An amusing and worthwhile diversion.

In a game that has a lot of fresh ideas on how to build suspense and let your mind do most of the work, it's disappointing to see frequent usage of those tautologies (it's scary because it's scary).

Killing zombie Hitler should be a highlight of any experience as any chance to squash Nazi scum should be. But in Zombie Army 4’s campaign, it was more of a relief as it signaled the end of a tedious, monotonous experience that was only bolstered by the ability to get through it with other people.

It controls well (the Pale Wing being so mobile, it’s a good thing), and while it can be hard sometimes to use a gun to hit the broadside of a barn, watching buildings and alien baddies disappear in a fiery cloud is always good fun.

As I said before, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is definitely for fans only. One last warning, though: The main game is worth finishing if you can get past the punishingly hard boss battles that plague the last ten hours.

It might be a bit obtuse, but Any fan of 2D JRPGs must experience Legend of Mana. It was released when they were at their zenith, a time when it seemed like every month Square Enix was dropping a new banger. Hopefully, if these continue to do well, we’ll see games like Threads of Fate and (dare I say it) Chrono Chross get another chance to shine. These remasters are a way to go back to one of the golden ages of gaming, and they can keep them coming.

Simply aimed too high, and fell short. The basics of the game, like control and fun should have been figured out before anyone tried to make it into a movie.

While certainly not a revolutionary game or even a difficult one, it does hit the nostalgia chord perfectly and then, with perfect timing, quits.

I see the appeal in Monster Energy Supercross 2. For all the limits concerning presentation and graphical fidelity, you can feel how precise the gameplay can be with all the cranks turned to 11. If you’re looking for an accurate simulation of Supercross, this is going to satisfy. Even though this is a sequel, it feels like a foundation that can be built upon in future games, and I hope that Milestone expands the feature set the next time out.

If you loved Front Mission in the past, or are just a big fan of the tactical RPG genre, or can’t get enough of stomping badguys with your giant titanium feet, then this is the right game for you. Otherwise, you might want to give this one a pass, and leave your Wanzer alone.

A quality experience for the hardcore strategy gamer. The biggest drawback is that it’s so similar to the older Commandos; frankly, you may have already experienced this battle before.

Delivers a nice diversion for those who like to sit back and solve some quiet puzzles without having to deal with an engrossing story or hectic action.

While Spider-man for the N64 has some of the snazzy spider's super skills down pat, it falls prey to some boring gameplay design.

I've played so many "Warcraft III" clones recently that it's really refreshing to cover a game that's actually doing something innovative. However, it's the online and VS games that really flesh out Battlegrounds, since the single-player experience is pretty flat.

I spend so much time criticizing this game only because the core mechanics are so good.

Among the stronger expansions for The Sims 3, University Life fills in the time gap missing from the series and offers enough depth to extend the life of every Sim meaningfully. In addition to introducing a new plant-based Sim type, the added social content broadens the interaction of the Sim universe.

Bugsnax is an enjoyably dark mystery that deftly handles mental health issues with a superbly voice acted cast of entertaining characters, despite its shortcomings as an adventure game. The Bugsnax themselves may not be as interesting as the Grumpuses, but the mystery surrounding them remains compelling, leaving room for a sequel that I’d want to play. Much like its creepy-crawly comestibles, Bugsnax is short, sweet, strange, and worth experiencing for anyone tickled by the idea of a flying jam sandwich.

Tales of Zestiria desperately tries to retain its retro JRPG roots while also attempting to stay relevant. The stat-heavy nature of the game combined with numerous unimaginative dungeons slows it down to a crawl, which is unfortunate because the fast-paced combat is enjoyable.

If you've stuck it out this long, then you're going to want to join the revolution, as it's definitely a good way to say goodbye to Pandora and the Borderlands-verse... at least for now.

Ubisoft deserves a round of applause for addressing the industry’s severe lack of snow sport games with something bold and ambitious. Steep might suffer from play value issues, but there’s nothing comparable. For the more than 10 million skiers and snowboarders around the world, this is a moment of liberation that should go recognized.

Assassin's Creed fans who enjoyed Black Flag will likely enjoy Rogue as long as they're up for more naval adventures.

But "long" doesn't equal "fun." Sans battle strategy, overland exploration and gameplay variety, Tales of Legendia is carried mostly by its bland story and flawed if interesting combat. And that's just not the stuff legends are made of.

Occasional hiccups or no, having this much open-world freedom to come at the enemy any old way you see fit is just too much damned fun.

It doesn't last long, at about three to four hours, but it concentrates on quality and humor. Just don't dare go on a vacation with these two...

Namco Museum is a fantastic self-contained package with an interesting offering of games that arcade fans will enjoy tearing into. It's found a suitable home on the Nintendo Switch. While it isn't rife with the "virtual museum" content previous games in the series back on the original PlayStation offered, it is a solid and feature-rich compilation title that's worth its asking price.

Every aspect of this game is horribly average, derivative, unpolished, or worse. Half-assed, floaty, imprecise character movement. Half-assed melee combat. Half-assed cover mechanic. Half-assed weapon upgrade system. Half-assed sound design and mixing. Quarter-assed story. No-assed AI.

Knowing your role makes Intercept one of the better cooperative experiences available on PlayStation 4 right now.

WWE Immortals is an imaginative recycling of ideas and an easy recommendation for casual WWE fans, particularly those who are currently engrossed in WWE Supercard. Of course, it's a deal-breaker if the game constantly breaks on your phone or tablet, though the approachable combat system and the fact that it's free helped push me through the opening loading screens (at least thirty times).

Another battle boo-boo is the inability to lock-on to an enemy while using the third-person melee characters. First-person shooting is no problem, but trying to face a specific enemy while running around with a big sword/claws is a chore.

Amped 3 provides all kinds of groovy style and content but wraps it in somewhat bland gameplay. Hopefully the next edition will try and hit the slopes a little harder, maybe even with friends.

There’s some repetition in the layouts for the rooms and floors, and frankly, there’s not much incentive for replay, but it’s a solid, challenging and surprisingly atmospheric, creepy ride while it lasts.

A humorous, beautifully-presented, straight-up, side-scrolling, hard-as-a-Hero's-honker, silly spin-off action-platforming game that has some serious legs—even if its hero doesn't.

The limited variety of each type of weapon, the fact that Nazis can see through disguises too easily, the lack of auto-targeting for melee combat, and destroying Nazi property with dynamite over and over again does make boredom set in faster than it should.

But the bulk of the game takes itself far too seriously, so we are forced to admit that it falls short of other serious shooters.

It’s really a shame that a game with so much depth in its combat system turns up so thin everywhere else. It’s the exact opposite of Untold Legends, but that doesn't make it a great deal better.

So, if you sometimes find yourself sitting down in a room of your people, and you find yourself staring endlessly at each one of them, picturing them on the receiving end of your boom-stick (12 gauge Remington), then go out and buy Blood 2. And remember, shop smart, Shop S-MART! YOU GOT THAT!

Releasing Mario Party to the smaller screen has turned many of its ho-hum qualities on the console into considerable assets.

The problem with playing an oldie like After Burner nowadays is its depth: There's hardly any to be found.

For less than thirty dollars combined, value conscious gamers looking for arcade racing thrills could surely go out and score copies of all three Midnight Club and all three Burnout titles for the PS2. How extreme is that?

Nintendo Switch Sports has a weird emphasis on online play, a frustrating unlock system, and is sadly underwhelming compared to its predecessors, which launched over a decade ago.

The biggest problem for Mortal Kombat vs. the DC Universe is that it’s just meh (Yes, it's now a word, so I get to use it). You will neither love it nor hate it. Instead you will find yourself in a fighting game limbo where you feel kompelled to keep playing because you love one of the respective franchises, or you’ll just play for a while until a sense of disappointment and betrayal sets in.

For such a funny-looking little game, it's actually difficult to get 100% on every level.

When it isn’t busy knocking you off cliffs or duping you into a second play-through, it’s a fun, hectic shooter, but without a more gradual difficulty ramp or at least some cheat codes, this is one problem best left unsolved.

There’s a lot of content on offer, and if you can get past its saccharine veneer, ProStreet could keep you busy for a long time.

The worse thing about the bugs and visual oddities of Mafia 2: Definitive Edition is that the original version of the game can be modded to include a much better mesh of hi-res textures and visual upgrades than what we got here. Mafia 2 is still a game that’s worth playing, but if you own the original for PC, you’re better off just modding it. If you don’t own it, the Definitive Edition is only $20, and you get Mafia 2 Classic with it, so you don’t have anything to lose.

While it tries to take a different gameplay approach, the result is something that is so frantic, players will have a tough time figuring out what exactly is going on...and that's a puzzle we can do without.

Everything you've come to expect from a trrack and field game, just upped a notch graphically. Lots of button tapping, good-looking environments and the correct audio help round it out.

Offers a freewheeling world, fuzzy-but-attractive graphics, overall elegant production values and a main character you can root for, making it one of the best things to happen to the pirate genre in a long time.

The game is nothing if not dynamic and is worthy of any gamer, provided they have good hand-eye coordination. You’ll die a lot, but in a way that’s just like being a kid again.

Catalyst would be an easier recommend even with the clunky controls if it had been sold cheaper, perhaps as episodic content. As it stands, this is mostly for fans, and even then, I caution the inevitable frustration that will surely come from running through a city literally made of glass.

All the while, the voice-acting is of adequately Thespian caliber, terribly British and snooty in all the right ways—hopefully something that won’t be changed as the game makes its way to the American market.

This is hardly a remaster, but newcomers who want a fresh take on zombie fighting should consider it.

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.

You'd have to be the hardest of the hardcore to play Resonance of Fate through to the end (or an intern at Game Revolution). It is violently unruly and complex in its battle systems and structure. I'm sure there are plenty of masochists out there in the RPG community, but Resonance of Fate exudes punishment in spades.

I think Rain, with its simple design and story, is best for families to play together or gamers looking for a relaxing weekend jaunt. It is for the most part quite lovely, but it lacks both the narrative and visual punches that could have ascended it to more worldly appeal and acclaim.

Untainted by the realization that you've done this all before, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 will be a good buy. Beyond that, Bandai Namco has essentially hit the rewind button.

FIFA 21 may not contain any brand new modes or major new features, but by providing substantial changes to gameplay and introducing key improvements, it has easily positioned itself as the best FIFA yet. Combining challenging yet satisfying defending with ludicrous goal-scoring opportunities takes its on-the-pitch action to new levels, while additions to its Career, Ultimate Team, and Pro Clubs modes make this an essential purchase for football fans.

Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a throwback to retro gaming in terms of both art style and gameplay. While the minimalist design manages to offer quite a bit of variety, the lack of combat and exploration options becomes evident rather quickly. Still, anyone interested in Norse mythology mixed with retro gaming and old-school art design will enjoy Thora's ascent into Valhalla.

Unfortunately, Tactical Strike's story isn't that immersive.

Lego The Hobbit is, if not the best Lego game, then closely matched with the top entries in the series. It expands the series repertoire with new mechanics and better quest navigation.

While the multiplayer has its cons, it definitely has potential to be built into something more and I wouldn't be surprised if downloadable content releases soon. The single-player campaign is enough to hold anyone through a gripping story with non-stop and fast-paced action and a trio of compelling characters.

Along the way, a lot of the little touches keep this from being the complete package, a lack of blood going everywhere (like it should), and that whole bit of online play being unbalanced. But taking into account the top-notch single-player experience, this is a title good enough to hold the attention for the hours necessary to finish it.

Nothing short of a spectacular stealth game that brings the genre back to its roots and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

Overall, Champions is actually pretty good – I don't think I'll be abandoning City of Heroes for it, but it has some qualities worth mentioning. It shines most when you're dealing with your nemesis or when you're in the exemplary character creator; but outside of those shining moments, the overall game is very much just another MMO.

I disagree with the "improved" character design, feel irked by the hateful camera, and in all, the game has aged in the short time between the PS2 and the Gamecube.

Critics, business types, and your mom and dad don't understand that multiplayer is much more important to you than single-player these days. Head-to-head content gets the wealth of gaming time and Brink comes well equipped for hours and hours of gunplay.

I have a hard time recommending Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds to anyone. If you're obsessed with 2D brawlers and love Japanese animé, I strongly recommend you give the demo a try before shelling out any cash. The redundant and dated gameplay, coupled with weak production values, make this a forgettable experience that won't keep you entertained for very long.

Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is a polished trip down memory lane of one gaming's most impactful creations. It's true to the spirit of the original while also layering in a few goodies to improve quality of life. It can be rather emotionless at times due to its age, but it serves its purpose well. Welcome back, Duke.

Unity may be the hardest game the franchise has produced thus far. Regardless, I welcome any open-world game that can dedicate resources to this kind of heavily-directed play while maintaining the living environments you spend most of your time in.

Occasional hiccups or no, having this much open-world freedom to come at the enemy any old way you see fit is just too much damned fun.

It should have waited for the next generation of 3D hardware before going 3D and should have been left in the development oven a bit longer to smooth out the control and gameplay issues.

The climax of the story, however, is quite interesting, albeit a tad rushed. Still, it sets up the apparent season finale for episode four, The Bogey Man, nicely.

A game like this is exactly what I wanted in the classic remake trend. Sure, it doesn't bring much that's new, but it does expand on all that makes this genre great and, even better, it brings back the memories of great games from years past.

So what you're essentially paying for in the difference is the graphical polish of the environments, a satisfactory storyline, and clean craftsmanship. If that sounds like a fine deal, then Dungeon Siege III is the right dungeon crawler for you.

At it stands, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is like a used Ferrari with a broken passenger seat - a solid ride as long as the player doesn't mind some of the nicks and bumps and is willing to drive mostly alone.

A very mediocre game. The actual play mechanics are solid, but the abundance of white-trash gimmickry gets in the way.

Overall, I can easily recommend Crazy Machines 2 to parents, physics geeks, folks who enjoy intellectual challenges, and my fellow asylum refugees.

It allows you to do far, far more with what The Sims 4 already has. That said, the expansion doesn't have much supporting content in terms of useful skills or additional professions; in fact, bringing in the dancer and DJ as professions would have boosted the value of the expansion without being outside of the box. Still, Get Together is an expansion worth tagging along.

If Guitar Hero is your game, this is really a love song to you. Let's just hope it isn't the swan song.

The online is like every other shooter, and that's the problem. Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, a horde mode, and few other standards-not very imaginative, are you? It's smooth playing online, so it's done well enough.

So what you're essentially paying for in the difference is the graphical polish of the environments, a satisfactory storyline, and clean craftsmanship. If that sounds like a fine deal, then Dungeon Siege III is the right dungeon crawler for you.

It’s more of a novelty, a third-party candidate – you’ll like some of what it has to offer, but it’s still pretty much just wasting your vote.

Some parts of Stranger’s Wrath could use an upgrade. Its actual upgrade system never requires you to pinch your pennies and bring in targets alive, a few of the ammo types don’t work as well as they should, the stealth never seems to work, its ending goes on for too long, and the world could use a bit more life. Yet, true to its name, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is a strange game that still sticks out because of its unusual but fantastic tone. It’s strong enough to deserve a sequel or actual remaster from the ground up but, given the unlikelihood of that, a strong port will have to do.

It feels as though every single idea pitched for how to update Tiger Woods Pro Tour 08 somehow all got approved, regardless of merit. Instead of refining the fundamentals, the title concentrates on unedited excess that doesn’t blend well with a realistic golf game.

It is the exact same thing [as "Rainbow Six" and "Ghost Recon"], except for the planning, the intricacy, the strategy, the coordination, and most importantly, the fun.

There's nothing really functionally wrong with the game (besides the crack-induced plot), but it simply isn't nearly as addictive or fun as other puzzle games.

Great looking zombie-splattering will have the girls and other casual observers fighting for control of your lightgun, but real gamers will chew quickly through this light zombie snack.

A game that has a nifty combat system, but sadly not much else.

Nostalgia suffers from being stunted and stuck in the past, but then I suppose that's where the title comes in. But it's more a placebo for the genre than anything productive.

Even though it's got loads of personality and it fully embraces its own craziness, it fails to be a sturdy combination of different game genres, and is just not fun enough to justify hunting through all those pixels.

I can forgive the little issues, though, because of what all is done obviously right: engaging NPCs who both help and hinder the tasks of each puzzle, the stylized world, the voice-overs of both the NPCs and the Cave itself, and the $15 price point. The voice-overs and plays on words, especially in the Time-Traveler's section, had me laughing out loud, and the voices themselves are surprisingly fitting. A single playthrough might not be very long, but be prepared to keep playing… you're gonna. And you'll enjoy it!

The controls work better here than in previous games, though the camera angles can still be tricky.

You've come a long way, made some mistakes, and now you're trying to make amends for them. It shows a great amount of maturity on your part to admit that you're flawed and can be better a perso-er-hedgehog, but you've still got a long way to go before things are back to the way they were between you and me.

When you get down to it, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus is the same game that was released a few years back, and if you need that on the go, this is the best way to fill the need. Or, if you need something pretty that can beat you up (like a hot MMA fighter), this will do the trick.

Vanguard is more of the same when it comes to the campaign, with very few sparks of innovation. It’s inoffensive, yet bland. Zombies tries something new but goes all-in with a single map that just doesn’t work well at launch. Multiplayer moves the focus away from the brilliant gunplay, pushing chaos above all else and making fundamental errors that shouldn’t be present in the 18th iteration of Call of Duty multiplayer.

Story-driven VR titles are uncommon in the current realm of VR, and that needs to change sooner rather than later. The Mage's Tale has stepped in to offer a taste of what's to come with reasonable success.

Despite still struggling to tell a captivating story, Dead or Alive 6 is an improvement in nearly every area from its predecessor. Not only has it become more beginner friendly due to a great tutorial and the Fatal Rush mechanic, but players have more reasons to hone their skills offline due to the DOA Quest mode.

It leaves behind much of what makes MMORPGs so addictive and still keeps us shelling out $15 a month. If Auto Assault followed the "Guild Wars" model, it could definitely have been the short-attention span alternative. But this budget rental car just isn’t worth the luxury fees.