A perfect game to be filed under the category of "plays much better than it looks", I am a little embarrassed to say that I almost skipped over this one while browsing through the App Store, but I'm incredibly glad that I didn't-it quickly became one of my favorite iOS games, period.

In its current form, it seems like more of a test case than a fully finished product since many of the bosses are repeats and the special abilities earned don't share common levels of functionality. The graphics are nothing to write home about, either. However, taking those things into account, Raid Leader still offers a unique experience and presents some ideas that I would love to see expanded on in the future.

It might not be everyone's cup of tea and it's got a few issues, but despite all that, it's still a hell of a lot of fun and it scratches my strategy itch quite nicely.

This game is a perfect blend of well-rounded, bite-sized action that can be picked up and put down comfortably, yet was challenging enough to make me late for work while I had to try just one more level.

It looks good, controls great, and offers a solid play formula that doesn't rely on typical zombie fare to keep interest high.

Whether played solo or tackled with a friend, those looking for a fast-paced, third-person tower defense will find that the unique traps and reaching for high scores will more than keep them occupied.

That said, in an age of brainless blockbusters and iterative sequels born from a fear of financial failure, playing something as different and brave as Minority's work felt like coming up for a breath of air after spending far too long under water.

That being said, Tera is in surprisingly good shape for a game so early in its life cycle. The journey to level cap is mostly entertaining, endgame content is available, and the core gameplay elements are solid.

The game is easily short enough to finish in an afternoon even if you're doing other things at the same time. Its finale feels even more abrupt than it is, because there's no crescendo of difficulty or complexity, no "boss" puzzle. With little warning, Unmechanical simply ends, and without a strong story or memorable puzzles to hang its hat on, it fails to leave a mark, despite its lovely visuals.

The Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection proves a faithful translations of one of the more interesting footnotes in the Resident Evil canon, and at least the Darkside Chronicles half of it remains a solidly-realized rail shooter-and one that's accessible even for people without the Move controller. I can't help but feel that it's a missed opportunity for developers to go back and fix problems in the original product, though.

While there's been plenty to complain about in Sniper Elite V2, I can't condemn the game overall. There are great 1st- and 3rd-person shooters out there, and this can't be counted among them, but in the sniping subgenre, V2 is basically peerless and should be respected as such among its audience.

Underneath its wisecracking exterior, Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention offers enough depth to keep a determined player occupied for over a hundred hours if they so wish it, while also entertaining folks that just want to play a game for its story and multiple endings.

It's been about a week since I finished Inversion, and I've already forgotten most of what happened in it. There were two plot twists that were mildly interesting and a couple of cool uses of the gravity powers, but as a whole the game is strangely lifeless. Most of the time, Inversion was boring me, and when it wasn't doing that, it was frustrating me.

On the whole, Resonance is serviceable entry in a genre where very few games are being made. The plot's not stellar, but it's still pretty good. The animation was fluid, and some of the scenes are quite gorgeous. The music also does a good job of setting the mood for the various locales and situations. Despite how harsh I might be, it's solid enough for being a ten dollar indie title and I do recommend checking it out for adventure fans.

Time Machine: Rogue Pilot is interesting for its plot and its sense of danger and momentum. These things aren't exactly groundbreaking, but for seven dollars, it's decent (and different) enough.

Not only was I treated to a fine fighting game worth playing, but I got the chance to spend more time with beloved characters who I never guessed I'd ever be revisiting. My compliments to both Atlus and Arc System Works for producing a superb game that far exceeded my expectations.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is a game I really wish I was more skilled at. I appreciate all the various aspects of gameplay and the depth that the combination of those aspects provides. Still, as my fellow critic Kristin Taylor might say, I was far too enamored with the construction of my newfangled Titan to react quickly enough to the raiders destroying my infrastructure. While it's a long, long way from being up my alley, it at least makes for a good spectator sport.

However, the overall design and experience of Spec Ops: The Line is too heartbreakingly conventional to do anything more than wander distractedly towards the general direction where new ground might be broken.

Dropping a dollar or two on this title is an absolute no-brainer-and while you're at it, and pick up the original at the same time. On the iPhone, they rarely come better than this.

Without a doubt, Skylander's Spyro's Adventure is the best family-friendly, everybody-pleasing title I've seen in quite some time, and has handily eclipsed that other collect'-em-all franchise as the go-to at our house.

Atelier Meruru is so wonderful that it became the first JRPG since Final Fantasy VII that I've played through more than once. Simple enough for anyone to play, but deep enough to offer 100+ hours worth of gameplay, Atelier Meruru is a great title full stop.

OOTP 13 does exactly what it sets out to do-it provides the hardcore fan with the most detailed front office sim experience possible. Once I got into the ebb and flow of managing my team, it was sheer baseball nerd nirvana, and there's a lot of value in that.

After sitting through the entire experience, I found Lollipop Chainsaw to be a failure on every level thanks to the rough, unsatisfying play and a script and characters that are the worst of what video games can be. I'm all for edgy, challenging pieces that push boundaries, but this thing isn't hip, sassy, smart or sarcastic-it's just a lot of absurd, awful nonsense with pedo-bait breasts slapped on top

Despite those bumps, there's no arguing that Telltale is turning out must-play material with The Walking Dead, and unless the game somehow crashes and burns on an epic scale before it reaches the end of the fifth and final episodes, it's guaranteed to earn a spot on my year-end "best" list. Don't miss it.

Although Cause of Death: Volume 1-The Maskmaker isn't the sort of thing that I'd want to play all the time or for long stretches, it suits the iPhone to a "T" and pleasantly fills little gaps in my day where other, more involved games wouldn't fit. It's sort of like a snack, really-a little morsel of romance-flavored cotton candy to tide me over when I don't have time for some triple-A steak and potatoes.

In a nutshell, Uber Entertainment clearly figured out what their first game needed and they brought it. The shortcomings from the first game have been dealt with, and even now they're still piling on constant updates with a Valve-like intensity. With a very dedicated and growing community of players, Super Monday Night Combat has blossomed into a legitimate heavyweight among its peers.

I slogged onward in the hopes for some spark, but at no point does the game get better, more polished, or less uninteresting. Bloodforge is just one meaningless fight after another, listening to the lines of banal dialogue and post-mortem one-liners.

Yes, Max Payne 3 may be a thrilling game, but the most shocking, slickly-produced, well-written cut-scenes in the world can't get a player to fully humanize a character who can magically heal from the same bullet wounds that explode his enemies into red mist.