Half of High Heat 2003's thrills come from its intuitive, playable controls. Fielding and baserunning are a snap (though manual slides would have rocked), and the pitching/batting setup is one of the best ever.

With its high production value, smart level design, and impressive story, STVEF is simply one of the finest first-person shooters to come out this year.

The butter-smooth controls make the game a joy to play—between the big hits and the player-controlled dekes, you’ll alternate between brawling like Tie Domi and dangling like Pavel Bure.

Furious battles between fifty ton robots never looked or played so good, and Mechwarrior fans will love this latest chapter.

Not only is Thief an anti-shooter, it's also like an RPG without the trappings of levels, skills, and experience points. That's how it feels-again, as though I'm actually doing something.

An awesome new first-person shooter with the chops and options to tangle with the best.

With some of the best graphics the PS2 is likely to see in a sports game this year, Madden NFL 2001 also has the gameplay to back up the window dressing and a fat selection of options to tweak the game to your liking.

For fighting enthusiasts, DOA2 Hardcore is the first must have game for the PlayStation 2. End of story.

Excellent A.I, sharp graphics, and addictive gameplay combine for an unabashed good time. Sim freaks need not apply—Rumble Racing is pure, unapologetic arcade goodness.

This year's real highlight for Madden madmen is the buffed out A.I.: On defense, the game reacts more rapidly than ever to your offensive tendencies and in particular makes tough half time adjustments.

Everything that made EFMI so great on the PC arrives on the PS2 perfectly intact. The game’s many puzzles are perfectly balanced.

A prime lesson on simple yet addictive gameplay with awe-inspiring visuals—a blend that no gamer should miss.

The controls are dead-on perfect, but somewhere along the way, someone forgot to take advantage of the PlayStation 2’s processing power—something that’s readily apparent in the sights and sounds.

The bar for online gaming has not so much been raised as obliterated. For once, a game lives up to its expectations.

RoK has slightly more stringent hardware requirements than the original EverQuest, simply because the new continent is much more visually complex, with its more detailed textures and animated environment.

Thrilling, addictive gameplay loaded with tough battles and jaw-dropping moves that’ll lure even the most jaded b-ballers back to the court.

Sacrifice weaves together an intricate story, addictive gameplay, and drop-dead gorgeous graphics.

With a ton of tricks, parks, and game modes, and the included park editor, THPS2 provides a great gaming experience with tons of replay value.

Beats its predecessor with souped-up visuals, new characters and moves, improved tutorials, hundreds of unlockable items, and the amazingly deep Quest mode. And this is a Greatest Hits title? Insane bargain alert!

The potential replay value for the game is enormous. Of course, until ESPN has had a full season under its belt, the jury’s out as to whether first-person view is major revolution or a nifty diversion...but it’s very cool.

Snake Eater revives the spirit of the first Solid, with an intriguing scenario, intense action, and a long adventure that stays riveting almost every step of the way--all wrapped in high-gloss cinematic cut-scenes and voice-overs that could have come from any A-action film.

Complete with giant bosses, exciting gameplay, days of exploration, and an involving narrative, this is the best Castlevania game in years. More importantly, it’s Castlevania in 3D but done right.

Absolutely tears up the modern-day war zone and even one-ups the "Battlefield" stranglehold in many areas.

Packs the power to astonish with its next-level A.I., absorbing mission design, and mesmerizing presentation.

Offers a ton of new elements to keep you glued to your screen for hours. Whether playing against the computer or online, "The Conquerors" improves an already fantastic game.

The gameplay has just the right balance of challenging puzzles and finger-numbing battles to deliver an exceptional adventure whether you’re royalty or not.

The new features, refined interface, and (above all) near-perfect sense of balance make this old dog feel vital and new.

Other baseball games might have a more unique feature or two, and several absolutely have better graphics, but only High Heat delivers such consistently riveting gameplay.