Probably the only other thing that bugs me is the map restrictions. There are a lot of small rocks and other areas that you aren’t allowed to scale, climb, or jump over and end up hitting this invisible wall.

Top Spin 4 has been a lesson in ambivalence for me. I liked it, but couldn't overlook some of its flaws. But the truth is, Top Spin 4 is probably the best tennis game that's been made to date. It's fun to play, and pretty satisfying to blast winners and watch your opponent throw up his (or her) hands in frustration.

Top Spin 4 has been a lesson in ambivalence for me. I liked it, but couldn't overlook some of its flaws. But the truth is, Top Spin 4 is probably the best tennis game that's been made to date. It's fun to play, and pretty satisfying to blast winners and watch your opponent throw up his (or her) hands in frustration.

Eugen Systems took a lot of familiar concepts and gave them some new wrinkles. That’s good, and I’d even characterize Act of War as an entertaining game, but it’s just that those familiar concepts I mentioned are really familiar, and it just seemed like I had played Act of War before.

Madden 12 does a lot of things very well. I can say without hesitation that the new and improved presentation, animations, movements, and overall NFL atmosphere of the game are enough to warrant the new purchase. Superstar mode was a bit of a disappointment for me, but I cannot justify too much of a hit due to this, as Franchise mode is the cream of the crop for Madden fans – and Franchise mode really does shine. If you are a Madden fan and/or football fan, don't hesitate to pick this one up.

Accessible enough that people who don’t normally play computer games should be able to enjoy it, since it works better as an interactive version of the television show than as an adventure, and veteran gamers might like it as well, since it’s well made and different than other games out there.

Madden 12 does a lot of things very well. I can say without hesitation that the new and improved presentation, animations, movements, and overall NFL atmosphere of the game are enough to warrant the new purchase. Superstar mode was a bit of a disappointment for me, but I cannot justify too much of a hit due to this, as Franchise mode is the cream of the crop for Madden fans – and Franchise mode really does shine. If you are a Madden fan and/or football fan, don't hesitate to pick this one up.

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy is a better game than the original with its refined gameplay mechanics and battle system. Though the story leaves much to be desired, Square has addressed many of the problems from the original game by giving fans more of what they want. A feeling of déjà vu still exists but Square has managed to keep things fresh with Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy, which is a worthy game for series' veterans and fans.

Unfortunately, the difficulty never lets up in the thirty-seven levels.

While the A.I. could’ve been stronger and there could’ve been more with the playable characters, Chaos Bleeds does a great job of appealing to fans and newcomers to the show alike. Adventure fans should look at sinking their teeth into this game.

A surprising twist to the horror genre. With extremely creative monsters, an unique setting and quite a bit of replayability, The Suffering provides a sense of where the survival horror game could be going within future titles.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 is obviously geared towards serious golfers who appreciate the history of their favorite past time. Of course, these are the people who pre-ordered the game and are already playing it. But with the changes focused on golf’s illustrious history and gameplay changes favoring more elaborate shot shaping, one can make the argument that more casual gamers aren’t purchasing a wholly new experience this year.

It looks good and sounds good and is fun and breezy to play, but it also gets repetitive after several missions, and it doesn’t offer the kind of variety other tycoon games do.

With the variety of ghosts and ghostly powers, there are many ways to complete missions, and so even though you could probably finish the campaign in well under 10 hours, there’s lots of room for re-playability, and you might find Ghost Master haunting your hard drive for weeks to come.

An unbelievably fast-paced, fun, and multi-player friendly mountain biking simulation that won't soon be usurped in the extreme sports genre.

If you can find yourself an online crowd that works and plays together well, survive long enough to get a feeling for the weapons and vehicles, I think this game has a lot to offer, but many people will be turned off by the spawn campers, the simple ballistics, and the extreme ease of dying.

Had the developers of Red Dead Revolver paid as much attention to mining classic video game control as they did to beloved movie scenes, they might have had a perfect game on their hands. As it is, Red Dead Revolver is a damn fine game.

Produces a great, no, an outstanding single player experience, but I have trouble recommending a game with so little game for like $40.

This title is pure unadulterated action, a great adrenaline run. Its staying power will rest on how fleshed out the multiplayer can be and whether there are any new maps, levels, modifications or expansion packs in store.

While the game does address previous game issues and is a worthy successor to the previous title in its own way, it does make you wonder what the game could’ve been if it’d straddled the line between light and dark.

It’s a little difficult to call a game like AOE3 dated because so much work has been done on the graphics and interface, but under the hood (with the exception of the home city concept) AOE3 is all "AOE2."

Even with the technical snafus that sometimes plague Legends, this is still the best X-Men title ever produced. The Action/RPG elements are nicely integrated within an epic storyline with plenty of intrigue and a huge amount of gameplay that can take 20 hours or more to fully complete.

Had the developers of Red Dead Revolver paid as much attention to mining classic video game control as they did to beloved movie scenes, they might have had a perfect game on their hands. As it is, Red Dead Revolver is a damn fine game.

While its engine handles combat well enough, the targeting crosshair was not made for human eyes. It'll lock onto somebody's chest effectively enough, but it's got a sense of humor. You'll often aim at a crate or barrel when you really want to be aiming at the chest of the guy who just stormed into the room.

Halo is the first game I can ever recall wishing was shorter than it was. The final level is one of the great nail-biters in FPS-dom, but you’ve got to slog through some levels that are nothing short of unbelievable in their repetition to get to it.

If Larian Studios could have maintained that difficulty throughout the entire game, then Divine Divinity really could have been something, and perhaps reviewers like me wouldn’t call games "hybrids of Diablo and Baldur’s Gate," but instead call them "games like Divine Divinity."

It’s simply held back from greatness because of its lack of replay value.

While its engine handles combat well enough, the targeting crosshair was not made for human eyes. It'll lock onto somebody's chest effectively enough, but it's got a sense of humor. You'll often aim at a crate or barrel when you really want to be aiming at the chest of the guy who just stormed into the room.

It’s the margin of potential character advancement, simple yet strategic combat, endearing story and intriguing character interaction that makes a strategy RPG for me. La Pucelle has all that and more.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is a very good game overall and gives you a ton of fighters to play as and many ways to play with them in the game. It's the fastest-paced entry in the series and will test your fighting game mettle very quickly both online and off.

If Brute Force has one failing in terms of gameplay, it’s repetitive level design. The missions are fairly linear, and your squad is equipped with a radar that always tells you where you need to go.

Street Fighter X Tekken is a great game in some ways and does a surprisingly good job of blending two completely different styles of fighting games. However, it's got too many rough edges to warrant a full-price purchase right now, and is definitely best-suited as a rental until the kinks are worked out. If that happens, then I'd say it's a worthy addition to any fighting fan's library for about $40.

Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent with The Walking Dead. It's not a great "game" since its puzzles and action sequences are short and easy, but it has all the right elements - including excellent writing and voice acting - to make it an absorbing interactive movie. Plus, with about 15 hours of content, it's reasonably priced at $25. So if you've been trying to find the perfect Christmas gift for the zombie fan in your family, then The Walking Dead might be just the thing.

While its engine handles combat well enough, the targeting crosshair was not made for human eyes. It'll lock onto somebody's chest effectively enough, but it's got a sense of humor. You'll often aim at a crate or barrel when you really want to be aiming at the chest of the guy who just stormed into the room.

Even with the technical snafus that sometimes plague Legends, this is still the best X-Men title ever produced. The Action/RPG elements are nicely integrated within an epic storyline with plenty of intrigue and a huge amount of gameplay that can take 20 hours or more to fully complete.

The action is moderately intense, though I think most gamers will find the level of difficulty very manageable as long as you advance methodically and don’t rush blithely into massive enemy numbers.

While the A.I. could’ve been stronger and there could’ve been more with the playable characters, Chaos Bleeds does a great job of appealing to fans and newcomers to the show alike. Adventure fans should look at sinking their teeth into this game.

While the A.I. could’ve been stronger and there could’ve been more with the playable characters, Chaos Bleeds does a great job of appealing to fans and newcomers to the show alike. Adventure fans should look at sinking their teeth into this game.

Rochard takes the somewhat-familiar puzzle-platformer genre and puts a unique spin on it. The gameplay is very well-done, and the controls are usually great, with only a couple of issues.

Ultimately, the frame rate and online issues transform what could have been an incredible game into a very good game.

The lack of attention to the pure mechanics that attracted so many players to the series is a significant detraction to the game, as are the limitations placed on some of the game modes and the overemphasis on acting crazy.

Being one of the first strategy titles based on Tolkien's locus classicus, War of the Ring should introduce a good many movie fans to the strategy genre -- and most likely, no greater percentage of Ring fans exists than amongst the gaming demographic -- but veteran real-time strategy players might want to look elsewhere if depth is what they're seeking.

Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent with A Plague Tale: Innocence. It’s unique in premise and content, it looks and sounds good, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. I probably would have liked it even better if it had stayed more stealthy than action-oriented, but I’m not going to complain. A Plague Take definitely isn’t for kids — violence and gruesome deaths abound, and there is also some (completely unnecessary) profanity — but for everyone else, it’s a worthwhile game to check out, just perhaps at a slightly cheaper price.

A surprising twist to the horror genre. With extremely creative monsters, an unique setting and quite a bit of replayability, The Suffering provides a sense of where the survival horror game could be going within future titles.

Mega Man Zero's developers hit the right note and the ensuing drama lends a sense of urgency to the action.

If you snicker when someone says "Uranus," find Carrot Top absolutely hilarious, or perhaps still carry around a whoopee cushion, Conker: Live & Reloaded will be right up your alley. If you're a little more Bill Cosby than Richard Pryor, you'll have problems.

Ultimately, the frame rate and online issues transform what could have been an incredible game into a very good game.

The lack of attention to the pure mechanics that attracted so many players to the series is a significant detraction to the game, as are the limitations placed on some of the game modes and the overemphasis on acting crazy.

Critter Chronicles took me about a dozen hours to complete, and I consistently found it to be enjoyable during that time. The puzzles work well and are sometimes challenging (at least on "Hard;" I didn't try "Normal"), the writing is amusing enough that the game is entertaining to watch as well as play, and the voice acting is once again terrific.

With extremely creative monsters, an unique setting and quite a bit of replayability, The Suffering provides a sense of where the survival horror game could be going within future titles. If only some of the graphics and gameplay facets were a little more solid, this game would be almost perfect.

Its visual presentation is amazing and the gameplay is even better. If not for the progression-stilting level design this could be a contender for game of the year.

College Hoops 2K8 is your best college basketball option for this year. The game looks good, the gameplay is as sharp as ever, and the feel of college basketball is there. If you're a college basketball fan, then this one is easy to recommend.

Peripheral issues aside, Taiko Drum Master is probably one of the first rhythm games in a while to actually provide some amount of creativity to the genre.

Emergence should serve as a great launching point for Ritual’s experiment. It’s a solid game that knows its audience, and while it is pared down, that’s only as far as needed for a game half the length and cost of an average one.

College Hoops 2K8 is your best college basketball option for this year. The game looks good, the gameplay is as sharp as ever, and the feel of college basketball is there. If you're a college basketball fan, then this one is easy to recommend.

If you liked the humor and structure of the Sam & Max episodes, then you’ll probably enjoy the Strong Bad episodes as well. The Strong Bad episode is also a much better “animated feature” than what just came out in theaters last week, and for about the same price.

While the game does address previous game issues and is a worthy successor to the previous title in its own way, it does make you wonder what the game could've been if it'd straddled the line between light and dark.

Yet it cannot really match the epic scale of "Homeworld" since the entire campaign revolves around the defense of one planet. Strategy fans will find a great game within the box but may end up putting away the disc after a few months, especially if skirmishes aren’t their taste.

An innovative battle system and plenty of secrets that can be unlocked makes Star Ocean appeal to even the largest RPG detractor.

One of the few adventures I’ve played where the story is more interesting than the puzzles. What I just said could be considered a left-handed compliment, since it could simply mean the puzzles are awful, but the puzzles in the game are fine – if not exactly frequent.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is one of the most fun Wii titles out there, and makes the best use of the controls.

Those looking for a good title who want creativity, good storylines and a solid dose of anime, can’t go wrong with Wild Arms 3.

The create a soldier mode that is dependent upon your skill with activities is a fresh spin to the player generated fighter, and the inclusion of RPG-esque elements take the rather tired elements from "Dynasty Warriors" and injects new blood into the genre.

Plants vs. Zombies is one of those addictive games where you always want to play just a little bit longer -- just to see what crazy thing might appear next, if for no other reason.

The create a soldier mode that is dependent upon your skill with activities is a fresh spin to the player generated fighter, and the inclusion of RPG-esque elements take the rather tired elements from Dynasty Warriors and injects new blood into the genre.

It looks good and it’s well acted and it’s funny. And while it’s also short and easy, at least it’s fun while it’s short and easy, and I always prefer that to the opposite.

While the 3D gimmick comes across as somewhat cool at first, it's ultimately taxing on the eyes of the player, and the reduced difficulty level might put off some people. However, the storyline and voice acting are just as solid as the other Sly titles, and provides another worthy chapter in the life of these engaging characters.

It may be the single cutest way possible to empty an Uzi into your friends' heads. If there's ever going to be another 3D installment, though, it'd be nice if you could set the map on a flat plain, rather than on an endless procession of islands.

The story isn’t much, but the game itself is always fun to play - providing a strong, but fair challenge as you progress, while delivering the most thrilling car chases in gaming.

ParaWorld doesn’t have the same production values as those Blizzard titles, but it still provides an enjoyable experience, and you can probably find it for under $30, and so it’s an easy game to recommend.

A game where analytically I keep thinking I shouldn’t like it all that much, but then I play it and get absorbed, and I look up and see it’s 4am already. So Pirates! is a fun game to play, but it’s a little bit shallow and repetitive.

It’s a little short, and it doesn’t have much in the way of puzzles, but it’s an intriguing game, and it’s fun to play through.

The story isn't much, but the game itself is always fun to play - providing a strong, but fair challenge as you progress, while delivering the most thrilling car chases in gaming.

Its story is one of the most interesting and engaging stories (albeit dark) that I've ever seen in a video game.

Provides an enjoyable hockey experience that’s easy to pick up and play, graphically sound and aurally interesting just like before. However, this experiment with more realism injected into the series lacks a certain amount of zip that diehard fans have come to know and love.

Overall, Gemini Rue is a solid effort. The story is excellent, the puzzles are good enough, and while the graphics aren't anything to write home about, they score high marks in nostalgia, and they do a reasonable job in setting the mood.

A flawed fighting, racing, and adventure game that never ceases to provide enjoyment in spite of its flaws.

In that sense, it came out at the absolutely perfect time because there’s nothing else like this on the platform, and at $20, this a must-own if you’re a PS4 owner with a child or if you’ve got fond memories of the N64-era 3D platformers that Rare put out many years ago.

All in all, Lumines Electronic Symphony is an outstanding puzzle game and a worthy addition to the series. However, I think its price of $40 at retail and $36 on the PSN is a bit too steep for the relatively lean amount of content here.

The pacing of this game feels very natural, the stylish and varied missions are a breath of fresh air, and the graphical presentation makes it seem like you are participating in an impressively detailed animated cartoon.

Killzone: Mercenary is the shooter that Vita fans have been patiently craving: gorgeous visuals, reasonably tight controls, a surprisingly clever (if short) campaign, and a multiplayer element that will keep you coming back for more make it the complete package.

Overwhelming salvaged by three of the cornerstones of the franchise, an engaging, well crafted plotline, solid premise and impressive sound values.

Final Fantasy IV was a game I thoroughly enjoyed as it brought back many fond memories I had of playing the game on the PSone and the DS. Not much has changed but for fans who have held out or sat on the fence about giving it a try, this game is the only FFIV game you'll need for good ol' Final Fantasy nostalgia.

Overall, Injustice is a very good game aided by the gameplay being a slightly more evolved version of the MK reboot.

Sonic 4: Episode 1 is a short, but well-crafted entry in the series. It's hurt by a lack of innovation and a relatively high price given that it's basically half the length of a regular side-scrolling Sonic, but still carries a pretty hefty $15 price tag. If you're a casual Sonic fan, you're probably better off waiting for it to be discounted at some point on PSN or as an Xbox Deal of the Week, but series die-hards will definitely get $15 out of it between playing through it, then replaying stages for better times and leaderboard scores.

Its story is one of the most interesting and engaging stories (albeit dark) that I've ever seen in a video game.

Sonic 4: Episode 1 is a short, but well-crafted entry in the series. It's hurt by a lack of innovation and a relatively high price given that it's basically half the length of a regular side-scrolling Sonic, but still carries a pretty hefty $15 price tag. If you're a casual Sonic fan, you're probably better off waiting for it to be discounted at some point on PSN or as an Xbox Deal of the Week, but series die-hards will definitely get $15 out of it between playing through it, then replaying stages for better times and leaderboard scores.

It feels like S:HAR is more of a Simpson’s comedy experience than just a driving game...It’s really all the extras that make this game enjoyable, and they’re all Simpson’s extras, so if you’re not a Simpson’s person, you’re probably not going to care for it.

A nice game but not a great one. It’s slow-paced and thoughtful, it looks nice and it’s polished, and while it has some problems here and there, none of them are major. It’s just that nothing about the game made me say "wow!"

I’m willing to let the outstanding plot carry the somewhat lesser though still enjoyable combat engine and the thinness of the RPG elements of Jade Empire.

Problems aside, Thief 3 is overwhelming salvaged by three of the cornerstones of the franchise, an engaging, well crafted plotline, solid premise and impressive sound values.

Underlying all this, though, is an excellent first person shooter game. Its primacy in tactics, detail and realism should convince at least some people to sign on--even if they're not in America proper.

I’d rather spend my nights playing Psychonauts than a "Myst" or "Resident Evil" title, barring perhaps "Resident Evil 4." It’s livelier, funnier, and more original, in an age when sequels are the only safe bets for publishers.

The game's edges have been softened for the mass market. Many of the original's complexities have been watered down for easier consumption. Because it takes place so much further into the future, it also loses some of the familiarity.

My rants aside, PlanetSide offers up a fun, 24/7 battle royal over giant continents with lots of toys that will delight FPS players of all skill levels, and with a free downloadable trial version of the game, you can give it a test drive for yourself.

As a 360 game, Symphony is weird. The Achievements are insanely easy and seem to have been chosen at random. None of them require any real thought to accomplish, either. Symphony is the easiest two hundred Achievement points you will ever earn.

A very nice expansion pack for a very mediocre game. The additions are numerous and well designed, and they give you a lot of new options while playing the game, but they don’t really change how the game is played.

But overall, BOUT is a pleasant and enjoyable adventure game. It's funny and well written, it's colorful both in tone and appearance, and its voice acting is about as good as you're going to hear in a game. On the downside, the puzzles aren't especially complicated, and there are perhaps too many of them, but these aren't serious detractions, and I don't have any reservations recommending the game, especially at its $20 price point.