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.

The world is elaborate, the sense of speed is dizzying, and the customization could cost you a job or a girlfriend. But you'll still have Brooke to keep you company.

A near-flawless fusion of solid gameplay and excellent presentation, filled with little details that make it a kill-the-light-and-unplug-the-phone experience.

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.

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.

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.

Even with its too-standard approach, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is still one of the best treatments given to anime-based games we've seen in a long time.

If you come to Children of the Nile with a spirit of investigation and if you're willing to learn the nuances of this complex model of ancient life, you'll be richly rewarded with one of the most serene and gratifying city builders since the genre began.

Excels in fresh, exciting gameplay, especially when battling or playing cooperatively with friends. The many different courts, characters, and moves should keep you busy for months.

Pacific Assault's half-documentary, half-entertainment approach is solid, and the game's a thrilling, if slightly by-the-numbers WW2 shooter.

Without more variety in the missions, consistency and depth to the characters, and a purpose to the expansive and pretty scenery, there are far better games to pick from this year.

With its frustrating, haphazard single-player and a set of multiplayer features outshone by others in its class, this one's only for fans of the movie.

On the multiplayer side, Sony's been looking high and low for a release that can stand up to "Halo" -- we never expected it to come from a platformer! In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find a better combination of action, platforming, and multiplayer goodness than this.

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.

Aspirations aside, the gorgeous screenshots represent a game that is distressingly mediocre in motion...Without the ambitious graphics engine, Killzone's linear run-and-gun combat would vanish into the swarm of generic shooters.

The game lacks the complicated character advancement common in the genre, but it's fast-paced, looks and sounds great, and will keep casual RPG and Lord of the Rings fans happy.

Though the offline game will only satisfy the most hardcore four-wheeling fan, the online racing makes up for most faults.

Fans should be pleased enough with the game, but if you're not so familiar with the characters and mechanics, it'll be poor value for money.

The game lacks the complicated character advancement common in the genre, but it's fast-paced, looks and sounds great, and will keep casual RPG and Lord of the Rings fans happy.

The game lacks the complicated character advancement common in the genre, but it's fast-paced, looks and sounds great, and will keep casual RPG and Lord of the Rings fans happy.

Despite its long-ass title, this atmospheric, enhanced skin-crawler is one of the scariest and spookiest things to hit the Xbox.

A decent game to play if you're obsessed with the adventures of the family Parr, but it could have used a lot more polish and whimsy where it counts.

A decent game to play if you're obsessed with the adventures of the family Parr, but it could have used a lot more polish and whimsy where it counts.

A decent game to play if you're obsessed with the adventures of the family Parr, but it could have used a lot more polish and whimsy where it counts.

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

If there were a more advanced game behind the excellent writing, The Bard's Tale could have been one of the highest rated RPGs this year. The Bard's sarky one-liners, foul mouth, and rampant chauvinism make every cutscene and conversation entertaining and frequently laugh-out-loud funny.

A masterpiece; the outstanding gameplay from the first two games has been extended, tweaked and applied to a fresh, original and fascinating setting. There's more than enough meat to keep you going for months, and the sheer variety of gameplay is bewildering.

The new engine looks great, the interface (once you get to grips with it) works reasonably well, and the economic model is compelling enough to keep you playing.