Graphically, the game looks quite dated. The music is, well, bad — and the effects, while capturing some of the characters’ uniqueness, is still pretty flat. Likewise in general for the game, while there is some fun to be had, especially in local multiplayer, the overall experience is more underwhelming than not. That makes this game very difficult to recommend to all but the most ardent kart racing or Nickelodeon fans. Even within those camps, who are more apt to overlook flaws with NKR, the experience leaves a lot to be desired.

Overall, I did really enjoy Shop Titans more than I thought I would. It’s more complex than just a casual gaming experience and while it does have a traditional path of Free-to-Play gameplay structure, where real-world pay is involved, there are enough options for you to avoid that if that isn’t your thing. It just requires patience. I’m not crazy about the controls when compared to the iOS version, which is probably my biggest knock on the game.

For third person action fans, you should really give this game a look, especially as a solid weekend rental, and potential purchase afterwards. Nothing about Clash of the Titans is outstandingly good or bad, so don't be afraid to give it a chance.

With control problems, boring gameplay, a very bland presentation, and more interesting wrestling games available (TNA's for example), it's safe to skip SvR 2010 on the iPhone.

ArcaniA and its expansion are ultimately worth playing, but there's no reason to do so on the PS3. Whatever went into porting ArcaniA to the PS3 was not done with care, and the result is an ok-to-good game that now has a lot more technical and presentation issues it didn't have when it first released nearly three years ago on other platforms.

Some believe sports games to be one of the easiest games to develop and difficult to get wrong and then something like TWT comes around and proves that even something as straightforward as tennis can go awry.

You know what they say about movie games... seriously though, 007 Legends, while a neat idea, doesn't capitalize on the potential. Instead, it's an unpolished shooter that most gamers can safely look over this holiday.

While Sega surely got the gameplay and control mechanics down, they seemed to have fizzled out at the mission creation.

Slain is what happens when naiveté and enthusiasm rampage through ability and execution. Unfortunately, it's the latter pair that measure proficiency, leaving Slain so hostile, broken, and boring that it's hard to muster a sympathetic response.

Ace Banana demonstrates that virtual reality experiences can be as creatively bankrupt and technically destitute as the most cynically conceived mobile games. It's an untended facsimile of wave-based survival that specializes in unreliable control, dubious assembly, and the induction of nausea.

We've seen this type of third-person action game before, and done better at times. Scourge: Outbreak does bring the action it promises, but also brings some flaws with it that hurt that action. Still, it's tough to argue what you get with the price it's being sold for, which is at a very affordable 800 MSP. Give this one a shot, but don't expect perfection.

I like Supermassive Games' idea they had for Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock, but I think the execution fell far short of what they planned. Had they given the game a bit more time to cook, then it would have turned out far better. The 2D platformer genre worked well for this title, but it couldn't overcome the shoddiness of the finished piece and the frustration it creates.

Regardless, JU-ON: The Grudge: Haunted House Simulator provides very little entertainment beyond the surface appeal and jump scares.

CrossFireX gets little to nothing right, and I don’t take pleasure in saying that. On a technical level, yeah the graphics and framerate and such aren’t bad, but you won’t get to enjoy them because I think you’ll be too distracted with all of the other problems in the game. Voice-acting, the script, the AI, controls, story-telling, the intensely lazy and generic feel of it all, the push for microtransactions — the game is asking players to overlook or otherwise deal with too much. Now, I am an optimistic and forgiving person by nature, but what SmileGate, Remedy, and Microsoft have done here is absolutely regrettable. This game has issues that even patching cannot fix, and I’m typically the first one to point out that games can often be much improved by patching. CrossFireX, though, has problems that run too deep and too broad — and I can’t recommend this game to anyone.

As it stands, Umbrella Corps is a hard sell even at $29.99. The content just seems void of enjoyment and entertainment because of the broken feel of the overall gameplay design. I will give Capcom and its developers props for trying something different in the RE series. The idea seems to be built on good intentions.

What little DARK gets right is far outweighed by what it doesn't. For those that simply must play everything in the genre or have an unusually high interest in vampires, DARK may offer some moments of satisfaction, but for everyone else it's safe to skip.

It's not a complete disappointment, but only passionate fans of the genre or of Thor should look into this one.

Ultimately, Raven Squad has its share of problems, there is no denying that. On the same token, I can't say I didn't have a great time playing through it, even though it only took one sitting of about 5-6 hours.

In the end, Heavy Fire: Red Shadow definitely harkens back to a time period where point/shoot had a different meaning in an arcade experience than it does now. The game maintains a nostalgic design, which certainly makes sense for the experience, but the experience’s longevity will be questioned depending on player expectations. This goes back to what you understand about a game’s intentions. If you know going into it that you’re going to get an arcade shooter, then you may not be disappointed. If you’re expecting a deeper experience than just point/shoot, then you may not find it here.

Getting stuck in room-escape or point and click adventure games is par for the course sometimes, but what DYING: Reborn does not have going for it is other strong qualities to keep things interesting and “worth the effort.” It wasn’t long before I resorted to a walkthrough once, and then again as needed. I wasn’t compelled by the story, the characters, or the atmosphere. I didn’t feel any sense of tension or immersion with Mathew and his plight. The presentation of the game from graphics to on-screen font to voice-acting was very generic and lackluster too, making the whole experience a struggle and not very enjoyable. Without a walkthrough, I probably would not have pressed on because I just was not finding the experience worth my time and effort. If you really enjoy room escape games and puzzles, DYING: Reborn at $20 or less might be worth a look, but it’s hard to recommend otherwise.

If From would have nailed the motion controls down, this would have been one of my favorite games of the year because it's so engaging and fresh. Unfortunately, dealing with the sketchy controls can be wildly frustrating.

Godzilla is not a terrible game, but it's just not a lot of fun. The repetition sets in very early and it becomes a chore to play for all but the most diehard of fans.

Even if you've played and enjoyed the previous games and movies, I'd recommend a rental for Deathly Hallows, Part 1.

Overall, Left Alive was not a fun game to play. It lacked personality, even though it wanted to be an MGS clone so bad. It lacked complication for a stealth game, as well as comfortable character movement and slow ramp-up of difficulty. I think if the devs could have had more time to smooth out these rough areas, then the game would have been decent, if not good.

To sum it up, Flashback 2 was worth a playthrough, and as a fan of the original, I had fun with it. It’s probably the easiest Platinum you can get, too. But the experience is tainted by lots of technical bugs and very linear, flat gameplay design. At its launch price of $40, I’m hesitant to recommend it to anyone that isn’t an ardent Flashback fan who might be more forgiving of the flaws. Whether any more patches get released is anyone’s guess, but even if the technical bugs get ironed out, the gameplay is still thin and pretty lackluster.

Aside from the noticeable lack in presentation, this game is still really fun. With such a new idea in the way of peripherals, one could worry that the functionality may not be very strong. Thankfully, the game and controller work in harmony and after some practice you don't feel like it's the game's fault your missing notes.

Adding insult to injury is the success Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, a $5, fully produced prequel to Dead Rising 2. The bar was raised, and Ignition has no business occupying the same space.

Eldar Saga is a game marred by a great many ailments. It's functional on a basic level, but it seems to do everything in its power to discourage the player from wanting to spend time with it.