Poor dialogue may occasionally shatter this otherwise remarkable backdrop, but the rest of the story is more than adequate enough to convey a story of love, struggle, life, and death; at times in captivating ways.

Skate’s intuitive, but incredibly deep control scheme and extremely realistic physics model feel wonderful in motion. If you’re looking for a realistic approximation of skateboarding, look no further. Skate will not disappoint.

NHL 2K8 reminds me of a hockey team that looks unbeatable on paper but fails to perform in a big game.

If you're short on cash and waiting for the big blockbuster games this Holiday Season, you may want to skip over this game. Stranglehold probably best serves as a rental unless you're really into action games.

The problem is, World War II games are a dime a dozen these days and aside from the increased freedom and highly entertaining multiplayer modes, there isn’t much to make this stand out in the crowded first person shooter genre. It’s certainly a good game, just not as good as it could’ve been.

All in all, Blue Dragon is the type of game that would have made much more of an impression about a decade ago. Unfortunately, a forgettable story, cast, score, and battle system make for something that feels more akin to the eager ambitions of novices as opposed to the calculated work of seasoned veterans.

In the end, Stuntman Ignition may be frustrating, difficult, and require a large amount of patience, but it’s undeniably fun.

It's a shame that for every step forward, Two Worlds takes about five steps back.

With strong voice acting, a solid array of weapons and abilities at your disposal, a great score, wonderfully creepy atmosphere, beautifully detailed environments, nearly unparalleled art-design, solid game-play and an engine that runs smooth as silk, BioShock stands testament to just what the term "next-generation" should mean.

Luckily, the gameplay stays true to its roots, favoring fast paced action over realistic football. As a result, those who have been Madden fans in the past should definitely grab this one, and those who have not enjoyed past titles should hold out against the marketing tidal wave.

With the lack of its original trackball controller, new and exciting gameplay, and only bringing in tacked-on modes, Missile Command unfortunately won’t meet expectations of ones who had fun with it nearly 30 years ago.

If it weren’t for Tenchu Z, Vampire Rain would undoubtedly be the worst title I’ve had the displeasure of playing on the Xbox 360. Why Microsoft decided to bring this travesty to North America is beyond comprehension. It packs itself chock-full of every gaming cliché in the book.

Although Carcassonne may not have the depth of strategy that you see in Catan, it still holds its own as a stable addition to the Live Arcade.

A genuine attempt to deliver something fresh and different. Controlling an army of minions was both fun and rewarding. The evil humor and richly detailed world keep me fastened to my chair for hours at a time totally immersed within the game.

While The Darkness may not hit the mark on everything it tries for, it's not nearly enough to knock the experience off track. Even for an average 10-15 hour campaign, The Darkness hits a lot of nails, and only bends a few.

If you love turn-based strategy-styled games, then by all means, download Band of Bugs. But, for the casual gamer, I recommend to stay away. There’s not enough enjoyment to warrant the time and/or Microsoft Points.

Hardcore fans of the Prince of Persia series might want to pick this one up if you’re curious as to how the series began, but don’t expect a stellar experience like Sands of Time.

The single-player campaign doesn’t even contain a full-blown plot. To add to this laundry list of blunders, the multiplayer is a snore-fest and a lag-laden cesspool. In short, avoid Tenchu Z like the plague and never look back.

Pac-Man CE is a solid arcade title. It doesn’t revolutionize the game but it does add some new elements to keep it fresh. 800 points is a tad pricey for a game with slight variations on game modes, but at least you know what you’re getting into with Pac-Man.

Overall, the single-player is a boring affair. Online multiplayer is not worth the hassle.

Boasting over three-hundred vehicles to modify, upgrade and eventually auction off, Forza Motorsport 2 is the most customizable racer ever released.

Shadowrun is a tragic example of great potential and poor follow-through.

Command & Conquer 3 is proof that the 360 is just as able to deliver a solid RTS experience.

An undeniably rushed product. It’s obvious in the lackluster gameplay and visuals. Content-wise, there’s a TON of activities and sub-plots in Spider-Man 3 such as sky-diving, Mary-Jane thrill rides, bomb defusing, races, etc. The only problem is very rarely are they fun.

A superb addition to anyone’s library. Its accessibility and user-friendliness will allow people of all skill types to have a blast. Even if this wasn’t your type of game in the past, Catan may just make you a believer.

The puzzles are challenging without becoming stressful.

Even with all its flaws, Pinball FX is a fun, lighthearted game. If this title were offered with more tables and better camera angles, it’d probably be one of my favorites.

With no online play, you probably won’t spend too much time playing this game.