ESPN MLB isn't a bad game at all, but is functionally a step backwards from last year's game and just can't quite keep up with "MVP."

The replay value is suspect and the one enormous dungeon mansion can grow tiring, but the graphics are quite beautiful and the interesting game mechanics are enjoyable.

It is very hard and probably will only appeal to shooter fans, but it's a solid title through and through.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a loving remaster of a series of fan-favorite games. If you need a dose of 32-bit nostalgia, or if you want to see where one of gaming’s iconic characters started you can’t go wrong here.

Enjoyable, if only because of the satisfaction that comes with virtually and successfully ruling a nation while getting rich. Actually, it's a bit like a really elaborate Communist Farmville, which shouldn't be-but absolutely is-awfully addicting.

In a way, what makes Call of Duty Infinite Warfare so successful is personality, whether that’s via creative future tech, or the earnest single player story or even the over the top Zombie mode. This has been an incredible year for shooters. Thankfully, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare completes 2016 with a bang.

If you don't take the genre too seriously, Injustice is likely the most entertaining fighter of all-time. Its witty, tongue-in-cheek humor and blockbuster production are a joy. Duking it out with friends online or on the couch provides hours of fun. Competitive fighting game fans will find a more even and balanced playing field in another game, but patching down the line will likely fix that shortcoming anyway.

This episode held my attention much better than the previous one, because of better action sequences and more of getting on with the story.

Five Nights at Freddy's is horror done right. No slasher techniques, no gore necessary.

If you already own the PC version, there is absolutely zero reason to purchase this again. On the other hand, Sony is releasing it for free for PS members right off the bat, which is a tough price to argue down.

There’s a solid idea at the core of the game, one that’s endearing and compelling despite some major changes to the formula. But nothing backs up that idea. It’s just that—an idea, and not much else, though the familiar Pac-Man gameplay still holds up.

Give this a try. You may fall in love.

Small tweaks like the Floor General and Freestyle Air make it a smoother all-around product than March Madness 2004, but the margin is so slight that owners of last year’s game shouldn’t feel compelled to buy this one, too. The bubble is starting to break.

Doesn't match the frantic pace of a good first-person shooter or the complexity of a turn-based strategy game. Instead, it’s a clever reinvention of something old into a multiplayer experience.

Pales in comparison to its cousins and is not worth the money to buy. With repetitive gameplay and almost no depth, you're better off letting Dracula ravage the countryside. Might help lower global population numbers.

Just like the second map pack, Annihilation succeeds overall in delivering DLC that keeps players happy.

It can’t rival the best in the genre, but players can make a pretty awesome aquarium within its constraints, so it ultimately delivers what was promised even if it doesn’t exceed those promises.

"Ancient" is a good way to describe this fun ripoff. For those special few who cannot get enough of the hack-and-click action RPG thing, Titan Quest will effectively scratch that itch. However, its lack of substantial innovation, problems with loot and technical hiccups keep it from conquering Olympus.

This game’s single-player campaign is a decent diversion and serves up a relatively well-produced version of the PC series. Unfortunately, what it lacks in replay value and online play leads to a solider a bit too thin for his britches. Will this war never end?

The first shock is that this is definitely not the genre you were expecting. The next one comes from playing it and realizing just how well it's done. This is a strategy RPG that rivals the big names in the genre. Unfortunately, there's no prinnies, chocobos, or vibrant spiky hair to seal the deal.

For cheap thrills, ExciteBots gets the job done. The transforming creepy crawly machines are so much fun to watch in action that it seems unfair to judge this game too harshly. Unfortunately, it’s also hard not to feel that with a bit more time and care, the core idea could have been expanded into a brilliant kart-style racer.

It’s fine, decent, entirely competent, but who wants that again? We want bite, and even though this game has Marv Albert, it barely manages to break last year's skin.

Just like they did with "Def Jam: Fight for NY," EA Big ignored NFL Street's fundamental issues and instead added more flash and one or two new moves. While undeniably fun, EA Big has no right to call NFL Street 2 a sequel.

Nintendo Land is available as a pack-in with the Wii U Deluxe Set, but it's a good enough game on its own to warrant a purchase for anyone buying the Wii U Basic Set. Plus, it's an effective tool for users as they learn the ins and outs of the Wii U GamePad. There's plenty of value in that alone and having an entire theme park of fun games based on Nintendo's best franchises makes the deal that much sweeter. Sweet enough to call Nintendo Land a must-own for new Wii U owners.

If you are interested in trying Kingdom Hearts before the third game releases or want to revisit the first two games in the series, this is a fantastic buy. And hey, it's pretty much a certainty that if this game does any kind of numbers, we should expect a "Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix" before too long.

Starhawk is a solid multiplayer experience, though the vehicles and design are derivative, and fans of Warhawk will no doubt appreciate the build-your-own defense gameplay innovations. However, its workman-like tutorial "campaign" was short and bland and the multiplayer didn't "hook" me.

The game makes good use of many DS features. It has fun sound effects. It has competent, though not infallible, handwriting recognition. You have to speak to it, and most of the time it understands you - and it asks you before you begin your Brain Age Check if you are in a place where you can speak freely.

If you're a huge fan, you probably didn't wait for this review; just know you're getting nothing more than a facelift in this package.

Really, though, there’s nothing wrong with the game itself, and it will appeal greatly to the legions of longtime fans. The franchise has always been difficult, and dying a lot has always been a part of getting through the games. Yet ultimately, Mega Man 9 is so difficult that it gives newcomers very little reason to pick it up.

Flaws and linear nature taken into account, Mafia II is a beautiful, gripping, engaging game-and where it doesn't allow you to go is more than made up for by where it does.

If you want to be your favorite fighter and have a fight night at home with some buddies, you're probably better off looking to UFC. If you want a game that controls better, presents the sport in a more favorable light, and really handles the intricacies and spirit of MMA, EA Sports has you covered.

Really, if you like a deep experience with plenty of replay value in portable dungeon-crawling, this is about as good as it gets.

Without all of the environmental additions, Sega Rally Revo is an average racer at best.

A cool game that's been suspended from greatness due to its less-than-stellar track design, lame weapons and stunts that are often not as cool as they should be.

But while EA has been able to make some improvements to their franchise, they just haven’t done enough to keep up with the ice maniacs over at ESPN.

Pitting 2K's college game against EA's is a close call, but ultimately I suppose that this game's better price and A.I. give it the edge. Someone needs to fire the coach before it's guaranteed a tourney berth, though.

For those that have never tried this fourth Ace Attorney game, there is no reason not to pick up Apollo Justice. The riveting story is much more serious and emotional, the cases will shock and surprise you, and the soundtrack and cast of characters new and old are absolutely unforgettable.

Call of Cthulhu shows that the first-person perspective doesn't always have to pack an uzi, and can even be the perfect view for players interested in a more cerebral challenge. Its dated look and absurd difficulty will probably consign it to mere cult status, but perhaps that's really where a game based on Lovecraft belongs.

For $9.99 this game has a ton of replay value.

The trouble with Shank 2 is that this co-op multiplayer only lasts for a little while. Eventually your couch co-op partner has to go home, or you stop finding people to play with online. Then it's back to single player... stab... go right... stab some more... go right... jump over the flames... stab... latter, rinse, repeat.

Sanctum 2 is a unique game experience that is quite successful in bringing two of today's hottest genres together in an engaging way. Sure, there are plenty of tower defense games out there that do it better, and sure, the shooting mechanics aren't up to snuff with the best of the bunch, but Coffee Stain Studios' is more than the sum of its parts.

As long as the online community holds up, this downloadable title will certainly be worth picking up for anyone looking for a little conquest and domination on the side.

Anyone who already owns either Dead or Alive 5 or Dead or Alive 5 Plus already knows a lot of this stuff, so why am I repeating it? Because it's probably only worth buying if you don't already own it in one form or another, unless you absolutely must have the few additional characters or environments. However, if you don't already own Dead or Alive 5, this is certainly the best version of the game.

Juno’s journey through the Dodge Sector left me wanting more, and I hope that the post-launch mod support allows fans to fill some of the void I felt while playing the game. For $29.99 I think the game is a great value, and I’ve paid a lot more for a lot less in the past.

The combat system stands as the game's strongest and most important pillar, which masks some of the minor imperfections with the graphical clipping and online performance.

DeathSpank would never even disappoint a filthy orphan, so he's sure as hell not going to disappoint a paying customer.

Kudos to Neversoft and Activision for creating an amazing game, the sole competitor in its self-created genre, and curses upon them for distilling it to the point of absurdity.

FFIV is still the same ol' game, as classic and playable as ever, but SE expecting you to pay for it once again (along with the joke that is Interlude and the hit-or-miss After Years) is outright greedy.

The cinematic sequences are easily skipped at the press of a button, and what remains is a tremendously engaging Western romp.

A soulless clone of a good game. It puts almost all of the pieces together, but the two that it misses, intelligence and personality, are what make a game likable and engaging.

Shovel Knight was an example of an indie platformer that did hold up its end of the deal on both ends and that comparison doesn’t work in Cyber Shadow’s favor. Its boss fights and soundtrack can compete with other modern indie greats, but the rest of its gameplay inherits many of the antiquated parts that have been stripped out in other thoughtful throwbacks. This dichotomy makes Cyber Shadow a lot like its protagonist as it is made up of parts both old and new. But unlike Shadow, Cyber Shadow is made up of obsolete pieces, resulting in a rusty, defective cyber ninja that’s stuck in the wrong time period.

It is a slightly different angle on the same thing, but it's all good fun.

a satisfying horror game with many of the sinister elements that made the original so good. But its failure to do anything new that "Resident Evil" hasn't already done (other than a cool flashlight) leaves this zombie hungering for something more. Brains, anyone?

If the Statue of Liberty could be driven like a car, it would be much easier to handle and control than the characters in "Tenchu 2."

Allowing the gamer to actually wander around Pokemon Island on their own would have added a much-needed layer of depth and exploration. It's also safe to say that the appeal of this game is very limited to Pokemon fans.

If you've got any interest in this kind of insanity, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Oh, and leave the drugs and alcohol behind-the game is trippy enough already.

The melee fighting and driving are bland, as are the environments, but the story is compelling and the acting is impeccable. For forty dollars it's a good offer, but not one you can't refuse.

It provides just enough to encourage previously disheartened players to return and see how the world has changed, but not quite enough to win over the soul of the average MMO player.

If you're looking for a classic Dragon Quest game with a twist, then this more than fits the bill, so long as you don't mind playing alone the whole through way through. As unexpected as it might be, Omega Force has proven that it can adapt popular franchises with surprising consistency.

Still though, while I can’t find a reason for Siege of Dragonspear not to exist, and while it completely entertained me throughout its unbelievable 30-hour run time, it comes off more as wholly unnecessary.

Despite some minor annoyances, this game is big fun. Something you can drop in for a few minutes for a quick race, or spend hours upgrading your vehicles.

Overall, Kane's Wrath feels like a final opus to the 'good old days' of the PC RTS. It's good solid fun for the hardcore RTS fan, but a huge pain for anyone that wants something more casual.

Let's hope that Raven Software can put some creativity together and bring forth more of an expansive multiplayer for a possible sequel or download; I would hate to see such potential be forgotten and aged to dust.

Apart from its nuanced storytelling, Indivisible is a brilliant vertical slice of a more fully featured game that doesn’t exist.

A fun but frustrating action romp with some good unlockable content and a really short single player campaign.

If I were giving a grade on presentation, the marks would be higher. But since I actually have to play through the games, I have to take a not-so-pleasant trip down memory lane. Oh look, some game didn't pick up after themselves, and I've stepped in it.

A giant leap in the right direction for the series and for off-road racers.

Valiant Hearts could very well be the most poignant World War I game ever made, especially as it tells a tale from both sides of the conflict without getting bogged down in the unnecessarily stupid allegiances and battles that wasted thousands of precious lives.

A fairly impressive beast. It might not be smart, polished or new, but it's wonderfully violent, varied and bloody. Plus, it’s proof that two heads are better than one.

In the face of "Ghost Recon," Battlefield 2: Modern Combat is by no means the most modern shooter available for the Xbox 360, though its good design and sheer fun still make it a battle to remember.

The game tries to be everything for everyone by offering a great variety of gameplay styles, but doesn’t quite succeed at any of them. Each facet of the game has minor issues that hurt an otherwise enjoyable experience.

The next Slugfest would be vastly improved if they ditched the attempt at Franchise authenticity and focused on fixing the mechanics and core baseball dynamics. Midway has some rules to learn before it breaks any more of them.

But if you've played Just Dance before, you know you're playing for the music. And if you like the tracks here (I admit that Katy Perry's "Roar" is growing on me), then you'll be just fine wibbly-wobbling around with your friends. If you don't have any friends, then it's still a good exercise routine.

Unfortunately, aside from its more robust PvE offering and unique new characters, most of the other changes that have been made in Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville haven’t been for the better.

For one hundred dollars you could buy a keg, a stripper, a clown, or make a down payment on a bouncy castle. Now THAT'S a party. While Taiko Drum Master's novelty value is clear, you might want to skip this beat in favor of a cheaper groove.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game makes for one of the better movie-based games out there. It carries its homage to old beat 'em up games a little too far, forgoing online play and a consistent checkpoint system, especially for a game that's not meant to be played by yourself.

Its relatively short playing segments paired with its huge overall scheme gives a lot of bang for the buck. However, those with more than a tamarin's attention span might find this monkey a little under-evolved.

Bomb Chicken isn’t an innovative, genre-shaking, powerhouse. It doesn’t set out to be. Instead, you get some real solid 2D platforming action with a unique mechanic that sets it apart from its predecessors. It’s a welcome addition to the Switch’s growing library of quality indie games and a smart purchase for anyone who’s looking to kill a little time.

Despite some quite good late-in-the-story character beats, Quantum Break is still just another cautionary tale about time travel. It seems the one thing that never gets an alternate universe path is the notion that time is something that we should never mess with, which is kind of obvious by now. Perhaps this story could have bucked that trend. What saves Quantum Break, though, is the abundance of content and its integration of time-based abilities in combat. I might not have like the live-action episodes, but someone might especially when compared to narratives in other games.

At the very least I hoped that World of Final Fantasy could have re-invoked the best qualities of its kin: open-world exploration, interesting characters, and epic stories. It lacks all of these elements and suffers for it.

Universe at War shows a lot of promise. As a first entry to a brand new series, there’s a lot to like on display.

The humor is excellently well-written, and the setup to Chapter Three is more than enough to make up for the stale beginning of the Tales of Monkey Island series. If you haven't taken the plunge into the new Monkey Island, now is a good time to do it.

As a game, it's fairly simple, and playing by oneself could grow dull quickly. It's really when people play together, either locally or online, that #IDARB takes off.

All of this is not to say that Supreme Commander 2 is an awful game. But the things that have changed simply won’t win over new fans; if you didn’t like Supreme Commander, then you won’t like Supreme Commander 2.

Overall, Back 4 Blood is a great successor to Left 4 Dead. It definitely needs some tweaks here and there, but it’s a blast with or without friends, and the bots are pretty decent as well. Turtle Rock Studios could have just made a straight clone of L4D, but it didn’t. As the various new systems get polished and balanced, this game will likely be looked on as finely as its predecessors.

WoT for Xbox 360 singlehandedly revives my love for console gaming. I hope you’re a quick learner because how fast you unlock new tanks is directly correlated to how well you do in game. I could see this small community catching some flak from their more passionate seniors on WoT Windows, but it’s redesigned well with the Xbox community in mind.

Objectively speaking, it’s a game with visuals that functions, and that’s how it shall be scored.

This is a remastered title done the right way, as it performs perfectly and the revamped localization gives even veteran players a great reason to play it again.

ARMS is without doubt a mixed bag, but its laundry list of upside and paid-off risk-taking do render it worthwhile if you crave creative and purely fun local multiplayer on Switch.

With a unique plot, great characters, and gameplay that’s fun for both kids and adults, Lego Batman continues the sheer fun of the series and is a great game on all available platforms.

The Sword in the Darkness stays the course for Telltale's Game of Thrones series, though it still feels like the story is waiting around for something to finally happen.

Kudos to Neversoft and Activision for creating an amazing game, the sole competitor in its self-created genre, and curses upon them for distilling it to the point of absurdity.

There’s no doubt EA has taken pride in bringing a well-balanced hockey simulator that's simple in delivery but complex in execution and something everyone can enjoy.

Minor faults aside, Darksiders Genesis masterfully shrinks down the long-running franchise into a top-down action game that’s just plain fun to play.

Magic Duels: Online reforms the Duels of the Planewalker series with an approachable, free-to-play edition that serves as a fertile platform for all future MTG games.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete’s obsession with MORE makes for an inventive narrative hook and leads to some meaningful gameplay additions, but that central theme also ends up dampening its best features. Mixing branching upgrade paths with the sublime impromptu core Superhot gameplay makes this standalone expansion a blast for more than a few hours as it continually supplies new ways to experience the same game. But the newfound sense of replayability begins to dissipate as those same tricks are repeatedly pulled over the course of the overly long campaign and all but guarantee some fatigue despite the constantly changing variables. Superhot left players wanting MORE and Mind Control Delete demonstrates that that might have been a good idea.

It might not be the fanciest bong [don't you mean water pipe? ~GR Ed.] in town anymore, but it still delivers the drug.

Chronicles has loads of content, faithfully translates the arcade games to home console, and does it all with stylish, deep gameplay. I just wish those bosses didn't feel so soul-crushingly cheap today.