Play to win

LOTR: Middle Earth II
X360
EA Games

The Good
The single-player game lets you battle it out as good or evil in the world of Middle-earth; rich multi-player suite with five distinct modes geared for fast-paced games; middle-earth comes alive thanks to beautiful graphics and top-notch audio.
The Bad
Frame rate struggles during big battles; graphics get a bit muddled on a standard-definition display. 
The Verdict
The Battle for Middle-earth II proves that real-time strategy works on the Xbox 360.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja
PS2
Namco

The Good
Unique manga-inspired visual style; gameplay is easy to pick up; over-the-top special attacks are a blast to watch; ai opponents put up a good challenge.
The Bad
Gameplay modes are a little too pedestrian; special attacks appear a little too often.     
The Verdict
Ultimate Ninja capably captures the spirit of Naruto, delivering a stylish fighting experience that’s both easy to pick up and easy on the eyes.

International Cricket Captain 2006
PC
Empire Interactive

The Good
Updated stats give old hands a fresh challenge; lets you build your team over several years; online league lets you challenge the world.
The Bad
Bad graphics and audio; too similar to previous versions.   
The Verdict
Use your inspired captaincy to achieve glory on the county cricket circuit or in the international arena, but don’t expect any big improvements over previous versions.

Hard Truck Apocalypse
PC
CDV Software

The Good
Exploring a postapocalyptic wasteland is somewhat interesting for the first hour or so.
The Bad
Mundane missions mostly involve aimlessly creeping across an empty, uninteresting map; combat controls are awkward and the artificial intelligence is severely lacking; terrible voice acting; upgrading your truck is more work than it’s worth.    
The Verdict
Hard Truck Apocalypse takes an interesting premise and strips away all but the most mundane elements, leaving you to drive down a long and unexciting road to nowhere.