Sunday Afternoon ShackReviews

Hey there! I'm just so thrilled to finally have my Internet connection working again that I'm going to update the ShackReviews database! This week we've got a handful of new games, including the long-awaited Xbox debut of Ninja Gaiden and a combination re-release and expansion pack for the venerable Jagged Alliance 2. As usual, if there's a game you want to review but don't see in the database, check first and then submit it! (And don't blame me if a game you never submitted isn't added!)

• Colin McRae Rally 04 (Xbox)
• Dead Man's Hand (Xbox)
• Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire (PC)
• Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)
• Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution (GC)

On Friday I finished Beyond Good & Evil, and I wrote up my review of it earlier this morning as I was waiting for the cable guy to show up to fix my Internet connection. As that review says, I was very disappointed by the game. Not because it's a bad game by any means, but because it felt rushed and incomplete, and it showed enough promise that it seemed clear to me that it could have been a really great game if the developers had a chance to properly finish it. Oh well. I've since moved on to Final Fantasy X-2, and while I'm only 20 minutes or so into it, I must say I have absolutely no idea what to make of this game. I was prepared for it to be a bit cheesy and cornball...but good god, this is nuts. Unless it gets to be totally unbearable I'm going to stick with it...but so far I'm just baffled by what I'm seeing.