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.

Cabela's Big Game Hunt is fails to deliver on all fronts, failing to provide a realistic hunting simulation or at least compelling gameplay.

Between all the unlockable and hidden items in the game, replay is almost required. Despite some issues with the camera and odd occasional lag over Live, you will do so happily.

Unless they patch the game to allow for Live play against others or release downloadable questions to add on, Scene It may be a fantastic party game with a short shelf life. As it stands, if you are planning to have friends and family over for the holidays, Scene It and Rock Band make up fantastic family fun that rivals anything going on the Wii.

At the end of the day there is only one reason not to buy Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and that is if you’re no longer breathing...I know people that hated FPS games up until they played COD4, now they are awaiting the next one with baited breath.

An uneven hit or miss proposition that relies heavily on elements borrowed from shooters that came before it, but managed to deliver on the innovative feature it brings to the table.

There are a few weak points, such as clumsy menu navigation, great but lacking online support, and reliance on the Microsoft D-pad, but overall VF5 is a very strong title, and fans of fighting games are going to love this game.

In the end, it hints strongly at a sequel, leaving you salivating for more. That is all you can really ask of a game.

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 hilarity is outstanding, and because every effort was made to ensure each episode stands on its own, the humor does not get stale.

The new wireless Les Paul guitar alone is reason enough to shell out the money for this game; it can also be used when replaying a little GH2. An amazing track list, new boss battles, characters, and an entirely new online mode just keep the list going of reasons to buy this game.

Between the blipping electro soundtrack and dated, incessant "Help me!" whining voices, Exit serves as a great reminder as to why it is so cool that you can stream music through your 360.

Considering the subject material there are not many other games like it (F.E.A.R.) and the unique character-switching feature helps it pick up a few points. The nice variation in weapons and magical powers also keeps the average gameplay from getting too boring.

I had a great time playing through it but with no online mode there is little reason to come back for more, other than the blood and breasts.

The AI isn’t much more sophisticated than that of Space Invaders, but if you look at the reasonable $40 price tag, the good aspects of Tomb Raider Anniversary begin to outweigh the bad.

Speedball 2 is not going to win any beauty contests, and the controls make it feel as though you are playing with a field of squeaky tin men, but it is not without its charms. The wealth of game modes, ability to run and grow an online team, and frantic gameplay ensure you will play this title for longer than a quick stroll down memory lane.

Was I ever surprised when I found myself recommending this game for my ten-year old nephew as well as my twenty-three-year old wife. This game can remind even the most serious gamer of what it was like to play games when they were a child. The storyline is ridiculous, the gameplay is simple, the controls are somewhat difficult, and the graphics are old school but overall this game pulled me in and got me hooked.

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.

There is something on this disc for everyone in the family and if you are a fan of the Half Life brand it should be a no-brainer purchase, I cannot recommend The Orange Box enough.

Puzzle Quest reinvents the puzzle genre with its unique RPG laden gameplay. It is the kind of game that will need its own support group to assist all the addicted in the near future.

Sega Rally Revo is a racing game developed for the gamer who does not want to be bothered by the nuts and bolts of a typical driving game, or realism. The game succeeds in being a good time for casual gaming fans who will not mind how shallow and simple it really is.

The FIFA series can no longer be labelled as a joke because this year it has surpassed PES2008. The sheer volume of content along with the realistic game play and superior graphics, has led me to this conclusion.

The six hours it will take you to complete the twenty-level contest hardly feels substantial. It is not the slam-dunk comeback fans hoped for from Crash's 360 debut, but it is far from a failure.

Ultimate Carnage makes excellent use of what the Xbox 360 has to offer including fantastic online play and superb graphics. If you like console racers and destroying cars and scenery, this title is worth a look. The fact that this game was released as a $50 bargain title, and has strong replay value, makes it a no-brainer.

Project Gotham Racing 4 has superb graphics for a racing title, some decent controls, and one hell of an offline/online package. As I said before this is the flagship title of the series and with new developers coming on board it is going to be hard to beat in the future.

CSI: Hard Evidence makes Phoenix Wright look like Sherlock Holmes. The game's limited cases and mind numbingly bland gameplay makes this a questionable rental, at best.

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.

Bungie has spent three years and countless loads of money making Halo 3 and fortunately for them (and publisher Microsoft) it has paid off.