A graphics overhaul delivers detailed facial animations and sophisticated physics that leave battle zones strewn with debris after intense shootouts with shuffling corpses, overfed curstaceans and other assorted foes. [October, p.37]

Sure, the controversy is attractive, but Vice City provides a perfect balance between an open-ended game that rewards players for exploring the environment without restrictions, while also handing out specific goals in order to complete the game. Not very many titles strike this balance so succinctly.

It's the most realistic football game on a console, guaranteed to make you sweat puddles at its highest difficulty setting.

Looking for more depth? Take the owner's seat and relocate your team, set concession stand prices in your new stadium and hire your coaching staff. Ditka: Send us your resume. [Sept 2003, p.33]

While this PS2 game may not be as pretty as Tecmo's hot Xbox seller, Virtua Fighter 4 rivals the competition where it counts the most -- in gameplay.

Looking for more depth? Take the owner's seat and relocate your team, set concession stand prices in your new stadium and hire your coaching staff. Ditka: Send us your resume. [Sept 2003, p.33]

A new online mode allows four players to stalk one another. Take an opponent hostage and use your headset to describe all the pain you plan to inflict on him. [May 2004]

While other snowboarding games run out of steam mid-shred, the SSX series continues to gain momentum. [Dec 2003, p.44]

Unfortunately, Soul Calibur 2 doesn't include an option to download content from the Net, nor is there a component for online play, so all fashion critiques are confined to your living room. [Aug 2003, p.32]

Unfortunately, Soul Calibur 2 doesn't include an option to download content from the Net, nor is there a component for online play, so all fashion critiques are confined to your living room. [Aug 2003, p.32]

Role player, ex-Dungeons and Dragons addict, chainmail-wearing closet weirdo or not, you won't find a finer excuse to blow the week's wages this side of Amsterdam's red light district. [7 Aug 2002, p.1]

While other snowboarding games run out of steam mid-shred, the SSX series continues to gain momentum. [Dec 2003, p.44]

Looking for more depth? Take the owner's seat and relocate your team, set concession stand prices in your new stadium and hire your coaching staff. Ditka: Send us your resume. [Sept 2003, p.33]

While other snowboarding games run out of steam mid-shred, the SSX series continues to gain momentum. [Dec 2003, p.44]

Unfortunately, Soul Calibur 2 doesn't include an option to download content from the Net, nor is there a component for online play, so all fashion critiques are confined to your living room. [Aug 2003, p.32]

The animation is incredibly fluid, achieved by motion-capturing human movement, then importing and manipulating the data into the game.

Plus, there are many combo moves, hidden areas and countless destructive items to find, including the ability to shoot down a 747, blow up a gas station, drive over pedestrians or electrocute prison inmates strapped into the chair. Fun for the whole family!

Looking for more depth? Take the owner's seat and relocate your team, set concession stand prices in your new stadium and hire your coaching staff. Ditka: Send us your resume. [Sept 2003, p.33]

While the game is far from perfect -- some may bristle at the constant micromanagement and the often ambiguous objectives you are required to meet -- it is very approachable and addictive, an almost ideal virtual playground in which you can play god.

The combined package of beautiful graphics, intense action (including force-feedback rumble support in the controller!) and familiar Star Wars ditties all work together to create an immersive, outstanding experience from beginning to end.

NCAA Football doesn’t just look good, it looks as comfortable on your television screen as an ESPN broadcast on a Saturday afternoon.

The graphics in Phantasy Star Online are excellent in all respects. Not only is the lighting superb, but the general design of the environments is also both visually appealing and extremely efficient.

If the blur of high-speed visuals churns your stomach, a turbo-boost should easily reunite you with your lunch. [Sept 2003, p.33]

Even the death sequences are pretty cool, as the game slows down, zooms in on the hero and shows him getting gunned down by a hail of lead.

Quite simply, mature PS2 owners craving a creepy game that's perfect for playing with the lights out and speakers cranked, pick up a copy of Silent Hill 2 and you will not be disappointed. Clean underwear not included.

No console shooter has ever been so flat-out incredible at promoting suspension of disbelief before.

Virtually every element of Red Faction is nicely polished -- even the controls are intuitive, unlike most console shooters, which make PC gaming vets long for a keyboard and mouse.

This must-have sequel includes more than 40 cars, 90 courses from Australia to the frozen North and, for the first time, online play. Amazing graphics provide plenty of scenery to chew up as you race over mountains, across deserts, and through the mud. [Apr 2004, p.38]