Outstanding graphically and sonically, Far Cry's gameplay doesn't quite match up to its looks. That said, the AI and imaginative set pieces make it easily the best single-player first-person shooter of the last few months.

Online or offline, as a campaign or a freeform scenario, Caesar IV is an inviting game, easy to like and hard to stop playing. It's got a fairly forgiving learning curve, and it will rarely plunge you into the sort of economic death spirals that can make other city builders so discouraging.

The AI is surprisingly excellent - if you send a batch of troops out to scout, they will take up careful positions, scale machine gun positions, engage the enemy, and redeploy defensively without any more commands having to be issued.

Its instant accessibility, great overall presentation and tremendous historical feel make this game a secret worth spreading.

Maybe being a villain isn't all that the brochure promised, but those giddy early levels and powerful later ones just might make the middle slog worthwhile.

A polished and exciting ride, carefully calculated for 80 percent thrills and 20 percent brain teasers.

Without the guns, gadgets, and radars of modern-themed games, it's a much tenser experience, and the cunning level design and excellent sound effects really draw you into its world. The variable difficulty levels mean no one should get seriously stuck, but there's still plenty of challenge for those that want it.

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

With High Treason, Act of War has become one of the most flexible multiplayer RTSs since "Rise of Nations." It's also still the best "Command & Conquer: Generals" clone since, well, "Command & Conquer: Generals."

Not only does it add dozens of hours to the gameplay of its predecessor, it features some of the most enjoyable and fanciful mission design ever seen in the venerable City Building Series.

Glyphyx bit off a little more than it could chew, as the bugs and hiccups show. Still, the developer dishes out a thrilling tale with varied gameplay that will keep you immersed through the end.

A nice execution of admittedly old ideas, Men of Valor features exhilirating action, storytelling that takes risks, and convincing team AI.

The new perspective works excellently and the added buildings and units are welcome. It's a shame some of the old problems, like the unconvincing AI, are still around, but the intricate economy and unusual siege play make it stand out.

An excellent merging of two popular properties, this is one "kiddie" game that you shouldn't overlook just because it has the Disney name stamped on the side.

Graphically it's a generation behind its peers, and the control system betrays its Xbox roots, but if you can put up with that you're pretty much guaranteed a good time.

A title that reveals how fresh its gameplay originally was by proving it still stands tall alongside the current contenders.

A nice execution of admittedly old ideas, Men of Valor features exhilirating action, storytelling that takes risks, and convincing team AI.

It's at its best with a crowd of friends, but the single-player mode does have enough substance to make it a worthwhile purchase even if you don't anticipate much chance for group play. In short, it deserves to be a smash. Sorry.

All of these details get wound into a very straightforward game world that is absolutely packed with quests and other things to do. In most MMOs, characters spend their first 10 or 20 levels looking for enough things to do to earn better powers and weapons. Here, a ceaseless barrage of possible tasks begins with the orientation area (on the Isle of Refuge) and continues deep into the game.

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.

Sure, the graphics and physics haven't changed, and this year's release beats you over the head with in-game advertising, but the enhanced career mode, online play, and other additions are more than worth the price of admission.

With great looks, a clever multi-layer mechanic, and well devised sides, one wonders why Electronic Arts would release a game this good at a time this bad.

For all its frustrations, though, Civilization VI remains incredibly addictive.

Whether it's a licensed track by Moby or Timo Maas, or a Bemani original such as Genom Screams or the Shining Polaris, the selections vary in style, speed, and genre.

Mortal Kombat excels at offering plenty of great extras to compensate for its lukewarm gameplay.

Put into perspective and it being an ambitious "hit the ground running" success by Namco, Tekken Advance is a stunning achievement for GBA and deserves the praise lavished on it.

While Gladius isn't going to convert haters of RPGs or turn-based strategy, it's got the same hard-to-define addictive hook as its older peers, "FFT" and "Tactics Ogre."

Seems to split its aim between hardcore "Matrix" fans and experienced gamers; if you find yourself with a foot in both camps, you may well find this one of the most faithful movie-to-game experiences in recent memory.