Vivendi Universal

The question that lingered in my mind, naturally, was whether Half-Life 2 could possibly live up to the expectations I had for it. Is it truly the best game of its kind ever made?

Game Description: Learn the 8 Rules of Fight Club. In the underground world of Fight Club, the fight isn't over until someone goes limp, taps out, or is beaten. Immerse yourself in this gritty, visceral world of bare-knuckle fighting, with action, story elements and environments true to the Fight Club movie. The extreme realism of the game will make you feel every punch and kick by delivering shocking visuals, untraditional moves, and special effects in fully interactive environments.

I'd say the game is as bad as the movie is good, but if you didn't like the movie, that wouldn't be an especially accurate description. So I'll just sya that the game is bad, with as many 'verys' as you want to tack onto the front of it.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Intense Violence, Language

I think that I'm impossible to please when it comes to video games. When I play a terrible game, I take an almost ecstatic glee in pointing out all the many, many ways in which the developers screwed up. When faced with a nearly perfect game, on the other hand, I start to nitpick, and search for tiny mistakes to grouse about, as if admitting that the existence of perfection somehow invalidated my worldview.

Playing like a videogame version of The Princess Bride (going so far as to enlist the voice talents of Cary Elwes), The Bard's Tale skewers RPG conventions with gleeful abandon at every turn. Rather than feature a character who's a good guy from the start, players tackle the role of The Bard.

Game Description: The Bard's Tale was the great-grandfather of modern-day Computer role-players. This updated version brings back the fun and adventure, as you play The Bard -- a hero who's only after coins and cleavage. Is a dragon attacking a village? He'll face it, for the right price. Has a princess been kidnapped? He'll save her, but only if she's hot. Comedy and fantasy action combine for a uniqe 3D role-playing experience!

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Game Description: You're a malevolent mastermind bent on achieving global domination through the construction of the ultimate doomsday device. Build a secret base, gain notoriety by completing daring missions, repel the forces of justice in real-time combat, and develop evil super weapons to complete your nefarious master plan. Evil Genius is a tongue in cheek take on the spy thrillers of the '60s, offering you the unique opportunity to play the villain as you control a secret island fortress complete with powerful henchmen, loyal minions, ice-cold beauty queens, and a host of hilarious gizmos.

It's rare that I see a game so good that I don't know where to start praising it. Evil Genius is just that good. A game this good can be a challenge to review, since it wears all of its best points right on its sleeve. How on earth do I find something unique to say about it? The best way to look at it is through the filter of my often too-strictly moral interpretation of videogame messages and implications. This is a game that grinningly celebrates mass murder, torture, and the cruel megalomaniacal governing of the entire world. And I didn't question any of it for a second.