Destructoid

Ultimately, Dynasty Warriors 6 tries some brave new things, fails in certain aspects, but still manages to provide the same button mashing action that won it a hardcore fanbase. Whether it can add to that fanbase with this latest installment remains to be seen, but with a higher level of intensity and a battlefield brimming with life, it's a good starting point for newcomers.

All in all, Mass Effect is a good game which will disappoint nearly everyone who plays it. Immensely flawed in its design choices, but absolutely fantastic in its attention to character and atmosphere, Mass Effect is enjoyable, but not a masterpiece; entertaining, but not revolutionary; epic and emotionally involving, but disappointing. It is not a great game -- but it is, generally, a good one.

In the end, this game exceeded my expectations, and Ubisoft should be commended for doing something different and ambitious with this anime license. The story mode is worth the price of entry alone, and the fun fighting and excellent online matches are both wonderful bonuses. Of course, this is an absolute must for Naruto fans, but those looking for a solid adventure title for the Xbox 360 should take notice as well.

Truly, Rock Band is really more than the sum of its parts. Taken individually, everything is a solid from top to bottom, yet nothing is quite perfect. If you're planning to buy the game and play it in your basement alone with a bag of Cheetos, Rock Band might not be for you. But in the company of friends who are willing to take the plunge and hop into a role, there's absolutely nothing that comes close to it on the market, be it in the music/rhythm genre or otherwise.

All in all, Kane and Lynch is a bad game. With characters like Kane and Lynch, we should have seen more variety in the plot and gameplay -- with developers like IO Interactive, we should have seen better shooting mechanics and level design. A few fun levels aside, Kane and Lynch's gameplay isn't particularly fun and the repetitive storyline only serves to further the bland shooting action, but the characters themselves are incredibly unusual and interesting.

Assassin's Creed is a disappointment, don't get me wrong. It's repetitive and self-contradictory, and a hell of a chore at times. But, even so, it contains some truly incredible moments of gameplay due to its fighting and freerunning mechanics. They aren't implemented in the best way or even used to their full potential, but it's still absurdly fun to get into a sword fight with a dozen baddies and come through unscathed, or to seamlessly run and jump and climb across the Jerusalem landscape.

As much as I'd love to be able to say this title is an absolute must-buy there are issues that mar its surface. As stated above, the game is short. While that may be an illusionary side effect of the intense plot, you'll be wishing for more when it finally comes to its thrilling conclusion. Also, the title is incredibly linear. It offers the spectre of choice in some missions, but when compared to the recent BioShock, you realize you will have seen the entire thing in one play through.

The bottom line here is no real surprise -- if you're a fan of the Guitar Hero series, you've already purchased this game, and you're just reading this review so you can bitch about the score. And if you've never played a Guitar Hero game before, it's hard to go wrong with Legends of Rock, despite the brutal difficulty of some songs. With online play, cooperative career, and a flesh-melting soundtrack, this is the best installment of the series yet.

I can't possibly recommend this game any higher. Assuming you don't have some unnatural slant against fighting games, VF5 Online is neck and neck with The Orange Box in the race for finest game on the system. If you have ever enjoyed a fighting title, punching someone, or ninjas in general, you'll be a fan.

The game is a solid, creative FPS that brings a lot of new ideas to the genre, despite its minor flaws. Unfortunately, due to the short story, and multiplayer overshadowed by better games, spending more than you'd need to to rent this thing from Blockbuster would just be a waste of money that you'll probably need to purchase food, or paper towels for some reason.