Appealing just to player management aficionados and ignoring the excitement at the heart of the game will eventually cost them dear.

Best of all, your character is no longer the somebody-please-talk-to-me newbie that he was in the first episode; it's no coincidence you've made it this far, and as a bulked-up character in your own right, it can now fall to you, as quests, to take other virtual newbies under your wing.

Unlike the offline game, The Sims Online lacks the mad energy and pleasant frustration of managing a complex system of happiness, goals and limited time.

If Silent Hill 2 is your first PC horror game, then congrats -- and woe -- to you. Pleasant dreams.

Its pretty-but-oldish look fits perfectly with its gothic subject matter, and its random room generation gives it some good bang-for-your-buck replay.

It all pales when compared to better PS2 military shooters like "SOCOM II." The series is in need of a real sequel, a graphics upgrade, and a new and more refreshing direction if it wants to remain a contender in the tactical military shooter wars.

It's the Ramen Noodles of racing games - not bad on its own, but needs something to spice it up to make it a proper meal.

It's worth noting if you've still got your N64 hooked up, there's not enough new and exciting here to make it worth the purchase.

Fun for a while, and the customization is quite compelling at first, but before long the innate repetition, linearity, and ultimate emptiness really begin to grate.

If you approach Air Command as a three dimensional traffic-routing puzzle then it's a lot of fun.

Worms 3D's new engine isn't a necessary improvement on the classic and enduring 2D game, but the upgrade works, even if it makes the controls a little more cumbersome. It still has the tone, humour and playability that is synonymous with Worms.

The combat difficulty level is forgiving, and the game guides you through the puzzles with helpful clues and hints from the other characters. Less experienced gamers -- who, let's face it, are really the ones the game is aimed at -- will find its light touch very rewarding.

If you have the means, a good Internet connection, and salivate at the thought of a massive controller with 40 blinking buttons, Line of Contact is a must buy.

Don't buy it expecting a complete remodel -- it's just a fresh coat of paint on an old frame.

Sure, the arcade side of the game remains commendable, but with broken franchise AI, a lack of mouse support, horrifically frustrating interface, and no online play, High Heat 2004 is one of the worst console ports imaginable that regrettably shouldn't have been developed as a console port in the first place.

Sadly, Tenchu on the Xbox has been out-stealthed by "Splinter Cell," and out-ninja'ed by "Gaiden."

Though you are bound to find yourself marveling at the innovative use of the DS hardware and the creativity of the puzzles, the core adventure is simply way too short -- six hours at best.

Rather than the car being the star, Enthusia puts the driving first -- it's a shame that the rest of the game can't quite keep up.

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.

Most games will have you shaking your head (if not cursing) at the fielding. That's a huge letdown when the pitching and batting interaction is as strong as that of MLB 2K6. Inside Edge is such a fantastic addition that fans have to see it in action.

The hard-core realism and punishing difficulty that earned this franchise its rabid fan base has been diluted, and what's left is a hardcore strategic series that's trying awfully hard to be a little more run and gun. It doesn't quite work.

A solid game that leans towards the easy side. The only real flaws are an iffy camera and iffier reading of its potential audience. It's still the best interactive thing to happen to the Shrek universe thus far.

Full Auto feels like someone came up with a good concept and a few fresh ideas, and just expected the game to design itself. It didn't, and we're left with tons of wasted potential. You need gameplay and modes to tie together the combination of racing and shooting.

Fun for a while, and the customization is quite compelling at first, but before long the innate repetition, linearity, and ultimate emptiness really begin to grate.

Chaos Overlords is good for maybe a couple of days play, especially with the novelty of the whole 'gang war' thing, but after that's worn off, it gets boring fairly quickly. It's not as interesting or fun to play as "Syndicate" or "Civilization"; it's just too limited.

It might be best just to rent it whenever you're planning to have company, and steer clear of buying it altogether.

Younger players out there will get a kick out of the solid controls and bright environments, while more advanced players can appreciate the challenge and depth of the included boost system.

Even with an outstanding soundtrack, great voice acting, some incredible, although obviously cartoonish cutscenes, the overall experience is not nearly as rewarding as it could have been.