Reviews

RPG · Vantage Interactive · Apex Media Games · 3 discs

A hundred-hour epic that never once feels padded. The battle system takes ten hours to click and then never lets go. The best PS2 RPG since the console's launch lineup.

Verdict: Essential.

Racing · Redline Studios · Quicksilver Publishing

The drift model is the star here — loose enough to be fun, tight enough to reward practice. The career mode's commentary gets repetitive by hour six, but the racing itself never stops being good.

Verdict: A genuine contender for racer of the year.

Strategy · BlackForge Software · Apex Media Games

Permadeath squad tactics done right: every mission is a puzzle, and every mistake is yours to own. The mission editor is already producing better content than the campaign.

Verdict: Unforgiving, and better for it.

Shooter · Nomad Circuit Games · Quicksilver Publishing

A scrappy arena shooter with a great first six hours and a back half that recycles its best ideas one too many times. Split-screen with three friends still saves it.

Verdict: Worth a rental with a couch full of friends.

RPG · Handheld Foundry

Proof the GBA still has dungeon-crawling life left in it. The procedurally shuffled floors mean no two runs play the same, and the link-cable trading is a nice touch on top.

Verdict: The handheld RPG to beat this year.