Some new guy showed up at the office today, sat down at my old desk, and announced that he was ready to get started on his dream job. According to a post on the NeoGAF forums, our new reviewer's name is Tom Mc Shea. A subsequent Google search suggests that his previous exploits include work for both Kwanzoo and 1UP, as well as unwittingly starting rumors about the Xbox Originals releases of Jade Empire and Conker: Live and Reloaded.

We're pleased to welcome Tom "Gigglepoo" Mc Shea to the team. Look for his name on GameSpot reviews soon.

This Friday heralds the release of Iron Man into movie theaters and video game retailers nationwide. It also marks the arrival of Iron Man on my desk, six platforms deep and ripe for reviewing. Sega was hesitant to send copies out for fear of spoiling the movie, and 45 minutes into the PS3 version I can safely say those fears weren't unfounded. I've thus far managed to (don't worry, no spoilers to follow) escape from my cave/lab prison with the help of a few missiles and a flame-thrower that puts TF2's pyro to shame. Then I took the Mark II Flight Suit out for a spin that felt vigorously projectile in a manner befitting Iron Man, and was gleefully tearing apart tanks and snapping helicopters in two until an enemy I had destroyed failed to register as eradicated and I was forced to restart the level. I'm back at it now, feeling a little less shiny about the whole thing but determined to score myself a Mark III and throw some missiles around. I'll be at it all weekend so I can give you the word next week, but until then you'll just have to content yourself with seeing the film. Or playing some other game. There were a couple that came out this week, right?

So yeah, as you've probably heard by now, Grand Theft Auto IV is the first game since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 to score a perfect 10 on GameSpot. To paraphrase our review guidelines, this means that GTAIV, at the time of its release, could not have been improved in any meaningful way. That doesn't mean that GTAIV is perfect, because it isn't, but on this occasion it means that a few minor flaws are easy to overlook when considered in the context of everything that the game gets right.

You should know that awarding a 10, or any score for that matter, isn't something we take lightly. All of our reviews have to be approved by the entire reviews team as well as other editors before we post them, and this one was no exception. In fact, as soon as the idea of us awarding our first 10 since 2001 was mentioned in the office, a meeting was called in which everyone who had spent any time with the game or who is involved with reviews on GameSpot was invited to express their opinions.

I'm sorry that GameSpot's review arrived a little later than some of you would've liked, but to be perfectly honest I just wasn't ready to write it until I'd beaten the game at least once (check), spent plenty of time with both versions (check), and played every multiplayer mode online alongside a good number of other players (check). While playing through the story mode I also wanted to take as much time as my deadline allowed checking out some of the optional content, which is clearly a big deal in a game like this. I'm satisfied that I got a good taste of everything that GTAIV has to offer, but even now I'm eager to head home and fire the game up again so that I can complete some of the side missions I skipped.

In fact, I also plan to play through the entire story again. Not only because I want to see how it pans out if I make different decisions, but also because I didn't get to review GTAIV using my own gamertag on this occasion and... you know, I need the achievement points!

At the time of writing our video review isn't up on the site yet, but be sure to check it out when it hits because one of our video guys has been working all kinds of crazy hours to make it something special. Just for you.

Author's note: We'll be using the Under Review blog for a variety of purposes. One of them will be to revisit games once downloadable content is released, whether that content is a patch, an update, an additional feature, or other sundries. We recognize that games can change once these updates are released, sometimes in substantial ways, and we are looking for ways to communicate those changes to our readers.

Our policy regarding reviews remains the same; that is, we will not change review scores based on updates made to games after their release. Reviews provide a snapshot of a game as it existed when the review was written, and we cannot consistently revisit every game based on patches, tweaks, and added content. Nor will we be giving add-on content a score in the traditional sense. Consider the information we cover here to be an adjunct to the original review.

Revisited will be an ongoing column in Under Review, and we are seeking to improve how the content we cover here will be more accessible to readers who may be interested in those changes but may not stumble upon the column. In the meanwhile, if you know of a game that has been drastically altered by downloadable content, send an email to me at kevinv@gamespot.com, and make sure the word "revisited" is somewhere in your topic title. While we won't be able to make a second visit to every game you suggest, we'll use your suggestions to help determine which updates get featured here. I look forward to hearing from you! And now, onto our first Revisited.

Eight months and 256 MB of data add minor control improvements, but can't rescue Lair from the fiery abyss.

Lair was released last August to quite the critical drubbing. Towards the top of our long list of problems with the game were the horribly implemented Sixaxis controls, which made flying the game's impressive-looking dragons a nightmare of epic proportions--a sad circumstance indeed in a game that should have been epic for different reasons. This week, Sony released an update for the game, which added in analog flight options and a couple of extra dragons. We spent a good amount of time with Lair after downloading the hefty 256 MB update, and while we're happy to announce that analog controls have somewhat improved the experience, they haven't dramatically altered the game's awkwardness.

There's no question that flying your dragon is generally easier using the left analog stick, rather than steering with the controller. You can also now use the d-pad to perform a 180-degree turn, as well as to perform a dash, actions previously performed exclusively with motion controls. There's also the added option of a targeting reticle, which helps you target enemies should you want to spew flames at your winged foes in free flight. The reticle isn't always a welcome addition though, since it makes it difficult to see when the red lock-on circle has appeared on your opponents. If for some reason you are a glutton for punishment, the old control system is mostly intact, so you can access the new rides without sacrificing motion controls. However, the option to dash using motion controls has been completely removed. The end result is that jerking upwards to do a full about-face is easier to pull off. And that's good news.

As you would suppose, the new controls make general flight less cumbersome. However, ramming foes in mid flight is still performed exclusively with a jerk of the controller, though this move was arguably one of the more clumsy ones. Yet even if you delegate flight controls to the analog stick, Lair's other glaring problems are as noticeable as ever. The camera's fancy cinematic moves still get in the way; collision detection is crazy; locking onto enemies is still a messy endeavor; the waypoint system is still wildly inconsistent; and mission objectives are as confusing as before. And if you can imagine, there are new problems. For example, several tutorial pop-ups flashed for a split second and disappeared before we could ever read them, and the about-face hint teaches you to use the motion controls without mentioning that there is an analog equivalent (unless that was mentioned in one of the disappearing hints). And the option to tilt the camera by tilting the controller while engaged in ground combat, while proudly announced by a tutorial pop-up, is still non-existent.

The new winged lizards are interesting, particularly the speedy wind dragon, which sports a flexible neck that's intriguing to watch flail about when you engage troops on the ground. There's also a secret ride to unlock, though we'd rather not reveal the specifics of that peculiar surprise; Some Rogue Squadron fans may have an idea of what it is.

Lair is, at its core, the same game it always was. It's still pretty, it's still gawky and uncomfortable to play, and it's still shallow. If you were hoping the update would revolutionize the game, you'll be sorely disappointed. In actuality, the tweaked controls make it easier to notice a variety of other fundamental flaws. It's easier to fly around once you apply the update, but simpler maneuverability doesn't make Lair a good game.

As you're no doubt aware, the GameSpot reviews team is in the process of staffing up after a number of well-publicized departures. Today, we're pleased to announce that our first new hire is none other than Chris Watters! You may know Chris from such literary works as his Nanostray 2 and EA Playground reviews, or from his screen roles in our Halo 3 and Team Fortress 2 Tournament TV shows. You do not know Chris from an episode of Desperate Housewives or as "Major Victory" from Who Wants to Be a Superhero?

In other news, we'll be posting our review of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue later today and, at the time of writing, one of our reviewers is ranked #8 in the world on the Xbox Live Arcade version of Battlezone! It really has been a day for the ages. No, really.

It's only been a month or so since I formally transitioned to GameSpot's reviews team from the previews crew, but in that short time I've already been offered several "exclusive review" opportunities for the site. Some are for high-profile games that would no doubt afford us plenty of traffic were we the first to review them, while others are for games that publishers are likely desperate to raise awareness of, even if that means drawing attention to a review that might end up being less than positive. Regardless, my response is always the same:

GameSpot doesn't do exclusive reviews.

This has been the case here for as long as I can remember, and should come as no surprise to anyone who's ever taken the time to read our Review Guidelines. Not only could agreeing to an exclusive review invite a perceived conflict of interest where scores are concerned, but it would lock us into posting our review on a certain day, probably at a certain time, and almost certainly before we've had an opportunity to spend as much time checking out any online features as much as we'd like. Even ignoring the score stuff that's a problem, because we post our reviews when they're ready, and not before.

Reviewing online multiplayer games in a timely fashion is always going to be difficult because, ideally, we like to play on regular servers with regular folks before making our final judgment. That's a blog entry for another day, though. To get back on-topic, it's my experience (close to 10 years ago, admittedly) that publishers involved in discussions for exclusive reviews often have some level of expectation when it comes to the score. Back in the day, when I was working on print magazines in the UK and the games industry wasn't nearly as professional or under as much scrutiny as it is now, I know for a fact that there were exclusive reviews being given to magazines in exchange for front covers and guaranteed scores. For the record, I was never a part of anything like that, but I was still affected by it.

One now-defunct publisher, who shall remain nameless, had the stones to complain about me to my boss when our exclusive review of a much-anticipated Nintendo 64 game, which was promoted on the magazine's front cover, only awarded the game in question the equivalent of a GameSpot 6.0. No score had ever been promised or even discussed prior to the publication arriving on store shelves, but I guess someone at the publisher got in trouble when it hit and tried to shift the blame onto yours truly. It didn't work, and while I still find the idea of exclusive reviews uncomfortable, I'd like to believe that the deals behind them aren't nearly as shady as they used to be.

So yeah, don't expect GameSpot to be posting any exclusive reviews soon. We'll do our best to be timely as we always have, but ultimately we place more importance on accuracy than on being first.

In the spirit of bringing you all the fun and wonder on my review's plate, I bring you news from my corner of the GameSpot offices, where a wall of windows shines upon me and I can bother Stanley Lin by simply turning my head and complaining.

I plan to take some time to speak to some of the more general questions that arise in the weeks to come, as well as to provide some insight into the process of actually writing a review. For now, however, I'd like to talk about the games sitting on my desk, and some quick behind-the-scenes flashes.

Assassin's Creed (PC)

Expect to see this review published today. There is a bit of backstory to share, however. We received code last week, though it was provided on a standard DVD, rather than in a retail box. When installing it, I encountered an installation error that I was able to bypass; however, the corrupted file caused the game to lock up when I tried to enter Jerusalem. I talked to Ricardo, and Ubi rushed over a retail copy, which caused the same error on a different file. As it turns out, my Phillips DVD drive has problems with certain games, including Turning Point, Lord of the Rings, and other titles. Installation on another work machine as well as my home PC was flawless.

It's important to note that reviews editors never have direct contact with developers and publishers about games we are reviewing. Whenever circumstances like this arise, my superiors are the ones that handle it. I've had other issues crop up, and even had publishers and developers contact me directly about reviews. In turn, I always hand these over to Ricardo. It's shielding in its most necessary form, because it ensures that the developer doesn't know who is reviewing their game, and ensures that I can play the game without any kind of undue feedback or pressure.

The PlayStation 2 Quartet: Silent Hill 0rigins, Heavenly Guardian, Persona: FES, and Mana Khemia

Yesterday, a user sent me his concerns regarding the lack of PlayStation 2 coverage, which he took to mean as a slight against the platform and an unspoken decree that we plan to ignore PS2 games. Far from it! We're short staffed, which means priorities have to be shuffled, but no one should take this to mean that we're dismissing the PlayStation 2 as a living and breathing platform.

Silent Hill 0rigins (or, as I spell it, Origins, with an "O" and not a zero; our policy is not to cater to contrived naming conventions, such as with SH: 0rigins, Driv3r, and skate.) for the PS2 will post today as well. My weekend was spent mainly with Assassin's Creed and Origins, and I think it will mark the first time I have written two reviews that post on the same day. Heavenly Guardian and FES are both on my desk, yet top be unwrapped. We're not yet sure how we will handle FES, though it is possible it will see a full review. Mana Khemia is, for all intents and purposes, Atelier Iris 4, and we don't even have a copy in house. Justin has requested someone to pick it up on our daily GameStop run.

Okami (Wii)

We're fortunate enough to have a pre-release copy of Okami. Depending on how efficiently I can handle the other games on my plate, we should be able to have a review up for release day.

Opoona (Wii)

I am not sure how this Nunchuk-controlled RPG turned out, but Lord knows I can't wait to find out.

Obscure: The Aftermath (Wii)

Actually, there are PS2 and PC versions of this game as well, though we were only sent the Wii version. I will play as soon as I can, and follow up on the other platforms with Justin and Ricardo.

So six games are in my current review rotation. Time to spin the roulette wheel and see where the ball lands!

Welcome to Under Review, GameSpot's new reviews blog. If you're wondering what kind of posts you can expect to find here in the coming weeks and months we have something in common. Truth is, we're not entirely sure how this blog will evolve over time, but in short, we'll be talking about GameSpot's reviews and how we go about writing them.

If you think we're late posting a review, there's a good chance that this blog will be the place where we tell you why. It won't be because we're unaware of the game's existence or because we're too lazy to write about it, but maybe it'll be because we never received a finished copy before it arrived in stores, or because we want to test the game's multiplayer features against the same players that you'll be encountering online rather than under controlled conditions against developers and testers.

We might also decide to offer a running commentary of sorts as we play through some of the games that we're reviewing, though we'll still be reserving our final judgment on those games for the reviews proper. We'll be updating Under Review regularly, so don't be a stranger.

Justin Calvert, Senior Editor