As disappointing as the lack of a compelling online component is, playing action hero is pretty much a solo activity anyway. Stranglehold might stumble occasionally under its own ambitious weight, and might not quite deliver on all its promises and potential, but it's still a unique and absorbing eight-hour tour through a legendary action director's potent unfilmable dreams.

Eternal Sonata is still a solid role-playing game that is built around an innovative and interesting story. There's plenty of fun to be had and while it may not redefine the role-playing genre, it does a mighty fine job of teasing the boundaries. Hopefully Namco Bandai has the sense to carry this idea forward, and perhaps, for the next title, we could explore the underworld playing as Mozart.

As long as you don't break your controller in the process, there's a lot of enjoyment to be had from Ultimate Carnage. Get past the frustrating difficulty and you'll find a beautiful, rewarding game that is easily the best yet in the series.

Ace Combat 6 lays out an impressive hand with its undeniable quality. The only shortcoming is the intimidating visage, particularly if you're using the Ace Edge flight stick.

Sega Rally Revo may come off as unimaginative and highly repetitive to some, there is an ample amount of entertainment awaiting fans of the Sega Rally series, and those fans of arcade racers in general.

At the end of the day, Blacksite is a decent enough FPS title that's the gaming equivalent of a summer action blockbuster: it sure as hell won't win any Oscars but it delivers just enough thrills to make you feel like you got your money's worth.--Tae K. Kim

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is an excellent addition to the Naruto franchise and it's sure to please fans of the series.

It isn't the best shooter out there, but the team at Kaos obviously put a lot of thought into the role system and the balancing of the game's sole game type. I do hope they offer new maps and modes soon, as gamers may quickly grow bored but for the time being, the large-scale multiplayer battles should be more than enough to keep a lot of trigger-happy gamers battling on the frontlines.

If you're playing alone, or looking for a competitive online rampage, Army of Two teeters between middling fun and frustration, but if you take the time to give the meaty co-op component its due you'll find yourself sucked in by one of the few gun-obsessed romps worth playing through again and again.

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 succeeds thanks to its amazing co-op, carefully balanced gameplay and memorable setting. Sure, there are some aggravating scripting and design issues present but much like the city it's set in, Vegas 2's pleasure outweighs the pain.

It may be a little basic in some respects but its a fun and energetic racing game.

This is a good game, but not a great one. I hope that the next Soul Calibur truly reinvigorates the look, feel, and energy of this majestic series.