It’s not that SSX On Tour is a bad game. It’s just that the game attempts to improve upon a gameplay formula that doesn’t necessarily need it.

I suppose, if you have an interest in US history, you might eke more enjoyment from the game than I did. But, I am afraid all the fears I had when I first unwrapped the game came true. Playable but, in the end, pretty dull.

It's still worth buying UT3, for those who enjoy modding and hacking. For everyone else: there have been far better PC games this season.

The graphics are piss poor and the AI a joke most of the time, but generally this is the best of the bunch.

If there had been a more expansive single-player mode, smoother animations, and a more variety of levels, Snowboard Kids DS could have been a force to be reckoned with.

Grandia III makes great strides in the magic and skill systems, and the battles are as exciting as ever. It’s just that the storyline is so disappointing that at times it is difficult to continue playing through the game.

Crystal Quest is a pleasant shooter, with no huge flaws, yet the gameplay lets it down. Compared to something as action-packed and addictive as Geometry Wars there isn’t much to keep you playing other than for an impressive high score to boast about.

Fans will be happy with its fairly large roster of classic Guilty Gear characters, but gamers savvy with Jump Superstars and Bleach DS may not be impressed.

With a mixed bag of quality, humor, and creativity to work with, gamers will likely find themselves split over the game’s appeal. It’s not a bad game; it simply lacks a decent execution.

Because of the unrealistic physics, you don’t feel vulnerable. There’s no risk involved running around the jungle wearing only y-fronts with a knife between your teeth, because you’re invulnerable to lengthy drops and those notorious life-enders called bullets. It’s this lack of fear that makes the save system almost neglectable – why bother saving my progress when the missions are all the same? Why bother saving when it’s almost impossible to die?

The controls are a bit fuggly, but all in all, it’s the same game that was released for the major consoles, so if you’re really dying to play this, this is a version to consider.

Battlestations: Midway isn’t bad, but its ambitious mixture of action and real-time strategy doesn’t translate into an exciting and engaging game.

Gamers looking for a solid shooter on the next gen consoles could do a lot worse than Timeshift, but as cruel as it may be, Timeshift will simply not be remembered in any way shape or form in the not so distant future.

The problem is that such controls aren’t finely tuned enough for the task at hand; the sluggish response times, awkward camera angles, and limited movements kill much of the potential fun.

Full Auto 2 is an incredibly shallow, mildly entertaining experience.

The game is incredibly repetitive. You get the standard different worlds of jungle, sand, sky, etc. but other than the colour palette and decor there wasn't anything unique about any of them.

As a card game The Eye of Judgment succeeds. As a video game it fails.

In the end, that’s what Magical Starsign really is; a glorified GBA game with Touch Screen controls tacked on as an afterthought.

It’s a game that instantly endears itself to all who strap on the Wii Remote providing fun in short bursts and while the games main character is on the slightly chunky side, WarioWare: Smooth Moves regrettably doesn’t carry as much weight.

Even at budget price there’s not much that any self respecting Xbox 360 owner will be missing other than a few pretty explosions and half a day spent marveling at spring from building to building, the novelty of which rubs off pretty damn quickly.

Even though it's all mini-games, and as much as you may hate the association of Wii and kiddy-esque mini-games, the humour is something that everyone can enjoy.

At its core is one of the greatest arcade games ever. Just remember that there’s nothing else waiting for you and that although you can finally get online with a Frogger title, you’ll be more alone there than you would be playing single-player.

If you like golf, I think you should buy this, but keep in mind, it might not have all the features you’re looking for.

Though the campaign will pit you against clusters of foes at every turn, the games’ less than stellar combat mechanics will greatly dull the experience.

The lack of a second analog stick on the PSP is a huge pain and the system simply doesn’t seem capable of recreating the experiences that have made the franchise so famous and revered.

There’s just far too much disappointment in PES6 to make it fun; I’m not talking about hype or other people's opinions here, I’m talking about a company too lazy to address the problems that have plagued the series pretty much since the start.

In truth, I honestly believe that a traditional Rush game, marketed at a low price-point, would have probably sold better than this strictly par street racing release.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 is a fairly enjoyable game, with a really attractive and striking visual style and presentation. It’s brought down by undeveloped town sections and cheap fighting tactics, but if you are a fan of the animé then this is worth a look.

The idea of a world with a severe oil shortage is a terrifying notion that hits close to home, but the game surrounding that idea is much less engaging.

This is by no means a must-have title, but one that can take care of a boring weekend ahead and still have room to venture back through either for achievements or some risky, gun-toting action.

As charming as Parin and the residents of monster town are, everything else is rather stale and clichéd, and that which has already been done better many times before it.

The combat mechanics are easy to exploit, effectively leaving the gameplay unbalanced and somewhat shallow. The utterly lacking multiplayer and somewhat inaccurate motion sensing don’t help, either. But hey, at least your arms will get a workout.

A lazy port of a fairly good game with no effort put into making it work better on a console. Slapping a party system onto it doesn't magically make it something special, and there are so many other things I can think of that could have been done that weren't, such as bringing over the best community maps, the previously mentioned dedicated server option, and making the controls more console-centric.

Riviera distances itself well from the mainstream RPG fare, but this is both a blessing as well as its curse.

If you’ve grown weary with the formula that Capcom has regurgitated on a yearly basis, Star Force just isn’t nourishing enough.

The biggest omission from MySims is undoubtedly any kind of online functionality. It’s odd that players can’t visit other towns and share items. As a result, the MySims universe is a lonely place, and will only serve to entertain the player and not anyone else.

Every Extend Extra Extreme is a visually striking and addictive game, but one that won’t appeal to everyone.

Although the depth of the gameplay is barely knee-deep making Super Rub-a-dub not quite the splashing debut as was hoped, it’s still rollicking, simple fun while it lasts and quite possibly the best way to play with vinyl-plastic rubber ducks without getting yourself soaking wet.

The tedious, unavoidable cutscenes and one-dimensional characters add little to the experience, regardless of the flashy graphics and vivid presentation.

Much like the career of English sprinter Dwain Chambers, this title seems like a great opportunity missed, as sheer laziness becomes a huge enemy, and a lack of variation takes its toll.

It doesn’t matter what kind of artistic talent you may or may not have... absolutely anyone can be proud of the products of their imagination.

If you’re looking for a cheap Wii shooter and have some friends around, give this a go. If not, stick to the arcades. You’ll find better there.

Think of it this way: skate is to Tony Hawk as The Bourne Identity was to Die Another Day. The Bourne series didn't kill the Bond series, it just challenged it. And what happened? We got Casino Royale, an awesome Bond flick in a completely new style.

It’s not that the Art of Fighting Anthology is necessarily bad. It’s just that its games haven’t aged well.

It isn’t as impressive as the original games were, but overall Crash seems to be making titanic steps in the right direction.

If this game was being judged purely on potential it would be certainly critically acclaimed. However the flaws certainly have to be considered and in this case they keep Confrontation from being in the upper echelon of tactical shooters.

There is nothing inherently wrong with LifeSigns, but the ratio of hospital soap opera to actual gameplay is insanely high, making most of the experience a wordy one that will fail to draw in those who couldn’t care less about which bone is connected that bone.

It makes a brilliant case of “show, don’t tell”, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t show a heck of a lot.

SimCity Societies feels familiar, but the change is clearly a move in the wrong direction for long-time fans.

After playing or rather attempting to play Grave Danger I can’t help but wonder if the game would benefit from being available through the PlayStation Store.

While Space Siege is by no means bad, it is a very typical and uninspired video game.

The apocalypse could’ve been more.

But for every bit as brilliant Mirror’s Edge is, it’s also equally as frustrating. For every time you exclaim in joyful accomplishment by nailing a series of jumps and lifts, you’ll lament missing a ledge by the width of a fingernail for what feels like the hundredth time, just as much.

For conundrum fans though, this should be welcomed with open arms, as the relaxing nature of the title is sure to fit into the lives of many with a delicate ease.

For those of you that are considering adding Jam Sessions to your collection, be warned: this is not a game. Instead, it’s a program that basically turns your DS into a makeshift guitar. It fulfils that job well; the sound is remarkably crisp and accurate, the controls are easy to pick up, and some guitarists might appreciate all of the little tweaks and customizations available. But when it comes to the other gameplay aspects, Jam Sessions falls flat.

Style over substance rings true once again.

What is certain though is that Streets of Rage 2 is a classic title that fully deserves to be revived and remembered in modern day gaming. Now, pass me the pain relief and I’ll be on my way.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin offers players its share of great moments, but on a whole, this is just an average game.

The problem lies with the basics of the gameplay itself; basing your movements on a gauge and pointing out perfect swings defeats the purpose of actually learning how to play the game well. It’s too mechanical and counterintuitive.

While the formula may never grow old, purchasing its incarnations is becoming rather trivial.

For hardcore racing nuts, Race 07 is probably equal to a second coming. It's detailed, intense, has multiple racing league licenses, and features racing both online and off. However, gamers who are used to having their disbelief suspended for a bit while their Ferrari does 250MPH down a city street and drifts perfectly around the block are in for a bit of an ass-kicking. The difficulty level in 07 is brutal.

An above-average eye(s)-trainer.

It's a good game, but there's isn't much to it apart from colouring, which is the whole point.

A fun, yet relatively short lived game that won’t keep you entertained for too long compared to the likes of Pro Evo 08 and FIFA 08 - but there are far worse ways to burn a short while here and there.

An enjoyable strategy game which needs more depth and variety to be truly arresting. It does what it does well, however developer 4J Studios have succeeded in making the game perhaps too simplistic, and definitely lacking any narrative pull or long-term appeal.

So without relevant characters, we’re left with a tennis game that’s dysfunctional and a list of superb mini-games.

It’s cheap, plays well and is a nice little time waster. Unfortunately, it's a forgettable experience that will only occupy you for a few hours.

I understand that the developers were intending to make a beginners level strategy game that would appeal to a wide audience and, in that regard, I think they succeeded. But once the beginners become familiarized with the product, which won't take long, there isn't much there.

As a benchmark the game shows a lot of promise for the full release which will have significantly more of everything, and hopefully irons out the creases, but as a game it's just disappointing.

Significantly flawed.

While it’s unattractive and a bit awkward on the PS2, if you don’t own a PSP and you’re a survival horror fan, Silent Hill Origins still comes recommended.

Again, what the game aims to achieve is what leads to its downfall, resting securely in the shade of its predecessor's success and achieving some value in that way, without ever coming out to mark its own territory.

It's at times a blissful experience, and at times a total joy, but at others it's frustrating, and shallow.

But if you’re a retro fighting game fan and willing to support SNK’s release of their anthologies, then give this a go. Nostalgia has its limits, but at least you’ll be guaranteed one quality game overall.

It’s just a shame it’s all over so quickly as a more epic adventure with Po and friends would have been most welcome.

It may seem as though this collection is full of simplistic, no-hoper games, but underneath the shocking presentation you can find a fair few games that you could happily spend hours on.

A middling outcome.

If you’re in the market for a bog standard platformer that exceeds itself visually and aurally, then Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars is a worthwhile head spin without the legal repercussions.

This could have been an inspired game, and it certainly contains some original touches and good ideas. However, just when it should be hitting top gear it is knocked back into neutral by inconsistencies and average execution.

The whole game feels like a bland and unambitious platformer with a Crash Bandicoot skin stuck over the top to increase sales. It’s shamelessly repetitive and predicable and collecting mojo feels even more pointless than Wumpa fruit did, but none of that truly matters when playing.

Lord of the Rings: Conquest is indeed awesome, but it’s the kind of awesome derived from watching people falling out of trees on YouTube or seeing your friend get punched in the nuts at a party. It’s the sort of game nobody in their right mind can take seriously, but because it’s so ludicrous, it winds up being fun.

LostWinds reeks of wasted potential.

Gyrostarr is a decent game, but it needs some polish to be truly great.

The story, albeit brief, is involving but also stiffly delivered. Half of the puzzles are well designed, while the other half serves little purpose other than testing your patience. You’ll also wander around Provence as both yourself and your brother, but you’ll discover there really isn’t much point to it all.

But if you’re craving for some naval based warfare you can’t go wrong here, it’s just too slow and monotonous to recommend on a larger scale.

It’s fun, chaotic, and unbelievably bloody. But it’s just not enough to make up for the other glaring flaws; gratuitous violence in video games is only as good as the gameplay that backs it up. Think about it.

A game that probably shouldn’t have seen the light of day. A brawler is not something you expect to see these characters starring in, but it’s not as bad as you might imagine.

Fans of the franchise probably won't be too disappointed if they pick this up, but people looking for a series point-and-click adventure game are probably going to want to go elsewhere.

There simply isn’t enough of anything new and revolutionary to warrant years of dedicated play filling the same catalogues of collectables and earning awards that no-one except yourself will ever care about.

A disappointing title. It doesn’t build on the series in any way, basically sticking to Most Wanted’s fundamentals, whilst adding more technical issues.

While it inevitably outstays its welcome a little too soon, Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition is a charming little game that commands respect for not ending up as another dreadful spin-off that relies entirely on its cover-star, and not the actual gameplay.

Never does it come close to touching Sands of Time in terms of majesty, and what you’re left with is a beautiful looking piece of art, masking a depressingly above average adventure.

Cradle of Rome is an entirely inoffensive puzzle game that relies heavily on its central mechanic of flawless match three gameplay.

However, look past the briefness of what’s on offer and there’s a richly entertaining game to be had.

Like a forgotten girlfriend, it’s not especially pretty, smart, or fun. EndWar’s simplified gameplay keeps it from being a good real time strategy game, while the mediocre combat ensures the game has few memorable moments.

If you’re a zombie freak and really like the sub-genre then this might be worth an investment, but for the rest of us there’s not really a great deal here that will pull us away from Super Stardust HD, Flower or PixelJunk.

Hilarious cameos aside, Sacred 2 is a solid action RPG that is a lot more interesting when played with a partner.

Your CPU teammates will never assist you in easing the pressure of a three-on-one attack, so I can only recommend Live play for people who have at least three controllers (only two Xboxs are allowed, per game).

Even with a fun premise and colorful, simplistic visuals, Noby Noby Boy ultimately falls short when a basic fundamental of design hinders the overall experience.

If there’s a space in your heart for the Transformers then there’s definite appeal here, but as a regular Joe looking for an action game, there’s plenty better on the market.

There’s a lot of fun to be had here against human players but the lack of single player variety is a real weak point – particularly during those inevitable moments when very few or no online games are available.

Sadly, it’s just not a massively compelling adventure, and most certainly won’t be ripe for revisiting like the classics are yet years down the line, but to understate Ceville’s role would be a misstep.

It’s just a shame that the solid fundamentals laid out by the original Army of Two couldn’t be built on in this sequel.

If there’s a single word I’d label Fireteam Bravo 3 with, it’s filler.

The menus are needlessly tedious to use.

About half of the time I’m playing the game, I’m having a good time, and the other half I’m darkly brooding about stringing up each of the game’s developers by their big toes and slapping them repeatedly in the faces with a giant mackerel. [JPN Import]

The story is forgettable, the atmosphere lacking and any promised scares are absent. The campaigns are too short, even when added together, and the standout moments are, sadly, very rare. The game’s melee combat is commendable, but ultimately hindered by the flawed grab attack mechanic.

Dragon Ball Raging Blast is best when viewed as a nostalgia piece. The sheer amount of Dragon Ball related material in the game is staggering, and for fans, presents a wonderful value. For the uninitiated though, the package isn’t quite as rounded.

If you can name every one of Kingdom Hearts' characters in your sleep, then 358/2 Days is certainly for you and you'd be foolish to miss out on an integral piece of the storyline puzzle. Just don't expect the average gamer to be able to relate to you.

It’s a game that doesn’t commit any great—wait for it—sin, but it’s so dead-set on copying a superior game that it’s destined for mediocrity.

Perhaps Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Dark Lord isn’t so much uninspired, though, as it is misleading.

s much as I really do want to love this title, even with arena mode, I just can’t help but feel completely bored by it.

It’s obvious based on the menus within the game that Smash Cars will be further fleshed out with new DLC areas to race in, but at this point it feels paper thin.

FairyTale Fights is a likeable game with a fun style and surprisingly dark sense of humour, but it’s let down by simplistic level design, a lack of substance and undeveloped combat.

There aren’t enough new features to cater fans of the series and the gameplay just doesn’t hold up for newcomers.

It may not be as showy or flashy as some of its peers on PSN, but for just a few pounds and a tiny 80MB download, it’s a good purchase for retro fans and those who can’t get enough of the sub-genre.

There’s no compelling reason to download this episode by itself—and this limp-wristed return to horror leaves a lot to be desired.

If you’re itching for a car-combat game without pretenses and don’t mind the price it’s difficult to make an argument for anything else on Microsoft’s service other than Scrap Metal. Just be aware that what you see is what you get and that the game’s lifespan is severely undercut by the lack of single-player modes outside of the otherwise respectable mission-based content.

There's plenty to nibble at, and for a cent under ten dollars (European pricing and release date still to be confirmed) it's well worth a punt.

If you can treat and accept it as a balls-to-the-wall action blockbuster, Resident Evil 5 is, if nothing else, a great looking and decent entry into the third person shooter genre with a great co-op mode that’s worth at least one play through. It’s just a shame Capcom has forgotten what it is to make me scared of the dark.

It's just disrupted by some tedious combat and shaky presentation that do little to alleviate the familiarity of a Sands of Time "side story".

I felt generally accomplished, yet the weight of disappointment in my gut could not be ignored.

A decent multiplayer component gives the score a boost, but for the most part, Medal of Honor is held back by the developer's unwillingness to take risks with the franchise.

The platforming, while serviceable enough on its own, is made needlessly annoying with a horrendous excuse of a camera. But if you manage to get it working long enough, you'll be treated to some of Disney's finest, from the animated shorts of the early twentieth century to the nightmarish visions of a world that is normally reserved for cherished childhood memories.

As a huge fan of the series it was disheartening that much of what was loved has been removed.

It's such a shame that Raskulls is brought down by weak level design.

It's an absurdly addictive experience that maintains this draw on consoles. As a whole, the game's fairly solid.

The iPhone port is far from perfect, but it's Secret of Mana. You can do much worse.

When the World Cup does come to an end, I can't envision playing this game aside from the rarest of occasions. Not even the implementation of vuvuzelas would change that.

The single player still needs work, but as it stands Reverse of Arcadia is the most complete Yu-Gi-Oh! game released to date.

DC Comics fans, take the plunge if you must, but realize that you will be paying money for a not-quite-finished product that will only partially satisfy your spandex-wearing, world-saving fantasies.

Costume Quest ultimately fills the same void as the candy filling the kids' buckets: it tastes good, but it's not terribly filling.

Homefront is a pleasant diversion at best. At worst, it's a sub-par action game riddled with flaws and design missteps. Perhaps an option for pressing "A" and skipping the entire campaign would have been better advised.

The game controls quite sluggishly. It often seems that there is a delay between what you are pressing on the controller and what is occurring on-screen. I was a relative novice to 3D fighting games back in those days, but now I know that such poor responsiveness can kill a fighting game.

Castlevania means well, providing marvellous visuals and setting a superb atmosphere. But it suffers from hideous amounts of revisiting.

The lacking controls and questionable hit detection kills off much the technical aspects of the fighting.

Even the presentation pales in comparison to the likes of Golden Sun and the other handheld RPGs we've grown to love or hate over the years.

It doesn't know whether it's a hack and slash game or a tactical masterclass, and although it attempts to combine these, it doesn't do so convincingly.

Ultimately, The Suffering tries a lot of different things, but it doesn't really do any one thing strongly enough to stand out.

Advent Rising reminds me of "Breakdown" (the Xbox game, not the Kurt Russell movie) in many ways. Both feature brilliant stories and interesting innovations, but are shackled by flawed gameplay mechanics.

Instincts had quite a bit going for it (good graphics, comfortable controls, unique setting) but then does a great job of screwing it all up and making you not care (repetitive levels, stupid enemy designs, slight unfinished feel in places).

It's a shame Global Star didn't spend more energy on the single-player experience, or perhaps even drop the Story mode completely in favor for still more multiplayer modes and/or maps.

Nothing more than just another shooter. While its map maker is excellent, the rest of the game lags behind in mediocrity. The singleplayer is hampered by poor attention to detail and a story which confuses the player right from the beginning.

It's just disappointing that there are so many issues with the three main games that people are going to be interested in.

Why couldn't Midway just have added the option to play full court two-on-two as well as the one-on-one? It just doesn't make sense.

It's levels and puzzles have little if any appeal. Its continual emphasis on completing tasks and finding items seems more of a tedious job than some fun gaming.

While it features an excellent overall presentation, the actual gameplay comes off dull and uninspired.

It tries to offer some humor and a little bit of fantasy to an otherwise bland game. But it suffers from a lack of difficulty and a few control and glitch issues.

Before it was called Battalion Wars, this game was slated to be named Advance Wars: Under Fire. I'm glad they changed the name. Fans of the Advance Wars series would have blindly picked this game up, and found out how badly executed this console wartime strategy turned out.

It's got a highly polished presentation, a feat that few games on the Gamecube can muster. Sadly, this game has one a single flaw that ultimately denies it from greatness: the damned microphone.

The hit detection is more of a miss, the presentation is far below the standards set by so many of the game's contemporaries, and even the Chaos/Order gimmick could have been fleshed out and utilized far more than what the gameplay offers.

The fundamental issue with Reverie is that it never lives up to the epic feeling of Lords of Shadow.

A truly confounding experience. For all of the initial thrills its presentation brings and all that it does right with the XP system and game modes, the ways in which it misses the mark are hard to ignore.

It's sad you'll spend more of your time fighting to make sense of it rather than simply fighting with your friends.

Looks and sounds better than it plays.

It's only too bad this series can't get out of its own way at times, because there are moments when it's pure fun and others that feel at odds with the rest of the package.

Aside from the stunning 3D graphics, there's little else to justify the game's hefty price tag. Pilotwings Resort doesn't quite crash and burn, but it can't quite fly on its own.

L.A. Noire is a fairly dull detective game unnecessarily superimposed on an open-world. Most of the time players spend while playing L.A. Noire is doing things that are boring, mindless, rote.

What Gatling Gears loses out on in originality it nearly makes up for in polish.

It's an example of how and why Lara fell behind the likes of today's occult warriors, anti-hero gangsters, and the God of War himself.

Nothing is broken, and The Adventures of Shuggy is a solid, functional title. But it wasn't until the later levels that the toe-curling, tense moments came in and I felt any exhilaration or reward.

Destructopus's bright, 16-bit vibe works well and is fun. But like Rampage before it, there's little variation or much reason to go back once you've played through.

Due to its comical demeanor, childish puzzles, brief length, and its absence of violence and crude language, Puzzle Agent 2 would be best enjoyed by the adolescent demographic, or by those looking for pure casual fun. For the more seasoned puzzle fanatic, or those who would expect more from a name like 'Puzzle Agent', may do well to spend their ten bucks elsewhere.

There's enough content and variety here that it serves the purpose of party-oriented multiplayer well. The truth is – in the right setting – YDKJ can be light fun, but it never goes any further than that.

For fans of the sport, RWC 2011 is worth the price of admission, if not the wait. It's a game full of promise, but lacks the polish to appeal to a wider audience.

The Baconing's witty, daft and fun, but also doesn't do enough to improve on the faults of the previous entries in the series, and in some cases pushes those issues to the forefront. The bacon is now well cooked and about to burn.

It's difficult to criticise EDGE for being a bad game when it's simply a well-executed product of frustrating concept. Until the latter stages, it's a simple albeit handicapped walk through a series of refreshing virtual environments.

A pretty good – if not unexceptional – action-RPG where an arcade-oriented simplicity and an experiment with pricing structures are the orders of the day.

SOCOM 4 is a light and breezy third-person shooter that's pretty good by genre standards, but perhaps a bit lacking in comparison to SOCOM 2.

Today this game acts as a historical piece. It lets you see where the franchise came from, and why the revision that Resident Evil 4 brought to the series was so necessary.

Resistance 3 stands as a whimpering end to a franchise that never quite found its stride. With a little more risk and less reliance on the successes of its peers Resistance 3 could have become the jewel in Sony's crown.

Something special for a select audience who's able to fully embrace its peculiar nature. That it doesn't appeal to everyone will likely only strengthen this appeal.

Claptrap's New Robot Revolution offers no surprises, and it's really only for Borderlands players that are looking to get one last bit of mileage out of the game.

Viewed and played as a single chapter in the game's main story-arc, Lonesome Road is fairly enjoyable, but its blandness, lack of new enemies and uninspiring quests let it down.

It's the mission design that proves most disappointing. Its scale is highly ambitious but Dead Island's population of living dead aren't enough to compensate for its barren lack of variety and an increasingly tedious structure.

It's a beautiful pretender; but ultimately, beauty is only a surface attraction.

There's nothing terribly wrong with The Run - it just doesn't feel entirely put together. Still, it's light years ahead of Undercover, and I'm anxious to see where Black Box can take the series next.

Ultimately Raam's Shadow provides all the things the series has been about from the beginning, mixing the most up-to-date mechanics with a known origins story that's simultaneously disposable and perhaps crucial for the hardcore fans. What it doesn't provide, however, is anything that'll change your mind either way.

The difficult thing about reviewing a game like this, however, is that even at their least inspired the developer represents the upper-echelon of the platform. Yet there's a difference in quality now and Pocket Academy comes in below expectations.

While Rich Make Game doesn't move the formula into much new territory, they (read: he) reminds us that the simple and good retro concepts haven't tired with age.

Binary Domain ultimately feels as if it's pandering to schizophrenic expectations. It aims for the stars, incorporating a jack of all trades mentality, but in a market crowded with third-person shooters, this lacks the quality to stand out. In the end, it's more I, Robot than Blade Runner - an enjoyable romp, but far from a classic.

This is a title that jumps back and forth from great to average and back again, and though it's far from perfect, it's worth experiencing.

The Jagged Alliance series has a lot of potential to be excellent, it just requires a lot of attention to the little details to construct a product that acquires that perfection. Back in Action isn't quite that product, though after a few patches it'll likely be heading in the right direction.

Yesterday has all the right intentions, but it seems to be in a hurry for some unknown reason.

FIFA Street is a fun game and will keep you entertained, but the overbearing problems it brings with it prevent it from taking its place alongside its 11-a-side cousin.

It's a hint of what could be a fun little title, if the level design was scripted tighter.

It's too bad that everything outside of the sniping is so mediocre.

The gameplay at times feels regressive and uninspired, just things that you have to do to get to the next hilarious dialogue exchange. The story very effectively pushes you along through it, and I can't say that the gameplay is terrible by any stretch. It just never tries to be as innovative as the rest of the package and comes across as underwhelming by the end of its five hour campaign.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a weekend's worth of fun and difficult to recommend purchasing for much more than that, yet that's quite the accomplishment considering the extremely quick turnaround.

Dungeon Twister is a strategy game defined entirely by its complexity and rules stacked on rules. Is it fun? Not necessarily, although it is designed to give strategy enthusiasts their money's worth with a ridiculous amount of things to learn. But in its translation into the medium of digital gaming, Dungeon Twister would've benefited from some streamlining and simplification.

If you're into having your tears tugged at, this will definitely be a change from nights spent curling up on the couch spectating those romance flicks that no one else gets. If you're someone who winds up stuck with the aforementioned individual, originally promised beer and tricked into the awkward Kleenex duty, no guilt will be harbored from missing out.

As an online game my apprehension is that if friends can't play together without hassle then soon they won't bother.

They Bleed Pixels is a monument of pain and frustration packaged in nostalgia and wrapped in a pretty red bow. Every moment of relief is overcast by ten of anxiety. At least the soundtrack was awesome.

It's a generous buffet of the finest experiences the genre has to offer, the problem with this being that each offering is a discernibly weaker imitation in comparison to the original source it is drawn from.

The Testament of Sherlock Holmes isn't so much a detective game, but a puzzle title, one that limits its audience given its difficult old skool approach. On top of that, its outdated graphics and terrible frame rate asks more of its players to swallow before taking things seriously.

Double Dragon: Neon is fun in small doses, but the lack of online play greatly diminishes its appeal along with its strict adherence to the same annoying aspects of the genre that have since been done away with.

Despite developer Vanpool's best efforts to do something stylish and new, they're unable to deliver fully on their vision in a cohesive way and Dillon's Rolling Western falls just short of being that standout defining game on the eShop.

The problem is that the single-player package stretches the pretty basic gameplay worryingly thin, and leaderboard competition can only keep you interested for so long. If you're looking for a decent arcade romp you could do a lot worse than pick up Zombie Driver HD. It's just that you could do a lot better, too.

Football Manager, enjoyable as it still remains for the most part, is beginning to enter the Heskey years of its existence: it still does its job more effectively than any other striker on the market, but the tired formula is beginning to show.

Nintendo Land isn't a bad game, for free. As something that is included with the system, as long as you bought the deluxe model, this makes for an interesting tech demo, letting you and your friends try out different methods of how a game can be played on the Wii U. There is some fun to be had, but it's short lived, mainly due to lack of content, and not all of the content will be fun to everyone.

It's a good indie project. Lucky Frame have proven they're capable of finding the middle ground between the most disparate concepts and they've just about pulled this one off.

ZombiU is an atmospheric game that can be very tense and even sometimes scary. You just have to be willing to over look its flaws.

It's a massive chunk of more of the same, basically. If that's what you're looking for you'll be more than satisfied, but lapsed players shouldn't expect anything intriguing enough to drag them back in.

Exemplary art and music alone willfully justify the purchase. The problem is there's a less satisfactory design there to meet it and the game never proves as interesting or provocative as appearances let on. There is something special about Pid, it just doesn't fully execute on all of its winning ideas.

Anarchy Reigns may be the first retail release of 2013 but it's a strong contender for dumbest fun of the year.

The game demonstrates a solid understanding of point-and-click fundamentals that work, but don't exactly set the genre on fire, and what players end up with is an adventure title that has the elements it needs to be intriguing but can't quite seem to fit all the pieces together yet.

This is one best enjoyed in shorter bursts. Cadenza Interactive's work shows promise and if the name Descent brings fond memories this comes recommended.

The Wise Monkey is overall a better installment than its predecessor, but it still has its work cut out. Characters and dialogue are once again rather tin-eared and jerky animations can take players out of the experience.