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Total Reviews: 89
Average Overall Score Given: 8.33708 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 2465

Reviews
South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!

So what happens when you take the Tower Defense genre and drop into it 4 of the most famous..........or should I say infamous, little kids from South Park? Well with Cartman at your side anything is possible.

With South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!, you get the familiar TD (Tower Defense) strategy mechanics with a South Park makeover. Playing single player you must fend off hordes of some familiar enemies such as the Ginger Kids and Hippies; wave after wave hurling snowball after snowball in hopes of defending the town. As you complete a few levels you unlock the rest of the South Park quartet, each armed with his own special attack and speed variation. Multiplayer is also available adding a surprisingly challenging and hilarious mix to playing with friends.

The TD genre is left intact in this addicting incarnation of the strategic game but with the addition of these 4 "movable" weapons, the South Park kids. Positioning and speed come into play as you set up strategic vantage points and create turrets from everything from barbecue's converted into laser cannons to rocket launchers made from boxes of fireworks.

While this may seem very simplistic, don't be fooled. Go into this on a whim and I'll guarantee you'll have a challenge before you, South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! may be a small addition to the XBOX Live Arcade catalog but it's a great challenge, a lot of fun and surprisingly addicting. While South Park, like many animated classics, hasn't had a great full blown video game success published, this little side scrolling wonder is sure to please both fans of the genre as well as fans of the show.

South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! Makes my "Must Have" Arcade title list, the Japan-imation style intro and filler scenes are funny and the wise cracking, foul mouthed South Park humor remains intact making this a nice merger of game genre and intellectual property without losing what makes the South Park animated series so popular. So invite over a few of your friends and help our four little South Park juveniles, Cartman, Kenny, Stan and Kyle defend there town from hostile take over.

South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! Is available on the XBOX Live market place for 800 MS Points and in this gamers opinion, well worth the investment.

Overall Score: 7.2 / 10 DiRT 2









Suggestions: Expanding the vehicle selection a bit and maybe the tuning options, but overall a fantastic effort.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Need For Speed: Shift









Suggestions: Kudos to EA and Slightly Mad Studios for a solid racing simulation racer...but I would like to see the old street racer make a triumphant return.

Overall Score: 8.9 / 10 Pinball FX





Overall Score: 6.9 / 10 R-Type Dimensions





Overall Score: 7.6 / 10 Section 8









Suggestions:

Overall Score: 7.5 / 10 NCAA Football 09









Suggestions: In this gamers opinion, keep improving the mechanics and character animations of the overall game and realism of the online experience. Gimmicks will never put a game over the top.

Overall Score: 8.5 / 10 Spiderwick Chronicles, The









Suggestions: Overall a great adventure game, would like to see a bit more "polish" to the game and an inventory system to work around the item backtracking.

Overall Score: 7.8 / 10 FEAR Files









Suggestions: Its time to take the F.E.A.R universe to new locations and re introduce a solid story line. Solid as always, just not shining as it should.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Rock Band









Suggestions: Kudos to everyone involved, great game, fun for all. I only have one complaint...where is the travel case for all this equipment? ;)

Overall Score: 9.8 / 10 Timeshift









Suggestions: I liked the concept, but there needed to be a bit more too it in some way. Entertaining, visually clean, but not enough to set it apart.

Overall Score: 7.8 / 10 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix









Suggestions: Kudos, a very pleasant change form earlier versions.

Overall Score: 8.4 / 10 Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception









Suggestions:

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Eragon



Our third character is Saphira the dragon, she communicates with Eragon through his thoughts. In early stages Eragon can summon her to help get through barricades or even dispose of an evil enemy. The game does offer up some dragon flight levels where you actually take control of Saphira, including breathing fire and a speed burst to evade enemies. Even though Saphira is relegated to cameo appearances in the early going the dragon flight levels are a nice touch. So there you have your band of adventurers, now lets see how the stay alive and combat the evil forces.





Suggestions: My suggestion is a bit repetitive, I seem to find myself repeating the same thing or most games based on movies. Expand the world a bit, and find a new wrinkle in the development or strength and talents of your characters.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Destroy All Humans 2









Suggestions:

Overall Score: 7.6 / 10 Import Tuner Challenge









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Overall Score: 5.0 / 10 Open Season









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Overall Score: 7.6 / 10 Flatout 2









Suggestions: If Bugbear could solidify the vehicle control in the racing mode, this game would be 100% solid in every aspect. Even so, a great sophomore effort.

Overall Score: 7.6 / 10 Final Fantasy XI Online









Suggestions: I have no real suggestions because the game inits origianl offering is solid, its just not a good tie in to the 360. I'll reserve suggestions for the 1st Sqare Enix game made with the 360 in mind form the get go.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Outfit, The









Suggestions:

Overall Score: 7.6 / 10 Burnout Revenge









Suggestions: I do have one minor complaint, if you will, nothing that will hinder the experience too much, but the shadows are a bit dark at times. I played on an HDTV and still had problems at times seeing what was in front of me, usually an appropriately placed pillar, causing quite a bit of trial and error racing. Not that I mind having to learn a track, but it does help seeing what is in your path. Outside of that, I offer up some big Kudos to the Burnout Revenge team, the franchise has yet to disappoint, keep up the good work.

Game On!

Overall Score: 9.6 / 10 Sonic Riders









Suggestions:

Overall Score: 5.0 / 10 Full Auto









Suggestions:

Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Kameo: Elements of Power









Suggestions: Expand the "world" of Kameo.

Overall Score: 8.8 / 10 Tony Hawk's American Wasteland









Suggestions: I can't put my finger on it, the Story Mode was a great shot at changing things up a bit, it wasn't bad, but its not quite what the doctor ordered. Outside of that, the trick system, mechanics, and look are great as always.

Overall Score: 8.4 / 10 Project Gotham Racing 3









Suggestions: More unique tracks and locals, while the reverse track system does give a course a different feel it does seem like the easy out.

Overall Score: 8.4 / 10 Condemned: Criminal Origins









Suggestions: I wouldn't change a thing.


Overall Score: 8.8 / 10 Conker: Live and Reloaded









Overall Score: 8.6 / 10 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within









Suggestions: No more heavy metal...LOL

Overall Score: 9.6 / 10 Breakdown







In the sound department Breakdown continues to favor well, the dialogue while not enthralling, does contribute to the story and intrigue of the game. In game Dolby digital lends a hand in hearing the super human soldiers on your tail and definitely help in your evasiveness at times. Ambient sounds are authentic and accurate, from gun fire to the sound of your fists hitting a baddie. With the sound of alarms going off in labs, crackling fire heaps, echoes in corridors, Breakdown delivers a solid effort.

Suggestions: Solid first attempt at something new, and different. Can't wait to see how the sequel comes out, hint, hint.

Overall Score: 8.4 / 10 James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing









Suggestions: 007 Everything or Nothing is a solid package with all the makings of a great movie, game play is fun and exciting, and the addition of 4 Multiplayer modes including a Cooperative mode strengthens the replay value.



Overall Score: 8.4 / 10 Sonic Heroes









Suggestions:

Overall Score: 7.8 / 10 Kill Switch









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Overall Score: 7.4 / 10 Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel







Dolby Digital is a plus in the sound department, but again, nothing new and or exciting. The dialogue and comments are repetitive and bland, and the never ending cycle of comments during questioning with key AI is annoying.

Suggestions:

Overall Score: 5.0 / 10 Armed and Dangerous









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Overall Score: 9.2 / 10 Deus Ex: Invisible War









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Overall Score: 9.4 / 10 Metal Arms: Glitch In The System

Comical, Fun and fast passed. Those are the best words to describe Metal Arms: Glitch in the System. Born from scrap metal, Glitch, the fearless, diminutive bot from Droid City is out to save his world from the evil General Corrosive and his Mil bots. Unleash all of your powers and work your way through this fantastic adventure utilizing not only weapons, but vehicles and some of the most interesting gizmos this side of the galaxy. With tight controls and stunning visuals Metal Arms packs a punch and is very difficult to put down. Mario beware, theirs a new sheriff in town and his name is Glitch.







Suggestions: My only gripe is a usual one...Perfection with Live capabilities and system link.

Overall Score: 9.4 / 10 Whiplash





Visually Whiplash is pretty sharp. Although it has a cartoonish look to it, it still has some nice elements and character rendering. Nothing way over the top, but details are very present and were given some attention, such as the fur flying in the grinder, or the whirling, chaotic antics by Redmond when he goes into hyper mode. Hard to criticize Whiplash too much as far as the graphics because of the style and content of the game, it suits it well.

In the audio dept. a lot of the same holds true, while nothing over the top, it suits the game well. The best part of the audio is the dialogue. Quite funny and you will get a giggle or smile on your face due to some of the comments. Unfortunately this too gets repetitive after the first few hours of play.




Suggestions: Needs a little more depth or the addition of some sort of co-op mode to give it some replay value.

Overall Score: 7.2 / 10 R: Racing Evolution









Suggestions: I think Namco delivered a solid game, my additions would be the custom soundtrack feature and XBL capabilites.

Overall Score: 7.8 / 10 Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon









Overall Score: 7.4 / 10 Gladius









Suggestions: Guys there is a trully graeat game here, just need to "Polish" up the graphics and add a little originality to the sounds of the game. Do that and the Gladius sequel should be a perfect game.

Overall Score: 8.6 / 10 Top Spin









Suggestions: Just what I stated earlier about some sort of commentary. Otherwise, Kudos.

Overall Score: 9.8 / 10 Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition









Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Tennis Masters Series 2003

Touted as the ultimate tennis simulation by Microids, Tennis Master Series 2003 puts you in the middle of the ATP's most prestigious tournament: The Master Series. With 67 very different players to choose from, playing in 9 different tournaments from Miami to Paris. Add Doubles matches (Up to 4 players), cash prizes, and some exciting motion capture moves to the mix, and TMS is an exciting and addicting game for any tennis fan. The Ultimate tennis simulation?............read on.







Suggestions: I think Microids deserves alot of credit for this game, my gut tells me that the lack of "Star" power, and the comparison to the up and coming MS Tennis game may cause a few gamers to pass this little gem by. The addition of a create-a-player mode and some sort of system link or On-line capabilities would have put TMS near the top of this genre. But kudos for a solid and exciting gaming experience.

Overall Score: 9.2 / 10 Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds

Our favorite slayer is back and better than ever, and this time she brought her freinds along. Battle the undead as Buffy, Willow, Xander, Spike, Faith, and Sid the re-incarnated Dummy. Chaos Bleeds offers up 12 levels direct form the BTVS universe, over 150 fighting combinations and unique weapons and spells. Add to this sophmore effort a fantastic Multi-Player mode with 20 charecters to choose from for up to 4 players, and you have a solid, longlasting and humorous addition to the......uh, Horror genre. ;)

Chaos Bleeds is a great continuation of the 1st Buffy game, familiar yet new and different. The fighting system has been bulked up quite a bit, with approx. 150 combinations ranging from hand to hand to weapons. The variety of weapons is also a nice addition to the game and a need one since you play through certain parts of the game as other charecters. Just a note here, this isn't a "Squad" type scenario, at certain point in the game you will meet up with another charecter and after a small cut scene you will proceed with that charecter. The challenge to this is that each charecter has a very different way of combating the baddies, so it would behove you to learn what they are skilled at. An example would be Willow, shes a whitch, so it stands to reason that her forte' is magic, Xander isn't the most physical guy in the world, but put a crossbow or battle axe in his hands and he can hold his own. This will all be explained, and played out in the first mission, The Magic Box" which i liked because it's a tutorial, but counts as part of the game, it gives just enough info to get you on the right track. All the main charecters are available, and Sid the ventrilaquist dummy is hilarious, Buffy followers will be tickled to see him making an apperance. All the usuall secret items, potions, and a new list of unlockables are present, ranging from interviews with the cast to new charecters for Multi-Player mayhem. On the topic of Multi-Player, I have to admit this is one welcome addition to this game, devided into 4 modes, Survival, Bunny Catcher, Slayer Challenge, and Domination, it gives the gamer a great variety of multi-player fun. From simplicity, so to speak, as Bunny Catcher where the one who has the most points after catching bunnies wins, to Slayer challenge which is an all out battle royal to see who's the best. Be warned, Bunny Catcher is not as easy as it seems, some bunnies are good, and some bunnies are bad. All in all ther is enough here to keep you satisfied for a good long time, unique power ups, bonuses and the usuall Buffy humor make this one of my favorites. I really liked the the 1st game and this is a fantastic follow up even though it has a few problems.........read on.

HDTV compatible, visually Buffy is above average. Everything is crisp and clean, I think the female charecters look a little too "wide-eyed" in my opinion. That being said, the "Effects" look great, dissintigrating undead, spell effects, etc..The environments are nicely done with some nice shadow effects throughout. Keep in mind Chaos Bleeds was developed by Eurocom Entertainment and Vivendi Universal, not the team from the original BTVS, so it's a different engine. The unforgivable part of the visual aspects of this game is the less-than-adequate camera movement, in tight areas it's impossible to spin the camera around or re-center yourself, and in some battles it becomes a real hinderance. With better camera physics the visual score would have been higher.

In the sound department the lack of Dolby Digital is kind of odd. But the sounds-of-the-game are very nicely done. The background soundtrack is creepy and yet not distracting. Environmetal effects are spot on (Could have been great in DD). It all lends itself well to the flow of the game. Unfortunatley, and this may seem like nit-picking some of the voice acting is awfull, ok to be perfectly honest, the actor doing Willows voice is "Not-so-hot" Alyson Hannigan (For those not familiar with BTVS, Michelle "...this one time, at band camp..." from American Pie) has a very unique way of speaking and the actor here is trying too hard and it's almost "Odd" when you listen to her speak. Once again, as in the origianl our Slayer is voiced over by someone else, but lending their true voices to the game are Spike, Xander, and Faith. Not too bad, but Buffy fans will be all over the Willow thing, LOL. Alright it isn't so bad that it ruins the game, but i had to mention it.

Suggestions: My biggest gripe is the camera system. The voice acting i couldlive with. Kudos on the Multi-Player modes.

Overall Score: 9.4 / 10 Great Escape, The

The Great Escape is based on the classic 70's movie of the same name. During the war the Nazi's decided the best way to cut down on escape attempts was to transfer all these "Bad Apples" to one camp, the camp that they claimed could hold anyone. In doing so the nazi' brought together a group of POW's with only one mission in life...to escape at any cost. A combination of stealth, and cunning will be needed to make this esacpe come true. SCi delivers some accurate representations of the era, and even an unbelievable "resurection" of our main charecter Steve McQueen, but doesn't really do the movie justice...but how about the game itself?

TGE is simple enough to pick up and play without to much explination. The game is set up in various missions using variouse modes of play. The beggining is slow starting with mostly "Obtaining" objects and bringing them to designated charecters. SCi utilizes a sweet "Peek around the corner" move to help you navigate around. The game picks up a little speed as your able to comandere vehicles and weapons in certain missions. The controls are laid out pretty well except the inventory is a little difficult to hit on the fly. You are able to "Throw down" with the guards, but your fighting system is relegated to one punch that seems to stun your victim temporarily. Unfortunatly TGE offers little else in the "New" and or "Different" department, and lands somewhere in between Prisoner of War and Metal of Honor. The later being a much more enjoyable war period experiance IMO. The game is worth a looksy over a weekend, the movie on the other hand is "Highly" recomended.

Visually TGE is nothing spectacular, although very accurate in recreating some of the aircrafts, vehicles, and landscapes. Charecters are average at best, with the exception of Steve McQueen, which again, is an uncanny likeness. Explosions and other ambient effects are ok and lend to the experience of the game.

Besides the inclusion of the original score from the movie, TGE offers very little in the audio dept. Ambient sounds are minimal, and the "effects" are very basic. The dialogue is very repetative and lacklustre. All in all the sounds of TGE lend very little to the game experience.

Suggestions: The Great Escape game had a hard time recreating what made the movie so great. Although my guess is not many gamers are going to be familiar with the movie, it should have been a better representation. Which I think would have made the game more enjoyable.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic









Suggestions: This game need to go completly on-line with XBOX Live.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Hulk, The









Suggestions: Some sort of Multi-player set up could extend the life of this game, but i'm not sure how to implimant it. Otherwise, I think the game is solid fun.

Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 V-Rally 3









Suggestions: Nothing really...The game is very solid. With so many "Rally" games on XBOX, you really need something special to pull away from the pack...Eden Studios and Infograms delivered a solid effort. Number 2 on my list.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Red Faction II

Red Faction II is a futuristic, FPS with some interesting options, and gameplay. A large group of weapons to choose from, and a descent storyline help keep it interesting. Overall I feel it could have been more and I was a little disapointed at the "suggested" totally destructable levels. Multiplayer adds some replay value, but the "Campaign" mode can be had pretty easliy. Some will like it, some will hate it, I recomend a rental before a purchase, just to see for yourself.

RFII is, as we know, a FPS. That claims totally destructable surroundings and fast paced action. Well IMO it falls short on both counts. Yes you can destroy some stuff, but it's very "Linear" for the most part, the game forces you to follow a set path. I don't count exploding barrels, those have become a staple in many games of this genre. That being said, gameplay itself was pretty smooth, the weapon selections system and overall controll were well done. You will find some levels very repetative, and kinda slow moving, the action isn't as intense as I would like. One of RFII bright spots is the "variations" it throughs at you, an example would be, earlly in the game you go from a "standard" FPS mode to being the gunner in a flying atack ship. So a little variety saves it. You are also part of a squad, and the twist is, from level to level you assume different charecter, but it's imposed, it's not your choice, so it's a squad based wanna-be, IE...on a level were stealth is the name of the game you'll assume that charecter for the level. The voice acting and dialogue are actually pretty good "mood" setters, it does give the game the right ambiance of a time when a tyrant ruled. The speeches by our villain are great, why didn't they put that effort into the rest of the game? What completly pulls RFII out of the merky abys is the multi-player option, nothing too inventive or new, but it does add some much neeeded replay value to an otherwise quick "Campaign" mode. You may faulter in this game earlly, but once you get the first 2 hrs in, you'll be flying through this one. Not completly without merit, as i suggested earlier, it's worth a rental for a weekend, if not just to judge for yourself. Personally, RFII is going to be a "Vanilla" XBOX title, kinda, ehh, what else ya' got.

Visually RFII is again, very Vanilla, nothing earth shattering or new, the destruction is pretty cool, at times, but overall can't really get the game up over the "Mediocre" bar. Again, not bad, but were was the extra effort on this one? This game needed something to lift it up, and the graphics aren't it. A "good" visual experience.

Sound, again my favorite word for this game...Vanilla. Everything you have heard before in a slew of FPS is in this one also. Thier is a bright spot, the voice acting and dialogue are above par, well written, giving the game the right feel of an oppressed time.

Suggestions: I really can't put my finger on it with this one, It just seemed...eh, Vanilla.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus

Woo-Hoo! An XBOX exclusive fighter we can all be happy to call our own. Without a doubt fighting games will be compared to the big three no matter what (Mortal Kombat-DOA-Soul Calibur) but the gang at Microsoft Game Studios delivers a solid fighter with plenty of action, options, and punch. Easy to pick up and play, but learning those ever important combo's is the key to victory. Add in real time damage, interactive environments, interesting charecters, an cool use of "Chi", and Tao Feng doesn't disapoint.

Like most fighting games it's all about the combo's. The engine is solid, but not to different from other fighters. There are 6 game modes available, one of which is a training mode to sharpen your skills. The others include, Versus, Quest, Survival, Team Battle, and Tournament. Theirs a nice mix of locations, with interactive objects you can swing around or off of to punish your opponent. 12 interesting and diverse charecters are at your disposal, with alternate costumes and alternate stances (each charecter has 2 stances, simply put 2 styles of fighting), they even have a few taunts to really get under the opponents skin. Now the cool stuff, "Chi". Chi is a !&%$@#* ulated as you fight, the more devastating the blows the more Chi you receive. Once your Chi meter is filled you can unleash 1 of 3 special attacks. I'm not talking a cool move, I'm talking walls of fire and stuff. Ther is a nice little twist to your Chi, it can also be used, when full, to replenish your health and heal damaged limbs. Limb Damage, my favorite...If you attack an opponents, arms, legs, sholders, etc...repeatedly or hurl them into flaming barrels, glass panes and such, they will sustain gradual damage until they are unable to use the damaged limb. As the limb suffers damage, it will not be as effective when attacking, ie...if a leg is starting to get damaged, you will move slower. Be advised, Chi works just as well for your oponent. Real time bruising and bleeding on the charecters is perfectlly done without the cartoonish, IMO, blood from MK. The fights are round based which can be set in the options screen. As for the basic fighting part of the game, it's impresive. There are enough basic moves and combo's to get you started, the blocking techniques are achieved via the D-Pad, which takes a little getting used to, but once your comfortable with it works great. All the charecters attacks are based on 4 parameters, height, range, speed, and strength, so study your opponents carefully. All in all, the usuall fighting ingredients are here, bone crushing attacks, blood, bruises, and of course multi-player. The developers added just the right amount of "New" stuff to be loyal to the genre, yet make Tao Feng a unique game on it's own. Personally, Tao Feng moves past MK on the fighting lader.

WOW! The variety of locations from dank alleys to bright museum halls shows off the visual prowess of Tao Feng. The charecter models are perfectly balanced and fluid, bruised faces and hobling oponents never looked so good. Environmental effects such as fire and explosions hold there own with the XBOX's power pushing it to a smooth, fast, and beautiful experience. Copmplex moves by charecters render no clipping or "irregular" look to them. Kudos to the crew at Microsoft Game Studios and Gigante.

Well, as we have come a customed to, in game Dolby Digital does not dissapoint. What little voice acting there is is perfectly used and performed. Taunts get a little repetative, but acceptable. Echo's, flames crackling and impact sounds are perfect througout. The base soundtrack is also well blended into the game without being annoying.

Suggestions: Only 2 words..............XBOX LIVE!

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit

Murakumo is a blazing fast, seek and destroy, mission based game. The story is simple, renegade A.R.K's (Artificial Reflexive Kineticoid)have broken away from their human controllers and have set out to reak havoc on Oliver Port, a huge metropolis that is the center of scientific advancement in the future. You are part of an elite force of pilots quickly assembled to helm a prototype group of Mech Hunter units known as the Murakumo. Destroy enough of these renegades and unlock even stiffer adversaries. In this game you can't think, you need only react....or die.

Speed, thats were the fun of this game resides. The velocity in which some of these ARK's move on the screen is amazing. Your ARK is equiped with 2 weapons, 1 primary, and one secondary. 5 ARK's to choose from each with different strengths and weekneses. Controls are very simple, left stick used just like a flight sim, right trigger is your boost, left trigger reverse boost, "A" main weapon, "B" secondary, and "Y" toggles your view (You can play this game in the 1st person perspective). You are assigned a mission to destroy a Mech and off you go, at your disposal is a guidence system to let you know where your target is, and how far away it is, fall to far behind and you mission is over, let the enemy Mech get out of the containment area and your mission is over. Mastering quick turns is key to piloting your way around a sea of buildings. In case your thinking about flying above all the clutter, think again, your ARK has altitude limitations, so your gonna have to give chase. Now, the game is basically that simple, the Mechs are cool, the speed at which this game moves is amazing, the visual effects are pretty spectacular...but in the end the game gets very repetative, your playing to beat your high score and little else. To throw an even bigger monkey wrench into the formula, their is no system link or multiplayer option. It's a solo ride from start to finish. I didn't finish the game but was a little bored with it relativelly quickly, and there may be something real special when unlocked, but if a game can't keep your interested long enough to get to that point, well, that's a problem. The opening scenes make you salivate with anticipation, and then a few hours of frustration takes over as you keep repeating the same mission, slamming into the same building, loosing track of your target, and then finally you beat it to find another mission in, for the most part, the same type of city scape. Yes you occasionally find your self dodging bridges or overpasses, but not enough to get your interest level back up. The targeting system is real loose, and will drive you crazy during a heated pursuit. Again I find myself playing a game that could have been a great addition to the library, but just doesn't have any "...umph", no power ups, no nothing...just speed. This all may appeal to some of you out there, and by all meens, give it a rental, but I played for about 12 hours total, and I really don't have the urge to pick it up again. This is the same group that gave us Splinter Cell, right?

Visually Murakumo faired better, you do notice if you look closelly that some of the distant objects are less than spectacular, all to make the main action move that much faster. It's acceptable, because the frame rate is solid throughout. The explosions and vapor trails off your missles are very cool. The blured vapor trails and heat blur around your mechs gives it an uncanny realism that is amazing. Not to much in textures here because at the speed you traveling you will never notice. Graphically UBI delivered a solid game.

Descent soundtrack, the rest is pretty vanilla. The voice acting is very repetative, but it is supposed to be an AI talking to you. Explosions and crashes are nothing special. Even the in game Dolby Digital didn't really do much.

Suggestions: Again, a great idea and some wonderfull visuals fall short on gameplay. In this day and age there is no reason to not include multiplayer in a game of this genre. Take it the whole 9 yards next time around.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Crimson Sea

If you like shooting and slashing your way through hoards of enemies Crimson Sea has quite a bit to offer. With a little RPG style to it, nice graphics and Elaborate levels, this Japanese style epic is worth a looksy.

CS controls are pretty basic albight not layed out in the best manner. With a little practice you'll get used to the configuration and your off. You are Sho, a private detective who gets recruited by IAG (Intlegece Agency of the Galaxies)to be part of G-Squad. Joined by his young, mouthy sidekick Yangqin (who i thought was a girl for the first few levels)they embark on their adventure. The begining of the game turns out to be a prequel of sorts and is kind of annoying, as you progress through the initial level you come accross the other members of your squad,Kecak and Bow Rahn. Together you must defeat hoards of bug like creatures, water monsters and bosses that may be responsible for the deaths of many inocent people and IAG members. Armed with a Viper hand gun (to start) and a blade,Sho can find power ups for himself as well as his team, better weapons (which are also customizable) and health packs. The team progresses together for the most part and you can manipulate their formation to better suit the situation. Using a grid interface you can decide where your teammates will be positioned around you as well as the direction their initial attack will be concentrated. Sho has various ways of eluding and conquering his enemies,jumping,dashing,180 degree turn and a lock on system for your guns. Since Sho is the leader he is also responsible for his squad, meaning he needs to watch the squads individual health meters and dispence regeneration as he see fit. The pace in CS is pretty frantic, resembling Gunvalkry at times but designed a bit better. The camera angles are a big drawback, very jerky and hard to figure out in the heat of battle, very distracting at times. Your quest will take you across 6 worlds and over 20 stages, each stage completed posts your results for that stage based on time, damage,enemies, and max hits, giving you a rank and possibly a reward. After each quest you will also return to IAG Headquarters were you can shop for items and weapons, work on your skills as well as Master Neo-Psionic skills. NP skills are aquired as you pick up BP capsules, NP skills require certain amounts of BP to unlock, so as you ac !&%$@#* ulate the proper number of BP you will aquire 1 of 6 NP skills. Marionette, Meteore Crash, Blastfire, Cure, Protection, and Deathray. This is the "Modas Operendi" of Crimson Sea to quote one of it's charecters. Crimson Sea offers more than the 1st hour or 2 of gameplay suggest, entertaining but probably short lived for most. The Japanes style will appeal to fans of the genre, so give it a fair shake and you will have an entertaining adventure.

Visually Crimson Sea is great to look at. Large worlds with many areas, detailed monsters and charecters. There is a little pre-rendering going on in Crimson Sea, but it blends in nicelly with the game. The masses of enemies are very impresive and bosses are very well done. What really kills CS's look, and knocked the score down aquite a bit, is the annoying camera angles and jerkiness during gameplay. Very dissapointing.

The soundtrack and voice acting stay true to the Japanese style of Crimson Sea, effective but a little over the top. The ambient sound is really non existent, but 5.1 DD lends itself well to the mass of enemies around you. Special effects like gunfire and blade swipes are mediocre at best but tolerable. Could have been much inproved.

Suggestions: The idea behind this game is solid, it just needs some polish and it could be a winner.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Vexx

Our little friend Vexx is from the village Overwood, on the planet Astara. The Shadowraith Dark Yabu decended upon Vexx's village and reaked havoc & destruction. Vexx and his grandfather were defiant, and when Vexx could take no more he launched a futile attack on Dark Yabu. Vargas, Vexx's grandfather tried to help and Dark Yabu turned his powers against Vargas and destroyed him. Striken with grief, Vexx escapes vowing to take revenge, but fate turns to fortune with the legendary Asanti War Talons. Now armed with his talons and fearless determination, slave turned savior will stop at nothing to overthrow the Dark Yabu, avenge his grandfather's murder, and bring peace back to his planet. I have been waiting for this little dude for some time, and all i can say is...Vexx can clobber Mario any day of the week. Now that i have that out of my system, Vexx is a fantastic platform with huge, detailed levels full of surprises, hidden levles and varied challenges. Vexx is devided up into different worlds, each one presenting a new set of challenges to finally reach our goal. Platform lovers, don't let this one pass you buy, too bad it wasn't an exclusive to our beloved system.

As i mentioned earlier, Vexx is devided into 9 worlds which offer up a total of 70 objectives, the goal of each objective is a Shadowraith Heart. As you complete objectives and retrieve the hearts you bring them to the portal's Rift Hub opening new worlds. Vexx has many enemies to encouter and with each defeat Vexx recievs talon charges to unleash the talons special powers, Vexx has a combo-based fighting system wiich is very easy to understand and utilize.Vexx can also retrieve Elemental power ups such as the Rock Suit, very cool, and the Air Suite. There are also health and extra life power ups hidden in the vast worlds. The cool thing is that our hero has nemerouse abilities, from climbing shere mountain sides with his talons, to swimming above and under water, super jumps, and devastating attacks. Vexx's worlds also contain Devices, a Sundial that can fast forward or rewind the day, and if you play close attention certain times of the day open "Hidden" levels that are crucial to your succes. Portals and World gates, bounce pads and Spirit Stones to booste your health when needed. Time does pass in Astara, and night will fall reveiling new and fiercer enemies. The challeng builds as you progress form world to world, worlds that take you from Ruins, Deserts, Oceans, and Frozen Outlands. As you exit the portal into new worlds your given hints as to the were abouts or method needed to reteive your next Shadowraith Heart. Vexx is a well balanced platform adventure with tons to offer and over 20 different baddies to cope with, add various puzzles to solve and hidden treats. Your in for hours of gaming bliss. Long awaited platform for the XBOX delivers big.

Aklaim did a great job with Vexx, vibrant days chilling nights. Beautifull sky scapes that always have something going on, watching the sun set and the moons rise on Astara is really cool. Attention to detail is very evident, dust and sand being kicked up as Vexx lands on the ground, water droplets hitting the camera as he splashes into huge waterfalls. Some decent textures and nice camera manipulation help get you into the game. Attacks are vibrant and effective. The charecters are a tad blocky, but it takes very little away form the overall experience. HDTV 480p enhanced delivers that extra punch if your set up for it. Solid effort from the developers.

A great soundtrack runs through the worlds of Astara, not over the top or anoying, what little voice acting ther is in Vexx is done well with effects to get you into the story. Environmental souds abound, from waterfalls, creaking bridges and grunts from the Puggles comming up behind you. In-Game Dolby Digital lends itself well to this title, the world and all its sounds wraps around you very well. Once again very Solid.

Suggestions: None, I think Aklaim put out a quality platform game without having to resort to cute charecters. Need a sequel!!

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance

Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance is a RPG adventure that delivers both on gameplay and storyline. Become one of 3 versitile charecters each equiped with a variety of weapons, magic, and and charecter exclusive forte. Work your way through incredible levels featureing hidden treasures, enchanted weapons and surprising enemies. All the usuall RPG charecteristics are here, build up your charecter, weapons, magic, attitude, and on , and on. If Morrowind is a little too deep for you and you need a well balanced, exciting adventure with a lot to offer, give Baldurs Gate:Dark Alliance a fair shake, you will be pleasantlly surprised. BG feels like Buffy to me, very underated.

The beauty, in my opinion, to Baldurs Gate is that anyone can pick it up and understand what to do. The fighting system, inventory system, and magic usage are well designed and easily understood. The story...Baldurs Gate is a city recently plagued by a growing evil.Town memebers have been turning up dead, and their are rumors of a Thieves' guild civil war beneath the city. You assume one of three Newcomers to Baldurs Gate who is thrown in the role of the Hero. Vahn, the Arcane Archer, Kromlech, the Dwarven Fighter, and my personal fave, Adrianna, the Elven Sorceress. Each charecter has his oe her own stregths and weeekness. Along your adventure you will find gold to upgrade your weapons, armour, and magic. The items change in the in the shops and you may occasionally find the enchanted sword of your dreams. Weapons have weight, value, damage points, and sometimes special attributes. Your cahrecters have specific atributes, weapons they can't use and can only carry so many object based on weight. Adrianna obviouslly can't carry as much as the brawny Vaughn. Your quests go from rat infested seweres to Ogre infested mountain sides. As you vanquesh your enemies your "Experience" builds, as that happens your charecter levels up and is awarded points, which can be applied to your charecters abilities. Strength, Intelegence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma all factor into your charecters abilities. One of the best options in this game is the ability to transfer your cahrecter from one game to another, so basically if you have built your charecter stats and want to use that charecter when playing the coop mode, yes cooperative play, you can inport that charecter without having to start from scratch. Save points are available along your adventure, your success will be measured by your ability to balance fighting, magic, and some puzzle solving. Recall potions are available to transport you back to the tavern where you begain your quest and where you can visit the shopkeaper to sell and or buy new weapons, armor, or potions when your carrying a bit too much or need some healing potions for your next big battle, and when done return you to the point in the game were you left. BG has more too offer than i can ever write, but this game has payed alot of attention to detail, unique levels and enemies, and the ability to offer a long exciting experience. Please note that this is the only version of this game i have ever played and it has plenty of merit on it's own. The developers obviouslly spent alot of time on the "GAME" itself. Job well done.

BG is played in a 3rd person perspective, which gives the graphics a little leway. That being said the look of BG is right on the money, dark and dank in the sewers, cobwebs where needed, along with some nice textures to give it a polished look. The charecter models move fluidly, no frame rate issues or clipping. The camera angles work real well, although in a few minimal instaces were awkward. Magic effects are visually stunning and as we have come to expect with the box, the water looks great. The developers delivered a sound visual product.

BG really has nothing stellar in the sound dept. It offers Dolby Surround, the soundtrack is pleasant and not overbering, the voice acting is above average, and the sound effects do the job. Again, you can tell the efforts went into the gameplay, but the sounds work well for this title.

Suggestions: My only suggestion would be to offer more charecters and more than 2 player coop. Everything else is solid.

Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Panzer Dragoon Orta

Panzer Dragoon Orta is a non-stop shooter with enogh excitement and bonus material to keep you going for quite some time. Add to that the stunning visuals, 5.1 Dolby Digital, and 480p HDTV and your set for an exciting treat for your gaming sences.

Most of us have played some sort of shooter or another, and what sets them apart is how interesting and different they are from one another. Well Panzer Dragoon Orta is about as interesting and different as they get. You are Orta, riding a dragon that has been thought to be long gone and could be the end of the Dragonmares. Your dragon has some pretty amazing trates, Guns, Homing Lasers, and a devistating Berserk attack. Your dragon also has the ability to morph from it's Base Wing form to Heavy Wing and Glide Wing, each with it's own special charecteristics and variation on the weapons. The key to this game is to learn well which type is best suited for the task at hand, in the beggining you'll sit with the version you feel most comfortable with and get agrivated at how hard it is to defeat some enemies, but as you learn to morph during battle it all becomes a very tacticle battle. Your dragon and each of it's "Morph's" can also level up as you progress by picking up "Gene Basis" these bases will go into a "DNA Counter" which when filled will level up your dragon, that is it will level up the dragon that picks it up, so again, learn to morph and keep all your versions strong. Of course the 360 degree fighting system is cool as hell. Being able to track enemies from vertually any position makes PDO a unique experience in the shooting genre. PDO consists of 10 levels in the story, which depending on your resolve, you may finish over a long weekend, but fear not Sega was nice enough to add some Sub Scenarios, Missions, and if you hadn't already heard, Unlocking the original Panzer Dragoon game. One other little extra is that some of the levels offer multiple routes to take, if your quick enough to notice. So as you complete levels you'll see which route you took and how many alternates there are. PDO is a game based on a point system, who can get the most points on the game garnishing the best grade (A,B,C,D,F) and also gives you a cute rankning to go with it, like "Gunner" if you just shoot the lights out. All these extras along with the "Flight Records" are stored in Pandoras Box, which i have to say is a nice looking interface, from there you can access just about anything. This leads me to the one thing i didn't like...the save system. The game is set up for one player to make it through the entire game, meening, if you stop on Episode 6 to let your little brother play and he stops and save on Episode 2 Easy mode, he will overwrithe your progress, this is idiotic, how hard would it have been to incorporate multiple saves via User?? Anyway, I can kinda look pass that because the game is addicting enough to where you may play through non-stop. Well worth the purchase, but if your new to the series you may want to do the weekend rental.


Where to start...PDO is one of the best looking games on the XBOX. 480p HDTV support obviouslly helps, but in general the Episodes are lavish and colorfull, particle effects, explosions are amazing. The morphing of your Dragon and the stylized Berserk attacks are also something to be seen. The best part of the entire aspect is that it's simply flawless when it comes to frame rate. With the speed of this game, that is a huge compliment. Not to mention when you have so much going on in the screen as you do at times there is no hickup what so ever, it's amazing. They also took the time to let the very slick cut scenes blend into the game from Episode to stunning Episode.


5.1 Dolby Digital and 360 degree fighting system...you do the math. The sounds of PDO are just as impresive as the visuals. Well thought out, and well placed. Ambient sounds are abound and the in game soundtrack is pleasing without being annoying. You do have to suffer through subtitles because PDO is spoken in a foreign language througout, but most of the dialouge is during the cut sceens so fear not, you won't miss important info while trying to destroy your enemies.


Suggestions: Again, the save system so more of us can enjoy the game without repeating Episodes.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball

What drives this game?? I thought about it for some time because it really isn't the volleyball, and i think i have the answer...TESTOSTERONE. Not that it's a bad thing mind you. Some will find DOAX entertaining, and some will never admit to owning it. All in all DOAX plays more like an RPG than a volleyball game.

The appeal is really simple...Our favorite DOA lovelies scantilly clad on a tropical beach, bending, stretching, and hoping around for your visual pleasure. You have 2 modes to play with, Exhibition mode and Zack Island. If your really interested in playing multi-player volleyball (Max 2 players) hang around the exhibition mode, all the charecters and locations with a very simple controller scheme. Left stick to move your babe of choice. D-pad for ball direction. A for serving, blocking, and spiking. B for receiving and tossing (set). Thats it, thats all there is to it. Now for what is supposed to be the main game...Zack's Island. The premiss is Zack got rich and bought an Island, now he's having a volleyball tourny with all his old DOA buddies, the female ones that is. Your on Zacks Island for 14 days, in that time you need to make cash by playing volleyball, problem is i found myself not playing to much volleyball and generating an income from the poolside "Hoping Game" in which you need to time your jumps onto square floatation pillows lined up accross the pool. Speed and accuracy (hitting every float)earn you more cash. The more enjoyable method of earning cash was the Hotel Casino, where you can indulge in Roulette, Black Jack, Poker, and slots. The Casino is very realistic in terms of gaming rules and actually alot of fun. Oh, volleyball, thats what we are here for right...You need to convince one of the other DOA gals to be your partner, because it is 2 on 2 matches. Asking just won't do, so you need to shower your perspective teammate with gifts available at the Island shops. The goodies range from flowers to diamonds, I even came across a prototype XBOX. But the place to shop in DOAX is the Sports Shop that carries the most eyepleasing swimwear around. The items in all the shops change daily so you do get quite a few surprises. You can purchase anything you can afford and give anything as a gift to snag a partner, once your partnered you actually get to play volleyball. You get bonus cash for good plays and big cash for wins. Of course this doesn't stop your partner from ditching you after 1 or 2 matches, so you'll be back to buying presents for the gals. Mind you that all the ladies are fickle and may just toss those $5000 sunglases in the ocean, so choose your partner wisely if you can. You also get "mystery" presents from Zack every night, which you can open or keep packaged and give them to someone else. The items you collect can be kept in your items interface that consists of your outfits (bathing suits), objects, and items. It could take you quites some time to get all the objects in this game, more time than is given to our charecter...You get up, make some money pool side, or from the casino, spend it on gifts in hopes of getting a partner and by the time you have talked to a couple gals (and been turned down) the day is over and you go back to the hotel. You have no choice, you need to go back at night. You can visit the Casino for as long as you want before going to bed and starting the entire process all over again in the morning. Resting by the pool is also a feature of the game (the clock is still ticking on the day while you rest)...I call it the "Gauking" mode. Check out your DOA babe of choice from multiple angles and you can even zoom in to check out those big beautiful..*cough,cough*.."eyes". On the 14th day your off the Island and your vacation is over.Some of the charecteristics of your vacation remain as you continue a new 2 weeks with another charecter. Wash, Rinse, Repeat. DOAX is confusing because it does have some entertainment value, all be it a voyeristic one, but it isn't what I thought it would be. Is that a bad thing, your gonna have to judge for yourself. DOAX is more of a guilty pleasure than an extreme volleyball game. Rent it, get your DOA girl of choice in that micro-bikini that costs a mint, gamble away thousands in the casino and judge for yourself.

HDTV 480p enabled and the DOA graphics we have come to expect make a really pleasing combination. The locals are colorful and accurat, the water is fantastic, and sunsets never looked better. Bottom line, if the graphics weren't this good you wouldn't spend all this time trying to buy those "Bairly There" swimsuites for your babe o choice. The charecter movement during matches is fluid and accurate, dives to the sand are perfect with sand being kicked up just so. I can't help but feel this game will be a graphical show piece for gamers when they want to show off the XBOX graphics, and you can't help but feel like a stalker when your just watching Cristie stretch on a lounge chair poolside...Is that wrong?

In game Dolby Digital, a descent soundtrack that we all probably know by heart. Nothing fancy here. Thank goodness for the Custom Soundtrack option. Load up your favorite toon and watch Tina do a dance for you on the private beach.

Suggestions: Concentrate on the volleyball game next time, you can keep the bathing suites.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Deathrow

OK, I know that Master Chief's deciples are going to be hot on my heals after this hits the Top 100, but i don't care, this game needs some seriouse attention. The Story in short...way in the future an underground game arouse, a great way for gangs to settle their "differences". Then a huge corporation took notice and turned it into a media event watched by everyone (Think Running Man)Now you have teams from Convicts, to Cops facing off in one of the most brutal sports around. No weapons, but no rules either. With the mass media & corporate america running this thing it's just fair to add side wagers, drugs(steroids), and sleezy managers to the mix. If you want to rise to the top you best leave your sissy genes at the door cause this is a no holds bar, can't run and hide, fast paced, death sport.............Welcome to Deathrow.

This is not going to be everyones cup of tea. Honestlly i got the game, put it in the box just to take a gander cause i didn't have alot of time to play at first. The Intro was awsome, then the game started and i was saying to myself, WTF?? I was a little dissapointed to say the least. Later that night i sat down for what turned out to be a 6 hour marathon. This game is deep, you control a 4 man team in a soccer like match, no , no kicking except the opponents ass. There are 2 circular "goals" at each end, and you use a "disc" to score. That's the simple part. 150 warriors, 18 teams, Single-Conquest-& Network play. The game starts with the disc popping up in the middle of the arena, as you sprint to get it before the oponent, controls are easy to pick up, offensivelly as well as defensivelly. 4 control schemes are available to customize it to your liking. The player you control will display a pass line as well as a shot line for the direction the disc will go, passing is an auto feature, and you will assume the player with the disc, although if your caught on deffense your team will go forward without you. You can adjust your team strategy on the fly with the directional pad. Normal is a balance of Off. & Deff. and you can tweek it to all out off. or lock down on deffence with a lead. Conquest mode is the tournament, there are 4 periods of 2 minutes each (can be modified)you score points by throwing the disc through the goal, the pace is fast because play does not stop because the disc stays in play after scoring, so you can follow it through and shoot again from the backside. There are power ups in each arena ranging from health to cash. Even a lockdown mode were you will be magnatized to the floor for a time. The big appeal, NO RULES!! Is your team mate trailing you with the disc, take out the goalie and clear a path. On deffense, punch, kick, flip, pile drive, there are over 100 moves to be had to steel the disc away from your opponent. When you execute a great flip or something it goes into a "Bullet time" effect, this also happens if you pull off a "One time" pass with an open shot on goal. The AI is awsome, they don't forget who did the taunting or the beating and will come after you. On top of all of this you earn cash for how many injuries you cause, knock outs, crowd appeal, etc..."Train" your team with cash and improve their stats, buy new members, health slots, and heal your guys in between periods. Victories give you Unlock credits, specifically for unlocking teams, arenas, and players, plus a couple of surprises. There is so much here it could make your head spin, but the bottom line is, it's a fast paced sport with no rules and a ton of action. High replay value on this bad boy.

Fantastic!! Well textured andd detailed. The charecter are nicelly done with the pace of the game. The arena's are highly detailed and offer great lighting effects. The colored "Speed" trail the disc leaves and the spark of it hitting the metal edges of the goal or any other metal surface are sweet. The Intro is still my favorite, you feel like your sitting down to watch the actual event unfold.

The soundtrack is nice, the ambient sounds are wonderfull, crownd noise cheers, big "UHGS" when you just miss or lay a good smack down on someone. The dialouge is perfect for this type of game, lots of swearing and F this and F that, but it fits the game well. Dolby Digital enabled, giving you a great sense of the arenas your playing in.

Suggestions: XBL would have been awsome for this title.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Blinx: The Time Sweeper

A great platform game for XBOX plus an inovative twist, and an original charecter come together in this action packed, puzzle solving, time manipulating game. At first glance Blinx the Time Sweeper may seem simplistic and basic, but there is more depth here than meets the eye. Upgradaes, hidden treasures, unique charecters, and the capability to control time. What more can you ask for? This game does not dissapoint if you give it a fair try, once again we have a game that may fall prey to the simple minded gamer who just wants to fly through without delving into the little secrets of the game.

My first concern was the control scheme, with all of this time jumping i was a little concerned, but fear not, it's as simple as pie. After the first 15-20 minutes you'll be crusing. Blinx is a daring cat that decides to try and save this world that has been populted by monsters due to the medeling of some badies. Crystals are the key here, you can collect them to manipulate time, but you do need to be aware of which crystal you are picking up, pick up the wrong sequence and you have wasted 4 of them. The idea is to collect 3 of the same crystals, each type unlocking a particular time jump, pause, rev, ff, etc...Your other problem is that you can only have 3 time manipulations at a time. There is also gold to be found and used in the store to upgrade your equipment, time slots (so you can have more than 3) Redo slots (your health,you start with 3, and can buy more) as you perish your life gets a "redo" it actually rewinds the game to just before you died in a VCR like effect, kinda cool. Your main weapon is, well, a va !&%$@#* e. Yes a vacume that can suck up pretty much anything you see and use it as a projectile, barrels, cans, tv's, couches, you name it. Collect "Trash" and fire away. Again we have a limit, 5 objects at a time, but you can keep refilling at will. You work your way through a level with basically 2 objectives, beat all the monsters, and find all of the secrets. You must defeat the monsters to continue, you don't need to find the all the secrets, and chances are you won't. Why?? Because you probably can't get to were they are with your current items, so you will be bouncing back and forth into levels throughout the game. Now the big catch, there is a 10 minute time limit in which you need to accomplish your task. This game is challenging and fun, you need to have a little strategy and plan your way through the level, and you will need to return to levels to uncover hidden items and power ups. i think the developers did a good juob incorporating the time travel to encumpass the entire game and not just levels. One regret, as for most games now, some sort of co-op mode would have been fun, and a very small camera angle problem, neglagible at best. Blinx is going to be lke a few other games that got dissed in the beggining and as people give it a chance it will catch on. Not dissapointed at all.

WOW!! Simply stunning. Wonderfull textures, weather effects, shadows, you name it. Then again we are on the XBOX and it can handle it. No glitches, snags, or hickups. Smooth as silk. You may have to forget your time limit a few times and just wonder around and take a good look at this world. Job well done!

Sound wise Blinx has a, and forgive me for saying it, Nintendo like feel to it. A Japanese like dialougue with sub titles, and a Mario like sound effects when it comes to weapons, jumping, walking, ambient sounds, and explosions. All suite this platform very well.

Suggestions: Muti-player of some sort. Maybe some side quests. A non timed mode.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

If your a big fan of stealth and cunning, you will enjoy Hitman 2. I never played the original version so i have nothing to really compare it to, which is o.k. Plain and simple, you are an assasin forced out of a peacfull retirement by an unknown foe. "Silence is deadly" in this game. Sneak around sniping, drugging, and disguising yourself to complete your mission. Somewhat of an old idea, but the stealth play is a welcome change from the "run & gun" games of the past.

The appeal is in the attention to detail as it translates to what you can do. Sneak up behind a guard and use a zip line to strangle him or use cloraform to knock him out. Then drag the body to some hidden spot to avoid being discovered, and while your at it, swap clothing to get past the gate undetected. If that were not enough, if you happen to forget to ditch your firearm and they frisk you, your dead meat. Again attention to little details is amazing in this game. The control scheme seems complicated when you start, but actually grows on you effortlessly. One small problem, you will occasionally drop a weapon you had not intended to, just a minor glitch in the system. The levels are nice and big, detailed and offer multiple access points, making gameplay different for every user. The storyline may be right from a "B" movie, but it works well. The other "detail" i noticed was the dialouge. I'm Italian, and speek fluentlly, well the comments and vulgar language was dead on...to my surprise. All in all a pleasurable experience that still has me playing, very addictive and who doesn't love pretending they are in a covert, hush, hush, situation were they can nail that head shot with a silencer. Alot of fun!

Visually the game is adequate, nothing earth shattering. Real time shadows, nice textures, basically what we would now accept as bear minimum in a game. The dead guys you drag around bend kinda funny, and when i draged one into the pool, i didn't even get a ripple.

The score is great for this type of game, the dialougue as i mentioned is perfect, and the ambient and sound effects are nicelly done. DD pulls you into the game a little more. Nice Job!

Suggestions: Maybe a graphical tweek, and some sort of co-op mode would add to the replay value.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Loons: The Fight For Fame

Romp through 15 movie sets as your favorite LOON, unlocking mini-games and new levels. All of this to be the star of director Yosimiti Sam's latest epic. May entertain younger gamers, but not for long. This game lacks any replay value at all. I was hoping this "Platform" would have been a little better than it was.

This is a platform game, with some wonderful "gizmos" and the use of bonus prat falls a la' Looney Toons, such as falling anvils,and cows. Zapping your competition into womens clothing, and the ever popular "Thunder Cloud" striking. Unfortunatly the game is set on movie sets. Each level is a new set, but unlike real movie sets these are the size of your particular TV screen and not much more. Levels are small and lose any initial "WOW" factor in minutes. The charecters seem to be tripping over each other throughout the game. The mini-games are not really that clever at all, seem to be put in each level to expand a little on the lack of "area" you actually have. Multi-player functions are available but don't really help any. I will say that the prmiss of the game is very interesting and entertaining, too bad the developers seemed to take the quick route on this one.

This game gains some respect visually, i'm not sure of the process used but it's great. The in game graphics are very close to viewing a "real" cartoon as i have ever seen. Charecters have that drawn cartoon feel and display very little of the usuall "blockyness" that cartoon games usually have. The same goes for the envronments, very true to the cartoon look and feel. Job well done on the "Cartoon look" of this game.

All of your favorite voices, and sounds are present in this title. Charecter voices are well done, since the charecters have such recognizable voices i'm glad they stayed with accurate representations. All of those wonderfull Loony Toon sounds are also recreated accuratlly. Music, pops, pings, lightning, all straight from the actual cartoons.

Suggestions: If you could figure out a better way for this game to play and let everything else stand as is it would be a great platform for any system.
Once again the gamer creedo plays through, it aint nothin' without good gameplay.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The

I really wanted this game to be great. It's not bad, but i came up a little short for me, in an odd way. LOTR Fellowship is an adaptation based on the books morso than the movie, which is retold and played out wonderfully. Fans of the books wil find this title very entertaining. Wonderfull worlds, charecters, and quests make this a well rounded title.

LOTR plays very well. The controls are very easy to pick up after a couple of minutes, the graphics are above average, and diliver some nice particl effects and rays of light and shadow to add to the mood of the game. You play through as all three charecters using each ones strengths to progress through your quest. ie...Frodo is very adept at stealth, but he's not very good at fighting. You swing back and forth in your qwest to maintain the "good" in yourself, but certain action can stray you to the "dark" you have a meter that keeps this in check for you, and can be manipulated by good deeds as well as unwise choices. This game is an RPG/Action game. My problem lies with the action, and that this game is very linear. Even when your knee deep in battle it just doesn't get your adrenaline going. You fight but it's not really that exciting IMO. I think some sort of co-op mode would have lent itself well to this game since the charecters are supposed to be a group working twords the common good, but they failed to see that. This is going to definatlly take a rental if your interested, and you may find it better than i did, this one is trully going to fall on personal opinions.

Visually the game is spectacular, as i said before, nice rays of lite pushing there way through windows with perfect little particle effects visible. The charecters are all well rendered, the worlds are vast and take a little exploring to get through. the environments are very "alive". The camera is a little annoying at times, depending of course on the situation you will not be able to see what it is you are doing, and it happens at the worst possible times.

Well balanced, nothing ovewhelming, but well done to match this game. The DD works very well to achieve atmosphere. The dialogue is a little repetative, and believe it or not sometimes a little too fast. Again, nothing spectacular but well done.

Suggestions: The tension level needs to go up a notch to fullfill the need for decent action. Some sort of co-op mode.

Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Aggressive Inline

Let's cut to the chase, If you like and own THPS3, save yourself $50 because outside of a few new wrinkles this game has been done before. AI is fun just like all the others, this time your on in-line skates. Huge and detailed levels, objectives galore, and a complex trick system (That will chase away any newbies to this genre)Another nice looking game that suffers from "Been there, Done that."

The appeal of AI is if you have never owned or played any of the other "Skating" games that came out before. The levels are big and complex, if you can see it, you can grind it. You just have to figure out how to get there in the 1st place. The game is ; based, talk to NP's and other objects to get a new mission. You can boost your charecter stats by dooing specific moves over and over again. ie, Keep grinding all over the place and you get better at grinding. You health as it were, is measured bya "Juice" bar. If you keep pullijng off tricks your bar will stay full, just skate around doing nothing and it will start to deplete itself. Power ups are available all over the levels, and you can find hidden objects such as "Keys" to open locked areas within a given map. Again, alot of fun on it's own, but it's just been done so many times before. The game has lasting appeal if you havn't played games like it before.

Visually the game is pretty solid. The lwvwls are detailed and vast. The charecters have great range of motion. The only annoying thing is the "Rubber ball" effect your charecter has when hitting a wall or corner...you come flying out like a rubber ball bouncing off the surface. An occasional camera problem, nothing remotlly problematic. All in all very nice.

Soundtrack is great, with the works of some of todays biggest bands. The addition of custom tracks was great, but next to impossible to locate without the manual. Again, been done before.

Suggestions: Find something fresh and creative in the next game. "Xtreme" has run it's course in my opinion.

Overall Score: 6.0 / 10 Quantum Redshift

Overall: SPEED, SPEED, AND MORE SPEED!! Those are the best words to describe this game, along with eye-poping graphics Quantum Redshift is a race fans dream. Futuristic racing competitions across very diverse terain, track, snow, you name it. An easy weapon and defense system make this game super easy to pick up and play. Custom soundtrack options and multi-player give this title long lasting value.

Gameplay: The immediate appeal of Quantum Redshift is the racing. Racing is about speed, and QR has an unbalievable amount of it. In single player modes it is just amazing how fast this game runs without a glitch. Multi-player does show a little drop in visuals, but i found it acceptable. You can take control of 16 different pilots each with ther own unique ship, known as SPARC's. Each pilot also resides in one of the 16 circuits as there home giving them a "Home Field" advantage of sorts. Each player also has a Nemisis to deal with and can score bonus points for destroying the thorn in there side. Each ship is also equiped with it's own unique weapons, one of which is a homing type, the other manual. As you race along you can keep boosting your weapons and shields to fend off enemy attacks.QR comes with 4 game modes, Tournament, Time Attack, Quick Race, and Multi-player. Tournament being the meat of this game. In tournament mode you will race your way through 5 levels of competition, Novice, Amature, Expert, Master, and Redshift. Each level getting faster than the previouse. Completing each level unlocks the next. You also race for points wich can be used to upgrade your ships weapons and shields. The snag is that you only a !&%$@#* ulate points if you break your previous record on the track your racing on, so it does get tough once you get to the Expert Level. Quantum Redshift is a long lasting, warp speed, adreniline filled racer that won't dissapoint too many fans of the genre. My one critism is that when you slam into a mountain side or side of a bridge you don't "Crash" you just kinda stop or bounce off, i would have rather seen some impact damage, or flat out explosions to add to the thrills.

Graphics: Call it eye candy if you want, but QR is one pretty game. Textured terains, detailed locals, water effects, explosions, you name it and QR delivers without flinching. Again, multi-player does show a slite drop in frame rate, but i really had no problem with it. Replays are a nice feature that has become pretty much standard in racers now a days. Very solid graphics helps the QR experience.

Audio: QR comes in Dolby Digital and it adds to the experience. The voice acting is a little contrived, but there isn't alot of it so it was easy to deal with. Explosions, weapon and ship effects are all nicelly done. Best of all QR has our favorite XBOX function, Custom Soundtrak capabilities. So copy in Sammy Hagars "I can't drive 55" and go full throtle in your "SPARC" of choice and hang on.

Suggestions: Maybe move this game away from the Arcade feel to a more realistic looking competition.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 The Terminator: Dawn of Fate

Terminator: Dawn of Fate is somewhat of a pre-quel to the movies. You are Kyle Reese in training and in missions under John Conner before he gets to jump back in time to save Sarah Conner, and the unborn John Conner........i think most of you know the story. The game is, unfortunatly a retread of sorts. Nothing really makes this game stand out much, except the Terminator liscense. That liscence alone didn't do much for this title.

Not the worst game ever made, but it's really going nowhere fast. It's hard to really understand what they thought was so great about the game. The controls are simple enough to figure out, but maybe the game took too many simple routes, the right trigger is your target lock, and once you walk into a room you pretty much just need to keep the lock pressed and the fire button (X) depressed and wait till the enemies are all gone. The camera angles don't help much, very difficult to get a flow going because you get a flipped perspective when you enter a new room or area. The game has 3 difficulty settings, easy, medium, and terminal. Terminal is unlocked only when you finish the previous diffculties. Unfortunatly the difficulty is pretty much more enemies and nothing else. The game also sports an "Adrenaline" meter, when maxed you can shoot more accuratly, fight harder, etc... There are also a variety of weapons, Armor, Med packs and such. There is also a point system in place, as you make your way through a level you can pick up Skynet Files, which are worth variious points. At the end of the mission you can use these points to upgrade the number of weapons, ammo, basically the amount of stuff you can cary. Sounds great, but doesn't really help the game at all. New level, shoot bad cyborgs and stuff, when there all gone move on, etc, etc....you will occasionally get the slightly differnt mission,example, keep the explosives guy alive long enough to set the C4 and blow the place. The problem is he wonders all over and when you need him to move he just sits there getting his !&%$@#* shot up, the AI in this game is pretty lame IMO. An old idea with a few little twists and a hollywood movie liscence.

Nothing visually earth shattering in game, the usual fair. Not bad, but not up to snuff for what i would have expected with a title like Terminator. The intro scene is pretty nice, but even that left a little to be desired. Not a huge stumbling block in the game but it sure didn't help it any.

Average dialouge, gets repetative at times. The use of the Terminator soundtrack does set the mood when moving through the game, but the in game soundtrack is a yawn. Weapon effects and vehicle effects fair better, but again nothing to help catapolte this game anywhere.

Suggestions: Rule number one: You need more than a blockbuster hollywood liscense to deliver a quality game. I really think this game could have been so much more if they really wanted to go the distance with it.

Overall Score: 5.0 / 10 Wreckless: The Yakuza Mission

Wreckless is like jumping into a pool of cold water.......Your initial reaction is "WOW" but then the cold wears off and your back to "eh....." Wreckless surrvives on a few things, Originality & Technology. This is the reason i can't completly blast this title. At release i questioned mostly 2 things, replay value, and is it worth $50, to both my conclusions were negative. The game is alot of fun, has a definate learning curve, which unfortunatly may drive some people away, and visually will knock your socks off. Definatly worth renting for a couple of days, a possible purchase at the price i picked it up for.(see above)

This is tough, as i stated above the game can be frustrating until you get the hang of the controls. Once you get that down it's more tollerable and you will start to have fun with it. Missions are pretty much all time based in one sense or another. The objectives vary from a "Tag" of sorts, obsticle course, and just flat out destruction. There are 2 scenarios available which include unlockable vehicles as you progress. The phiysics of the game are pretty !&%$@#* impressive, and speed and destruction are what Wreckless is all about. I can't lie, it is a ton of fun to just sit there in awe of what you can destroy in this game, but unfortuantly it does prove one of the all time gamer rules......Graphics don't make the game great, the gameplay does. Wreckless would have benefited by the addition of a few things, Multi-player would have been huge. Free-roam would have definatly added some replay value without multi-player. Which brings us to the real killer of alot of games, replay value.....Wreckless has none, when you complete it your done, you may pop it in to impress your friends or take a quick spin through your favorite level, but the 5 hour marathons are long gone.

10 hands down, this game is a great example of waht is possible on the XBOX. For that reason alone, and the $19.90 price tag, i wanted to add it to my collection. The in-game distruction, particle effects, explosions, shadows, and heat blur no less are nothing short of amazing. The replays can be saved, and you may want to save the cool ones, they also use different filter effects on the replay which adds a little "umph" to them. Call it eye-candy if you want, i call it a peak at whats to come.

As they say everything has an opposite, were Wreckless has unbeatable graphics, it has mediocre sound at best. The dialougue is corny and the muffled dispatch voice is hard to understand at times. The"mahem" you cause with crashes and such is above average, but again, if you close your eyes your really not gonna notice anything that hasn't been done before.

Suggestions: Multi-player, Free Roam. One would have been great, both would have been fantastic. The game is a Graphical marvel, now you need to tweak the game play to match the graphics level.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 The Thing

If your a fan of hunting monsters on a rescue using flame throwers, grenades and guns, be prepared for so much more. A continuation of John Carpenters "The Thing" this picks up were the movie left off, you get dropped in the arctic to find out what happened to the scientists before you, but you also have to survive not only the inevitable apperance of the baddies, who come in varied sizes, but you need to survive the elements and each other. Great game scheme for an old style.

This game incorporates a few new elements to the gameplay. The elements, you can search around in the driving snow but don't stay out too long cause the temperature will effect you. The core of this game is in the Trust and Fear system in place. You need to earn your fellow members trust to have them listen, and act on your commands. Keep your men well stocked with ammo and pitch in on the battles to let your crew know your there for them. Fear, on the other hand effects everyone differntlly, so keep an eye on each other to avoid craking up, you never know when a memeber of your party flips and starts shooting everthing and everyone in site, including you or themselves. Throughout the game it's your job to keep your team stocked, healthy, and sane. If all that isn't enough, one of your crew could be a "Thing" in disguise, you can find blood test hypos to check your crew and yourself to ease the suspitions of your men. Your team consists of yourself (Soldier), a medic, and an engineer. Use there specialties to further your mission. This is trully a nice departure from the usuall monster hunt game. With all of these differnt features you would think the contol scheme would be a nightmare, wrong.........the controls are very easy to adapt to, and the designers did well to incorprate a "Training" scenario which covers the first 2 levels of play. For those of you who are too good to use tutorials you can switch it off in the options menu.

Visually the game delivers on all counts, great environmental effects, shadows, particle and fire effects abound. Alot of detail in the environments your in. The creatures are ok, they do the job. Charecter motion is well rendered,although i have noticed the occasional frame drop in cut sceens and game play. Not enough to relly detract form this game, but there none the less.

5.1 Dolby Digital in all it's glory. Decent voice acting, with a smattering of profanity to give it that "real" edge. Well done.

Suggestions: Multi-player in this game would have launched it to the top.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Sega GT 2002

In the tradition of the previous GT series this one does not dissapoint. A slew of cars to buy, sell, tweek and collect. Great new Garage section to enshrine your racing prowess, and a solid control scheme puts this racer at the upper end of the XBOX library.

Accurate control scheme depicts the car in use, modifications also display themselves in the control, feel and response. You can purchase cars and upgrade as you ac !&%$@#* ulate cash (and bonus vehicles) for finishing a variety of races from an oval track to Drag Racing. The parts department is available for all those upgrades and tweeks you plan to make to your car of choice. A new feature is your garage, which you can stock with your trophys,tools and other types of items for that lived in look (some nice plants are available),and photos that you can take from your actual race through the replay. A huge list of available cars from some of the biggest manufacturers. The automobile response to your controls are very acurate and tight, you have variouse camera angles to choose from as you race along the highway. The AI is very competitive compared to past versions, you race your class as to avoid complete blow-outs, very well balanced in my opinion. The use of the same tracks in different start points or slight variations is the way they present variety(ok, but should have offered more). All in all very easy to pick up and play with alot of depth for the race enthusiast. Not sure if it's a sim, but it is alot of fun.

Very nice depictions of vehicles. From reflections to accuarte hood ornaments.The environments are very different, although there aren't very many. Detailed to the cobblestone grout. The "Flat" crowd was a little dissapointing, but you go by so fast it's not a deterent. The replays are crisp and clean and a source of photographic opportunities for your garage wall. The crashes are still dissapointing, no real damage inflicted, or parts flying or hanging off. Everything you would expect from a fine tuned racing title.

This is such a great game that even after playing for such a long time i still wonder why that 70's style music is playing. Poor choice, makes athe game seem a little goofy. Environmental sounds such as engines, slides, and crashes are all well represented.

Suggestions: Some minor things like "real" crash impacts, and a few additional tracks could have added to an already solid game. Rethink the soundtrack.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Blade 2

Based on the movie charecter that spawned from a comic strip, Blade is a "Daywalker" a half breed vampire if you will. Work your way through levels killing other vampires with various unique weapons and your acrobatic skills. Power up your "Rage" to pull off some extra special mahem, and cap off your battles with some intense finishing moves. Another instalment into the Action/Horror genre, is it for you?? Good question.

This title's timing may have been a little off. With the realease of BVS a few weeks ago, that basically delivers the same game with a little more control and flair. Blade II has action, but nothing super interesting to seperate it from the pack. You get some hand to hand combat, with a questionable control scheme. (Using the right anolog stick to deliver your attack) It may suite some, but there is just enough of a learning curve that it may discourage some. There is a point system in place, so your goals are time & score driven. Bonus objectives, hidden goodies, etc...The coolest thing is probably the finishing moves, which play over a-la DTR disarm moves. There is enough to keep you plugging away in this one, but unfortunattly it's been done before and once you complete it, your pretty much going to look to shuffle this one out of your library. May appeal to those who were not smitten with Buffy, i highly recomend this title for a long weekend rental, you'll have a blast with it.

The graphics in Blade II are above average, again nothing to scream about as far as the XBOX capabilities. Some mediocre level disigns, but nice charecter representations and motion. Visual effects are pretty sharp, explosions and such. The finishing moves as i said earlier are reaaly nicelly done. Nothing earth shattering, but acceptable.

Ambient sounds are ok, the voice acting is pretty pathetic though. Obviouslly not the original charecters in this game, and the Blade trademark lines by Snipes lack any real "umph". The usuall fair as far as sound goes. Doesn't help or really hinder the game.

Suggestions: The game itself has is a great idea, it just lacks anything do make you want "This" game over others like it. Re-think the fighting system.

Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Blood Omen 2

A very dark and gothic tale of Kain the Vampire seeking revenge upon the ones who vanquished him. He is back to reclaim what was his and shows no mercy to anyone who stands in his path. The game plays like a movie, very cinematic, and the voice acting is fantastic. Large areas to roam and explore. An assortment of powers, weapons and ample blood make this an enjoyable horror game.

The controls are very simple to pick up and play. Motion and navigation through the game are also very simple. The story unfolds very nicelly without cut sceens per say. They blend seemlessly with your adventure. This is a fighting game make no mistake, but the addition of some very clever stealth moves and "Mist" attacks add to the fun. Kain can roam around as Mist in certain areas, which enable him to sneek behind his prey and execute a variety of cinematic kills. My personal fave, the fist through the back removing the victims heart through his chest, ther are also some nice decapitations. You can also float down behind your prey undetected to unleash a surprise attack. You can aquire weapons from your victims as you progress, unlock special powers, and increase you resiliance buy finding hidden treasures. The puzzels are just difficult enough to avoid being a hinderence to the game. The game plays very smoothly without, unfortunatlly, too much of a challenge until you get to the Boss battles. This is were the game is a little unbalanced, Boss's are always supposed to be tougher, but the game may loose a few people because of the giant difference between normal game play and Boss battles, especially the first one you encounter. Persistence pays, but gamers are a fical bunch. The other down side is, it's a single player game and has little to no replay value once you have achieved your objectives. One side note, i purchased this game at Target for $19.90, definetly a great addition to your library at that price.

Not ground breaking but very well done. Subtle things like the charecters chest expanding and contracting while he breaths, detailed locals, and gothic inspired lighting make this a visual treat. The range of motion from charecters in fight sequences is sharp and stutter free. I would have prefered Kain actually biting some necks as oppsed to the projectile sucking he uses. All in all a great effort.

Ambient effects are present but not overbearing. The voice acting is superb, blends nicelly with the ambience of the game. Slashes, screems, and footsteps all play well over a gothic and creepy soundtrack. Dolby Digital offers a emersive quality to the entire experience.

Suggestions: Improving the graphics slightly, and offering a few difernt modes of play could help the next instalment become a must have.

Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The appeal of this game is that it captures the quirkyness and dry humor of the TV series. If your a fan of the show and action games you will enjoy Buffy. Personally i'm not a huge fan, but watch it occasionally, and yet i found the game to be alot of fun, cast in the mold of most action games, you have hand to hand, weapons, and of course the Buffy stuff...Hellfire, Holly Water, Stakes, etc...I would like to make a comment in regards to games like this in general, people who say games of this nature are button mashers are not taking the time to learn how to play the game. That being said, the controls are easy enough to learn, you earn new moves as you progress, the "Slaying" is wonderfully done with a turn to skelital dust and disapear, then capturing the health points from each enemy a-la Genma Onimushu souls. Seemless load times, very evident in between cut sceens and game play, crisp graphics, and dialogue Buffy fans have grown to love make this game a fun and exciting action game.

Outside of playing in the easy mode this game does offer up a challenge. The fighing is very elaborate with flying kicks, spinning falls and explosive power moves, all without a graphical hitch. The story is straight from Buffy so it may not appeal to all, but it is fast paced and being able to break chairs and such to use them as a weapon was a nice touch. This is a fine action game with new ways of vanquishing the children of the night. Holly Water, Hellfire, and a good old fashioned !&%$@#* kicking give the game a good balance. Controls are tight, the weapons menu is easy enough to work with. The levels are very detailed and you do need to do a little exploring for those little bonuses. Note: Take the time to master some moves at the cost of dieing, you'll love flipping over a vampire and impaling his heart with a broom handle through the back, quick and easy. Another nice touch is that you can through your enemy on to sharp object either killing them if it pierces their heart or at bare minimum they aint goin' anywhere. The game is just fun, just like the TV show was intedned to be.The only draw back i can see is the replay value, basically the only thing that chages from easy to hard is the amount of enemies in each level. No multi-player available, so that pretty much gives the game a definate end eventually.

Visually the game is pretty slick, charecters for the most part resemble their TV counterparts, the anbient effects such as explosions, the way the vampires turn to dust, etc... are awsome. As i said before no load times at all, the game just moves along with out a single frame rate hick-up. Charecter movement and actions are also spot on. A nice flying scissor kick into a vampires face sending him into a flying spinning fall all without any lag is pretty sweet. As much as EA is on my Sh*t list latelly i have to give them credit on a job well done.

Dolby Digital is in full force as you manouver through Sunnydale. Ambient sounds are nicelly placed without being over bearing. Again the dialogue is Buffy camp at it's best, unfortunatlly it does get a little repetative. All in all the sounds of the game suit it well, nothing extrodinary.

Suggestions: I think they stuck close to the TV series on this version, which isn;t a bad thing. But a few level tweeks and varied enemies could make a sequel noteworthy. Working multi-player into this a-la Hunter would have been fantastic, not to mention add some needed replay value.

Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Dead to Rights

My first comment to everyone is, learn how to play the game, it's not all about shooting, you need to develope some skills. With that being said, this game has all the action you can handle and more. Done very movie like from the opening credits to the storyline. Fast paced gun play with a mixture of hand to hand and mini games (Small challenges to win cigs to trade for service, etc...)to progress through the story. There are so many ways to work your way through a chapter it's insane, and i would venture that no 2 players did it the same way. Each chapter (Level) is a slightly different game, shooter once, fighter the next. The addition of a well designed control system (IMO), human shields, awsome disarm moves, wall mode (the best i've ever seen) and mans best friend to bail you out in a pinch makes for a very intriguing game. Difficult at times, but i've noticed if you study the action it's more managable. DO NOT BUTTON MASH!! You'll just get frustrated. I think the developers deserve alot of credit, we always say graphics don't make a game, well, they delivered adequate graphics and put all the effort into the game. Addicting, exciting and hard to put down.

I will admit, after my first hour of play i was ready to pitch the game, so i put it down and came back to it later, i'm glad i did. Gameplay takes a little getting used to,not because the controls are difficult, but figuring out the best way through a situation. A good example is the slow motion bullet time. This will definatly give you an advantage over a crowd of thugs, you can shoot one and immediatlly target the next with a flick of your right joystick, nail as may as you can before you hit the ground, works well with shotguns. Another wonderfull effect is exploding canisters, yep, throw a canister into a crowd, target it and KABOOM!! In the unfortunate instance you blow through all your ammo in the middle of overwhelming forces, you can send Shadow (Your Dog) in for a quick attack and retreval of a weapon. Maybe a little odd, but i think it was a nice touch. The levels are designed as "Chapters" in the story, and each one is a little diffrent from the other, in chapter 3 you need to get yourself out of prison, your a cop on the inside with no friends and no gun, you do the math. I feel that the way the game kinda changes as you go along is it's appeal, you do feel like your in the story. There is just so much to this game i feel no review could do it true justice.

OK, OK, visually this game is nothing to stand up and cheer about, as far as XBOX standards. The charecters, environments, and effects are all well done, could have been better, but i have to give them a little bit of a pass because the time they spent on the actual game is evident. The camera angles have their moments, but they are few and far between, lighting , shadows and such, agian, are all above average. In short, the graphic short comings take nothing away from this game.

Lots of ambient sounds, takes full advantage of 5.1 DD. They did pay attention to detail, a shotgun sounds nothing like a machine gun or asault rifle, you hear the bullet casings hitting the floor, and the pounding heart of our hero when he is near the end adds some suspence. The voice acting is ok, very "Typical" lines and comments. Again i have to give the game a little pass due to the game itself.

Suggestions: If this games graphics were brought to an XBOX level, this game would have been perfect. Job well done none the less. Knock me out with DTR2.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 NFL 2K3

Let's get something out of the way right off the bat...If your a Sega fan this game will appeal to you, if your a Madden fan you'll think it's crap, and if your a Fever fan it's a 50/50 split. I think alot of "What your used to playing" comes into play on these particular games, so take this, and other reviews with a grain of salt. With that being said, i am a Sega fan, have played the 2K series since the begining and it just keeps getting beter. This game is for the Football purist, no more raking up the score in Rookie mode my friends, your gonna have to really play to your strengths, and pound on your oponents weeknesses. A little adjustment is due for 2K2 alums, the basic controls are the same, timing and "touch" are a little different. The Franchise mode is as deep as an ocean, the addition of being able to import rookies from Sega's NCAA 2K3 is awsome, draft 'em take a look at them at the combine, yes you heard me, the combine. You have 7 game modes to choose from, Offseason tasks, and even may need to talk that veteran out of retirement for one last shot at the trophy. This is console football at it's best, and with the XBOX Live enabled modes it will be the cream of the crop.

Gameplay is a little slower than earlier 2K instalments, but not enough to cause any problems. The passing game is tight and the "MAX PASS" option is perfect, sharpen your timing and reads, it's more challenging than ever. The running game is dead on, no more stepping over 5 guys into a break away, either find the hole or follow your blockers or your dead meat. The "On the Fly Hot Routes" is a great edge to any die hard. Did you call a running play and noticed your WR in single coverage, and TE on the line with no one really covering him, Audible out and then set up a hot route on the fly and send your TE on a corner route and take the deffense by surprise. There are so many subtle, yet accurate tidbits to this game that you just need to play it to find out how good it really is. The great replays are also back and you can save them as a highlite reel of your most spectacular moves, Create-a-player, and Create-a-team are also back and polished up in this version. The ESPN addition suites the game well and pushes it up a notch on the scale, Quarterly ESPN stats are announced and at the half they even pick a "Hot at the Half" player. Weekly rap ups a well done with highlites of the weeks best plays. Player introductions, Stats, Free Agents, Combine, Draft, Rookie Sighnings, Coach's Desk, Calendar, Front Office, Trades, and even settting a Gameplan week to week...THIS IS AS CLOSE AS YOUR GONNA GET SITTING IN YOUR RECLINER!!

2K3 corrected just about all the 2K2 issues. Clipping, movement, etc..The charecter liknesses and movement are very well done. The addition of some exciting block, catches, and tackles make the game an eye popper. Split screen replays and the occasional telestrator diagrams add to the games appeal. Sideline animation increases the level of realism during a game. Stadiums and Uniforms are recreated very well also. The graphics are fluid and show no hickups at all. Running backs stumbling for extra yards after an atempted shoe string tackle never looked so good.

It's a football game, the crowd cheers and boos just when they are supposed to. The player chatter and QB audibles are fantastic. The Dolby Digital does put you in the middle of the action making the hits and graons very realistic. Nothing earth shattering, but this is just a football game, and for a football game it's perfect.

Suggestions: Can't really think of anything at the moment. Good Job.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Enclave

With all the variuos reports on this game i wanted to make sure that i gave it time and judged it accordingly. What i found was 2 minor annoyances and a pretty stable and exciting game. Enclave takes place in a breathtaking world visually, and the charecters are perfectlly suited to the fictional world. A combination hack & slash, puzzle solver, and a quest keep you moving along this adventure. A word of advice, if you play this game and just rumble through it mashing buttons and not taking the time to explore and master your skills you may feel this game is lacklustre. If, on the other hand, you give it a fair shot, you will find this game is very worthy of your time & investment.

If you like fantasy based games, swords, and magic. This game will apperal to you. You can play the game in 2 campaigns, the Light and The Dark. Dark campaign is unlocked after completing the Light campaign. Different charecters and degree of difficulty are you bonus for beating the Light Campaign and undergoing the Dark. There are a total of 12 charecters, 6 for each campaign, varying in skills and atributes. You unlock new charecters as you progress, and can trade in your basics for weapon,armour, and magic upgrades. Combat controls are easy enough to get used to, the teargeting system is nice, it will give you a color (Green,Orange,Red) which corresponds to how well of a shot or attack you will have. Needless to say, a red targeting halo, with the cursor on an unsuspecting vitims head will drop him immidiatlly. Different charecters are better suited for different levels so you may want to experiment. You have a set amount of gold you can discover along with other little bonuses in each level, take the time to find some loot and spend it freely to upgrade your charecter making your next level a little more manageble. All in all the game is a wonder to see, the sounds of the environment are well done. Utilizing DD also draws you in when you hear arrows wizzing by your head. Again, if you explore, and truely give this game a chance, it will not dissapoint. Now the 2 reasons this game falls short of the perfect 5 for me...1,Multi-player. I only want to now why?? Why was it not incorporated into this game. 2,Level Saves. At bear minimum this game could have used a check-point style save system a-la-Halo, but what we are left with is having to finish the level before you are able to save. Small consilation, prior to facing bosses you do have a check-point save in place, which leaves me asking, " Why not throughout the game". Enjpoyable none the less, worth your time to make up your own mind.

Well, this is were the game makes up alot of ground. Visually awsome, very similar to Hunter the Reckoning. Clean, smooth, no frame rate problems, nice textures, shadows, etc...As in Hunter, the camera angles on rare occasions are a problem. I'm not sure if it pushes the XBOX power to it's limits, but it's very nicely done.

The charecters voices are acceptable, a little repetative, but not anoying. The ambient sounds are prefect throughout. The effects are well suited to the game, from slashes of your sword, to the sound of your crossbow as it fires. Well balanced.

Suggestions: I think this game was a few tweeks from greatness. It may be overlooked because of it and thats unfortunate. Take a hint from Tecmo maybe and release an update disk. If there is a Enclave 2 it would have to be perfect to warrant my investment seeing as this one was so close.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Splashdown

In the spirit of SSX Tricky, this game is alot of fun. 18 loations to choose from, from beautifull Maui to the Florida everglades, during a rain storm with choppy water no less. Overall this is a great racer, tight controls,great tracks with a few surprises, and Graphics and sound to match. Plenty of modes to keep you rollin', Career, Arcade, VS, & Training Mode with mini modes like Time Trials, Countdown, Copycat, and Free Ride. 8 Charecters to choose from, 3 Difficulty settings and you can also unlock racers and wet suits throughout. This game will probably be overlooked by many, but you owe it to yourself to check it out.

I think most of the appeal is in how this game engin runs, silky smooth and tight, i think most players will use the "B" control configuration which make the right trigger your throttle. Although i have the feeling that the control will be what turns some players off. The subtleties in your racers position on the craft, leanng, and manuvering the bouys to increase your craft performance are key, but take time to master. The performance meeter is a nice touch, basically, the better you slolom through your runs and pull off tricks the better you craft will perform. Start missing those bouyes and your gonna stall. There are 3 Tiers of trick (Total of 27) plus 9 signature tricks, from stretched out "Lazyboys" to "Submarine" manuvers which come in helpfull finding "Hidden" short cuts. There is deffinetly enough to keep you busy here and the developers added a few touches that many will enjoy (Shipwrecks that are actually ramps)and a few "Cute" surprises. I only have 1 complaint, If your gonna have multi-player why make it only for 2 players.

Best looking water to date, that being said, the rest of the game is right up there. Fluid motion by your crafts and beautifull locations. No clipping or drop in frame rate were noticible and thats inpressive considering when your in the everglades you have a downpoor, waves with choppy water, and the racers going full throttle through all of this without a hickup. a little arcady but not to the point of SSX. Great engine, great job.

Above average, you can load your own music. The available music is great, Smashmouth and such, the effects are not mindblowing but adiquit for the game. The sound really let's the game be the center of attention and adds just enough "ambience'" for lack of a better word.

Suggestions: Need more than 2 players. System link would have been nice.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Test Drive

WOW! How can you take such a great premiss and kill it. I meen 30 minutes into this game my mind is on what i should have for breakfast tommorow. There is no "Excitement" in this game it's just blah. The simplest way to make you understand what i'm talking about, you would think a Cuda or '64 Camaro would sound a little beefier than a Supra, not in this game, no, no, no, they all just rev and squeel the tires. The game lacks any emotion. PGR this ain't, and Tokyo Extreme it will never be. To Bad.

Again the premis of the game and the choice of vintage muscle cars is more than appealing, but it's a Sunday drive, not a heart pounding, asphalt burning race. It "IS" your fathers Oldsmobile.

Visually the game fairs much better. The vehicles are very nicely done. The city scapes are also pleasing. But compared to PGR and Rally Sport...this one gets left in the dust. If the game played better the graphics could have saved it completlly, unfortunatlly graphics alone do not a game make.

The soundtrack is awsome. Some great artists lend there talents to some great songs. The in game sounds...again, attention to detail has cost this game. I want to hear that throughty muffler from "Elenore" from the movei Gone in 60 Seconds, not resampled engine sounds from Pole Position. Common, can't we do better than taht?

Suggestions: Be true to the genre. Racing games should get your blood racing, heart pounding, and them palms nice and sweaty. This game barelly has a pulse. Great idea, bad excecution.

Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Outlaw Golf

Well take one of the most upper crest sports around and fill it with the "everyman" angle, what do you get? Outlaw Glof! This game is a fun, challenging, roll through the links not to be matched. A multitude of options and unlockable goodies. Great graphics and dialogue put this over the top as a must have party game.

The immediate appeal of the game is the adult nature of the charecters and content as far as the "Off" humor involved. Stripers and bikers abound in this cast of charecters. Whithin the 3 courses available you also have 8 exhibition modes, Tour Mode and of course the Outlaw Range where you can sharpen your skills and increase your charecter stats. But the most interesting feature is &; and "Beat your Caddy" which work together. As you play your composure goes up or down, play a good game and your composure goes up, but start slicing, and hitting those sand traps and your composure goes down the toilet. The games difficulty varies depending on your composure. But fear not there is a way besides golfing to improve your composure, as you par you earn "Beat Tokens" whick earn you the right to beat the snot out of your caddy, the better the beating the more your composure recovers. As much fun as all of this is, the real surprise is the golfing. Hypnotix scores big with this engine, super tight controls deliver the most realistic golfing experience on a console to date. Precise golf swings, and the option of bringing up a grid overlay once your on the green with some ungodly breaks. The fun is next to none, but the actual golf game under the humor is fantastic. Multi-player modes makes this games lasting appeal almost endless.

Visually this game just continues to shine. Charecter renderings are very well done, charecter motion is also flawless. Attention to detail on the courses is amazing. Tree's swaying in the wind, planes flying by, you will even notice a few birds occasionally visiting. It's so realistic you almost don't notice it. The "effects" are also nicelly done, water, sand, etc...Even the splash and dust as the ball makes impact are perfect. No frame rate problems or hickups noticed during my playing time. A+

Sometimes the "sounds" of a game are overlooked. This is not the case in Outlaw Golf. Dialogue is funny and well thought out. The commentary is equally funny with perfect information being offered up. 5.1 is utilized to the max, it's very cool to hear the train rolling by behind you as you tee up your shot, not to mention the cheers and jears from the gallery. Another A+.

Suggestions: As close to perfect as you can get. Job well done.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Elder Scrolls III : Morrowind

This game is a TRUE RPG in every sense of the word. Vast worlds, what seem to be endless twists and turns through your entire journey. You will get lost in this game.Minutes turn to hours as you develope and grow, become enemy or allie, fight or die. Morrowind is devided into 18 regions, and you can very easily spend 10 hours exploring each one. In addition to your main quest, you may embark on faction quests, and a slew of other adventures to keep you going through this wonderfull gaming experience. True RPG fans should not be dissapointed. Despite some minor flaws, Elder Scrolls III:Morrowind delivers the goods.

As in most RPG's the exploration and development of your charecter is what drives the game. Morrowind accomplishes both almost to perfection. Build your charecter from the ground up or with some help from the game. Be a noble honest man or a lying, murdering thief. Learn to conjour, cast spells, summon the dead. Smother people with kindness to get what your looking for, or lie, cheat, steal, even kill to complete your objective...the choice is yours.
Combat is a little awkward at times, regadless of which methos you use, first person or third. You can tweak your controls to your likeing along with the usuall options.
Potions, magic and such has a little bit of a learning curve to overcome, but when you master it, the controls toggle through all of your desired option very easily and quickly.
Exploration of this endless world uncovers many hidden treasures, you just have to look anywhere and everywhere. Stray off the beaten path and be pleasantly pleased. The good points outway the few dissapointments in this game. If you are the type to explore and take on any challenge, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind will keep you very busy.

Visually comapred to what we know can be delivered, Morrowind faulters a bit. The real time effects are wonderful, the villages and "MOOD" of this game is perfect, all the ingredients are here for a visual masterpiece...But some all to familiar problems plague this game. Frame rate faulters when there is a little too much going on, secondary charecters are a little lack luster in appearence and motion, I'm no technocal genius, but it once again seems like the console powerhouse is left not tapping into it's full potential. You can't help but play this game and wonder if they pushed it to the perverbial limit. Adequate for the game, but dissapointing to the system.

The sounds of Morrowind are quite appealing. From the distant thunder, and rain drops hitting the cobblestone, to the fantastic music score in the background. Digital fans will enjoy the use of 5.1 in this game. The dialougue at times is a bit repetative and bland, but it takes very little away from the game. Charecters could have used a bit more personallity.

Suggestions: If the graphical envelpoe wasn't pushed...you need to.

Charecter dialouge needs some "Personide of that i wouldn't cahnge a thing.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Hunter: The Reckoning

Halelulia !! The next "GREAT" XBOX title has arrived! This game is fantastic, hard to put down, and addicting as all get out. I can only come up with 2 critisisms, 1-For as great as the in game graphics are the cut scenes should have been better.2-Auto centering for the camera view. Both of these minor flaws are forgiven about 10 minutes into this game. Hack and slash has never looked better or been more fun!! From now on it will be Halo & Hunter side by side, 2 fantastic reasons to own an XBOX. GO BUY THIS GAME!!!!

Aside from the camera problem this game is very close top perfection. Play as 4 completlly different charecters. Different in weapons, strengths, style...Your blood will race as the soundtrack kicks into overdrive and your sourounded by a sea of undead, master your moves my freind your in for the long haul!! Weapons abound, and believe it or not you do have to accomplish more than just decapitate a few zombies. Each section is mition based, there are secrets to be found, and all of this is delivered in a beatifully presented experience in both sound & vision.

The cut scenes as the game starts kinda makes you say "Hay what gives, this looks like any other game" but let the game start and your in for a visual treat. Detailed environments, awsome charecter rendering, zombies and ghosts never looked so good. The scenery is awe inspiring, the cobble stone walkways, the tombs, the weapons, and the list goes on and on. No disapointments here.

The sound track, unlike Silent Hill 2 were it just creeps you out, is exciting and haert pounding, imagine the movie Blade if you will. Ambient sounds don't dissapoint either, russling leaves, brush, screems, howling, the clang of your battle axe as it accidentally hits a burning car...it's just ALL there!!

Suggestions: Take a hint from DOA3 and have an add on disk with new charecters & weapons.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams

If your into the horror genre,this game is very entertaining. Creepy visual effects and sound help draw you into this scin-crawler. Although i know this game is not for everyone, if you enjoy a good scare you will enjoy this game, VERY ENTERTAINING!

Gameplay is pretty basic, you can manuvre in a 2D or 3D mode, straight forward item exchange. The true appeal of this game is that it will scare you. I think Konami went to great lenghts to achieve this. The fog plays tricks on you just like in real life, you may start buy plowing forward, but you will catch yourself slowing down a bit and peaking around corners, very cool! The puzzels are solvable, you can edit the difficulty of the game and puzzles, which is a nice touch to avoid getting frustrated. High rating for creepiness factor alone!

This is were the game shines, it may seem like nothing, but the fog effects make the game what it is...CREEPY! Cut scenes are very nice, no jaggies, pop-up etc... to be found. Charecters are well rendered, and the environment big enough to keep you going. Shadow effects are spectacular!

DON'T TURN OFF THE LIGHTS! My best advice. Ambient sound is fantastic, obscure enough not to notice right away, but when you hear the "White Noise" your heart will pick up the beat a little. Screems,creeking floor,static on a TV,walking through leaves, mud, it's a masterfull job Konami has done.

Suggestions: The control system could be tweaked a bit. A little margin for error would benefit finding and picking up objects.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Spiderman

Overall: I think Spidey is in rare form,and is back and better than ever. Compared to it's previouse versions it does exactlly what you expect from a franchise...get's better. From graphics to overall gameplay and a story line "Spiderman: The Movie" doesn't disapoint. As far as lasting appeal, it depends on you...If you are like me and want to unlock everything and find every hidden object, this will take you some time. This is deffinetlly a FUN game to play.

Gameplay: Gameplay is crisp and challenging. The contorls in "Enhanced" mode take a little getting used to but once you get the hang of it, it's great. The levels are chanllenging enough after you get out of "Easy" mode, and the addition of hidden objects, rooms, etc.. is a nice challenge to get the score up and un-lock those bonus features. You'll find yourself reapeating levels to find what you missed.

Graphics: Visually this game is close to perfection. Vast levels, dead on movements by our favorite web slinger. The cut scenes are fantastic, and have that Stan Lee humor and sarcasim we all love. Toby McGuire and the other actors are earie in there video likeness. Web effects, water, skyscrapers, you name it, it's all good.

Audio: There really isn't alot to cheer about as far as the sound goes, but thats not bad. You have some nice 5.1 effects throughout the game, the ambient sounds are nice, and the effect sounds are very cool. Above average overall.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 2002 Fifa World Cup

If your a "TRUE" fan of the other Football, Soccer, You will enjoy this game. This games short commings are overshadowed by the gameplay and action.

Gameplay is crisp and accurate, like past FIFA games. The ball handling, and finesse moves are dead on. Multi-player is big plus. The national liscensing is also huge. The pagentry and the excitement of the World Cup come through beautifully. Super accurate announcing, and awsome replays.

There are some great "Scenes" in this game, the celebrations after a goal by players, the way a player crashes to the ground after a hard tackle, the tackle itself are all wonderfull. Attention to detail is fantastic, and the stadiums are beautifull and vibrant. Now the down side,the "Clear" spaces in the overlaps and mouths and jerseys of the players is a little bit of a disapointment. Player renderings are familiar, but small details like hair and some faces leave alot to be desired. Once again it seems the XBOX potential was left behind.

Where visuals are disapointing in this game, the sounds of the World Cup are dead on. The cheers, and whistles at bad calls are amazingly accurate. The music score is very ot; like, and the player "Chatter" is very nice.

Suggestions: Graphics need some seriuos help. A "Create a player" mode would have been nice, and bring back the indoor mode. Multi-Player stretches the long term playability of this game, but having only 2 game modes is a little thin.

Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3

Very deep and loads of options. The game is smooth and visually pleasing. Multi-player has a nice mix of games. The challenges will test your abilities.

There is a learning curve here, but with a little time you'll be skating like a pro. Career mode is fantastic, very deep, lots of challenges. From the easy to complete to the ones that will drive you up a wall. If you get tired of a time limit, create your own park and go to town sharpening those skills. The park editor is very detailed and a fun option, the same can be said for the Create a skater. There is lots to do here, it will be some time before you get bored.

The graphics are everyting you would expect from a game running on the xbox. Smooth, crisp, it's nice when the graphics are so good you really don't get caught up in them. They are there, but they become secondary, as it should be with any great game.

There is a great mix of music and ambient sound in this game. The music is just intense enought to go withthe pace of the game without becoming anoying. The grunts and moans as you bail are a nice touch as are the comments from other AI hanging around.

Suggestions: ON-LINE play. Besides that the game is a great continuation of a great franchise.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 NBA 2K2

Without a doubt the most realistic basketball game out there. A never ending of options and gameplay. Franchise mode is next to none. Supper intuitive AI, and the zone deffense is a great perk. Sega continues the 2K series with a quality follow up to this franchise. Diehards will not be dissapointed. This is as close to playing in the NBA i'll ever get.

Gameplay takes a little getting used to, but it's dead on when you figure it out. You can start out in a rookie mode to get used to the configuration of the control and how to adjust when you go on deffense. Great replays, and the cross over move will lose you sometimes! Creat-a-Player is it's usuall mix of pre-set types to a complete custom player. Street mode is also a good place to practice your hops, and the commentary is dead on. It's going to be hard to get bored with this one!

This is where NBA 2K2 loses a little ground, visually this game is a slightly tweaked and cleaned version of the PS2 port, once again developers ignored the power available on the xbox. Don't get me wrong, the graphics are O.K, but fall way short of expectation on this system.

The commentary is great in this game, dead on on replays and player performances as the game progresses. The crowd noise is just what you would expect in an actual game.

Suggestions: If you utilize the graphic power of the xbox in 2K3, you can leave the rest of the game as is!!

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 SSX Tricky

SSX Tricky is almost a carbon copy of the PS2 version with a couple of perks.Bump mapping, and super SMOOTH gameplay on the xbox. A nice variety of play modes, and enough of a challenge to keep you comming back for more. If you like snowboarding with an arcade twist, you will love SSX Tricky.

The trick system has a comfortable learning curve, the trick book is a nice place to sharpen your skills. The force feedback in this game is fenominal, wait till you go over ice covered terain!! After a little while the contol becomes second nature and you spend most of your time planning out your next string of tricks. The challenges are just that...chalenging, but obtainable. Once you get a nice string together, pulling off Uber tricks is achieved by the push of a button, make sure you got enough air!! Gameplay runs as smooth as the slopes in this game.

Although this game is brite and energetic,it does suffer from one technical dificulty. You have a bit of drop in frame rate when more than one charecter is on the screen(Minimal but there), but to counter that you have some great Bump Mapped snow, great shadow effects, and some nice firework effects, this game is pretty solid visually.

The audio is above average inthis game, from the music, spiced up by Run DMC's Tricky, to the sound of the ice and snow under your board. One of the coolest effects is if your playing with your system hooked up to DD Suround. Hearing wise cracks from your competitors BEHIND you, or flying through some trees and hearing the brush go by, deffinetly draws you into this game.

Suggestions: I would hope any sequel will be enhanced a little more to take advantage of the XBOX. Runs smooth, but could have been much more.

Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Jet Set Radio Future

Overall: The vastness of the area and varying tasks makes this game hard to put down. Just as you finish one objective another one is offered up. Take a wrong turn and your locked into a tagging battle with law inforcement. Visually this game is incredible, who thought a cell shaded game could have so much depth and detail. Controls are easy enough to master. The degree of difficulty rises just enough not to frustrate you, and yet you will have a few unreachable targets, or so it seems. Multi-player has a great combination of games, Hog the Ball with 4 people is a must play. The bottom line...this game is just plain FUN. There is enough to keep you going and comming back for more.

Gameplay: Controls are very easy to learn, the timing takes a little getting used to but easilly obtainable. The single button tagging system i think is a plus compared to the DC version, and the challenges are wonderfully diverse.

Graphics: Visually this game is amazing considering it's cell shadded. There is just enough shadowing and detail to make the charecters more than pleasing. The ambient effects are second to none, flocks of birds scattering, pedestrians heading in all direction. You definettly get drawn into the game play because of these effects.

Audio: The sounds and the Music are fresh and new. No need to add your own soundtrack here. From the actual music to pedestrian comments, it's well balanced.

Suggestions: I only have a couple of gripes, all of which i can live with.
1. A better way to switch modes. Where is the "Quit" command??

2. A better save system. The save points are cool and all, but we do have a HD, where is the auto save?

3. On-Line play. This game would have been an amazing multi team type of game.

Overall Score: 10.0 / 10

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