Batman: Arkham Asylum

A well-made adventure, but a little underwhelming if you're not a Batman devotee.

I can usually appreciate great action/adventure games regardless of whether I'm a fan of the source material. With Batman: Arkham Asylum, however, I really think your enjoyment of this game escalates with how much you lo... Read Full Review

inFamous

A promising comic book brought to life, only hampered by a slow first half and repetitive mechanics.

Creating good pacing is easier said than done. The masters make it look effortless. When you play something like Resident Evil 4 or Metal Gear Solid 3, it's easy to get into and easier to get lost ... the good kind of l... Read Full Review

Killzone 2

A grueling, exhaustive FPS that tests your patience as much as your trigger finger.

Killzone 2 delivers an adrenaline-fueled, photorealistic sci-fi battlefield with a sizeable single-player campaign and deep multiplayer offering. It easily sits atop the PS3 shooter lineup alongside CoD 4 and MW2. But... Read Full Review

Gears of War

Worthwhile shooter, but not a revelation on PC as it was on 360.

Gears of War is the one game that nearly tipped me into buying a 360. Here was a visceral, beautiful, action-packed shooter getting tons of buzz from gamers and press. I could barely keep myself from plunking down the $3... Read Full Review

Resistance 2

Confounding single-player is a huge letdown after all the glowing reviews and promise of the original.

Very few major gaming sites called out Resistance 2 (Giant Bomb excepted) on its confusing, disappointing single-player campaign. While the original Resistance offered a rigorous challenge with a reasonably engaging stor... Read Full Review

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift

Gorgeous tracks filled with ridiculous jumps, but simplistic racing and lack of rewards erodes the long-term value.

If you're looking for an adrenaline-filled arcade racer, you certainly won't go wrong with Motorstorm: Pacific Rift. This is pick-up-and-play racing at its finest -- perfect for parties or with friends. The extremely low... Read Full Review

Fable: The Lost Chapters

RPG-lite ... better for kids or casual players than veteran RPG players.

Fable is a game that does all the little things right but comes up short on the big things. In terms of little touches, Fable is quite fantastic. Day/night cycles, NPC schedules, variable in-game economy, customizatio... Read Full Review

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Among the best early PS3 exclusives, R&C: ToD is a Saturday morning cartoon on steroids.

More than two years old at this point, Tools of Destruction still makes a whallop of a first impression. Luscious environments filled with layers of futuristic awesomeness. Excellent character designs loaded with persona... Read Full Review

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Platinum)

One of the most impressive game experiences ever crafted.

As someone who was extremely disappointed with MGS2 and MGS: Portable Ops, I went into MGS4 with some trepidation. I've seen the good reviews before. I've seen the rabid fan adulation before. And I've seen the basic MGS ... Read Full Review

Fallout

First-time player 10 years after release -- one of the best RPGs I've ever played.

Finally gave Fallout a real shot this weekend. Figured out the wonky interface and read up on character building do’s-and-don’ts. Had a total blast. I was actually surprised by a few things, considering how much I’ve ... Read Full Review

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (First Print Limited Edition)

Certainly one of the best PS2 games and one of the most memorable video games, period, in years.

I've had MGS3: Subsistence sitting around the apartment for a long time, untouched. I bought it at release but never got the motivation to play through it, largely because I wasn't a big fan of MGS2's over-the-top storyl... Read Full Review

God of War: Chains of Olympus

One of the best PSP games to date. Accessible, fun, looks and plays great.

Chains of Olympus is actually the first God of War game I've played, so the criticisms of recycled gameplay elements didn't factor into my impressions. But even if I had played through the other GoW games, the core mecha... Read Full Review

Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide

Packs, arguably, a better single-player campaign than the original NWN

The case for a great expansion pack is always, "Does it improve the original so much that you could never go back to playing the original after seeing the expansion's tweaks and additions?" In the case of SoU, you can de... Read Full Review

Shadow of the Colossus

Enthralling, understated, immaculately designed ... SotC is an essential PS2 masterpiece.

Arguably one of the best (if not, *the* best) releases on PlayStation 2, Shadow of the Colossus is one of those rare accomplishments that can genuinely change the way you look at video games. When you think of basic elem... Read Full Review

Grand Theft Auto IV

Near perfect gameplay, but storyline never lives up to the incredible city and characters who live in it.

Grand Theft Auto 4 is a tour de force. You'll be hard-pressed to think of another video game that makes such a dramatic first impression. A massive, vibrant homage to New York City ... some of the best character developm... Read Full Review

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Auditore Edition)

Addictive gameplay with tons of steady rewards keep you hooked despite a mediocre narrative and repeat of AC2's formula.

I've been lukewarm on the AC series up until this point, so I wasn't expecting much from Brotherhood. But it was a huge pleasant surprise to sink into something that feels very familiar to AC2 but is so polished and rewa... Read Full Review

God of War III

A visual gobstopper that shows off impeccable level design along with its tried-and-true combat mechanics.

Just when I thought I couldn't take another God of War game, along came God of War III. Like most people, the first title blew my mind. The second title got a bit overlooked in the transition to the PS3/360 generation, b... Read Full Review

Gradius Portable

Action still holds up after all this time. Great collection (but leaves out Life Force).

Gradius and Life Force were two of my favorite NES games when I was a kid, so this collection proved to be a perfect game to kill time on subways or sitting in airports. The action holds up remarkably well after all thes... Read Full Review

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Great production values, tedious gameplay, horrible camera and combat.

Judging by the 15-hour campaign length, I've made it through roughly half of MGS: Portable Ops, and I just can't bring myself to play any further. After suffering through 8 hours of fighting the camera, enduring horrific... Read Full Review

Mass Effect 3

Fun while it lasts, but sadly ME3 is not a special standout game like its predecessor.

It's tough coming into a game like Mass Effect 3 with a universe you've come to love and characters you can't wait to adventure with again, all the while knowing this is it. It has to end. (… Well, for now, at any rate.)... Read Full Review

World of Warcraft

The most complete video game experience in the history of gaming.

I bought the WoW Collector's Edition in December 2004 -- it's now November 2005 and not only am I still playing and loving this game, it's basically the only game i've been playing in nearly A YEAR. this is, without a... Read Full Review

Burnout 3: Takedown (Dutch)

Fun, stripped-down arcade racer, but a little light over the long haul.

Burnout 3 falls in the "keg party" genre of games -- along with such luminaries as GTA III, Mario Party, EyeToy, and old-skool classics Rampage and Decathalon. Perfect for playing with friends (particularly at parties wi... Read Full Review

Madden NFL 2005

everyone seems to be jumping on the Madden-bashing bandwagon these days, so i'll say it first: I'm not going to try to change your mind if you hate EA Sports. i don't care. ESPN will get outsold, year-in, year-out. Madde... Read Full Review

NCAA Football 2005

for the casual college football fans, NCAA 2005 is largely the same package as 2004. or 2003. so skip this year's version, and keep playing your 2001 edition to your heart's content. but for hardcore NCAA fans, this game... Read Full Review

Neverwinter Nights

Still holds up as the best D&D RPG since the Infinity Engine games.

RPG fans who crave a faithful, epic D&D CRPG haven't had much to pick from in recent years. Temple of Elemental Evil looked beautiful, but clunky, buggy gameplay ruined what could have been a fantastic throwback to Biowa... Read Full Review

DOOM 3

A classic throwback horror shooter with Hollywood production values.

While this isn't a game I'll playing over and over, the time I did spend with it to finish was pure horror shooting bliss. Was it worth more than $50? Probably not, but it's definitely worth playing through to the end as... Read Full Review

The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine

The Elder Scrolls version of Indiana Jones.

For a $9.99 mini-expansion, you can't go wrong with KOTN. A handful of nicely designed dungeons, a storyline that will take you across Cyrodil to places you may never have noticed before, and some nice new pieces of gear... Read Full Review

Patapon

Ingenius game design but novelty wears off fast.

I probably would have enjoyed Patapon more if it weren't a portable game and I weren't trying to squeeze in sessions on the subway or at my girlfriend's house while she's watching TV or in situations that I typically mak... Read Full Review

Tecmo Bowl

Madden would be nothing without Tecmo Bowl. Tecmo Bowl was the original franchise mode. Granted, your franchise mode had to be written down on paper and saved over 16 separate games and sometimes it looked funny that Bo ... Read Full Review

The Temple of Elemental Evil

The upside: TOEE looks beautiful, combat is fun, developing your characters w/ 3rd edition feats and differently aligned party combinations gives ton of replay value, and the storyline -- while a bit abbreviated -- is fa... Read Full Review

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Game of the Year Edition

I gave Morrowind a swing several months ago but gave up after a few brief sessions. Initially overwhelmed by how in-depth and expansive the world was, I couldn't devote the time to learning the interface, the spells, the... Read Full Review

Advance Wars

How did they fit SO MUCH in such a small space?!

If you're even the remotest fan of turn-based strategy (or even tabletop strategy wargames, for that matter), this is a must-buy. I've played PC strategy games that can't rival the charm and depth of Advance Wars. At ... Read Full Review

Rise of Nations

I'll be honest -- I feel like a moron for plunking down full retail price for a game that's essentially just a polished up version of Age of Empires II. I truly tried to hold off on this one -- I convinced myself over an... Read Full Review

High Heat Major League Baseball 2004

First, the good news: High Heat is a faithful, addictive rendition of the game. Sure, the graphics don't step up to the plate like EA or Sega's offerings, but trust me, they're good enough. Fielders' animations are surp... Read Full Review

Europa 1400: The Guild

The first half-dozen times I sat down with Europa: The Guild were mesmerizing. I'd never seen, played or heard of a game like this before. Europa combines elements of some of the best strategy titles of recent years -- a... Read Full Review