IGN

• PC
• 9.4 / 10
• États-Unis

It's really hard to shove all that's available in The Sims 2 into a neat packaged review. It is, however, easy to start rambling about all of the cool ass things that happen during the course of play. I've laughed so hard and been so disturbed that I simply have to recommend this game to anybody who was a fan of the The Sims. Even if you weren't, as I wasn't as much as some people, might find more to enjoy with this second installment. The new features like aging, aspirations, character design, community property, and all of the great story building tools help to make The Sims 2 a more complete game in every way possible. All of the superb personality and feeling that the game delivers with its graphics and animations only pushes my feelings higher. I've played The Sims 2 for a good 50 hours now and am sure that I haven't seen everything there is to see. When you see imaginary bunnies and doctors fall from the sky to help with mental health, you'll know you arrived. If you're looking for a game that really and truly lets you create your own story and build your own history and world, this is the one for you. The series is unique and lovely, and while the premise may be four years old, the feeling you get when playing The Sims 2 isn't.

• PS2
• XBOX
• PC
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

HotWheels: Stunt Track Challenge marks a definite improvement over the last entry in the series. It boasts a good sense of speed and decent visuals, while offering an entertaining, although simple and uninspired, number of tracks and stunt challenges. The actual stunts in the game could use work. Spinning up and down, and left to right, is simply not enough for a game based on the HotWheels franchise. Multiplayer offers a bit of fun, especially for younger gamers. And for only 20 bucks, HotWheels isn’t too shabby.

• PS2
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

• XBOX
• 10 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

• XBOX
• 7.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Now, I'm no professional fisherman. I used to fish about four times a year in high school and college, so I do know a bit about fishing, still PFC is almost daunting in its information and stress on realism. I dig it, but outside of gameplay, there's nothing that hasn't been done before and better. I realize that fishing games are often made on a small budget, but the presentation in games like this have not taken much of any step forward in the past decade. Pro Fishing Challenge does not step up to the plate here and offer something more in terms of game modes or anything particularly unique outside of the gameplay. That's what keeps the score from soaring higher, but overall it's about as good a fishing game as I've played, just from a gameplay standpoint. I hate the casting, but I really enjoy the above water fishing. If you want an arcade fishing game, this is not it. If you want to try something that is a bit more technical and demanding, give PFC a shot.

• PS2
• XBOX
• 9.2 / 10
• États-Unis

NHL 2K5 has some excellent gameplay elements and enough new twists to easily make it worth $20. If you don't have that kind of cash to give hockey a try, get a job you lazy bastard. Seriously, just work at McD's for a few hours and you'll be able to purchase this fine video game. This is a better game, pretty much from top to bottom, than last year's version. However, I am giving it a slightly lower score. The lack of any true dedication to better presentation is distressing and a lot of the improvements seem too minor. Can Sega please make a sensible user interface? Ah, but enough of my complaints. If you want a quality hockey title that's fun online and offline, has some nifty bonus modes, and the best hockey gameplay you can buy for 20 bones, do yourself a favor and pick up NHL 2K5. It's fast, it's fun, and it's challenging -- gotta love it!

• PC
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

For forty bucks, Alpha Black Zero isn't terrible. It just isn't very entertaining. For that price (or cheaper) you can pick up any of a number of shooters that are both better looking and more fun. Alpha Black Zero has a lot of potential but the execution falls short of being good. What we're left with is a game that's frustrating because it seems like it could have been much better with a bit more polish and more comprehensible missions.

• PS2
• XBOX
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

What's really here is a driving game that provides a decent, if sluggish, bit of driving with many, many options for smashing cars all over the place. Sure, maybe if you want to get all redneck with it this could be for you, but most everyone else should steer clear. While Eve of Destruction provides a good amount of wanton destruction and a good excuse for pounding a friend's car, the rest is more of a Yawn of Destruction. Everything is getting wrecked, but who cares? NOTE: We posted a previous review that was based on a preview copy that we were informed was a full review copy. After re-evaluating the game, the score has been adjusted accordingly. Thank you for your concern and please remember to wear your seatbelt.

• PC
• 8.9 / 10
• États-Unis

I've always thought that presentation was a very important piece in creating a complete gaming experience. I didn't ever think that I'd let gameplay take such a backseat role to presentation when forming an opinion about a game though. The only other game I can really think of that drew me in that far was Homeworld, a game in a completely different genre with its own set of considerations. The fact that this environment is so very purposefully and realistically designed sets DOOM 3 a step above even that classic RTS. The gaming business is all about entertainment, no matter how you get it done. DOOM 3 is an entertaining experience as long as you don't go in with any ideas that this is going to revolutionize first-person shooters. It's a pretty basic game when it comes down to it. Everything works brilliantly, but at its core, DOOM 3 has you running from room to room shooting things without much else in between. I was expecting that kind of gameplay, but I was also would have liked to see AI that was a little more deviously evil than mindlessly evil on at least some of the enemies. That said, it would be impossible for me not to recommend this game to those that don't have a problem battling the minions of hell in a bloody and extremely violent showdown. It's DOOM. And it was worth the wait.

• PS2
• 3.3 / 10
• États-Unis

Fugitive Hunter is not the worst first-person shooter out there by a long shot, but it dives pretty low. With low-budget quality in every different aspect of the game, it's only the appeal of going after Osama bin Laden that drives this title. With bin Laden out of the news ever since the Iraqi war started, even this distinction has faded a bit. I could only recommend it if someone were to have a deep down urge to kill a lot of people wearing turbans.

• NGAGE
• 7.1 / 10
• États-Unis

Spider-Man 2 is an unfortunate underachiever. The game has lofty intentions by mixing up gameplay styles, but what gamers end up with a side-scrolling game of Game Boy Advance caliber (which is not an insult) interrupted by jaggy, un-fun PSone 3-D swingfests. At this point, designers shouldn't be spotlighting the N-Gage's dated tech, as Spider-Man 2's 3-D sequences make a solid argument that Nokia should have upgraded the gaming gear inside the QD. If you own a N-Gage or a QD, Spider-Man 2 is a decent purchase -- just lower any expectations you have coming off the superior console version.

• PC
• 8.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Uru: Path of the Shell left me wanting more. It delivered an unconventional story through inspired visuals. The musical score, while limited, deserves recognition as one of the best to ever grace a video game. Sure, some of the puzzles were a bit too unconventional, but most could be solved logically and they all fit the look and feel of the game world. Bottom line, if you're an adventure game fan, chances are you own Uru: Ages Beyond Myst already. If you're unsure about the latest expansion, rest assured, you'll get more than your 20 bucks worth. Like any other adventure game, Uru and Path of the Shell require two things missing from many trigger-happy gamers nowadays: patience and an-open mind. And not because the game sucks, obviously, but because Uru feels like it's the closest thing to digital meditation we're going to get for awhile.

• NGC
• PS2
• 5.2 / 10
• États-Unis

I'm a huge fan of Samurai Jack. It's one of my favorite cartoon's (behind Aqua Teen Hunger Force). The notion of a Samurai Jack game immensely excited me. Then, I played it. The fact that the game in no way captures the essence of Samurai Jack, even though Cartoon Network provided so many resources for its creation) is incredibly distressing. And sad. I could forgive a lack of story, or even a resemblance to the show's fantastic sense of style. But, the fact that the game is extremely easy, boring, and annoying is beyond forgiveness. Shadow of Aku is generic in the extreme. While it's hard to recommend it to people that actually play games, I would usually say that most licensed games are worth a look if you're a fan of the series. Shadow of Aku is perhaps even worse to be played as a fan because its faults are even more glaring. If you're curious to see what it's all about, give it a rental, but the six hours of mediocre gameplay and few unlockables (background art, sketches, and character models) don't justify a purchase -- even if you are a die hard fanatic.

• PS2
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 7.6 / 20
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4.5 / 10
• États-Unis

I guess Activision and Fizz didn't listen to Spidey's mantra. With great power comes great responsibility. Unfortunately, there will be little culpability to go along with that. Even Tobey Maguire sounds bored and horrified during most of his cutscenes, even though his part was almost positively done before he ever saw the game. Maybe his Spidey-senses were tingling. I could probably say more bad about the game and go into detail about the bad and some of the "high points" but what's the point. Spider-Man 2 for the PC is a piece of crap. If you want a real Spider-Man 2 game, go pick up one of the console versions. If you don't own a console then consider yourself out of luck. You won't find any amount of web slinging fun that could come close to matching the fun and frolic of the movie. After three hours (if you can make it that far) of crappy controls, mediocre visuals, and boring and generally unimaginative gameplay, you'll actually be glad to have finished the game so you can return it or burn it and move on with your life.

• PC
• 4.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Although we've had a couple fantastic movie license games recently, we still have a long way to go before the subgenre can compete with the rest. If Bad Boys II does have anything good for it, there is some visceral fun in plugging away at bad guys for a while that the game gets right some of the time, when the enemy isn't busy ducking behind objects that leave his head exposed or magically appearing from an empty corner of a room. In the end, the game is destined to fade from the popular consciousness at least as quickly as the movie, which is probably a good thing for Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, who deserve better than either product.