Monster Hunter: Freedom tries to capture the odd, free-form gameplay that made its console counterpart so quirky, but its load problems, aggravating combat, lame AI and lack of online play dulls its blade immeasurably.

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.

It’s a quirky, refreshing mix of action, sandbox, and mini-games with enough style and charm to Trotmobile past its aggravating technical flaws.

It provides roughly fifteen minutes of absolutely gruesome, chaotic pleasure, then promptly nosedives into the Mariana Trench of bad design, bad graphics and bad control.

With good mechanics and delivery, Table Tennis will certainly keep you and your impoverished frat buddies entranced for a bit, but the profound lack of depth makes it a decidedly hard pledge.

Except for a few clever puzzles, a strong story, and a handful of pretty pictures, this licensed mess is mostly a failure.

It's inexcusable that Activision didn't see fit to shave down the 360 price a little; 60 bucks is an outlandish request considering there is absolutely nothing extra in the next-gen version.

This caught-between-generations game manages to just barely clear graphical obstacles and shallow depth by introducing some simple, fun game mechanics.

The cut-scenes, however, deserve special mention. They are performed not with CGI movies or even with the in-game engine, but with absurdly primitive flash movies that use cardboard cut-outs of the characters.

This caught-between-generations game manages to just barely clear graphical obstacles and shallow depth by introducing some simple, fun game mechanics.

Except for a few clever puzzles, a strong story, and a handful of pretty pictures, this licensed mess is mostly a failure.

The versus mode breathes some fresh air into his little lungs, but this latest foray has us wondering: can Mario ever truly be new again?

A playable piece of art, Rise of Legends is a very pretty painting even if it is on a very standard canvas. Leonardo would probably approve.

This formulaic title just has very little to offer. It’s certainly a pale copy of whatever the movie has going for it, minus the star power, plot, humor and soul.

This formulaic title just has very little to offer. It's certainly a pale copy of whatever the movie has going for it, minus the star power, plot, humor and soul.

This formulaic title just has very little to offer. It's certainly a pale copy of whatever the movie has going for it, minus the star power, plot, humor and soul.

Equal parts chrome and rust, Metal Saga has what it needs to get you down the road, but forgets to include a map or destination. Lease, don’t buy.

If it weren’t for the terrible plot, awful A.I., frustrating missions, and rampant slowdown, it might boil down to some magic worth finding. In the end, this weird hybrid is a mage of many schools, but a master of none.

The game’s best feature is its inclusion of the twenty year-old version of Rampage, which is actually smarter, deeper, and just plain better than Total Destruction. That's sad. Flee in terror.

The game's best feature is its inclusion of the twenty year-old version of Rampage, which is actually smarter, deeper, and just plain better than Total Destruction. That's sad. Flee in terror.

Really the big reason to check out 360 FFXI is to play a decent MMO on your big honking TV for the reasonable $13 a month. Just know there are no HDTV advantages to speak of.

It's a shame that with such outstanding production values and such a beautifully realized story and world, Dreamfall doesn't do more as a video game. It adheres quite strictly to its adventure roots but fails to provide a satisfying challenge.

It’s a shame that with such outstanding production values and such a beautifully realized story and world, Dreamfall doesn’t do more as a video game. It adheres quite strictly to its adventure roots but fails to provide a satisfying challenge.

If you’re looking for a way to make yourself smarter, start by saving your money for a better investment, like a book.

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.

Feel free to take Lara out for the weekend, but don’t go looking for a long-term relationship.

Feel free to take Lara out for the weekend, but don’t go looking for a long-term relationship.

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.