IGN

• NGAGE
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Rayman 3 is one of the most enjoyable games currently available for the N-Gage, not to mention one of the most polished 2D platforming experiences we've seen in quite a while. As long as you're not afraid of a little challenge, Rayman 3 should not be missed.

• GBA
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Road Rash: Jailbreak is an impressive production on the Game Boy Advance that's made a hater of the series (that would be me) into a believer that someone can make the idea work as a fun videogame. Even though the game needs more stuff across the board (tracks, opponents, gameplay options), it's impressive and definitely enjoyable enough to warrant a purchase...especially if you've had a blast with past games in the Road Rash series.

• PS2
• XBOX
• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

The long-standing Legacy of Kain series finally hits paydirt with one of the best stories in the series and without a doubt, one of the best combat systems in an action-adventure series. But does anyone care anymore? Did Blood Omen 2 and Soul Reaver 2 push everyone away for good? I don't know, but despite its problems and the still difficult-to-relate-to stylized universe, this is a must-have in the series. And I was ready to just give up on old Kain too. But like I said earlier, Crystal Dynamics gets right to the heart of all matters in this episode. When you're not gawking at the superb visuals or learning how Kain and Raziel will settle their scores, you'll be deeply involved in combat or solving some ridiculously elaborate physical puzzle in the spectral world. In many ways, this is the same basic game that Crystal D showed us in Soul Reaver, just highly evolved. And believe it or not, an enormous amount of stuff happens. The story is outrageously good. You won't believe what happens. So, is it the last game in the series? It very well could be. But I'm not telling. Go play it yourself. It's finally worth it. One last note: Looking back on the scoring of Soul Reaver 2 (which at 9.0, was way too high), all I can say is that hindsight proves to be 20-20. That game told a great story, but just didn't deserve that score. With LOK: Defiance I scored it just as I would if no other scores had been given to the series.

• NGAGE
• 7.3 / 10
• États-Unis

Red Faction delivers one of the most satisfying single and multiplayer gaming experiences on the N-Gage to date in addition to being one of the most impressive first-person-shooters made portable. The only thing holding it back from being a must-buy is its touchy controls, and slightly steep learning curve. Those looking for some intense action, and are not afraid of a little challenge owe it to themselves to check out this memorable game.

• PC
• 7.2 / 10
• États-Unis

I fully expect Paradox Entertainment to address many of these issues of population growth, AI treaties, prestige, etc, over the next couple of months. They did it with EU2; they'll do it with Victoria. Unlike some developers, I don't expect them to leave us players high and dry as they move on to their next major title. If I were to assign an overall rating to a fully functional, well-patched, excellent-manual-enclosed Victoria, it might be an 8.5. But I can hardly give a rating to that final product when we weren't sent it for review. Like every critic at IGN, I've been caught out before by magnificent gaming concepts that failed to fully translate theory into practice. So while my ratings here are relatively low, they reflect the current state-of-game as I see it. Not good, no; but hardly irreparable. There's an excellent game struggling to surface in Victoria, and I look forward to playing it just as soon as the requisite patches appear. Now would some kindly soul please create an accurate, intelligent manual for the game?

• NGC
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

Pokemon Channel makes watching TV boring. I can hardly find enough compelling gameplay to call this a game. It's far too passive an experience to keep my interest for more than a few minutes -- especially since I'm forced to watch an episode of the PichuBros. and sit through other boring commentary to access other parts of the game. It's not a very fun experience, at least for people over 12. It's truly mindless. Even the more meaty segments of the game, like the quiz show, is way too easy -- I was able to answer nine of ten questions correctly with a very rudimentary knowledge of Pokemon. However, I do realize that this is a kids' title. From that perspective I think Pokemon Channel gets the job done, especially if the child is an avid fan or too young to grasp more complex games. There are some interesting aspects, like the paint program, but even the taking care of Pikachu bit is pretty simple. If parents are looking for a kid friendly title, this is it. However, teenager and adults (whether or not a Pokemon fan) will find far too mind numbing to tolerate. Please rent it first, if you're still curious.

• XBOX
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Battlegrounds is a nice change of pace for hardcore gamers because it combines elements from fighters and RTS games but I'm not sure if your average gaming schmo will be able to get into it. The interface and control is simple enough but the depth of this sucker will likely be lost on most. I can't help but thinking the best of what this game had to offer was left in the development studio somewhere for fear of overwhelming gamers who might not be ready for all it had to offer. It seems to me that it barely offers enough to get the attention of serious gamers but hardcore Magic The Gathering fans will likely want to stick to the card game that already know and love. We give Secret Level a ton of credit, however, for doing the obvious and including Xbox Live play in a game that demands it. Most developers would've just skipped it altogether and offered some lame excuse about user base or something.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Why haven't more people stolen this idea yet? I mean, seriously. Since the original Deus Ex came out over three years ago, only titles like Morrowind and Knights of the Old Republic have tried to allow for this type of emergent story-telling. I can only surmise that it must be damn hard to make a game like that. Come to think of it, given the quality of linear, scripted RPGs of late, that seems pretty likely. Though I finished it in less than twenty hours (about half the time it took for Knights of the Old Republic, about a millionth for Morrowind), I dove right back in again to try out some different things and see how some of the big either/or decisions worked out. Sure, some people will say that the game's made too many concessions to convenience -- no more skills and one kind of ammo spring to mind -- but all this means is that you have fewer concerns distracting you from the main point of the game, your experience making decisions within the game's story. That's the real draw here -- the sense that you're playing an active role in shaping the destiny of the world. Starting as a relatively ignorant pawn of the powers that be and moving up to be one who actually makes or breaks those powers is nowhere more engaging than in this game. What are you waiting for? Go play it already.

• XBOX
• 8.2 / 10
• États-Unis

We liked Armed and Dangerous. Yes, it's all about shooting and blowing things up, but when did that become stale? In our minds, it hasn't. Of course, there are some games where shooting is very boring. Luckily, Armed and Dangerous, believe it or not, is a smart shooter that actually requires some brain activity and/or superhuman reflexes. We also really loved the humor in the game. Without it, the game would still be a good shooter - just not as fun. If you're looking for a deep story, look somewhere else. The narrative for Armed and Dangerous is merely used a vehicle for assigning (sometimes) outrageous goals rather than telling a rich story. Still, the light-hearted nature of the story is enjoyable bringing to mind a more vulgar, Mel Brooks-produced Shrek; not the story really, but the overall feel and theme of the humor. On the other hand, if you're looking for a challenging shooter that features tight controls, nice graphics, and a wicked sense of humor, Armed and Dangerous is your game - it's easily one of the best action shooters on the Xbox, hands down.

• PS2
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

• XBOX
• 10 / 10
• États-Unis

• NGC
• 2.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Beyblade is a baffling game that is both so niche and so ill- executed that I can only recommended to the true fanatics out there who devour anything the franchise has to offer. Everyone else will be downright insulted by the simple, stupid game mechanics and horrendously outdated visual and audio presentations. This title does not look, sound or act any differently from its PS1 predecessor, which is a travesty. Stay as far away from this unfortunate digital afterbirth as possible.

• PC
• 8.9 / 10
• États-Unis

This is, by and large, the most impressive looking and playing surf game ever created, whether you're looking at the water technology, the extras, or the design itself. I happily admit to being totally biased toward all surf games. I have played them all, and I can't wait to play this one 17 more times. It's sort of like the same thing for RPG or football fans -- it's hard to resist playing them. And so if Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer doesn't spark a huge interest in videogame surfing, well then sh*t, nothing will. But after the talk of technology dies down, and the rush of admiration for these incredible athletes wears off, what's left? Core gameplay. And Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer is a well-designed surf game, the best there is. What I particularly like about it is Treyarch's intelligent focus on the sport of surfing, instead of the tacky arcade tricks like adding ducks, turtles and other silly objectives (though Treyarch is slightly guilty of this, too). But the developer's dedication to delivering the wild, radical sport of surfing to the videogame medium is pure and direct, and for that I am deeply grateful.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Knights of the Old Republic is an outstanding game because it covers every single angle in terms of audience expectations. It's got enough Star Wars to satisfy the fans and enough pure fun to draw in people who normally wouldn't get into role-playing games. You'll see this on several Game of the Year nomination lists if not at the very top soon enough. It grabs you early on by giving your character some cool toys to play with and some familiar Star Wars critters to welcome you back and next thing you know you've got a space ship, a light saber, a wookie and a droid. With Knights of the Old Republic, the galaxy is yours, get out there and get some.

• GBA
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

Quidditch World Cup on the Game Boy Advance isn't bad, especially since the development is a solid one on the GBA. The link between it and the GameCube version, for example, is a really great example of connectivity. But it is admittedly a shallow game design and leaves a lot of room for improvement if it wants to really establish itself as a sport. And maybe that's the designers' intention, to make the game a series much like the games in the EA Sports franchise. Before they crack down on the next generation, though, a lot of rethinking has to be done about the rules, or at least the points-balancing between teams during the Snitch chase. It's an admirable first attempt, but yes, a drastically improved 2004 version is definitely in order.

• GBA
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 6.1 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• XBOX
• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

There are few moments in the videogame world that are as satisfying as finding something that exceeds expectations. And that's exactly what happened when we sat down to give Acclaim's Sword of Vengeance a thorough playthrough. Far from being perfect and definitely open to improvement, Gladiator isn't going to win any awards or change the way we look at videogames. What it will do, however, is help pass the time away for nine to twelve hours with its mindless but ultimately fun approach to the genre. In fact, we'd have to put it up there right alongside kill.zone as one of the premiere guilty pleasures of the holiday season. And we can't imagine a better weekend for videogame fans other than sitting down in front of the television set to give those two a try.