The simple, albeit underdeveloped, combination of gameplay styles is brisk enough to carry the inspiration behind its characters, setting, and story.

The simple, albeit underdeveloped, combination of gameplay styles is brisk enough to carry the inspiration behind its characters, setting, and story.

Helix accomplishes a lot in appealing to Western gamers while still sticking to the themes Front Mission has established through its 15-year history.

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes is a blatant copycat of the Warriors franchise, and it doesn't care. Of course, when it does the formula better, it doesn't have to care.

Kirby's Epic Yarn delivers fun, solid platforming with incredible style. The presentation and lack of difficulty may be a turn-off, but any platforming fan would do well to get wrapped up in this ball of yarn.

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.

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.

There's simply too much to love in Comic Jumper, from its well-done and thoughtful presentation and gameplay to the over-the-top hilarity of the writing.

Lords of Shadow is one of the best games I've played all year, but its technical faults hamper the experience.

Lords of Shadow is one of the best games I've played all year, but its technical faults hamper the experience.

Hydrophobia is just a Titanic of a shipwreck.

If you like Harvest Moon, but like making stuff instead of farming it, this is your cup of tea.

With multiple playthroughs in mind, Dead Rising 2 may provide all the gaming you need this holiday season. There's no way you'll be able to do everything in one shot. Going back to Fortune City with a better grasp of the map is only going to make things more enjoyable. Kill, Chuck, kill!

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.

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.

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.

Helix accomplishes a lot in appealing to Western gamers while still sticking to the themes Front Mission has established through its 15-year history.

Helix accomplishes a lot in appealing to Western gamers while still sticking to the themes Front Mission has established through its 15-year history.

If you are trying to ween a GF (or BF, never let it be said GR isn't progressive) on to modern consoles, this could be a great stepping stone, as the gameplay and graphics are just as simple as they were back in the day. But if you're a hardcore, experienced gamer, you may want to skip Blade Kitten in favor of playing with other pussycats.

If you are trying to ween a GF (or BF, never let it be said GR isn't progressive) on to modern consoles, this could be a great stepping stone, as the gameplay and graphics are just as simple as they were back in the day. But if you're a hardcore, experienced gamer, you may want to skip Blade Kitten in favor of playing with other pussycats.

It's a travesty to release an already mediocre game before ironing out all the kinks in its broken interface and having enough content to keep it interesting. It honestly feels like the PC version is just the beta test for next year's PS3 version.

With a rehashed battle system and a story very loosely tied together by tight underwear, Thongs of Virtue is not as cohesive nor as innovative as its predecessor. But it feels overbearing to criticize an unflinchingly goofy 15-hour adventure that couldn't take itself any less seriously if it tried.

Liars and Cheats isn't the perfect downloadable content pack for Red Dead Redemption, but it's a darn good one for the most part. Some of the additions might turn some players away, but playing cards or throwing dice online more than makes up for these faults.

Liars and Cheats isn't the perfect downloadable content pack for Red Dead Redemption, but it's a darn good one for the most part. Some of the additions might turn some players away, but playing cards or throwing dice online more than makes up for these faults.

If you are trying to ween a GF (or BF, never let it be said GR isn't progressive) on to modern consoles, this could be a great stepping stone, as the gameplay and graphics are just as simple as they were back in the day. But if you're a hardcore, experienced gamer, you may want to skip Blade Kitten in favor of playing with other pussycats.

With tons of weapons/armor/shields/artifacts to collect, a random dungeon creator after you make it through all of the campaign missions (each of which are replayable and earn you Fame, which unlocks more options and features), and a retro style to throw you back to a time when you first discovered video game dungeons, ClaDun is one of the most enjoyable games I've played in a long while.

IG's immediate, pressing visual and audio effects can be a shock to the player's system. Immediate reactions will register on the "what the hell" scale, but with a little time, gamers will have a fluid, evolving experience that's got them on the tips of their thumbs.

While no game will ever be perfect, Halo: Reach is as close as Bungie is going to get with the series, and I think they knew that going in. So they did their damndest to make sure it lived up to its namesake, probably even more so than Halo 3 did.