Asura's Wrath would have been a superb anime or an excellent videogame. However, it couldn't decide what it wanted to be and instead served up tiny slivers of both, pulled together in a fashion so clumsy that you can see the stitching from miles away. It's not so much a game as it is a collection of concepts, roughly thrown into the same box and jumbled around in the vain hope that something good would come out at the end.

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.

Say what you will about the camera or the silly story, but the combat in Sigma Plus is unmatched. There's a fantastic action game under all of the name changes and feature additions that have been tacked on over the years. Aside from the non-optional rear-tap Ninpo addition, the new Vita features aren't even worth messing with.

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

As close to a full console title as we've seen on Xbox Live Arcade to date. Its story mode is fun foray into the twisted universe of Alan Wake, even if some of what's going on won't always make complete sense to any but the most dedicated of fans. Remedy has admirably tackled the repetitive nature of the campaign in order to get the most out of the the content they had, although it does start to wear thin at the midway point. Thankfully, a strong final act and a ridiculously addictive Arcade mode more than make up for it.

It offers enough new content to make one play through enjoyable, and it has enough depth to make you want to come back for more. If you own Victoria II, you would have to be crazy to not want to pick up this expansion. If you don't have Victoria II, now would be a good time to start playing it.

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 an incredibly dynamic game that seems to perfectly simulate the state of flux that Europe and the Middle East were in during the Middle Ages.

It's a superlative amount of content and refinement compared to many so-called "triple-A" productions that sell for six times that amount. Anyone looking for a good space dogfight should feel obliged to give it a try.

As much as Warp's presentation gives you the illusion that you are playing a charming game full of personality, a lot of the initial goodwill and attachment to the cute critter protagonist is slowly eroded by your actions and the problematic controls. In the end, all that is left at your disposal is a virtual representation of your imminent failure and repetitive demise.

Escape Plan never aims to be anything more than a showcase of the PlayStation Vita's touch controls, but said controls are so insensitive and poorly implemented that the best it can hope for is to be used as an example of what not to do when designing a Vita game.

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.

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.

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.

My feelings about Analogue are nuanced. For every thing Love nails, there's another place where the experience falls short. The middle stretch doesn't live up to the standard set by the intro, but the finale is just satisfying enough to even it all out. If I had to sum up the whole game in one word, it would be "ehhhhhhhh". Don't take it personally, but this just ain't my story.

Touch My Katamari looks and plays better than ever, has a hilarious new story, and new touchscreen controls give players additional ways to roll their own, but that all doesn't change the fact that this is basically the same game we've played so many times already.

It's a shame about the lack of multiplayer, but Rayman Origins is still 2D platforming at this console generation's finest. This is a huge, deep, challenging, artfully crafted masterpiece that is now portable, which opens the door for even more gamers to get lost in its goofy and delightful world.

Offers the simplicity and elegance of "One Note Samba" or "Blister in the Sun," the directness of the art of Mike Mignola or Pendleton Ward, and the understated but endlessly variable gameplay design of arcade titles like Pac-Man Champion Edition DX or Super Mario Bros. It's one of my favorite games of this generation -- a title that offers a much stronger education in game design and a more pure, direct, and genuine experience than most games on the market.

It may not be the best-looking game in the Vita's launch line-up -- and it's definitely lacking in the variety department -- but the frantic gameplay and the insane death metal soundtrack help take the sting off. Go ahead, go to Hell.

No Vita should be sold without a copy of this game.

It saddens me that the campaign is so miserable, as its live-action story cutscenes and stylish, twist-in-the-tale storytelling are both fantastic.

As a videogame, Zombii Attack is shit. As a parody of videogames, it has its moments. Either way, I'm not so sure it's worth $5.

Super Stardust Delta isn't a revelation, and it doesn't do anything truly spectacular. It is, however, a solid and enjoyable experience that will keep players returning, providing simple arcade action perfectly suited to a portable system.

The ironic thing is that the most pedestrian of stories can be convincing when coupled with intelligently applied interaction -- something Dear Esther stubbornly stands against. It's as if it wants to be a part of this wonderful medium of ours without asking itself why, which is exactly why you should seek it out and learn from its failures as a game enthusiast, critic, or developer.

I hope against hope that studios calm down and learn a little restraint when it comes to exploiting these features, as this collection of clumsy, discommodious distractions is indicative of what can happen when developers forget the elegance of simplicity. New features are only worth including if they enhance an experience. When they get in the way of it, they should be axed on the spot.

If you're a fighting game enthusiast who enjoyed the console version Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and have dreamed about being able to take it anywhere, this game is a dream come true.

By far the most blatantly rushed cash-in attempt of all the PS Vita launch titles, ModNation Racers: Road Trip is to be avoided at all costs. With horrid visuals, dawdling menus, and threadbare features, this lazy piece of software insults the system it is supposed to help showcase. In fact, I'd say its existence could be directly harmful to the Vita, given how it's one of the bigger titles available at launch and makes the Vita look like it's only capable of producing garbage.

World Invitational continues that tradition of a really nice blend of arcade-ish accessibility and sim seriousness. If you want to kick back and relax, fine -- but you can also dig in, get deep with strategy and complex swing tricks, and feel rewarded when you master them all. With its massive array of play options, courses, unlockables, and online challenges, not to mention its portability and always-on 3G connectivity, this is easily the biggest and best Hot Shots Golf game yet.