As a whole, Sanctum 2 feels confused. It isn't quite as much tower defense as fans of the first game would probably hope for, since more of the emphasis this time around is placed on the first-person shooting element. It also hides way too much information from the player, leading to a lot of guess-and-check strategies. The game remains a refreshing hybrid of genres, however, and many of the frustrations temporarily wash away as you lay witness to the last enemy in the last wave die, proving that your strategic planning and accurate shooting have paid off.

It's perfect for action junkies who love visceral and brutal fighting but hate to think about things.

SB:Ep1 is a mixed bag; it's funny, but can get old during a sustained playthrough, and it's got some neat puzzles, but they're presented in a disjointed, directionless way that'll have players doing things not because the story or characters dictate them, but simply due to odd item placement and situation setups that seem like they should be done just because.

The game is just as prone to causing misery as it is happiness, as I discovered early on when my axe-wielders had been killed off and I was left with only ranged attackers who fell, one by one, to close quarters enemies that they just couldn't hit.

Perhaps it's the fact that, between the first Rez and this new version, I'd immersed myself in games like "Synaesthete" -- games which successfully couple music and gameplay to the point where the player experiences the game exactly as he or she would a music video. Compared to these titles, Rez HD, even with its updated graphics and improved trance vibration, now feels rather antiquated.

To be fair, Dragon Sword is a blast to play and there’s nothing that really comes close to the same experience on the DS. But when it takes roughly five or six hours to complete a game -- and most of those six hours are spent reliving some of the best moments from the first hour and a half -- something feels a bit off.

It's like Sega baked a delicious chocolate cake, but mixed a bag of nails into it.

Castlevania Judgment is a lot better than it should be given its brief time in development and small budget, but still not half as good as it could have been. Thanks to the injection of some good ideas and heaping piles of love for the series, Judgment does justice to the Castlevania name, though just barely.

The game succeeds in bewitching players with its aesthetic quality and impressive volume of content, but the flaws are constantly remind you of their existence and sadly drag the whole production down.

It is not an amazing experience which will change your life but a very competent open-world shooter with some good ideas and a few shortcomings in the execution. It's very easy to recommend as a rental since the game can be completed on a spare weekend and absolutely worth playing once.

They've got their heads in the right place, and the start of something that could be really good, but they've still got a long way to go in the ways of storytelling, pacing and visuals before this gets up into the pantheon of must-play horror games.

Hardcore Final Fantasy nerds will be dazzled by the fan service on offer and will likely let a lot of issues slip by unnoticed, just because Kefka is in it. However, Dissidia really isn't a great game. It's a solid, if annoying, hack n' slash title that had a shedload of potential, but just isn't tight enough to truly realize the greatness it could have achieved.

If you’re a fan of the series, then this should be an easy get. If you’re not, then it might be best to consider if the frustration with backtracking and boss battles is worth your time.

The combat is fun even for those who are unfamiliar with the series, but there is certainly not enough to entice new players, and many will feel alienated by a story that doesn't much care for them. I personally have no desire the see this game's story reach its conclusion.

The story is bombastic and gratuitous and level design can be needlessly frustrating, but the strength of the combat and Shadow’s stealth largely compensate.

It's far from sophisticated, but it's so shameless and so strange that never becomes truly mediocre.

A lot of work clearly went into crafting the Story Mode, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a different package for the same old Rock Band setup: play songs, buy stuff to outfit your band with, and travel to other places where you play more songs.

If you haven't already bought the Wallace and Gromit episodes, don't start with this one -- if you have, then I'm sure you'll join me in looking forward to the next, hopefully more exciting chapter in the saga.

Certainly worth a play, but only a true Pinball fan will want to slap down the cash.

It's definitely not for fans of what survival horror games have become, but fans of old-school, "defense-free" games in the genre or fans of ghostly horror films should give the game a shot.

I have to deal with what I have in my hands, and what I have is a single-player mode with some noticeable highlights and a multiplayer mode with too many problems to remain enjoyable, despite all its promise.

I have to deal with what I have in my hands, and what I have is a single-player mode with some noticeable highlights and a multiplayer mode with too many problems to remain enjoyable, despite all its promise.

The PSP release should be considered the superior one, running so much more smoothly than is console-based predecessor, packing more content, and feeling at home on a system more suited to its gameplay, despite the fact that playing for too long isn't recommended if you don't like pain in your fingers.

A relatively decent shooter that is better than it has the right to be, but certainly won't be considered a classic of the XBLA platform. If you absolutely love shooters and want to play every last one, then this will be worth a purchase.

As a standalone narrative, it's a flimsy thing with little to give to the player other than a few good giggles. But, at the same time, this is a competent adventure title with some intelligent puzzles and decently unique places to explore. If you're a fan, you'll dig this and walk away with that familiar MI afterglow. If you're not, perhaps a trial is in order.

Fantastic idea after fantastic idea, let down by failed implementation after failed implementation. It's a confused and messy experience, though it's not because the game itself is sloppy. It's very well made, but it seems that the developers tried to make it do so much at once, that it manages to achieve nothing successfully. EyePet is like a quadriplegic genius. You know he's brilliant, but he's thoroughly useless to society.

Look, it's mahjong. This isn't the next big thing. It's a fun, casual game that will fill in the gaps between your action games and hardcore role-playing games in your PSP library. It's a great road trip game, with its 100 game boards and various game modes. I can wholeheartedly say that it's worth the $3.99 asking price...if you like mahjong.

Fundamentally, the game offers a similar amount of content to 3 on 3 NHL Arcade (playing the computer, playing a friend, playing online), but it costs 50% more, and the most logical assumption I’m left with is that EA figured they could charge an extra five bucks just because the hallowed Madden name is attached to this product. Madden Arcade isn’t bad, but I would’ve had a much easier time recommending it if it were priced at $10.

At the end of the day, there's no justification for a game that forces two loading screens on you before it even begins.

In all honesty, Soul of Darkness is a decent game that adequately captures the gothic spirit of the Castlevania franchise. Unfortunately, its failure to expand upon promising game mechanics, its criminally short playtime, the absence of any real challenge, and the lack of compelling replay value make it hard to recommend.

Folks who love a decent mafia tale -- one of family ties, betrayal, and revenge -- will want to experience the world of Mafia II. Its competent game mechanics and absorbing narrative are enough to warrant a playthrough. But in the end, the repetitive nature of the game's sometimes mind-blowingly boring missions and lack of content will leave most gamers wanting more.

Folks who love a decent mafia tale -- one of family ties, betrayal, and revenge -- will want to experience the world of Mafia II. Its competent game mechanics and absorbing narrative are enough to warrant a playthrough. But in the end, the repetitive nature of the game's sometimes mind-blowingly boring missions and lack of content will leave most gamers wanting more.

Metroid enthusiasts won't want to miss this, and nothing I could write could encourage them to take a pass. But to put it bluntly, Other M simply doesn't meet the high-quality standards fans have come to expect from not only the franchise, but from Nintendo's routinely-spectacular first-party line-up.

Realistic and immersive war situations, however, don't make for great gameplay.

There's some fun to be had here, for certain; it's definitely a more well-rounded package than something like Wii Sports. But ultimately, there aren't enough fresh ideas here to vindicate it as the new king of motion-controlled sports mini games.

Making the density of sports management accessible and fun is no meager feat, but Konami's lackadaisical approach to the nuts and bolts of sports sims -- animation, physics, controls, collision detection, feedback -- hold Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 back.

Only the most dedicated of fans, or someone who's never played a Worms game before should pick up Worms: Battle Islands. If you still want a Worms title for cheap, save some cash and pick up one of the other two titles already available on the PSP.

As a cute little taster of the RAGE experience, Mutant Bash TV is certainly a good idea. The price point is perfect, and even tough the controls are annoying, it's worth picking up just to experience a terrific looking shooter set in a promisingly gruesome world.

Its goofy violence and goofier character design, married to its bleak aesthetic, are almost enough to keep players' interest on their own and are complimented well by tightly-designed combat. It's unfortunate that the game doesn't live up to its own potential, though -- the convoluted story wastes the potential of the rad premise, and Silva doesn't do enough to keep the combat fresh for the duration of the game.

It completely misses its educational goal because of it's design, but remains an intriguing title for those that might feel they are smart enough to tackle the challenge Fate of the World throws at them.

You will miss nothing at all if you choose to ignore the game. I'd definitely recommend you try it out if you're bored and looking for a good time waster, but playing Hunted is just not essential.

For the experienced players, the game will likely bore you to tears and there's a chance you'll only see the glaring omissions and interface annoyances. I know I did, and I know I will never play this game again if I can help it. But I also know I'm not the audience for this game, and I simply have to accept that.

Is the game worth playing? Certainly. It's a decent little adventure that will provide enough solid gameplay to be worth the money. Just make sure one expects no more than that, and it'll be a most worthy purchase. Bastion is fun enough for what it is, but it does not transcend to the levels that it would like you to believe it does.

Captain America: Super Soldier manages to slightly transcend mediocrity by delivering a solid, yet derivative experience that could have ended in disaster.

Air Conflicts: Secret Wars might be a budget title in price, looks, and polish. But it's a simple and surprisingly enjoyable game that hardcore fans of the genre will enjoy if they can go in with low expectations.

3D Classics: Xevious might have met most gamers' standards ten years ago, but in the age of such incredible classic remakes as Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Galaga Legions DX, and Space Invaders Infinity Gene, it's hard to be confident that fans wont be disappointed with this minimally enhanced port.

he games really just have not aged well at all, and the terrible up-and-down of the matches to get you to pump tokens into the game still remain, making it an incredibly frustrating fight.

A lighthearted and straightforward game that does most things right and nothing truly wrong.

For those fresh to Overkill's saucy blend of violence and crude humor, The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut is a fun little game that will soak up a few hours and provide some laughs along the way. Those who have been to the rodeo before, however, don't need to get on the horse again.

This is the kind of game you can easily give to an elder family member if they are a fan of the show, without ever having to explain how it works. It offers a couple of casual evenings worth of extra NCIS entertainment with your favorite characters, and for some fans that might be just what they want.

Yes, you have to put up with missing Spec Ops missions, a lack of refinement in the online modes for now (add a point onto the final score should the lag issues be properly fixed), and some textures that look like they might have been drawn in Paint. On the other hand, you gain the thrilling speed and fluidity of pointer-based aiming (PlayStation owners ought to start petitioning Activision ASAP for Move integration in the next patch) and a slightly different, possibly better balanced, version of the acclaimed online multiplayer modes.

While a good game, the slow response time and ridiculously low FPS almost make Cities XL 2012 unplayable at times.

Fusion: Genesis is like a house made of different colored and shaped bricks, but no mortar. It's fun to play with the individual elements yet it all feels a bit unstable as a whole. Still, if you are a big fan of twin-stick shooters and space sims, and if you can overlook its faults while playing it casually, you can still get plenty of hours worth of enjoyment out of it.

There is a lot to love with All Zombies Must Die, from its more humorous writing to its charming visuals, but ultimately the game fails to deliver the in-depth multiplayer experience it set out to. There's a solid experience to be had from start to finish, but unless you've been in a coma, or underneath a rock for the last few years, you've probably already played this game.

In the end, Sonic Generations is not the worst Sonic game I've played, but it's far from the best either. I'm glad that I was forced to play through the whole thing, as there are definitely some clever design choices and cool moments in later levels. It's just a shame that I had to wade through so many cheap speed-blocking hits and uneventful levels to get to them.

Shank 2 can be summed up as "fine." It isn't going to revolutionize brawlers or bring anything truly unique to the table, but it isn't a bad game either. Some of the strongest points also seem to be the weakest, but there are some places where they get done right.

DoDonPachi's futuristic sci-fi setting isn't inspired in itself, but everything from the portraits of the cyber-dolls (uh?) that control your ship to the the elaborate bosses look fantastic.

It's a videogame about guns that pretends to be something deeper while striving for nothing more. If you keep that in mind, and you're happy to play along, you'll get what you paid for...But you won't get anything else.

Solid but unspectacular. Though the game never outstays its welcome, the puzzles never felt truly inspired at any point, especially later on. Most of them felt like a setup for a pleasant gag but nothing more. The latter half of the game sags a bit, particularly after the kidnapping and prison break storylines are resolved.

Jagged Alliance: Back in Action may ultimately be inferior to its legendary predecessor, but it has just enough of that spark in it to be a compelling, substantial impostor.

Despite lasting only a couple of hours, Bloodforge still feels like it outstays its welcome thanks to its duotone environments and the feeling that everything on offer has been offered countless times in better packages. Still, if you love old school brawlers enough, you will have a solid, if fairly unremarkable, little button masher that will at least justify the asking price.

It's a good game, just a hollow one.

If you've got a mind to grind, and you don't mind being asked to run around in circles, there's something in A Valley Without Wind for you, for however long it takes for you to get tired. And you will get tired.

Gravity Rush has everything it needs to be something great, but it takes all the wrong forks in the road and ends up rather unfulfilling. It's a real shame, too, because you it's so clear how brilliant it truly could have been.

Offers a much bigger challenge than most recent adventure games, even with its streamlined features. Despite the much appreciated highlight-all-objects function, the puzzles are still challenging and this is a game that will take even point-and-click enthusiasts a while to complete. Newcomers, however, may find the steep difficulty too much and if you don't click with the characters and their story, then you may find Chains of Satinav just too overwhelming and frustrating.

Jet Set Radio is still a fun title, but also a frustrating one. If you've never played the game before, you may be left wondering what all the hype was about. It may be a good game, but if it had been released for the first time today, many would see it as unfinished.

The new HD graphics are not perfect, but they're suitable. The character models don't look too bad, but some of the environments and textures just look weird in their "upgraded" form.

It's a solid start for a game capable of excellence, but so frequently squanders the credit it earns on frankly confusing design.

Shado'O offers a solid tower defense experience, albeit one that doesn't take advantage of its unique setting and story. While mechanically sound, despite some frustrations when it comes to unit placement around the fog, it's nothing you probably haven't played before.

It's not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, and can even manage to be quite fun in the right environment, but it's altogether a fairly meaningless release that seems to exist just to ensure Sony has something out in time for the holiday season that isn't All-Stars.

As a disposable game costing a few dollars, Chasing Aurora is something I'd recommend wholeheartedly. As a game that presents itself as worthy of standing alongside the biggest and best digital console offerings, and prices itself accordingly, this hopeful little number is left desperately wanting. While it's good for a little bit of innocent, inoffensive amusement, it just offers nowhere near enough to justify an immediate purchase.

It's a fun, awkward exercise that some may grow tired of all too soon.

There's not much to Black Knight Sword. It's a platformer, it's kind of weird, and it doesn't really do anything new.

If you are craving some LotR action or want to play a bold new MOBA, there is a lot to like about Guardians of Middle-earth. It's a shame that its lackluster community and frustrating technical issues get in the way of that.

Ikachan is a marvelous introduction to a much larger, more ambitious game. But that's all it is: an introduction. If you are willing to accept that, you'll happily enjoy the short time you spend in its watery world.

It's still a neat little puzzler for sure, but it needs a bit more tweaking for me to wholly recommend it. If you've always been on the edge in terms of buying this game, this release should tip you, as it's the definitive version.

Cart Life is short love with a long term divorce. The beginning speaks to the heart and intellect, but the rest recalls pain and boredom. It's worth experiencing, but go in knowing you may not be the right person for the job.

It is a decent amount of unbridled chaos with some absurd enemy design and a solid weapon mechanic. While not the most innovative or engaging title, it is likely to provide enough entertainment for Serious Sam fans to be worth looking into.

It captures the Trials HD experience perfectly. It's just a shame that a little more couldn't have been done to make Freestyle leap ahead of the pack.

The Infamy is a little bit too dependent on the assumed purchase of the other two packs. With a cliffhanger ending, and memory fragments to collect across multiple episodes, it's clear that it will be much more poignant as a complete story.

In many ways, ATV Wild Ride 3D is stuck in the 90s, but that isn't wholly a bad thing. It does everything that it advertises -- it allows you to ride ATV vehicles on some pretty neat courses, in 3D.

Dwelling somewhere between mediocrity and greatness, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory isn't a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. It's just not a very good one either. A nuanced, rhythmic, and generally entertaining combat system awaits alongside a nascent story for those that can endure more than their fair share of suffering.

Anodyne’s weaknesses would’ve been greatly justified by a solid narrative. Instead, we’re left with a semi-decent dungeon crawler featuring some rather attractive sprite art and great soundtrack.

Eador: Masters of the Broken World is laden with good ideas and myriad reasons for strategy nuts to go... well, nuts, but for every compliment I could pay it, there's a caveat. Strange design choices and a serious lack of polish mars the things it does so very well. For a while, I couldn't even play the damn thing it was so unstable. Crashes every few minutes, and a bug around every corner made it not worth my time.

I can't help but feel that Gromit's disbelieving stare projects past Wallace and into the offices at Telltale, while the poor clay dog shakes his head in dismay.

It's not what we expected, and it's not what the game could have been: it's not perfect, or even particularly great. Yet what it offers is wholly unique, and there's a lot of satisfaction to be had in small amounts throughout its running time. I'm in no hurry to play through it again anytime this week, but heck...maybe in a month or so I'll create a whole new species and send them out to the stars.

The things that the title does right, it does well. Explosions are crisp, the autosaving is merciful, and the multiplayer is stable. Yet, there is a lot wrong with Bad Company. That list includes the driving, schizophrenic but miraculously expert marksman AI, plot holes you can drive a truck through, and signing your soul away for additional weapons.

If it weren’t for all the bugs, Sacred 2 would get a better score, but as it stands now it needs some significant patching to reach its full entertainment potential.

Dynasty Warriors Gundam is not a bad game, but it's certainly nothing special, nor will it be as fun for Warriors fans as the real thing.

If you aren't pissed off about having to install it to your hard drive to avoid graphical issues and you like a strategic element to your battles, you may really enjoy the game. The truth of the matter is though, my standards for the genre are high, and I feel that if Square had spent a little more time clarifying the muddy parts and fixing the technical issues, this could have been a terrific game.

It's with a heavy heart that after almost 15 hours of play (including multiplayer and single-player sidequests), we have to report that it simply doesn't deliver the way we had wanted it to. For fans of metal, there are enough inside jokes and nods here to make you smile, and even casual observers of the culture will find enough to hold their attention. But ultimately, the game disappoints, with some "been there, done that" gameplay mixed with some potentially interesting concepts that either fall flat, or sometimes feel like like a chore.

The game play is entertaining enough, and battles and missions provide callenges that keep you coming back. It's just that the lackluster presentation and boring story really hurt the overall package.

A fun, entertaining, but unfortunately disappointing entry in the Sam and Max series. It retains the great writing of the other episodes, but its considerable lack of difficulty and completely lackluster ending make this episode the worst in the series thus far.

While we appreciate the attempts at making an intensely deep strategy experience, Wild Arms XF may just be too deep for a portable game. Incredibly patient gamers may be okay with the chess-like pace and high level of strategizing, but for the rest, I'd recommend renting this title before purchasing.

It never truly captures the imagination nor has the ability to draw a person into its fantasy world.

To take a page from the book of elitist musicians everywhere: "Put down that toy and go play a real plastic guitar."

Given that there are several different planets to explore, myriad sidequests and optional bosses, and a ton of Spectrobes to collect, the micro-managing collectioneer will find plenty of game in Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals. It's just too bad that not one, but two clumsy combat systems and a cluttered UI detract from an excavation mechanic which provides some of the most fun that can be had with a touch screen and stylus.

If you’re looking for a GTA-style title with Vin Diesel in it, then you’ve found your game. If you’re looking for an open-world, arcade-style racer, then you may want to look elsewhere. Wheelman flirts on the buggy side and the over-the-top, cinematic action is often bogged down by silly additions and weird design decisions.

All around, Samba de Amigo is probably the best "arm dancing" game I've played yet (don't laugh, the Wii has tons of 'em), but unfortunately isn't billed as such.

A sluggish camera, some bad gadgetry, inadequate fighting mechanics, poorly utilized stealth system and really sh.tty rhythm segments really injure what could have been a complete package.

When everything is accounted for, Overlord: Raising Hell is an occasionally fun game that is rarely engaging, but always funny.

Ultimately, the single player campaign is atrocious and I had a rotten time playing it. It seems to take everything that was frustrating about Modern Warfare, magnify those elements, and then leave out the interesting objectives, characters that matter, and anything that leaves a lasting impression beyond anger and disappointment.

Roogoo: Twisted Towers feels like a bunch of missed opportunities hanging out on top of a really great puzzle game. The great idea is there, it just never makes its way down to earth where players can get a piece of it.

It has a lot of good ideas, but none of them are fully fleshed out and turned into truly great gameplay additions. The story is forgettable, the equipment and level ups may as well not even be there, and everything just feels half-finished.

This is a solid experience that 90% of people won't appreciate, but 10% of people will love. It lacks the charm and staying power of other titles in the genre, but it will definitely keep Japanese strat-fans satiated for a good deal of time.

After giving it some thought, I actually can see how Onslaught could be someone's game of the year, but only if that someone was very young, and/or has never played a online FPS before.

A solid but but unspectacular point-and-click adventure. It will scratch the itch to play games of its type but breaks no ground and does little to further the appeal of such games. Its moderate challenge level may be a little low for veteran players, who may find aspects of it disappointing.

If you can get a group of people together you know to play with, I really do think this game is worth the $25 they're selling it for. It's not perfect, but the first commercial game from an indie developer rarely is. Isotx has shown a ton of promise, and is definitely a company to be looking out for in the future.

It's a very casual puzzle-like game that can slowly sneak up on you with a hidden complexity. It will not be fun for all players and even fans of the puzzle genre may be left scratching their heads.

Do yourself a favor and purchase any of the other four Fallout downloadable content packs before even contemplating getting this one.

Ultimately, South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! is a disappointment. It's not exactly a bad game -- the Tower Defense gameplay is competent enough -- but it fails to do anything that makes it worth being considered anything more than simply "alright." There are ultimately far more charming and addictive Tower Defense games out there for your money, ones that are guaranteed to entertain more than this one does.

Yes, many of the puzzles were kind of underwhelming, and yes, some of the most dramatically important scenes were severely undercut by Telltale's technically limited engine (the episode 4 finale is so almost-incredible it actually hurts), but hey -- it's Monkey Island, man. A pretty significant part of me can't help but love it, despite all its flaws.

Ultimately, this is what you need to know: for ten bucks, you can buy the videogame equivalent of a bag of Cheetos and a porno mag, except the Cheetos are zombies and the naked people are driving cars with flamethrowers attached to them.

Given the short main game length, a lower price point seems like it would have been more appropriate. If you're on the fence, I'd recommend a rental first. This may not be what you're expecting.

I can only say that the majority of this game does not live up to all it can be, and seeing the creativity and challenge that some of the levels in the third world show off only highlights this fact.

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is beautiful. I thank the developers for making it. I resent the developers for not making it good enough.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair looks gorgeous and has some cool ideas, but ultimate it feels like Castlevania Lite -- a stripped down version of a real Castlevania game with none of the depth or clever design.

There's so much amazing fan service here, that enthusiasts simply shouldn't miss it. Despite its extremely obvious and repetitive nature, it's also a decent amount of fun, provided you play it in small doses.

There's so much amazing fan service here, that enthusiasts simply shouldn't miss it. Despite its extremely obvious and repetitive nature, it's also a decent amount of fun, provided you play it in small doses.

This is a great game for the fanatics who like having all their Sonic games on a next generation console. However, if you're a casual fan looking for a masterpiece, all you'll find is a relic that was once considered greatness. It honestly pains me to say that.

There are one or two interesting set-pieces, but nothing as epic as the first game. There's really only one boss fight (other than the finale), and while it starts out slightly cool, it just evolves into tediousness.

The problem is that while there's a lot to obtain from the game, there's ultimately very little to do. A handful of other game types on disc could have helped towards keeping the experience fresh, but as it stands, it fizzles out a little too soon to keep you coming back for more.

The truly stunning single-player campaign offsets many of the multiplayer's flaws, and the Zombie mode is tons of hilarious fun, but neither manages to be lengthy or deep enough to make Black Ops the truly great game that I know it should be. This is an incredibly well-made game that, once patched, will easily sit among the hottest titles of the year. As it exists right now, however, I can't recommend the game for purchase.

It's not an exceptional entry into the genre but a decent play. Fans of arcade-style top-down shooters will likely have fun, particularly if they have an itching to prove themselves on the leaderboards, but most others can probably find better ways to slate their lust for undead slaughter.

On one hand, the game has energy provided from the fun conversations taking place at the table. And you definitely get more than $5 worth out of that alone. What kills Telltale's latest game is that, really, there's not enough diversity to keep people coming back ... at least not for more than a game or two when you're bored and have nothing else to do.

It may be the worst of the Ouendan/Elite Beat games, but it's still an Ouendan/Elite Beat game, and as such, it has the potential to be a lot of fun.

Buy this one if you absolutely love Grobda, but anyone else aching for Namco classics would be better to buy Namco Museum Remix for five dollars.

If you are a huge RPG fan and need something to play on the go, there are frankly better titles out there, but if you've played all those, Ash will sort you out.

Ultimately, Zombies II doesn't quite have the controls to make it stand up against some of the other, better iPhone shooters on the market, nor does it add to the franchise enough to feel like a worthy sequel.

It's a game with serious potential, but it's far too overwhelming in its current state. For one thing, the lack of a jump button is absurd.

For your seven bucks, you get an extra hour of content that adds a new layer of mystery to the Dead Space universe and a rather shocking ending that would've been compelling if the campaign had been long enough to build up any emotional ties.

For your seven bucks, you get an extra hour of content that adds a new layer of mystery to the Dead Space universe and a rather shocking ending that would've been compelling if the campaign had been long enough to build up any emotional ties.

It feels more like a stopgap that's worth borrowing or renting, but can't justify a full cash price.

It feels like something that was left on the cutting room floor for good reason instead of a complement to the original game.

It feels like something that was left on the cutting room floor for good reason instead of a complement to the original game.

It starts off as a deeply unsatisfying game which wants to punish players who try to enjoy it, then becomes rather endearing, with the acquisition of power and loot at least providing a traditional sense of accomplishment. When all's said and done, however, the game's high points arrive too late and provide too little. While hardcore fans will likely dive into the game and have fun, those who don't feel that they should be made for pay for a game with their patience will be put off.

Red River may not appeal to everyone – our sense is that it's too hardcore for the console crowd and doesn't have enough of a unique identity for the PC crowd – but that shouldn't dissuade fans of the series or of modern-warfare shooters from taking a playthrough.

Thanks to its pathetically short campaign, dodgy co-op setup and broken multiplayer matchmaking, F.E.A.R. 3 is one of the best shooters I've played presented in the worst possible way. It pains me to have to be so harsh, but there's simply no justification for how this game's excellence has been squandered and ultimately ruined.

It's simply a shame that this full-priced retail title based on a bonus mini-game still feels like, well, a bonus mini-game. The Mercenaries 3D almost feels like a project Capcom used to test the 3DS waters for what's sure to be next year's more complete Resident Evil experience.

A decent little shooter for fans of the franchise, but it's really not fun when played on its own, and the lack of online is a glaring limitation that's difficult to discount.

Scores points for its moments of genuine cleverness and tight, logical design, but the majority of the experience is a lukewarm and superficial one. It tries to merge three types of gameplay together, and while the intention is admirable, the effort made is far from total.

I had a fairly good time with Bleach: Soul Resurreccion. I never really knew what was going on in the story, and the button mashing destroyed my hands, but it was an enjoyable, mindless romp in a really pretty anime world.

ClaDun X2's combat and world feel a bit generic and small in comparison to Quartet's masterful SNES titles and similar action-RPGs, but the customization, Magic Circle system and endless dungeons make ClaDun X2 a recommendable title for RPG-lovin' PSP owners.

I struggle with claiming the game is great for younger, uninitiated gamers because I cut my teeth on much more challenging, varied, and interesting platformers at a young age, but that audience is there. For the rest of us, Max and the Magic Marker is a cute and fun, albeit simplistic, romp through an upbeat, pretty, childlike fantasy world that does some neat things but struggles to stay consistently engaging.

If you are seeking a new, unique team-based game to play with some friends on Halloween, The Haunted is a worthy choice. Just know that you may not want to play it in November, when you are still facing the same server, waiting, and technical issues that plagued its release.

Rounds out the collection found in the original Kinect Sports with a competent batch of games without a really bad one in the bunch. It can be a good time for families and folks who like to party and ideal in small doses. At the same time, it struggles to be compelling for more than the most casual of encounters and the limitations of the simple games don't really hold up for repeated playing.

A decent little distraction, but it's out during a period when "decent" distractions should be low on a gamer's list of priorities.

Not a good game, as I have attempted to stress. It is, however, perversely amusing and would actually make for a fun party distraction. It's one of those rare games that, no matter how poorly I may score it, still comes as a recommended purchase. It's a cheap little kart racer that will, at the very least, entertain via irony and still manages to be a competent -- if broken in several ways -- racer.

Sadly, while remaining quite fun, the end product is a severely problematic and ultimately shallow exercise that covers familiar territory. While it would make a fairly worthwhile holiday game for the kids, the true potential of the game is tragically unrealized, and those looking for that elusively meaty PS Move title will come away disappointed.

Ultimately, the rising popularity of DLC exposes what a shoddy business model Koei has with these expansions, and while there's still a lot of fun to be had for hack 'n slash fans, it's getting beyond the point where products like this have a place in the industry.

If you ever find Michael Jackson: The Experience at a fraction of the asking price, I'd definitely recommend picking it up. It's not an astounding game, but it's a decent distraction that can soak up an hour of two of your time.

Despite how lazy and pointless it is, its ability to provide cheap laughs and easily gratifying stealth missions can't be denied.

Awful obligatory minigames aside, there's a solid game to enjoy at the core. You'll just have to be a really big fan to suffer through the dire moments.

It's sloppy, cheap, and the one central gimmick is exploited to weary degrees. Nevertheless, it still carries itself with a sense of sincerity that I find utterly charming, and its simplistic combat system is perfectly capable of providing some basic thrills.

Alas, Kinect Star Wars as a package is a mixed, if varied bag of motion tricks. For everything that works well, something else ruins the experience.

With some pretty decent platforming, a dash of shockingly grim humor, and an utterly ridiculous Sour Patch Kids music video courtesy of Method Man, World Gone Sour is far from the worst thing you could waste five dollars on.

It's still a good puzzle-platformer, although its concept isn't nearly as mind-blowing today as it was in 2007.

For those desperate to use their Move controllers in something exclusively centered around the Move, Sorcery provides a few hours of inanity that can be gratifying, if in a slightly underwhelming way. Still, the game's chaotic camera and unwieldy controls can frustrate, not to mention the alarming tendency for the PS Move to need consistent recalibration.

Johnny Kung Fu certainly has its charms, and the dichotomy between the combat levels and the Game & Watch-inspired throwbacks is quite novel. It's just a shame that all the charm is burned through so quickly. The result is a game of extremes with no happy medium -- it's either too simple and brainless or too tedious and frustrating.

If the game had an engaging story and actually felt more like a "game" than a procedural chore, I would have been committed to finishing it properly. Instead Rainbow Moon offers you the gameplay you love, with none of the charm or interest.

Not a bad game. What it does, it does fairly well, and the art style looks neat. However, despite the graphics and accurate gameplay, the collection falls into the problem all mini-game collections have: repetition, which leads to boredom.

After all the good Phosphor did with Dark Meadow, it's sad that Horn will likely be used by detractors as proof that mobile gaming just doesn't work. It does. It's just that Phosphor went too far trying to prove it this time, and Horn is a worse game because of it.

Tower Wars is completely functional and full of spirit; however, lack of a single-player mode and unruly queue times will likely leave many gamers unfulfilled.

Aesthetics, however, can only carry a game so far, and Hell Yeah! doesn't get far before it slides into drowsiness. It's a solid little platformer in many regards, but those playing need to be aware that they run the risk of growing bored and agitated by the recapitulated ideas and unsavory controls.

If you can fight through the lack of variety and questionable design decisions, Most Wanted mobile is decent little companion to the full retail release. It might not be the best racing game on the mobile market, but if you're hurting for virtual driving on the go, you should think about picking it up.

When it works -- when you're barreling across the battlefield with one teammate hanging out the window firing a submachine gun and another on the rooftop grenade launcher, swerving in and out of the exploding wreckage of your enemy's vehicles and making your way toward their base -- it's glorious. It's just too bad it doesn't work all that often.

Serious Brew clearly aimed for the stars with Cargo Commander, it's just unfortunate that so many nagging issues obscure the finer details that really make this game interesting.

A Game of Dwarves is exceedingly easy to get to grips with, and it's functional, if not as fleshed out as one would have hoped.

Beautiful to look at. It's also quite obviously unfinished. The building blocks of the ultimate Mickey Mouse game are here, but we'll have to wait yet another day to see that vision become reality.

For those that aren't at all bothered by the slightly mediocre gunplay, there are a few new enemies that are fun twists on creatures with which we are already familiar. It's enough to keep the feeling that we've seen it all before at bay, but not much more.

I hate using the term "mixed bag," but Midway Arcade Origins really is exactly that. A decent sampling of some classic titles that mostly control well with very limited options, and a few games that will leave you scratching your head at their inclusion (or exclusion, as the case may be). For those that remember these games, it's a great bit of nostalgia.

When I do play, I enjoy Forge, but I wish that I was playing an MMORPG with the same gameplay setup instead. In the end, unless you're someone heavy into shooters who is looking for something different yet familiar, or are into MMOs for the PvP mainly, then it would be worth waiting for the game that will be "forged" a few months down the road.

Although I don't feel like I would have wasted my cash outright, I do feel a little disappointed that there wasn't more bang for your buck here.

Dollar Dash is a serviceable game, even if it doesn't aim very high. If you're bored of constant deathmatches in Spelunky's multiplayer versus mode, or you've saturated every last round of Bomberman and the many clones it spawned over the years, Dollar Dash will give you a few evenings of enjoyment.

Fans of traditional RPGs will be turned off by the minimal exploration elements; fans of anime babes in skimpy costumes are unable to get their fix, while fans of generic cutesy anime nonsense really don’t command the buying power to make Atelier Ayesha anything more than a niche title.

The Betrayal tries to offer more variety than The Infamy did thanks to its high flying antics, but it never truly transcends those ideas on a base level. If it offered a full sandbox with ridiculous spirit powers, it could have made for a pretty amazing superhero sideshow.

A nice presentation helps make things a little more interesting, but there's still no escaping the fact that Sacred Citadel fails to inspire much passion. It's an okay game, a solid arcade throwback, but it's a mere face in a crowd and doesn't stand out very much.

Despite being entertaining in its own way, The Starship Damrey ultimately fails to provide a hardcore, old-school adventure as promised. There's potential for an even more expansive campaign, which I hope Level-5 explores one day -- if Liberation Maiden can get a sequel, so can this! For now, rein in your expectations.

t's just a shame that, where the Wii version is concerned, bustin' didn't make me feel good.

Assassin's Creed is a disappointing, repetitive game filled with horrendously long and unnecessary cut scenes, a boring plot, tedious chores, and significant difficulty problems -- it's a game with a few great ideas but absolutely no idea how to implement them...Once you get past all that, however, there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be able to have a hell of a fun time with it.

Endless Ocean is an interesting experiment that could lay the groundwork for something deeper and more fleshed out in the future (I kept imagining how cool a multi-layered RPG would be set in a similarly vast ocean). As is, though, I really can’t see the average gamer (translation: everyone that isn’t me) being entertained for more than an hour of two. Not to use a bad water pun, but the experience ultimately feels shallow.

X-Blades is a game that most people will be right to ignore. It offers nothing of substance, and the problems are so vast that a lot needs to be forgiven in order for any fun to be had. Hardcore action fans will definitely get a rental from what can be a decent experience, but those with short tempers, refined tastes or something important to do with their lives will want to steer clear.

Where laughs are concerned, Dangeresque 3 knocks it out of the park. It's just a real shame the puzzles couldn't have done the same.

Where laughs are concerned, Dangeresque 3 knocks it out of the park. It's just a real shame the puzzles couldn't have done the same.

Rarely has a game straddled the line between brilliant and dismal as much as Nier has, and rarely has it made for such a difficult review.

The ease of play, robust upgrade system and mindless shooting should provide plenty of fun if you choose to download. But like my scuffed and worn loafers, the game is showing its age.

A brawler with a weak combat system. Had the combat been tighter, then perhaps I could have given this a glowing review, but when the heart of a game is flawed, all of the other components are going to suffer.

If you're incredibly desperate for a sidescroller, then Blade Kitten will waste a handful of hours for you, and might even scratch your itch. You really would have to make sure there's nothing else left to play before considering opening your wallet for this, though.

Very disappointing. Lacking the sense of adventure of the previous games and making the most simple of elements more awkward and overdrawn, Fable III feels like a step back for the franchise. It's a shame because its narrative goals are truly outstanding and there's still a lot of simplistic roleplaying fun to be had. These positives are outweighed, however, by a downsized sense of scale, cumbersome attempts at innovation, and a total neglect when it comes to fixing some important problems.

You'll get at least an hour's worth of play time out of it, and you might even go back for one or two stages. There really isn't anything this game does, however, that hasn't been done better, and on far less advanced consoles.

At best, it's an alright game, but everything good about it was good in 1992. The iPhone itself has added nothing, and you could get five better games on iTunes for the cost of one mediocre Genesis port.

Although the game isn't visually ugly, the grey color palette and awful designs of the robots themselves (the movie versions look like computers that were exploded and put back together by horses) make for unpleasant viewing.

A decent enough game for those who enjoyed the first and want a harmless time waster. Compared to the original, however, Chaos Rings Omega is significantly lacking. It copies mechanics, re-uses assets, and mimics the entire plot of the first game, but it lacks the originality and surprisingly original characters that allowed the first to be a charmer.

There's just not enough content and too many restrictions for the game to be truly engaging. It keeps the player at arm's length, removes any motivation for feeling responsible and, at its very worst, annoys with persistent feelings of helplessness and characters who couldn't tell their arses from their elbows.

A humble game for a humble premise.

Gotham City Impostors desperately wants to be a freemium game, that much is evident. The gameplay is functional without being exceptional, and the focus is placed entirely on personalization at a price -- be it time or money.

If you are looking for a relaxing adventure title with a distinct mood, Waking Mars will scratch that itch you've had since finishing Ghost Trick and Sword & Sorcery. Just take my advice and shut the game off once you start getting frustrated, because things don't get any better after that point (including the uneventful endgame).

Ridge Racer Unbounded simply doesn't manage to make all its separate elements gel together.

A mixed bag. Even though it makes good on rejuvenating the sniper rifle in videogames and giving players creative ways to fortify their location, it buries it all in one of the worst stealth games to come around in years. But, if you are the type of patient player that can look past a game's flaws, you may find an enjoyable Nazi testicle shooting gallery in V2.

There aren't many God simulators out on the market anymore, and the simplistic nature of the game easily could have swayed a ton of new potential fans. Unfortunately, the package is fairly bare bones, and doesn't really deliver any long-term enjoyment. If you buy this, be prepared to turn the other cheek.

There is an interesting backstory to the world of Krater, even if it isn't fully realized.

For a game about properly communicating your emotions in order to find success, the developer did a poor job of conveying its own desires to the player. The Act is a rough relationship that woos with visual charm, connects through some fantastic, emotional moments, but leaves the player a bit high and dry, in the end. There might not be another game like it, but there are better fish in the sea out there, even for a romantic gamer.

Despite some annoying issues, NCAA 13's biggest problem is that the core mechanics are simply dulled by the franchise's repeat performances.

If you're willing to ignore the annoying system the game employs, then there's a few good hours of engineering impossible vehicles and general silliness.

At $20, there are way better fighting games with way more polish for less money, making JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD an incredibly hard sell. Given the rough edges, it feels more as if Capcom is trying to play off of the hype from the upcoming new JoJo's game which is currently in development, rather than give a nod to a classic.

So much of what makes the game a repugnant mess in the opening soon makes sense by the end of chapter one, but many problems introduced at the start never fade away.

Nothing this Wii U release does can improve upon the core gameplay, which remains as dry, disaffected, and banausic as ever before. Razor's Edge gives us more, but when the original serving exceeded that which the player could stomach, "more" isn't a very tasty prospect.

If you really love Monkey Ball, have no intention of playing anything outside of single-player, and come in with low expectations, you might enjoy Banana Splitz if it ever goes on sale one day. While it's not offensively bad like Super Monkey Ball Adventure, you'll most likely want to roll right on past this one.