An extraordinary game that any action fan will go nuts over. Everything from the graphics to the sound to the action itself, Infinity Ward and Activision have taken the genre to an all-new level and it's truly something special. [Dec 2003, p.88]

The most interesting shakeup to the action is the emphasis being placed on incapacitating thugs instead of always going in with guns set on blood-thirsty kill, but this idea works much better in theory, growing old fast and never playing out like you might expect. [Dec 2003, p.82]

The stealth in Rogue Ops is serious business, residing somewhere between "Metal Gear" and "Splinter Cell" in terms of mechanics, i.e., not at all passive. [Nov 2003, p.79]

The one area that has improved tenfold is the visuals. Running at a smooth 60 fps, the players and arenas never looked better. [Nov 2003, p.104]

Although the worst soundtrack of all time and less-than-stellar visuals conspire to keep it from reaching its full potential, ST is a fresh racer nevertheless: fun, mode-packed and above all, beefy, especially at 20 bucks. [Nov 2003, p.93]

The cutscenes are better off skipped and there's nothing mind-blowing at work here, but the levels are clever, the bosses nicely creative and the mix of thinking and skill-based gameplay fun. [Dec 2003, p.85]

The most interesting shakeup to the action is the emphasis being placed on incapacitating thugs instead of always going in with guns set on blood-thirsty kill, but this idea works much better in theory, growing old fast and never playing out like you might expect. [Dec 2003, p.82]

The stealth in Rogue Ops is serious business, residing somewhere between "Metal Gear" and "Splinter Cell" in terms of mechanics, i.e., not at all passive. [Nov 2003, p.79]

There's an aura of nobility, barbarism and mysticism at work here that places you in the world and makes you care about the characters, and that's what it's all about. [Nov 2003, p.72]

A vast sci-fi universe to explore, bounties to collect, and an intriguing story that bears telling. [Jan 2004, p.72]

With character models that look like they crawled off the Dreamcast, muddy textures and minor but frequent collision issues, this is not exactly a pretty game. [Jan 2004, p.70]

Online RPGs are not supposed to have characters that look this good, nor are they supposed to have the sort of atmospheric brilliance exhibited here. [Dec 2003, p.90]

They've gone the realism route, and the end result is a mixed bag. [Oct 2003, p.83]

Other games have tried to slow the pace down a bit, forcing you to strategize with a more real-world instinct, but none have ever been able to do so with this level of intensity and keen sense of design. [Nov 2003, p.64]

There's an aura of nobility, barbarism and mysticism at work here that places you in the world and makes you care about the characters, and that's what it's all about. [Nov 2003, p.72]

Come game time, stellar graphics - easily the best ever for any tennis game - are center court, along with astutely tuned AI - staunch but never frustrating, always in league with your rank. [Nov 2003, p.107]

The beauty is in the execution. They've elevated the experience with better production values and a more integrated story, a seemingly simple tweak that goes a long way in a genre plagued by repetition. [Oct 2003, p.69]

Blame slightly unnatural control and a rather generic feeling. [Dec 2003, p.84]

The stealth in Rogue Ops is serious business, residing somewhere between "Metal Gear" and "Splinter Cell" in terms of mechanics, i.e., not at all passive. [Nov 2003, p.79]

Other games have tried to slow the pace down a bit, forcing you to strategize with a more real-world instinct, but none have ever been able to do so with this level of intensity and keen sense of design. [Nov 2003, p.64]

Budokai has style, but the substance is almost non-existent. [Nov 2003, p.92]

The game is so fun and addicting, and the environments so brimming with goodness, you'll care not. Too bad the art is lacking. [Jan 2004, p.64]

If they fix the play balance and are able to add that last bit of audio polish (and adjust that Steph model...she was <I>hot</> in the preview build), the next iteration could be perfection. [Dec 2003, p.101]

Could have been much worse, but with similar games like "Banjo-Kazooie" offering better, deeper gameplay, it's a bit tough to recommend. [Jan 2004, p.76]

The game is so fun and addicting, and the environments so brimming with goodness, you'll care not. Too bad the art is lacking. [Jan 2004, p.64]

The game is so fun and addicting, and the environments so brimming with goodness, you'll care not. Too bad the art is lacking. [Jan 2004, p.64]

Sadly, you can't create textures or models, but those who are able to tame this monster will still find an abundance to love. [Nov 2003, p.92]

Best of all, the song list, spanning over three decades worth of popular American music, contains easily recognizable and fun songs for anyone raised here in the States. [Dec 2003, p.82]