If you're looking for an interesting tactic/roleplaying mix, this might be it. But be aware that Confrontation offers little to no challenge for hardcore tacticians.

It may be a little too easy, but nonetheless this is a lot of fun. Rhythm Thief is the best game of its kind since Elite Beat Agents.

Even with annoying design decisions like sacrificing atmosphere and deeper morale questions for the sake of arcade feeling this is a very interesting take on survival action. It manages to entertain you for about five hours and also serves as an appetizer for everybody looking forward to Naughty Dog's The Last of Us.

Headstrong Games catapults you right into the action: Rocket after rocket, hard-lock-mode, barellroll, Immelmann, BOOM! But if you're looking for a challenge, find other skies to conquer.

At its' core this is a great simulation. But aside from the believable analogue swing it is also an uninspired sequel.

The new Naruto is more Clash of Ninja and less Ultimate Ninja. It is rather an entertaining martial arts snack than a main course.

It is not an epic strategy game like Dune but this little gem offers something for almost everybody: Beginners will not be overburdened while experienced players will get a challenge with the unusual mechanics and veterans can ramp up the difficulty level to get their money's worth.

The granddaddy of shoot-em-ups gets an interesting touch remake, but fails to motivate in the long run.

You don't have to be a Star Wars fan to have fun with the lightsaber battles for Kinect – but it helps tremendously so one can ignore little faults like the bad storytelling in the campaign. Even with the mostly entertaining minigames the game rarely taps its full potential.

As a successor to the glorious Ridge Racer franchise Unbounded is quite disappointing, the controls are sluggish, the AI is unfair, the destruction feels superficial. Almost everything that you once associated with Ridge Racer is gone. Thanks to the editor and the well executed online mode it might still be worth a look for some.

This is a lot of fun! Like Words With Friends the back and forth of challenges is quite entertaining.

They could have called this one "Mashed+". Handling, track design, weapons, malicious joy: This feels like the eight year old predecessor. But it still works – unless you're alone on the track.

Armored Core V is a very dull vision of a future filled with powerful mechs – even though the tactical options and the extensive construction of those metal beasts are quite impressive.

This is an old-fashioned and totally uninspired online arena shooter that one can hardly recommend – and not only because you will have problems to find someone on the deserted servers.

The surprisingly high share of puzzles and the appeal of exploring the open city and unlocking its' secrets gives you 20+ hours of entertaining horror. And even though the combat system is superficial and the engine shows some frustrating framerate issues this playable nightmare shows a lot of facets between creepy moments and pure terror.

The motion recognition works well, the levels based on five of Pixar's iconic feature films look great and playing with your personalized character is a sure hit with the younger players. Unfortunately with merely 15 short levels the adventure falls a bit on the short side, although the hunt for the highscore might draw you back into the park.

The basic concept might be a bit outdated by now but it still is as addictive as it is simple. And with the addition of gravity and indirect hits it gains a lot of creativity, although luck plays a bigger part than ever before.

As a free to play browser game Snipers would be okay – if Hydravision manages to wipe out all the bugs.

Colourful and entertaining minigames with retro feeling.

Despite nice visuals Defenders of Ardania has no chance of competing with games like Defense Grid, Sol Survivor or Anomaly. The balancing is below par, you hardly need any tactics and the interface is just poor.

Operation Raccoon City failed! Fans of Resident Evil will be just as disappointed as anyone hoping for a Left 4 Dead challenger. It is a disgrace for the franchise.

Kudos to Grasshopper and Digital Reality: I didn't think that a side scrolling shooter could look this marvelous. This is a well-executed take on bullet hell action with a clever integration of slow motion.

At first I was skeptical, but Creative Assembly presents challenging and varied strategy, which has been improved on a lot of levels although some relevant areas like AI and diplomacy have been left out.

Almost everything that you associate with Ninja Gaiden is missing, above all the challenging difficulty level. Furthermore the intensity of the fights has been sacrificed to please the casual gamers. This feels more like a Dynasty Gaiden or Ninja Warriors than a true sequel to the once-feared franchise.

I wish I could love Kid Icarus more. Because in theory it has everything: A top-notch presentation, loads of minigames and stuff on the side that is almost more interesting than the campaign, a brilliant soundtrack. But there is one thing that overshadows everything: The frustrating controls!

Ghost Trick is a clever adventure where you travel into the past of deceased to solve intelligent puzzles in order to investigate your own death – very entertaining.

This is a typical PopCap game: Absolutely charming, easy to get into and highly addictive.

The change from semi-open brawler with deep characters to almost linear zombie-shooter with hardly any story was a bad idea.

The presentation is definitely not the strong point, but Unit 13 offers well designed infiltration missions and a very entertaining coop mode.

You can play Birds of Steel as a simple arcade shooter. But it rises up to all its glory as a simulation – especially if you have a decent amount of flight hardware. The physics system is convincing, the mode selection will keep you busy for months – especially online. But aside from the detailed planes the presentation is rather average and bugs within the AI system stall the fun a little.

After SSX this is the second successful reboot for former EA Sports Big franchises: With FIFA 12 as foundation the mechanics in Street feel much more down-to-earth compared to the predecessors without losing their arcade touch. But physics and AI still need improvement.

This is one of the best trading-card games in the AppStore. But you're forced to buy new cards via microtransactions much too early – you can't even finish the campaign without some additional booster packs.

A lot of games tried to copy Minecraft – or at least participate from its' success. But this two-dimensional take on the well known formula is the only game that is able to step out of the shadow of the indie phenomenon that inspired it. It leads you into a unique world full of creative magic.

The name says it all. You definitely have many robots to shoot. Unfortunately dozens of enemies on the screen can't save this title from long-term boredom, especially if you're hunting the metal beasts alone.

The game consists of six repeatable boss fights with atmospheric pictures and sounds, while a world and story around it is sorely missed. Nonetheless you get a good amount of entertainment for a fair price.

The ruleset has been completely revamped. You still need quite a bit of luck when it comes to the dice, but tactics and a hint of strategy have been added. Mario's get-together has never been better.

Numerous bugs, sloppy controls and shallow dialogue make this a very frustrating experience.

I don't know if it was the best idea to move away from the comic style of the predecessor. But this engine with its' technical problems starting from bland textures up to framerate issues, not to mention the really bad voiceovers certainly won't help Ayumi to find an audience. Too bad, cause the core with linear exploration and fighting works surprisingly well.

A gorgeous presentation, motivating gameplay and amazing depth – the gathering of these beat-em-up-heavyweights is a sure hit regardless of your experience.

The reboot of Twisted Metal is disappointing. The creative ideas give you a glimpse of what could have been, but in the end the driving action is too chaotic, too unfair and shows too many problems with the online stability.

Physics based experiments and a charming steampunk atmosphere: Vessel transports you into a fascinating puzzle world.

Even with annoying design decisions like sacrificing atmosphere and deeper morale questions for the sake of arcade feeling this is a very interesting take on survival action. It manages to entertain you for about five hours and also serves as an appetizer for everybody looking forward to Naughty Dog's The Last of Us.

Shinobido 2 is like a journey in a time long gone – also technically. But even if you can't shake off the feeling that the makers of Tenchu are somewhat stuck in the PSone-era, you'll find some morbid fascination lurking behind the next corner along with your victims.

Even with its technical glitches Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D is still a good game – especially if you don't know the original.

This game is as dull as it is short, the mission design alternates between frustrating and uninspired. Against this even Ace Combat looks like a hardcore simulation.

You meet old friends and you feel at home on the Normandy. But this is the weakest and most monotonous episode of a futuristic adventure that went the wrong way over time. The action is not varied enough, relies too heavily on surviving wave after wave and rarely equals the tension of shooters like Killzone or Gears of War. On all levels I missed variety and challenge. If you started this odyssey with Shepherd a few years ago, you'll want to end this nonetheless – and you won't be disappointed. But after the credits I didn't think about a possible sequel but the missing headshot statistics.

In the end this is not much more than a demoversion with a hefty pricetag, a slap in the face of the devoted fan.

The visuals are clearly better than in the disastrous 3DS version but still this racer is far away from taking the pole position. Poor AI, an inconsistent penalty system and the reduced content are disappointing.

Solid expansion to the strategic journey into the Victorian era with rather superficial content.

The Last Story tries to walk on a new path – and quite successful at times. But sometimes it just gets caught somewhere in no man's land between action and roleplaying.

It not only looks great, but gives you high quality content: Loads of modes, a well balanced roster, a complex fighting system, accurate controls.

Magical, impressive, inspiring – like an Arabian Nights' story. The world with its monumental vistas reminds you of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus while the game design continues the mysterious experience of Flower.

Jolty driving physics, a rudimentary online mode – everything reminds of the iOS roots. But in the end Asphalt still is the mediocre arcade racer it always was.

Small engines, big fun: Once you started it is hard to put the Vita down. Head-to-head online duels are sorely missed, though.

This is an ambitious mix of Pikmin and Overlord plus loads of heavy metal. Unfortunately it lacks everything that made the aforementioned games so special. If it wouldn't be for the interesting bossfights this corps could stay in hell.



It's not just the clever idea or the funky artdesign – it is the combination of everything, infused with a helping of Elite Beat Agents, a pinch of Rhythm Paradise and a teaspoon of Ghost Trick. Beat Sneak Bandit is as creative as intelligent.



This is nothing but a failed arena racer that should be avoided even by the most undiscerning crash junkie.



Whenever the authors finally get the chance to tell their story it evolves further than "Gears of Blade Runner". Nonetheless Binary Domain gets stuck somewhere in the middle between the eastern excellence of bossfights and the western school of modern shooter action.

You will remember the breathtaking speed, the spectacular stunts, the great combination of music and on-screen action and, above all, the untamed fun.

Zelda meets Robotron: Isaac celebrates old school topdown action in randomly generated dungeons.

I expected worse from Jacko's Vita performance. With the first songs the finger dancing manages to entertain, but if you compare the experience to its' bigger cousins you'll miss variety as well as a whole lot of content.

The Vita incarnation of the acclaimed PSN dualstick shooter looks great on the small screen and will keep you going for the highscore again and again.

The campaign is sterile, the presentation mediocre and in the long run the battles don't reach genre standards. A lot of good ideas are sabotaged by annoying flaws.

The stylish art design and the story are convincing while the gaming experience falls short.

If you like your horror spiced up with action, this is for you. But if you're looking for suspense and mystery you should look for different tale.

A mobile beat-em-up never looked so good. Unfortunately the Vita fighters don't get the same expansive content package that made the stationary version so exceptional.

The tasks are superficial, the controls not always accurate. Nonetheless this a charming little puzzler that I don't want to miss.

Does Dynasty Warriors Next deliver a new gaming experience? Not at all. But with all the added Vita-elements the arcade character of the infamous mass brawler reaches new heights, which might just be what this franchise needs.

The art design is timeless, the conventional controls are spot on and the action is as challenging as ever. But the implementation of vita-exclusive control features rather stalls the fight dynamics.

The Vita version of this PSN hack'n-slay, which in return is based on a mobile phone franchise, offers solid entertainment with a hefty price tag.

The tense atmosphere aged well and still delivers exciting moments two years after the 360 release, while the explosive action is still better than most of recently released shooters.

EA's try to reboot the Syndicate franchise didn't succeed. Although the shooter offers some interesting ideas they are overshadowed by a feeble story and lackluster mechanics.

Whoever wants to dive deep into the Dark Ages will find a complex strategic simulation.

Combining little blocks was never more stylish than with Lumines. Unfortunately this rendition is a mere shadow of its former PSP-self.

Everybody's Golf always was and still is a challenging, very charming delight with a lot of content. But on Vita it lacks new ideas while the physics system doesn't seem to be up to date.

The mobile centre court offers all the playable modes, the full career and the same visual experience as the "big" versions. But that also means it's still stuck somewhere between arcade and simulation while adding a totally useless online mode.

Thankfully the shaky framerate and the meager content with focus on DLC and track recycling are not exemplary for Vita games. Ridge Racer disappoints on the new platform, although soundtrack and car handling are top notch.

I played the 360- and the PS3-version. And still the level design with its bright colours and crazy ideas managed to captivate me. This was and still is one of the best jump-and-runs in recent memory.

If you can look beyond the technical issues you'll get a tolerable funracer with an interesting editor.

If you want to show off the technical capabilities of your new mobile system, go and get Drake's new adventure. But this is more than a techdemo. The concept with puzzles, action and climbing is as exciting as on the PS3. The story isn't, though.

This minigame collection serves as a good example for the potential of the various control options the Vita has to offer.

The concept is interesting: Who doesn't want to see themselves in a cow costume with a sunflower hat and a guitar on your back throwing kicks that are as deadly as they are elegant? Unfortunately the execution of that concept is far less interesting.

You need brains and skills to lead the cute but deadly alien to freedom in this puzzle-rich stealth action. Warp might be a brief delight, but a delight it definitely is.

This is a good soccer game! But this is not a spectacular mobile version of FIFA 12, it is rather a variation of FIFA 11. It looks great, it plays more like arcade-soccer and offers less content than its big brother.

Overall you'll get a solid and entertaining beat-em-up experience, but if you plan to challenge your friends online, look somewhere else.

This new interpretation of old-school brawling action works well and doesn't rely just on its sheer amount of blood on the screen or the well executed comic-design.

Mysterious, poetical and full of atmosphere – Dear Esther is as magical as a short story from Ray Bradbury. The creative way of storytelling fascinated me from the very first moment.

The new submission system copies a page out of EAs MMA conceptbook, but it works well and adds depth to the already convincing fighting system that gives you loads of options to try and dominate your opponent, regardless where the fight takes place in the octagon.

It seems to me as if the developers didn't know where to go with this reboot of the turnbased tactics classic. It's nice to be back in Arulco but the gameplay experience lacks depth and direction, the action is superficial while the tactical options are shallow.

Game set and match EA? Not really. Loads of official licences are not enough to replace the lack of a decent challenge on the court. It's still better than Virtua Tennis 4 though.

Its biggest downfall is lack of useful content. With just five maps and three modes it's not enough to keep you playing for a longer period – even though the frantic action is quite entertaining. With better matchmaking and less focus on DLC the impostors would have a bigger survival chance.

So far I haven't seen an adventure where the puzzles were so plausible and seamlessly integrated into the main plot. Unfortunately character design and direction in general are far less perfect.

More Need for Speed, less FlatOut, more racing, less drifting. And it is simply one of the best looking racers in the AppStore. Unfortunately there is no local multiplayer while online play is still contaminated with lags.

If you hated its predecessor you will surely not warm up to this sequel. On the other hand Serah and Noel do a lot better than Lightning and her friends in Final Fantasy XIII. Here's more to do, more to discover, more roleplaying.

This is one of the most atmospheric games I have played on the iPad so far, even though this isn't a RPG with dialogues, quests or plot but a simple turnbased game of dice against the clock that`s based on luck as well as rudimentary tactics.

The dynamic duo goes for the gold in almost 60 disciplines, but most of them are so irrelevant that the main challenge is to keep yourself motivated.

The constant change between fiction and reality, the Darkness' dirty illusions and Jackie's inevitable descent into madness make this shooter very special. But you have to ignore the AI problems and the barely average action mechanics for which Digital Extremes is well known.

Compared to masterful strategy like Total War the medieval realtime battles lack detail, challenge and tactical depth. But King Arthur is saved by its atmospheric roleplaying part that reflects the darkness, insecurity and quest for meaning in the post-roman era.