While it's very much an evolution of the preceding Armored Core games, it's certainly an improvement, and there's enough new here that players of the older games won't feel ripped off.

This type of game and this type of game system go together like oil and water.

What there is, generally, is okay - fun, visceral combat, easy controls, reasonable graphics. It just needs more moves, more weapons, more variety... just more in general.

A very good-looking and VERY addictive experience, and is probably the best starting environment for those who long to enter the MMORPG experience and yet dread the horror-stories they've heard.

It's not quite as big as "GT3" in terms of races and events, but there's still plenty of gameplay, and expansion disks and online capability on the horizon.

The setting is rich, the characters are captivating, the interface is clean and easy to use, and the puzzles are just obtuse enough to be challenging, not frustrating.

Although it is mindless fun in short bursts, its problems, such as rare restart points, dodgy graphics and the flying stages really overwhelm the good stuff -- weapon selection, general violence and mayhem -- and leaves the overall package as somewhat disappointing.

A hard game to recommend, but just as hard to universally bash.

If you have enough patience to explore the maps, can deal with the awkward controls, and don't mind reloading games frequently when you can't spot hidden dangers, then Eidos' latest release is one of the best strategic games around for PS2.

The production values kick demon ass, it's easier to learn (and yet more difficult to master) than the previous game, and it's almost a constant joy to look at.

Happens to have a fantastic storyline backing it up, mixed with what's proving to be some of the most enjoyable gameplay to be seen this year.

Proves to be very addicting for someone looking for a thinking man's (or woman's) shooter both offline and on.

For fans of micro-management, it's hard to imagine a better game than this immensely deep system of administration, but alas, we got bored very quickly thanks to the overly elaborate profession and skill trees.

Every bit as good as you’d hope... If any criticism can be found with Icewind Dale II, it's that it may be more than a little inaccessible to the non-"hardcore" role-player.

It's perhaps not as innovative and certainly not as groundbreaking as its predecessor, but it's bigger, better looking, and most importantly, more fun.

Perhaps the perfect sequel. It fixes the main problem the original had -- its uninspiring single-player game -- and capitalises on the things the first title did so well, namely its array of party games.

Although there are some enjoyable aspects here, there are too many disappointments weighing down the whole endeavour.

Although it could use a tad more variety regarding game options, it's a brilliant start to the franchise and one of Xbox's best single-machine multiplayer games.

A letter-perfect blend of two genres -- role-playing and real-time strategy -- that satisfy a wide audience of gamers.

In a game that plays this hard -- 2K3 is probably the most challenging football game out this year -- timing is crucial.

It's simply essential that you see the movie before playing The Thing to get full enjoyment out of it...Even considering all its faults, this is still an extremely fun and spooky title.

The Thing on its own stands as a slightly flawed, yet atmospheric and alluring action-adventure. Hardcore fans of the film, however, will have fewer complaints.

The solo adventure is often captivating, however, and the ancient Chinese atmosphere often overshadows the fact that you're playing the same old action-oriented RPG one more time.

Best of all, AI plays the game well and playing as different kingdoms and religions makes for a different game each time you load it up.

This game is jam packed with a range of fighting moves, weapons and a particularly vicious but faithful attack dog that our Max could only wish for.

Admittedly there isn't a great variety of action-adventures on Xbox, but Buffy's fast-paced and entertaining gameplay puts it head and (rather shapely) shoulders above its limited competition.

Gets many things right - gameplay, map design, game modes like trailer, and the physics really do make for a promising experience, but the complete lack of a community (in Europe), the poor netcode and the ho-hum single-player bot AI make for a decent effort that'll, at the moment, just gather dust on your shelf.

Computer opponents are simply too good, too tireless. Points constantly drag on, as your foe can get to almost every ball that you hit.

Control is perfect and, once mastered, you get a sense of the timing.

Michaels, probably the best voice in football, takes the microphone with gusto and professionalism. He's recorded his lines, and they do get repetitive, but his delivery is steady and easy on the ears.

Like the original BUILD-era game, it's a top-notch shooter. Torus really emulated the way Duke's action looked and felt back then, even including his ability to look up and down (a GBA shooter first!) and jump.

Unfortunately, from the second outing onwards (Chicago), the levels are pretty samey.

Not a bad game, but fans hoping for a successor to the "Virtua Tennis" series will likely be a bit disappointed. This game just isn't as much fun or as well put together as the venerable tennis series.

It's almost as if they settled on the simplest, most derivative game design possible instead of trying to do the show some justice.

If realism is really your gig, Fever is not the best choice, with Sega's "NFL 2K3" having more balanced gameplay.

As great as its predecessor was, but still just a port of last year's game on an older console - and with seemingly worse graphics to boot.

XXX isn't without its charms, although they might best be appreciated in a quick two-day’s borrow from a cash happy friend.

With such awesome visuals, it's hard to comprehend why the clipping problems are so horrendous.

The incredible number of tricks to execute, along with the ten huge levels, the level editor, all the hidden characters and sections to unlock, and some highly entertaining multiplayer modes mean you'll easily get your money's worth out of the game before it becomes even remotely boring.

With such a disappointing new city course, Crazy Taxi 3 is a tough one to recommend if you're tired of the franchise already.

The look and sound of the game is tremendous. There is a real sensation of taking part in something real here, an excitement that somehow isn't present when dealing with the professional franchises in the Madden series.

World War 2 flavor strategic decision-making is the order of the day, and despite all of Strategic Command's quirks and flaws, the stew as a whole is quite tasty.

Only let down by AI deficiencies and some clipping issues, it's a healthy upgrade for the strategic shooter.

Although Shaun Sullivan's game does almost everything right, simulation speed moves at approximately the same pace as continental drift.

A very playable, semi-educational tactical shooter sure to keep any Counter-Strike or Tom Clancy games player occupied for at least a short while.

But what Warcraft lacks in technology, it makes up for with the flair, imagination and careful attentiveness from its art designers.

A mediocre game at best. Graphically and sonically, it stinks but with a better framerate, these issues and enemy AI problems could have been forgiven.

Its simple, entertaining mix of humour and management is addictive in the short-term, and it'll make a perfect impulse buy for those looking for something a little bit different.

If you're looking for a new fighting game, don't mind simplistic controls and having volumes of tedious storyline read to you by a man with about as much vocal intonation as Leonard Nimoy, this is your game.

With many hundreds of officers to meet, totally open-ended gameplay and ten scenarios to experience, this may be the best and longest lasting game you've ever bought.

The somewhat frustrating part is that each scene, after completion, lasts about two minutes, yet takes an hour or so to complete, and while you feel a great sense of accomplishment in finishing each scene, watching the brief replays may make you ponder, "I spent an hour toiling at the controller for this!?"

Hardened "Sims" fans already inhabit a virtual world they would loathe to leave for such a pale imitation, and management aficionados will decry the lack of depth and flexibility within the gameplay.

A well-crafted game with some incredible graphics, but it gets old very quickly.

It's not all bad, just needlessly frustrating. Once you get your head around the controls and deal with some of the flawed game mechanics, Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing becomes mildly enjoyable.

A dramatic reworking of the horror-movie clichés beaten to death by "Resident Evil" and its army of clones, and as such is perhaps the first must-have release for Gamecube.

Delving more than an hour or two into the game becomes painful.

Freekstyle just doesn’t drip with love and attention the way "Tricky" does – its characters are nowhere near as appealing, its sound not as characterful, its gameplay not as polished and the package not as coherent.

There's no next generation oomph that sneaks up and slaps you on the face like that little bald orange man from the old Tango drink ads, no real sense of feeling justified for making that step up from 32- to 128-bit.

It's hard to fathom, but what it really boils down to is the fact that gamers may never really have grasped just how faithful an adaptation of the D&D ruleset we are looking at. It is totally accurate in every, single detail.

Inventive table design, challenging play, and the incorporation of George Romero-style dialogue from the original series, combine to make it hard to put this one down.

A competent, but decidedly average racing game.

It’s dull, looks bad, gets boring very quickly and is thoroughly overshadowed by its competition.

A balm for those left unchallenged and disappointed by "Heroes of Might & Magic IV" and those still thrilled by "Disciples II."

The artificial intelligence of the drivers is brilliant. Your computer-controlled opposing numbers are absolutely cutthroat at their best, burying you whenever an opportunity presents itself. But what's most impressive about the computer drivers is their restraint.

There's a detailed enough golfing sim hidden underneath and one that is likely to be long-lasting as a competitive game, relying as good cutthroat titles do on balanced amounts of skill and luck.

It's one of the better wrestling games available on any platform - except for the one unfortunate flaw that it gets sort of old after only a few hours of gametime.

There's never really been a console game like this one – it's an oddity, and most people would be well advised to investigate its possibilities further before picking it up...Morrowind isn't for everyone, but those it grabs will be hooked for good.

Depressingly average in almost every respect.

While the developers have done a good job of crafting a simplistic strategy game, it lacks the depth that most players require today.

If you just want to experience the visceral knockout quality of a good arcade-punching match, then UFC is exactly what you need.

A great game...But it misses out on the magic four stars because of the sheer difficulty that will undoubtedly throw certain people into spitting fits and hissing rages.

It's something that is planned in development to the last incoming grenade and Frontline is pretty much perfect in terms of dragging you into the action and delivering nail-biting, hair-pulling gameplay.

Graphically, SOAF walks a narrow line between ultra-realistic settings and way-too-sparse texture mapping.

There’s some incentive to replay the missions (to attain better scores and complete your card collection) but when similarly priced RPGs offer 50+ hours easily, Lost Kingdom’s value for money has to be questioned.

A great visual and auditory package, and an extremely entertaining game to boot.

The perfect gaming experience. Anyone who doesn't like it is a pansy wuss who needs sense beating into them with a baseball bat, and that's a fact. Capiche?

It may not be revolutionary for the genre, but it's as good an FPS as you're going to get today, with decent multiplayer to back it up into the near future.

It plays fine in very brief bursts if you’re accustomed to the arcade, but for anyone else it’ll prove to be source of much anger.

It's a little limited, primitive-looking (not in a Triassic way...) and short-in-scale for us.

Graphically, MotoGP is amazing. In terms of difficulty, this game will challenge even the most elite of console racers.

Given the type of game they set out to make, it's hard to see how they could have made it any better.

Creature Labs has decided to create a Pac-Man game that not only bears no resemblance to the original but is an absolute travesty of a title that certainly wouldn't have got a release without the Pac-Man licence.

The missions seem more like replicants from other games, including the original Galactic Battlegrounds, Age of Empires, and just about every other RTS clone on the market.

The combat sections of the game are great and you have so much freedom of movement with your on-screen, bearded lovely!

Walking down the steps into one of the larger cities, Balmora, for the first time is a moment that will stay with players for some time to come. It's the best-looking RPG to date, undoubtedly, and certainly ranks among the most graphically-impressive games around.

With the more realistic animations and televisual camerawork, together with the new passing and shooting techniques and individual star skills, EA can be proud of the fact that it is the best game in the competition.

While the new version features revamped graphics and a few new options, gameplay is nearly identical to what it was five years ago.

An engrossing experience with a horrific backbone.

Overtaking games like "Gran Turismo," Criterion Games' racer is more like ageing Sega classic Outrun on a heavy dose of speed with a touch of Red Bull to help push things along.

It's visually stunning with a decently thought-out control system, and reasonably balanced mission scenarios. It only falls down where it tries to be too clever with its simple approach, taking away control where players might prefer to keep it.

If you're desperate for a Prince of Persia fix then give the free first episode a try and you might, just might, like it a little bit.

Certain key footballers like Beckham, Owen, Carlos or Figo have been designated as star players, granting them extra abilities like speed, strike power, free kick magic or skill on the ball. This prevents most of the matches ending too predictably.

Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza sucks. All that follows is exposition thereon.

Good old-fashioned crash-bang rally racing...Steel Monkeys' first serious racer is the first game since which really does the arcade rallying genre justice.

It's worth it, but only if you have the patience to deal with a control interface that could drive you batty.

Definitely hot stuff that hasn’t been burned too badly by the hands of time.

The controls for getting Spidey to do all these wonderful things are finicky and inaccurate at times, making our hero a trouble to handle in places where walls are electrified or there are dangers like harmful mist or falling rubble to avoid.

This is not a short game and once you've started you'll never want it to end.