It tries to maintain the core AC experience, oftentimes at the expense of performance and stability, and while it largely succeeds in this regard, the overall result is a game caught in the middle of the franchise's past and future.

There isn't much in way of story or expandability, but it gets basic, punishingly repetitive combat down just right, and that makes it worth a purchase if you're looking for something to fill the time.

WWE '13 has all the potential to be great. Varied game modes, a slew of classic wrestlers to choose from and an unheard of commitment to historical accuracy all form the foundation for what should be an excellent wrestling game. Unfortunately, the gameplay is so weak and the entire game suffers for it.

The biggest disappointment is that the most cohesive and entertaining portion of the campaign isn't experienced until the last three chapters. In a game that spans 13 chapters, the "just wait, it gets better" excuse just doesn't cut it. It's also worth mentioning that an earlier chapter is designed to take less than a minute to beat.

It's the clunky design that, in my book, fuels Retro City Rampage's undoing. This is a game that plays better on a design document than it does in reality. It is pretty much exactly what the trailers and previews have sold it as, for better and for worse.

Fable: The Journey is a great idea, but when it doesn't work most of the time, it'll quickly frustrate you and remind you of the worst Kinect experiences.

Worst of all, it's difficult in a way that feels like the game is cheating you through broken mechanics somehow, and that isn't fun for anyone.

If you're looking for a refinement and re-balancing of Dead or Alive 4, then Dead or Alive 5 will suit your needs just fine. It's also the most welcoming to newcomers, so if you've been curious to try DOA, this is the time to get in. If you're a hardcore DOA fan though, keep your expectations in check and don't hope for too much.

I wouldn't say that Tokyo Jungle is a must play title by any means, but for just $15 I'd say it's almost worth it just to play one of the strangest games the PSN has to offer.

Jet Set Radio's modern upgrade isn't a robust one, but it's certainly suitable for the asking price. Unfortunately, the game found beneath all of that aesthetic bliss has aged poorly in parts, and the result is that this important and influential experience is much better seen and heard today, rather than actually played.

When other downloadable games offer a similar experience for the same price or less with a more streamlined experience, tenfold the content and just as much replayability, it becomes hard to recommend Joe Danger 2: The Movie, no matter how cute and competent its design is.

A short, stupid, bite-sized treat. Like a bag of Funyuns, it's good for a while, but you can only take so much. The game's biggest shortfall is the fact that it rings up at a whopping $15, which is probably about $10 more than I would be willing to pay for the quality it delivers.

A mixed bag. Those who don't mind some badly written jRPG tropes will find quite a bit to love in combat, but the game is generally too linear and plodding to earn anything above the praise of "decent."

Inconsistent, though the good tends to outweigh the bad. Missteps aside, the game is genuinely fun, and at the very least worth a try via demo. If nothing else, Dust offers an intriguing promise of things to come: if Mr. Dodrill could craft a game like this on his own, what could he accomplish with more?

With its fast-paced multiplayer, completely redesigned spellbook, and extensive replayability, I'd say if you enjoyed the original Orcs Must Die! then I'd highly recommend Orcs Must Die! 2. However, OMD2 is shorter than OMD in terms of the campaign and only seems to expand on the original rather than offer a new innovative experience for tower defense fans.

It isn't for everyone though, the difficulty can be infuriatingly hard and means that some players won't ever make it to the later levels.

Yes, Deadlight is a short game, one that feels especially brisk when the puzzles lack challenge.

The Secret World has too many problems to function...After playing the game for over a month I haven't seen any serious signs of improvement. Quests remain buggy, graphics suffer and the core of the game is still as obnoxious as ever.

Two player co-op works like a dream and allows for quick drop-in drop-out gameplay, something that many rail-shooters seem to forget.

NCAA Football 13 brings to the table two new features: a bullet time mechanism and an ability to play as past Heisman Trophy winners. Beyond that, it's just the same old solid football game that is sure to please, but not excite.

All of this amounts to a content-packed but ultimately rather disappointing first crack at Skyrim DLC for Bethesda.

It features a strong female lead who happens to also be a scantily-clad idiot that characters disrespect with borderline sexual harassment. It plays like a brick at times, but there are few things as satisfying as bisecting a zombie, starting at the crotch. It's intensely brutal and violent, surrounded by rainbows and glitter sparkles. Following on that theme, it's a fascinatingly entertaining video game that just doesn't <I>play</I> very well.

Despite the struggles of the combat system, the story of Kat and overall atmosphere of the game are extremely well executed and make up for the small misstep. Sure, Gravity Rush isn't the Vita's savior, but it doesn't really need to be. It's a competent action game with a unique mechanic that works well on a handheld.

The Fable faithful might love the look of this adorable take on the franchise, but those who favor gameplay depth over a fan-pleasing presentation, won't find more than thumb-blistering brawling beneath its charming exterior.

For RPG genre fans willing to overlook some technical flaws, Risen 2 may very well be a treat and a refreshing change of pace. For the rest of us, this is a game that will never quite rise to the occasion.

Sure, the graphics are lacking and my arms were incredibly tired after Podracing, but these in no way detract from how fun the game is. If you like Star Wars and are looking for a reason to dust off your lonely Kinect, you should buy this game. But be warned, your inner-Comic Book Guy will never shut up.

an up-and-down affair. On the plus side, it's gorgeous, and still as complete a golf game as there is on the market. On the downside, it can be frustrating to play, and the online currency system that restricts a good deal of content is a slap in the face to longtime players. Also, Kinect at your own peril.

Stiff controls and lengthy load times hold it back from being as good as it could have been, but it proves that there's still some life left in massacring the undead.

While the game soars when it comes to charm and presentation, the uneven mix favors the weaker half of the gameplay formula and can't offer up a single well-rounded control option.

A pedestrian title with the power of the Resident Evil series behind it...However, with a kickass multiplayer, mixed zombie/contemporary warfare, and a high-definition view of Raccoon City's infection, the game holds its own.

An engaging story and creepy locales simply aren't enough to overcome terribly clunky combat and technical flaws in the latest entry in Konami's venerable survival horror series. Silent Hill: Downpour's developers may have taken the series in a new direction, but that doesn't mean they should have.

In trying to capture the inherently difficult nature of baseball (it has been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in any sport), 2K has failed to grasp the fundamentals of making a video game. Sure it can be hard, but people beyond a hardened fanbase should be able to play it. Otherwise you'll always be just second best.

There are tons of great ideas here, and when your breathlessly pulling yourself up the side of a skyscraper or picking off a would-be rapist with an arrow to the skull you see those great ideas peeking through, but they never come together in any cohesive way. In the end, the game feels more like a proof of concept experience than an actual game.

Warp is a pleasing blend of brain-teasers and stealth that feels half baked. A dull setting, shallow humor, and overly sensitive controls hold it back from being a classic, but it's still a satisfying slice of malevolent mayhem.

With a killer soundtrack and deep metal influences, Army Corps of Hell brings a barren action-strategy genre to the PlayStation Vita, but does so in a way that would make even the hellish of characters bored.

Poor touch controls and a lack of dedicated online multiplayer drag down an otherwise serviceable portable Dynasty Warriors game. Fans of the series will find things to like in Next, but the offering is mediocre at best.

None of these small gripes would kill anyone's enjoyment of the game, but given the lack of multiplayer, and the weak single-player, ModNation Racers: Road Trip is a huge missed opportunity for the casual fan, but the mod-tools are strong enough to appeal to the already converted fan of the franchise.

The game play and physics feel almost as if they were ripped from the original PSOne game, and the genre has come a long way since then. While the single-player game is weak, the multiplayer is mostly fun and creative. It's disappointing that after such a long wait, the game didn't evolve more, but fans of the original are certain to enjoy this blast from the past.

With stunning graphics, strong tracks, and a great soundtrack, Wipeout 2048 is a solid launch offering for the PlayStation Vita, even if the load times will make you want to make you throw yourself in front of your own hovercraft.

Like an over-encumbered sherpa, Drake stumbles occasionally under the weight of all the gadgets and gimmicks included with the new system. For better or worse, Uncharted demonstrates just about everything the Vita can deliver.

Even with such an elegant combat system, however, Reckoning does not know how to indulge it. The actual combat scenarios themselves are painfully pedantic and lose any surprise after the first few hours of play.

The abysmal controls and resulting frustrations are unforgiveable.

NFL Blitz 2012 isn't going to re-invent the way you look at football, or, in fact, the way you look at Blitz. There's not a whole lot there, and it really doesn't make any sense that they took out the fun extracurricular violence, but, in the end, it's a game you'll play every now and again and smile while you're doing it.

Resident Evil 5 is mired in poor design decisions that drag down the experience and render single-player campaign a tedious exercise in working around the game. It’s frustrating to see a game that I so looked forward to playing and carried with it such potential, sabotage itself in so many ways. Compared against the ambition of games like Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Assassin’s Creed; Resident Evil 5 seems timid, unwilling to move out of its comfort zone. It’s a shame.

Resident Evil 5 is mired in poor design decisions that drag down the experience and render single-player campaign a tedious exercise in working around the game. It’s frustrating to see a game that I so looked forward to playing and carried with it such potential, sabotage itself in so many ways. Compared against the ambition of games like Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Assassin’s Creed; Resident Evil 5 seems timid, unwilling to move out of its comfort zone. It’s a shame.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh offers a solid foundation with high production values and surprisingly good combat as the first of perhaps many episodes to come, but is it worth sacrificing your Jackson for a chance to slip into Rorschach’s trench coat? The answer is… up to you really.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh offers a solid foundation with high production values and surprisingly good combat as the first of perhaps many episodes to come, but is it worth sacrificing your Jackson for a chance to slip into Rorschach’s trench coat? The answer is… up to you really.

The only real downside here is the presentation – the updated art and menus are garish and much of the writing feels dashed off. Good thing Adol isn’t exactly the chatty type.

Race Pro is less Michael Schumacher and more Jacques Villeneuve. It does a few things well, a lot of things mediocre, and is kind of annoying when you have to deal with it for more than an hour at a time.

Prinny’s still a good time for players who don’t feel the need to prove their manhood, and if you do have something to prove…well, step right up and try your hand.

Fans of the series will be quick to pick this one up and will likely get much enjoyment. New players might find more to love in the newer games in the series. Either way, Shadow Dragon is a good move for tactical strategy gamers.

For Wii owners looking for something a little more adult, Deadly Creatures satisfies your sadistic cravings for carnage and blood, but lacks the polish to make it a keeper for any collection.

Fans of the anime will love the look, but the game just retreads the plot. Aside from the fantastic dismemberment, Afro Samurai doesn't manage to be anything loftier than essentially the same beat 'em up that we've been playing since Double Dragon. On the other hand, it is fun in short doses, looks great, and can be hilarious.

Fans of the anime will love the look, but the game just retreads the plot. Aside from the fantastic dismemberment, Afro Samurai doesn't manage to be anything loftier than essentially the same beat 'em up that we've been playing since Double Dragon. On the other hand, it is fun in short doses, looks great, and can be hilarious.

The biggest fault of Star Ocean: The Second Evolution is that there's almost no conflict. Everybody in the game is polite.

Conquest hits the same beats that we’ve hit over and over again in previous titles. It’s not that they don’t hit them well, but they hit the exact beats we’ve come to expect from a Lord of the Rings title.

Conquest hits the same beats that we’ve hit over and over again in previous titles. It’s not that they don’t hit them well, but they hit the exact beats we’ve come to expect from a Lord of the Rings title.

Rise of the Argonauts is an unquestionably flawed game. This should not be taken to mean it's not fun to play. Even with the underwhelming aspects of the game factored in, this is a truly ambitious game. It feels like an A-list title made with a C-list budget, but there is heart to it.

PoP is a group of interesting ideas searching for a stronger game to hold them all together.

PoP is a group of interesting ideas searching for a stronger game to hold them all together.

Gamers interested in dabbling in a little card battling should give the game a spin or at least seek professional help.

To move away from the pack, Underworld takes a very interesting stance by focusing on tackling cliffs rather than tackling tigers. It’s the right idea with wrong camera and gunplay to pull it off.

If there's a criticism to be made here it's that, well, it's just another Metal Slug game. For fans, this is certainly a good thing. But when it's all said and done, there's nothing here you haven't experience dozens of times in the past.

Need for Speed: Undercover is a game that both satisfies and disappoints on a regular basis. While the chases provide top-notch thrills and spills, you can’t help but feel like you’ve just done it too many times to really care anymore.

Need for Speed: Undercover is a game that both satisfies and disappoints on a regular basis. While the chases provide top-notch thrills and spills, you can’t help but feel like you’ve just done it too many times to really care anymore.

Need for Speed: Undercover is a game that both satisfies and disappoints on a regular basis. While the chases provide top-notch thrills and spills, you can’t help but feel like you’ve just done it too many times to really care anymore.

But if you are expecting vast improvements and additions after EA monopolized the marked, you might have to wait until next season.

The groundwork is laid here for something truly interesting and special if a follow-up is made, but this initial outing is merely average.

They might want to cut down on the load times, too. Or at least come up with a few more pretty pictures to admire while we wait.

I feel bad for Bond game developers the same way I feel bad for Quantum of Solace. Not just because it’s a mediocre shooter that offers some quick thrills and a decent multiplayer experience, but because it has to compete with so many far superior, must-own titles that have either already been released or are going to be released soon.

The collection includes a ton of bonus material.

There’s enough great gameplay here to make Web of Shadows recommendable for Spider-Man fans. The sheer level of glitches in the game, however, manages to take the fun factor down several notches.

There’s enough great gameplay here to make Web of Shadows recommendable for Spider-Man fans. The sheer level of glitches in the game, however, manages to take the fun factor down several notches.

Thanks to the numerous computer-related balancing issues and somewhat punishing controls, it can oftentimes be more annoying than fun.

There is no comparison to Grand Theft Auto IV in terms of gunplay, presentation, story, ambient city life, or driving. Rockstar has this beat by a country mile. But while Row’s lack of polish and rough exterior make it the less attractive choice from a technical standpoint, for those who felt shortchanged by GTA IV's scaled-back features (especially when compared to San Andreas), Saints Row 2 will help fill the void.

There is no comparison to Grand Theft Auto IV in terms of gunplay, presentation, story, ambient city life, or driving. Rockstar has this beat by a country mile. But while Row’s lack of polish and rough exterior make it the less attractive choice from a technical standpoint, for those who felt shortchanged by GTA IV's scaled-back features (especially when compared to San Andreas), Saints Row 2 will help fill the void.

Fracture is an aptly titled game, since many of its components don't fit well together. The single-player campaign seems unfinished, boss battles lack ingenuity, an awkward controlling vehicle sequence seems to have been tossed at random, and the automatic augmentation system offers few meaningful enhancements. The game's high production values aren't enough to make you want to revisit the campaign, leaving Fracture's long-term appeal in the hands of the multiplayer community.

Fracture is an aptly titled game, since many of its components don't fit well together. The single-player campaign seems unfinished, boss battles lack ingenuity, an awkward controlling vehicle sequence seems to have been tossed at random, and the automatic augmentation system offers few meaningful enhancements. The game's high production values aren't enough to make you want to revisit the campaign, leaving Fracture's long-term appeal in the hands of the multiplayer community.

The game is an intense shooting gallery, despite the repetition, yet the set-up, landscape, and gameplay feel so familiar at this point that it borders on boring.

The game is an intense shooting gallery, despite the repetition, yet the set-up, landscape, and gameplay feel so familiar at this point that it borders on boring.

While it's not really fair to judge the last generation's hardware by the standards of the next one, the PS2 versions of these games are getting harder and harder on the eyes. Koei's development teams have done their best to keep up, and the character modeling here is still pretty impressive, but the drab backgrounds and draw-in show the age of the technology.

Largely more of the same.

Balancing loyalties and uncovering a large-scale mystery (even though it’s poorly handled) go a long way towards creating a great sense of scope and immersion. Unfortunately, numerous technical issues, narrative missteps and unbalanced gameplay elements keep the game from being something truly special.

Mercenaries 2 won't entice those expecting glitch-free gaming, diverse missions, gritty realism, and cerebral combat. Yet for the run-and-gun crowd, it's escapist entertainment worth seeking out just for the sheer amount of chaos you can create within the colorful jungle setting. It’s not long, it's not deep, but it's never boring, especially with a friend.

Mercenaries 2 won't entice those expecting glitch-free gaming, diverse missions, gritty realism, and cerebral combat. Yet for the run-and-gun crowd, it's escapist entertainment worth seeking out just for the sheer amount of chaos you can create within the colorful jungle setting. It’s not long, it's not deep, but it's never boring, especially with a friend.

For anyone familiar with Mario Superstar Baseball, there are very few surprises awaiting you here. Fans of Superstar might find comfort in this, but for everyone else it just means you're getting a slightly updated, somewhat enjoyable, uber-Nintendo-y baseball game whose biggest addition is the option to swing and throw with the Wiimote.

Despite some frustrating and inconsistent controls and an overpowering serve/volley design, Smash Court Tennis 3 offers a deep and rewarding tennis experience.

For all its lack of innovation, there's an involving, if convoluted story here, and some commendably spooky moments.

And this wouldn't be so bad, except for the draconian daily qualification requirements you face during the Olympic Games mode.

And this wouldn't be so bad, except for the draconian daily qualification requirements you face during the Olympic Games mode.

It's just sort of a bummer not to see anything new brought to the table other than a digital Steven Tyler (which actually looks less freakish than the real Steven Tyler).

It's just sort of a bummer not to see anything new brought to the table other than a digital Steven Tyler (which actually looks less freakish than the real Steven Tyler).

It's just sort of a bummer not to see anything new brought to the table other than a digital Steven Tyler (which actually looks less freakish than the real Steven Tyler).

The emphasis on huge battles and great action does manage to shine through, but this release still feels half-baked.

Technically this is Guitar Hero, but a huge piece of the puzzle is missing. Clutching your teeny tiny DS, squinting at a teeny tiny screen, and listen to tinny audio does nothing to enhance the illusion that you're a rock god.

This updated, retooled (and downloadable, $30) version of the blazing fast hovercraft battle racer sports eight new tracks, tighter controls, sharper visuals and a new training section where all of you panic-prone Cougars out there can now hone your skills and become the Mavericks of your dreams – minus the killer abs and with a bit more Star Wars than you were probably expecting.

What does become frustrating at times is the wild camera during fights, which can swing into totally useless positions in small spaces. It’s rarely a game killer, but there are times when you’ll lose track of Jason entirely. Still, if you could handle the camerawork in "The Bourne Supremacy," you’ll be fine here.

What does become frustrating at times is the wild camera during fights, which can swing into totally useless positions in small spaces. It’s rarely a game killer, but there are times when you’ll lose track of Jason entirely. Still, if you could handle the camerawork in "The Bourne Supremacy," you’ll be fine here.