The stages get progressively more challenging as more-complex layouts and additional ball colors are introduced, and while the underlying gameplay really doesn't change much, it's still an engaging way to pass the time.

With a bit of good old determination, however, Moon's flaws and frustrations are easily overcome. Despite being almost 25 years old, Moon remains a thoughtful, beautiful experience that has a lot to say about the static nature of video games, how the way stories are presented affects our perceptions of reality, the rewarding nature of kindness and stewardship, and how simply being a part of the world makes us important and valuable. I don't think I'll forget my experience in Moon World anytime soon, and should you embark on this journey and see it through to its conclusion, I doubt you will, either.

Chronos' flaws are obvious, but thankfully few and far between. When you push your way through its more annoying aspects, it welcomes you with enticingly grim set pieces and tense encounters. It's a highly-rewarding game that proves you can leverage VR to enhance traditional games, but Chronos doesn't use it as a crutch; it stands tall all on its own. [VR Tested]

The fierce foes and expansive dungeons of Etrian Odyssey III welcome all those with a love for a good old-fashioned challenge.

Sure, it's got all the new rule changes, as well as an almost entirely up-to-date roster, but considering how similar the game is overall to 2005's version, you have to ask yourself, "Is that really enough?"

This is an incredibly deep medieval kingdom simulation, and it's the closest to actually being able to put you in the ruling seat of a feudal land.

In terms of gameplay, it's a by-the-book entry in an established genre, but its American perspective and a successful sense of humor set it apart from the pack.

The series is definitely starting to show its age, at this point, and only a fan could overlook some of the game's shortcomings. In the end, however, the formula still works.

A game that simply lacks polish and, in some cases, feels unfinished. It makes decent attempts with its different styles of gameplay, but none of them are particularly well done, and the game's storyline doesn't tie them together in a satisfying way.

New players will immediately find in Frontiers a new race and character class, as well as some slightly improved visuals, but this expansion is still best-suited to those already addicted to a'EQOA."

An extremely solid game that takes the series in a promising direction.

Decent 3D graphics and a breezy soundtrack accentuate the game's tone, and there are plenty of different scenarios to keep you coming back, though the underlying gameplay gets to be pretty predictable after a while.

The game offers numerous options, it has a ton of cars and all of the tracks from the rally circuit, and it looks good for a handheld game.

The characters aren't nearly as popular as those in Nintendo's game, but the deeper gameplay makes up for that to an extent.

Thanks to its solid gameplay and stylized look, it holds up well enough, even three years after its debut on the NeoGeo.

Makes me feel like a graceful performance artist, a skillful sorcerer, and a master musician all at once.

The Xbox 360 version of this humorous strategy game can be fun, but it falls short in a few key areas.

Harry Potter's latest adventure in colourful block land is a fun and varied way to end the series.

Mutant Storm Empire is a quality entry in the increasingly overloaded dual joystick shooter genre.

Saving cute little fish in Downstream Panic! is a fun though, occasionally, frustrating endeavor.

Doom II provided a crucial step in the evolution of the first-person shooter, but its outdated level design and gameplay mechanics don't entirely hold up today.

Longtime fans will appreciate that it's easier to both outfit Zero with different weapons and manage his various special abilities in this game than it was in the previous one, but aside from some primarily cosmetic changes, this game plays just like every other Mega Man game does.

Engrossing exploration, diverse development, and challenging combat return in Might & Magic Heroes VI.

It's hard not to enjoy Enigma. Streamlined but not dumbed down, the game captures the exciting feel of WWII naval combat even if it ignores many of the details.

By venturing beyond Earth--and not just to other planets, but to space itself--Call of Duty found a canvas to produce its best story in years. It reinforces the notion that a game's narrative is only as good as its characters.

It's not without its problems, but Soul Sacrifice's strong identity and rewarding commitment to the decision-making process are reason enough to try your hand at ridding the land of foul archfiends.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and it's hardly uncommon in the video game industry. Nonetheless, it's difficult to recommend Redacted when both Hades and its sequel exist and do almost everything it's attempting to do with much more aplomb. The Rivals system is a compelling breath of fresh air for the genre, and its combat is engaging--even if parts of it are severely lacking. There's a good game here, somewhere in the middle, once you're past the lackluster opening and monotonous ending. Redacted doesn't really expand on The Callisto Protocol universe, but I'm glad it exists. For as flawed as both games are, I still haven't lost interest in seeing more stories from this world, and I hope Striking Distance has a chance to tell them. Redacted just falls short a few too many times.

Even though the wingman mechanics and canyon races don't quite pan out, it's still a stylish and enjoyable street racer.

The improvements that Champions: Return to Arms makes over its predecessors are modest, and after four years of roughly the same game, the fundamental formula is starting to feel a little tired.

Making a good retro-style game is hard--balancing old-fashioned play mechanics with newer advancements in game design is a tough tightrope to walk. But Panzer Paladin manages that balancing act with few slip-ups, delivering solid platforming action, fierce weapon duels, epic boss fights, and a cool weapon-sacrifice mechanic, all dressed up in an immensely charming classic-robot-anime wrapping. While it might have its brief moments of annoyance, the amazing globe-trotting, alien-smashing adventure of Flame and Grit proves to be a delight from beginning to end.

Crimson Desert is a frequently thrilling game, elevated by an open world well worth exploring and hard-hitting combat that delights with its depth and emphasis on player expression. It might not always be the most cohesive game, mixing high fantasy with steampunk and sci-fi elements, but there's nothing else quite like it, and I can't help but be impressed by how little restraint Pearl Abyss has shown in its commitment to delightful absurdity. In some respects, Crimson Desert might not be too good to be true, but it's a world worth getting lost in.

It's got some flaws and it's not very long or replayable--you'll probably finish it in 12 to 15 hours, without much incentive to go back to the beginning--but it's fun while it lasts.

Endless Space is a relentlessly difficult sci-fi strategy game, challenging your intelligence at every turn.

A few fundamental problems sour a game that exudes delightful personality.

Episode 4 of Telltale's Batman: The Enemy Within has top-notch writing, thoughtful depictions, and impactful decision-making moments. It leaves Bruce, Batman, and you to grapple with questions and uncertainty. Between the future of Joker, the nature of Amanda Waller, and the potential fallout of Bruce's mission on his allies, Telltale has set the stage for what could (better) be an explosive finale.

At its core, EndWar is a bit too simple, but it does offer a unique voice command system and terrific production values.

MLB 11: The Show is a good handheld baseball game, but it offers little in the way of new features.

On multiple fronts, Avowed holds so much promise that it struggles to follow through on. While its combat feels impactful and gives you options to experiment with, it's hamstrung by an overall reliance on gear upgrades and scarce resources that prevent you from fully enjoying the creative freedom it initially advertises. Its world is fun to explore and navigate, but its story fails to wrap this in a captivating tale with a satisfying conclusion. It's an experience that routinely swaps between exhilarating moments and frustrating slogs, and often leans towards the latter the closer you get to the game's climax. Avowed might present itself as the new age of the fantasy role-playing games that it borrows so much from, but it's unlikely to have the same lasting impact.

Due in part to its brevity, Lost Orbit isn't the most memorable of adventures. You barrel through its levels quickly, and unless you want to try for faster time trial scores, there's not a lot to come back for. Still, the rush of speed and the simple charms of the animation and narration make this game a blast while it lasts.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is an improvement on last year's game, but this is a series that desperately needs a complete overhaul.

Though it can seem dilapidated at times, Metro 2033 is a dark journey saturated with an enthralling atmosphere that will reward intrepid adventurers.

The puzzles will put your logic to the test, but without being condescending or overly punishing. And, the puzzles stay varied and interesting, which make them a nice reprieve from the well-worn Tetris-derived puzzle games and the infuriatingly dense item-based puzzles common in adventure games.

If you're a "SimCity" fan who's not interested in solving other people's problems in the prefabricated scenarios or making your own material for the game, then you can let "Unlimited" pass you by.

Despite its many positive attributes, its most important element--gameplay--simply doesn't seem to be advancing quite as quickly as it should.

For all the changes in Starfleet Command Volume II, it's basically just a slightly improved version of the original.

If it weren't for a general scarcity of terror and a control scheme unsuited to its action-oriented gameplay, The Thing would be great.

The end result is a much more action-packed experience that might be a little too straightforward in spots, but it does make for a solid action game.

If you're into baseball, then this is the game to get--its presentation is extremely polished, and it really delivers the experience of being at and playing in an actual MLB game.

With additions like a frighteningly deep franchise mode and online play, SlugFest's already option-laden package gets even deeper this year, though some of these additions are better suited for the game than others.

It's designed exclusively for Final Fantasy XI's most dedicated players, and probably should have been a downloadable update for those players.

This is easily one of the best sports management games on the market, and it's second star only to Sports Interactive classics like "Championship Manager."

If you're looking for a 2D fighting game that's totally nuts, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core will give you what you want.

Gameplay and hovercraft control remain unchanged. Fortunately, time has been kind to this old gameplay standard, and it is as much fun to play today as it ever was.

DR:NE has better visuals, more tracks, improved gameplay, and enough secrets to induce a gaming fugue state in all who dare to play it.

It's a great game to own, especially given its low retail price, but this version is not an essential purchase.

Sniper Elite 4 feels like a natural progression for this series, as Rebellion continues to refine its systems and put a greater emphasis on the long-range shooting.

The Sexy Brutale's puzzles are fun enough, though they’re never precisely challenging. Instead, the game is likely best understood as an interactive art piece. Seen as such, it succeeds on almost all fronts. There's dramatic tension as you discover each of the gruesome ways your fellow guests meet their end in ever more fascinating wings of the mansion, and there's a dark commentary on the banality of death as you grow accustomed to using the sounds associated with specific murders in distant rooms as a form of a timer. Over and over again, The Sexy Brutale hammers home the brutal truth that you just can't save everyone.

While there's nothing unique about SkyDrift, it successfully delivers fun and frantic arcade racing that's best enjoyed online.

It's a shame that NCAA Football '14 has the same problems the franchise has been burdened with for years. The on-field action is tight and rewarding, but everything else is sloppy at best.

It doesn’t take long to whip a newcomer into shape, at least, meaning you can usually focus on Evolve’s unique brand of greatness: the suspense of the hunt, the exhilaration of battle, and the drive to dominate Shear. Even Sasquatch would shiver at the dangers.

The well-realized license in this third-person shooter can hide the myriad problems for only so long.

Elpis is a beautiful place to behold, yet with its deep craters and creepy multi-eyed extraterrestrials it feels like a hostile and alien world.

The 360 version of The Godfather is a lengthy and enjoyable experience that puts the source material to great use, but it's not much of an improvement over previous versions.

While his world is a little drab there’s still plenty to explore even after the job is done. Strider is fun, pure and simple, and serves as a fitting revival of a classic video game hero.

The bad news is that the story's a bit uninspired, and the game itself doesn't last very long. Despite that, the experience is still sustained well by its character interactions and enjoyable combat, and it's a nice option for role-playing fans looking for something unique.

While it accomplishes its goal of providing a fun WWII-themed shooting gallery, it doesn't really shine in any one particular area, resulting in a game that's competent but not very compelling.

Superliminal is a great puzzle experience, full of smart ideas that are richly realized. The game's playful use of the first-person camera and clever perspective manipulation puzzles take video game tropes and mechanics most players will be familiar with and wring something truly fresh out of them. Superliminal achieves its clear central aim--it offers up some genuinely fresh perspectives on what first-person puzzle games can do.

In short, this is the most complete version of Doom Eternal and, aside from a terribly frustrating late-game boss fight, a consistently great note for Eternal to go out on.

And that's what South of Midnight is: an unapologetic love letter to the American Deep South; specifically, the gothic vibes that permeate the mythology and superstitions of the region as well as the history and culture of the people who live there. It doesn't exactly wow with its combat and platforming, but these parts of the game are mechanically sound, and South of Midnight's memorable characters, incredible visuals, and catchy soundtrack are so strong that it doesn't really matter that the gameplay is just decent. South of Midnight is the type of story that will sit with you, and a good reminder that we need more games about the American Deep South. Compulsion Games hasn't made a direct sequel to any of its games yet, but it needs to make an exception here--I am not done with this world.

You'll enjoy this fascinating and intricate role-playing game in spite of its troublesome combat and scattered bugs.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged does make improvements over the original, but it is still largely the same game. The added depth to the racing itself is where it shines the most and the new vehicle classes provide a nice complexity and incentive to use a wider variety of Hot Wheels. The challenges and rewards are disappointing and the story doesn't add much to the campaign, but most of your time will be spent burning plastic on orange tracks, which is still fun.

It's derivative and occasionally buggy, but solid action and over-the-top gore make X-Men Origins: Wolverine a cut above other movie tie-ins.

What Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 lacks in variety, it makes up for in hilarity.

Donkey Kong Country 3 isn't a huge leap over "DKC2," but it's still a first-rate platformer with plenty to see and do.

Thanks to expertly implemented controls and tons of goofy situations, The Gunstringer is a rollicking adventure in the Old West.

Dark Arisen adds some great new content to the excellent Dragon's Dogma, though the new dungeon's unbalanced difficulty turns fun into frustration.

The expansion doesn't stray too far from the action of the original, but the new levels, new weapons, and increased focus on action make "more of the same" a fun little adventure.

Heavy Weapon's arcade-style shooting is incredibly appealing, especially when you get into the ridiculous action in the multiplayer modes.

The core one-on-one fighting action is easily the best part of the game. It's gory, intense, and quite complex, meaning it captures much of what has made MK an institution among fighting games.

It's a basic dungeon crawler at heart, but Summon Night: Swordcraft Story has enough fun with the formula to make it worth playing for role-playing fans.

A good enough game, though barely anything has changed. It doesn't feel like it has been rushed, since it isn't buggy or broken in any way, but there's definitely a lack of proper maturation here that hinders the overall product.

One of the best traditional RTS games to hit the PC in a number of years.

The Adventures of Shuggy is a cute platform puzzler that pushes the envelope with a deluge of gameplay ideas.

Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 offers fast, fun games of Magic: the Gathering, and the PC edition is the best, thanks to its mouse-driven control scheme.

Xenonauts is an unlikely success, a challenging clone of a beloved classic with enough tweaks to entice fans and newcomers alike.

Hitman's a veritable playground that will delight you with its open-ended design, comical NPCs, and contract creation tools. These qualities, and the flexibility to be as hardcore or laid back as you want, are much appreciated, even if they don't disguise Hitman's lesser qualities.

Won't win any new converts to the strategy genre, but it's a good game that ought to please devotees of the series.

Rallisport Challenge for the PC even has a few key bonuses that weren't in the Xbox version, including noticeably sharper graphics and the ability to play online.

Could have been ported over a lot more gracefully. Yet this is such an unusual, intriguing, and shocking game that despite the rough translation, it still makes for a one-of-a-kind experience on the PC.

Delivers a high-concept sci-fi setting, a load of innovative gameplay, and beautiful graphics. And though it falls short in a few areas, it's still a breath of fresh air in a genre in need of it.

While all the other pieces come together flawlessly, the lack of replay keeps the game from achieving greatness.

A high-quality real-time strategy on the GBA--that's Mech Platoon in a nutshell.

If you've never navigated a Battle Network before, the third installment in the sharp collect-and-battle series is a great place to start.

A pretty good game, though it could have been much better.

Levels are linear and predictable, focused on ushering you from one straightforward encounter to another so that you can go crazy with those deranged arms of yours. If you are a fan of the original game, bear this in mind: The Darkness II is a fun, very short FPS without the authentic atmosphere and subtle touches that made its predecessor so intriguing. Still, if you've got a lust for virtual blood, The Darkness II leaks enough of it to satiate you.

Even though it feels like worn territory, Makai Kingdom is still a charming and intelligent game with enough depth to sustain the gameplay long after the story is finished.

Madden NFL 10 on the Wii makes some great strides in differentiating itself from its counterparts, but it also neglects the major aspects that make those other versions so engaging.

The experience just doesn't last long enough to be savored. Gun's main story missions are exciting, but the main plot is over so quickly that the whole thing just ends up feeling rushed, and the various side missions aren't compelling enough to hold your interest after the end credits roll.