How about letting multiple people play on the same team, or even letting us play three-on-three matches? The series is probably headed in that direction, but like an obese ex-coach on a bus, it’s getting there slowly.

The bottom line is Tropico 5 is a good entry-level sim and strategy game. If you love SimCity and Civilization, this should be up your alley. Of course, you could just keep playing a board game, but I digress…

In Crash Course's case, it's more of a matter of whether or not you are interested in more Left 4 Dead so close to its sequel's release. As one of the few pieces (maybe the last) of new content for the original Left 4 Dead, Crash Course offers a recently deceased but still crawling warm farewell.

D4 is a game that knows what it is. It’s quirky and odd with an outrageous story and over-the-top characters, and that may not sit well with some people, but that’s the kind of game Swery is known to make.

The first episode of The Enemy Within has been a thrill ride for me, constantly testing me and forcing me to make split-second decisions. I’m anxious to see who’s coming next, with a tease to Dr. Harleen Quinzel, or our girl Harley, in the next episode possibly. I’m very ready to see how Batman navigates the oncoming storm that's going to unfold across the season.

Give Destiny a try if you like the idea of cooperation blended evenly with competition. The truth remains in its satisfyingly responsive mechanics, relatively forgiving checkpoint systems, competitive multiplayer, and the opportunity to blast away a million and one guys if that's what your story really needs to framed around.

If you didn’t like previous WWE 2K games, then WWE 2K19 isn’t going to change your mind. However, if you’re like me and have always had a soft spot for this series, then you won’t be disappointed.

Yes, fanboys, it's okay to pick this one up. Transformers, Roll Out!

Boss Key Productions' first crack at making a first-person shooter has resulted in something that stands out from the competition, scratching the itch of players looking for a classic arcade shooter experience, with the benefits of modern game design.

Green Day: Rock Band is a respectable game, but you don't need a review to tell you whether you should pick it up or not. If you like Green Day, you don't need to ask any more questions: Go pick up Green Day: Rock Band today.

The addictive gameplay, well-rendered graphics (even on an aged system), easy control scheme, innovative cooperative features and tons of replay value make for a winner.

It manages to float where others have sunk and breaks the trend of garbage surfing games by offering decent if somewhat limited fun.

The AI - it ain't great. Computer players don't react much like their real-life counterparts and don't often run convincing plays. The only real sign of intellect at work is towards the end of the game, when the CPU will intentionally foul or bomb three pointers if it's losing.

Dragon Quest Heroes II is exactly what a spin-off should be. It appreciates and honors what makes a Dragon Quest game distinct from other JRPGs, while still offering something different than the main series. The gameplay is exhilarating, using over-the-top animations and simple controls to keep you engaged in every battle. The amount of content, while no Dragon Quest VII, is certainly enough to get your money’s worth.

Making History expands vanilla Kerbal Space Program to a point in which you’ll be receiving your time’s worth. As to the underlying quality of the title, even though the baked-in missions are inspiring and well-designed, how the fanbase for Kerbal eventually uses the mission creator will be the deciding factor.

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.

It certainly isn’t a game you can just turn on and enjoy any time, but if you plan on throwing many shindigs, make sure and invite Rayman Raving Rabbids.

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.

The combination of fun rhythm gameplay, impressively choreographed dances, and costume variety make Persona 4: Dancing All Night a worthy addition to the Persona 4 universe.

The gamer in me hated much of Spec Ops: The Line. The critic in me loves it. Like anyone else of two minds, I'm forced to decide which side of the line I stand on.

The main issue with the Wii is that in order to play Madden 08, you basically have to learn an entirely different control scheme, and the payoff for that depends on whether you think using the motion control system is worth it, because rather than the step up in graphics the 360 and PS3 versions provide, you get – at best – a sideways graphical experience.

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?

It’s a gateway game and the perfect hook for those American Idol hopefuls who know more about D notes than D-pads.

The Ancient Gods Part 1 is a fantastic piece of DLC partly because of those narrative implications, but also for how it wonderfully continues and expands upon the base game’s legacy. Seamlessly dialing up the difficulty leads to more rewarding combat, especially with the banging metal soundtrack and horde of new hellspawns. Environments divulge from the typical Doom template, but are undeniably Doom and beautiful regardless. Part 2 has a lot to live up to, but if it’s anything like Part 1, it shouldn’t have a problem shattering high expectations.

The only real compelling argument for getting into the game now comes from that group of friends who spend hours a day playing, telling you how great it is until you finally give in and join the madness with them.

While solid in its presentation and adequate in its basic gameplay, it's little more than another individually-wrapped snack in the great and majestic adventure of human flight.

Though it sees a nice addition in the lockdown stick, the game stays stubbornly true to its already paid-for code, repeating the fouls of its past and failing to graduate to the next level.

The game just feels incomplete.

If you're fiending for some more Lara, and I mean absolutely jonesin'... then I guess you could pick this one up. For the other 99.9% of us, go play "TR" or "TR2" again or even for the first time. Or better yet, forget about Lara Croft altogether.

A fun game. It's classic Mega Man, a formulaic game that sticks to the same ground rules, but still works. And getting back into the familiar 2D groove just felt really good, especially with the gameplay refinements.

Story is thin and uninteresting.

If you don't have a PSP, it might be worth checking out if the nostalgia hits you hard enough, but unless you're a glutton for punishment, I don't know how much you can find here. Oh, and if you do have the PSP version, just walk away. Take your time, no need to hurry, just walk aw-BOOM!

The skimpy single player game, the lack of an internal matchmaker, the clean but very simple graphics and the inability to save your game make Moonbase Commander feel more like a hobby than a commercial product. That doesn't mean it's not fun.

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.

It’s hard to complain about the amount of game here, and if you’re a DC Comics fan you’ll have a lot of fun, even if you had that same fun before.

Unsurprisingly, the Xbox version is a bit cleaner and sharper than the PS2 and has some more detailed textures. It's a noticeable difference, but not a big deal.

This PS2 version is the least likely to be asked to the Prom. Compared to the others, Spidey's PS2 world is grainy with jagged edges. There is a lot of noticeable slowdown from numerous onscreen NPCs.

Where the title lacks the ability to teach you real art skills, it’ll provide dozens of hours of entertainment for a gamer aware of what they’re getting into.

Green Day: Rock Band is a respectable game, but you don't need a review to tell you whether you should pick it up or not. If you like Green Day, you don't need to ask any more questions: Go pick up Green Day: Rock Band today.

The main problem is that even with the replay value in each level, you probably won't really feel like replaying everything again. Unless you're a true completionist, there's not much of a draw to replaying a level that's essentially the same thing as a number of other stages.

In terms of both graphics and gameplay, I honestly can't think of another shooter that does quite what it does. And despite the second-rate plot, Prophet possesses a surprising amount of pathos, especially compared to his voiceless, grunting contemporaries who enjoy near household recognition.

If you're looking for an accessible, free-to-play MOBA that isn't trying to nickel-and-dime you at every turn, then MXM is the game for you. A few small flaws aside, MXM is a treat among free-to-play MOBAs that shows imagination and restraint not often shared among its peers.

Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition like last year’s Bayonetta 2 is for hardcore action gamers. It rewards practice and patience. The level design can get repetitive, but the levels aren't really why anyone plays a Devil May Cry game.

Complaints aside, Total War: Rome II offers an insane amount of value for your money that is hard to ignore if you’re a fan of the genre. The campaign offers a lot of depth for those so-minded, and battles are a graphically frenzied treat.

It's easy to pick up, simple to get a hold of, and while it's not terribly challenging, it's fun. That's perfect for the DS, if that's what you expect from the handheld.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood should have more alternate paths and secret areas to uncover. However, both the stealth action and shooting gameplay are top-notch and the levels are fun to explore

It fails in the most fundamental aspect: the gameplay. It’s generally dull. Despite a high initial learning curve – usually the sign of a game with depth and complexity – Knights in the Nightmare is shallow and simple.

Aion is simply a poor game.

A unique hybrid of plundered gameplay elements. It doesn't manage to actually improve upon its MMORPG parents, but if you've become tired of space lasers or elf wizards, Burning Sea is easily the most interesting new game in town. In the long run, it will be the complex economy and the faction warfare that will determine the success of this ocean venture.

Twenty years ago, it would have been worth forty bucks. But today, it’s just another obsolete space ship, grounded in favor of better, faster rockets.

Online multiplayer in Hell’s Highway depends too much on your teammates adhering to their assigned roles.

Final word, Replayability: Beneath this friendly, deceptively simple-looking game lies a smug, mocking worst-enemy waiting to happen—just when you think you’re starting to get ‘good’ at Peggle Nights, you’ll come to a new Zen level of understanding at which you realize, in the best meditative sense, that you know zilch, nada, zip, zero, jack-shit, nothing.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger has some good ideas, especially the playful storytelling and how it directly affects the gameplay. And it's only $15 as a digital title. However, it gets bogged down with its on-rails confinement, its slow, overly precise aiming, and its tedious dueling system.

Obduction feels like a game that belongs in the 1990s with a modern-day coat of paint. If you haven't played an adventure game since then, you might be pleasantly surprised, but I'd have rather spent my time replaying Firewatch, Oxenfree, or any number of other quality adventure titles instead of this buggy mess.

It’s almost unfortunate that the first couple hours of Second Sight are really good. You won’t care that the action is too easy or that the A.I. is dumber than Teddy Ruxpin because the plot is good and the characters are interesting. But by hour six or so, the plot loses its mystery and the gameplay holes become increasingly frustrating.

Here's what really makes For Honor great, though: its difficulty curve. I haven't played a game that slaps you in the face as much as For Honor since I played Dota 2. You'll play and play and feel like you're getting nowhere until one day, one game, or even one moment where you see everything differently, and, while you won't instantly master it, you'll now clearly see the path to mastery.

An awesome piece of very approachable (if not plain too easy) fan service and, in this case, pleasing fans ain't bad at all.

The updated engine and trick system make for plenty of fun, but the irritating level setup will make all but the burliest riders drop their controllers in annoyance. However, this game is on the right track.

Everything you've seen before.

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.

Even with the story's odd consistency and dialog was translated by an all-work-no-play intern, the mechanics make up the difference and make this a fun time-waster.

It’s a funny enough game but its one-note dialogue slightly outweighs its instances of decent humor. The mechanics work well at first, but they are too simplistic and don’t take as much advantage of the VR medium as they could. But despite their flaws, all of these parts are good enough to make Trover Saves the Universe one of the more memorable VR experiences.

Achieves what regular Star Wars, in recent history, has been unable to do: deliver a children's experience that is fun and engaging for adults as well.

A competent Contra game, but if you look at the 'ReBirth' in the title expecting to find updated visuals and new features as the name suggests, you are better off looking elsewhere.

Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty is a vanilla ice cream cone. It's snack-sized, relatively cheap, and is nice on a lazy summer day. But at some point, you'll probably wish it was part of a float or a banana split.

While not nearly as atmospheric as Lost in Nightmares, Desperate Escape is a very tense but short trip that's worthy of a playthrough for Resident Evil 5 veterans and those looking for an extra challenge that does not stray from the original campaign.

They nailed Tony Montana's voice and attitude and packed a banana boat's worth of blood and violence into hours and hours of open, GTA-style gameplay.

And really, this is Call of Duty: MW once more, and except for some sketchy controls, you really can't go too far wrong. If you need to shoot somebody, and for some reason have that urge while only having access to a Wii (a problem which should probably be looked into further), this will scratch that itch.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is tedious enough as it is by 2020 standards. Clunky gunplay and lousy vehicle handling make the shootouts as frustrating as the getaway drive. The promising setup can’t avoid getting whacked either as it disappoints through its inability to meaningfully execute on its multiple beats. The talented cast and better realized 1930s world outdo its 2002 counterpart, but the rest of its blunders come together and result in an offer that’s relatively easy to refuse.

The new Face of the Franchise mode is totally underwhelming and fails to tell a meaningful story and the X-Factor abilities are helpful for newcomers but don’t really change how a solid player would play the game any. These changes are all a positive for long-term but it lacks any selling point and has launched in a frustrating state that undermines the solid football mechanics that EA has refined over the past several decades.

What was once a breathtaking daredevil stunt ride is now just a business commute in rush-hour traffic. It might be good business sense for EA to squeeze a few more bucks out of its prior success - just make sure they're not yours.

If the the old school Puzzle Quest is mega-addicting black tar heroin, then the new one is some brown weed that barely gets you high and leaves you with little more than a headache and a bad taste in your mouth.

As such, if you’re a fan of Davey Wreden’s work or simply wish to see these themes tackled in a video game, then I’d recommend giving it a shot. At the very least, The Beginner’s Guide will provide you with an experience unlike anything else in the medium.

Any player at any skill level can sit down with Pokkén Tournament for a period of time and have just as much of a chance to win as a long-time fighting genre disciple.

Online multiplayer in Hell’s Highway depends too much on your teammates adhering to their assigned roles.

Every 2D-shooter fan needs to have this game in their collection. Shmup releases of this caliber are extremely rare outside of Japan.

Although surprisingly well made graphically, aurally, and, uh, olfactorily (err, that's just my gym sock), it loses shield strength in the gameplay department.

Admittedly, it does end up my favorite of the Toy Story games, but that isn't saying much.

Very deep for an Xtreme game. The level sizes, moves list, and challenges are extremely expansive.

If you love Bioshock and the price of this expansion is the only thing keeping you from playing Burial At Sea, then I highly suggest you purchase the season pass

I've been waiting for a long time to see this franchise take place in the Victorian era, and Assassin's Creed Syndicate doesn't disappoint. Sure, there are some bugs and a few missteps, but I see myself playing through the game at least one more time before I put it aside.

Even though this Twisted Metal might be a decade newer, it doesn't stray far from its series' heritage. It makes driving a vehicle equipped with weapons of every kind as fun as it sounds. It's a title aimed directly at bringing heart-racing competition to the living room and the unique vehicles, powerful weapons, and complexity make it the perfect title to enjoy with friends. It isn't every day that you play a game that rewards you for driving fast and blowing enemies up, but that's exactly what Twisted Metal is an expert at.

Aside from a few clumsy design choices, mostly regarding side mission requirements and scrounging around awkwardly for the few required missions, Yo-Kai Watch is a charming gem that’s only helping bolster the claim that fun and full RPG experiences are only getting better on portable hardware.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is an odd game, a semi-successful title that achieves a lot of success in its different elements but fails to come together as a cohesive title.

Future episodes will likely have to introduce deeper gameplay, since it's easy to master Episode One. But on its own, Penny Arcade Adventures is a very solid game with a unique and refined take on role-playing gameplay that would stand on its own even without the Penny Arcade brand of humor.

But take heart, horror-inclined gamers. Any random two minutes of Ties that Bind's blood-soaked gameplay is likely to give your parents, stuffy friends or sensitive authority figures of your choice the dribbling shiznits, and pretty much all the first game's good stuff has remained intact.

What truly rocks is the game's affordability. Donkey Konga comes with one bongo accessory in a neat and tidy $50 package. What a sweet concept.

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.

You get tiny little cinematic snippets here and there, but it never coheres into anything like an actual story.

While it doesn't take the series into any new frontiers, either in terms of naughty content or gameplay, it's still one of the most unusual and entertaining RPGs on the PS2 market. It's not a whole new world, but it is a fairly cool one.

You can’t forgive the absurd health meter, the retarded save system, the completely rehashed gameplay, or the misleading “clues”, but you’ll never forget the charming characters, witty dialog, and bizarre sexual conundrums.

Kirby Super Star Ultra is a solid title that could have been just a little fresher while still keeping Kirby rad. If only the little cream puff could run up onto some baddies that were a little more hardcore, his abilities might finally outshine his amazing super-cuteness.

MAG puts communication front-and-center in the online shooter genre. Using a headset isn’t just “useful” or “convenient”. It’s absolutely necessary. Zipper’s made a ballsy move—particularly on a console where headsets are sold separately—but it’s paid off. MAG is a unique experience and is sure to gain a dedicated fan-base all its own.

It's a little hard recommending a port of a four year-old game for the full $40 price tag. Couple that with the ruthless difficulty caused by the continue system and it becomes clear that this is for hardcore shooter vets only.

Customization incarnate. There are a thousand things you can change, including more managing and trading options than you could shake a stick at.

It’s sketched, voiced and painted for innocent little cherubs, and yet seemingly designed by little cackling, puppy-kidnapping demons.

While the World Tour is interesting with its virtual pet teammate, it can get old and boring.

EA Sports UFC 2 has shown its improvements over its former self and continues to play the part. A mix of power and finesse, both in ring and out, there’s no doubt this is a solid pickup for folks interested in handing out beatings like their favorite MMA fighters do.