Fez is a flawed work of genius, in a way. The base mechanics are lacking, glitches abound and yet the world -- so full of secrets and hidden puzzles -- is an utter joy to explore.

Xenoblade Chronicles is the sort of precious jRPG that this recent console generation has sorely lacked. Despite some missteps and over-complication, the game stands out as one of the best in recent years. Xenoblade creates a world simply begging to be explored.

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.

Armored Core V is what people have come to expect of mech-combat games: it's fun, pretty, and provides overall smooth gameplay; however it's nothing groundbreaking and is so impossibly confusing that only hardcore fans will truly enjoy it.

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.

Blades of Time is a mediocre game, with an inventive combat system utilizing time manipulation. Dreadful writing and one of the most annoying protagonists in a dog's age dampen its charms, while the puzzles between combat show a dearth of creativity.

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.

Feels like a great game that wasn't finished. It's not that the game's too short; it's that it's too sparse. More enemy types, weapons, and spells could have really fleshed this out into a hack-and-slash classic. As is, it feels like a demo stretched into a full length game -- and a short one at that.

Vessel brings art, music, and some great puzzles to the table. Though messy and not always perfect, anyone who loves playing around with water will want to get their hands dirty with this title.

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.

MLB The Show 12 continues the tradition of excellence in this installment of the yearly title. Beautifully realistic parks, Vita integration, and a myriad of control options expand on what was already the leading MLB experience.

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.

Binary Domain is Japan's answer to Gears of War, with exciting, energetic third-person shooting. The multiplayer is lackluster, and the optionally voiced squad tactics are largely inconsequential, but the campaign's sharp shooting and smart story make for a vision splendid romp through Japan's future.

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.

Journey stands head and shoulders above all other artistic games. It's truly avant-garde and pushes the boundaries of what a video game can mean to its audience.

It may not be a full showcase of what your new handheld can do, but Zipper did a commendable job of creating a bite-sized modern warfare scenario for you to play with. Not must-own material for everyone, but definitely worth the time if you've been waiting for a Vita game with a strong focus on virtual military combat.

The core gameplay is top notch and is sure to please even the most hardcore fighting gamer. This crossover series has been long anticipated and the wait was well worth it.

What is so unique in this game is how the presence of its conclusion feels like the existential dread that infuses the characters that make up its universe. The paradox of the game becomes painfully prescient as it draws inexorably towards its conclusion.

In terms of story and presentation, the tale of Asura's Wrath is one of the best of this console generation, but a scant six hours of gameplay and lengthy cutscenes holds it back from being perfect.

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.

EA Sports has itself one expertly designed and well put together game with SSX. The huge, multi-path runs and silky smooth controls more than offset any minor stumbles.

While Syndicate's sense of atmosphere leads to rare shining moments, they are thwarted at every turn by a stilted storyline, unlikable characters, and numerous pacing issues that make the experience difficult enjoy. The co-op, however, surpasses almost anything else available in the genre.

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.

About as close to a retail-caliber release as the downloadable space has seen yet. It's super polished, the combat is slick and exciting, and the presentation is top notch.

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.