Dead Island's teaser trailer made it look as if the game was going to be one to actually bring the emotional conflict to the forefront, something they almost achieve in once instance out of many. Instead, the game's released as but another vehicle for insipid violence.

It's a perfect bargain bin timesink, maybe.

The game makes no major missteps, but neither does it surprise, innovate or evolve the genre in any significant way.

I can't and won't say Guerrilla was a perfect game, but it was far and beyond more ambitious and entertaining than Armageddon.

If you enjoyed the original, then chances are you will still like this release, but sadly this isn't the kind of driving game that will make your heart beat out of your chest.

An interesting premise and setting is torpedoed by a lackluster presentation, and while Bleedout definitely kicks things up a notch for high-level players, it's hard to recommend Crimecraft for the kind of long-term commitment an MMORPG typically requires.

With hours of violent action capable of being employed, Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage is certainly an easily rentable option if you're looking to kill time as mercilessly as the in-game enemy, but anything beyond the re-skinned Dynasty half only proves to be a chore.

With hours of violent action capable of being employed, Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage is certainly an easily rentable option if you're looking to kill time as mercilessly as the in-game enemy, but anything beyond the re-skinned Dynasty half only proves to be a chore.

Blood Stone may not be the best Bond adaptation or action game in general, but it's not a gross misappropriation either.

Without a doubt, Blue Castle Games and Capcom continue to show us abuse of the undead makes for good gaming-it's just unfortunate Dead Rising 2 accomplishes little else.

New Vegas is a proclaimed non-sequel, and it shows. By bringing little else new to the experience and with it being as buggy as ever, New Vegas could have been adequate as a smaller-sized expansion disc. Instead, it's a game where the play clock is measured in time spent plodding through loading screens and not actually doing much.

Ultimately, as an expansion franchise, Medal of Honor's debut in the Modern Warfare League isn't a championship run.

Dark Energy has undoubtedly created some impressive technology and fiction, but neither are expressly enjoyable in what's playable.

Though I'm sure the timetable may have been tight and the work not easy, especially with a newly formed studio, to make this sequel, it's simply disappointing to see such light fare being passed off as a new SKU. Crackdown is certainly a franchise-worthy IP, but if Ruffian and Microsoft plan to green light a third iteration, they need to hit more than a few nails on the head.

Although its core shooter gameplay is enjoyable, Singularity suffers from being far more derivative than original, with elements appropriated from at least a dozen other, better games.

Surprises that turn into expectations; non-adventuring; facial animations that can't keep up with the scenery and objects in the game world without weight physics: these are all elements, that if done well, would round out the game to make it the epic it was hyped to be. In the end, I feel safer in Remedy's woods than I do in the actual backcountry of Washington.

In short, if Lost Planet 2 was a budget-priced multiplayer-only title, it would be hard not to recommend it; unfortunately it's a full-price game with a seriously flawed single player experience.

Dark Void ends up a mediocre package despite housing such promising fiction—even if we wish the story of the Watchers, the Void, and even Will would have been fleshed out with more than texts found in-game.

At five or so hours, Blood Bath and Beyond is not a long game, but with its stripped-down gameplay and one-note humor, it begins to outstay its welcome some time before the final credits roll. As a $15 download it's certainly a better value than its full-price predecessor.

You'll have to get comfortable with the game's difficulty and spartan UI. You'll need to tame the camera and overlook the sometimes low-budget visuals, sketchy tech, long load times and a host of little bugs. It sounds like a lot of work, but Divinity 2 does have its charms and more often than not, I felt surprisingly compelled to see what was waiting around the next turn of the road.

While there is a lot to be proud of scattered throughout the double-disc set, a hub system that drags the main game's action to a halt and some unnecessary inclusions detract from an entire package with an unjustified MSRP.

On the whole, the game feels like it struggles with itself: On one hand it presents some enjoyable artistic and campy elements, as it plays homage to an old film genre, and delivers a star cast of mildly acted voice talent complemented by a superbly fitting rockabilly soundtrack; while on the other, it tussles with quirky gameplay mechanics that sometimes just don’t work.

With detailed attention paid to its more lacking qualities, there's no reason why this couldn't burst into a full-fledged contender in the FPS genre. However, such was also the argument made for its predecessor.

Wheelman delivers in some entertaining driving-based action that tries extremely hard to capture any who lust for a Driver rebirth; however, there's just too much missing from the overall formula to make it an engrossing offering.

The game is fun for the hour you'll spend beating it. Just in that time alone, you should be able to collect over half of the items, but playing through the levels again to get the rest just seems unnecessarily repetitive.

Though 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand can boast fluid controls and a well-designed co-op mulitplayer, there isn't much to push the game past it qualifying as either an expensive XBL/PSN arcade title, or interactive merchandise for the 50 Cent brand.

As a condensed version of the anime, hardcore fans may walkaway from Afro Samurai with mixed emotions, while the full-fledged newbie will most likely be somewhat pleased...and accompanied by a curious case of bloodlust.

As a condensed version of the anime, hardcore fans may walkaway from Afro Samurai with mixed emotions, while the full-fledged newbie will most likely be somewhat pleased...and accompanied by a curious case of bloodlust.