The engine is a lot of fun, but the campaign is a disaster, and it appears that Altar Games hasn’t learned anything since releasing UFO: Aftershock two years ago.

The novelty of playing the game is sure to wear off after a while, especially considering the limited number of episodes. It’s possible to go through every single episode in a weekend, which doesn’t speak volumes about returning to this game time and time again. Second, while the single player game is adequate, this game is much better as a party title with plenty of alcohol.

Online multiplayer is dreadfully slow, both in co-op and deathmatch modes, which brings an unwanted element of luck into the picture. It's shocking really considering how smoothly this game ran back in 1993 yet with all this newfound processing power and high-speed Internet, the game has the problems it does here.

I can almost picture the early pitch sessions for Call of Duty: WWII in which they conceived of a game that has something for everyone. But if everyone gets something, no one gets everything. If I were in charge, I would have scrapped the no doubt very expensive but entirely lackluster single player campaign entirely and focused on the core multiplayer, making more maps and expanding on the War concept, which works quite well. The co-op works reasonably well, and pleasantly scratches that itch for people who prefer to work as a team against AI rather than people. So Call of Duty: WWII is a pleasantly rounded package which lands it solidly in the middle of the everything pack.

What you wind up with when all is said and done is a neat little chunk of Star Wars fiction wrapped up in a mediocre action game package.

The engine is unusual, but it doesn’t look especially good. The storyline is intriguing, but it’s a lot darker and more gruesome than you’d expect from a Sherlock Holmes tale.

This may be perfect for your little brother or sister as you try to indoctrinate them to the world of game playing, but for wily vets looking for a solid platform, you’ll probably wind up looking elsewhere.

It plays out like a popcorn movie: a fun ride while it lasts.

To fans of the genre, it's stellar. It's got just over one hundred songs, each with their own backgroud videos, modes that test both your stamina and your composure, and more of what people have come to expect from dancing games.

If you’ve played Telltale’s other games, then Game of Thrones is about what you should expect.

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.

For 360 owners, Case West is worth a couple of playthroughs, but it's just not as fun as the main game. The only real reason it has to exist is to please fans by bringing Frank back, and that by itself isn't enough to justify getting shot for two hours straight.

Gas Powered Games chose to play it safe with this release, simplifying the game from previous entries in the series and, perhaps in the process, robbing it of any personality that the series once had.

Rome 2 is a colossal let down and while I’m sure the game will be decent after the 20th patch, I’m just tired of being jerked around. Get your head in the game, Creative Assembly!

Overall, Deponia has some pluses and minuses. The story doesn't make any sense, and the ending is terrible (nothing gets resolved; it's all a set-up for the presumed next title in the franchise), but the world is colorful and the dialogue is well-acted, and the situations are more funny than not. Given its mild $20 price point, Deponia is a reasonable adventure to try out.

A large number of technical issues and some combat flaws, along with a number of less than stellar puzzle mechanics make this a game for hardcore Matrix fans or some martial arts action buffs instead of for everyone.

Enemies are pretty strong in the game, and so you have to use hit-and-run tactics in almost every fight, and even though there are a couple dozen different enemies, fights go about the same. Shoot a couple times, run away, and then shoot again.

If you’re looking for a technically gorgeous title that truly shows off the depth of its environments to the limits of the system hardware, X2O does a beautiful job of giving the player amazing water effects.

The other problem with the puzzles is that they’re a little bit dry and distant. I liken Aura to working on a crossword puzzle book. Sure, I enjoy solving a crossword puzzle from time to time, but I don’t find them enthralling or anything, and I wouldn’t spend a day on them. The same is true for Aura.

More could have been done with this game. A little more creativity, a lot more programming, and I believe they could have had something quite good on their hands.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light will appeal to fans of the classic, old school RPGs, but is likely to turn off casual or veteran fans of the series.

Although Blazin’ Trails does manage to present an engaging amount of gameplay thanks to the large number of game options, diversionary mini-games and impressive online features, it’s also significantly hampered by a kludgy control system, unforgiving trick system and psychotic AI.

Other than a few cool moments here and there, there isn’t a lot going on that can’t be gotten elsewhere. There are many other excellent side-scrolling games out there that offer a lot more play time, but those games don’t have the Star Wars name.

Supplementing the streets with glowing collectibles and earning the use of a weaponized dildo (yes, you read that right) can only take you so far before one begins to wonder why Bruce Campbell wasn’t hired to voice the main character.

A polished and relentless action game with some of the craziest levels in this console generation.

Look, Mass Effect Legendary Edition isn’t bad. It’s good. It’s as good as a revamping of the original series all delivered in one sleek package can be. I’m just not sure who has been asking for that.

When you get right down to it, Lost Odyssey plays like a mediocre Final Fantasy game, which isn’t so bad really. Hell, some Final Fantasy games have played like mediocre Final Fantasy games, and if you’re a 360 owner who loves classic RPGs you’re going to want to play it.

I just figured that with all the time it took to release DoD:S that they might be adding vehicles (a la "Call of Duty - United Offensive") or weapons. It turned out that I was wrong. Doesn’t make it a bad game, and the $20 bargain price (which is almost certain to include more maps from Valve at a later date) doesn’t hurt, but if given the choice (and Steam doesn’t) to just keep playing the old DoD, that's probably where I would have stayed.