Whether or not you enjoy BattleForge depends largely on how much of a purist you are. It has the cunning and diverse combos of a CCG, but not the pacing for patient maneuvers. It has the tactics and resource-management of RTS, but not the stability in foes to plan for every possibility.

The music was sub-par, and the menus seemed too cumbersome.

Its story is light-hearted and enjoyable; its music and setting feel spot-on; and the in-depth alchemy system is perfect for those who love to tinker around in their workshops. Still, it's a love of labor as much as it's a labor of love, and it's hard to feel like a lot more time was needed to fully optimize it for the PSP.

For the most part Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is a vast improvement over the first game and is commendable on its visual uniqueness and frantic action, but unfortunately and unforgivably the game is absurdly short for a full priced title and can literally be finished in a measly four to five hours.

If you need a game that you can pick up at any time and immediately jump in for some quick brain teasing, PQ is definitely one to snag, but if you are looking for a game that is action packed and will have you on the edge of your seat, this may not be your cup of tea.

One gorgeous looking game and would be hard to find a 3D fighter with a more pleasing style anywhere else but there just isn’t enough meat found in the game to sink your teeth into and keep it playable over and over.

Unfortunately, while the quests and mini-games vary from region to region, overall gameplay is rather repetitive.

The problem really is that most Final Fantasy Fans won't be interested in the game's core gameplay.

Unfortunately, while this third episode was overall entertaining and fun to play, it doesn’t improve from the previous one. In fact, it takes a step back, which is obviously a bit disappointing.

Older players may find that the generic platforming isn’t enough to hold their interest past the drawing and coloring, but younger players who weren’t raised on Mario will find plenty to love.

The main elements that work against it are the length, the somewhat generic and stale pacing towards the middle-point of the campaign, and the fact that the portal system really wasn’t pushed as far as possible.

A must buy for any fan of the series to hold them over until Dynasty Warriors 6 comes out. For those who hate the series, you really won't find anything new to sway you to the dark side, and should probably avoid altogether.

With NASCAR 07, you get the feeling that not a lot of time was spent updating the game. Yes, the new paint schemes are there, but there's really not much new content here vs. "NASCAR 06."

One thing is for sure though: If you’re a fan of Mercenaries, and can tolerate archaic matchmaking, Versus is worth every cent.

This is the first time in a long time that 2K has a viable baseball game in its stable, and while there remain many issues that need to be addressed either via a patch or for 2K11, at least now the developers have something real to build on rather than being forced to start all over again.

Burnout Dominator doesn’t add anything really new to the genre but is great for what it is: portable arcade racing and definitely worth your time if you’re a fan of the series.

Divinity II is the kind of game that falls neatly into the category of "guilty pleasure" for me. It's an RPG that doesn't really break new ground, but plays well enough and provides a challenge.

The game's combat system and excellent graphics makes up for a weak second half storyline and ho-hum characters that bring the go down a notch and I have no problem recommending it to role-players that find themselves mostly ignoring those aspects of these games.

Ultimately, if you like Metallica (a lot), and if you like the standard Guitar Hero gameplay formula, then this game is well worth the price of admission. If you don’t meet both those criteria, however, you really should move on.

Co-op issues aside, there's really nothing particularly wrong with Dungeon Siege III. It's an enjoyable, if un-ambitious game. I enjoyed it for what it was, but at the end of the day I left it having wanted it to be more.

It’s not a “sim for dummies” by any means, but compared to some of the other games in the genre, it is a bit skimpy in the depth department.

Does a good job of following the film closely and offers a lot of cool film extras that everyone will enjoy. While the gameplay isn't perfect and probably could have used a little more depth, what is there is great for youngsters and marginally entertaining for adults.

Everything looks rather dated, characters have terribly jointed bodies, the graphics seem washed out, and the animation is pretty stiff in spots.

The game delivers entertaining - although sometimes frustrating, sometime hilarious and sometimes jaw dropping gameplay, and with a small bit of patience, it ends up being an amusing and for the most part, an enjoyable experience.

Guitar Hero: World Tour is Activision’s answer to Rock Band, and while adding drums, bass, and vocals was necessary to keep up with the Joneses, a whole host of new problems are introduced with their inclusion.

Even with the addition of the Easy difficulty, Shiren the Wanderer is made for selective tastes. Fans of traditional RPGs will have a hard time reconciling the Spartan storytelling and visuals, while fans of turn-based strategies will likely take issue with the simplicity of combat.

As for the solo game, Conviction is likely to appeal to more people than any Splinter Cell game to date, which is a shame because UbiSoft has replaced the heady silent stealth play with a middling third person shooter.

Unfortunately, while this third episode was overall entertaining and fun to play, it doesn’t improve from the previous one. In fact, it takes a step back, which is obviously a bit disappointing.

But there is a sense of ennui here. Kane’s Wrath adds a couple of nice things, but where "Asian Dynasties" played with the conventions of "Age of Empires III", and "Kingdoms" further emphasized the great parts of "Medieval 2: Total War", this expansion simply walks along a path that was already clearly marked.

Still, while it lasts, it's an enjoyable if derivative take on the action genre using a superhero that conjures up awesome weapons to great effect. The basic mechanics of the game are well built, with plenty of concessions to make things easier for younger players, the co-op is a great idea, and it's an easy full thousand points, but once the game is over, chances are the memory of it will be fleeting.

Spyborgs might not be the best beat-‘em-up, but it’s enjoyable, even if it can be frustrating at times.

If you like arcade style combat games against hundreds of enemies at a time, and the ability to design your own ships then Warship Gunner 2 is a worthy edition to your PlayStation 2 library.

With that said though, I really can't think of a compelling reason not to recommend it to any space-sim fan - but only because of the depressing fact that there isn't anything else that really compares out there for the moment.

There is a very specific audience for Tekken 6 that will eat it up. Everyone else will see it as more of the same, but with a garbage new game mode and long load times.

A title worthy of the franchise and second only "World of Warcraft" in quality and fun in and MMORPG.

If you don't mind some trial and error, or don't mind working through the game until you figure out what to do, there is fun to be had with Puzzle Kingdoms.

The game is good enough for what it is supposed to do, but KOEI really needs to start making more dramatic changes with these yearly releases across the board.

The game is certainly fun, but is also seems hamstrung as a turn-based strategy game due to its overly linear nature and lack of any true sense of story cohesion or character progression.

I was happy to see that Propaganda at least put forward a decent effort and with a bigger budget and more development time, they might have been able to smooth out the game's edges and turn in something that could have been less of a "fans only" proposition and more of a mainstream contender.

Super Swing Golf is a cute golf game with an interesting story mode, but does not add anything new to the genre aside from the Wii-mote gameplay. It’s primarily for arcade golf fans, but it’s definitely worth a rental.

I was happy to see that Propaganda at least put forward a decent effort and with a bigger budget and more development time, they might have been able to smooth out the game's edges and turn in something that could have been less of a "fans only" proposition and more of a mainstream contender.

Any FPS fan should have an easy time enjoying this game – just don’t expect spit-polished perfection.

A pretty cool first-person shooter, with a forgettable story and characters. The gameplay mechanics in Prey, while very interesting, weren't utilized as much as they could have been, and multiplayer is a little lighter (albeit fun) than we expected.

As a clever puzzler, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem succeeds, but when it comes to serving its intended audience, (which is presumably, young kids) it misses the mark.

Really, the biggest issue with the game is the lame multiplayer and lack of enough game modes.

While it is a worthy first survival horror game for the Xbox 360, Condemned: Criminal Origins is a bit of a one-trick pony. Once the campaign is over, the player can go back to unlock more extras, but the game is pretty much done, and it has probably gotten repetitive to the average player by then anyway.

A fantastic game for families and casual players who may be interested in a friendly, gentle ‘my first music lesson”.

So the first thing Darkstar One: Broken Alliance has going for it is that it doesn't have a lot of competition. The second thing it has going for it is that it was already a good game on the PC, and it was simple enough that it didn't have to be compromised on the way to the Xbox 360. So right away, that's a heap of good news for anyone who fondly recalls the thrill of flying a load of medical supplies past pirates to sell it for a modest profit that will go towards a bigger laser.

So the story is so-so and the RPG section watered down with limited development choices, weak voice acting and script writing.

This is the first time in a long time that 2K has a viable baseball game in its stable, and while there remain many issues that need to be addressed either via a patch or for 2K11, at least now the developers have something real to build on rather than being forced to start all over again.

It may not stray from the original, and it may not do anything to convert those not already enamored with gem matching, but when the original is so good, there's no reason to change anything.

Theatre of War ultimately ends up being a “nice try”. There is too little feedback and too little variety for its size to recommend it to hardcore wargamers and it’s too frustrating on too many levels to recommend to the neophyte.

The gameplay is open-ended yet lacks a compelling plot and the combat is as solid as ever but veterans of the series will miss being able to fully flex the might of the job system.

While all of Getting Up's diverse elements are to varying degrees lacking, the game ultimately comes together as a moderately entertaining experience.

The biggest weakness of DK: King of Swing is that the play mechanic of swinging between countless pegs can get a little repetitive.

Real Heroes: Fighterfighter is unquestionably the finest fire-fighting game I've ever played, but that isn't saying much given how this isn't exactly a budding genre.

Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None is a smart adventure game with solid puzzles and a top-notch mystery, but its dated visuals and slow pace will have limited appeal for players who are used to more modern fare.

Although there is a lot to do in Thrillville, it is really designed for the pre-teen crowd. It's pretty easy to successfully manage a park, the missions aren't challenging, the carnival games and arcade games are simplistic, and the options for building rides and coasters are limited. Roller Coaster Tycoon this is not.

While the game's story alone probably wouldn't make for a tremendously successful anime series, and the competent but repetitive gameplay might not suffice without the narrative absurdity, the two elements combine with terrific production values to produce an experience that's definitely worth a look. There aren't many games quite like Asura's Wrath and there aren't a lot of heroes quite like Asura. He may have anger management issues, but it's still worth getting to know him.

Blood Bowl is an A+ boardgame trapped inside a C level computer game design.

I could further bemoan the lack of character customization, the mash-a-licious combat system, and the (mostly) fluid yet barebones platforming, but sometimes we all need a little simplicity. Like a Jason Statham action flick, Afro Samurai won’t change your life in any meaningful way, but it’s perfect for those days when you want to sink into the couch, turn off your brain, and watch some bloody entertainment.

While the game is a fast and furious stylized shooter, one of the biggest faults the title has is with how muddy the controls feel.

If you like shooting terrorists who look like they walked off the set of “The A Team”, and really who doesn’t, then Ghost Squad will provide plenty of enjoyable, mindless fun.

The spiritual possession adventure/puzzle solving aspects of the game were very fun and refreshing. Unfortunately the game's engine just could not quite deliver on the other elements of the game that strung it all together.

The game is set up almost on a freemium monetization model, but it's a $15 download. And at that price, it does feel a little thin on content- particularly when you're practically asked for your credit card if you want to put a cape on your guy or to buy one of those notorious XP-doubling pills. Granted, most of what you can buy with real money is nothing that any sane adult would care anything about- video game clothes, in-game "mascots", and so forth- but the concept points the way to a future where we'll be paying for FPS games by the bullet.

Yes, the graphics are bland. Yes, the controls are limiting. Yes, the action is slow-paced. Yes, there’s a bit of price-gouging with the “bills” system, especially if you want to get to the higher levels in the game. However, for fans of pick-up basketball, there's no denying that Freestyle Street Basketball is a fun outlet--and that’s the whole point, right?

While all of Getting Up's diverse elements are to varying degrees lacking, the game ultimately comes together as a moderately entertaining experience.

Ultimately, East India Company is a wonderful idea with a lot of great gameplay, but there’s a lot of missteps; too many, really.

If you loved Age of Empires 3, you’ll love the expansion. If you only mildly enjoyed the game, you may have mixed feelings here,and may be pretty let down.

Players that obsess over every club purchase or need to have complete control over their golfer's stats will be turned off by the low level of difficulty but for players new to the genre, or new to videogaming in general, the stylish and happy theme of the game, combined with the intuitive controls makes for a fun golfing experience.

In the end this is a by the numbers shooter with slick graphics, and ample opportunity to shoot supercharged Nazis. It's not going to win any awards but it's worth checking out if you’re looking for a weekend to pass the time shooting everyone's favorite bad guys.

The AI is relatively smart, Daniel's in-game help is most usually helpful (it's not always right on the money but there's some solid advice most times) and the ability to sync your PSP game with your PS2 game is a god-send for anyone that wants to continue to play their game on the go and vice-versa.

It's unfortunate when such a beautiful well designed game falls victim to stale gameplay. This game is definitely worth playing, It just lacks replayability.

What we are left with is a really good shooter that is somewhat hindered by bad AI, a bad storyline and tedious objectives toward the end. The sum total of the whole game still comes out being a pretty good one even with those problems.

Puzzle Chronicles certainly has its share of problems, mostly graphical in nature, but the new puzzle combat mechanic is interesting enough to rise above the issues and provide a puzzle combat experience of a decent length.

Flat Out 2 brings the same gameplay to the table the second time around, although it just doesn’t seem to have the same vibe as the original did.

Grand Phantasm delivers exactly what Atelier Iris series fans are looking for. For the rest looking for something that deviates from the series' trademark formula, it might best to look elsewhere.

Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce definitely has the same appeal (or lack thereof depending on your point of view) of its predecessors, but its long list of characters, upgradable attacks, varied weapons and bonus missions gives the series the kick in the ass it has so desperately needed for the last few years.

At the end of the day X-Men Origins: Wolverine offers a fun, albeit repetitive romp as one of comics' most savage characters.

What it lacks in finer details and multiplayer functionality, it makes up for in backstory and dynamic, fluid, fast-paced gameplay. It’s not a classic, and it’s no Homeworld, but genre buffs could also do a lot worse.

Ultimately, if you like Metallica (a lot), and if you like the standard Guitar Hero gameplay formula, then this game is well worth the price of admission. If you don’t meet both those criteria, however, you really should move on.

Because of the technical problems, it's tough to solely recommend the PC version of Kong over the other platform versions.

In the end what you have is gameplay that is as good as it has ever been – not perfect and still with some frustrations but clearly NCAA 10 is the most respectable version of this series to date.

So many months, so many thousands of man hours of work, so many millions of dollars, such an extravagant marketing campaign, and this is what Epic has produced? The shooter equivalent of a roster update in a sports game?

A pretty solid PC game all around that I can’t find any major faults with, though two things I really would have liked to see would be support for higher screen resolutions (the maximum is 1280x960) and some better documentation, not only on the backstory, but also to provide a bit more information on the different weapon upgrades, and the enemy ship types you might encounter during a mission.

However, the technical issues that currently exist in the game in a connection-based capacity really are unacceptable, and it saddens me immensely that issues like this still exist after the widely-known tragedy that was Steel Battalion: Line of Contact, and given how much potential this game has.

Despite the game's shortcomings, it provides an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon and isn't a bad video game entry for a hero whose appearances have been limited to 2D fighters and isometric action-RPGs.

It's more a fine super-patch than an extension or elaboration on the game as it stood.

I think if I had not played GRAW first, BF2 might have fared better in the score department. But with a better modern-combat game already on the shelves, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat has to settle for a just-above-average.

The world is bright and so colorful it almost assaults the senses. The eccentric cast of characters is extremely well detailed and animated.

The biggest problem with the game is that there just isn't enough in either the single or multiplayer arena for hardcore puzzle players.

Battlestations Midway is a welcome change from the traditions first person World War II shooting games that have been all the rage over the last few years and if you like naval warfare, there really aren’t many games out for the 360 besides this one to get your fix.

At the end of the day Avencast is a solid action role-playing game with some great puzzles and a combat system that tries to do things differently.

Starhawk gives you a wonderful set of toys and just enough incentive to use them, and with a will to learn and experiment, hardcore players will find a deep and engrossing multiplayer experience. It may be rough around the edges, and it's certainly not perfect, but Starhawk is definitely fun.

The problem is that veteran fans such as myself will have a field day in pointing out the game’s vital flaws, and the technical bugs alone don’t’ really help either.

So the story is so-so and the RPG section watered down with limited development choices, weak voice acting and script writing.

The Movies is still a dangerously addictive game, and the options added through the expansion pack make this even more so true; it’s just a sad fact players who couldn’t get over the interface and management issues of the original title won’t find a major reason to return for The Movies: Stunts & Effects.

In the end what you have is gameplay that is as good as it has ever been – not perfect and still with some frustrations but clearly NCAA 10 is the most respectable version of this series to date.