Much like they did in Call of Duty 2, the developers at Infinity Ward have set the new standard for scripted cinematic spectacle.

Guitar Hero III won't disappoint either diehard fans or people new to the series. This is the latest step in the stairway to heaven of home rocking.

Online play is an easy oversight to overlook, though. The single-player game is as tight as any platformer around, and the presentation is so far beyond what we've seen before that you simply can't afford to pass it up. The future is bright, indeed.

This is all exciting stuff that breathes exotic new life into Age of Empires III, and it's one of the best real-time strategy expansion packs since "Brood Wars."

The Orange Box can't stop giving. It's a sci-fi masterpiece, a clever puzzler and a multiplayer monster wrapped into one, making this a landmark achievement in gaming value and one of the easiest buying decisions you'll make all year. Color us impressed.

A satisfactory update to the franchise, but still has yet to really hit its stride on the next-gen platforms. It took the FIFA team years to get it right on the PS2. Let's hope we don't have to wait quite so long for this FIFA to reach its amazing potential.

They've taken id's gorgeous Doom 3 engine and used it to create vast intricate playgrounds for fast and frantic battles between humans and cybernetic alien invaders. Quake Wars are on!

The real reason to get Phantom Hourglass is for its charming, DS-centric high-seas adventure.

The game's end sequence, to put it mildly, is an eight-car pileup. Fans of the series will recognize it as a poorly veiled swipe of a sequence in the original Halo, a challenge highlighted by a series of goofy circumstances and improbable level design meant to create an explosive end. The end result, however, is fairly absurd, as the whole shebang reeks of game developers wracking their brains to come up with the cleverest, most exciting finish, and shattering the fourth wall in the process.

Upon playing the original, it was easy to get the sense that this was a complete package, with scarcely any room to squeeze in any innovation. Opposing Fronts clearly proves that isn't the case. Now more than ever, this is the can't-miss real time strategy game of the year.

It can be a lot of fun -- but anything that has "Sims" in the title should probably hew a little closer to the franchise.

It's disappointing that the three sides -- the USA, the USSR, and NATO -- are the same except for their accents and artwork. Also, there's a lot of nuance among the tactical powers that will be overwhelming to new players.

Even though Skate is swimming with atmosphere and features, it's the gameplay that stands out in this gem. It's not trying to compete with "Tony Hawk" -- it's trying to do its own thing. As such, old Tony Hawk fans looking for a more authentic challenge will love this game. While some challenges will be frustrating, that's just how skating is, and EA did a wonderful job re-creating the atmosphere and style of the sport in game form.

It is almost unerringly gorgeous and a blast to play, though the combat could have been pushed forward to true "God of War" levels with just a few different options. Even so, this is the best action title going on the PS3 this fall.

EA has excelled in creating its smartest, deepest hockey game to date.

There are just too many buttons in play, and it's terrible when you want to unleash a slap shot from the point but can't remember which triggers and bumpers to use.

It's not the most sophisticated of offerings. There's not much here other than the destruction -- the levels are repetitive, and most encounters play out similarly. Little differentiates the game's weapons, and the plot is threadbare.

Yeah, sure, you've been here before, but you've never seen the view from up here. Fortuantely, the game holds up once your boots are on the ground as well.

The game is very pretty, yes, but it's far from pretty enough to warrant punishing yourself with this one-two blow of poor controls and terrible targeting.

If you consider the competition games like "BioShock" and "Gears of War," Metroid is going to feel stilted and oddly paced. But if you're a fan of the long-running series, you'll probably be pleased how well this game fits into the canon, both in terms of gameplay and story.

The most salient fact about BioShock is that it's different. If it doesn't sell well, perhaps it's time to abandon hope and resign ourselves to the eternal recurrence of space dungeons and World War II. Games like BioShock are what we need. They are what we deserve.

It's the perfect counter to the allegation that video games all rot your brain, and a tight, carefully designed experience to boot.

These animations are gorgeous to look at, from Reggie Bush doing his trademark summersault for six, or a Chad Johnson river dance after a score. This is because the game runs at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second...Madden 08 is simply superb. If you could only own one next-gen football, this is it.

In Picross DS, you get a real sense of accomplishment, while still being just as enthralled as with the Tetrises and Meteoses of the world. It rewards intelligence over reflexes, broadening its target audience immensely. Play it for 10 minutes, or five hours; either way, you'll have a smile on your face the entire time.

It's absolutely worth it to breathe new life into Guitar Hero II. Because there's nothing quite so exhilarating as facing down a whole long list of new Guitar Hero songs to unlock, learn, practice, and perfect.

Where Beyond the Sword will really win you over is with the new scenarios and mods. There is some truly wonderful stuff in here.

If you're content playing pretty much the same game in pretty much the same place with pretty much the same toys, GRAW2 is a good way to recapture the same fun you were having a year ago. And you'll get the cool new multiplayer mode thrown into the bargain.

By modern standards, it's decidedly lacking, but it's still a classic.

The package, then, is balls-out fine. It's a bumpy court to play on at times, but one that's ultimately rewarding.

At the end of the day, though, it's the same meal you've eaten before -- albeit with lots of garnish, a prettier server, and some extra helpings of dessert. Those are all great things if you're hungry, but don't do a whole lot of good if you're already feeling a bit full from Ninja Gaiden's cooking.

Vampire Rain fails at almost everything it tries. Despite the undeniably appealing setting, there's nothing here that justifies even a reserved recommendation. Depressing, derivative, and controller-throwingly frustrating, here's one occasion when you should let the rain stop you from playing.

It's a real pleasure to see Rainbow Six given such royal treatment, particularly if you're a fan of the series. But even if you just like gunplay, this is a great time for shooter fans, whose embarrassment of riches just got even more embarrassing.

Pure movie tie-in fodder.

Pure movie tie-in fodder.

Pure movie tie-in fodder.

The game's biggest problem is all the filler between the reasonably exciting combat sequences. This New York City consists of two subway stations and about eight neighborhoods separated by long loading screens. You'll get sent back and forth across them all. Get this key. Visit that character. Trigger this sequence. Kill that guy. Along the way, we counted exactly two (2!) optional missions.

As if mocking its own pompous title, Pokemon Battle Revolution is, amazingly, a step back for the historically reviled console Pokemon games - there's plenty of style, but less substance than ever before.

Is Harry Potter a good game? No, not particularly. The story's vague and badly realized; the characters aren't especially likeable, and the tasks you're given are tedious and involve a lot of plodding about Hogwarts. But does it capture the feel of the franchise? Absolutely, and if you really get involved in the game you'll forgive it its flaws.

Is Harry Potter a good game? No, not particularly. The story's vague and badly realized; the characters aren't especially likeable, and the tasks you're given are tedious and involve a lot of plodding about Hogwarts. But does it capture the feel of the franchise? Absolutely, and if you really get involved in the game you'll forgive it its flaws.

The low system specs are a nice deal and The Sims Pet Stories is a well implemented gateway into the Sims world, but EA has definitely skimped on the full gateway functionality by not allowing Stories to play with other releases in the series. In other words, if you really get hooked, be ready to cough up for the full-sized version.

But we can't get behind playing it for very long, even as fanatics.

But as Wii-makes go, Pets is as solid as the best of them, and in some ways perhaps better, by virtue of presenting loads of open-ended content with a powerful gaming interface.

Big brains are certainly desirable, but big price tags are a different matter, and Wii Degree's standard $49.99 asking price is a little hard to stomach. While the game is tons of fun, there's just a handful of minigames and not much else, which puts it in a different class to other full-priced options.

What Halo 2 represents -- an integrated online experience, smooth, console-like mechanics and a hassle-free setup procedure -- is a great development for the PC's future as a gaming platform. But all the philosophizing in the world isn't going to change the fact that it's a port of a three-year-old game that we've all played to death, and try as we might, we just can't get excited about that.

It's great on your own, it's great online, it's packed with vehicles and tracks, and it plays like a dream. In short, Forza Motorsport 2 is everything fans of its outstanding predecessor have been hoping for.

Let's be honest, who looks to party games for stunning originality, cutting-edge presentation, and engrossing single-player modes? It's Mario. He parties. So will you.

The changes are as skull-shattering as we had hoped -- rejuvenating a franchise in dire need of a makeover.

Dawn of Mana looks the part, but fails in most other aspects. If you're hankering for some role-playing on your aging PlayStation 2, pick up "Odin Sphere" -- which released the same day. It's even more beautiful, captures the essence of old-school, and you'll be having too much fun to feel the need to convince yourself that you're having fun.

You'll run into bugs and questionable design decisions that make it feel rushed, and the gameplay elements themselves are nothing you haven't seen before. It's better looking than you would expect, however, which is probably enough to please movie fans.

Despite what high-school productions of Macbeth may illustrate, swordfighting is actually pretty hard work. So is making a good movie-based video game. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End for Wii fails at both of these tasks, and leaves you with a metaphorical pain in the neck and an all-too-real pain in the shoulder.

Both movie fans and general gamers should get a few hours of fun out of it, and frustration is kept at a minimum -- preventing you from becoming an irate pirate.

It doesn't quite work. Although it's hard to see how the controls could be improved, at the same it's not hard to see that improvements are necessary if console real-time strategy games are ever going to be an easy alternative to those on the PC.

It's disappointing that Spider-Man 3 goes from exhilarating to budget-ware production levels so quickly and dramatically. Part of the problem down at street level is the combat. It's drawn with terrible character models, bad animation, and inconsistent AI that makes it easy to win fights by spamming a few basic attacks or taking advantage of the fact that bad guys can't figure out how to get around a park bench.

It takes advantage of the unique points of the Nintendo DS with a simple fighting system, and it overcomes the system's limitations with a nicely done smoke-and-mirrors presentation of swinging freely through a 3D city.

As unimportant as it sounds, you don't look for a group - you look for a Fellowship. This isn't so much a change of game mechanics as it is a change in attitude. It's a reminder that LOTRO isn't just a game: it's a world and a story that both players and developers truly care about. Maybe that's a small step toward a more respectful player culture, but it's still a welcome one.

While Super Paper Mario obviously isn't "Super Mario Galaxy," and doesn't exactly exploit the Wii remote's gadgetry, it's got all the charm and gameplay expertise we expect from the Bros. Add in some fun mini-games, card collecting, and lots of exploration, and you have a title that's well worth your paper.

Even without a massive collection of exclusive content, this is an improvement (if a slight one) over the five-star PS2 original, which is all 360 owners need to know.

Nothing here warrants shelling out for the game if you played it on another console, but if you missed out (and you want to play it on the Wii instead of picking up a cut-priced last-gen copy of Two Thrones) it'll keep you busy for the 12 or 15 hours the campaign will take you.

It's witty, smoothly produced, and absorbing.

No matter the console, Meet the Robinsons is a darn good video game. The game is smart, vast, and really does offer something for everyone.

This is the wartime equivalent of a slow year's "Madden" update, with only the most basic changes and additions to justify a purchase. And with only the most bare bone offline multiplayer offering, even a bad edition of "Madden" has more to offer.

Nod's stealth, the GDI's heavy tanks, and alien bugs all come together and blow up as a sort of mac-and-cheese RTS that tastes awesome in that safe, you've-been-here-before-a-hundred-times way.

Given free range to vent their most outrageous, vivid, degenerate, and depraved fantasies on an unsuspecting player, Bethesda's developers have crafted a unique world that shares the same quality of writing and attention to detail as Oblivion itself. Appropriately enough, only the most insane Oblivion addicts could refuse such an opportunity.

Its setting is superb, its gameplay tense and convincing, and it boasts what are definitely the best fill-your-pants moments in a PC game for quite some time. It's hard to see how it could have turned out better.

Perhaps the best thing you can say about Virtua Tennis 3 is that it's such a good game, you don't even have to like tennis to appreciate it.

The gene-stealing and blood-drinking theme makes for an interesting concept with great gameplay implications. But the bottom line is that as a game, Genesis Rising sucks, both literally and figuratively.

Arguably the best game you can play on this system. It's a grand open-ended fantasy role-playing game that combines the best of single player RPGs with the best of massively multiplayer online games.

Go ahead and say that EDF is repetitive, but we had more fun trying out the 150 weapons than in almost any other recent shooter. Every level is packed with pure, nerdy fun, and the five difficulty levels prodded us into taking new weapons back into early levels to see how we'd fare. Weak-kneed animations and silly dialogue made it that much better, just this once.

We haven't been bowled over by most of the Wii-makes hitting shelves so far, but The Godfather is a definite exception. The controls and extra content more than make up for the fact that the game already looks visually dated.

It's an easy bump for 360 owner's GamerScore, but otherwise the full experience is not very satisfying.

God of War II is the strongest game to hit the PS2 this year, and should be high on the list of best games on the system, period.

This is decent but minimal new content that you'll want mainly because you're sick of the few maps you were given in the original game.

There are few better multiplayer games in existence, and no better ones on Xbox Live Arcade. If your gaming habits ever include playing with others, online or off, Worms is utterly essential.

An excellent arcade-sports title that knows no equal on next-gen consoles. It's more user-friendly than ever, has a killer single-player mode, and the advent of its online play will only make you keep it cemented into your PlayStation 3 that much longer.

Def Jam's most damaging flaw is the single-mindedness of the combat. Unleash all the punch and kick combos you want, but in very short order it will become obvious that environmental hazards are the only way to take an opponent down.

If Dominator is a Greatest Hits package, however, where is Crash mode? That's like Michael Jackson releasing a Best Of without 'Beat It'.

Some will be tempted to dismiss Advanced Warfighter 2 as an extended mission pack for the first game rather than a proper sequel. But from a solo perspective, there's no contest: GRAW2 delivers a much tighter and more polished experience. Online, it's a little less clear-cut, but the new set of maps, weapons, and tweaks will make it an attractive proposition for those hooked on the original's high-caliber offerings.

Its use of the DS touchscreen is innovative, despite its handful of control issues. Platformers don't always have to be walks in the park, and it's rare to have one challenge you this much mentally.

THQ has given us a great game, but it's too bad they haven't taken steps to protect it for those of us who want to play fair.

You can get through the game in probably about five or six hours, and there's not much incentive to replay it. This march to glory might be short, and it's sometimes awfully low-rent.

Long time fans of the game will grumble about its flaws, while new players will be put off by the lack of direction in Quest mode. In the end, it's a game that suffers from "jack of all trades, master of none" syndrome.

In the long run, we love F1's purity; while it can seem too much at first, the stringent driving model is ideally suited for Formula One racing. An arcade leaning would make the game more accessible for a broader audience, but would also sell short the enthusiast appeal of the sport.

Typically, poor graphic performance is just a sideline to how a game performs, but here the lousy shadows and contrasty scenes detract from the action just as much as the dreadful AI and thin premise. As a result, Bullet Witch should be completely avoided.

Many of the tracks and events have simply been lifted from earlier entries, and the controls aren't reliable enough to consistently deliver the elation that characterized the best SSX titles.

It includes weather, gardening, fishing, and a few new career paths. These features may not sound like much, but they're enough to make this one of the best expansion packs in the series...The main drawback to The Sims 2: Seasons is the price.

You're bound to find a mode to immerse yourself into, and you've never had so much fun pitching in a baseball sim before.

This is a worthwhile RTS that deserves more than to be upstaged by higher profile games, neither of which has battle zeppelins.

Episode 4's brand of observational satire is new territory for the series, and the game's anthropomorphic stars are very much at home with it.

It's just a shame that Sega chose to conform to the fighting game mold rather than breaking it with something totally extraordinary, because that's what it's going to take if we're ever going to see this genre back at the top of the video-game food chain.

Using the Wii remote just feels natural, too, and although it's not a monumental success, this is a Sonic console game you can feel proud to own. It's been a while since we could make that statement.

Imaginative players will find all kinds of ways to extend the game, and there's a virtual certainty of downloadable extras too.

An excellent arcade-sports title that knows no equal on next-gen consoles. It's more user-friendly than ever, has a killer single-player mode, and its online play will only make you keep it cemented into your Xbox 360 that much longer.

The bottom line is that there's no other real time strategy game that creates as grand and broad an experience as Supreme Commander. There's a wonderful amount of choice among different types of units, and buildings, and economic options, and map sizes.

The game succeeds in terms of both story and combat quality, and even adds in some cool online functionality with battles and jewel trading. RPG enthusiasts will want to capture this game as soon as they can.

For the last two titles, the developers of Ratchet & Clank have done a wonderful job building full-featured multiplayer support into their games. Size Matters is arguably the best attempt to date. Although it only supports four players at a time, the maps and modes are meticulously built to wring the most out of multiplayer matches.

There's certainly plenty of action here, but with dull, monotonous settings and boring sound design, it's easy to slump into tedium, bashing away at enemies simply because they are there.

And unless you're a SPF fanatic, we'd advise waiting for the inevitable download to be offered, as Capcom Puzzle World isn't a compelling enough product to trade for thirty hard-won dollars.

The stylus aspects were better left out, fun is barricaded by a need to complete Adventure mode, and the overall vibe is even more painfully sugarcoated today than it was a decade ago.