SPY HUNTER: NOWHERE TO RUN BY MIDWAY (2 stars)
Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox.
Rated: T.
The Spy Hunter series has been running low on gas for a while. Midway's solution is to throw in The Rock. But the franchise didn't need The Rock; it needed gas. As charismatic as Mr. Dwayne Johnson is, he can't salvage the lackluster, poorly designed and utterly unnecessary third-person shooter levels in what was once an exclusively vehicular game.
XENOSAGA EPISODE III: ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA BY NAMCO (3.5 stars)
Platform: PlayStation 2.
Rated: T.
This deep (and deeply convoluted) space-opera RPG makes a decent comeback from its disappointing second episode courtesy of an improved combat system. Fighting is no longer an awkward chore, which makes a big difference, since some of these boss battles last the better part of an hour. And if you still remember the preceding 80+ hours of enigmatic story, the loose ends are satisfyingly tied up.
NASCAR 07 BY EA SPORTS (2.5 stars)
Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox.
Rated: E.
Like the speedy, modern-day chariots on the NASCAR track, EA Sports' racing franchise seems to be going nowhere fast. Little has changed since last year's installment, and there are still a few nagging problems rumbling under the game's hood. What's the point in offering online multiplayer if only four players can compete at once?