All in all, BlazBlue Central Fiction feels like a fitting end to the long-running franchise. With sameness seeping in, it was a good time to end things while you could still be left wanting more – and smart to end things before it got too formulaic. Central Fiction keeps everything that made prior games in the series work and adds a lot more layers to the storyline and overall plot for those that care for it. For players that don’t, you still get an outstanding fighting game worthy of your time and an experience that you’ll go back to for years to come.

It’s funny, it’s challenging, and it brings back lots of good memories from a bygone era. Better yet, if you weren’t alive 30 years ago, and if you don’t know anything about LucasArts or their adventuring heyday, then Thimbleweed Park works as an introduction to that era without even requiring you to go through DOS. Thimbleweed Park is the best adventure I’ve played in years, and it’s easily worth its $20 price.

If you're still in the market for an immersive, versatile RPG set in the Star Wars universe, then Knights of the Old Republic is the game you've been waiting for. Just be sure to save frequently, and keep multiple saves, in case the glitches strike.

WWE 2K17 is an excellent wrestling game with a lot of superficial trappings to it that bog it down. The flow of matches is better than ever outside of triple threats and fatal four ways, which are now a stop and go affair. Career mode remains fairly aimless even with it being given something resembling goals now. Universe mode is improved, but a bit more time-consuming than ever before thanks to the presentation.

The textures in Thief are extremely well detailed and the inside of buildings looks very realistic and outside lights and particle effects of water sprouts (such as fountains) look excellent.

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.

It’s a more accessible and cinematic experience that may turn off some Splinter Cell purists. If you’re only in it for the single player story, a rental will suffice, but with a good-sized co-op campaign and a more focused multiplayer suite, Splinter Cell fans have excellent reason to get re-acquainted with Sam Fisher this summer.

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.

There are two crowds for whom Chaos Rising will make sense. The first are people in love with DoW2's campaign style, which really hasn't been duplicated yet, and is only refined here with extra rewards and the Corruption/Redemption mechanic. The second group has to be diehard online gamers - the sort who are still playing DoW2 skirmishes every day, or at least every few days.

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

What makes Battlefield 1942 so playable is because it's so subtle.

One of the best and most complete action games on the PSP. The decision to emphasize tactics pays off in spades thanks to an intuitive interface for controlling Captain Templar and the Tactical Command System, where you’ll get to occasionally command an AI teammate.

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.

This one just feels right in all the places that the console version felt old.

SSX is a must for long-time fans of the series and also those who enjoyed them, but didn't quite love them because of how much better the controls are and how much more balanced the game as a whole feels with it teaching you the essentials right away. The RiderNet setup may not please those craving direct multi-player, but should satisfy those wanting a challenge, and the thrills the game provides raise the bar for the genre as a whole. Many snowboarding games have been released over the years, but I don't think any of them quite top this new incarnation of SSX.

A good game, but not a great game. It’s not the second coming; depending on your personal spin it’s probably not the best RTS ever; it’s not the game that is going to re-energize the RTS genre. I keep coming back in my mind to the phrase “evolutionary not revolutionary” no matter how overused and hackneyed it sounds.

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.

An excellent and vast real-time strategy game that is complex yet fun to play, and which provides almost unlimited replayability.

Shattered Galaxy has the best advancement system I have seen in an RTS game so far and it really makes you want to keep playing.

Napoleon is a game of land battles, continental conquests and European power struggles. This was an incredibly rich backdrop that inspired numerous writers and composers, one of whom is Beethoven and is featured in game’s phenomenal soundtrack. That I happen to sink a minimum of three or four hours every time I click on the icon is another reason why it’s an enjoyable game.

It’s not deep and it’s not teaching our children good things about being productive members of society, but it’s fun, and personally that’s all I expect a game to be.

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

I called Skill Stick one of the greatest innovations in sports videogames last year and now that EA has had another year to fine-tune the system, and add a new skating engine, NHL 08 is the best game on ice.

The true beauty of Serious Sam is in its pacing. It's able to maintain a consistently high level of fun by concentrating on the details: the different sequences the monsters come at you, the different sides they come at you and the clever monster placements (high, low, concealed) throughout the levels. These are, quite frankly, some of the best in the industry.

A solid, albeit short expansion to what is a great game. However, it won't serve to attract disillusioned "Rainbow Six" players.

While it doesn’t have the length of the previous titles, the decision to focus solely upon Ratchet this time around makes the gameplay somewhat innovative because you have to adjust your tactics to reflect the loss of Clank.

There’s plenty to do in the career mode, and players will truly enjoy the ability to define their game based on their personal driving style.

At $10, Dustforce offers up a lot of value for platforming fans. If you love a hearty challenge, or simply enjoy a gaming experience that forces you to get better, then you’ll get your money’s worth.