Trek to Yomi’s opening chapter really builds expectation for what will follow, but what does follow doesn’t live up to that promise. It’s a gorgeous game to watch, but the gameplay simply falls short of matching the quality of the visuals.

In the penultimate addition to the Dark Souls series (the next DLC will be the last, and thus, the end of the series ' sure.. sure it will be'), we see From Software's usually brilliance peeking through, but the Painted World of Ariandal, while worthy of the Dark Souls name, just isn't their best work. I don't doubt for a second that the final DLC will knock the series out of the park in legendary fashion, but this first Dark Souls III expansion feels a little lost in the blizzard.

This fun is tempered by the frustration created by the lack of mid-mission saves, surprise death traps, and a combat system which makes a challenging game even more difficult.

It doesn’t succeed in making you feel like you are a part of the game’s world, but rather that you are involved in a tedious and repetitive exercise over which you have very shaky control.

Even if you can play through the pain, tapping a screen just isn't as much fun as rocking out with a fake plastic guitar.

After spending time with Guardians of Middle-earth I can see why MOBAs on PC have a dedicated following, while at the same time I'm surprised that it took so long for a serious, full-fledged MOBA to appear on consoles. The game is a blast to play and it makes such great use of the The Lord of the Rings license that it's inspired me to want to watch the movies again for the nth time.

Although the game can be found on home consoles, it’s really a better fit for the phone and Switch platforms that it also appears on. It was fun at first to treat the game as a sort of gaming digestif, enjoyed after an evening of shooting things in other games to wind down peacefully before bed. However, the inventory bloat and crafting complexity quickly began eating into the relaxation time as more and more time was spent sorting through quests, recipes, and inventory to figure out which items you needed to collect that night. Soon, relaxing with Cozy Grove simply becomes too much work.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered is a compact title with a lot going for it. The game is arguably a runner-up for the best Call of Duty story and the enhanced visuals punctuate every jaw-dropping sequence. Overall, this is a powerhouse blockbuster worth the return to duty.

While NHL 2K8 has evolved over last year's version of the game, the changes really are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The new control scheme doesn't seem to add enough to the game to justify the need to relearn the controls.

I'm sure that some people will be disappointed to find that this Rock Band release features a relatively small track list, is missing some of the features found in other Rock Band games, and doesn't support the full catalog of downloadable tracks available for Rock Band.

Overall Bourne Supremacy is an enjoyable game.

Overall, this collection is recommended more for those who missed these games the first time around. Keep in mind, though, that you'll be playing the games more for the story than the gameplay. It's hard to put up with some of the frustrations of the controls and the limitations of the game worlds when things have come so far in the series since these games were first released. If you've played them all before, there's not a compelling reason to return unless you're an Assassin's Creed completist or the series is among your absolute favorites.

If you enjoy Onimusha then I'd recommend getting the remaster of Onimusha Warlords. It's really annoying that the game doesn't include the Genma Onimusha content but the 3D movement controls work very well for the type of gameplay that Onimusha has.

Travel the world, meet cute and fuzzy creatures, and then kill them. What could be more fun?

Samurai Warriors Empires adds extra strategy in between the battles which makes the overall game much more addicting than the other Samurai Warriors 4 expansions.

Still, this game is at home on the PC, there's no mistake. It's too bad that home isn't a terribly comfortable one.

If you are a Star Wars fan and enjoy arcade-style shooters, you'll probably really like this game. Players looking for a more challenging or in-depth simulation, though, might be better off looking elsewhere.

Welcome to ParadiZe is an ok game if you can deal with the repetitive combat. You’re basically just R1’ing through zombie waves much of the game.

The first Monster Hunter ripoff, Lord of Arcana, wasn't a complete disaster, but it wasn't a good game, either. Gods Eater Burst is a much more competent game, one that takes some of what made Monster Hunter so engaging and even adds some new stuff to up the ante.

Overall Gotham City Imposters is a fun and fast-playing multiplayer game with a great sense of humor. If you're looking for a multiplayer shooter that you can jump into now and again for some quick fun, it's certainly worth a spot on your Xbox 360's hard drive.

On the one hand, The Simpsons Game will keep you playing through to the end just to see how the story unfolds and so that you can see what the writers skewer next. On the other, the game makes you suffer for its art with its generic and somewhat frustrating platform gameplay mechanics.

Is Aya Brea's third adventure worth it? If you like shooters and past Parasite Eve titles, probably. If you want a Square Enix title with a more RPG slant, then steer clear. I had fun with the game beginning to end, but I have a sneaking suspicion I could be one of the few that will.

An immersive Vietnam war experience hampered by poor AI.

Grand Slam Tennis 2 has the makings of a great tennis game because the tennis simulation at its core is a good one. Everything else about it is rather bland, though, and the career mode that should be its showcase is poorly put together. I think that the potential for a great Grand Slam Tennis 3 is here, but 2 lands just outside the baseline.

AntiGrav is the first game that actually makes you feel some of the energy it takes to do some extreme boarding.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure once again makes a very stylish fighter but it still doesn't match up well against the competition of fighters out there.

Asura's Wrath is a definite explosive and engaging experience on the first time through but falls short when it comes to replay.

Overall the game is enjoyable, and it is certainly something that's a little different from most games out there. Even though you can't set the price of popcorn or hire janitors, give it a shot and you'll probably find yourself having some fun.