World at War finally gives us a reason to visit the Pacific Theater with its fun cooperative and multiplayer modes. But the “been there, done that” single-player missions and overall derivative tone keep this very good game from achieving the greatness of its predecessor.

World at War finally gives us a reason to visit the Pacific Theater with its fun cooperative and multiplayer modes. But the “been there, done that” single-player missions and overall derivative tone keep this very good game from achieving the greatness of its predecessor. [Jan 2009, p.64]

It works well enough with a bit of practice, though, and 50 complete scenarios in the single-player challenge mode add up to plenty of time spent playing god. [Oct 2008, p.106]

SvR’s great right stick grapple system hasn’t changed much in the last few years, so it’s hard to say the series has evolved much on the mat. I’d still love to see a tutorial system to help newcomers ease into play.

SvR’s great right stick grapple system hasn’t changed much in the last few years, so it’s hard to say the series has evolved much on the mat. I’d still love to see a tutorial system to help newcomers ease into play.

For fans this is a no-brainer, but even those looking for a fighter or RPG with some interesting twists should give this a try.

The title’s relentless immaturity can grate after a while, though. Gruesome executions and grunted, testosterone-soaked dialogue sloppily plaster over the campaign’s heavy-handed morality play. While the plot makes sense this time around, its clumsy mysteries are old hat to anyone moderately well read in science fiction. Still, finding bad things to say about Gears of War 2 is like trying to hate on the ‘07 Patriots. The game is impeccably engineered to dominate everything it sets its sights on, and yet ultimately falls short of achieving true immortality.

Fans will probably dig the game’s cool set pieces and the story, but the save points are placed too far apart, many puzzles require too much random experimentation, and the dialogue system seems like an afterthought. [Nov 2008, p.118]

Console players interested in seeing what all the fuss about RTS is about are probably best served here rather than with the other mediocre efforts to date.

The persistent army customization is a fun hook to maintain interest, the ebb and flow of battle is more dynamic (fighting the AI quickly becomes a tedious slog through its long stream of reinforcements), and the usual RTS pacing metagame becomes something of a remedy for the tepid nuts and bolts of battle.

Legendary is by no means awful — it’s just about as vanilla as first-person shooters get. It all wraps up with a completely unsatisfying “wait for the sequel” type cliffhanger. We’ll see.

Legendary is by no means awful — it’s just about as vanilla as first-person shooters get. It all wraps up with a completely unsatisfying “wait for the sequel” type cliffhanger. We’ll see.

There are some things you never knew you wanted in a strategy game. The third-person view does wonders to get you invested in every decision, and it’s great to have a worthwhile story. The gorgeous presentation and versatile combat make Valkyria Chronicles one of the best surprises of the year.

The gameplay shows potential, but the rest of the game isn’t strong enough to lift it up into an experience that any gamer needs to see.

The gameplay shows potential, but the rest of the game isn’t strong enough to lift it up into an experience that any gamer needs to see.

For multiplayer fans, Resistance 2 delivers everything you could want from a game, but the single-player experience sadly falls short of expectations.

It leaves you wanting more. [Oct 2008, p.15]

The co-op nature of the campaign sets it apart. Every single mission (and there are enough to deliver dozens of hours of playtime) has two commanders working side by side, and it’s an absolute blast to pound the AI with a buddy.

There’s plenty here to twist and turn your brain.

This game is massive, and as your character’s stature in the Wasteland grows, so does the excitement. It’s not a true sequel to the Fallout series, but as a fan of the games of old, I found it to be every bit as good.

This game is massive, and as your character's stature in the Wasteland grows, so does the excitement. It's not a true sequel to the Fallout series, but as a fan of the games of old, I found it to be every bit as good.

As a racer, Pacific Rift hits all the gears – it just lacks that extra one to kick things into overdrive.

Don’t let the cutie-pie exterior fool you — Ninjatown is a gamer’s game through and through.

The only glaring ommision from the original Scene It was online play. Now that it's implemented well in Box Office Smash, you won't have to cajole your friends and family into a game every time you want to play a session. [Jan 2009, p.71]

LittleBigPlanet is a gaming epiphany – one of the rare titles that opens new horizons on the landscape and changes the way you think about interactive entertainment.

If World Tour has a trump card, it’s the groundbreaking new GHMix studio mode. It’s basically a full-on set of music creation software, that allows you to write, arrange, and record your own songs, then upload them to be freely shared with fellow players. Even better, the game instantly translates them into fully playable jewels charts on the fly. As much fun as I had tackling “Hot For Teacher,” this mode feels like the future of the franchise.

If World Tour has a trump card, it’s the groundbreaking new GHMix studio mode. It’s basically a full-on set of music creation software, that allows you to write, arrange, and record your own songs, then upload them to be freely shared with fellow players. Even better, the game instantly translates them into fully playable jewels charts on the fly. As much fun as I had tackling “Hot For Teacher,” this mode feels like the future of the franchise.

If you spent months bowling in Wii Sports, then this will be an upgrade. Otherwise, it isn't worth your time. [Jan 2009, p.76]