With a renewed focus on adventure and the inclusion of a less restrictive control scheme, Crystal Dynamics has managed to rekindle the fading flame of the Tomb Raider franchise. Although it is a bit on the short side, a multitude of extras and the tough Time Trial mode will extends the Croft experience.

In NCAA 08 March Madness’s case, an intricate post-play mechanism, online leagues and the best classic collegiate hoop teams of all time make it twisty enough for us to recommend it as a worthy upgrade to last year’s offering.

Aside from the lack of four player action, Fantastic Four is a well crafted title that fills the void until "Rise of Apocalypse" hits the shelves later this year.

The gameplay engine is showing its age, and the graphics hurt the story mode with some pretty poor cut-scenes.

With its emphasis on realism and the upgraded graphics, it’s the best Tiger game to date, but it fails to trump many aspects of "Links," which is several years old now.

The amount of superbly crafted unlockables and wonderfully chilling moments is almost enough to make you forget about the numerous technical ailments. Regardless if it is a slightly misshapen circle, it is nonetheless, a complete one.

By around the fourth level of Urban Chaos: Riot Response, it was clear to us that we were thoroughly enjoying this title. Despite each level not be drastically different from the next, we loved the execution of the high-octane action.

Where the action of Doom’s XBLA debut sucked me back in, I didn’t have quite the same attraction to Marathon: Durandal, especially considering the stomach-churning byproducts of its “new and improved” look. It’s a good, smart shooter, but I don’t think it’s aged as well given its more deliberate pace.

Innovative in an old-school kind of way, Capcom Fighting Evolution attempts to do more than just port a few coin-op ROM's to a hot console system.

Having the mission editor that the PC version does would have made a huge difference. The developers said it was impossible to include due to technology and disk space, but Far Cry 2 did it with a very robust engine.

The refinement of the adrenaline and revival systems respectively would have solidified the powerful campaign. That being said, Medal of Honor European Assault is a fun, but flawed overall experience.

While the game might not appeal to those looking for their XBLA games to pack a little extra visual punch, it's "All aboard!" for those trying to find a relaxing new way to do Game Night with friends.

The combat and user interface is nearly flawless and the high level Spirit Strikes are on par with the flamboyancy of the "Final Fantasy" series. The problem is that the story takes so long to get interesting that most gamers may become bored and not venture on.

Let’s face it: there’s only so much you can do with a simple Xbox 360 controller. I think EALA has really taken advantage of the peripheral in question, and has also tweaked the gameplay enough so that micromanagement is less of a need.

Quite simply, is a very good action game that lacks the polish needed to be considered a "must-have" title.

Multiplayer support and two decently-long episodes equals a good bit of gaming for fifty bucks.

NHL 2K9 shows that Visual Concepts has pretty much done everything it can to the same core engine that was used when the 360 launched. NHL 2K9 is a good game, but it shows its age in a few too many areas to compete with what else is out there.

Aside from not having much replay value, and save for a few glitches visually and technically, Second Sight does everything an action game should - it entertains, excites, and makes you use your mind a bit.

Ok, so maybe NFL Head Coach 09 is more attractive to the play-calling purists without on-field action. But what’s up with the last-gen visuals?

The combination of a single player game that is deep in levels and even deeper with enemies, solid multiplayer offerings, slim Xbox pickings, all rolled up into a $40, makes this a game that deserves a look on down the line.

The combat is a blast (literally!), particularly when you use your time powers effectively. Unfortunately, the puzzles are far too simple.

The map editor has gotten a nice boost in functionality and the online multiplayer modes are sure to keep players busy for months, but how long do we have to wait until there is a true sequel for Far Cry?

Assassin’s Creed has a rich spread of activities with hours of gameplay. Unfortunately, it gets extremely repetitive about midway through—and then it unsatisfyingly turns into a tedious, combat-heavy game.

This style of game lends itself to character development, which is something rarely seen in games today. We literally learned more about Zoë during the first fifteen minutes of booting up Dreamfall than we typically do by beating most games through to the end.

The online play, with tournament support, is incredibly fun as the intense and upbeat tempo of the series lends itself well to Xbox Live battles.

A definite thrill ride from beginning to end that relies heavily on its Hollywood-style presentation more than true gameplay. Hindered ever so slightly by repetitive enemies and puzzles.

The next-gen quotient could have been higher (the online area is fairly weak), as Top Spin 2 sometimes seems like a slightly better version of the original. A bit more thought put into the gameplay definition of “next-gen” would have paid large dividends.

The online and System Link support is the real draw as it comes off without a hitch.