While some aspects of spellcasting take some getting used to, and the horse sequences drone on way too often, you still get your money's worth here, especially if you're a fan of the series. It's just another game that takes you by surprise, despite the heavy criticism and doubts. And that's always good to see.

This is Jurassic Park we're talking about. It doesn't deserve anything in the realm of mediocrity. I may have been entertained with the story-telling but that isn't enough to excuse the gameplay or the fact that none of the dinosaurs were generally scary.

If Traveller’s Tales can figure out how to put a little more production into the graphical presentation and include an online cooperative mode, you might just see the next LEGO title as a potential GOTY candidate if they keep up their stellar success of churning out real winners.

It passes out achievements like their cheap candy and there is a certain charm when playing as your favorite characters. It also draws heavily from the movies and, like it did to me, might reignite your desire to watch them. Yet, none of these traits make for great gameplay. With short campaigns, frustrating combat, and chaotic multiplayer LotR: Conquest feels like a $60 reminder that Peter Jackson makes awesome movies.

Warlords ends up being a bit of a mixed bag, as Atari tried to stuff the pot with too many recipes rather than simply dealing with what works (like its previous Xbox Live version of the game). However, if you're seeking a multiplayer romp or want to let off some steam with an alternative take on real-time strategy, this is worth going to battle with.

I feel that the gameplay variety is worth a look. Then again, maybe I’m just overly nostalgic when I remember how fun and addictive the Genesis game was.

It's still fun to play and has hours worth of content to conquer, but the Kinect controls and lack of new games keep it from being something for everyone.

With only a barebones competitor you would think that World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions would run the table with Xbox Live's Texas Hold 'Em. Sadly this isn't the case.

A very poor second effort from THQ. There are three key features that provide the WWE’s appeal; the wrestling action, the story lines and the visual display. While the wrestling action is passable, the story lines via 24/7 mode, and the visual appeal do not deliver the goods or meet the minimum standards for a quality Xbox 360 game.

A good title marketed to the wrong crowd. I can see installing this game on my work PC, but am I really going to play it on my Xbox 360?

Frustrating levels, repetitive gameplay, button mashing, and graphical issues are all problems that could probably have been fixed had the developers had a bit more time to polish off the title.

As with most retro titles offered on the Arcade, the nostalgia will pull you in for a game or two. Paperboy succeeds in holding your attention longer than most with more than the all-too-familiar graphics and sound, earning your respect with challenging achievements and gameplay.

Make no mistake about it, this game feels like it came right from Jigsaw’s twisted mind. Everything from Tobin Bell’s raspy performance as Jigsaw, to the screams of victims feels pitch-perfect and believable.

The achievement point set is one of the more frustrating yet. Though they mostly focus on just completing the game, you are likely to go over ten hours in before sniffing a single one.

College Hoops 2K8 is often too detailed and complex where it does not need it, and fails at the most important part of the game; the gameplay. They get quite a bit right, but the stiff player movement is tough to look past.

Is Duke Nukem Forever as awful as some folks are saying? No. But is it a project that's been worth waiting for over the last decade? Also no. It's disappointing that Gearbox couldn't quite make the whole experience a worthwhile effort for someone like Duke, while, by the same token, it sticks to its retro guns fittingly in some parts, enough to make the game worth a rental.

While Rayman is filled with clever dialogue and wonderful music, the gameplay is lacking as racing through levels and mashing the attack button gets old quick.

The game has left us feeling in the middle of the road, admiring certain things like weapon classes and gameplay tweaks, but dreading online lag and unfair AI. It's worth a rental to see if it's something you'd enjoy in the long-term, but don't be surprised if, like us, you're left wondering how much better it could've been.

It’s a title nowhere near the upper echelon of Xbox 360 titles, but it’ll fit quite well in a catalogue for gamers who prefer action-oriented games over the standard first-person shooter fare that overruns the Xbox 360 game library.

Seems really limited all around. Along with the lack of online functionality, the game is also missing the ability to download more songs for the library. It also doesn't really add much in the way of incentives.

The novelty of getting to play again with your childhood heroes and players old enough to be mythological legends fails to make up for graphics that would be unacceptable on the original Xbox and a bare-bones set of game modes.

Though it has a good story the horrible cuts-scenes, a dodgy camera, and rudimentary controls give me clarity of mind to say that this game isn’t worth the price tag it carries and joins the already full licensed game garbage bin.

Unless you were a huge fan of the original, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is probably a ride you can skip. Between huge problems with the servers (which should've been fixed before the game launched, honestly), an iffy control set-up and a boring lifestyle-led story mode, it just never feels like paradise.

Fails to rise above the other fitness games out there, due to its spotty body movement detection and questionable audio choices.

War in the North is not a bad game, but it is an average one.

The game fails to impress for the most part, but its one glowing achievement is the fact that I could play through it and didn’t ever really find myself hating my time with it.

An acceptable entry in the kart-racing genre. While there aren't many folks online, the local multiplayer makes up for it, and the modes included here will keep you busy if you're all about power sliding and bombing someone's car with a sack of yard scraps.

It sounds ridiculous for a newly released title to be described as dated, but this is. Even the cover star (Mats Sundin) is rumoured to have retired today. As in: he’s never playing again, 3 weeks after the game hit the shelves outside of North America.

After the first level I thought I had a winner on my hands for sure but as I played more I got more bored and the game became more repetitive. Even though it takes a lot of chances with innovative features and an entirely new fighting system it does not follow through where it matters.

Blacksite Area 51 is a textbook example of how half-assed ideas rushed to production become half-assed games. Instead of emulating Unreal, this game makes Hour of Victory look like Game of the Year.

Those who play Luxor 2 as a puzzle game, taking the time to aim carefully, will play through all eighty-eight levels. In all, the replay value is a little on the light side. Some form of Live play would have stretched it a bit, although the repetitive gameplay is more at fault than the missing Live support.

In the end, Eat Lead's story and characters have far more personality than the gameplay.

Ultimately though, for those who enjoy the niche quality of retro titles, there is something enjoyable and genuinely fun here for you.

Dogfight 1942 doesn't aim high. Its developers stripped away as much as possible while still leaving behind a perfectly average arcade flier.

For fans of hunting games only. The graphics and sound are not even close to what 360 gamers deserve. The gameplay is less than inspiring, and there are some absolutely awful minigames you must complete to progress in your career.

Despite the games many problems it’s not all bad, and the game is better than the previous version (despite the annoyances like not being able to skip substitution scenes), and is still a half-decent football title to play over summer, especially with World Cup fever and a few friends.

Kengo has the right idea, but fails miserably to deliver a solid experience, substituting game modes and substance with repetition.

But, overall, while the game has it’s unique features, and easy to pick-up gameplay, it may still only provide a very short term game experience with lack of multi-player and replay value.

Tenchu Z may be a game that only fans of the series, or fans of stealth games could love. Some fatal flaw bogs down every aspect of this title that shows a glimmer of promise. You would have to be a true fanboy to overlook all of these flaws.

It made some strides, but it’s ultimately a shallow game.

GripShift tries to be too many things at once, and ends up falling flat at most of them. The funky physics of the game will provide a decently enjoyable learning curve to get over, but it will be a rare gamer that cares to see GripShift through on all 125 races.

It’s gruesome, it’s vibrant with style and has Samuel L. Jackson providing VO’s; it’s a formula for success. But, as always with hack-n-slash titles, the replay value is limited and the action becomes droning within a few hours.

We can't really recommend NASCAR the Game: Inside Line to casual players, mainly because of its bumped-up difficulty, its nearly-empty online lobbies and the refusal to really do anything outside the typical NASCAR set-up.

In a time of scarcity, MagnaCarta 2 should find a safe home with a RPG fanatic.

An improvement over Sega's previous comic book screw-ups, and that's saying something, but there's still a handful of errors that keep him from truly saving the day.

A game that does not live up to its potential. From its short campaign to its lack of customization options, it is clear that too much has been sacrificed for the game's online play.

Hot Wheels: Beat That is the kind of battle racing game that will score well with the younger crowd that the 360 too often forgets about. If you are still of the age where you enjoy the occasional spin around the room with a die-cast car, this will be right up your alley. For the rest, the shallow, repetitive gameplay will wear on you after a few hours.

If you are looking for a 3D version of Rampage, The Incredible Hulk is right up your alley. Before you get too excited, ask yourself exactly how long you could stand to play the old city destroyer before getting bored. That is exactly as long as you will enjoy this one.

With the 360 so devoid of family-friendly party games, Party Animals should have been a slam-dunk, not just slightly better than Fusion Frenzy 2. The game gets the tone and characters right, but this time the piñatas feel stuffed with quick-cash rather than candy.

The real problem with Sega Superstars Tennis is really that it is aimed at kids who are too young to remember most of these characters and casual gamers who could care less. Gamers who fondly remember these classic characters are not likely to sit around and play minigames and mediocre arcade tennis for hours on end.

Its colorful presentation may be too much for some to stomach, it isn't long before the games or general content becomes repeated, and the lack of online play shuts the door on any expanded competition.

The controls leave quite a bit to be desired; I think the best way to describe them is awkward.

The lack of innovation and a poor control scheme make Bullet Witch a questionable rental, let alone purchase.

While it is great that EA was able to get all the actors to provide their voices for Superman Returns: The Videogame it is a shame that they turned out the way they did, flat and boring.

The game has been stripped of it’s former glory and is now just a below-average sports game in an already over-crowded genre.

With a solid list of hard-earned Achievement Points you might just forget that Atari failed to deliver any online modes for the game. Well, almost.

It is not anywhere near the level of complexity of Little Big Planet, but the level creation could have definitely made up for a lot of the game's ills if opened to the Live community.

The interesting yet predictable narrative is buried deep within poor design choices.

Even though it will satisfy anyone’s need to play a few good hands of Texas Hold ‘Em poker, its presentation is boring and it’s multi-player mode is bug ridden – leaving you with a half-made game.

But judging the game on what’s included, there’s just not enough here to entice gamers that aren’t hardcore NHL fans.

I appreciate Vin Diesel’s love for gaming, and the plans he has for future games, but I can’t help but hope that the subsequent releases from his studio don’t cater to his Hollywood nature. His games will benefit from it.

Despite its flashy looks, Aces Of The Galaxy falls well short of the crown as XBLA's best shooter, by forgetting that shooter fans care more about a challenge than they do looks.

The game is a much better rental or title that is best left to borrowing from a friend who was fooled into buying it due to their ‘80’s nostalgia.

It gets the job done in terms of visuals and audio, you just cannot beat that grass hands down. But the gameplay and lackluster features will drag this game through the dirt and back, unless you are a hardcore Fifa fan pick this up at the local rental store just to see the grass and take out a few Frenchman just for kicks.

The game's character models, voice-acting, and sweeping fantasy score are the only items that hold-up throughout the experience, with the combat system loosing its luster early due to overly repetitive gameplay.

Tron: Evolution was obviously the best effort Propaganda could pump out in time for the movie, but it quickly becomes evident that the tale of Clu's uprising is sadly a rushed attempt to nab a fan's dollars and sense.

Empires is entirely unfocused and excels at nothing.

The blend of shallow button-mashing controls and overly tough computer enemies make for an experience that neither hardcore nor casual gamers can really get into.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground feels like the videogame equivalent of tail grab after getting a few feet of air - nothing special. You have played this game before, many times, and were probably much happier at the time. Games in a series are supposed to get better, not stagnate and die a slow death.

Hexic 2 feels more like a bad knock-off than a sequel. The excitement of playing the uber-addictive puzzler in head-to-head battle mode never quite makes up for the poor, drab graphics and frustratingly hard-to-see gem selector.

While it may have ruined the film-to-game consistency, Shrek The Third could have been a much better experience with some multi-player over Live.

Conflict is not a terrible game, but there is no hook here to set it apart from the countless other (and better) first-person military shooters already available.

Cars is aimed at children and delivers, for them only. There is a place in the 360 market for a game made for young kids, but there is no place in an adult's game library for this.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is not worth anything more than an afternoon sit-down or rainy weekend rental.

The camera is unfocused and frustrating; the gameplay too chaotic for its own good; and the lack of a strong storyline make it feel like everything's barely holding together with cheap adhesive.

This is a shame, because a management game is a good idea for Live Arcade, which is currently filled with puzzle titles and coin-ops. But Outpost Kaloki X just doesn't have the qualities of Rollercoaster Tycoon - it never feels like you are in charge.

Slightly Mad dropped the ball a little bit with the game's controls and limitations.

The planes, their camouflage and most of the battles are all true and valid to their real-life counterparts; but, some of the presentations and mechanics of the game are quite unrealistic.

The graphics are sub par and the audio is nothing special; coupled with the occasional graphical glitches and bugs, the game ends up looking like it wasn’t finished.

The only redeeming value of Mercenaries 2 is the online co-op play, but even that has bugs and glitches.

It's a good one to two night rental at best.

It's like a soap opera demanding that you give a damn about this person when you barely even know them.

What can gamers take away from their experience with Zoids Assault? Well, first off, the strategy role-playing genre is still in need of a worthy candidate to make the genre look extraordinary again. Secondly, the developers need to hire better writers to create a campaign truly worthy of our time.

Perhaps with a little more time spent on the combat and a longer story, Just Cause could have been a much better title.

It's very clear that they wanted to make an anime, but somehow wounded up making a video game instead. It's a short game that you will watch more than you play, only taking about 6 to 7 hours to complete on the hardest difficulty setting. Replay value is laughable, with the only unlocks to be found are different looking health bars.

Mad Tracks is an underwhelming first effort from Load Inc. Xbox Live Arcade titles are understandably held to looser standards than their retail counterparts, but this title needs some polish in its graphical and audio content.

The game gets increasingly difficult, so much that you probably won't want to play through the game upon completing it once or twice except to snag some elusive achievements.

If you’re an insane fan of the series, you have already bought it and if you like action games like X-Men Legends and Ultimate Alliance you should definitely check this out at your local Blockbuster (or GameFly). Otherwise steer clear of what turns out to be the worst of the video games based on movies so far in 2007.

This game may not appeal to a big percentage of soccer fans. Nevertheless, it does provide a few good laughs albeit short-lived. It’s not a game I can see myself playing consistently.

The game is incredibly short, clocking in at five to six hours, and focuses too much on the things fans of the series do not want to do (random puzzles and hating your favorite characters) rather than the things they want, like exploring the island or being rewarded an answer or two.

Die-hard Gyruss fans with 400 Microsoft Points to spare could do worse to try to recapture their youth, but should note that you will only remember half the game fondly; and for a limited time at that.

The game will only take most gamers five hours, at most, to complete, but it does offer a little bonus replay value in the way of same-console multiplayer modes.

Terminator Salvation is only worth a weekend rental if you have a few friends coming over to play cooperative with.

The audio portion contains pitiful voice-acting and sound effects while having a great soundtrack. Yeah, it’s easy to notice that Warhammer is a mixed bag.

Since all the gameplay mechanics, missions and much more have glaring flaws it’s hard to recommend this game to anyone.

The sloppy gameplay and missing long-term replayability leave it being stuck in the "Kinect gimmick game" pile, rather than standing out.

If you are a complete demented whack job, hey, this might be the game for you but for those looking for solid gameplay via both SP and MP, Soldier of Fortune: Payback is not worthy of a rent let alone a $60 purchase.

The reliance on platforming badly mars the gameplay, which never fares well with a first-person view.