The Karma system, the skill training mode and the branching storylines offered promise for what could’ve established the new standard for action titles. Unfortunately, graphical glitches, fighting issues and a breakdown with the plotline feature tarnish the game from truly being stellar.

The levels are short and there are lots of them (about 40 total, not counting bonus levels), the weapons are varied as are the aliens, the locales are well-drawn and fun, and the screen is almost continually packed with stuff dying. What more could you want in escapist arcade entertainment?

A fun game, but it’s just a little bit too difficult for the mainstream audience.

The difference is that "HL2" was given the effort to keep it going throughout the final product, whereas FEAR shows its brilliance intermittently. In this sense it’s a disappointment, but a game hardly needs to be perfect to be playable.

MLB 12: The Show is once again the king of the hill of baseball games, but I'm starting to wonder if the developers might be taking the series for granted slightly. They aren't taking risks or dramatically improving the mechanics to any significant degree. This is all well and good seeing as how they are miles ahead of the competition.

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 point here is despite all its flaws, Ninja Gaiden 2 was still able to deliver some excitement and thrills and every now and then it exhibits some of the pure kung-fu insanity that placed its predecessor on the mantle of genre-defining action titles.

Packing a solid plot, creative elements not really seen in RPGs, and tons of action, Volition looks to have another hit on their hands.

One of the few things that can be said about BloodRayne 2 is that it's a nice looking title. The character model for Rayne looks extremely detailed, as do the character models for some of the main enemies.

If you don't take Anarchy Reigns seriously, it's worth a look, and it's got a nice discounted price tag to boot. It's a big, colorful, ridiculous brawler about a bunch of cybernetically-enhanced idiots who don't realize how ridiculous they are, and while the single-player campaign's about five times as frustrating as it needs to be, the multiplayer's decent once you get a handle on it.

All in all, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland is exactly the kind of fun you were expecting in such a title, and if those expectations aren’t sky-high in terms of graphical prowess on the new system than this title is for you.

Whether you think Rise of Legends is a masterpiece or whether you think it is a hard to swallow piece of fiction with a great strategy game underneath is dependent on how much you admire the backdrop that the creators have fleshed out.

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.

While the Pressure Control and drop pass are nice additions to the control scheme, they aren’t as innovative as last year’s Pro Control passing or even Crease Control. The new skating engine adds more precision in terms of player movement on the ice, but it doesn’t negate the overwhelming use of one-timers to score goals.

Toy Story 3 is not quite on par with the big boys as a hardcore adventure game. However, I can safely say that this is the best family movie tie-in game I have ever played-and I've played a lot of bad ones.

Look, Unstoppable Gorg is a pretty good tower defense game. The graphics are flashy, and the mix of towers and enemies are good, but I often found I was playing the game to get to the cutscenes, not to enjoy the game.

There’s no denying that Army of Two is a game concept whose day has arrived, and it’s a shame that it didn’t quite hit the mark.

Toy Story 3 is not quite on par with the big boys as a hardcore adventure game. However, I can safely say that this is the best family movie tie-in game I have ever played-and I've played a lot of bad ones.

Offers up a serving of both what was great and frustrating about old-school gaming. This is likely to divide players, but me? I liked it.

The core gameplay is fast-paced and it controls like a dream. There isn't a lot to it, but what's here is a blast.

If you don’t usually go for this kind of game, if you just can’t get enough open-world action, and/or you’re a massive mark for samurai movies, Ghost of Tsushima is a perfectly good game with an amazing presentation. Its biggest problem is that it’s Yet Another Open-World Game, and if you haven’t played all the others, this is one of the best places to start. This score is for me, as I can’t really get into Ghost due to how repetitive it feels, but newer players can safely tack on another 10 points or more.

What Dead makes up in return is a good dose of ironic humor, irresistible charm and exuberant swagger, which are all the more strengthened if you've played "House of the Dead" before.

Able to combine both mechanical genius and addictive magic to give you a compelling offbeat title that everyone ought to check out.

If you are a big-time college hoops aficionado, I believe you’ll be able to look past the flaws of this game and appreciate the college atmosphere and intensity it brings. EA is definitely on the right track.

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.

If you've already played the PC version, then I'm not sure if the additional three levels and Wii control setup will be enough to sway you to double dip, but for those who mainly stick to console play and haven't, and love the genre, definitely pick this up as soon as you can.

The core gameplay is fast-paced and it controls like a dream. There isn't a lot to it, but what's here is a blast.

The career mode and the concepts behind the single player game are definitely innovative, and are a solid addition to the racing genre. However, a somewhat tenuous connection between modes, a lackluster inclusion of a trick system and a limited number of tracks keeps Mototrax stuck at the gate for all but the most enthusiastic Motocross fans.

Although the game relies heavily on conventions and standards of an era long gone by, it’s still a load of fun. Experienced RPG gamers may view it as a short and easy way to pass the time until the next big thing comes along and takes up another eighty or so hours of their lives.

The game as a whole has a curve like an electrocardiogram: when it's good, it's really good, and when it’s bad, it’s awful.

It isn't all about power-sliding on every corner but RalliSport comes pretty close to simulating the actual feel of driving, when the human driver and the machine work as one. And that's exactly why its appeal is universal.

Not revolutionary by any means, but it's a solid and polished game that is one of the only jewels to be placed in the RTS crown recently.

A strong game, but it succeeds kind of in spite of itself. It would've been nice to see a lot more originality in the game, but Area 51 is a fun ride, regardless.

Madden NFL Arcade is a very entertaining little game. It doesn’t attempt to be an NFL sim, so don’t buy it expecting one. The arcade feel with real NFL teams and players included is a nice combination, and at only around ten bucks this will be a great addition to your library that you can fire up and enjoy a few minutes of fast-paced arcade fun.

If you've ever enjoyed a shooter, you'll enjoy this a lot, and at the least, give the demo a shot to see if you like the time-based gameplay.

The action is fun, but a couple of the vagaries of gameplay kill that. This is a case of an otherwise high-quality game being hindered by a few iffy additions that wreck the whole experience.

While there’s definitely a learning curve with respect to the controls and the fact you’re performing double duty as a pilot and army General, the combination of aerial combat and real-time military strategy is a rather enjoyable mix.

You have a choice of either settling for a less attractive game on an older system, or paying more for a title that's lacking in features, but has awesome graphics.

Where NBA Inside Drive hasn’t changed much is in the visual department, and it also lacks Xbox Live support, which is inexcusable from a first-party standpoint.

Brotherhood of Steel can be described like this: "Dark Alliance" minus encumbrance minus magic minus feats plus guns plus grenades. It's "Dark Alliance" for dummies.

For the hardcore gamer who likes a scary challenge, this trip down the rabbit hole will feel like home. For everyone else, it may feel more like a session of electro-shock treatment.

Special attention was paid to capturing the athletic tumbling abilities that Spider-Man exhibited in both the comic books and the movies, and it shows. The incredibly agile moves that a player can pull off with Spidey are astounding.

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.

I found the experience more entertaining than frustrating, and, with a price of about $25, the game is fun enough for those who have twitchy trigger fingers.

Some graphical flaws, musical issues, and lightly overbalanced play cast a shadow on the game. However, if you can overlook these issues, you’ll find a good title to sustain you throughout this season.

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

You have a choice of either settling for a less attractive game on an older system, or paying more for a title that's lacking in features, but has awesome graphics.

Of note in this installment is the overall graphic and sound improvements. The graphics are actually quite good and crisp. The character animation is very nice. Other than a few notable exceptions, the sound is quite a bit better as well.

For all my complaints, I've probably put forty hours or more into it, and that's the best endorsement I'm able to give.

I wish there was more to say about Rogue, but there really isn’t. For better or worse, Ubisoft has turned Assassin’s Creed into a fairly predictable series. Rogue is very much a standalone AC 4 expansion.

All said, Conan the game, like the titular barbarian himself, is very one dimensional. It’s great for getting in a little much needed smashing time, and maybe for checking out some computer generated boobage, but after a run through or three of the story mode it’s pretty much spent.

It's fun, but I'm not sure it's forty bucks worth of fun.

Over the top gameplay coupled with nicely timed humor and the inclusion of online play makes this a great way to pass the time during the summer. Now if they can expand on the idea and drop some of the realism, Slugfest could become a true classic in the sports gaming pantheon.

For all my complaints, I've probably put forty hours or more into it, and that's the best endorsement I'm able to give.

The difficulty level will undoubtedly spur a few people away. It's not crazily impossible or unreasonable but it's not as easy as some of the missions presented earlier.

The inclusion of nearly perfect emulations of "Mortal Kombat 2" and "3" alone make this collection worth it for any fighting fan.

Mighty No. 9 isn’t perfect, but it is something that anyone who grew up loving any kind of Mega Man game should check out.

The visuals constitute as the most appealing part of Colin McRae 2.0. Compared to other racers I've seen, the car models in here are a phenomenal improvement.

It's pretty good as a toolkit, but it's only mediocre for professionally made campaigns.

While the Pressure Control and drop pass are nice additions to the control scheme, they aren't as innovative as last year's Pro Control passing or even Crease Control. The new skating engine adds more precision in terms of player movement on the ice, but it doesn't negate the overwhelming use of one-timers to score goals.

I’m enjoying Middle-earth: Shadow of War for the most part, even as it claims more than 5% of my available hard drive space. Monolith did for the most part choose the safe route by taking what Shadow of Mordor gave us and simply giving us more, some pieces blatantly lifted from other games, but the multiplayer component adds some fresh newness. I’d like to see the boss pursuit gameplay get a tune up, but we can’t have everything.

Metro 2033 has a lot going for it, but it has a cruel streak that I both dread and admire. It kept me playing to find out what happened next, but it was always a tug-of-war between my curiosity about the plot and my desire to keep getting brutalized by unforgiving game design.

Special attention was paid to capturing the athletic tumbling abilities that Spider-Man exhibited in both the comic books and the movies, and it shows. The incredibly agile moves that a player can pull off with Spidey are astounding.

I have to hand it to EA, the Skill Stick is one of the best innovations in a hockey video game. Not only is it a new way to control the game, it’s a measuring stick for the skill level of hockey fans around the world. However, while the Skill Stick innovates control, the feel of the game remains in question.

A mediocre game with an excellent story and audio design, based on a classic suspense film of the late seventies.

If you liked the movie, you'll probably like the game, as it's a near-perfect blend of classic gameplay with the production values and design of the film.

Revistronic missed all sorts of opportunities for humor in the game, and so Wanted ends up being pleasant and occasionally funny, but it’s hardly a knee-slapper.

The weapons themselves are extremely overwhelming to the enemy soldiers.

The action is fun, but a couple of the vagaries of gameplay kill that. This is a case of an otherwise high-quality game being hindered by a few iffy additions that wreck the whole experience.

Gunslinger is the best game in the Call of Juarez series and a gargantuan improvement over The Cartel. I thought that game might have killed this series, but thanks to a few smart moves on Techland’s part, I think they’ve cleaned this brand up a bit. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is definitely worth your time.

But what it does have is an extremely solid amount of gameplay supported by two well-developed offensive and defensive control schemes and an engaging amount of baseball to appease just about any sports fan.

Less good than the interface, but not bad by any means is Original War’s graphics.

BurgerTime World Tour is an incredible revamp of the original's gameplay. It takes everything good about it and improves upon it, while adding a lot of gameplay variety and a very replayable multi-player game. Anyone who liked the original should get this, and even those like myself who were frustrated by it should try it out because it's a lot more forgiving than the first, while also giving you the option to make it harder if you find it to be too easy. There's a lot of fun to be had here, and for $10, it's an easy recommendation to buy ASAP.

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.

It doesn't offer nearly the same social experience as the console version, and you will have to learn to find a comfortable, still position to play the game in, but if you can work past those initial issues, you're in for a rockin' good time.

It may not have the gusto and domineering presence as it did before but a little competition has undeniably sharpened this golf game.

Modern game production being what it is, I’m sure some or all of this will be remedied in time, and whatever Game of the Year edition comes out in six to twelve months will feel like a more complete product. Right now, off the shelf, Tekken 7 is a 90%-ish game when you’re playing with friends or turning your favorite character into a bright orange devil clown, but everything else about this home release is weak to the point where it would have almost been better to not do it at all. Other franchises can almost get away with releases like this, but in Tekken, it’s a massive step backward.

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.

An improvement over previous titles in the series but there are still some glaring deficiencies to creating music on a console. Among which is a lack of importing and exporting options, and available source material.

Weak multiplayer aside, Resurrection of Evil delivers what Doom fans have come to expect from the series: a gory, action-packed shooter. The presentation is stellar and despite being a little on the short side, the single-player campaign is a hellacious romp, and I mean that in a good way.

Aside from some AI and multi-player issues, Split/Second should please any racing fan, but will definitely find a home with Burnout fans as this game has that series' sense of complete anarchy, but with a twist that hasn't been done before in the form of the power plays.

That’s the largest issue to be found within Xtreme Legends: the simple fact that you’ve seen this action before. How many times can players put down the Yellow Turban revolt or other issues from the same period before they get bored?

The action is fun, but a couple of the vagaries of gameplay kill that. This is a case of an otherwise high-quality game being hindered by a few iffy additions that wreck the whole experience.

Despite my nitpicks with combat and balance, Age of Wonders 3 is a solid title.

With loose but logical controls, humorous gameplay, and more ways to stroke than… I’ll stop the punch line right there, there are kids reading.

All in all, Commanders is a fun ride on a small scale, if the turn-based strategy genre is your thing.

If you can forgive the button mashing simplicity and the other hiccups of the fighting system, you'll find an enjoyable action RPG title in a beautiful environmental setting.

Until then, it’s hard to recommend buying this if you’ve beaten the original, but if you loved it, couldn’t beat it, and want to give New mode a shot, it’s easily worth either buying it at a lower price point or simply renting it.

If you’re like me, where Wii Sports continues to get the most play on your Wii, then you’re surely itching to get your hands on Wii Sports Resort, if you haven’t done so already.

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 inclusion of nearly perfect emulations of "Mortal Kombat 2" and "3" alone make this collection worth it for any fighting fan.

The game is literally begging for a random scenario generator. Truth be told, creating one shouldn't be too hard either.

One of the few things that can be said about BloodRayne 2 is that it’s a nice looking title. The character model for Rayne looks extremely detailed, as do the character models for some of the main enemies.

Just Cause 3 is the game for you, so long as the game you’re looking for is almost exclusively about bending the laws of man, nature and physics until they break for comedic effect.

Unfortunately, Titan mode is not playable with bots.

A decent story, coupled with impressive graphics and extremely solid voice acting combine to deliver the best Vietnam game yet.

It's fun, but I'm not sure it's forty bucks worth of fun.

Outside of the problematic issues that hinder the Slam Dunk contest, dynasty mode and hiccups with gameplay, NBA Live 2005 still manages to deliver a decent basketball experience for fans of all kinds.