Child of Eden is about as perfect a follow-up to Rez as one could expect - minus the annoying star system. If you loved Rez, or on-rail shooters in general, you'll definitely want to buy this ASAP. The $50 price tag may seem a bit high given that there aren't a ton of levels available. However, what's here is high-quality stuff, so if you enjoyed Rez, you'll easily get $50 worth out of it - especially if you own the Kinect since that gives you two distinct, but very different ways to play the game.

Dated visuals, inconsistent AI, and lack of dynamic enemy placement cost it a few points. With that said, if you’re looking for an engaging and thoughtful shooter for the Xbox, I highly recommend you add Ghost Recon to your arsenal.

As I said, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a more polished and better-organized version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08.

If you’re looking for the best wrestler out on the market, you need look no farther than Smackdown Versus Raw 2006. An expanded roster with storylines, added GM mode and deeper emphasis on ring psychology makes every match more dynamic and realistic.

A solid story, engaging gameplay and sound technical merits makes Everything or Nothing the best Bond title that’s been released in years.

Quite simply, Onimusha 2 is one of the year’s best offerings on the PS2.

The graphics are buoyed by the exceptional voice acting for the characters in the game.

The combination of decent plot, reality-defying powers and Havok-governed physics make one incredibly compelling experience.

As a sequel to Painkiller, spiritual or otherwise, Bulletstorm is a disappointment. The best way to approach it, if you played Painkiller, is to forget there's a link between the two games at all. Instead, take Bulletstorm for what it is: a ridiculous arcade-ish FPS with a goofy sense of humor and a talent for amazing action sequences.

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.

Battlefield 1943 is a great game if you’ve got a half hour or an hour in between something else and you want to play something but not get too deep into it. It, unfortunately, doesn’t go deeper than that, which is a shame because there are plenty of things here that could be done to open the game up even further.

It may not be for everyone, but for those that enjoy that kind of thing, and enjoyed past games, you’ll get your money’s worth out of Chrono Phantasma.

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.

If you like to have fun playing games, and even if you like to laugh, there are a few parts in MDK 2 that are simply FUNNY, not the normal supposed-to-be-funny crap that you see in a lot of games, but clever humour, something that is generally very rare.

There has been only a handful of times when I’ve been absolutely spellbound by a game. Be it for graphics or gameplay or a straight up solid game. In this category of acclaim, I would have to list "Mario 64," "Soul Calibur" (DC), and now Resident Evil: Zero.

The addition of the All-Star Weekend is something that was too long in coming, and manages to convey enough changes to warrant an upgrade for longtime fans of the series.

Uprising is a must for any 3DS owner, especially fans of either the series or rail shooters.

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.

I liked the characters, the game sounded and looked good, and the action sequences were challenging without being too challenging.

With sharp gameplay, polished game modes, great presentation, and a price tag of only $20 USD, hardcore fans need look no further for their hockey fix.

LocoRoco is one of the most original and quirky titles to hit the PSP in some time. The controls are such that both hardcore and casual players alike can get into the game just as well.

The core gameplay mechanics remain in tact and the presentation is as solid as ever. Combine that with the addition of several new and improved game modes, such as Career Mode, Multi-Season Mode and King of the Diamond Mode, and you’ve got a baseball simulation that is sure to entertain baseball fans throughout the entire season.

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.

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.

Darksiders II does what every great sequel should do; it takes everything its predecessor did well and improves upon it, while adding a ton of new features and content.

The bottom line here is that Point Lookout is probably the best model for Fallout 3 DLC yet.

I'm not sure why there's no support for a third player, but multiplayer is a blast none the less.

Fight Night Round 3 is a fantastic boxing title that really delivers the action in a realistic way for fight fans, and those discovering the sweet science for the first time on their home console.

The new features and additions give this game more replayability than the combination of all the single player games collecting dust on my shelf.

A good leap forward from 2D into the 3D realm. However, a few graphical and gameplay flaws, as well as its short duration, detract from the total overall experience, making it seem like more of an expansion pack than a full title.

Not quite Tony Hawk and not quite completely innovative, Wakeboarding Unleashed is an original take on the extreme sports genre that, despite breaking new ground in the field of wakeboarding, manages to get it right the first time.

Given the little over a week that it took me to run through it all, I feel that this expansion pack is about average. It contains a few little tweaks that improve the game mechanics noticeably, though some of the more basic problems with C&C:G continue to shine through.

Where Silent Storm shines is in combat -- not so much from the combat engine itself, which is nice enough but which uses roughly the same mechanics (with action points and familiar modes of fire) as other tactical games, but in watching and taking part in the combat.

The bottom line here is that this is a nice little piece of Halo, and that anyone who has ever enjoyed Halo will probably enjoy this too. The only question is how much it is worth to you. As a full priced stand-alone game, its value is somewhat dubious.

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is just about perfect at what it’s trying to do. The redone adventure mode is a blast minus the grind required to get coins to unlock stuff, and the core gameplay has been refined. This results in the best-playing Crash racing game ever and yet another top-shelf kart racer. Right now, the genre is as big as it’s been in 20 years, with Sonic, Mario, and Crash all competing at stores and the best thing for players is that you can’t go wrong with any of them. Crash offers up a tremendous game overall and it’s definitely an experience I would put above Team Sonic Racing, but ever so slightly behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

For a fifteen dollar indie game, Orcs Must Die! has given me more enjoyment than most AAA, sixty dollar titles. I wholeheartedly recommend people buy this game, hardcore and casual crowd alike.

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.

Despite its slight gameplay and extensive loading problems, DiRT still delivers the most exciting and rewarding racing action I’ve experienced on the 360, and the finest rally racing experience I’ve ever had in a game.

The audio design is superb in its relentless ferocity, yet quite detailed and subtle at times as well.

A polished and entertaining ride, jam packed with people to see and things to do. The graphics are nice, the voice acting is superb, and the combat is a lot of fun.

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.

It has the best online play of any fighting title on the market. If you dig fighting, you'll really like Dead or Alive Ultimate.

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.

Madden NFL 11 continues the strong trend of the series over the past years. Though it does not introduce a ton of change or innovation, the improvements it makes in the running game, presentation, and flow of the game are plenty to warrant a purchase by any fan of the series, or of virtual pigskin.

Treyarch did an amazing job, creating another high intensity experience that sets the standard for every other shooter to aspire to.

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

When I first began my review of UT3, I was very excited by all of it: the new graphics, the little changes that they had made to Onslaught, the inclusion of the personal hoverboard. The more I’ve played it however the more like UT2k4 it plays, and I’m left wondering what we were waiting over three and a half years for.

Overall, while I found This War of Mine to be an intriguing and novel game, I didn’t really enjoy it. It is downbeat and somber to a fault, especially if things start deteriorating and you have to watch your civilians get ground down into nothing.

Overall, Puyo Puyo Tetris is the best puzzle game package available on the market today. You get full Tetris and Puyo Puyo experiences in it, plus the amalgamation modes that bring both franchises together. The long-time kinds of puzzle gaming have come together and are giving Tetris its biggest retail release since Tetris DS – and this is easily the biggest Puyo Puyo game ever made. It’s a must-buy for anyone who enjoys either franchise, and a perfect gateway game given its many extensive tutorials. Hardcore and casual puzzle fans will find a lot to enjoy here, and it will give you years of fun no matter which console you purchase it on.

Minor gripes aside, welcome to basketball in the new millennium. Ballers is the title for basketball fanatics and sports fiends alike.

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.

Overall, Need For Speed: Shift is a welcome change of pace in the long-running series, and a welcome addition to the sim racing genre as well.

A historian’s best ticket to replaying some of the biggest what-ifs in the twentieth century. The depth in this game is almost unparalleled but it is a double-edged sword. At times, it can seem like the game is filled with a lot of waiting for production (when you put the game at the fastest speed) and a lot of micromanaging your troops (when you put the game at normal speed).

Final Fantasy XIII is an epic game that plays to its strengths by taking risks.

In the end, many of the same problems that plagued last year’s installment still exist, but that shouldn’t stop college football fans from buying this year’s edition of NCAA Football. The gameplay is still fun. It may not be Madden but this is still a must own for college football’s biggest fans and casual fans alike.

Honestly, as far as FPS games go, it really doesn't get too much better than this.

I was pleasantly surprised at just how good Guardian Heroes wound up being. The original game's gameplay has held up really well even if its graphics haven't, and the remixed version is outstanding.

Overall, DIRT 5 fixes everything that was iffy about the prior entry and does so in a way that breathes new life into the long-running series. DIRT 5 has smoother controls and more versatile framerate options than prior entries have had – at least on consoles – and the addition of non-position objectives helps makes races more replayable and a bit more fun since you may have to step outside of your comfort zone, or more accurately, increase your comfort zone over time, to fully embrace it. DIRT 5 clicks with the player faster than any prior entry and is an absolute must-play for anyone who has loved the series before, or who hasn’t and wants to start fresh. There’s no better rally racer on the market than DIRT 5.

The bottom line here is that as true hybrid games go, Borderlands is as great a success as there has ever been.

Despite moving to Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition rules, the game seemed much too familiar, it didn’t look particularly good or run particularly well on my computer, and it didn’t even come close to capturing my imagination.

Anyone who loved Bastion is going to adore Transistor. The storyline is far more compelling and the combat feels like a natural extension of it. Transistor gives you faster and slower-paced ways to play, and that means it’s going to have a broader appeal.

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.

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.

Yakuza 6 is a strong entry in the series (although it takes a back seat to Yakuza 0), and a very fitting wrap up to Kazuma Kiryu’s storyline. All in all, this is a smaller, more refined game than we are used to with a few missing pieces (likely a result of the new game engine that is still being perfected). It manages to deliver almost as much fun and insanity as its predecessors in a smaller amount of real estate.

Yuke’s hard work has paid off in spades with UFC 2009: Undisputed. While the game may have taken more time than some fans would have liked to hit shelves, the wait was worth it as they delivered a top-shelf game in every area that counts and provided an amazing base that they can build upon in the future.

For the twenty dollar price tag, Fable is worth it if your expectations are realistic and you understand what your dollars are buying: a typical action RPG that plays like Zelda and looks and sounds quite beautiful, but is not the groundbreaking change in the way role-playing games are done as its creator once promised.

As an open world game with completely unrealistic physics and a humorous mismatch of characters (there must be at least a dozen different accents, sometimes all are hilariously congregated into a single city), this game is second to none.

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.

This game sticks out because it has "Colin McRae" stuck onto the box, and for very little else.

The shining star in multiplayer continues to be co-operative play. Raven Shield is able to convey sheer bouts of terror as naturally and easily as before.

But simply put, the cinemas are so full of incredible edge-of-your-seat excitement and intrigue that it feels like watching a top-quality anime production. And lets be straight here, who doesn’t like cinemas?

The audio effects and soundtrack have been pared down, but this is as close as Nintendo's handheld will get in recreating the arcade experience.

The gameplay and atmosphere in NHL 13 is something every hockey fan should experience for him/herself. If you haven't already, go out and pick this one up. After all – unless we see some progress fast, it may be the only NHL action we get this season.

From the single-player campaign to co-op and competitive multiplayer, Resistance 3 is a considerably more intimate experience. It's arguably the best installment to date, but I still think Insomniac Games can do even better.

The production values on Winterbottom are pretty high, it's a fun game to just sit and look at, and the little bits of art and writing that join each stage are at least as good as a solid children's book.

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.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadows is a fantastically-crafted game. In some ways, it seems like Castlevania in name only because it is stitched together with many existing gameplay mechanics, but it sticks close enough to the action-packed cloth the series is woven from to seem worthy of the name.

Darksiders could use a few overhauls to its combat system before it's a truly great game, but what's here is an entertaining series of shameless thefts.

With improved graphics, better animations, and a control system that, like their commercials say, allows players to fully express themselves anyway they want, Live 2003 is unbelievably solid.

Players that can't carry a tune or adapt to the in-game renditions will be hampered, and the novelty can quickly grow stale after a few hours. If you like singing, you'll definitely want this game.

That’s what makes Pac-Man Championship Edition such a fun, challenging and ultimately addictive game. It compels you to keep coming back to best your previous high score and perhaps make an appearance on the Xbox Live leaderboards. That’s the sign of a great arcade experience and if you’re a fan of Pac-Man, you won’t want to miss it.

Easily the best game I’ve played so far this year. Its highly-stylish graphics, mostly-smooth gameplay, incredible music, and fantastic voice acting combined to create an experience that I won’t forget, and one that I hope is enjoyed by anyone with a love for RPGs.

inFAMOUS 2 isn't perfect, but it has fewer rough edges than the original. The camera is this game's only serious problem, and it's never enough of one to drive you away from the game. The new UGC system has the potential to be tremendous, even if player-created mission selection is a bit sparse now. The game controls like a dream, has some impressive visuals and voice work, and some intense music. If you loved the first game, snatch this up ASAP. If you're like me and liked it, but didn't love it, still give this one a shot because the sequel fixed the original's problems.

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 you like your kung-fu and melodrama mixed together and brought to a rolling boil like a nabeyaki udon, download yourself a copy right away.

If you're looking for a shooter to carry you through the hot summer months, I highly recommend you enlist in Battlefield: Bad Company.

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.

It has a unique look and premise, and while some of its gameplay mechanics are a little shallow, everything works well enough together to make it a worthwhile purchase, especially at its $20 price tag. So put on a mask and prepare to go gambling, but beware of talking fish. They have evil hearts.

MLB 14: The Show on the PlayStation 4 is about the looks. This is the same franchise as you know it with a next-gen coat of paint, and it looks incredible. Thankfully, it still plays wonderfully too, in large part to the same slick controls and gameplay features we’ve come to know and love.

It has some rough edges that will hopefully be ironed out in time and remains a must-buy for racing fans even with its flaws.

Torchlight is proof positive that it’s often the simplest games that can be the most addictive.

In short, Mortal Kombat X brings the series to a whole new level.

The huge number of fatal and annoying bugs is unfortunate, because Crimson Skies would be a very good game without them.

In Europe, Rayman can almost do no wrong. It is truly a European figurehead. Its style is a testament to that.

It's been missing for a while, but the simple inclusion of the police catapults Most Wanted into one of the best racers in recent history.

There are some great new additions to 2010 FIFA World Cup and, even though it doesn’t provide the same amount of depth or online options as FIFA 10, this is definitely a game worth having in your collection.

Gravity Rush has some rough edges in it, but the game as a whole is incredible. The storyline is intriguing with some interesting characters, and the scope of the world is pretty remarkable for a portable adventure. Sadly, some control hitches make me wish this was just on a console where they couldn't shoe-horn in some functionality that doesn't work well for the game. Thankfully, there aren't many problems, and they're largely negated by the amazing graphics and catchy soundtrack. Any Vita owners longing for a really exciting adventure-platformer should snatch it up as soon as possible.

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds is an outstanding expansion that not only tells its own story, but makes the main game better and more rewarding to play as well. Lapsed fans should make sure they’re at a solid level of at least 25 or so if they want a good challenge, and going back into the world of Horizon Zero Dawn is a blast. Aloy’s new abilities greatly expand her riding skills and the new cast of characters provides another set of people for Aloy to interact with and continue a bit of her journey. It controls wonderfully, looks gorgeous and has some top-notch acting as well. At $20, it provides a hefty amount of content and never feels like a cash grab – it’s a rare piece of DLC that makes the core game better.