You should own this game. Really. It's likely it will be of value to historians down the road who want to know when the lowest point of human civilization was reached in this era, and you will have proof.

A strictly average game by most accounts, with as many heavy drawbacks (if present) as redeeming qualities. In fact, it's likely that the bad outweighs the good when you consider the cost of the game itself. Definitely not worth your money unless you are a big fan of the genre, and even then, who wants a simply average game?

Some, perhaps many, may truly enjoy this game, but it requires that you overlook a significant drawback or two, and likely requires some patience on your part to make it through. Occasionally, a game in this category has exceptional gameplay but is lacking in graphics and/or sound (or vice versa) and is still worthy of a purchase if on discount. PC Games falling in this category (and in any other) may improve significantly over time with patches.

Here is a game with potential, surely appealing to some gamers and overall fairly good, yet likely destined for the bargain bin sooner than later. Games with scores in this range may have one or two outstanding aspects to make them desirable, or it may be merely "good" in most ways, never really shining in any particular category. If you want a decent title, give this one serious consideration. If you want the best value for your money, look elsewhere.

This game stands out from the pack, and for those that play it, is sure to be a hit with most of them. It is a game made with intelligence, care, and quality. Unfortunately, there were also minor detracting elements. Perhaps it could have been even more fun, or it was too short, or the control wasn't spot on, but almost there, or the interface wasn't exactly user friendly but once learned, was acceptable. Not one computer sales clerk will snicker at you for buying this title.

These are a select few of the best games of their respective class. Any fan of the genre should pick this up, time and money permitting. The bugs and issues are negligable for the most part, but yet the game is still not perfect. Gameplay must be very fun, contol is usually at least respectable, and its value is high. What negative issues there are can usually be summed up in short paragraphs, but the review will, for the most part, read glowingly.

You can't touch this. Even the "best" bow down to these--games stacked with achievements, and with such few problems as to be barely noteworthy. If there is a negative issue, the rest of the game is so overwhelmingly good that the issue can be virtually offset. Production value is usually extremely high (with the exception of brilliant low-budget games), and its gameplay cannot be surpassed, only equaled or different. If you buy one game in this category, buy this one. If there should by chance be two or more, flip a coin and you can't go wrong.

What we typically look at in this category: how the game controls, the interface, the story, character progression, how multiplayer is executed, and the overall fun. Any bugs or other detrimental issues will take away from this score.

Our Gameplay rating will count for 50% of the overall score, because to us, gameplay is far and away the most important of the criteria.

What we typically look at in this category: the game world presentation, interface graphics, menus, animation, and framerate.

Our Graphics rating will count for 25% of the overall score, because graphics are what conveys the game world to the player, and what gives the game much of its feel.

What we typically look at in this category: the sound effects, ambient or atmospheric sounds, and musical score.

Our Sound & Music rating will count for 15% of the overall score, because these two criteria have the ability to convey the mood and feel of the game to the player. Graphics are weighted slightly heavier due to their impact on usually every aspect of the game.

What we typically look at in this category: the game's length and/or replayability, the inclusion of game modification tools, and the lasting effect of multiplayer, which is obviously somewhat influenced by its gameplay.

Our Lasting Value rating will count for 10% of the overall score, because of all the criteria, a great game is least dependent on this category, but rather influences it by its gameplay and other strengths. The game's length and replayability is important, however, and will surely influence the final score of all games. Too often we are faced with brilliant games that end far too quickly (Full Throttle anyone?). This is where we would take note.

What we typically look at in this category: the summary of any problems with the game regarding bugs or other gameplay-related issues. This category has no score due to it's direct relationship with the gameplay, but we feel is nonetheless important to readers. Any major issues here will in fact take away from the gameplay score. We also talk about the documentation that comes with the game. Does it provide enough information, etc.? This can also potentially detract from the gameplay score, such as if the game is sufficiently difficult but the documentation is lacking.