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.