IGN

It's still the most frantic, engrossingly intense first-person shooter formula out there and even after eight years still proves to be wildly entertaining. It certainly helps that Epic has done a terrific job of making this game run on PS3, as well as provide tons of tweaking extras like server filters, customization options, and input alternatives that you typically don't see in a console game.

All five games in The Orange Box are awesome, and even though we had problems here and there with some of the control choices, the experience of playing Half-Life 2 games should not be missed. Valve should be counted among the few that simply know how to tell a good story. However, the PS3 version is without a doubt inferior, so think carefully before investing the money (if you only own a PS3). The choice is yours, Mr. Freeman.

Fantasy Wars has some gameplay features that make it worthy enough to check out. It's not as complex as many turn-based strategy titles out there, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. A great use of terrain, decent number of units, and large number of unit upgrades make the strategic decision about where and when to attack both important and interesting.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a fantastic game. The single-player experience is easily Infinity Ward's best work to date. Calling it intense may be an understatement. The overall story is standard action movie fare, but the relationships built over the short five hours of play are surprisingly strong. Though the single-player lacks length, the multiplayer should keep you invested in COD4 for the long winter. This is a truly fantastic multiplayer offering that's as deep as any other online game available.

That doesn't mean there isn't any fun to be had here and if you have a spare weekend in the midst of the intense gaming schedule this fall demands of hardcore gamers, then Timeshift wouldn't be a bad way to spend it.

The weapons feel and sound good as well and dropping into each level from the sky adds some interest and replayability through occasionally the feature seems more like a gimmick than something to change shooters for all time. The shiny coat of EA presentation covering all aspects of Airborne certainly help with the enjoyment, but there's not quite as much variety and interaction that we're becoming used to in top-tier shooters these days.

Painkiller: Overdose may be a case of déjà vu to series veterans and those who regularly gravitate to this genre. Furthermore, there are a few flies in the ointment. However, it brings just enough new material to the table and it certainly doesn't lack for places to see and things to mutilate. Ultimately, hardcore shooting fans with a taste for that semi-stupor brought on by incessant gunplay and bloodletting will devour what Painkiller has to offer and come back for seconds.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback has one thing going for it: excessive dismemberment. Everything else is standard stuff for a shooter. Yet, I must admit, that I get a guilty pleasure playing Payback. Though it's not a good game, it's still fun to see body parts fly. If that doesn't interest you, there is an option to turn down the gore. That, however, takes away the only interesting thing Solider of Fortune: Payback has to offer.

Others will find the gameplay isn't up to speed with the rest of the gaming world and wonder why anyone would bother. Frustration should never enter into a game because of the mechanics, but with Kane & Lynch it does. Loose gameplay, a brief campaign, and a single (albeit good) online mode with four maps hurt this title that could have been so much more.

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is a bit of a missed opportunity then. For everything it gets right, the gritty storyline, adrenalin-fuelled firefights and epic set-pieces, it falls flat on its face in other areas, like the stupid AI, disappointing co-op and occasionally by-the-numbers level design. Visually, it's equally as unbalanced.