IGN

• PC
• 7.3 / 10
• États-Unis

BloodRayne is not going to change the videogame industry, It has its problems -- some technical shortcomings here and there, some camera oversights and the occasional level layout difficulty, but I have to admit that I enjoyed playing through the 3D action title; that it delivered a fun little ride while it lasted. There's a good amount of entertainment to be had controlling BloodRayne through a series of varied locals while ripping through enemies in orgies of bloody fights. The borrowed "bullet time" effects are equally well done and have a real place in the game; there are lots of moves and weapons to be learned, acquired and utilized at the peril of the disgusting foes; and the visuals manage to impress on many levels, from the damage models in place to the detail in the architecture, dynamic lighting effects, cloth physics and more. This is not a bad game. But don't confuse it for a 3D adventure. So long as gamers go in knowing that -- expecting fights and gore versus puzzle solving and a deep, engaging quest of some sort -- they should come away happy in spite of its quick play through and lack of originality. Worth a rental at the very least.

• PS2
• 8.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Like every game from EA, it's only online on the PS2, so if you have multiple systems, that's the one to get as other than that feature (or missing feature as your case may be) the game is pretty much identical across the board. Thanks to Live's controls and in-your-face gameplay, it's one of the better basketball games to hit the cyber court this year, even if it is more of a two-player arcade game, rather than a sim. Any way you look at it though, the game is fun, even if it does have some flaws that keep it from the top of the list.

• PC
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

UFO: Aftermath is in a lot of ways, very much the same as X-COM: UFO Defense. Unfortunately, it was only partly like it, with less of the features and less strategy. While the interface is arguably better than X-COM all around, compared to other games made these days, it's lacking in style and functionality. I think a lot of these interface and order problems have to do with the decision to go both turn-based and real-time together. While it was certainly a noble attempt, it just didn't work together as well as it might have. I think this could have been a great game either with a pure action point turn-based system like the old one or straight real-time with a pause and give orders feature. While Aftermath isn't a bad game, and certainly has some wonderful and fun ideas, it just doesn't compare to other squad based tactical games I've played lately like Silent Storm (turn-based) or Commandos 3 (real-time). If the strategy and options between missions had been more in-depth and creative than the original, my opinion or this game might have been better. After such a long and arduous road of development for this game, I was hoping for a more polished piece of software. Where they should have took leaps forward, they fell back or sidestepped. Sadly, even without giving it the tough task of direct comparison to its predecessor, UFO: Aftermath comes up a bit short.

• PC
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 8.2 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 5.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Whiteout is a game that seems to have had some potential, but it just has too many bland spices and herbs in the recipe to taste like anything worth serving. The controls are nicely responsive, but they're too tight and not subtle enough to make the racing aspect any fun. The trick system has been done before, and while it normally works fine, it's just too slow here to really be any fun. The game does have a solid graphics engine, though. The course design is also rather decent, except that the controls really hinder them from providing a challenge or much fun. There really isn't a whole lot that's actually bad about Whiteout, but there's just nothing that's really good about it either. So close, and yet so far.

• NGAGE
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Chaser is a good one...which hurts, a little, because more all-around polish might have made it great. Deathmatch, CTF and objective-centered multiplay modes are a nice addition, but Chaser's best grip on any potential player is the massive, sprawling single-player campaign, flaws and all. If you're not a complete, raging spoiled brat (like some of us here, hanging our heads in knowing, arrogant shame -- a neat trick, if you can do it -- and can take your dramatic, run-and-gun action minus a few cut corners, Chaser will keep you engaged and more than a bit paranoid for at least two or three full gaming-days on end...and that's before you start exploring your multiplayer options.

• GBA
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

The Advance Wars design is incredibly fun and addictive, and the sequel proves that the game design still works even if you've played the original to death. But you'll just have to keep in mind that the game is made for players looking for more of the same, not for players looking for "more." It's such an incremental improvement over the original that the number 2 in the title honestly doesn't deserve to be there. But don't take this gripe the wrong way; Advance Wars 2 is still one of the finest games to hit the Game Boy Advance, and it's the version to get if you haven't been introduced to the stunning game design.

• PS2
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

XGRA is a fun racer, but if you're expecting something that plays like XG3 -- don't. These are two different games. Acclaim's latest offering has a lot going for it still. Tight, if heavy control, a seriously improved weapon system that makes for a lot of fun, and the insane tracks that XG fans have come to expect from the franchise. This is a bigger game -- more courses and a slightly expanded Season Mode, too. No doubt, die-hard racing fans will find a good amount to be happy over here, especially at XGRA's reduced price tag. But there are some drawbacks, too, particularly if you -- like me -- know and love XG3 before it. Acclaim for some reason modified the control and physics systems for this sequel -- not bad, but in my opinion for the worse. Meanwhile, some of the additions are nearly useless; there are secondary objectives in races, yes, but most of them barely qualify as a challenge and seem to be added as an afterthought. Finally, what happened to the stunning 60-frames-per-second-fludity of XG3? XGRA runs at half that with constant dips in motion -- a disappointment that has a real bearing on the game as it lessens the sensation of speed, the primary element of any racer. All said and done XGRA is still a worthy racer. But it's far from a perfect one. A few more months of development time might have gone a long way toward ironing out some of the iffy design choices and technical shortcomings. Give it a rental at the very least.

• NGC
• 5.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Disney's Party isn't a bad game, but it is flat and uninspired. It's a cheap version of Mario Party aimed at the younger generation. It's just surprising that the creators of Mario Party are able to make a party game that feels so stale, but perhaps they've been at the game too long, or saving the good stuff for Mario Party 5. When a game has to con you into thinking that it's fun by repeatedly having characters belt out variations of "This is so much fun", it's a sign that there are problems at some level -- because Disney's Party is anything but a lot of fun. This is further emphasized by the all too similar mini-games. Disney's Party lacks diverse and fun gameplay -- the very nautre of what a party game should be, making it a title that should be rented before purchasing -- and that's only if you're a die hard party fan. Make sure you have a steady stream of friends or younger gamers to play with if you decide to take the purchasing leap, because this title gets old quite fast and will be collecting dust long before it earns its keep. It's best you just wait for Mario Party 5

• XBOX
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Outlaw Volleyball is a straight forward volleyball title that does exactly what it set out to do by providing humor and full online play. As a sports title it's easy to pick up and play and a little too easy to master for my tastes. Actually, the same can be said for the humorous, entertainment aspects of the game. However when you add up the single player career mode, character-building minigames and Xbox Live play and downloads you're getting a lot of volleyball bang for your buck. It's a completely different experience than DOAX and ends up being a decent volleyball and Xbox Live game that fills a need this time of year.

• PC
• 8.9 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 8.4 / 10
• États-Unis

Freedom Fighters is a game that gets better the more you play it. The challenge increases at the same rate as your skills and abilities so that you're really appreciating the level of control you've got towards the end and the cool action you can create because of it. Obviously an online component would be a wonderful addition but for what it is Freedom Fighters is pretty satisfying. You just wish your running, gunning and commanding skills, once developed, could be applied in other ways against online competitors. This is especially poignant given the game's rather short single player campaign. You can go back and play at higher difficultly levels, but that's only going to keep you entertained for so long. Even fans of super rich tactical simulations will get a kick out of FF's easy interface and well developed AI. It occupies that area between all of the other games in the genre by limiting you to one character to control, offering a 3rd person perspective and using only three basic commands. Even without a fancy license like "Red Dawn" or some other Russo-American themed movie or show, Freedom Fighters works as a change of pace.

• GBA
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

The attempt to recreate the Xbox's 3D game design on the Game Boy Advance is certainly ambitious, but in all honesty the developers should have just stuck with the tried-and-true 2D Prince of Persia-style of the previous Oddworld games for this conversion. Munch's Oddysee is full of little quirks that add up to a very un-fun GBA game that can't even fall back on technical merits.

• NGC
• PS2
• XBOX
• PC
• 8.8 / 10
• États-Unis

At first I thought NHL 2004 had been unnecessarily tampered with because scoring wasn't as easy as it used to be. But upon further review I realized this videogame mimics the real thing more than ever and therefore the joys of the sport are found in big hits, near misses and brilliant scoring opportunities that barely miss lighting the lamp. If you can get over the fact that scoring is going to be reserved only for those that deserve it. It's an improvement over the last NHL game from EA but definitely a big change in direction for the franchise. There's plenty of room for improvement but it's clear that the effort has been put into NHL 2004 and the most serious hockey fans should get a kick out of it. Casual fans will either become serious hockey fans or break their controllers trying.

• PS2
• XBOX
• PC
• 6.3 / 10
• États-Unis

• XBOX
• NGC
• PS2
• 4.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Well, you get what you pay for, I guess. This is the very definition of a budget racer and I don't mean that in a good way. Basic arcadey track designs mix with stupidly simple controls and poor graphics for an end experience that falls somewhere below the average. Slot Car might be willing to brave some the backward design choices and mechanical defects and find some entertainment here, but most would do well to look elsewhere -- far away, if possible -- for their racing fix.