It's a highly specialized title, with a unique feature that will either delight you or drive you crazy. But those who get into the nitty-gritty of designing custom monsters to play will find in this game rare pleasures and rewards.

All in all, it's amazing the amount of content that's packed into this game -- this is more than a sequel, even while including a redux of the first game's three movies.

When it works, Total Overdose is a surreal blur of bullets keeping time to the merengue. But for each of those moments there are an equal number that run together into an indistinguishable mush of gunning down guys in sombreros to Latino rap.

An open-world zombie game has far more potential than what Techland is putting on display. There's certainly a lot of fun to be had on Dead Island, but don't be surprised if tedium sets in once you've murdered a zombie in every way imaginable (estimated time: 20 hours).

The whole thing can be finished in just a couple of sittings. However, fans of the film, both young and old, would do well to give it a shot, as it's an entertaining platformer that complements the movie quite well.

Personally I've had a lot of fun in the game, and I don't want to be starting from scratch when the game is rocking. But that, my friends, is truly up to you. May the Force be with your decision.

Pain has plenty to offer within the realm of silly enjoyment and simple, visceral character interaction; it should be mentioned that you can even pose in the air like Superman or twirl your legs like a helicopter for a bonus score as your cruise towards your goals. As a $10 title though, it feels a bit thin on content regardless of the execution.

Possibly due to the lack of any real danger/reward progression, or perhaps because of the inherent visual cacophony -- which hits even harder in the perfectly playable, yet crazily hectic, two-player multiplayer co-op game -- Galaxy eventually feels more than a bit repetitious.

The needless addition of QTEs to the formula and a relatively short single-player experience keep it from becoming a legend in its own right.

A solid hack-n-slash game that will appeal to fans of the genre, though it'll wear thin quickly. To everyone else, it'll be a pretty game that more or less proves why the hack-n-slash genre has been dead for so long.

When it works, Total Overdose is a surreal blur of bullets keeping time to the merengue. But for each of those moments there are an equal number that run together into an indistinguishable mush of gunning down guys in sombreros to Latino rap.

It does a lot of things right (great looking graphics, fun multiplayer, and quality voice work), but it's constantly held back by unfortunate design decisions that replace satisfaction with frustration.

The janky camera makes combat tough during crucial moments and makes things increasingly difficult when you're racing against the clock to lay down an aerosol tag. It makes you wonder if the game would have been better off in first-person view, but on the other hand, you would lose the immersion of being Trane.

Volition did a great job creating a variety of missions -- Darius' battles between the Cultists and aliens intertwine extremely well, and don't overlap each other or feel too overwhelming.

It looks fantastic as far as 3D games on DS go, and I'd rank it among the better loot treadmills currently available for the handheld. Just don't go in expecting a flawless -- or particularly modern -- experience.

While the action can be uneven -- though never bad -- creativity and charm carry the game to a higher level. The humor will get you through the slow levels, the authentic voices and writing will satisfy your fanatcism, and the cameos... will keep you entertained.

FlatOut basically feels like a slightly more frustrating successor to the original "Destruction Derby" series on the PlayStation 1 (well, the first two games).

It's kind of like a junior sandbox approach that younger gamers will enjoy because they can just trundle around without crashing or waiting for loads and older kids will love because it allows them to explore a large area and find characters and items that they'll recognize from the movie.

It's kind of like a junior sandbox approach that younger gamers will enjoy because they can just trundle around without crashing or waiting for loads and older kids will love because it allows them to explore a large area and find characters and items that they'll recognize from the movie.

As it is, it feels like a one-night brainstorming session came up with a whole bunch of random ideas thrown in a pot and clumsily stirred. There might be a good game in here somewhere, but it needs to cook a lot longer.

The final package is a motorcycle racing game that is certainly good, but far from the best on the market. If your weapon of choice is the PlayStation 2, however, and you lack for next-gen options, then consider MotoGP 4 all the ammunition you'll need.

The dual-protagonist storytelling manages to be both compelling and original, the multiplayer is a guns-blazing good time, and the entire aesthetic (not just the graphics, mind you, but the art direction, music, and sound) will have you ordering up a good sarsaparilla in no time.

While Team GrisGris clearly has a deficiency in game design, they should be commended for their ability to surprise and disgust with the most limited of assets.

The frustration many hit during punishing sections in this sort of game is never allowed to develop. All the skill moves still require the right touch; the designers simply opened the window of what constitutes the "right" touch just enough to let everyone in (with some practice).

It's all not as bad as it could have been, but nothing you can't get from dozens of other games.

It doesn't feel like Guitar Hero. Sure, you get to press buttons in rhythm and watch an avatar bounce around the screen...but some major components are lost because of the platform. The DS certainly doesn't look or remotely feel like a guitar, and the songs -- though high quality -- just don't sound quite as awesome popping out over the system's tiny speakers.

Blood in the Sand takes its missteps in stride. The game doesn't takes itself too seriously and if you try to, it completely unravels. Similarly, go in looking for old school street cred and you'll come up empty.

Perhaps the weakest addition is a new targeting mode that allows the actual aiming of shots.

A little Crysis here, a little Half-Life 2 there, TimeShift's patchwork construction definitely shows. What you wind up with is a standard shooter where you blast away until things go sideways, and then it's time to mash the "easy" button.

From 2K8's tricky new controls to the number of gameplay hiccups, we simply can't recommend this skater over EA's for this hockey season.

Daytona is back to show us that the fun of driving in a video game doesn't necessarily require realism.

It's all not as bad as it could have been, but nothing you can't get from dozens of other games.

It doesn't stand on its own quite as well as some of this year's other music titles, but it's still a fun, quick romp through pop music seen through a Lego filter.

It's a grand, involving adventure, but it's one that plays by its own rules -- not by the rules of Final Fantasy. It's a game less likely to appeal to fans of the series than it is to people who are drawn to tough RPGs in the old-school vein; there's more of Shiren the Wanderer here than of Cloud Strife or Terra Branford.

It's pretty good as a game that casual players can fly through on the easiest difficulty setting, and its production values are as good as you'll find on the market. But it doesn't hold up as well for those looking for a story or a challenge. It's a fun evening, basically.

As a $15 game, though, The Red Star is a great deal, considering it was at one point set to release as a full-priced game. For old-school action game fans, this one's a must-download.

All told, unless you've got a special place in your heart for this white-eyed, blue-skinned, four-in-one sci-fi warrior, you'll come away with an experience you'll likely forget within a few days -- and a newfound appreciation for the better shooters.

It's hard to say whether you'll have the patience to create a life of virtual luxury, or lose your sanity and find yourself seeking the quickest way out of the life of a castaway.

It has lots of small pluses, but not enough of it feels new or captivating. Far too short on thrills, Okayville just needs more pizzazz.

If the difficulty curve were balanced a bit better, and the production values were higher -- meaning graphics, because the dialogue is awesome -- Raze's Hell would fare better in the score department.

It's an enjoyable fighter even with its flaws, and it's a pleasing sidestep from Arc's edgy world of "Guilty Gear."

Obsidian's attempt at adding story elements fails to impress this time -- which stands out even more due to how plenty of other RPGs (especially Obsidian's) pull off a much better narrative.

If you have friends to play with and any measure of nostalgia for the arcade original, there's no doubt that you'll get every penny's worth from NBA Jam. If you have plans to play it alone or against random strangers, there are better options out there -- and it doesn't even take calculus to figure that out.

Though it's improving each year, SmackDown vs. Raw could really use some friendly (or TNA's case, not-so-friendly) competition.

The sense of purpose and accomplishment comes from making your creature grow -- to be king of the primordial soup. And while there are levels, enemies, power moves, et cetera, flOw is more of an entertaining diversion than what we're used to calling a "game."

Not letting people in the same room communicate with each other while facing imminent death is neither scary nor internally consistent -- the scare would have come in if there had been some kind of communication system (either voice or keyboard) when it made sense to do so, and leave the player isolated when it didn't.

Even the stilted voiceovers and off-kilter humor have a distinct charm.

As with so many boldly innovative games, Avalon proves that the main downside to new and untested ideas is that they've yet to be refined into something that works smoothly. There's a lot of quality content here for anyone with the patience to suffer through the clumsy implementation in which it's presented. Yet despite these incentives, Avalon ultimately feels like a promising prototype for a brilliant game that has yet to be created.

This slowly-increasing sense of challenge is what elevates Pac-Pix above so many of the clever tech demo that comprise the DS library.

Lips is the best new karaoke platform to come along in ages.

A potentially great game with flawed execution. Still, the Inside Edge scouting reports are the best addition to any sports franchise ever; they should drive sim fans wild.

Ultimately, however, we think you'll prefer to have a friend close by as you experience the game. Root of Evil may not be to die for, but for $40, it's an easy way to kill a weekend.

All told, unless you've got a special place in your heart for this white-eyed, blue-skinned, four-in-one sci-fi warrior, you'll come away with an experience you'll likely forget within a few days -- and a newfound appreciation for the better shooters.

While the action can be uneven -- though never bad -- creativity and charm carry the game to a higher level. The humor will get you through the slow levels, the authentic voices and writing will satisfy your fanatcism, and the cameos... will keep you entertained.

It's an approachable, enjoyable, but ultimately somewhat insubstantial game, and the 3D visuals add a nice touch but don't have a material impact on how it plays. Hmm...I guess the game and system have a lot in common after all.

Fruit Ninja Kinect feels like an Eyetoy game from last gen -- and if you're familiar with Sony's attempt at motion gaming this shouldn't surprise you -- but the level of precision feels much better executed here thanks to the technology.

The 3rd Birthday's emphasis on fast-paced combat and the Overdive mechanic help the game overcome its more abstract flaws (despite some occasional repetition). Still, for old fans of Parasite Eve, the game's treatment of its heroine and legacy is frustrating.

Nothing is more impressive than seeing good 3D graphics on a system considered "underpowered" in that area (see also: "Panzer Dragoon" on the Sega Saturn), and you get the whole package with Deadly Silence.

After combining the "meh" story with the 2D sprites, the passably amateurish voice acting, and the melodramatic localization, Ar tonelico feels like a pretty forgettable RPG. But it does do one thing that needs elaboration, one thing that pushes up a bit higher than "meh" on the RPG scale: It has a freakin' dating sim as a major gameplay component.

A notch better on the PC than Xbox, thanks to significantly better visuals, but that's still not enough to push these valorous men past the paces of the best military games of this season.

An innovative take on how shooters and mech games can play, with a very nice addition of "collect-'em-all" gameplay from the variety of parts available.

If you're a true fan of golf looking to get more out of your money (a lot more) and didn't already pick this up on the Xbox, PS2 or PC, I suggest that you back up, go out and find a copy of this for a current system and come back next year when EA will have its act together.

Even the most hardcore Star Wars fans will be disappointed in what could've been an opportunity to highlight the true power of the Force.

If you're into the unintentional hilarity of films like Turkish Star Wars, Paraworld is the game you've been waiting for all your life. On the other hand, as with most B-movies, the majority of folks will probably go through a lot less buyer's remorse if they just rent this one to knock out a few chuckles.

It's a lot more game than you'd expect from your average handheld title, and one that transcends the usual, disposable nature of portable games.

Underneath the frustrating instability, behind the graceless chat window, and beyond the procession of NPC dialog boxes, you tickled that deep primordial need to gather more stuff and get stronger. Loot and leveling are the essence of any RPG, and you're equipped to satisfy that jones.

For players that can muddle through the often copious and tedious battles and sometimes lackluster environments, this is a worthy Castlevania adventure -- and thanks to the devil forging and item creating, a rather unique one at that.

While the story's stock sci-fi-RPG material and the combat system could use a bit more polish, Spectrobes is a great choice for those looking for a little no-commitment, light RPG action, or for bored Pokéfans still waiting for Platinum.

It does a lot of things right (great looking graphics, fun multiplayer, and quality voice work), but it's constantly held back by unfortunate design decisions that replace satisfaction with frustration.

It feels like a one-night brainstorming session came up with a whole bunch of random ideas thrown in a pot and clumsily stirred. There might be a good game in here somewhere, but it needs to cook a lot longer.

Volition did a great job creating a variety of missions -- Darius' battles between the Cultists and aliens intertwine extremely well, and don't overlap each other or feel too overwhelming.

Farming's hard, tedious, repetitive work. And don't let anyone tell you different.

Progressing from a lucky-club-swinging rookie whose every shot is a hook or a slice to a seasoned golfer using advanced club sets in Super Swing Golf: Season 2 is entertaining -- if you are patient enough to learn the ropes.

There's no question that Crackdown 2 is a mere shadow of the first game, which stands as an absolute classic. The sequel feels more like an ambitious user mod than a true follow-up.

The fact that so much game is available for everyone for free right away is a noble idea, but there needs to be more of a benefit to those who invest in a premium version.

If you're looking for a more full-featured game, with greater variety -- and don't mind the cartoony milieu of Gunpey DS -- then you will find this version not only a superior value, but a superior game.

Double Helix has stayed true to the series' foundation while also taking steps in a brave new direction; they've crafted a tale that stands well within franchise lore, and they've produced horrifically beautiful environments, occasional framerate drops aside. If Double Helix learns from their mistakes here -- combat balance being the most glaring issue -- their future work could rival the series' best.

The landscapes have opened up tremendously, the controls have been tightened, and the graphics have improved. They're not great, but serviceable.

More strategy could have been applied, and moving that strategy into the multiplayer game would have added a lot. Otherwise, what you have is the same DW4 with a slightly more tactical story mode.

Even for a veteran strategy otaku like yours truly, the learning curve is intimidating -- but if you're willing to unwrap its numerous layers, R3KXI has a lot of USDA Select packed into it.

Diehard COH multiplayer fans will want this by virtue of being able to use the new units that all the other veteran players will be using with their copies. But the player who either wants a great offline experience, or simply another fantastic COH expansion, might feel a bit cheated and disappointed with how paltry this expansion feels.

An entertaining adventure that boasts impressive production values, especially given its origins in a tiny development house. Its greatest failing is that it stands uneasily on the line between arcade-action and console-adventure.

Nervous Brickdown has style and relative variety, but it's twice the price it should be and a bit too late to the puzzle party.

Going head-to-head can make for some surprisingly complex, drawn-out games, and if the single-player campaign is fun, going through it co-op is 10 times better.

A little Crysis here, a little Half-Life 2 there, TimeShift's patchwork construction definitely shows. What you wind up with is a standard shooter where you blast away until things go sideways, and then it's time to mash the "easy" button.

If you know you're getting into an easy and simple brawler, then The Brave and The Bold is one heck of a ride. It's unapologetically simple and goofy, and it not only presents a good throwback to the 16-bit era, but also to a more lighthearted take on Batman in general.

While it's true that things have improved, that doesn't mean it's suddenly a great game. While the downplaying of the storyline does help streamline the game, it also makes your goals seem a little disconnected and random.

Two things I really dig about World Tour Soccer are that the matches feature generally realistic scoring (on a couple goals per match), and the game buffers your button presses a bit, which means jamming on the pass or shoot button will normally result in multiple, wild passes or shots fired off into the middle of nowhere. You have to remain calm and play the game correctly in order to be successful.

All 4 One provides some fleeting co-op fun with characters you know and love, though it's not necessarily the kind of Ratchet & Clank game that fans like us were looking for.

If you like a little more meat to your basketball games, this is surely a great game with plenty to keep you occupied both online and off, but when pit head-to-head against a full field of competitors, what Phenom offers is different, but not quite in a league of its own.

Space Marine isn't a disappointing game, it's just an uneventful one. As such, fans of the series may find more to salvage here than the average gamer...If the pacing problems could be addressed, the addition of a campaign co-op mode, and more multiplayer maps leave a healthy amount of room for improvement for the future of this series.

The game's not realistic enough to satisfy sim fans...and it's too realistic to be as fun as Rainbow's previous games. It tries too hard to be a jack-of-all-trades, and masters almost none.

If you're looking for a more competent take on gaming-mascot Olympics, go with the DS version. But if you're looking for a casual party game, go with the Wii version -- it's just not the same without trash-talking all the Sonic furries.

Even with its quirks, I find it hard to put the game down -- it's so easy and fun to hop back in and whip up a couple quick, satisfying dishes. In its silly simplicity, Cooking Mama does what many can't: keep me heading back to the kitchen for one more snack.

It's all not as bad as it could have been, but nothing you can't get from dozens of other games...as average as they come.

The Xbox enhancements aren't all they could have been. The great majority of Tenchu is still the same as before -- the camera's still tough to wrangle sometimes, guards still forget about your presence six seconds after spotting you, and aiming thrown weapons like shuriken is still a crapshoot.

Less avant-garde than "Indigo Prophecy," far less self-important than "Myst V," Trace Memory is the very definition of a safe, comfortable, middle-of-the-road experience.

FlatOut basically feels like a slightly more frustrating successor to the original "Destruction Derby" series on the PlayStation 1 (well, the first two games). It does have a lot to offer, but it all feels a bit soulless somehow.