Genre: Tactical FPS
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft
Release Date: March 7, 2006

Chad "Wudi" Crawford: I'll admit that I wasn't a fan of the original Ghost Recon: it seems that within three minutes of starting a map, my team would be all but dead. However, as I played new iterations in the series, it really started to grow on me, to the point where Advanced Warfighter has me foaming at the mouth. Maybe it's the breathtaking graphics, the redesigned HUD with the Cross-Com that lets you see what your soldiers see, or the robust multiplayer with competitive and cooperative

Genre: FPS
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: March 20, 2006

Geson Hatchett: The pack-in cartridge with the Nintendo DS contains a demo of Metroid Prime: Hunters, a glimpse at the future of first-person shooters. On those merits, many people have been waiting for this, myself included. In addition, Metroid's proven itself to be a viable franchise even in 3D, and merely the promise of another installment is reason enough by itself to salivate.

Joe Keiser: Metroid Prime: Hunters seems to be stuck in the nightmare tunnel of a release date that is to be forever pushed back, but all

Genre: RPG
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Release Date: Q2 2006

Mark "RumDragon" Bolin: When I picked up the original Neverwinter Nights, I was just looking for more of my Baldur's Gate fix. What it ended up offered me was amazing, and for the sequel, I am most excited about building my own gaming world. The graphics are nothing short of amazing, and the world looks as if it will suck me in for a good long time. One of the greatest assets Obsidian has here are the legions of fans who will ravenously throw themselves at the modding

Genre: RPG
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Release Date: February 7, 2006

Alicia Ashby: Tales has been the major Japanese RPG series to fare the worst when it comes to entering the American market, but the great success of Tales of Symphonia for the GameCube seems to be changing that. Tales of Legendia hopes to continue the hot streak, offering an amazingly fun fighting-game like active battle system that still lets you manage a party full of characters. The 3D graphics are sharp, incorporating elements from Soul Calibur III's prodigious graphics engine, and it contains about 25 minutes of new

Grandia III is the newest title in Game Arts' role-playing series, using an all-new engine, N3, allowing for larger and more detailed environments.

Genre: FPS
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Criterion Studios
Release Date: February 28, 2006

Joe Keiser: Burnout 3 was a revelation in racing games when it came out in 2004, so when a shooting game from the creators of Burnout claims to be "Burnout for shooters," it'd be pretty foolish not to pay attention. Criterion, the game's creators, really knows their stuff – they're the daddy of Renderware, the most popular set of game creation tools in the industry, and they are virtuosos in its use. As a result, Black should be fast, fluid, and exhilarating. But perhaps most excitingly,

Genre: RPG
Publisher: Square-Enix
Developer: Square-Enix
Release Date: TBA

Alicia Ashby: o/` It's Tron! It's Tron! It's Trooooooon! o/`

Kingdom Hearts is the poster child for games that are much better than they have any right to be, and the sequel looks like it'll be everything the first game was and then some. The interface is streamlined, special cooperative moves with all of the guest characters have been implemented, and new context-sensitive moves let Sora perform amazing stunts during boss fights and special battles. Best of all is the new roster of series and guest characters: Jack Sparrow, Auron from

Genre: Action
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Epic Games
Release Date: TBA

Mark "RumDragon" Bolin: Gears of War is probably what will convince me to finally buy an Xbox 360. The concentration on teamwork by the developers is impressive, and hopefully, it will play out well. From the trailers I've seen, the world looks immersive, and the A.I. seems rather brutal. The ability to use cover just about anywhere also looks quite interesting. I can't wait to get my hands on this stellar-looking shooter; I need only to find one of my friends with a lot of free time to sit

Genre: Action
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft
Release Date: September 26, 2006

Bill Lange: Say it ain't so, Sam! Everyone's favorite fifth-freedom holder takes a walk on the other side of the law and spices up a series that was running low on ideas. Despite my "meh" attitude towards the third installment, I'm looking forward to Fisher's deep-cover assignment. Expect a much darker tone, tough moral decisions, and more of the innovative online play that's become a Splinter Cell trademark.

Hugh McHarg: A latecomer to the joys of stealth, I learned from the first Splinter Cell that I really did have

Genre: RPG
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Bethesda Software
Release Date: March 20, 2006

Chad "Wudi" Crawford: With over 200 hours of gameplay and 16 square miles to be explored in the world of Tamriel, Oblivion is practically an alternate reality that gamers will live in for hours at a time. Plus, there's the Radiant AI, which allows NPCs to respond to the world around them like a real person would, adding to the immersion. Character's skills grow stronger the more they're used, which should make it that no two characters are ever alike. Throw together the game world, character