Battlestations: Pacific does improve on its predecessor in several ways, but overall it just doesn’t do enough to make it a must-buy. The machines control well, but the action is just a bit slow to keep you on the edge of your seat (or couch, or Lazyboy).

The bottom line here is with Diablo 2 ten years behind us and Diablo 3 still off in the distance somewhere, being a mediocre version of the great one is almost a compliment. Almost. And Sacred 2 almost succeeds in its imitation.

The bottom line here is with Diablo 2 ten years behind us and Diablo 3 still off in the distance somewhere, being a mediocre version of the great one is almost a compliment. Almost. And Sacred 2 almost succeeds in its imitation.

Space Invaders Extreme is a definite must-buy.

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 bottom line here is that Broken Steel is more Fallout 3, and if you’re a fan that can’t possibly be a bad thing. Like with the other DLC, the story will probably only take you a few hours to go through and then you’re left with the goodies.

The bottom line here is that Broken Steel is more Fallout 3, and if you’re a fan that can’t possibly be a bad thing. Like with the other DLC, the story will probably only take you a few hours to go through and then you’re left with the goodies.

It’s obvious from the beginning that this game isn’t trying to do anything new or terribly innovative. Origins does action, and does it well.

It’s obvious from the beginning that this game isn’t trying to do anything new or terribly innovative. Origins does action, and does it well.

VA is a great story idea, the narrative of which really succeeds, but the actual gameplay itself is a letdown.

VA is a great story idea, the narrative of which really succeeds, but the actual gameplay itself is a letdown.

Clearly, Stalin vs. Martians is a game to skip, even at the under $20 price point that it’s starting with.

As I walk away from my review and Zeno Clash I’m left with the feeling that as an arcade game (albeit one with vastly superior graphics), something that you would chuck a few quarters at and play for a couple of hours and then not play again for several months, it would have been OK.

This game is good. It had a lot of potential and succeeded on a few fronts.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is one of those games that will have you saying, “Just one more quest, one more battle, one more level,” and then you look at the clock and wonder where the last several hours went.

This game is good. It had a lot of potential and succeeded on a few fronts.

The only one of the film's cast members to appear here is Robert Duvall, and every word spoken sounds like he was reading it while doing his taxes. The members of the Godfather cast who appeared in the first game knew when to 'git while the gittin's good' it seems.

The only one of the film's cast members to appear here is Robert Duvall, and every word spoken sounds like he was reading it while doing his taxes. The members of the Godfather cast who appeared in the first game knew when to 'git while the gittin's good' it seems.

The only one of the film's cast members to appear here is Robert Duvall, and every word spoken sounds like he was reading it while doing his taxes. The members of the Godfather cast who appeared in the first game knew when to 'git while the gittin's good' it seems.

From a presentation standpoint, graphically and in the sound effects department, ToV doesn’t seem to have changed much from the previous incarnations.

Another few months in development or some more thorough testing could've saved Ninja Blade.

From what I understand, Ino-Co is going to add more campaigns and missions in the future, and so possibly the game will eventually work well and be worthwhile if you stick with it. But in the meantime, I wouldn’t really recommend Elven Legacy unless it receives a bargain bin price and you really like tactical strategy games.

This game is good. It had a lot of potential and succeeded on a few fronts.

Even younger gamers looking to tune in to the music rhythm genre for the first time will find it too discouraging.

Don King Boxing is not a bad game, but it’s not nearly as good as it could have been.

Even with the plethora of weapons, zombie types, game modes, and levels to choose from, the game can get stale after awhile.

In the end, Legends of WrestleMania fails to completely live up to its potential, but does provide a fun experience for a short time.

In the end, Legends of WrestleMania fails to completely live up to its potential, but does provide a fun experience for a short time.

Like the movie, Wanted: Weapons of Fate is more style than substance. The game is at its best when Wesley is quick chaining cover with his ability to slow down time and curve bullets in the midst of overwhelming odds.

Like the movie, Wanted: Weapons of Fate is more style than substance. The game is at its best when Wesley is quick chaining cover with his ability to slow down time and curve bullets in the midst of overwhelming odds.

Whether The Pitt is worth your money sort of depends on how much of a Fallout 3 fan you are. All said, the new quest line will probably only take you a few hours to go through once, a few more for checking out alternate solutions, and that’s about it.

Whether The Pitt is worth your money sort of depends on how much of a Fallout 3 fan you are. All said, the new quest line will probably only take you a few hours to go through once, a few more for checking out alternate solutions, and that’s about it.

For those of us who remember how good an adventure can be though, Fright should provide a solid if brief diversion.

In the end, Retribution does the Resistance franchise proud on the handheld.

All in all, the game is a total blast and thoroughly enjoyable, with a frenetic pacing that doesn’t let up for the entire run of the game.

All in all, the game is a total blast and thoroughly enjoyable, with a frenetic pacing that doesn’t let up for the entire run of the game.

The heart of RTS games is all in the maps and how well your enemy plays them.

At the end of the day, thanks to its authenticity, accessibility, action-oriented gameplay and multiplayer suite, Halo Wars holds great appeal for Halo fans and newcomers to the RTS genre.

By all means, if you’ve got a couple of thousand hours you’re looking to burn, Empire: Total War is fine way to do it.

Replay value is enormous with the in-game collections, trophy support, and online stat tracking.

There are laughs to be had, and for that it might be worth a rental, but anything more will only be Hazard-ous to your wallet.

There are laughs to be had, and for that it might be worth a rental, but anything more will only be Hazard-ous to your wallet.

Stoked doesn’t have all the pizzazz of other snowboarding games but it does a pretty decent job of recreating the mountain feel.

It’s not quite as well-rounded an experience as its predecessor and it can be frustrating at times, but ultimately the combination role-playing and 3-match puzzle game formula is still very much a winner here.

It’s not quite as well-rounded an experience as its predecessor and it can be frustrating at times, but ultimately the combination role-playing and 3-match puzzle game formula is still very much a winner here.

The campaign is surprisingly lengthy, and the unit balance is quite well-tuned. Since most of the changes are beneficial, in my view, I can adamantly recommend Dawn of War 2 to fans of RTS games or Warhammer 40K.

It’s one of the most impressive and purposeful pieces of DLC to date and I for one can’t wait to see what the guys at Rockstar have in store for us in the next episode.

It’s hard to play through Monolith’s F.E.A.R. 2 and not get a feeling of déjà vu. Between F.E.A.R., Condemned, and their sequels, this is the fourth scary, first person game that they’ve given us in a row, and unfortunately the experiences aren’t getting any fresher.

It’s hard to play through Monolith’s F.E.A.R. 2 and not get a feeling of déjà vu. Between F.E.A.R., Condemned, and their sequels, this is the fourth scary, first person game that they’ve given us in a row, and unfortunately the experiences aren’t getting any fresher.

It’s hard to play through Monolith’s F.E.A.R. 2 and not get a feeling of déjà vu. Between F.E.A.R., Condemned, and their sequels, this is the fourth scary, first person game that they’ve given us in a row, and unfortunately the experiences aren’t getting any fresher.

If you like Mario Kart, chances are you’re going to like NASCAR Kart Racing.

It brings some interesting graphical style, some cool hip-hop beats, and some top-notch voice work by Sam Jackson to the party, but it’s too short, too repetitive, and too flawed design-wise to be anything but a mediocre game.

It brings some interesting graphical style, some cool hip-hop beats, and some top-notch voice work by Sam Jackson to the party, but it’s too short, too repetitive, and too flawed design-wise to be anything but a mediocre game.

Bethesda says Operation Anchorage takes 3-4 hours to complete. I’d put that number at more like 2-3, but for only $10 it represents moderate gaming bang for your buck. I’m hoping future DLC will be much better.

Bethesda says Operation Anchorage takes 3-4 hours to complete. I’d put that number at more like 2-3, but for only $10 it represents moderate gaming bang for your buck. I’m hoping future DLC will be much better.

It may be slightly different then original skateboarding games and the controls take some getting used to, but it is definitely worth a ride.

It may be slightly different then original skateboarding games and the controls take some getting used to, but it is definitely worth a ride.

And so The Lord of the Rings: Conquest is a disappointing outing.

And so The Lord of the Rings: Conquest is a disappointing outing.

At the core, GTA 4 is a pretty good game in the GTA series, hindered by the “bromances” and bloated by 15GB of television shows I’ll never watch, joke Internet sites I have no interest in surfing, extensive and lengthy cutscenes, a mediocre bowling game, a downright poor darts game, and a middling pool game.

If you spent any time at all on SF2 as a kid, on your SNES or Genesis or down at your arcade, this is a must-have nostalgia bomb.

If you spent any time at all on SF2 as a kid, on your SNES or Genesis or down at your arcade, this is a must-have nostalgia bomb.

In the overall impression of Tomb Raider: Underworld, I believe somewhere under this mess lies an actual good game you can play and enjoy. Unfortunately the lack of polish and refinement that could have done to fix the awful camera and frame rate might have saved the enjoyment of Lara Croft’s newest adventure.

It’s cute, funny, clever, and the controls are all very responsive and tight for a collection like this with so many different games to build. So, if you’ve got the itch for some light-hearted minigame fun, go out and pick this one up.

Unless you're genuinely lacking anyone to play it with though, Left 4 Dead is easily one of this year's must-have games.

Unless you're genuinely lacking anyone to play it with though, Left 4 Dead is easily one of this year's must-have games.

It’s not too different from last year’s installment, a bit of a step down in my opinion, but still good.

It’s not too different from last year’s installment, a bit of a step down in my opinion, but still good.

The good news is that it's very playable on a level that the Mortal Kombat series rarely manages to reach, and has solid enough net code that you can play online with virtually no lag.

The good news is that it's very playable on a level that the Mortal Kombat series rarely manages to reach, and has solid enough net code that you can play online with virtually no lag.

I generally like what Vicarious Visions has done to bring the Guitar Hero experience to the portable market, but I’d prefer to see them focus on amending the functionality of the game rather than expanding the song list of a still flawed product.

First Dead Space and now Mirror’s Edge. Kudos to EA for continuing to diversify their portfolio with more original intellectual properties, and hats off to DICE for showing tremendous ambition in creating this Parkour-inspired action game.

First Dead Space and now Mirror’s Edge. Kudos to EA for continuing to diversify their portfolio with more original intellectual properties, and hats off to DICE for showing tremendous ambition in creating this Parkour-inspired action game.

I will say that it is worth playing through once, if only to see the movies, and the multiplayer adds some more mileage to it. But as an entry into the C&C universe, it demonstrates a series well past its peak.

Overall, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is an excellent game that gives the series a long-overdue overhaul.

While not on par with Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, World at War is better than Treyarch’s last entry, Call of Duty 3.

While not on par with Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, World at War is better than Treyarch’s last entry, Call of Duty 3.

Despite a plethora of flaws, SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 remains a capable, if underachieving, wrestling game.

Despite a plethora of flaws, SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 remains a capable, if underachieving, wrestling game.

Gears of War 2 delivers on every one of its promises, combining a rich and intimate story, brutal, visceral combat, incredible graphics, outstanding audio design, a strong soundtrack, and a robust multiplayer suite.

All in all, the entire gameplay experience is a recommended one.

All in all, the entire gameplay experience is a recommended one.

There’s little uniquely Bond about this experience. It’s simply an average shooter at a time when average doesn’t quite cut it.

There’s little uniquely Bond about this experience. It’s simply an average shooter at a time when average doesn’t quite cut it.

I will say that it is worth playing through once, if only to see the movies, and the multiplayer adds some more mileage to it. But as an entry into the C&C universe, it demonstrates a series well past its peak.

In Fallout 3 Bethesda has made a very good thing, though it is somewhat hampered by the lack of variable scenery and a VATS that plays less than perfectly.

In Fallout 3 Bethesda has made a very good thing, though it is somewhat hampered by the lack of variable scenery and a VATS that plays less than perfectly.

In Fallout 3 Bethesda has made a very good thing, though it is somewhat hampered by the lack of variable scenery and a VATS that plays less than perfectly.

So if you’re looking to do some playing, creating, and sharing this holiday on your PlayStation 3, I totally recommend picking up LittleBigPlanet.

The hardware, while noticeably more realistic than comparable sets, has been affected by technical problems in its initial run, and the software, while solid in its way, could benefit from some of the ambition seen in the hardware, particularly with respect to the Career Mode.

The hardware, while noticeably more realistic than comparable sets, has been affected by technical problems in its initial run, and the software, while solid in its way, could benefit from some of the ambition seen in the hardware, particularly with respect to the Career Mode.

Consequently Fable 2 is a game that should be played accordingly to be enjoyed to the maximum, which is to say everything should be sampled and nothing overdone.

Some games grow on you the more you play them, as you get used to the little idiosyncrasies and learn to appreciate the finer points. Far Cry 2 is at the opposite end of the spectrum, a game that makes it harder and harder for you to like it by placing more and more junk between you and its best features.

For fans of the series or for fans of fantasy/adventure games in general, I can recommend this game. If that’s not your cup of tea, however, this is not the game to draw you in, because of the number of issues.

For hardcore Castlevania fans, though, this is the title that you've been looking for. It's long, it's challenging, and it doesn't fall over and die once you find the right weapon/subweapon combination.

Some games grow on you the more you play them, as you get used to the little idiosyncrasies and learn to appreciate the finer points. Far Cry 2 is at the opposite end of the spectrum, a game that makes it harder and harder for you to like it by placing more and more junk between you and its best features.

Some games grow on you the more you play them, as you get used to the little idiosyncrasies and learn to appreciate the finer points. Far Cry 2 is at the opposite end of the spectrum, a game that makes it harder and harder for you to like it by placing more and more junk between you and its best features.

All in all, I found that Midnight Club: L.A. is an incredibly enjoyable, but flawed racing game that succeeds at offering an excellent virtual L.A. and a great deal of fun racing action, but also requires you to jump through far too many hoops to fully enjoy the game.