Dialogue is fantastic. The script's professionally written. Foul language is common, yet used in the appropriate context. Weapons come off as carefully balanced, and won't disappoint.

Some of the game's combat moves are very impressive, especially as you don't need to do anything particularly complex to pull them off.

Its uncompromising design could be perceived as lazy and frustrating or inspired, bold, and nostalgic, depending on your point of view.

While Project Gotham Racing and Forza Motorsport improved upon their winning formulas in their respective sequels this year, EA completely overhauled the Need for Speed franchise to create what is arguably the best game in the series.

What makes the game worth recommending is that the mixture of so-so adventuring with so-so combat makes for a pretty good game that's addictive and more strategic than games that are strictly focused on adventure or fighting.

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.

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

Gamers who haven't exactly stuck by Sonic's blurry blue side over the years will have to work a little harder to get to the fun, spastic heart of Sonic Heroes, but those who know what to expect in terms of mechanics and sheer kinetic insanity will feel right at home.

A respectable weekend time-waster. It's got enough going on to fill a late night or two, and not so much that many gamers will pine for it when it's gone.

Yes, [it's] still using the same dated graphics engine that appeared in "DW4", and the music and sound effects likewise remain the same. But the fun, challenging, and over-the-top gameplay that has made this series so successful is also still here.

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

Dark Messiah gets points for being unique among shooters, but it loses points for not being unique enough. It's the same old dungeons, the same generic monsters, and some uninspired gameplay that doesn't make for a very memorable game.

It's inoffensive and challenging enough to keep both the builders and the managers entertained for much longer than an outing to a real zoo would.

Whether you're a fan of anime or not - long after you know you've seen all the surprises there are to see, there is still something very cool and rewarding about all that crazy-missile combat.

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.

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.

The game itself is an uneven mishmash of fighting, driving, and shooting. Call it Grand Theft Goodfellas; if someone took Rockstar Games' popular Grand Theft Auto series, moved its setting to New York, and then sent it via the Wayback machine to post-World War II New York, the result would be The Godfather.

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

Once the initial thrill of playing such a violent and visceral strategy game has worn off, you're left with an RTS without most of the things that make RTS games entertaining, like planning, economic balancing, and developing your base.

Its key omission, though, comes in the loss of the original's delightfully open-ended nature. There is no "good" or "bad' way to win a bowling match -- you either win or you lose -- in which case all you need to do is try again.

If you can get graphics this good in real-time, why settle for a shooter-on-rails?

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.

An interesting experiment that works well in some situations and grinds to a halt in others. While this would be a disaster for a full-priced game, the $30 tag softens the impact somewhat.

It's unlikely to tempt many current MMO addicts away from their regular poison, but if you've been looking for something that requires less commitment or organization it might be just the ticket. Auto Assault is the MMORPG for people who don't have time for MMORPGs.

The game has stability now to rival the games that have been on the market for years. While a few minor bugs and the occasional graphical glitch still exist, the game tends to play quite seamlessly.

The story and the graphics certainly make the grade, but a few tweaks are still needed in the gameplay to cement this one as a classic.

It has many game mechanics in common with "EverQuest," the potential for town building like "Shadowbane," and a complex crafting system like "Ultima Online" or "Galaxies."

It's not a failure by any means, but feels mostly like a fun afternoon (or more) spent watching pulpy spy and war flicks.