Even though Gunblade NY and LA Machineguns are indeed decent titles of the genre, it's difficult not to take in to account the scandalous price of this bundle ; the true value of both titles is more one for the heart, than your wallet.

Valkyria Chronicles 2 will take a lot of your time before you actually enter the heart of the matter, but if you have enough courage to get through the first few hours of play - filled with too easy missions and a clumsy adventure part of little interest - you will eventually find an excellent set of action / strategy, as deep as it is original and beautifully executed. Not to waste anything, the improvements over the PS3 version are very interesting (class changes) and the limitations of the PSP cleverly circumvented (with combat zones divided in smaller parts for an added strategic element). Do not expect a deep adventure, though. This aspect remains very light (and a bit naive I must say).

Here's how to sum up Mafia II : 12 hours of repetitive, linear missions, with but a few gameplay mechanics. Shoot, drive, punch, a tiny little bit of stealth, that's it. There's nothing more to be done than to follow the unfolding of the plot, which is clearly sub-par, especially when considering how easy it is to watch a rerun of The Godfather or a season of the Sopranos instead. Replay value is nil, there's no multiplayer. You can't even roam freely in the city after the ending (what for anyway, one may ask). Combat is way to easy, cars don't provide much thrill. In the end, Mafia II is a very pretty box, but an empty one. 80% of what has been developed doesn't serve any real purpose. The rest isn't enough to make a great game. If you're a die hard fan of the 50's atmosphere (nicely rendered), and the Mafia genre, you might still enjoy it. Otherwise...

Here's how to sum up Mafia II : 12 hours of repetitive, linear missions, with but a few gameplay mechanics. Shoot, drive, punch, a tiny little bit of stealth, that's it. There's nothing more to be done than to follow the unfolding of the plot, which is clearly sub-par, especially when considering how easy it is to watch a rerun of The Godfather or a season of the Sopranos instead. Replay value is nil, there's no multiplayer. You can't even roam freely in the city after the ending (what for anyway, one may ask). Combat is way to easy, cars don't provide much thrill. In the end, Mafia II is a very pretty box, but an empty one. 80% of what has been developed doesn't serve any real purpose. The rest isn't enough to make a great game. If you're a die hard fan of the 50's atmosphere (nicely rendered), and the Mafia genre, you might still enjoy it. Otherwise...

Here's how to sum up Mafia II : 12 hours of repetitive, linear missions, with but a few gameplay mechanics. Shoot, drive, punch, a tiny little bit of stealth, that's it. There's nothing more to be done than to follow the unfolding of the plot, which is clearly sub-par, especially when considering how easy it is to watch a rerun of The Godfather or a season of the Sopranos instead. Replay value is nil, there's no multiplayer. You can't even roam freely in the city after the ending (what for anyway, one may ask). Combat is way to easy, cars don't provide much thrill. In the end, Mafia II is a very pretty box, but an empty one. 80% of what has been developed doesn't serve any real purpose. The rest isn't enough to make a great game. If you're a die hard fan of the 50's atmosphere (nicely rendered), and the Mafia genre, you might still enjoy it. Otherwise...

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light establishes itself as a truly entertaining, easy to handle spin-off, that offers a real refreshment to the saga. The game is challenging, long enough, and one gets used to the isometric 3D... yet with a longing for the time when one could still enjoy the gorgeous curves of the beautiful raider in full frontal glory.

Despite its linearity, Kane & Lynch 2 offers memorable action sequences. There's a true visual identity, very efficient for conveying a brutal, ugly, reality that really captures our attention. Io Interactive was able to correct its original game, in order to deliver a visceral, life-like follow-up.

Despite its linearity, Kane & Lynch 2 offers memorable action sequences. There's a true visual identity, very efficient for conveying a brutal, ugly, reality that really captures our attention. Io Interactive was able to correct its original game, in order to deliver a visceral, life-like follow-up.

For the price of a Coke at the local coffee shop, The Golems of Amgarrak has enough to fill an evening, playing frantically to survive the succession of battles. That's good, it rained tonight. It performs its role honestly, given the absence of major claims... But we still hope something much more substantial to wait until the release of Dragon Age 2!

Quotation forthcoming.

Harmony of Despair leaves a weird taste in the mouth of a Castlevania fan. It's like a patchwork of gameplays that weren't really supposed to be sewed together for multiplayer, yet that kinda stands upright without us really knowing how. But after hours spent discovering it's "only" 6 castles, all that remains is some tribute Time Attack coop game that isn't quite what we'd have hoped for a Castlevania multiplayer experience.

The Signal is, simply put, another episode in Alan Wake's nightmare. This direct follow-up to the story of the main game doesn't answer all the questions one might have, but opens up another chapter for the writer, and also introduces some new situations - a variety we can only welcome. It's clearly destined to those who finished the main game first, and since it's free for all who bought the game, it would be a shame not to play it!

StarCraft II, as expected, is an evolution rather than a revolution of the original. True to its roots, the game doesn't lose itself by trying to reinvent a formula that has proven itself (and still is, actually). StarCraft II shines thanks to a flawless production, fantastic gameplay with loads of of little additions and improvements, and an overhaul of its multiplayer side. With a very demanding high-level gameplay but still very accessible to newbies thanks to its casual mode and matchmaking feature, the latest Blizzard baby is another demonstration of the old saying: old friends are the best. Can't wait for the follow-up!

Blessed by its magnificent 2D, black and white visuals, Limbo immediately captures. But then, controller in hands, the player will quickly realize it also delivers major gameplay scenes. The journey may be a relatively short one (half a dozen hours top), but who cares : it's a unique, powerful one. You will forget reality and dive into an evanescent dream, deliciously tormented. Simple. Bewitching. Memorable. Thanks.

The end of this third season is closing in, and Telltale Games definitely stepped up the craziness in this next to last episode. One can only appreciate it. The adventure is rich and diverse, the dialogues hilarious, and the supporting characters full of surprises, of which the plot itself doesn't lack at all. What more do you need from a point & click game?

Clearly, DeathSpank's main strength is in its dialog and humor. As an Action RPG, it remains a little too simple to fulfill the needs of hardcore hack'n slash fans, and some game design flaws and ergonomics mistakes render its 10 or so gameplay hours a little bit tedious and less inspired than we'd hoped. It still is a visually charming, point'n click and silly ideas enriched adventure to dive in. Its shortcomings can easily be ignored by those who like games that don't take themselves too seriously, something DeathSpank achieves with flying colors.

Clearly, DeathSpank's main strength is in its dialog and humor. As an Action RPG, it remains a little too simple to fulfill the needs of hardcore hack'n slash fans, and some game design flaws and ergonomics mistakes render its 10 or so gameplay hours a little bit tedious and less inspired than we'd hoped. It still is a visually charming, point'n click and silly ideas enriched adventure to dive in. Its shortcomings can easily be ignored by those who like games that don't take themselves too seriously, something DeathSpank achieves with flying colors.

Dragon Quest IX delivers on its promises. The old school gameplay mechanics, unchanged for the most part, really shine in a multiplayer mode that is surprisingly comfy and accessible. Hardened players will probably grunt at the easier 10 or so hours of the beginning, which doesn't really prompt for any strategic thinking. But the high production values and the richness of content are reason enough to enjoy the dozens of gameplay hours, solo, or otherwise.

If you're an adventure games fan and didn't yet try this legend of the genre, you can't miss this new special edition. Now if you're already a fan knowing the whole game by heart, quoting the best punch lines during high society galas, here's an opportunity to dive in again and rediscover this mythical game under a new light. The only thing we were disappointed with was the creators' commentary: it fell short of our expectations, otherwise it would have garnered 5 stars easy.

If you feel all fuzzy inside when thinking back about ancient gameplay, generic level design from the 90's, and dated visuals, if you're immune to boredom and kind of broke, there may yet be a slight chance for Blacklight to fit your needs. If that's not your case, you can always try the demo just in case, but you won't be able to say that I didn't warn you.

Let's quickly sum it up: if you enjoyed the original Crackdown, no need to get this one, and certainly not for 60 euros. Aside from a few details, there's nothing new here, but the competitive multiplayer play. Which may, for a time, help raise the value of Crackdown 2, but not for long. Same city (but uglier), repetitive missions, endless brainless action, and a story you can write completely down and in details on a single Post-it. Yes, there is still the power grinding of the character to pursue, level after level, trophies / success to unlock, and various stuff to collect all over the city, but you know... been there, done that. And better, bigger, sexier at that, like in Just Cause 2 for example.

Unless you're a die hard fan of the Leliana character, the Leliana's Song DLC doesn't have much to offer. Two hours of linear gameplay hitting guards and other enemies, and a rather predictable story, but, hey, it's still a little bit more of Dragon Age to play until the sequel comes.

If you weren't convinced by ArmA II, Operation Arrowhead won't help your appreciation of the series. The only difference with the original is the new content additions, with a reasonable price considering it's a standalone. As for the rest, it's more or less the same game, complete with its flaws, thus it deserves the same score.

There's no denying it: the fun is very well here (especially with two players) if you like the Harry Potter world, the fan service required being obviously present, even though we were expecting a little more impudence from Traveller's Tales. Fans will enjoy exploring every corner of the school to gather points, solve minor riddles, save endangered students, buy new spells, etc. The LEGO formula works, and in this one in particular, there is a lot to do!

There's no denying it: the fun is very well here (especially with two players) if you like the Harry Potter world, the fan service required being obviously present, even though we were expecting a little more impudence from Traveller's Tales. Fans will enjoy exploring every corner of the school to gather points, solve minor riddles, save endangered students, buy new spells, etc. The LEGO formula works, and in this one in particular, there is a lot to do!

Tiny price or not, there are flaws every game should avoid. Starting with bugs, and other gameplay approximations that spawn frustration, when they are not simply getting the player plain angry. And as you no doubt have guessed, Sniper Ghost Warrior has all those flaws. Even for 40 euros, I'd recommend one less game in your collection, but more money to buy the next real one, which will be undoubtedly be better. After all, it's not like quality First Person Shooters with an enjoyable sniping experience are an unrealistic expectation to have for upcoming action games.

No need to argue, here : Ninety-Nine Nights II will not be the one to contradict the poor reputation of a franchise that should probably stop its course now.

It's impossible not to be charmed by such a little gem. Everbody's Tennis Portable is easily the best portable tennis game out there, striking the perfect balance between accessibility and realism. The European version also gained a significant number of improvements over the Japanese one. It's a must have for all tennis fans.

One may enjoy Naughty Bear for a while, but quickly enough, reality will catch up. The idea of a massacre starring adorable fluffy bears is undoubtedly a brilliant one, but it is poorly implemented here. Slow, imprecise, poised by narrow levels, and a to-soon to come lack of inspiration to continue driving the original idea further make it a concept that couldn't mature and blossom to become a good enough game.

Transformers: War for Cybertron is a solid TPS, although a quite straightforward one if you play it alone. Going multiplayer gives it added depth, since using and mixing powers in teamplay make it more interesting to play. Alas, its lack of inspiration in terms of level design, its annoying frame rate issues, improvable story and french voice acting, as well as its average production values and too few multiplayer maps are a disappointment. However, for absolute fans of the franchise, it remains one of if not the best adaptation of the show, giving back their pride to Autobots and Decepticons!

Transformers : War for Cybertron is a solid TPS, although a quite straightforward one if you play it alone. Going multiplayer gives it added depth, since using and mixing powers in teamplay make it more interesting to play. Alas, its lack of inspiration in terms of level design, its annoying frame rate issues, improvable story and french voice acting, as well as its average production values and too few multiplayer maps are a disappointment. However, for absolute fans of the franchise, it remains one of if not the best adaptation of the show, giving back their pride to Autobots and Decepticons!

Puzzle Quest 2 changes a lot of things from the original. Sadly, despite some brilliant ideas introducing variety in the gameplay, and a basic gameplay mechanic that's as addictive as ever, the overall lack of narration and story consistency make it, albeit more intimate, harder to dive in for prolonged sessions. The new, closer-to-the-hero perspective may be more RPG-like, but the conquest aspect of the original was a motivation that's a truly a regrettable loss with this new formula. Still, as a game to be played in short sessions, it remains very efficient.

After a colourful second episode, this third one feels regrettably dull. Its off-putting first part and rather short adventure both contribute heavily to the feeling. But despite its shortcomings, They Stole Max's Brain still is a decent part of the series, and belongs right there with the others. Let's just hope the fourth one will be on the up side again.

Compared to most other licensed games out there, Toy Story 3 doesn't have to feel ashamed. Quite the opposite in fact. Indeed it is not technically beyond reproach, most notably because of a few frame rate issues when playing with a friend, but overall the formula holds its ground OK. The two main modes of gameplay complete each other nicely, and even though it's supposed to target kids, most adult gamers could very well be surprised. It's rich enough and well designed, and even though it has some gameplay flaws as well, it's still a decent adaptation of the movie : something not so common after all.

Compared to most other licensed games out there, Toy Story 3 doesn't have to feel ashamed. Quite the opposite in fact. Indeed it is not technically beyond reproach, most notably because of a few frame rate issues when playing with a friend, but overall the formula holds its ground OK. The two main modes of gameplay complete each other nicely, and even though it's supposed to target kids, most adult gamers could very well be surprised. It's rich enough and well designed, and even though it has some gameplay flaws as well, it's still a decent adaptation of the movie : something not so common after all.

For all of those who were doubting it, rest assured: Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker is very much a true MGS... but most importantly a true game! The saga's DNA is everywhere in this title, and it's been expanded so much, that this adventure gets a distinctive taste of its own. Less interactive movie, and more game than ever, there are so many modes, bonuses, and other elements to unlock as you play that it's almost unbelievable. The Monster Hunter's influence is clear, and it's a blessing for Kojima's game. To the point that between the management of your Mother Base, your equipment, and your troops, the game even becomes addictive for other things than its solo campaign. No doubt, this is a major episode in the series, for its overwhelming content, its level of quality, and the power of its story. And the platform it has been released on as well : a strong signal sent to the industry, that portable devices are becoming more and more important, from Japan to our part of the world.

Joe Danger is far from being a bad game, especially considering its tiny price. But one can't help but being frustrated by the lack of variety the gameplay offers. Its the perfect title for a quick unwinding, but nothing that can compare to a Mario Kart marathon with friends, nor the puzzling stunts of a Trials HD.

Yes, Alpha Protocol is quite ugly and poorly animated. It also suffers from some gameplay mechanics oddities. But even with its repulsive looks, it managed to hook me in through several play-throughs, thanks to a decent story, carefully written dialog with finesse and humor, and this strong sense of actually influencing the destiny of my character as well as those of the ones around him. The espionage atmosphere, with its conspiracies and modern touch, is well rendered, and if you're a customer for an RPG with a contemporary setting, with a Mass Effect inspired game design, you may very well enjoy it as much as I did. One can't help but dream at what Alpha Protocol could have been, helmed by a team with more resources to address its shortcomings.

The Sims 3 : Ambitions clearly peers at the Adventure genre, in an apparent attempt at pepping up its gameplay. A new direction that we already felt with World Adventures, the first expansion pack. As it was the case with this previous one, it's the opening of a new side of the title that makes this expansion interesting. The impact those new experiences have in the long run on the personal stories of the avatars help forgetting the immediacy they may seem to have at first glance. For the first time, our Sims live real and distinctive lives and their interactions have influence over their neighbors' lives.

Very disappointing in single player, Blur reveals its charm in multiplayer. Playing with friends, striking at each other, and going all-out on them is where the fun's at ! It can prove to be strategic, despite its arcade-style driving style, thanks to the Power Up tactical side that can change the outcome of any race dramatically. So to sum it up, Blur is a very good game in multiplayer, ideal for competition behind the wheel of realistic rides with added power-up benefits, but be warned: in solo play, boredom prevails.

UFC Undisputed 2010 is far more than a big update, despite its little flaws (most notably its disappointing online mode). The game is incredibly comprehensive, much more fluid and well animated than the previous one, and will undoubtedly please MMA fans. Granted, the gameplay may not be a revolutionary one, but it is substantial enough, and quite technical (maybe too much, some might say), to last you weeks and even months. If you thought the 2009 version was efficient enough, simply think about the 100 fighters of this 2010 one, and you will probably fall for it.

UFC Undisputed 2010 is far more than a big update, despite its little flaws (most notably its disappointing online mode). The game is incredibly comprehensive, much more fluid and well animated than the previous one, and will undoubtedly please MMA fans. Granted, the gameplay may not be a revolutionary one, but it is substantial enough, and quite technical (maybe too much, some might say), to last you weeks and even months. If you thought the 2009 version was efficient enough, simply think about the 100 fighters of this 2010 one, and you will probably fall for it.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 strikes hard. Really hard. Even those who completed the first one will rejoice when they discover every level. The feeling of a 1.5 version quickly fades when placed in front of such ingenuity, and coating mastery. A lesson to be remembered. For those who didn't try the original, the shock will be even harder, as SMG2 easily ranks as one of the best platform games ever made. It's accessible, with a well-thought in-game help system if they happen to stumble on a particular level, and simply put every single awe-inducing gameplay mechanic could spawn an entire game of its own. To sum it up, underneath an apparent lack of freshness, it's quite the contrary that's hidden. An orgy of fun to be enjoyed unfettered!

Rooms: The Main Building had managed to get our attention, but it fails in the end. It's proof that if good ideas are enough to hook the player, they have to be used with ingenuity for him to keep playing. Rooms interesting game design is cursed with a less-than-inspired level design : the lack of challenge nullifies any pleasure one may get in using the items lined-up to solve the riddles of every stage. Too bad, some of the better rooms were a hint as to what that game could have achieved, but didn't.

No More Heroes 2 : Desperate Struggle is a journey of its own. Blessed with solid and enjoyable gameplay, Grasshopper's title draws the player into a furious whirlwind of violence and madness, complete with references to wrestling, moe, and cult movies. Diabolically orgasmic. NMH 2 universe is an otaku's dream world, with unlikely bosses, and an enjoyable bad taste, that will make you forget about the technical shortcomings of the game and place it among the classics of the Wii.