Sixteen-player online deathmatch is truly a sight to behold, and you should probably think about keeping anyone prone to seizures or heart palpitations out of the room because things move real fast. [Nov 2002, p.116]

No aspect of life remains unscathed, from sexual repression and homophobia to government conspiracy and rampant paranoia. And it's funny. Very funny. [July 2005, p.114]

Terra Battle offers compelling character and combat systems, as long as you’re okay not pushing through the game in a short time.

While it becomes a bit repetitive late in the game, Dillon's Rolling Western is a good fit for anyone tiring of the same old tower defense formula. Combining the charm and wide-open exploration of The Legend of Zelda with town defense proves to be an addictive recipe. The game's cartoony Wild West visuals and terrific sense of humor is the icing on the cake. This is a must-download eShop title for anyone finding their 3DS becoming as dusty as Dillon's trails.

While it is one of the better looking first-person games to come out this year, it isn’t the most technically savvy. The gameplay isn’t perfectly honed, but an ever-changing mix of clever ideas, evocative locations, and engaging characters tap the best traditions of the Western genre.

The new formula delivers a more relaxing thrill – which isn't a bad thing – as opposed to pushing players to hone their skills.

While it's not the next evolution of competitive FPS by any stretch of the imagination, a clean frontend with good party support and matchmaking at least lets those players who can forgive its faults an easy way to play the game the way it was meant to be.

Watching Alta grow and accept her limitations will stick with me and make me reflect on my own inability to turn off and just relax.

Though brief, Child of Eden offers one of the most unique Kinect experiences to date. It's unfortunate our time in Eden's gorgeous confines ends too soon.

Awake shows you a broken Chloe - someone at her lowest. Everyone hits those trying times in their lives, and what Awake does best is illustrate how much another person can make a difference in those situations. The emotional pull is strong, and the story's strength is its relatability. This first episode has me intrigued at how Chloe and Rachel Amber will make it through their distress, and it also has me rooting for them.

Presents absolutely no challenge, even on the hardest difficult setting. [August 2002, p.91]

This game proves thqat RTS games can be done right on a console. [Jan 2004, p.131]

The XCOM series is well-known for its intricate turn-based action. Chimera Squad augments those systems with a few clever ideas, but some of the new systems don't play well with XCOM's existing foundation. The interwoven turn order and removal of permadeath are fun experiments, but they ultimately weaken XCOM's delicately balanced action. Chimera Squad is a neat standalone project, but it doesn’t stand as tall as the rest of the series.

In the post-game cleanup, I’m only now engaging with the aesthetic-serving aspects of Cult of the Lamb. I’m finally making my cult feel like mine and not one I’m sure every other player will at some point make to cultivate as many resources as possible. I only wished I had felt this earlier in my 19-hour journey. Still, everything I did leading up to it, from the fast-paced dungeon combat that never grew stale to the factory-like base building that nailed the stress of resource management, was enough and then some to keep me engaged and indoctrinated.

Ultimately, Rayman Origins is still a fantastic game, with or without multiplayer. If you haven't checked it out yet, you now have one more reason to give it a shot.

Awake shows you a broken Chloe - someone at her lowest. Everyone hits those trying times in their lives, and what Awake does best is illustrate how much another person can make a difference in those situations. The emotional pull is strong, and the story's strength is its relatability. This first episode has me intrigued at how Chloe and Rachel Amber will make it through their distress, and it also has me rooting for them.

What it may lack in revolutionary features it makes up for on the tracks where speed, skill, and surprises are not in short supply.

Awake shows you a broken Chloe - someone at her lowest. Everyone hits those trying times in their lives, and what Awake does best is illustrate how much another person can make a difference in those situations. The emotional pull is strong, and the story's strength is its relatability. This first episode has me intrigued at how Chloe and Rachel Amber will make it through their distress, and it also has me rooting for them.

My experience on NovaWorld was much better this time around. [Jan 2005, p.143]

This is EA Sports' first use of Kinect, and it shows. The peripheral doesn't come close to replicating your backswing with fidelity, and it lacks fluidity and accuracy. The PS3 Move functionality fares only slightly better, but the hiccups in the backswing animation are annoying when you're trying to gauge how much power to use during putting. I don't recommend either of these peripherals over the normal control setup.

For parents who are looking for a wholesome game to play with their children, Okabu is a no-brainer. Even without a kid for a sidekick, Okabu's light-hearted romp is worth a look for gamers wanting a break from more serious and demanding titles.

While this newest version of Hot Shots ushers in a welcome new swing mechanic, it’s unfortunate that other areas have been neglected. Out of Bounds is worth getting, but what it gains in its drive distances it loses in its short game.

The action is fun, the graphics are astounding, and players are pulled from one high-adrenaline moment to the next. But it’s also disappointing. Fans are accustomed the rising stakes and escalating scale that make Kratos attain deific heights, but Ascension proves that he is mortal after all.

Void Bastards is funny, misanthropic, and yet still fun to play, and even after arising from some pretty clear inspirations, manages to feel like its own mutated beast.

This is EA Sports' first use of Kinect, and it shows. The peripheral doesn't come close to replicating your backswing with fidelity, and it lacks fluidity and accuracy. The PS3 Move functionality fares only slightly better, but the hiccups in the backswing animation are annoying when you're trying to gauge how much power to use during putting. I don't recommend either of these peripherals over the normal control setup.

Neo Cab poses a lot of questions, crossing something familiar with a plausible futuristic backdrop. Chance Agency crafts an intriguing world where people all have their own ideas about technology and how much it should be a part of our everyday lives. Neo Cab has the fun of being a driver, meeting new people, and trying to hustle for cash and get that coveted star-rating. But it also offers a much deeper experience – one that makes you look inward. That’s especially why it’s worth the trip.

Like its namesake league, NHL 13's stellar on-ice product is compromised by the questionable decisions of the men at the top. I've never had more fun competing between whistles, but once you skate off the ice and take a seat as the general manager, the poor AI driving the other teams breaks the fantasy.

Not only is it the best Arnold or Terminator-themed game ever (which isn't saying all that much), but it's also one of the best licensed games around. [Oct 2004, p.127]