It never even really approaches the level of intimacy with its subject-matter that the deluge of press releases would have you believe. It would seem that Shellshock fell victim to its own hype.

Sure, it tells an interesting tale of woe and bullets, but instead of building upon this story with equally engaging gameplay, Dirge of Cerebrus seems content to simply ride on the coattails of a nearly decade old role-playing game.

Decent, but it comes up short of ideal in just about every conceivable area.

For a game based on a movie (based on a set of children's stories), Curious George is more than adequate. While it stumbles here and there in terms of gameplay, the game will nonetheless appeal to those younger players with an itch to play as an animated monkey.

While good company can and does overshadow some of what the game does wrong, it cannot mask the fact that Dungeon Lords, on the whole, isn't very fun.

There is baggage here that is weighing it down, such as the camera with a mind of its own, the repeated textures, and most notably the lack of full online support. Still, for the price of $19.99 it is hard to argue the merits of a title that, despite its flaws, is still a heck of a lot of fun.

The formula was never that good to begin with, and shiny new graphics, tons of new monsters, and a host of unlockable moves simply cannot hide the fact that Rampage, no matter the generation, is a bore.

It's a considerable improvement over the last two games, and is a step towards putting up a fight with the THQ line of games for supremacy of the console-wrestling genre.

Has some potential, but is it dragged down by its own mediocrity. Boring, repetitive gameplay and bland visuals make up Spawn’s biggest missteps, while a formidable soundtrack keeps the game from being totally without merit.

I don't know why SNK Playmore put so little effort into SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom. When compared to so many of the other fighting games they have developed and produced, and also Capcom's line of fighters, this easily becomes the low point of 2D fighting in recent years.

It does offer the upgrade system which redeems it, but overall the game is kind of boring.

The characters and environments are all but devoid of personality, and even fans of the television program will be left wondering what has been done to suck all of the life out of such a great series.

In order to create a challenge in spite of the idiotic artificial “intelligence,” units are extraordinarily weak and feature dubiously sub-par pathfinding. Units will get jammed together in cramped areas before buckling and dying after only two to three hits.

While there is nothing profoundly wrong with the game, it doesn’t put a unique twist on the game, it doesn’t have a large or comprehensive cast of characters, and it doesn’t look nearly as good as the competition.

Updating its slightly clunky graphics would make things look fresh, but wouldn't keep the squad AI from sometimes feeling more like cattle to herd than teammates.

Provides a decent PC role-playing experience, but it is simply not as refined as the Fallout games that it is derived from.

If you can look beyond the technical issues, the game offers somewhat entertaining, if generic gameplay.

The bare bones for success are there. With a bit more polish and the intention to deliver the game as a game rather than what amounts to an interactive documentary when all is said and done, I am confident that the developers can pull off a better, more entertaining game in the future.

It’s a barebones swashbuckling experience wrapped around a buggy and repetitive gameplay core that skirts the edges of the mundane.

Pretty standard fare, but Rave Master handles the traditional health bar system in a completely unique way.

It plays the role of an updated "Final Fight" clone quite well, but the lion’s share of today’s gamers demand a little more depth for their hard earned money.

There is very little fun to be had here, and for the price this game simply cannot be recommended to anyone. Surprisingly the sequel, "Full Metal Alchemist 2: Akaki Elixir no Akuma," which is out in Japan, is a much more fleshed out game that towers over its predecessor in most every way.

It does offer the upgrade system which redeems it, but overall the game is kind of boring.

Boring, repetitive gameplay and bland visuals make up Spawn’s biggest missteps, while a formidable soundtrack keeps the game from being totally without merit.

Not content to rest on the laurels of its lengthy name, World Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer – All In distinguishes itself on the strength of its poker/RPG hybrid gameplay, it’s sleek, thematic atmosphere, and an AI that understands how to play the game correctly.

The best that can be said for Dynasty Warriors Advance is that it has a clean presentation and gameplay that isn't immediately bland. It does not however hold up to sustained play, and will lose it's appeal long before all of the modes are explored, and long before the unlockables are unlocked.

It seems fairly clear that nobody ever gave the game a good play-through – both to see how blatantly unready the game was for retail in terms of testing, but also how bland and uninteresting the core gameplay is.

My excitement faded, however, as I repeatedly discovered the marquee games to be inferior versions of their PC progenitors.