IGN

• XBOX
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

The Thing takes some time to get into, and it may be a little frustrating for some gamers. But I'm quite sure that once its given a chance, The Thing won't disappoint. The deeper you play, the more satisfying and challenging it becomes, and the more it draws you in. The Thing is well-paced, designed with an excellent variety of levels, and it pulls off one the most innovative and best squad-based play on a console to date. I can't wait to see what they do with the sequel (just a guess, of course...). And, The Thing is not designed for an innocent little kid. It's an M-rated game and to prove it, it's filled with grotesque scenes of violence, exploding bodies, and gallons of blood. Also, there's foul language, too, something that's more common these days in videogames. All of things are consistent with the movie, the theme of which has been handled with exquisite care and thought. With the exception of the blood test goofs and the rather thin storyline, The Thing warrants your time and money. It's a good action-adventure game, and yes, it's even a very good survival-horror game, something we'll all in need of.

• PC
• 9.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Mafia is a great game with some minor problems that are easily forgotten once you get into the meat of the game. While I still wish that I could skip through some of the driving, it isn't anywhere near a big enough failing for me not to heartily recommend this game to anyone that likes action and especially those that love the depression gangster era. Mafia is dripping with style and class and has certainly shoved itself into the ranks of the best games of this year, which as you know has already had some incredible titles.

• XBOX
• 8.1 / 10
• États-Unis

The most satisfying arcade sports title to come out of the Midway offices as of yet, MLB SlugFest 20-03 does few things incorrectly. Brilliantly illustrated and animated, flawlessly announced, and a synch to get into, there is little holding the baseballer back.

• XBOX
• 9.1 / 10
• États-Unis

If you love the extreme sports genre, this game is an absolute must. It's a ton of fun and will suck away so many hours all your friends will think you've died. Unless you don't have friends and then no one will notice except your dog who really needs to go walkies. Though the gameplay in is a little bit better than Hawk the little things AI is missing keep it from getting a higher mark. There's no skate shop to buy better skates, no way to customize the characters at all and not create-a-skater. And, even though the levels are quite large, it would have been nice for their to be more than seven levels available in career mode. Still, this game will require a hefty chunk of double-digit hours to dominate. I've logged in over twenty so far and have no desire to stop playing. Stop wasting time and order now.

• XBOX
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

The Thing takes some time to get into, and it may be a little frustrating for some gamers. But I'm quite sure that once its given a chance, The Thing won't disappoint. The deeper you play, the more satisfying and challenging it becomes, and the more it draws you in. The Thing is well-paced, designed with an excellent variety of levels, and it pulls off the most innovative and best squad-based play on PlayStation 2. I can't wait to see what they do with the sequel (just a guess, of course...). And, The Thing is not designed for an innocent little kid. It's an M-rated game and to prove it, it's filled with grotesque scenes of violence, exploding bodies, and gallons of blood. Also, there's foul language, too, something that's more common these days in videogames. All of things are consistent with the movie, the theme of which has been handled with exquisite care and thought. With the exception of the blood test goofs and the rather thin storyline, The Thing warrants your time and money. It's a good action-adventure game, and yes, it's even a very good survival-horror game, something we'll all in need of.

• GBA
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

With all that ZooCube is on the GBA, is it fun? I certainly think so. It's not the prettiest game on the system, but it's definitely the most unique, and a lot of thought was put into its design. ZooCube isn't as much a puzzle game as it is a game of quickness and endurance. It's like Tetris in the sense that you put yourself into a "zone," and just do the task at hand as it gets faster and more intense¿there are no Puyo-Pop style combos to worry about. When playing ZooCube, I'm reminded of playing Tempest 2000 on the Atari Jaguar¿just let your mind go, and your fingers will do the rest. But it's how long your mind can be in this "zone" that makes or breaks your gaming session. The overall design could have a few more gameplay modes beyond the three singleplayer and two multiplayer options, it could have incorporated the whole Zoo idea better in the GBA version, and it could have explained all the bonuses a lot more clearly. But what's here is good fun that you've never played before.

• XBOX
• 8.2 / 10
• États-Unis

• NGC
• 5.3 / 10
• États-Unis

Let me get this off my chest. I love good puzzle games. My dreams were haunted by Tetris the night I first played it, and with variations on it such as Pokemon Puzzle League for the N64, I had the same misfortune. If one thing is clear, it meant that I became unhealthily obsessed with these games. This simply did not happen with ZooCube. It advertises itself to be addictive, but its 3D design seems more of a novelty than anything else. ZooCube will only appeal to a small group of people. At the very best, it's a rental for most consumers. It's a fresh concept, but something that most will just get bored with very quickly. I really wanted it to be more than that, but the elements for a truly addictive puzzle game simply aren't there.

• XBOX
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Dead to Rights delivers. It's a great challenge and an absolute blast to play. Yes, there are some faults (and major ones) but that can't keep the game from being a great deal of fun. Had the fighting engine been better, this one would easily trounce Max Payne as king of the bullet-time games. But the fighting is too plain, too poor, and there's far too much of it. Namco may have been too subtle in presenting this as a movie-style game. You'll hear comments that you dismiss early on that actually have a subtle relevance later on. Things that in a Stallone movie would include a close up on Sly's face as he made the odd remark. Something that made it stand out. And then at the end of the movie, after the final battle, the audience would have that line pop back into their head and they'd smile. "Oh, how clever." But the cleverness is a bit too subdued here. Still, these qualms aside, DTR makes for a great pick up. Anyone looking for a hard game (there is no difficultly modifier) filled with action, this is the one to get. I'm on my third time through (no lie) and still trying to unlock all the disarms. Good stuff.

• NGC
• PS2
• XBOX
• 9.1 / 10
• États-Unis

In the final analysis, NFL 2K3 is a great football game that inches ever closer to football simulation nirvana. The inclusion of several key features, especially this year's multi-faceted Franchise Mode, makes huge strides over last year's offering. Invariably, there's going to be argument and consternation about the final score, which I'll tell you now is an 9.1. To be sure, there will be a rush to the IGN Boards to discuss and (in the case of some fans) lament this score. The main point of contention will be the fact that last year's version earned a 9.0 on PS2, and an 8.3 on Xbox. It did not make an appearance on the Cube in 2K2. In addition, you'll probably be asking yourself how this game stacks up to Madden this year. There is but one thing to say: different reviewers, different reviews. I haven't played this year's Madden, yet. As for the other scores, I personally would have placed 2K2 firmly in the 8.4 range, and last year's Madden slightly higher at 8.6. By those standards, 9.1 is not only a great achievement for SEGA and VC, but a pretty darn good score. End of discussion. Franchise Mode. Online play. National user stat tracking. Challenging and realistic AI. There is so much going on in NFL 2K3 that it will keep you busy until the next one (which I expect to make similar improvements) arrives next summer. If you take your football seriously, you owe yourself this game. It's now the deepest football game on the market, and is poised to remain good for many years.

• XBOX
• 6.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Gun Metal isn't strong in any particular area. However, the gameplay does grab the viewer, making it hard to put down. However, after I did put the game down, it was hard to pick it back up. While absorbed in the game, the flaws seemed to not even exist, but when I sat back and took a good look at the overall game, it was nothing to be ga-ga over. However, this game will satisfy you until the two big mech titles make their way to the Xbox later this year. If I were in your shoes, I'd rent before I bought. You might have second thoughts about the game as I did.

• PS2
• 7.4 / 10
• États-Unis

In all honesty, this game didn't cut it out for me. There was nothing exciting in Barbarian or nothing that grabbed my attention for an extend period of time. While the game does feature some decent visuals, the overall gameplay is lacking the jazz that comes standard with top-notch games, like Soul Calibur. The multiplayer game is not that fun since it is too slow and doesn't have the flair and flow that one expects from a fighting game. This game, however, can be a fun single-player game with an intricate story and RPG elements. While the PS2 guys gave this game a higher score than I did, I just can't live with giving this game close to an 8.0. I just doesn't deserve that high of a score.

• XBOX
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 8.8 / 10
• États-Unis

As you can tell, I like The Mark of Kri. And in my humble opinion, it's the best beat-'em-up on the system. To be honest, there are few competitors. State of Emergency was a fun romp in the timed mode, but the mission mode was weak. Dynasty Warriors 2 and 3 are excellent, highly recommended beat-'em-ups, but I like the style and innovation of this puppy a little better, even if the game is a little shorter than those KOEI titles. Its designers are trying to do something better and different in the genre, and for the most part, they succeed. For that, they deserve a lot of credit. (*Hands designers golden credit statues*) Like so many games, The Mark of Kri isn't perfect. The camera isn't always where you want it, the weapon selection system could use some work, the weapon selection itself is small -- and could be much heftier with just one or two more weapons. And the weapons themselves all play second fiddle to the mighty axe, once you earn it. Also, Sony's game is a clear candidate for at least multiplayer combat. A co-op mode, a four-player session, and more mini-games would have greatly added to this already excellent game. Perhaps it could have been a little longer, and it certainly, definitely, most assurredly could have used bosses. Still, I have played through this twice, and I have loved it for much of June and July. That's saying a lot given the loads of games that come panting at my door. It's a great selection for your PS2 library, and it's got enough replay value in it to play it at least twice, perhaps even three times.

• NGC
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

I cannot express how disappointed I was when I played my very first game of F1 2002 on GameCube. I was expecting a new game and instead found an old one. As a reviewer, I face an interesting dilemma. On one hand, I am absolutely furious that I was lured by the new box and name to buy an inferior version of last year's racer. On the other hand, I'm happy that GameCube owners get the superior F1 game -- as EA's F1 2002 on PS2 actually manages to be worse than F1 2001 in many respects. Outside of the updated teams, the only notable addition to F1 2002 for PS2 is the inclusion of Madden-style "EA Sports Cards". The PS2 version's challenge mode has been expanded, the car models look nicer, but the overall flow of the game isn't as nice and the graphics chop up much more than the previous version. To make things worse, EA added a "draft meter" complete with silly sound effect whenever you're slipstreaming behind a car... Folks, this isn't NASCAR. Give me a subtle speed boost, but don't elevate a minor factor in F1 racing to be the sole governing strategy. That said, it's very disappointing that absolutely none of the new features in F1 2002 or even in the Xbox version of 2001 were brought over to GameCube. What we're left with is a good racing game that's starting to look and feel dated. Let's quickly recap: F1 2002 for GameCube is F1 2001 with worse audio, less narration, updated teams and rosters, a slightly better framerate, no analog pedal control via the triggers, and a shiny, brand new box. I'd still recommend it over F1 2002 for PS2 (unless you like to hear "woosh woosh woosh" whenever you're tailgating), but if you want the best version, pick up last year's Xbox game instead. GameCube-only owners who haven't played F1 2001 and are looking for a competent racing game, definitely take a look.

• PC
• 9.3 / 10
• États-Unis

Overall, this is a hardcore sim fan's dream. You'll be playing this one as long as you want, as it really doesn't get old for those who always feel like they can find another tenth with just more practice or more setup tweaks. The racing is interesting and the whole game is very customizable. I ran a full 90 minute race at Suzuka the other night and couldn't remember having so much fun racing since GPL online days. For people new to sims, the game offers to hold your hand quite a bit, and every bit of help should be taken, as the cars are quite difficult to drive well with all the aids turned off. The game could lose some people due to frustration at the inability to master car handling and setup, or an inability to focus well over race distance. This game can either make or break you as a sim driver. There are always innovations I wish to see that I do not as the games often 'play it safe'. But insofar as EA has tried to take on the real thing with as many details possible with great graphics and a high fidelity physics model, they have succeeded. F1 2002 is absolutely a sim that should be in any virtual sim racer's library, and should see at least as much play time as Grand Prix Legends did. Still some room to improve, but still the best F1 sim yet. A must buy for anyone with an interest in a credible simulation of the cars and the sport.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

The Civilization series still has a plentiful supply of what one fan called the ¿one more turn¿ quality. Whatever your complaints about the latest incarnation of the game, it still can suck five hours of your day right out from under you. That said, I do have some nit picking to do. The game is a dog in performance. I tried it on a 700 MHz iBook with a 16MB Radeon card and a new iMac 800 MHz G4. Even with Quartz turned on, there¿s no reason the game should run so slowly. The game also has numerous bugs that cause the application to quit. While the developers thankfully implemented a feature that autosaves your game every turn, that is no replacement for real stability. At one point, I had to alter my path in the game significantly to avoid the program quitting. Lastly, the interface is improved over previous incarnations of the game to the point that it at least looks friendly. If Sid Meier and friend¿s are hoping to increase the appeal of the game, though, they should work towards making a more intuitive, consistent interface. Still, for anyone who enjoys strategy games or is looking to try one, I would recommend Civilization III as a worthy addition or starting point for a collection.