxed physics and flight models, even for an arcade flyer.

Raging Tiger is a challenging wargame for masters of the genre, but I cannot recommend it for a general gaming audience. There’s simply too much to learn and not enough incentive for casual gamers to want to play.

A fun, thinking person's game, if you have a taste for politics. Fast twitch skills are useless here. Who wouldn't want to pit Arnold Schwarzeneggar against Hilary Clinton?

A great looking game with some of the best gameplay elements I’ve ever seen. However, over the scope of the game it gets a little thin and repetitive.

If you’re looking for a quality tactical action game with loads of weapons, cool features, smart enemies, and polish, look elsewhere. But if your main interest is recent, real-world action (and the promise of at least two new missions each month), this may be your game.

An innocent and undiluted slice of pure fun. It's like "Stunts" for 2004!

Caters to hardcore puzzle gamers. It’s a well-produced puzzle/adventure game, albeit with a weak story, but newbies to the genre should definitely know what they’re getting into.

Presents itself as a value title but in truth it’s really not a value title, just a very bad game.

Ground Control II isn’t going to redefine the genre, but it’s a solid entry with a few interesting tweaks and innovations, making it good enough for any gamer looking for a fast-paced, story-driven, real-time strategy title.

The combination of vehicles, weapons, and frontier features could make Soldner a hit series over the next few years. If you are a casual gamer looking for instant action, then this title may not be the best investment.

This is the biggest, baddest, most fun, large-scale, first person, military, online, action-oriented shooter available. Whew, that was a lot of adjectives. It is more fun and addicting than "BF42."

A very well made game for World War II fans, but a bit too much for the average gamer.

It resuscitates a once heavily hyped sim that was nearly dead on arrival, and turns it into something special. A must buy for combat flight simulation enthusiasts.

It cannot quite compete with the likes of SpellForce: The Order of Dawn, but as a reasonably enjoyable title to fill the void of gaming insomnia, it does merit mild recommendation.

One of those games that we see all the time. It’s not great, it’s not horrible, it’s ok. And that’s not always a good thing.

A fantastic game that can compete against the best of them. If you have even the slightest bit of interest in soccer or soccer games definitely give this one a shot.

Not only does it have fun powers and cool costumes, it makes you feel like a hero! And, better yet, part of a team.

A more significant problem, though, is that the gameplay just isn’t much fun. You’ll spend a lot of time running (slowly) from place to place, undertaking repetitive quests, such as fetching a list of items, killing all the undead in an area, or retrieving a large number of wolf pelts.

Manhunt is no kid’s game. Adult players should anticipate an incredible amount of gore and some uncomfortable scenes of violence. Looking beyond that, Manhunt does offer a unique story and some challenging, stealth-based gameplay.

Brilliant voice acting, top notch graphics and solid driving physics make this a must-own, despite several flaws.

Nothing special, but worth a look if you fancy some polished but none too exciting RPS action.

Its addictive and amazingly detailed single player game, coupled with a fun and varied old school multi-player game, set Painkiller apart from the rest while at the same time harkening us back to shooter days of old.

Nearly everything was done half-assed and it shows; Sound cuts out; Graphics are crap for lack of a better word; More bugs than a spider web; Can’t even use the disc as a coaster since I pissed on it.

Unfortunately, the best part of this game was uninstalling it and using the disks for coasters while taking a big gulp of Pepto Bismol.

Every aspect of Far Cry bleeds quality. This is definitely one of the best games ever released, and my friends, that is saying something.

Fans of the original will enjoy this sequel, but don’t expect anything revolutionary, or even substantially different.

A frustrating and tedious adventure game that is easy to pass up.

A must buy if you’re a fan of the series. It will be appreciated more by players old enough to remember the Vietnam Conflict and the 60’s, or gamers who have studied it and can groove to the vibes.

A terrible FPS clone, with no imagination or ingenuity...In the Ukraine, video games are used to torture people - or so it would seem.

It seems very unpolished in its current state, and while patches might fix some of the more egregious problems, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to pull the title up from its current mediocrity.

IL-2FB AEP is the Premiere WW2 simulation. It is the benchmark, which all sims should follow. In spite of some of its flaws, nothing comes close to the action this game provides.

Amazing graphics, and it expands on everything that previous RTS and RPG games have created.

A fairly average shooter that doesn't really add much to its prequel. Vast but standard plot and sub-standard gameplay make for an interesting distraction but a generally uninspiring title.

Joan of Arc combines realism with arcade in odd measures, and yet still makes for a great gaming experience. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but you could do a lot worse than give this medieval hack and slasher a test lunge.

To enjoy the game requires hours of exhaustive research and patience that most gamers don’t have.

The game had potential written all over it and showed a lot of promise, but somehow it never quite made it to that point—the point where it could be deemed a "good" game.

Its non-linear campaign and loads of strategic depth make for a thoroughly engaging experience.

If you can manage to recognize its underlying tongue-in-cheek nature, Postal 2: Share the Pain can become much more fun to play and maybe even, dare we say, enjoy – at least for a time.

Those who want to break into the genre, and racing addicts, might want to pick it up, but everyone else can easily do without RC Cars.

This is truly a grognard's game. If you don’t know what that means, you’re probably not one. If you do – and you are – you will be refreshed and inspired.

If you are looking for a cross between a 3D spreadsheet and "Battlestar Galactica," with a side of patience and a twist of plot, then X2 lands right in your space station.

A great action/adventure game, with the highest of production values and a ton of consistently fun gameplay from start to finish.

For "Giants" veterans, don't expect too much from A&D, as it isn't half as special as its precursor, but I would recommend playing it if only for the fantastic cutscenes.

A somewhat disappointing, but fun sequel.

Goes a long way in making EverQuest accessible to casual RTS fans. Hardcore fans on the other hand could find the game to be too simple, and focused on too small a scale. Creation of units is slow, and mines run out often, so if you don’t mind expanding your force for most of the mission you will find an entertaining game in Lords of Everquest.

Average graphics and sound with repetitive gameplay, and you’re left with a mediocre product. SOV has it's moments, but is otherwise uninspired.

The only thing missing from this masterpiece is the fact that once you finish playing the game, you can’t watch it as a movie!

It's arcade control scheme, as well as the almost total lack of realism in its flight physics, makes it more suitable to fans of the fast and loose space shooters for which SWON’s developer is best known.

Feels too much like a simple port of a console game. PC gamers are learning to expect much more! If you enjoy console beat-‘em-ups, then it will at least provide some variety in your diet.

Slices through the lackluster myriad of ho-hum adventure games and breathes a new breath of fire into the genre.

A great game that offers tons of options for customizing your ride, and a solid arcade racing experience. If you love cars, and long to build a custom car of your own, then this game is perfect for you.

A worthy topic that may appeal to Korean War buffs, but this title will likely just frustrate the average gamer.

A deep, engrossing strategy game with a steep learning curve. Should be in any fantasy strategy gamer’s collection.

Despite its minor flaws, NBA Live 2004 could be the best basketball game ever made.

Though the Hobbit does decent job in recreating the events of J.R. Tolkein's famous book of the same name, simplistic objectives and an overall easy quest hurt an otherwise average game.

DTR’s good points are largely overshadowed by its enormous faults. Die hard fans of Max Payne and its sequel might find something to enjoy here, but then again it would be difficult for them to take such a big step down.

It's so bad it's almost worth playing, almost.

Even the tutorials are riddled with poor grammar, grainy, pixilated text, and bugs. If I were Emperor of Rome I’d feed this game to the lions.

Long time followers of the series will likely not find much new aside from the addition of Career Mode in place of Season.

A welcome addition to the ever-evolving series with enough new content to make it a worthwhile purchase.

This is one that only the hardest of the hardcore should consider buying. Even then, wait for a used copy to surface at your game store. Casual fans will want to wait it out and see what next year brings. EA certainly has a lot of room for improvement.

A fairly decent third-person action game, only mildly bungled by some not-so-great camera perspectives, long-winded cutscenes, and a tendency to go overboard with the shear number of enemy forces directed at you at once.

For Harry Potter enthusiasts, EA did a semi-decent job at creating an imaginary sport.

This game will change what you think about RPGs. The immense world provides hours of gameplay and there are enough different paths to take that the game could be won in any way you want.

Extremely unforgiving AI, coupled with beautiful artwork, and an array of deployable units places this turn-based strategy game squarely in must have status for any strategy buff.

A chore-saving final addition to the original Sims. Its whimsical nature is a nice change of pace from the previous expansions.

A good expansion that's definitely worth picking up for the price if you feel that the original Dark Age of Camelot lands and loot have become stale and over visited. Easily recommendable for seasoned players.

A great Real Time Strategy from the company behind "Empire Earth," this game will keep you coming back for more.

If you like the WW2 shooters and prefer the stealth and sniper aspects then this game is for you. Want something revolutionary? Then keep looking.

If you absolutely love story-driven horror type games then this may be worth a look. Otherwise, don't even think about it.

There is little to dislike about No Man's Land, and much to love, despite the multitude of multiplayer bugs.

Definitely not a purchase for mature PC gamers, but for those wanting a gaming introductory lesson for their young children, this might just be for you. Just plan on lots of patience, as this is certainly targeted toward the LEGO fans of the world.

When Nosferatu is at its best, the game is a moody frightfest of first person survival-horror unlike anything on the PC, but when it’s at its worst Nosferatu is a frustrating exercise in dying. Still, for horror fans this can be overlooked, as Nosferatu delivers some great goosebumps.

They seem to have removed much of the delicate strategic balancing which made the original so much more than a squad-based tactical game, and many of the tactical elements which made it stand head and shoulders above resource-management games.

A tight package that offers plenty in the way of sim-building entertainment. If you've ever played a simulation game and wondered what it would be like if you actually had to control a group of separate personalities instead of robots, this is your game.

With varied missions, nice visuals, and an awesome musical score Commandos 3 is a game you very much want to enjoy, but in the end there are too many issues to keep you from fully feeling satisfied.

The action, graphics, and gameplay are all tight and very satisfying. However, the somewhat hazy story and confusing relationships make some parts of the game less than stellar. An extremely short completion time might also turn off some gamers.

The end result feels like a few mini games pieced together to make a whole that isn’t quite... whole.

Ultimately the game is a little on the shallow side when it comes to mission goals and weapons, but it is fun enough to overlook these shortcomings.

Taking a plunge into this mystery may leave you bobbing for more Nancy Drew games.

Paradise Cracked is not the worst strategy game ever developed, but PC gamers needing a solid story to push the experience along will want to look elsewhere.