The real question is; how much longer will this formula last before dramatic innovations will be required to keep up with today's rapidly changing gaming world?

In the end, the decision to purchase and play FFXI comes down to whether you’re interested in being a part of an MMO with some sacrifices, or if you’re willing to wait (perhaps for quite a while) until someone else makes a fresh MMO that pushes the Xbox 360 to its limits and truly feels like a “next-generation” game.

While the insipid one-liners that occasionally force gamers to chuckle under their breath are still firmly intact it's the tennis action that could use a bit more refining. Despite the added depth Outlaw Tennis still falls a bit flat in the gameplay department which, as we all know, is where it really counts.

There are certainly problems with the title, but the same gore and humor from the movies is intact for the game, which is key. Fans will love hearing their hero back in action again, and while short lived, will enjoy taking down the deadites as well.

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

Massive, multi-party battles don’t deliver the strategic pop that hardcore RPG fans are looking for.

You won’t find too many brawny offensive weapons that would be sure to set off numerous alarms and draw way too much attention to your presence. Instead you’ll count on your wit and problem solving abilities to achieve mission goals.

This seems like an oasis of sparkling water to somebody who’s had to crawl through a desert of rock music. You can get some enjoyment out of the thought that your thirst will be quenched, but when you finally get there, it’s mostly a mirage.

One of the best Crash titles to have been released since its earliest inception on home consoles, and it's creative use of combining past enemies as partners is what gives Twinsanity a new lease on life.

It is truly unfortunate to see that this game, a graphical masterpiece with great Xbox sound features, is so heavily weighed down by lack of options and unique modes.

The whole experience of Universe at War ends up being one big chore. If the single player is dull, and the multiplayer is broken, all you’ve got left is playing skirmish mode by yourself. And that will get old after a while anyway.

While it’s clear that Asobo spent ample time in perfecting the tech that’s needed to enable a speedy racing game to run smoothly for hundreds of (no-load) miles on end, more attention needed to be paid to the fleshing out the Career objectives and tightening up the overall presentation package.

Graphic ho’s will also marvel at how Ubisoft Romania managed to make each frame of action look like a professional oil painting depicting the harsh but strangely beautiful skies of WWII.

New pitching and hitting dynamics make this a fun romp, but its next-gen worthiness is in question.

Mafia contains none of the features which make a game next-gen on the Xbox. There is no online, multiplayer, or system link play. The game is brought to us by a two year old pc game so it is safe to say that the graphics have been seen before.

The game's not perfect but it is leaps and bounds above what we've come to expect from current casino games.

The golf is challenging-not an arcade-like game that makes it easy for you to whack the ball at the flag with every swing.

It’s fantastic fun for a same-screen multiplayer game, and could foster the kind of trash talk we like our games like that to elicit.

The linear gameplay, camera system and shortness of the game make this not a title for everyone, but it still warrants a glance just to witness the goodness that is Rare.

The game is simply way more fun playing with friends than all by your lonely, and if you do play by yourself you’ll be way challenged to complete the game solo, even on the lower difficulty levels. It just doesn’t scale down that much.

A bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing - masked behind pedestrian visuals, a mediocre soundtrack, and a rocky release to market with the whole 3DO debacle, is a racing game with absolutely incredible physics and handling and a fun career mode.

It's engaging but too short. It's pretty but not beautiful enough for its genre. Its gameplay is innovative but it doesn't function as well as it should. There's a lot to like here, but just as much to dislike.

Simple gameplay, great presentation and a finely tuned balance of luck and skill are the elements that made Lost Cities a hit with card- and board-game fans, and this version just makes all of that even better.

Stick to the four or better multiplayer mayhem, and you’ll find Shred Nebula offers you more than enough bang for your ten space bucks.

Gameplay is fast and furious which sometimes makes bike control a real shot in the dark.

The negative points of the title will be obvious to anyone not blinded by their love of the Matrix. Although most are mediocre they still add up to an unfinished, unpolished video game based on a super-popular movie franchise.

The course design is the real highlight within 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures, with gameplay that will frustrate until you figure out every detail of each hole, something that will take longer than most would care to spend with a XBLA game.

Combat is a bit chunky and seems to be a crap shoot most of the time. RTS elements are strong and keep interest levels high. Enemy A.I. is suspect.