If the satisfying melee combat was tied into a better game with a compelling story, I'd praise Red Steel 22 as the next step in the Wii's evolution. But the nonsensical narrative, the repetitive nature of the gameplay, and the poor pacing keeps it from being anything more than a promising glimpse at the future of FPS games on the Wii.

If you're looking for a thoughtful, challenging RPG experience, this is a Strange Journey worth taking; those who take issue with the thematic elements, however, might want to go adventuring elsewhere. [March 2010, p.91]

The question, then, is how much you're willing to suffer through in order to get to know your party.

The developers are trying to take the franchise in an interesting new direction, and the fruit of their labor is worth checking out.

The custom built 4A-engine does a terrific job of bringing this desolate and sad world to life, and the developers made an admirable attempt to build the gameplay around the narrative. But Metro 2033's strength lies in the ideas which underpin its action -- without them, it's just another gritty first-person shooter with some interesting tweaks built in -- and it's unfortunate that the rich source material didn't mesh with the actual gameplay to form a cohesive whole.

But as a fan who actually cares about Kratos and his plight, I found it to be a bit of a letdown. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, I can't help but feel disappointed by the way Kratos chose to say goodbye at the end of it.

Fragile Dreams is touching at some moments and irritating at others, but taken as a whole, it's an adventure that's worthy of your time.

All in all, Awakenings is a must-buy for any Dragon Age fan. It's packed full of new adventures, side quests, cameos from old favorites, and an engrossing original storyline that will keep players busy for hours.

Sure, if you can grind through numerous random battles without losing your patience, the experience can be rewarding when you finally succeed. But for the rest of you, I'd recommend something else if you're not ready to devote some serious study time to the hardcore, incredibly unforgiving trek through this steampunk city.

Add in the ingenious PokeWalker, and it's clear that this is a perfect experience for both old-school trainers and the newest generation of Pokemon fans.

Add in the ingenious PokeWalker, and it's clear that this is a perfect experience for both old-school trainers and the newest generation of Pokemon fans.

Chaos Rising is a great first expansion, and while new players looking to try the single-player should start with the original game, it's an instant purchase for those of you looking for some good online RTS mayhem.

Complaining about the lack of a Japanese audio track might seem like nitpicking but it goes back to my main point: XIII ignored me -- me, a dedicated JRPG and Final Fantasy fan -- to try and seduce someone else with user-friendly tutorials and a Leona Lewis theme song.

It's tons of fun to play whether you're working to actively advance the story or just spending a few hours goofing off and running errands for others.

It's the moment-to-moment excitement of each mission, helped along by the cool and unique objectives, that gives BFBC2's campaign an unforgettable edge.

The core game is a classic, time-tested RPG, and the visual overhaul is excellent, but technical caveats and arguable matters of personal preference prevent me from saying that Silver Star Harmony is now the definitive edition of Lunar to play.

SC2 improves upon its predecessor by taking the franchise formula and upgrading it in a very tangible way.

An emotionally engaging thrill-ride from start to finish, Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain is a superbly crafted interactive experience, told expertly through it's stunning visuals and believable characters.

I can't really recommend Metal Slug XX if you're not already an established fan of the franchise, and in all honesty, I have a bit of trouble recommending it if you've already purchased Metal Slug 7.

While the modes themselves work well, the limited options and arenas -- there are only three in total -- kill the potential for fun before you even leave the gate.

The overall attention in the Secret Armory is impressive, and the quirks that made the main game so memorable are definitely present here.

Braid may seem like the closest contemporary to Winterbottom, as time manipulation is key to each game's platform challenges, but World of Goo is a near-equal counterpart in my mind. Both offer devious challenges complemented by fantastically clever aesthetics, but regardless of which game makes the most sense as an existing touchstone, simply mentioning The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom in their company should say a lot about how worthwhile and refined a game The Odd Gentlemen have created.

As a shooter fan and someone who watched all eight films that make up the Alien, Predator, and Aliens vs. Predator series, I had high hopes for the title, but it fails to do both the genre and the franchise justice.

Fails to do both the genre and the franchise justice. [Apr 2010, p.87]

Miles Edgeworth is worth picking up if you're an Ace Attorney fan, as the cameos are delightful -- keep your eyes peeled for Lotta Hart! -- and the cases are still interesting enough, even though they're far too easy and much too predictable.

Strip away the camaraderie, competition, and character interaction of the online experience, and Ragnarok DS simply sticks you with all the hardcore monster-slaying and loot grinding of an MMO without the payoff of being able to crush other human opponents under your mighty battle-hardened boot.

Still, BioShock 2 not only re-captures the dystopian aesthetic, gripping narrative, and deep gameplay of Irrational's original, but it actually greatly improves on the BioShock experience as a whole, fine-tuning what made Jack's voyage to Rapture such a memorable experience two years ago.

At high levels, playing Shiren is a bit like Demon's Souls -- impossible tasks slowly become manageable and then trivial as your skill increases. Shiren the Wanderer is a hard game to put down once you've gotten into its one-more-turn rhythm, which is exactly as it should be.