Every cut scene makes reference to events or characters from previous titles, and newcomers will likely be lost as to their significance. Since the gameplay itself is subpar to the point of being at times unforgivably dull, those not here for the story will find little to hold their attention.

While there's room for improvement in terms of graphics and sound, it easily makes up for it in realism.

It’s a game about the fantastical, but it’s grounded in reality. And that’s refreshing. We wish more developers would try it sometime.

With its unique setup and variety of multiplayer modes, Ecks vs. Sever is a title worth checking out.

The game tells a finely crafted and interesting story at its own pace, and those without the patience to appreciate it may not understand what all the fuss is about.

Refined, entertaining, and simple, it's a refreshing change of pace from most of the more violent, dark themes that tend to hound games lately.

Maybe material that still feels as fresh, fun and challenging as Gitaroo Man Lives! still deserves an encore.

With its lengthy campaigns, replayability, and solid multiplayer, strategy fans will keep coming back to this one.

So, yes, there is a little bit of hand-holding going on here. When you're going to play a game for dozens of hours, it’s nice to feel like the game's designers care enough about you to stand by your side.

The inclusion of an intuitive, open character building system, commendable AI, and great multiplayer options make this a fine choice for fans of the original game, and those looking for a good action-heavy role-playing experience.

It’s a real shame that the only down side to this game is basically the system Capcom chose to release it on.

A game that looks like it came from a major animation studio. The fluid movement in this game is no less impressive.

Given the open-ended nature of the series, most hard-core fans will enjoy investing their time here acquiring elusive ingredients and perfecting their hocus pocus, while casual fans will get a kick out of the chaos they can cause spending a few hours playing around with it.

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.

But those ideas don't hold much water when the AI acts up as often as it does. That, coupled with the numerous other bugs we encountered, really makes Pacific Assault a minor disappointment.

One of the best LEGO titles yet. It manages to find a brilliant sweet spot between linear set-pieces and larger puzzles and exploration that make it a joy to play through.

NBA Street Homecourt is cake without the frosting, or for those who hate cake, "Baywatch" without Pam Anderson.

With great graphics, challenging gameplay, and plenty of ways to play, Codename: Panzers, Phase Two lives up to expectations.

An engaging card battle game wrapped up in a solidly mediocre story.

Despite the anticlimactic ending, shoddy boss fights, and lackluster multiplayer, The Darkness 2 is an extremely impressive game. It oozes style, packs an emotional punch, and manages to be effectively balance bombastic violence with understated character development, ensuring that when the Darkness is unleashed you care.

Lesser games in the extreme sports genre have a tendency to wade in a shallow pool of standard cliches, but Wakeboarding Unleashed keeps the focus squarely on the gameplay, where it should be.

It's not worth rushing out and buying four GBAs and link cables (you'll probably never use all that equipment ever again), but it's a must-have if you and your friends already have most of the required hardware and love multiplayer gaming. There's no other title quite like it.

The add-in combines a new and intriguing story with plenty of varied gameplay to steal forty or fifty more hours of your life.

The cups in this golf game don't exactly runneth over in terms of significant content, but at the same time, players shouldn't feel like they’re getting shafted. This is what the first Xbox 360 golf game should have been all along, a familiar but fun time on the links with striking visuals.

The first wrestling game to offer online matches, but sadly this feature just isn’t up to snuff. You can select either a standard match or a bra-and-panties match, and then after venting your frustrations on a silent, nameless opponent, you’re done.

King Kong is short... really short. The average player will finish the game in about six hours, and for $60, that’s not exactly a great value.

A really classy expansion.

While others have hinted at RPG and RTS crossover, or have tried and not quite succeeded, SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars delivers.