IGN

• X360
• 2.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Vampire Rain was a concept that looked great on paper. A stealth game with vampires? Excellent! Unfortunately, the end result is an abomination of a videogame that doesn't even deserve a rental. Stay far away from this one--though if you get close, the enemies probably won't even see you.

• X360
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

That Carcassonne is a great game was never in question -- it's one of the most successful board games in recent years. The question was whether or not an Xbox Live Arcade version would retain what made the real-world game fun, and the answer is "indeed." There are no pieces to set up and lose, you can play against people all over the world, and at $10 it costs less than half of the retail version. A case could be made that this is a much better value than the physical game. In fact, you should probably just burn all your board games, because before long there's bound to be a great version of each one on XBLA.

• WII
• 1.5 / 10
• États-Unis

China Warrior's insultingly simple take on the side-scrolling brawler formula just serves to elevate the appeal of other TurboGrafx fighters like Vigilante. Its enormous sprite graphics were mildly impressive two decades ago, and its music actually isn't all that bad. But the gameplay is just far too restrictive, unoriginal and boring. Don't go anywhere near this stinker, as absolutely any other game currently available is more worth your money. Yes, even The Legend of Kage.

• PS2
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS3
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PSP
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• X360
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PSP
• 6.9 / 10
• États-Unis

If this is somehow your first time ever playing the original Final Fantasy, then you may find its basic premise and gameplay a nice distraction between bus trips. But make no mistake -- the game can't compete with more modern PSP RPGs like Valkyrie Profile or Dungeon Siege, and its decision to use only half of Dawn of Souls' content three years later with a price tag that isn't low, leaves Final Fantasy vets like myself feeling disappointed with the déjà vu.

• DS
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

It's definitely fun to romp around a city as a robot, to zoom around as a car, and to fly around as a plane...with the ability to switch it up on the fly. The addition of extensive voice over gives both games' a good amount of emotion. At the very least, the DS version gets these right. But when it comes to fighting as the robot or the vehicle, Transformers DS falls flat. The action and its technique really needs a bit of a tune-up, especially in the "defense" department, and the glitches that pop up from time to time are really hard to ignore. It's ultimately a better experience on the DS than Traveller's Tales games are on the console, but that doesn't entirely excuse the problems.

• DS
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

It's definitely fun to romp around a city as a robot, to zoom around as a car, and to fly around as a plane...with the ability to switch it up on the fly. The addition of extensive voice over gives both games' a good amount of emotion. At the very least, the DS version gets these right. But when it comes to fighting as the robot or the vehicle, Transformers DS falls flat. The action and its technique really needs a bit of a tune-up, especially in the "defense" department, and the glitches that pop up from time to time are really hard to ignore. It's ultimately a better experience on the DS than Traveller's Tales games are on the console, but that doesn't entirely excuse the problems.

• WII
• 6.9 / 10
• États-Unis

• PSP
• 5.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas on the PSP has a number of gameplay issues, like the clunky cover system, the sections where you're forced to clear room after room with only a sniper rifle and more. Its online works reasonably well, but it simply isn't fun. Your money is much better spent elsewhere.

• PC
• 7.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Born of Blood doesn't really do much to shake up the core game. Born of Blood is still nearly as combat-focused as Sword of the Stars, and that can be a great thing depending on what you're looking for. Still, the diplomacy and economy additions are definite sidelines to the combat. And the combat here is much more intense than before. The AI puts the new weapons to good use and the new random event (read: catastrophe) system adds to the pressure. For both of those reasons, Born of Blood really isn't going to attract new players to the game but it certainly serves to extend the experience for those who enjoyed the original. Unless you're a die-hard Sword of the Stars fan, you can take a pass on this one.

• X360
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage is one of this or any other console generation's better ports, though it is not without its issues. Not being able to conduct races on local machines is a glaring omission, and load times can certainly cut down on Party Mode's fun factor. Still, Ultimate Carnage is a solid game, and its Stunt Mode alone can be played for endless hours without a trace of boredom seeping in. Those who own the original might want to consider dropping US$50 on a title already in their collection, but those looking for a significant upgrade or an introduction to FlatOut's carnage need not look further.

• WII
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

Stadium-style Pokemon games have been around since 2000 on N64. We’ve watched the franchise become a worldwide phenomenon and seen its evolvution over four portable systems and three consoles. For whatever reason, however, Pokemon Battle Revolution takes a step back, actually removing content from older attempts, making the true "Stadium" experience a one-trick pony. Gone are the multiplayer mini-games, the ability to play the portable game on the big screen, the endless extra features, and overall "hub" feel of the console Pokemon experience. Pokemon Battle Revolution is neither a full-fledged RPG on Wii nor a fully-realized stadium effort, as the core of the game has been cut down to online or offline battles. The single player mode is a joke, there’s a huge lack of true customization or depth, and the multiplayer mode – while certainly appealing to core gamers – offers very little beyond what DS had. You'll pay $50 for a stripped down seven-year-old design that offers worldwide random battles in place of a full-fledged RPG, voice chat, or any actual depth found in the handheld versions. For less money you can get well over 60 hours of gameplay on DS, and far more multiplayer (both local and online) anywhere you go. Pokemon Battle Revolution is a $50 loyalty tax for Wii Pokemon fans, and was far better seven years ago on Nintendo 64.

• WII
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

The label "kid's game" is usually a license for a publisher to make a poor product and shove it out the door. However, Ratatouille is for the most part a well-made, but basic platformer that is usually fun despite its lack or originality. I don't think younger players will mind that the majority of the gameplay types included in the project have been done before or that Ratatouille doesn't floor anybody with its innovative usage of the Wii remote. They will undoubtedly enjoy this game because it capitalizes on the license, it's easily picked up and mastered and because it offers a single-player mode that flows along, not to mention a selection of multiplayer mini-games to back it up. Still, these are issues and we can't ignore them completely simply because a portion of the audience will.

• PS3
• 8.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Though a took a while for it to get to the PlayStation 3, Rainbow Six: Vegas is a great shooter and should be picked up by anyone who's even remotely into tactical shooters. The series' strength has always been its online play, but Vegas manages to bring an engaging single-player experience to the table as well. With a total of 20 multiplayer maps, the ability to play through the whole game cooperatively online, terrorist hunt and the single-player missions, there's a whole lot to this package and it shouldn't be passed up.