Metal Gear Solid's Snake had best step aside. Sam Fisher is king of the shadows, squat-walking to the top of the genre. Chaos Theory is the best piece of cinematic entertainment to have Tom Clancy's name attached to it since Sean Connery played a Russian.
Forget about Pandora Tomorrow's perpetually addictive multiplayer, and this game's equally satisfying co-op mode. Chaos Theory's single-player campaign alone has a riveting story line of international intrigue, and graphics that leave you wondering how a game that spends most of its time in sheer darkness can look this good. Until his knees give out from walking the way he does, Sam is the man to beat in the stealth genre.
WORMS FORTS: UNDER SIEGE (T) (3 stars)
Sega
Xbox
This title has some brilliant strategic elements to it but the visuals look like dirt and you move through them at the frustrating pace of a worm. The humor is a step down from Worms 3D and the lamest jokes will make you want to take the game's cast of characters on a fishing trip.
WORLD TOUR SOCCER 2006 (E) (2.5 stars)
Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation 2
The AI is so bad, the opposing team must be getting drunk between matches, which also explains the load times. If you have an EyeToy, you can put your face on a player, but who needs the self-loathing.
TONY HAWK'S UNDERGROUND 2: REMIX (T) (4 stars)
Activision
PlayStation Portable
That THUG 2 was two games in one on the big screen was cool enough, but for Activision to cram all of that into the handheld version is as impressive as the best of Hawk's skate tricks. Load times are aggravating, but the World Destruction Tour lets you vent.
LUMINES (E) (4 stars)
Ubisoft
PlayStation Portable
Lumines turns Tetris on its side to suit the PSP's wide-screen. Like any great puzzle game, Lumines takes seconds to learn and hours to master, and guarantees you'll see falling blocks every time you close your eyes.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at
[email protected].