It's solid and requires, thanks to the variety and great AI of the enemy you meet throughout, more than a modicum of strategic thinking to get through with a good selection of interesting weapons on offer.

Whether you're a nice guy or not and whether you tackle System Shock 2 beforehand or not (or (re)watch The Shining!), you owe it to yourself to own a copy of Bioshock.

Had RE4 performed a little better in the scare department, and lost a few really annoying and frustrating moments, we would be talking about the best survival horror game around.

It features a fully interactive environment that's a blast to play through. It's really like an interactive movie because it's so immersive. It's easily the most revolutionary shooter since "System Shock."

Oblivion is a blast to play, and it's a considerable achievement in the annals of electronic role-playing games.

Quite possibly one of the top five adventures of all time, and certainly in the Top Ten. The style, atmosphere, wit, creativity and inventiveness are what makes Grim Fandango remarkable.

By far the shortest RPG I've ever played. Surprisingly, this may be one of its strengths. An RPG that only takes about thirty hours (or much less if you are experienced) to play is easy to play again. And Diablo has serious replayability virtues. [Grade = A+]

The game is beautifully designed to be an addictive multiplayer extravaganza, as you pit yourself against swarms of enemy ships controlled by human opponents.

Despite its easiness, Okami is absolute fun to play, and its length and depth, as well as its superb gameplay and high replayability value, will ensure many an afternoon of total engrossment, trying to help Ammy and Issun fight the evil of all evils. It is indeed the best non-adventure, and one of the best overall games I’ve played in 2006.

Incredibly addicting... They’ve just cleaned up your standard Dungeons and Dragons style online RPG and made it super fun, extremely refined, and exceedingly accessible to gamers of all levels.

Yet another one of LucasArts's masterpieces. The humor, the sound, the graphics, and the puzzles blend together to make Day of the Tentacle a must-play for any adventure lover.

Irrational Games and Looking Glass have produced one of the best games I've ever played. System Shock 2 is truly scary, smart, challenging, fascinating, and disturbing. I recommend it to any adventurous adventure player.

It's hard to find any fault when you have a fantastic story, unique gameplay, and good graphics and sound to back it up. It's difficult to even categorize it in any known genre.

Shadow of the Colossus, like ICO before it, is in a class unto itself.

Overall, this is a pleasant and mostly simple game that is nevertheless entertaining and clever. The hunt-and-find part does get repetitive, as it is wont to do, but the mini-games and the storyline keep things interesting.

Top-notch writing, memorable characters, beautiful 3D animations against 2D backdrops, and a musical score that is more complementary than ornamental all unite for a once-in-a-lifetime gaming experience.

The deranged fiends at Bethesda have built a landmark game, and I think you’d be crazy not to play the damned thing.

Easily the most addictive game I have played this year on either console or computer and would be a welcome addition to any adventure gamer's collection.

This is a solid adventure game with some other elements from the RPG genre, which will be embraced by all but the most traditional adventurer.

Probably the most important aspect of this game is the theme. Because there is a quite unexpected reveal at the end of the game I will not reveal the theme. All I will say is that this game will challenge you and some people might not like it for this reason.

Although I relished my time in Fable 2 -- really, I did -- the half-baked marriage crap nearly killed the game for me.

This is one of those rare games that oozes quality from every pore.

After playing, and enjoying this game for so long, you really need an ending that gives you a sense of completion and satisfaction. Unfortunately, CMI fails to deliver it. The ending is extremely brief and anticlimatic. With the ending aside, The Curse of Monkey Island is a wonderful game that no adventure gamer should be without. Period. I can safely say that no other game has given me this degree of enjoyment.

The game has two great general strengths. The first is a simply spectacular presentation and attention to detail. Despite the grim environments depicted, this is one of the best-looking XBox titles I've seen. The details are breathtaking.

Creative mayhem, and is at times crazy fun to play.

While some may say developer 2K Marin has let Bioshock 2 fall into the dreaded sophomore slump, I don’t necessarily think that’s true. It had to be unnerving to try to top such a runaway bestseller of a new property.

It is wonderful in all aspects. I loved it.

Possibly the least original shooter released this year. The enemy AI is standard but effective, the guns are big and beefy and it's basically a case of running around and pulling the trigger.